PETAL TO THE METAL
Florist Joeanna Caffrey shares a typical day
Having three flower stores in Avoca, at Rathcoole, Kilmacanogue and Dunboyne, along with designing and building wedding and event floral installations every week means every day, week and month is different for me, as it is highly dependent on what we have planned that week. My flower stores are open seven days a week, so every day will have an element of organisation for those stores. Whether it is organising rosters, reading the stock lists, ordering flowers, conducting the pricing for the flowers for each store or buying new stock items, the shops alone keep me extremely busy. I have an amazing team around me, who ensure the shops are kept as beautifully as possible. Trends are constantly changing, and I am always looking for fresh new ideas to keep them looking gorgeous.
7AM Morning begins with a piping hot mug of tea from my lovely fiancé Paul and a morning snuggle with my cat Teddy. I have had her nine years and she is definitely part of our family. Weekends are the busiest time for me so Monday mornings are always a tad slower to begin but my morning routine gets more pressurised as the week progresses. By the time Friday and Saturday come around I will usually have a wedding booked in so we will be up early both those days to ensure prompt delivery of our wedding and event flowers. Breakfast for me is usually something small, if anything at all, but I always bring a coffee in the car with me. I sometimes choose to work from home in the early morning or I will work from one of the Avoca stores. I don’t have a specific office, as I am constantly on the move.
8AM The first things I check each morning are my emails and social media. Orders may have come in overnight for delivery from my stores, so I begin by organising those for the day along with a “to do” list for the week. If we have weddings or events, I will send my final orders to my supplier on a Monday morning for those flowers. Our flowers are grown all over the world, but are all coming through the floral hub of Europe, which of course is Holland. I do buy Irish as much as I can, especially greenery, but often the weather affects this. I will then ensure that my flower orders are placed for my three stores. We get four or five deliveries per week to ensure quality and freshness. I will then liaise with my team on the needs for each store and go about organising everything needed that week to keep the stores in order. 11AM My day will then continue by calling to my three stores at Avoca, where I will check stock levels and the displays. 1PM Lunch usually consists of me grabbing a wrap or sandwich at Avoca and eating it in the car with a coffee between store visits and meetings or eating it in front of my computer while I answer emails. It would be an absolute treat to be able to stop and enjoy lunch most days. Dinnertime is usually the only time I actually stop to sit down and eat at a table!
3PM Afternoons early in the week are spent meeting with our wedding co-ordinator, Emma, to ensure all our wedding enquiries are answered and quotations completed. I would also often meet brides and clients. While later in the week my Wednesdays and Thursdays are spent in my studio in Rathcoole, where all our event florals are constructed.
7PM I won't usually get home until 7pm or later each day, but this is by far my favourite time of the day. As breakfast and lunch are usually on the run, dinner is the nicest meal for me, as I can enjoy it. I will always light my fire and candles at home, no matter the time of year – it’s such a comfort for me. I will then cook dinner for myself and Paul, and we will catch up on the day’s events. If I’m very lucky, a hot bath will end my day before a gorgeous night’s sleep... then it all begins again.
Florist Joeanna Caffrey shares her
typical weekday routine.