Team Red

I think it's about time for me to introduce you to the wonderful, creative and talented women I have the pleasure of working with here at Red Fragrance.

I admire their creativity, and am inspired by their approaches to what is available to them for each order. I am grateful for their outgoing personalities, kindness and quirky senses of humour that make the long (and occasionally stressful) hours so enjoyable.

Amy

Hello! I’m… Amy

I’ve been a florist since… 1998!...wow that was ages ago!

And part of the RF team since… February 2010

The story of how I became a florist goes something like this… Since I was about 10 I had my own part of the garden where I grew cornflowers, poppies, sweet peas and snap dragons. I would arrange them in vases around the house so when I got to year 10 my parents suggested I do work experience in a florist. Loved it and still do!

A day at RF for me… Means discovering what goodies we got from the markets, unpacking the van then picking what flowers suit which orders best. And when spring comes it's weddings,  weddings, weddings!

My favourite thing about being a florist... Being able to be creative all day long and working with beautiful flowers. I love working with colour, shapes and textures.  

My least favourite thing about being a florist is… Having yucky workman/woman hands! I’m probably up for some arthritis when I’m old!  

My favourite flower is…Waterlilies, peonies, sweet peas, gardenias, gloriosa lilies, lily of the valley and lilac.

But I’m not such a fan of …Emu Grass and pine foliage.

because…pine stinks and emu grass is rigid and ugly

If I wasn’t a florist…

I’d work at a zoo or join the circus.

Emma...

Helloo! I’m…Emma

I’ve been a florist since… 2012

And part of the RF team since… April 2012

The story of how I became a florist goes something like this… It’s a classic case of a sudden career change – I decided to follow my lifelong passion for flowers and make the call to train and work doing what I love.

A day at RF for me… Starts with discovering all the new fresh flowers from the market tucked safely in the back of the van, marvelling over some new type of flower that Charlie has unearthed. From then on it’s working with fabulous colours and smells as we create arrangements for orders and customers. 

My favourite thing about being a florist is… Seeing people’s faces when they love a bouquet or arrangement you’ve just put together for them; trying out new combinations as the seasons change; and setting up event spaces. I love a bit of theatricality.

My least favourite thing about being a florist is… Getting lily pollen on my face and looking like I’m wearing asymmetrical orange eyeshadow.

My favourite flower is… Anything that comes from a cottage garden like my Grandma’s. Dahlias, sweet peas, poppies, cornflowers, anemones, ranunculus.

But I’m not such a fan of …Alstromeria and gerberas.

because… I think they are overused.

If I wasn’t a florist… I’d probably run away and live in the country growing flowers and vegetables.

Emma (Yep, we have two!)...

 

Hello! I’m… Emma

I’ve been a florist since… never. I’m RF’s “floral transportation logistics coordinator” 

And part of the RF team since… Valentines Day 2011 

The story of how I became a florist (floral transportation logistics superstar) goes something like this… RF needed all hands on deck for Valentines Day 2011 so I gave them a hand. I enjoyed it so much that they couldn’t get rid of me!

A day at RF for me… involves smelling lots of yummy things, smiling a lot and getting in everyone’s way

My favourite thing about being a floral transportation logistics superstar is… seeing all the amazing flowers that come in and the mind blowing arrangements that Charlie and the girls make out of them! It always smells good and everyone’s always happy.

My least favourite thing about being a floral transportation logistics superstar is… feeling nervous about driving lots of delicate glass and precious cargo

My favourite flower is… really? One?! Phalaenopsis orchids, sweet peas, jonquils, rusty coloured dancing lady orchids, hydrangea, etc etc etc etc etc

But I’m not such a fan of … bromeliads and gerberas

because… bromeliads are really spikey! I just don’t like gerberas…

If I wasn’t a floral transportation logistics superstar … my Monday mornings would be super boring and unhappy because I’d go straight to uni instead.

Now, I don't like asking people to do something if I wouldn't be prepared to do it myself, so...

 

Charlie 

Hello! I’m…Charlie

I’ve been a florist since… About 2005

And part of the RF team since… The doors opened in June 2009

The story of how I became a florist goes something like this… My Mum suggested that for year ten work experience, I should do something unusual and fun, “because you’re probably not going to make your career from this”. I spent the week at our local flower shop, walked home on Friday afternoon and told my family that I was going to be a florist. Very unexpected, but I’ve never looked back!

A day at RF for me... Means waking up at 3.45am to go to the markets and buy all the beautiful flowers we’ll be working with for the next two days. I make my way back to the shop, where we unpack the van and stock the display. From then on, it’s filling orders and serving all our local (and not so local!) flower lovers.

My favourite thing about being a florist is… Spending my day surrounded by all these amazing flowers, being creative and hearing so many beautiful stories about why each arrangement is being ordered. We hear some lovely things!

…did you really mean just one? …

My least favourite thing about being a florist is… Getting teeny tiny thorns in my hands from the field roses. How can something so little hurt so much?!

My favourite flower is… Sweet peas. And phalaenopsis orchids. And dahlias. And tuberoses. And field freesias. And blossom… 

But I’m not such a fan of …Geranium foliage

because… It smells weird And too strong.  (To me… lots of people love the smell of geranium foliage, but I think they might be crazy!)

If I wasn’t a florist… I’d be very sad. Maybe I'd try something involving gardening... Who knows?!

Hairy legs don't go to the beach.

hairy legs don't go to the beach.

Over the last couple of weeks, the poppies have been showing their handsome faces at the markets, and I simply can't resist bringing them back to the shop.

I love putting these bunches of hairy little caterpillary buds into vases, keeping secret their colour until they start to open, when they drop their cases in two neat halves so a beautiful flower can unfurl. Just gorgeous!

The arrival of the poppies serves as an excellent reminder for me to pass on a fabulous snippet of information that I learnt in my first couple of weeks at college:

Hairy legs don't go to the beach.

Now, I don't really mind how hirstute your legs may or may not be when you step into your bikini or boardies once the weather warms up. This memorable advice applies to flowers.

Flowers with hairy legs (stems) don't like to be placed in vases filled to the brim with water*. Instead, they'll be much happier if you fill the vase up just a little bit, and keep it nice and clean. There is science behind this, but all you need to know is that if you over-fill the vase of a hairy-legged flower, you are going to end up with some very icky water, very quickly.

Don't forget to change the water every second day, and keep it sparkly clean. (Sunflowers are surprisingly thirsty, so make sure the water doesn't run out!)

*Native flowers with hairy legs, for example Kangaroo Paw, are the exception to the rule. They're very thirsty little flowers, and will appreciate a vase half full (again kept clean and changed regularly).

Shehani and Mahesh

More wedding photos, hooray!

This one took place at a gorgeous church in Mosman, followed by a reception at Sergeants Mess.

White and purple flowers sat beautifully against a perfect white wedding dress and a rich purple bridesmaid dress. For the bouquets, we used roses, freesias, folded codyline foliage and camellia leaves. (The freesias smelled fantastic!)

We created lovely tall arrangements for the reception at Sergeants Mess. Tall designs on a dining table can be a bit of a challenge, as they can be hard to chat over! We avoided making this a big issue by placing the bulk of the flowers above chatting height, with just a few orchids inside the vase.

Shehani loved the idea of hanging baubles filled with tealight candles... gorgeous! A handy tip for anyone else who loves this look - it's not always an option to have real candles (check with your venue and your florist to make sure). We used battery operated tealights instead for the same twinkly light without any dramas.

I'm noticing that lots of couples are opting not to have the traditional "long and low" arrangement on a long bridal table. We took a modern approach to the traditional design - magnolia branches and dodder vine created our base, which we decorated with posies of lisianthus and stems of phalaenopsis orchids. I love the texture and depth as the arrangement snakes it's way down the table - it's nice to do something slightly quirky, (but not inappropriately out-there"!)!

I wish we had a photo of the gorgeous day this wedding was held on - the sun was shining, the sky was clear and it was deliciously warm. A perfect setting for an elegant, joyful wedding! Shehani and Mahesh - thanks for sharing your day and your photos with us!

Charlie x.

"Mahesh and I just wanted to send you a quick note to thank you so v much for your bouquets, church and reception venue floral arrangements. They were fabulous – particularly the sergeants mess ones – they transformed the room! I loved it … you captured what I wanted absolutely perfectly and it was 100% better than I imagined. You are so talented and creative – thanks again for all your help!!"
-Shehani

(These photos were taken by the talented folks at Inlighten).

Dannika and Joe

Hello hello!

I have just received some stunning photos of a beautiful wedding we did the flowers for last year!

We created Dannika's bouquet with an elegant garden style in mind. We used all white flowers - David Austin roses (which smelled lovely!), ranunculus, sweet peas, pieris and freesias - with magnolia foliage and little green vibernum berries to give it that "relaxed formal" look.

I love that even though it's a white bouquet, the contrast with green and brown and all that of lovely texture makes it stand out agains a white dress - stunning but not be too attention seeking!

Zest, at The Spit, was a lovely venue to work in. Dark timber floors and neutral (textured and gorgeous!) walls offered a moden and elegant canvas for us to decorate. Like the bridal party flowers, we wanted designs that would be formal (but not too stuffy!), relaxed and elegant at the same time.

Cube vases filled with seasonal white posies brought that elegant garden feel inside (and smelled pretty amazing thanks to all the hyacinths!)

Loved working on this wedding - what a gorgeous way for Dannika and Joe to start their happily ever after. (Thanks for sharing with us!)

x.

p.s. These beautiful photos are courtesy of our new friends at Society Photography. (www.societyphotography.com.au)

This is how to save your shirts, walls, carpet and skin.

THAT is a big promise! But I think I can help you.

We can't seem to go a week here without hearing "I love lilies, but I HATE all of the mess they make". What a shame! Lilies (and we're talking about Oriental Lilies), are long lasting, fragrant, and fill a space fabulously!

But, you're right. Lilies, without the right kind of loving, can make a dreadful and long lasting mess.

NEVER FEAR!
If you have brushed past your open lilies and managed to ruin your (what is almost inevitably a favourite) shirt, this blog is for you.
If you have a little mark on your white carpet from stepping on, and grinding in, some lily pollen, this blog is for you.
If you have somehow managed to skim your face by your lilies while carrying them across the room, only to find out three hours later (several face to face conversations are likely to happen in this time...) that you are dusted in a delicious shade of gold (not that this has happened to ANY of us here!), this blog is for you.

With just the teeniest bit of maintainance, you can actually prevent all of the above DISASTERS happening, and start enjoying those gorgeous Oriental Lilies once again!

We all know that in bud form, there's nothing to worry about - it's those cheeky stamens, full of pollen that we need to watch out for.

As the lily opens up, we're given the first glimpse of the stamens. At this point, they're harmless*, you can hold them without turning orange! As you can see in the photo, they're tightly wrapped up. (The two on the right are juuust starting to unravel a bit, you can see the colour difference).

(These were plucked from a lily as soon as it started to open).

As our lilies open up further, the stamens start to unwrap themselves, and this is where we run into trouble. On the inside is the loose pollen, which is what makes all the mess. You can see in the photo that it's a gradual process.

(These were plucked from a lily on the second day it was opening).

Finally, once the lilies are completely open, the stamens have completely unwrapped themselves, exposing HEAPS of pollen. There are six stamens on every lily. There are two or three flowers on every stem. There are five stems in a bunch. That's NINETY capsules of pollen, waiting to dust your clothes, carpet, face... everything!!!

(These were plucked from a lily on day three).

So, how do we prevent this pollenicious disaster? By acting early.

Once you can see the stamens, as your lilies begin to open, you want to try and pluck them out. We use our fingers; you don't need to cut them, as they come off nice and easily. We just wait until the flower is open enough that we don't have to squash the petals to get to the stamens!

The following is how we do it here (I know, the lilies are quite open, but it made photographing the HOW much easier!).



I hope this has been a helpful little post, and I'm looking forward to people getting excited about lilies (without the impending doom of all that mess!). If you know anyone who's been attacked by pollen, I'd love for you to share this with them too.

If you've got any floral questions for us, just shoot me an email (flowers@redfragrance.com.au), and I'll try and answer it here as best I can.

See you soon!

Charlie x.

*Lilies are actually very harmful (and can be fatal) to to cats. If you're a cat owner, even if you're extra great at stamen-plucking, lilies (oriental/tiger/asiatic/november...) are not the flower for you.

Congratulations, Stephanie and Nick

Another gorgeous wedding to share with you today! Hooray!

Steph is a self confessed flower lover, and our meetings were always alot of fun. It was a joy to chat with her about which particular blooms in which particular colours were going to put the finishing touches on what was going to be a very beautiful day!



In the end, we included flowers that held meaning and memories - a tribute to loved ones who are also flower lovers, and we complemented these with lots of colour and texture.
Cymbidium orchids, roses and freesias: Sunshine!

I hope these photos make you smile - this was such a smiley wedding to be part of :)

Thank you to Steph and Nick for sharing their day with us, and letting us share some of these beautiful snapshots of it with you. xx.


(These photos were takenDaniel K Cheung, who you can contact at www.danielkcheung.com)

We get by with a little help from our friends...

 These photos are from a lovely wedding held in the Hunter Valley last year.

A big thank you to the beautiful Carina from Say Dream, who helped us so much in making these flowers happen. xx

( www.saydream.com.au )

Hello there, old friend.

Beautiful dahlias, one of summers cheeriest blooms.

Hello there...

It's certainly been a while, hasn't it! I'm quite sorry about that.*

Anyway, here we are in 2012 - already! It's nice to be here with you! While we're on the topic of new years resolutions (oh, we weren't? Well, I guess we are now, which is quite convenient for me!), I'm going to make it my mission to be a bit more vocal here.

There's actually quite alot of lovely things that go on here at Red Fragrance (and of course, when we escape the shop and take RF on the road)! Between the veeery early starts (3.45am is often perceived as still being part of the night - which is a very reasonable perception. But three times a week, 3.45am is the time you need to wake up if you're going to the markets!), amazing and unexpected pieces of flora that we get to play with, and the beautiful events we get to decorate, there's lots going on behind the scenes here, and I'd love you to see some of them.

SO, here's to a bit more blog-love, more photos and more chatter about the deliciously crazy world that is Red Fragrance.

Chat soon, flower lovers!

Charlie x.

*You might know, I'm not the most technologically adept individual (if you didn't know previously, now you do). Anyway, unfortunately I allowed one technological hiccup to get the better of me in 2011, and this blog was sadly neglected. For that I apologise.