Working with Flowers – Student Information
We are often asked about how to get a job in floristry, on a flower farm or in a different part of the horticulture sector (e.g. landscape design, home gardening services, retail nursery, plant propagation nursery, arboriculture, market gardens, botanical garden and so many more).
Depending on where you live, there will be different opportunities. These will be influenced by:
- Whether you live in a city or rural area and the local population size
- The types of horticultural activity historically in your area
Working with plants is becoming increasingly popular and the benefits of working outside are great. We really love being connected to the natural world but you must be prepared for a tough physical job, and for working outside in all weathers.
Where to Start – Testing your Interest
Whether you are more interested in the floristry or the horticulture side, the good news is that you can start to build skills in your own time while studying or working. There are lots of youtube videos on floristry or gardening for beginners and you can set yourself small projects. You can make arrangements from dried grasses or foraged foliage (no need to spend money on flowers). And for the price of a few packets of seed you can start learning how to grow your own vegetables and flowers.
The best way to know if you are interested in working with plants is to start working with plants!
Training
TAFE run horticulture and floristry certifications.
Horticulturejobs.com.au is Australia’s horticulture jobs board.
A number of university degrees focus on aspects of horticulture covering topics such as:
- Plant health and pathology
- Soil science and chemistry
- Irrigation and water management
- Pest and disease control
- Supply chain and post-harvest operations
Apprenticeships in Horticulture combine on the job learning with TAFE classes. Sometimes it’s possible to do the learning element online. This provider had come good information on what’s involved. We are not aware of any floristry apprenticeships.
Work Experience and Casual / Seasonal Work
Much horticulture work is seasonal with short term surges in activity. Consequently, there is a peak in demand for workers. This can be a great opportunity to gain experience. Get to know your local flower farm, florist, nursery, grower and ask them what time in the year they might be needing extra help. If you can flex to their needs, you are much more likely to get those first jobs and that vital experience.
For example:
- Floristry – big flower holidays such as Christmas, Valentines Day and Mother’s Day or for a specific event such as a wedding.
- Horticulture – during harvest, or planting (this will vary depending on the crop and there may be multiple peaks per year)
- Retail Nursery – on weekends when more shoppers come to the store, or during summer when more help is needed to water the plants
Travel opportunities are also available if you chase the farm ‘backpacker’ jobs around the country.
Becoming a Florist
The pathway to becoming a florist has changed in recent years. A TAFE certification is certainly no longer necessary. Lots of training opportunities are available from independent providers and the aesthetic of a looser, more organic style means that lots of florists are self taught. Start building a portfolio, photograph your work, and build your design style.
Some florists have physical shops but as most flowers are ordered online or by phone, many choose to work from home. These people are often referred to as ‘studio florists’. This is particularly common for wedding florists.
Unfortunately, the demand for florist jobs massively outstrips the number of florist businesses seeking workers so it can be a challenge to get experience. Many studio florists have set up businesses and reputations by starting off building their skills and reputation alongside a separate job, only moving to floristry as a full time occupation when they had a sufficient workload to justify going full time.
Flower Farmer
Flower farms have been popping up around the country in recent years which is great news for locally grown flowers. Flower farms vary in terms of the plants they grow and the services they offer. Some grow a limited range of flowers which they sell on to wholesalers. Others sell direct to florist. And some farms like ours, grow the flowers and do the floristry. Being in a rural area quite far from a city, we have found this model most sustainable. Most flower farmers are self employed and grow flowers in a part of their garden or farm. You can grow cut flowers in a very small space which makes it easy to start.