The Darling Buds Of Tallulah Rose
One gloomy autumn evening I found myself, rather unexpectedly, in a beautifully decked out warehouse in the backstreets of Brixton. An enchanting room welcomed me, with flower beds set in wooden boxes on tables, breath-taking flower arrangements hanging on walls, door frames, and the stair bannister. There was even a vintage bicycle ornamented with flowers, completing the cinematic set up, all that with loosely hanging light bulbs and vintage props all around. And there was a reason for that. The Tallulah Rose Flower School was in town and running a two-day course for all those sharing a passion for flora, and everything on show was made by their flower-loving students.
Blossomed some four and a half years ago in the beautiful city of Bath, the school’s owner Rachel Wardley together with her team, offer a variety of professional courses in flower design. Throughout the year, there is a selection of one, three and four-day courses suitable for complete beginners, as well as experience florists alike. For those who want to pursue a career in floristry, there is the acclaimed four-week career course. As well as teaching bespoke design, this course offers invaluable practical skills and tips needed for running an independent business – from business planning to marketing, social media, branding, and more than anything, an ongoing support from the school. Speaking with Rachel and hearing her talk about her school and her students so passionately, it becomes immediately apparent that there is something different and special about Tallulah Rose. What separates the school from any other is that its sole focus is on professional teaching. “120 per cent goes into the school. I think there is a difference there, because particularly the four-week course that we do, it’s not just about practical, it’s about business as well and we have experts in their field to come into the school, which no other flower school offers,” Rachel smiles.
Always striving to support local growers, the school uses the freshest and most locally sourced flowers wherever possible. “We try to source British where we can seasonally. If not, then it’s Holland and we have a great wholesaler in Bristol”, Rachel adds. There are no plans to take the business out of Bath, but more visits to Brixton and beyond are planned. “I think it’s nice for us to be able to come and do this but my home is Bath. I lived in London for a long time and this [Brixton] is where I lived, so it’s really nice for me to come back to Brixton and do something like this.”
The most rewarding aspect Rachel finds about her teaching is the confidence people gain from the course. “The four-week course that we do, we take people who have a lot of passion and are really excited about doing it, but their confidence is quite low. So we take them in a period of four weeks, to leaving the flower school ready and driven to launch their own business. For me, seeing their confidence grow and their ability grow over four weeks, they are so proud of themselves at the end, for me, that’s amazing. And you can get that in a day as well.”
With Christmas just around the corner, there is an upcoming one-day Christmas Wreath making course at the HQ in Bath. It will make a perfect personal gift, whether for someone else, or yourself.
Whether you are thinking of becoming a professional florist, or simply would love to learn how to master the perfect bouquet, the Tallulah Rose Flower School offers it all.
The School returns to London in April next year, but if you can’t wait until then, Bath is less than two hours away. Did someone say “spa weekend”?
For more information click here: Tallulah Rose Flowers
