Florist’s new venture is set to bloom
BUDDING BUSINESS WILL HAVE ITS ROOTS IN SUSTAINABILITY
THE coronavirus pandemic made many people reassess their job satisfaction, with some turning their backs on office work to follow their dreams.
With the cost of living crisis, that’s now potentially a bigger risk than it was during the pandemic, but it hasn’t stopped one budding florist from Northumberland pressing on with her floristry ambitions.
Polly Smith, 26, has been making Christmas wreaths for more than 10 years with the flowers she finds in her garden and near her house in Alnwick.
She launched Polly’s Petals from her home on Friday and aims to practise sustainable floristry in her wreaths for birthdays, weddings and funerals. She’s also running workshops and classes after giving workshops for around 60 people ahead of Christmas 2021, and has been encouraged by friends and family to pursue her dream.
Polly said: “People have been really supportive, they’re really excited about it and encouraging. I’m really excited too!
“I started making Christmas wreaths when I was 15 and then I decided through lockdown that I could make some money from it.
“When I started selling, the demand was really high and I was doing Christmas table arrangements and all sorts, all natural and locally sourced – I foraged a lot from my garden.”
Sustainability is important for Polly’s new business, and she’s aiming to use locally-sourced British flowers (many of which are from her garden) where possible and reduce waste.
She’ll make them in the “vintage-inspired” workshop at her home, which was her carpenter dad’s former workshop – though now it’s decorated with fairy lights, dried flowers, and there’s a log-burning stove to keep guests warm when she gives workshops.
Polly continued: “I want to make it quite social for people because I realise there’s a bit of a gap in the market for people who want to go to creative clubs. I’ve given workshops before and once the workshop is ready, I’m going to do classes for about eight to 10 people, I can’t wait!”
The budding florist will also be showing her wares at farmers’ markets in Northumberland in the run-up to Christmas, though her base so far has been through Facebook and Instagram.
The 26-year-old’s switch may come as a surprise as she spent five years studying for a masters degree at Newcastle University and has turned her back on a secure job and good pay in the planning and development industry.
However, for Polly it’s not all about money, and she’s ready to go back to studying to make her business a success, with her place at the Tallulah Rose flower school in Kendal secured in April next year.
She said: “I can do most stuff already myself and I have a good grounding. But I thought it best to go as I can learn more about sustainable floristry.
“Floristry is what I’ve always wanted to do but I thought I should do the corporate thing and get a proper job, so to speak. But I’ve decided to make the leap and change.
“We sit in front of a computer all the time and job satisfaction maybe isn’t there... but with my floristry it’s lovely because you always get to see people are happy and I’m just following my passion.
“It’s a dream and a massive risk but if you don’t try, you won’t know.”
To see more of Polly’s work, you can visit her pages on Facebook and Instagram.