Grace Walker

I owe a great deal of thanks to my mother and grandmother for my love affair with all things growing.

Grace Walker

Embarrassingly my first memory of being enthralled with nature comes in the form of a much younger me, charging around the garden. Pushing before me a child sized green and yellow wheelbarrow complete with plastic fork, spade and hose; desperately trying to convince my mother that the mud pie I had just made would taste wonderful

 

My first step onto the horticultural ladder happened at 15 when I spent two weeks working alongside the head gardener at National Trust property Angelesy Abbey, Cambridgeshire during work experience. From there I was truly hooked and researched into landscape gardening careers. However, by the time university approached I was stumped. Landscaping had lost its appeal and I was lost. After many fruitless meetings with careers advisers, I took some sound advice from my mother and read through an old career listings book, that she had bought for my brother some years before. I scoured the pages and came across the title 'FLORIST'. I could not believe I had not thought of this. A light bulb went off in my head and I have never looked back.

I researched into the different qualification levels. At the time there were many diplomas and City and Guild qualifications; I felt confused by the different levels and what it would equate to. After much hunting I discovered that floristry degrees were newly available . . . I thought to myself, if I am going to take the time to get qualified, then I should be aiming for the top. I started my training at Bishop Burton College, Hull in 2008, but unfortunately had to postpone my studies due to ill health.

In September 2009 Writtle College in Essex, one of the 3 colleges that offered a higher level of qualification, had just started their BA Honours programme for Professional Floristry and had been awarded a academic degree status by the University of Essex. I was thrilled and had a new target to strive for.

Over the first year of the course, I developed my love for creative writing and started blogging about my experiences as a floristry student. I now run a blog site Wannabe Florist and a networking site on Facebook, dedicated to bringing florists from around the world together to share, inspire and educate one another. Writing articles for industry magazines is one exciting enterprises I have recently embarked on.

Alongside completing my degree, work experience with designer florists in London has proved to be invaluable. Providing a confidence boost, inspiration and a glimpse into the more glamorous and experimental side of floristry.