Provoke Magazine

Q&A with Imogen Hobbins of Wild Lotus xxx

What flowers are included in your arrangement and why were they chosen?

I decided to make my arrangement lush with lots of different foliages for texture and interest and used minimal flowers. Everything used is quite long lasting, ornamental Kale, button chrysanthemums,hypericum, dried lotus pods, gum nuts, magnolia, tropical leaves and blue gum. Your top-tips to novice-florists arranging flowers at home?

There are very few rules in floristry so grab some greenery from your garden and have a play. How can people keep their cut flowers looking good longer? Keep your flowers in a cool room away from heaters or in the direct line of the air con flow. Most florists will supply you with some flower food, if not, a drop of bleach in the water will keep the bacteria at bay if you forget to change the water. When buying fresh flowers, what should shoppers look for? The freshest flowers have strong firm stems with green foliage,(older flowers can sometimes have yellowing foliage.This is a pretty clear sign or age). Make sure no petals are damaged and even ask when the flowers came in. Apart from looking good, what are the benefits of having flowers in the home? Flowers help to inspire creativity, make people happy, promote concentration, encourage responsibility and the smell is just like no other! What are the best flowers to buy for longevity of bloom? This is a difficult one. Depending on the environment you live in and the time of year, certain flowers will last longer than others. Always try to buy flowers in season and if you are buying fresh flowers and take care of them most flowers should last 7-10 days. What are the best flowers to buy for beautiful scent? Magnolia, Daphne, Lilac, Jonquils, Jasmine and Tuberose are a few of my favourites. You really can’t go wrong with lilies anytime of the year though. Your favourite Spring bloom? My absolute favourite spring flower is Helleborus, followed closely by Ranunculus. (That was really hard to choose) How did you fall in love with flowers? I grew up in the country and had a rose farm in bike riding distance from my house. I used to ride with my brother to buy flowers for our mum when we were naughty. When I finished school, I moved to the city and found I was really passionate about flowers and loved the creativity and wonderful people I have worked with in the industry. It’s been 16 years now and I can’t imagine doing anything else.