Saying it with flowers
Valentine’s a very busy time for Zoe
LIFE will be filled with hearts and flowers for Zoe Rowlinson over the next few days as sweethearts go into full Valentine’s mode.
As assistant manager at Fabulous Flowers in Oxford, Zoe, 23, will be creating exquisite bouquets from dawn until dusk to fulfil romantic dreams and declarations of love.
What’s a typical day for a florist?
No two days are ever the same. I work in a high-end florist in a busy city centre so we get lots of passing trade, which means making up bouquets on the go, and we have corporate clients who we make up arrangements for every week. I also work on occasional events and launches, for example this week I have one for Mercedes.
I’ve also created designs for the Globe Theatre and even Blenheim Palace which is spectacular. There are weddings too, which are wonderful. Nothing beats meeting a bride for the first time and taking her ideas and dreams and making them a reality.
I love being creative and for Valentine’s I sat down with my bosses Matthew and Gary and designed some wonderfully romantic bouquets. This year they’re based on love birds including flamingos, doves and peacocks. A lot of the job is ensuring I keep an eye on the latest trends.
What’s the Valentine’s trend this year?
The favourites are still so often red roses, but I try and steer people away from them. Spring flowers cannot be beaten at this time of year. You get so much more for your money and the colours are exquisite. Generally, the current trend is for tropical plants including lots of foliage such as palm leaves and cheese plants.
How did you get this job?
I decided to become a florist after doing my school work experience at a garden centre. I got a place at college studying one day a week to start with and worked in a florist’s to get some handson knowledge and experience.
In my third year of training, I upped my study to two days a week. While studying I got selected to enter a WorldSkills UK Floristry Competition and that was a real game changer. I won gold which boosted my confidence and made me realise that I was actually good at it.
I even got to represent Team UK at EuroSkills 2014 which pitched me against some of the best florists across Europe. With that experience fresh in my mind I contacted Fabulous Flowers just for a chat. On the back of that I was offered a job almost three years ago. Last year, I got my level 4 City & Guilds national diploma.
What are the downsides, if any?
It can get seriously cold, especially in winter. It’s not a glamorous job. Thermals are critical and I always wear very thick socks. I can’t wear gloves at all as my hands are in and out of water all day every day – and you can tell I work with my hands.
What are your favourite flowers?
I absolutely love sweet peas. They are around for such a short time but smell so beautiful. I can’t get enough of them.
CONTACTS
■ Fabulous Flowers fabulousflowers.biz
WORLDSKILLS
If you want to follow Zoe’s footsteps, WorldSkills UK Competitions are open for entries from March 1 until April 7. Visit worldskillsuk.org. Entrants to these competitions could be selected to represent the UK at WorldSkills Shanghai in 2021.
BAG A JOB
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This year I’ve done flamingos, doves and peacocks