Jane Hartley
Which course did you study at Tallulah Rose and when?
I joined the 4 weeks career change course back in June 2018 and thoroughly enjoyed every single moment of it.
What did you most enjoy about the course?
It’s possibly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for myself and the catalyst for a whole new career and way of life. That particular class was relatively small, which made it seem all the more friendly and incredibly supportive. I love that we’re all still very much in touch and cheer one another on through both our personal and floral lives. We regularly meet up and have become firm flower friends. In June there were so many beautiful flowers to work with every day, and I think this is something that really sets Tallulah Rose apart from others – the generosity of the materials curated for us to use. If you’re working with incredible locally grown flowers when you’re learning and developing as a designer then it stands to reason that your creations will be elevated from the very first moment. The fragrance, colours and varieties delivered by the bucket to our studio each day from local growers was an absolute highlight of the course for me and I’ve continued using British flowers ever since. As soon as I placed a sweet pea vine in my first ever front facing bridal bouquet I was hooked!
What was the best piece of advice that Rachel gave you?
My floral style is unapologetically romantic and natural, instinctively leaning into soft tonal palettes and the abundance of a slightly wild cottage garden filled with foxgloves and rambling roses. Rachel gave me the confidence to develop my own style and not to be swayed by what others might be doing. This seems fundamental now but as a new florist, it’s tempting to bend to what you believe your potential clients are looking for so that was a great piece of advice for me personally, and one I would definitely give my younger self starting out.
What is the best part of having your own floristry business?
Tallulah Rose treat you as a florist from day one and this simple act encourages your own self-belief so that by the time you leave you feel confident enough to hit the ground running and start your business. I absolutely adore having my own floral design business. The best things about it are the continual learning, the creativity and problem solving, being surrounded by beautiful flowers on a daily basis, a deeper connection to the seasons and all the wonderful new relationships I have as a result of changing career. Being a part of my local florist and flower growing community, not to mention the many lovely fellow wedding suppliers I have met over the course of the last 7 years has been a truly unexpected pleasure.
What has been your most memorable moment since finishing the course?
I have worked on some gorgeous wedding design briefs with the loveliest couples so choosing one as the most memorable is impossible. Each and every one has been special and I invest so much care and time into their wedding flowers that clients inevitably end up feeling more like friends and family so to choose just one is rather like being asked to pick a favourite child! However, being commissioned by the Charleston Trust to create all the flowers for their Festival two years in a row has been a definite career high because the farmhouse and garden are somewhere I visit regularly for inspiration. I was thrilled last year when Queen Camilla arrived and two of my wild cow parsley and buttercup urns were placed in pride of place to welcome her to the festival, but secretly even more thrilled this year that Nigel Slater would be sharing the tent with my flowers. I know he won’t have noticed but I made sure I’d included some gorgeously bendy self-seeded foxgloves because I know they’re a favourite of his.
What is your favourite British flower and why?
My favourite British flowers, aside from roses and scented geranium leaves would be anything with a bell-shaped flower so foxgloves, hollyhocks and campanula are right up there. Pretty much any flower that suggests the perfect fairy dwelling or a Thumbelina sized bed is likely to be favourite of mine. One of the perks of working with British growers is being introduced to cut flowers I had no awareness of previously. Every year there’s a new personal love to add to my list of favourites. Chop Suey, an edible carnation, Bladder Campion and Bidens Aurea are all recent additions to this ever-expanding list.
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Profile photo credit: Caroline Towl
