Here We Are: Helen Olivia Summer Neutrals Workshop
Have you ever imagined yourself as a florist? Well, I have. Not just any florist, mind you. I'm talking about a Nancy Meyers-movie-type florist. This shop of mine would be in a charming little town. It would be the kind of shop that brings people joy; one where my customers are also friends, and the delightful bouquets and arrangements would be the talk of the town. To feed this dream, I stalk Helen Olivia's Instagram account. Then one day, it finally hit me - this will never happen. So I did the next best thing. I took a floral design workshop at Helen Olivia. That night I realized owner Rachel Gang is the person I dream about being. Her shop is literally everything I have dreamed about, and it's in the world's most charming city, to boot.
The workshop I signed up to take was the Summer Neutrals because, naturally, I had to stick with the Nancy Meyers tonal theme. In a sign of utter serendipity, Rachel wore a camel-colored sweater. A camel-colored sweater! As I said, Nancy Meyers movie.
As we arrived, Rachel greeted each guest like a treasured friend and offered cookies, wine, and water. The group was a mix of small groups of friends, individuals, and one couple on a date night. We were ushered to our worktable for the evening – a long, lovely table with seating for 12. Every seat was filled, and waiting at each seat was everything we would need for the evening. I mean everything. Not one detail was overlooked. We were given the formula for the arrangement (I liken this to a recipe card) and all of our tools, including the flower pot, chicken wire, and floral sheers. But the best part was the bucket of flowers. There were so many flowers and grasses and wheat and more flowers. It was spectacular.
Here's what I didn't know before the workshop – and, admittedly, this makes me a little relieved that I will never fulfill this dream of mine – flowers and flower shops are hard work. There is so much knowledge that goes on behind the scenes. Flowers are complex. They bloom at different times, depending on how and when they are harvested and cared for, and transported. But Rachel is patient and kind and so informative. She talked us through every step. She answered endless questions. It felt as much a lesson in horticulture as it did an evening making a beautiful floral arrangement.
Making the arrangement is a three-phase process. Phase one is building the foundation. Here we worked with low, full flowers like hydrangeas, dahlias, and spray roses. Phase two is where we incorporated more exotics flowers like the Quicksand rose, the Playa Blanc rose, and the explosion grass – a magical little piece that we all decided resembles fireworks. The final phase adds height and texture. For this, Rachel had each of us play with dried palm, bunny tails, wheat, and a Scaboisa pod. As we worked with each item, Rachel explained the provenance of the flower, its history and care, and what to look for when buying them at the local farmers' markets. I feel armed with enough knowledge now to make wise choices when purchasing flowers for my home. I learned a few other tricks of the trade, but I won't spoil the fun - you need to register for her class to get all of the insights!
At the end of the night, I left with a beautiful floral arrangement that still looks full and healthy on my dining room table one week later. But I also went home feeling like I had lived my Nancy-Meyers-florist dream. And every time I look at my arrangement, it makes me smile.
Thank you, Rachel, for the beautiful evening. You are delightful, and I cannot wait to take another class.
