BOTANICAL STYLING

Here Among the Wild.

NO TWO BOUQUETS CREATED AT

Here Among the Wild’s Herne Bay, Auckland store are ever the same – how could they be, with co-owners Yolande Palmer and Chantelle Rodrigo at the helm? The pair share a love for the serendipitous and are content to let the flowers’ form dictate the construction of their arrangements, though that’s not to say they don’t also inject their own touch of the unexpected. “We’re about poetic expression,” says Yolande.

Since opening their flower shop late last year, the talented twosome have gained a reputation for creating abundant displays made with unusual botanical ingredients. So much so that locals frequently turn up at their door with their own interesting finds, from storm-blown branches to wild hops.

When did you begin working with flowers? YOLANDE: I’ve always worked with flowers and had bunches in whatever spaces I live in. What propelled it even further was living above a flower shop in France. I’d go in after work every night and admire the flowers until finally the florist offered to teach me how to create arrangements. It worked really well with my background as a sculptural artist. When I came back to New Zealand, I noticed a lack of the wild and beautiful arrangements I’d seen in Europe and I wanted to bring that here.

CHANTELLE: I come from a family of DIY-ers, so if we could make it, we did. I remember family weddings where all of us, young and old, would be gathered at a table like a mini-factory making little floral takeaways for guests or centrepieces for the tables. But I attribute my love of flowers to my sister Nedra, who would often point out various plants, name them and tell me what they could be used for. That really sparked my curiosity.

How would you describe the spirit

of the store? C: The inspiration for the space is in the name. We wanted to create an escape from the city where people paused their busy lives and experienced something organic and wild, instead of structured and concrete.

And what words would you use for

your aesthetic? Y: Untamed, green and soulful. We try to maintain an organic environment with very few artificially cultivated flowers. Our aesthetic tends to be a bit dark, with natural colours and asymmetrical shapes, and we follow natural lines, rather than control them. We have a love of curves and strange forms, and enjoy experimenting with different materials such as bark shavings, hops and moss.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Y: We love two artists in particular:

florist Lewis Miller and floral designer Wona Bae. They have very different styles, Miller’s being more opulent and inspired by Northern European still-life artists, and Bae having a very fresh and contemporary style using mainly greenery that demands to be hung in minimalist architectural spaces.

We also take inspiration from the countryside, which results in more raw but magical arrangements and window dressings. Although they’re influenced by international artists, our arrangements maintain a New Zealand feel simply because of the flora we find here that isn’t seen overseas.

What would your dream project be?

Y: To collaborate with other florists and create arrangements influenced by masterpieces at the Auckland Art Gallery – mainly because we’re so inspired by art ourselves.

There can be a lot of wastage in floristry – how do you get around

that? C: We love working with flowers but we’re also aware of our environmental footprint. With that in mind, we ensure that all cuttings go into the compost to feed our garden, which we’re currently trying to turn into our own little flower farm so that we know the whole cycle from seed to bouquet and how our flowers are sourced and treated. We hang any leftover flowers upside down for drying and they eventually become part of a dried arrangement that can be kept for years on end.

You also hold floral workshops – can you tell us a bit about what

they involve? C: Many people find working with plants and flowers intimidating, so our workshops are a way of helping them become more comfortable with getting their hands dirty. We also serve wine and cheese, so most people find that combination pretty irresistible!

The workshops cover everything from making wild floral arrangements to creating a green space, and are usually held on Sunday afternoons because we find it’s the perfect time for people to unwind and get into a creative headspace before their work week starts. Afterwards, attendees get to take home what they’ve made, so it feels doubly rewarding. •

OPPOSITE Yolande (far left) and Chantelle in their beguiling shop. Yolande says they like their arrangements to be defined and designed by nature. Her mantra? “Nature rules: no rules.” The wonderful and sometimes weird f lowers and foliage they use...