Coming up Roses: The Noosa Flower Box
There‛s more to a beautiful bunch of flowers than petals and leaves, as Ingrid Nelson discovers.
Happiness is to hold flowers in both hands. It‛s an old Japanese proverb that florist Lyndy Larsen uses to describe her love of creating beautiful arrangements using flowers, foliage, nuts, sticks and just about anything she can forage from her garden.
It‛s also the reason she decided to share her passion with others through her business, The Noosa Flower Box.
Running small intimate workshops from her home studio at her picturesque acreage property in Doonan, Lyndy demonstrates how you can utilise nature‛s beauty to brighten someone‛s day or simply create bespoke floral arrangements for your home or office.
“Whether you‛re sick or sad or happy, holding a bunch of flowers instantly makes you feel better,” says Lyndy.
“It doesn‛t take much to take a few blooms from your garden and put them together to give them to someone. You may not have spent any money but the sentiment is there and it makes you feel good too.”
After many years in the corporate world, Lyndy swapped her computer for garden tools to follow her long-held dream of becoming a florist and she has never
been happier.
“I had a full-on corporate job and I got to the point where I was totally burnt out,” she said. “I have always loved being creative and I love flowers, so becoming a florist just made sense.”
The IN Noosa team were lucky to spend an afternoon attending one of Lyndy‛s workshops, where we discovered all the tips and tricks of the trade when it comes to caring for flowers, as well as how to create our own unique and stunning floral arrangement.
From how to choose your flowers and foliage, to how to clean your stems and the right way to cut your ends, Lyndy‛s colourful presentation is all part of the fun. You’ll even learn the art of straussing – the technique of adding and turning your flowers in the same direction to create the perfect dome shape. Just make sure you don‛t forget the all-important Lyndy bob while you are doing it!
Each attendee is provided with an assortment of foliage and flowers as well as all the tools required to achieve a professional result.
After a fun-filled demonstration by Lyndy, made even more entertaining by her quirky manner and endearing New Zealand lilt, it was time to make magic happen and create our own floral masterpieces, which we then got to take home and enjoy. I‛m happy to report they are all still alive one week later.
Passionate about doing her bit for the environment, we also got an insight into sustainable floristry and some of the materials to avoid as well as alternatives to create beautiful arrangements without damaging our precious ecosystem.
“If you take one thing away from this workshop it’s to avoid using or buying an arrangement with floral foam, that‛s the green sponge like material to hold flowers in place,” says Lyndy.
“It‛s micro-plastic and non-biodegradable and has a devastating effect on our environment,” she said. “There are lots of alternatives you can use such as florist‛s wire, stones or shells.”
Workshops are held regularly or you can arrange a private workshop with friends to celebrate a special occasion.
While the IN Noosa team enjoyed a cheeky rosé and a cheese platter during our workshop (it was Friday after all), Lyndy can arrange catering to suit your needs and budget.
The workshop was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, filled with lots of laughs. It was the perfect end to a busy week and a great excuse for our team to stop and smell the roses (literally!).
