Six-Week Introduction Course to the Floristry Industry

Petals to Profession: Your Hands-On Introduction to the Floristry IndustryThinking about a career in floristry? This is where you start.Most people enter the floristry industry blind—taking whatever job they can find, hoping they'll learn the ropes. But what if you could walk into your first role already understanding how the industry really works?Petals to Profession isn't just a floristry course. It's your insider's guide to the entire industry, taught by someone who's climbed every rung of the ladder.The Experience You Won't Find Anywhere ElseMeet your teacher Cassy Canterford: Nearly 3 decades in floristry, and she's done it all. She started as an apprentice working her way up to florist, then senior florist, went out freelancing then became creative director of Flowers for Jane.Across those 27 years, Cassy has worked in 10 different floristry businesses—traditional shopfronts, online floristry, freelance design, and wholesale operations. Each business ran differently. Each had its own rhythm, challenges, and secrets to success.That means Cassy doesn't just know floristry from one perspective. She knows what it's like to be the apprentice learning the basics, the florist doing the daily grind, the senior florist managing teams and complex orders, and the business owner making the tough commercial decisions. She's lived your entire potential career path—and she's bringing all of it to this course.Why This Changes Your Career TrajectoryWant to know what employers really look for when hiring? Curious about the jump from florist to senior florist? Wondering what it actually takes to run your own floristry business? Thinking about whether a shopfront suits you better than an online only business, or if freelance life is your calling?Cassy's been inside them all—at every level. She knows what it's really like—the profit margins, the pace, the client expectations, the daily realities, and crucially, what separates florists who advance from those who plateau. This course gives you the rare opportunity to understand the full landscape of floristry before you commit your career to just one path.You'll learn the techniques, yes. But more importantly, you'll learn where and how those techniques get used in the real world, and what the industry looks like from an apprentice all the way to business owner.Your Six-Week Industry ImmersionThis course is deliberately designed to give you a taste of everything florists actually do in their working lives:Week 1: Bunches, Bouquets & PosiesThe backbone of shopfront and online floristry. Learn multiple construction methods that you'll use daily in any floristry business.Week 2: Blooming Bowls & Ceramic PotsCorporate work, events, and home styling. Learn the mechanics (foam, frogs, chicken wire) behind arrangements that last—crucial for flower delivery businesses.Week 3: Wired for BeautyWedding season essentials. Learn flower crowns, headbands, corsages, and buttonholes—The little fiddly skills that separate premium florists from the rest.Week 4: Statement VasesHigh-end design work. Sophisticated grouping techniques with botanicals like succulents, gumnuts, fresh fruit, and unexpected design elements that command premium prices.Week 5: Wreaths of the WildGreenery, texture, interest, and beauty born from ancient tradition. Master the binding techniques used since Egyptian times—when lotus wreaths crowned royalty—through Greek and Roman garland-making, to today's stunning wreath designs.Week 6: Elevate Your TableThe most creative and rewarding work in floristry. Design statement centerpieces and display pieces for receptions, ceremonies, and events—where your artistry becomes the focal point of unforgettable celebrations.What Makes This Course DifferentEvery Perspective Covered: Learn from someone who's been the apprentice, the florist, the senior florist, and the business owner. Cassy understands what you need to know at every stage of your career. Working for others, or yourself.Real Industry Intel: Understand how different business models work—from pricing strategies to workflow management, transportation logistics to budgeting realities.Commercial Viability: Learn which designs sell, which ones don't, and why. Discover the difference between creating for love and creating for profit.Practical Business Insights: Get honest answers about working hours, physical demands, seasonal fluctuations, income expectations, and what it takes to progress from entry-level to running your own show.Hands-On Technique: Each week you will have a hands-on class which gives you foundational skills every professional florist needs. You may choose to attend other classes we run for more practice. Professional Portfolio Start: At the end of each workshop we spend time photographing or videoing your work so you can showcase your range—your first portfolio pieces for job applications or going out on your own.The Skills That Get You HiredBy the end of this course, you will have had a go at:Constructing arrangements using professional techniques and mechanics.Select flowers based on seasonality, longevity, and commercial value.Understand the different pathways in the floristry industry.Know where to start to create arrangements suitable for weddings, events, shopfront sales, and online delivery.Know which floristry path suits your skills, personality, and lifestyle.Speak the language of the industry with genuine understanding.Understand what employers look for when filling a vacancy.Your Career AdvantageMost people enter floristry knowing little about the industry. After this course you'll enter understanding the entire ecosystem—from apprentice to business owner, from shopfront to online, from daily arrangements to high-end wedding work. That's the advantage that gets you into the role that suits you the best.Whether you're eyeing your first apprenticeship, considering a role in an established florist, thinking about freelance wedding work, or dreaming of eventually launching your own floristry business, this course gives you the foundation and industry knowledge to choose wisely.Ready to Test the Waters?Six weeks. A complete career's worth of insight. Unlimited potential.If you've been wondering whether floristry is your calling, this is how you find out—with your eyes wide open, your hands in the blooms, and a mentor who's walked every step of the path ahead of you.Upon completion of all 6 weeks, you'll receive a personalised reference letter from Cassy outlining the techniques you've been introduced to and the arrangements you've created—a valuable credential that shows potential employers you've had some hands-on experience.Starting Dates - Thursday March 5th at 6.30pmNOTE: No class on Thursday 12th March 2026Miss a class due to illness? Join Cassy's makeup week, at the end of the six weeks, week 7 is set aside for those who have to make up a class.

• All flowers, foliage, and sundries required to make an arrangement to take home each week.
• You'll use our class set of cutters, etc., however, if you choose to purchase new, you may.
• Class education handouts.
• Coffee, tea, and refreshments provided.
• 10% off any purchases (giftware, cutters, more flowers, candles, etc.) during the event.

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