In Summer 2024 I handed in my notice for a well-paid, full-time senior role in Marketing & PR to follow my dream of becoming a florist.
As somebody who usually takes a well-planned, risk-averse approach to life, this was certainly a bold move. However, due to a change in circumstances the opportunity had arisen to give it a go. It was a now or never moment. I chose now.
With my last working day in the old job being at the end of July, and courses starting at the beginning of September, time was of the essence to find a course to enrol onto. And doing so was much trickier than I had imagined.
It was surprising to find out that there are such a wide range of courses available, each differing in their focus, duration and cost. At times it was difficult to work out the differences between them all, and due to timing I’d missed most of the course Open Day events.
Luckily the people I managed to make contact with at all three of the colleges on my shortlist (despite it being the Summer break) were really helpful. Each took time to speak with me about their course and invited me to visit their college to get a feel for the environment.
My local florist was also really helpful when I sought her advice. Thankfully, she steered me away from considering the short, one-week paid-for options that had also caught my attention when googling ‘floristry courses near me’. “There’s no way you can properly learn everything you need to learn in just one week”, I remember her saying. “There’s no quick fix.”
After much deliberation, I chose to enrol on an 18-month course at Shipley College to study for a City & Guilds Level 2 Technical Certificate in Floristry, and have not looked back since. In terms of the course, it’s a relatively new qualification developed alongside real-life florists and has a strong focus on gaining work experience, which I knew would be really important. Plus, Shipley College as a place to study was definitely the right choice for me. The tutors are fantastic, the environment is inspiring and the group of students I’m part of are the best – we all bring something different to the class and support each other massively.
Since the course began I’ve really enjoyed getting my hands on beautiful flowers each week to learn and practice practical techniques such as spiralling, wiring, gift wrapping and wreath making. The course started with a unit focused on Health & Safety, which admittedly didn’t set my world on fire interest-wise. However, I totally understand the importance of it and why it was essential for us to cover it off, first and foremost. We’ve now moved on to exploring floristry design principles which is really interesting and plays more to my ‘creative side’.
What I didn’t realise was just how challenging some of the floristry techniques would be – spiralling, in particular, had me in a spin for a while. And it’s so frustrating when you feel as though you’re just not ‘getting it’. However, the college tutors have been helpful and supportive, and gaining work experience makes a huge difference. For me, repetition and practice has been the key, and I now feel much more confident in my ability.
From the outset I realised that learning a new skill would be difficult at times, but it’s also been incredibly exciting and fulfilling too. The biggest surprise has actually been realising how hard work it is working in the floristry sector. I’d heard about the long hours, cold environments and hard graft involved, but experiencing it has been something else.
For a while on Monday evenings, after a full day of work experience at my lovely local florist shop where I originally sought advice on what course to choose (Fleur Couture, Barrowford), I would feel absolutely knackered. As somebody who’d previously always had desk-based roles, it was a shock at first. I’ve got used to it now and thrive on the buzz of being in a busy environment and working as part of a team.
Before I took the leap, I imagined that working with and around flowers would bring me joy. And so far, it has done just that. The learning process is challenging – but the best things in life are never easy, are they? I’m so lucky to have such a supportive network around me on this journey – from tutors and fellow students to my invaluable work placement. And of course, family and friends, who have encouraged me from day one. I’m enjoying learning something new and can’t wait to discover where floristry will take me.
Joanna Marshall is studying at Shipley College for a City & Guilds Level 2 Technical Certificate in Floristry. Previously with a career in Marketing & PR, she made the decision in Summer 2024 to go back to college to explore the potential for developing a brand-new alternative career path in floristry.
