Skill, style, sympathy are must for a florist

THERE’S more to being a florist than picking flowers and being able to tie a bow.

It’s one of those trades which, on the face of it, seems pretty straightforward. However, to be high end, you must have the sort of skills and style that will not be found in a forecourt bouquet even a higher-quality supermarket creation.

Floral decorations crafted by Forget Me Not in Dundee’s Hilltown are to be found at special occasions across Scotland — and they were even shipped out to Cyprus recently for a wedding.

One of their florists is Shona Massie, 35, from Douglas, who has been with Forget Me Not since 2015.

“I was trained by Interflora,” said Shona.

“At the time the training was a two-day course during which you had to complete certain pieces to a high standard within a certain limit.

“However, like a lot of these jobs, the real learning begins once you get your first proper job.

“It can be a seven-days-a-week job with long hours and early starts.

“We can go to a wedding venue hours before anyone else to set up, for example, so there’s a lot of travelling, too.”

Shona also reminds us that flowers are not exclusively gifted for Valentine’s Day, birthdays or weddings.

“You have to remember that sometimes people come in to see us who have suffered a really awful loss.

“They’re not in a good place to see you, so you have to have that empathy, that understanding. You’re not just selling them flowers, you’re listening and supporting them, too”.

A florist’s year is studded with various special days. These are, naturally, going to be the busy times.

“You have to keep adding to your skills,” said Shona.

“People will see something on Pintrest and come in wanting us to replicate it, for example. “So if trends change, so do we. “Also, sometimes a person will come in with no fixed idea of what they want so you suss them out, get an idea of whether they’re traditional, or quirky or contemporary and make something that fits their personality.

“I really like my job. It’s creative and challenging. You often find yourself lost in your own wee world when you’re working on something complex.

“And if you find yourself in a good team, it’s not like working at all.”

Top And right is ShonA MAssie.