Ash Unsworth

Which course did you study at Tallulah Rose and when?

I studied the 4 week career change course in June 2023.

What did you most enjoy about the course?

The really magical environment that Rachel has created – as soon as I stepped foot through the door for the open day, on a cold, wintry day in the February, I knew that I couldn’t not book onto the course (and there wasn’t even a flower in sight then, I don’t think).

The encouragement from day 1 to believe in yourself and dream big. Rachel spoke to us all the way through about what we would go on to do, not what we might go on to do.

The way Rachel really nurtured our love and appreciation for British grown flowers, and then helped us to understand the importance with developing relationships with our most local growers so that we could continue using them away from Tallulah Rose.

The excellent balance between practical, flower related skills and business know how

What has been your most memorable moment since finishing the course?

My first ever wedding has to be up there as one of the most memorable. It was only a very small wedding and I drove over an hour to get there with my bridal bouquet, two bridesmaids bouquets and 4x buttonholes, but walking into the bridal suite and handing over my first ever bridal bouquet to a delighted bride was an amazing feeling that has never grown old.

Other than this, it’s got to be opening an email on a random Friday afternoon in February to find that Tatler were inviting me to advertise in their summer bridal campaign.

What is the best part of having your own floristry business?

The opportunity it has given me to create something of my own, that feels really special. Not only do I get to be creative every single day, selecting ingredients from wonderful growers, who I have the most wonderful relationships with, but I’ve also been able to design a customer journey/ process that ensures I really nurture my couples and make them feel really special – something that I really love doing.

What’s the best piece of advice Rachel gave you?

Let’s be honest – anything that came out of Rachel’s mouth was pure gold.

But the absolute best piece of advice she shared was about getting comfortable with putting yourself out there, going and seeking the opportunities you crave, as the worst case scenario is being told “sorry, no!” (Which is very rarely personal and nearly always just business). This has allowed me to be a lot more comfortable pushing myself.

What advice would you give your younger self starting out on your floristry journey?

To listen to Rachel when she told us all to stay in our lane.

In the first year or so, I found myself constantly looking at what other florists were doing and comparing myself. It made me lose sight of what I wanted my business to be, how I wanted it to feel and where I wanted to it to take me.

I’ve recently done a lot of work revisiting my “why” and reconnecting with my own values, and running a business this way feels so much more exciting and enjoyable.

What’s been your favourite Client request so far?

Whilst you might think that I would pick a large, impactful installation, I actually think one of my favourite requests has been one of the smallest and most delicate, which was a few stems of flowers being placed into the logs in a fireplace, and made to look as if they had grown there. It just felt very unexpected and a detail that not many would think of, but it was such a beautiful touch.

Is there an opportunity that springs to mind that Tallulah Rose gave you the confidence to pursue?

My first styled shoot at Kirklinton Hall – it felt so scary to arrange, but I feel like it really helped to kick start my career in wedding work.

What is your favourite British flower and why?

Hands down, Icelandic poppies. They are so beautiful, come in the most amazing shades and I adore the range of vibrant and more muted colours they come in.

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Profile photo credit: Emilie May Photography