Why Study a Floristry Course?

(UPDATED MAY 2022) If you’re interested in working in the floristry business, it can be tempting to think that watching YouTube videos and working with the flowers locally available can result in a professional floristry career – but there’s a lot more to it.

So, first things first, what is floristry? Generally, the term refers to a profession where people arrange, curate, cultivate, and sometimes grow flowers and plants.

A florist can come in handy for weddings, festivals, during times of the year when flowers are exchanged, such as Valentine’s day and other special and notable occasions.

The floristry industry is exciting, but it can also be competitive, mainly due to the many floristry businesses out there. Along with small local businesses and flower shops, larger companies specialise in large-scale floral displays, floristry workshop stores where people can make their own floral arrangements, and floristry design companies that work with artificial flowers for long-term displays.

Whether full-time or part-time, studying floristry courses will help you understand many really important elements of being a floral designer or florist.

Learning the difference between different kinds of flowers, like cut flowers vs. wild, as well as which are likely to provoke allergies, etc. is often something that you can do more effectively in class rather than online.

But choosing to study floristry means you can improve more than just your flower-arrangement skills. Depending on what level of floristry course you do, you’ll also learn a variety of practical skills that will help you with business management or social media and presentation skills.

Floristry courses are available in a number of different levels of higher education. Depending on the college you go to, and what you’re looking to get out of the course, you may be interested in anything from a basic short course up to a higher diploma in floristry. The higher the level of the course, the more you’ll learn. Below you can see what studying at each level involves.

There are also a variety of short courses that may allow you to choose a specialty, for example, exclusively doing flowers for a wedding. Course fees vary, so make sure to check out pricing on individual course pages or by contacting the course provider directly.

Not all of the information you need to be a successful florist is available online, and being able to practice and get advice from senior florists can only be gained through a course. Plus, many of the skills you’ll learn are crucial to running a successful business and need to be applied in very specific ways. 

Floristry courses can teach you a variety of skills and give you the experience you need to be successful in the industry, and will also help give clients confidence in your skills and abilities.

Also, with all of the business skills you learn, you’ll save money on hiring marketing or other professionals until you get to the financial position where it’s more cost-effective to do so.

If you’re keen to work out how to start your own floristry business from home or even set up your own shop, you can combine skills within business management alongside your wide floristry skills.

Generally, having a qualification in business management or a business-related subject can help you to succeed as the CEO of your own floristry company. The sky’s the limit as to how far you want to take your business. With enough determination, you could go very far.

Aside from the financial aspects of floristry, many people are drawn to this profession for the reason that it fosters and promotes creativity. Famous horticulture events such as the Chelsea Flower Show demonstrate just how innovative and breath taking the art of floristry can be.

If creativity is important for you in a role, you may feel at home working for a flower shop or running your own floristry business.