International Floral Workshops
Are they worth the BIG $$$'s
Today on the Flowerlogue…
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This post is not such a long read, it’s just full of images. For the best viewing experience, be sure to read this post on your desktop or via the substack app. By the way, all images in this story are taken by me or as named. I’ve inserted a paywall in the last half way of the post, so I hope you’ll upgrade to help me attend more workshops and share my experience.
I’ve attended just two international floral design workshops in the past year. These workshops were a serious investment. Typically, around $5,000–$6,000 AUD for three days. Yes, that figure is initially hard to swallow. They usually include professional tuition from around 9am - 4pm daily, with small class sizes (6–8 students per floral designer), all flowers and materials provided, a beautifully chosen venue (suitable for both designing and photography), a professional photographer, and lunch and snacks each day. You’re free to take your own photos for social media, as long as you credit appropriately. There’s a lovely finale dinner, and partners are usually invited. Everything else is an additional cost: accommodation, transport, flights, food, taxis, etc.
Workshop 1: Gather – Rethinking the Dining Experience
With Frida Kim & Wagner Kreusch, London, May 2024
My first international workshop was exactly a year ago - hosted by Frida Kim and Wagner Kreusch in London. It was titled Gather – Rethinking the Dining Experience. We had an intimate group of only six students, which turned out to be absolutely brilliant. Imagine two internationally renowned floral designers, and just six of us.
The soft-spoken Frida, floral artist extraordinaire, originally from Seoul and now based in London, and the electric Wagner, co-founder of the London Flower School and former head teacher at McQueens, are great friends and amazing creative partners. Both are trained in ikebana, come from artistic backgrounds, and share a passion for sustainability, sculptural forms, and embracing imperfection in their floral design. Exactly the design style that I prefer.
Our small group came from all corners - Singapore, Korea, Kuwait, the UK, and me, from Australia. Everyone had different floral backgrounds – flower shop owners, growers, creatives. And yes, my English readers, you may recognise Andy Monaghan in the photos. Divine professional dancer, now also flower grower and wonderful floral designer, was in my workshop. A total delight. We all had our own styles, goals, and stage of development.
The workshop took place in an old industrial building tucked behind a panel-beating garage in Brixton. Strange? Yes. Perfect? Also, yes. The walls had a patina that looked like something from a dream, and the skylights bathed the room in soft, heavenly light - ideal for capturing our creations.
We created an individual tablescape and received feedback from both tutors. We then created a stunning flower tablescape with a water bowl as the central feature. Two different designs using thyme plants and cherry tomato plants and plates of olive oil were produced. Frida and Wagner created a beautiful iris tablescape with semi transparent paper. Then we all started building and installing the finale tablescape. A kaleidoscope of wrapped purple hydrangeas hanging from the ceiling with banana leafed wrapped parcels, giant rice crackers suspended above a sensational Asian meal share with all our partners. It was surreal. All throughout, Frida and Wagner outlined the process involved, the design elements and principles and the ikebana influence. My learning experience exploded.
Workshop 2: Flower House Mexico
January 2025
After the London workshop, I longed for another immersive experience. Just as my business bank balance was recovering, another workshop that I’d be following on Instagram and I had quietly been manifesting.
Flower House Mexico was scheduled for January and featured an absolute dream team: Frida Kim (again!), Sue McLeary known of Passionflower Sue, Maxine Owens of Max Owens Design, Liz Griffith of Siloh Floral Artistry, Jisook Yim of Saison Fleurie, and Rachael Lunghi of Siren Floral Co. Six international floral design powerhouses. To read about the workshop in more detail and view more photos, please see my post The Power of Flowers for a Cause.
I chose to work with Frida again - her teaching style, her philosophy, the stories she weaves through every petal and stem. I was drawn to her contemporary, sculptural aesthetic, minimal botanics, and commitment to sustainability. Plus, she’s just a calming, magnetic presence.
Surprisingly, during our workshop group with Frida, we didn’t touch a single flower. Not one! Instead, we worked with tomatillos and corn - yellow, white, red, black cobs and husks, fresh and dried. Frida began by teaching us about the cultural and spiritual importance of corn in Mexico. Then, starting with a single cob, we each created our own sculptural piece and received individual feedback followed by a private talk with Frida. In a smaller group we created a vertical installation. Then lastly, we created as a group tall corn towers or varying height. Each tower was blessed via a traditional smudging ceremony with the burning or herbs. During the 3 days we had bouquet and tablescape demonstrations by Rachael Lunghi with locally grown flowers and handmade table settings and candles. Several models wore wearable florals by Sue McLeary and a tablescape was created by Jason Murakawa of Small Masterpiece, owner of a high-end plate and table setting rental company based in New York and Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, the other groups were off creating their own stunning floral masterpieces. The entire experience culminated in a lively fiesta - music, food, dancing, popcorn (of course), and a raffle for cancer research. Partners were invited. Cameras flashed. New friendships formed. Lifelong memories made. It was immersive in every sense.
And yes, we got to use Corbin Gurkin’s professional photographs afterwards. A gift in itself!
Why Attend International Floral Workshops?
I found the workshops I attended deeply rewarding. Here's why I believe they’re worth considering:
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