Galentine's Day Workshop Recap 🩷

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Galentine's Day workshop! It was such a lovely afternoon celebrating friendship, flowers, and learning a new skill together.

What We Created

We learned the spiral hand-tied technique, a professional method for creating balanced, structured bouquets that look effortless (but require a bit of practice!). This technique is what florists use to create those perfectly rounded, stable bouquets that stand on their own.

The spiral method means adding each stem at an angle, building the bouquet in your hand as you rotate it. Once you get the rhythm down, it's incredibly satisfying. And you all absolutely nailed it!

 

🩷 The Flowers We Used 

Naomi Garden Rose
Premium roses with those densely packed petals. Perfect focal flowers that give weight and romance to any arrangement.

Carnation & Spray Carnation
Both standard and spray varieties for different textures and sizes. Modern carnations are having a major comeback, and they're workhorses in bouquet design.

Ranunculus
Those impossibly delicate, paper-thin petals (up to 90 per bloom!). They add incredible texture and keep opening beautifully over several days.

Maiden's Blush Lilac (Syringa x hyacinthiflora)
The star of the show. This lilac-hyacinth hybrid has the most intoxicating fragrance. Pale pink single flowers from reddish-purple buds, blooming earlier than common lilacs. Considered one of the best pink lilacs available.

Panicum Fountain
Ornamental grass bringing movement and that wild, meadow-like quality. Keeps bouquets from feeling too formal or rigid.

Ruscus
Glossy structural greenery. Essential for framing and balance.

 

🩷 Caring for Your Workshop Bouquet

Get It in Water
If you haven't already, trim the stems at an angle and get your bouquet into a vase with fresh water.

Add Flower Food
Use the recipe below or a store-bought packet. It makes a real difference.

Special Note on the Lilac
Lilacs are thirsty! Check your water level daily and top up as needed. The fragrance is incredible but the stems drink more than most flowers.

Change Water Every 2 Days
Fresh water keeps everything happy. Make a new batch of flower food each time. Trim the stems at an angle again. 

Remove Spent Blooms
As individual flowers fade (especially the lilac florets), remove them to keep the arrangement looking fresh. The roses and ranunculus will keep going strong.

 

🩷 DIY Flower Food Formula

This is what I use in my studio:

The Recipe:

• 1 litre of warm water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon bleach

How to Make It: Mix everything together in warm water until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool to room temperature before adding to your vase.

How It Works:

• Sugar feeds the flowers
• Vinegar/lemon juice helps water move up the stems
• Bleach kills bacteria that clogs stems

 

🩷 What's Next?

I run workshops throughout the year covering different techniques, seasonal flowers, and design styles. If you loved this one, keep an eye on my Instagram @fustaq.florals for announcements.

And if you're not already part of The Bunch Club and want fresh flowers regularly, you can join anytime:

The Bunch Club Details:
📍 Monthly deliveries to Liverpool, Birkenhead, and Wirral
📱 Delivered Sundays (13:00-18:00) with SMS notification
🏠 Or collect from our Ormond Street studio (13:00-15:00)
⏸️ Pause, skip, or cancel anytime

Join The Bunch Club

Thank you again for spending your Galentine's Day with me. It was brilliant seeing you all master the spiral technique and create such beautiful bouquets!

Liz x

Follow along on Instagram @fustaq.florals