What inspired you to go into floristry, and how has your journey evolved over the years?
Being a London gal, one of my favourite things to do on the weekend would be hitting the flower market and grabbing a coffee. I loved the pairing of coffee and flowers and after being barista trained, I hoped to combine the two.
Blooms came first and the business grew and grew, so I ended up not following the coffee element – plus I’m mates with lots of great café owners, so we team up in other ways.
Evolution wise, we were Newquay’s local gifting florist for six years (which was great fun!) but now as we turn seven, our focus is primarily on events, weddings, installations and workshops.
How would you describe your style and philosophy when it comes to floral design?
We love colour. And texture. We’re not afraid to try combinations you wouldn’t usually see!
I love a flow and touch of whimsy to everything we do. More recently, we enjoy a contemporary style, so now it’s exploring a combination of the whimsy and modern.
Keeping it as sustainable as possible, kraft paper wrap and chicken wire/moss structures to reduce single use plastic. It’s tricky to be completely eco in our industry but we can all do our bit.
Do you have particular flowers or foliage you love working with during the festive season?
There is a grower called Irish Green Growers who have the most gorgeous foliage including Silver Sussex which is a fave! Conifer is also great at Christmas.
What’s your favourite festive scent or ingredient to incorporate into arrangements?
The scent of spruce sums up Christmas for me, we use it in all of our wreath workshop designs. Dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks are also lovely and fragrant.
What can visitors expect from your stall at Padstow Christmas Fayre this year?
Excitingly, we’ll have our DIY wreath kits with all the fragrant bits mentioned above and some extra gorgeous pieces: apple slices, pinecones, ribbon. They’re such a great activity to do with friends at home. Especially if you can’t make one of the venue workshop dates!
I’ll also have our Cornwall made soy candles ‘Sweet Ember’ which consists of ‘lily of the valley, patchouli and lavender’ wrapped and ready to gift. Finally, some lovely festive dried flower bunches, starting from only £20.
What tips can you share for keeping festive wreaths or arrangements looking fresh for longer?
A little spritz/mist of water goes a long way. Use more evergreen foliage’s if possible and keep away from heating/radiators please!
Do you have any Christmas traditions – floral or otherwise – that you look forward to each year?
Yes, lots! It’s not Christmas without my first mince pie – usually from Gorse Bakery or Choukette. Mulled wine at Tom Thumb. Florally, I always enjoy dressing the dining table. Floral place settings and tapered candles make it feel more elevated. I’ll have a selection of floral place settings on the stall, they always get snapped up quickly so anyone is welcome to pre-order with me for a Padstow collection.
If you could design the perfect Christmas bouquet to represent Padstow, what would it include?
A huge gorgeous red bow to represent tradition. Possibly in velvet, to touch on an element of luxury.
Hayley splits her time living between Newquay and London and is available for wedding and event work worldwide.
