Event Advice – Hybrid Flowers

Our top 3 images from our floral portfolio (and why they probably won’t be the ones you think!)

If someone were to tell you about an amazing company they had just discovered, where would you turn to first to find out more about them? We would hazard a guess that your first port of call would be their website or Instagram feed. In this image led, digital age both social media and websites are vital for getting a company’s message out there, and both require a fair amount of maintenance to ensure they accurately reflect the brand.

Relating this to our own, much nurtured website, we wondered which really is the most effective medium, our socials or our website, for generating the most enquiries. We asked the wonderful Abigail, from You and Me Collective, who said:

… We are hearing more and more that are clients are getting enquiries directly through their social channels, almost entirely missing the step between social and website….Websites and social channels are open 24/7 so how they look and feel is essential. I would never say you don’t need a website because this is the treasure trove of information where you sell yourself to a customer, a high quality engaging social channel is key alongside it.

You see, not so long ago we finished updating the Hybrid website with images of our most recent work. We must come clean and say that this process was possibly the most arduous task ever! We found it so hard to see the ‘flowers for the trees’ (so to speak) as we have thousands of gorgeous pictures of our work, and with the exception of a few of our absolute favourites it was nigh on impossible to whittle this vast number down. This resulted in hours spent scratching our heads over which images to choose.

We turned to our friends at Christchurch Creative for their advice. Sarah Worswick, Director said:

When choosing images for your website, quality is key. Make sure every image is sharp and reflects your brand identity. Use strong visuals to hook-in your site visitor, choose images which feature ‘real’ people too. Don’t forget to name every image you use. This way, you can optimise each shot you upload, as search engines can easily index them. Add in the alt text to describe what the image is showing, which will aid search engines, too.

After we had finally chosen the lucky few pictures and uploaded them and the whole process got us thinking: Can you really convey a message and the passion you have for your work in just one image? Are you able to look at a photograph of your own work objectively and if you are, should you only post pictures that will receive the most ‘likes’?

Abigail told us:

I get asked this all the time! Instagram and Facebook especially are to be seen as a portfolio… if you look at photographers, they’ll often post a detail shot (ring, flowers, table setting), then a couple shot, then a full party shot showing a 360 reveal of the party. Carousel posts and stories are always a fabulous way to show off – carousels allow you to post up to 10 pictures so you can really showcase the full gallery. Stories are a great ‘look’ into behind the scenes, what you’re doing as a team, the creative process and the event.

What we took from this is that you should only show images that represent you, your values and, most important of all, showcase your work. If you really want your audience to get more of a feel of that image and why it is so important to you then by all means elaborate on it in the comments part of your Instagram feed. And if you really want to give that image further meaning and authenticity then of course you must write a blog on it!

So, without further ado, here they are: our 3 most favourite images and beneath each is our reason why they just had to be featured on our website.

No 1:

This is the entrance to the Grand Hall at The Grand Connaught Rooms in central London, who knows how many times we have walked up and down this staircase in the last 16 years.

In fact, this is where it all started for Hybrid. We’ve done Christmases, weddings ceremonies, award evenings and installed flowers in this building, every week, since 2004. The event shown in this image, the launch party for DeVere, was our most favourite ever. The theme was the great British outdoors, so we covered this stunning marble stair-case with beautiful lush British grown greenery and flowers. We were so lucky to work alongside the supremely talented Chelsea Flower Show sculptor, Emma Stothard who included her amazing woven animal sculptures throughout the party.

No 2:

We adore this perfectly candid shot of Sophie’s wedding at the Landmark Hotel. For us it conveys a true ‘behind the scenes at London hotel wedding’ feel with our beautiful couple nervously preparing their speeches with the Master of Ceremony, surrounded by bridal party flowers, candlelight and waiting staff. The romantic early spring flowers were divine and the burgundy ranunculus were just perfect.

This image shows not just our clients, but also the staff of the hotel. For a wedding florist it is impossible to look back on an event and not remember the huge effort everyone who works at the venue puts in before the guests arrive. The professionalism and five-star service shown by all staff, and the wonderful excitement and anticipation that you can’t help but feel.

Ps. Here’s a little peak at Sophie’s beautiful bouquet and stunning dress detail too!

No 3:

We have such fond memories of this tablescape: it is such a simple design and this is precisely why we love it so much. It shows that less can be more, and a beautiful selection of elegant flowers in just the right colour theme can create a huge impression. We wanted to use flowers which would glow in a modern, clean way, flattering the stunning concrete surrounds of the ‘structural expressionist’ building that is the Lloyd’s Building in the City of London.

We loved working with the acid yellow of these callas which we set against the pale orange bell-like blooms of a very special flower called Sandersonia and combined both with deepest pink Gloriosa lilies. This is one of our most favourite combinations of fresh flowers and to top it off we were able to use our treasured classic brushed steel Conran candlesticks to complete the contemporary look. For us, this image serves as a reminder to create floral designs that in harmony with the venue and appeal to the type of guest sitting at the table (in this instance, one the guests was City of London legend, Mark Carney! We LOVE him!).

And so now we would love to know, does knowing more about the stories behind our top three images change your perception of us?

Christmas styling … why you don’t need to throw loads of flowers at it!

In case you’ve not noticed, soon it will be Christmas; that most wonderful time of the year! A time to relax, be merry, deck the halls! With social media awash with images of the perfect Christmas, from opulent flower walls to entire buildings covered in decoration, you may be forgiven for thinking that to create a Wow, you must GO BIG!

Of course, insta-images of 12 foot high Christmas trees swamped in bows, candles and glitz create a real impact, but, as a rule, at Hybrid we abide by the “less is more” adage; we believe that the essence of Christmas can still be captured using a few, well chosen, beautifully styled flowers rather than a tonne of sparkly birch trees.

For our designs at this year’s London Christmas Party Show we were asked to create a design within an alcove at the largest Livery Hall in London, Plaisterers’ Hall, which backs on to the remains of the original Roman London Wall. In this unique venue, we wanted to create a lush Christmas atmosphere without going too over the top; we wanted the warmth, the magic and the feel of Christmas but didn’t want to chuck glitter at everything.

The essence of Christmas style:

To achieve this, we decided to go back to basics and asked ourselves what is the essence of Christmas? What are the most Christmassy colours, scents, textures around, and which little touches can we add to our design to make people feel the magic of Christmas?

We challenged ourselves to create a timeless design that would be in-keeping with a Christmas scene from when the original Plaisterers’ Hall, was built back in 1556, as well as combining the essence and spirit of a contemporary 2018 Christmas. Our solution: a colour scheme of red, amber, gold and emerald green mixed with velvety textures and lots of shiny things.

And so we set about creating a bit of an optical illusion within our curved alcove. Appearing as if a rounded table was set into the wall (when really it was half a table making the most of the deep curved alcove behind) we filled the space with lots of Christmassy details. We used two different textured velvet cloths sourced from our friends at Borovick Fabrics in Soho and a beautiful lace edged chargers. We used brushed gold cutlery, tumblers and goblets and added beautiful, rich, warm coloured fruits like pomegranates, oranges and grapes.

And of course, no Christmas table would be complete without a scattering of cinnamon sticks and candlelight. Our key flowers were scarlet coloured roses, opened to perfection, combined with traditional poinsettia flowers and glossy green foliages.

Bearing in mind our “less is more” philosophy, the next question we asked ourselves was quantity: we knew these lovely festive details would speak for themselves but what if – What If – we went BIG, just this once? We ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ for all of 5 minutes before deciding that whilst a smattering of Christmas details would hit the festive spot perfectly well, should we not throw caution to the wind and really indulge in the joy of Christmas?

And with that, we were off! We ordered ourselves not one, but two types of velvet red rose, ‘Red Naomi’ and ‘Freedom’ which we set amidst the shiniest, deepest green aralia leaves we could find, contrasted with touches of Cupressus foliage and combined with the most beautiful faux silk poinsettias. There was no holding back as we sprayed pomegranates gold and studded the oranges with different patterns of cloves, finished off with a red ribbon. And what Christmas table isn’t complete without a full-on floral arch full of red flowers and winter foliage completely surrounding the festive setting?!

Looking back, we feel a little giddy! Those glass-urns, the goblets, That Arch! All adorned, stuffed, embellished with hundreds of breathtakingly beautiful roses. Was our flirtation with opulence worth it? Well! We think it might have been, especially as we won the award for Best Stand was as voted by the visitors (a delightful surprise).

Our top tips for creating the look:

But truly and honestly, we feel that the same effect can been created with a lot less, our ideas for decorating your own Christmas party without breaking the bank are below:

Use red, sparingly, in the same way as a movie star may use a dash of scarlet lipstick, to create a hint of glamour and colour without drenching the senses. To do this, you must find the most vivid red flowers you can afford, but here, less is definitely more, don’t get too many: roses or poinsettia plants are perfect (you can cut poinsettia flowers and place in vases of water for a more delicate look).

Green

Combine with green shiny and textured foliage. Deep green glossy leaves, such as evergreen camellia, laurel or aralia leaves from a garden are perfect, and combine these with common or garden stems of conifer (yes, we said conifer!) or, if you are bit posh, stems of rosemary.

Gold

Add a touch of Gold: buy yourself a can of gold spray paint and spray pots, tumblers, little vases or candleholders deep, rich opulent gold (pears also look gorgeous touched, but not completely covered, with gold).

Orange(s)

And last but never least, our most favourite Christmas decoration of all time will always be clove studded oranges. They. Are. A. Must. Easy to create and heavenly to smell.

Image courtesy of the great guys at Splento

Just what is it with florists and green flowers?

We have come to the conclusion, based on years in the industry and having observed, chatted to and worked with many brilliant experts, that for 9 out of 10 florists, the colour of flower we most like working with is actually green. Not luxurious red, or impertinent pink, or even vibrant yellow, but green! Now, I love my profession, but even I find that a little odd!

Why, when there is so much range in the different variety of flower and a whole rainbow spectrum of colours, do florists get so excited over green flowers? One theory (based on no empirical evidence I must add) is that our green obsession stems (excuse the pun) from the perception that green flowers are special, rare, unique.

Image taken in the Chapter Rooms, St Paul’s Cathedral

They don’t conform to the idea that flowers must stand out and shout in order to be seen. Green florals can be subtle, shy even; they won’t jump out and hit you in the way that say clashing pink and yellow would. And we don’t expect them to be the first flowers a client would choose, especially if looking to create a vibrant party design. But to us they are the most elegant flowers of them all.

To a seasoned florist who has seen-them-all, green provides are more calming atmosphere and something a bit different. More so than white, green can be thought of as the most neutral of all colours in a florist’s palette. Green hued blooms challenge the observer to see and notice the fascinating detail of a flower: its shape, form, texture and pattern.

We asked our good friend and colour mentor Karen Haller, a colour psychologist, to shed some light on what it is that people have about green:

So why are we are humans drawn to green? There’s a few things going on. It’s the colour that we most attribute to nature. Often, we have green in our lives to reconnect us back to the feeling of being in nature. It’s restful and gives a sense of peace. Like being in a lush green forest.

It is also one of the most sophisticated palettes you can work with. If you don’t want to clash with an interior, or if you wish to create an soft and natural creations, then stunning floral designs in shades of green will help you achieve this. To add a hint of another colour, whilst still retaining the green theme as the star of the show, opt for cool hues such as blues, greys or whites.

But be quick! Summer time is the perfect season to do this!

Here are a few of our favourite greens:

Papaver – these poppy seed heads provide the loveliest rounded shapes in green hues, from grey to blue to jade;

Green Tricks – the fluffiest dianthus ever and perfect for adding a unique texture;

Hypericum – such pretty glossy berries which provide amazing detail amongst other, fluffier green flowers;

Phalaenposis orchid – the freshest palest greens appear in the faces of one of the toughest varieties of ‘Moth’ orchid.

Hydrangea – one of the largest green flowers available, these provide the perfect element to designs and are probably the most delicate looking of all hydrangeas;

Anthurium – the darling flower of the moment our favourite pale green anthurium is known as ‘Marysia’.

Molucella – this is the most amazingly tall lime-green flower which can be used to provide impact, also known as ‘Bells of Ireland’;

Gladioli – natural and fresh, when all of the pale green florets open on these long stems, the look is always clean and fresh;

And what do you partner with all of these beautiful green floral varieties? More greenery of course! In fact, when it comes to foliage, nearly all florists have a rather unhealthy obsession with leaves. Of course the choice of greenery out there in our green and pleasant land is vast but the impact you can make with foliage is immense. But that is for another time.

Top tips for a floral career from the original Hybrid Heroes

On our Instagram bio we state, proudly: “The most amazing team of event and corporate florists.” This may sound a tad OTT, but we really do mean it! They. Are. Amazing! Not a week goes by when I don’t feel a sense of almost maternal pride whilst listening to the fabulous Hybrid staff chatting about their projects with such great enthusiasm and energy.

In fact, each member of our 14 strong clan contributes something individually wonderful and eclectic which, when combined, forms the very essence of Hybrid. Together, we form the most amazing team which, for me at least, has become even more than that: it’s an extended family, full of people you actually choose to spend time with, each with their own talent and personality.

We caught up with three of our most long-standing Hybrid Heroes whilst installing designs at a recent English Garden summer installation at The Brewery in the City of London. I wanted to ask them what made them become florists in the first place and if they have any words of wisdom for people thinking of a career in floristry.

Fiona has worked at Hybrid for four years, Liliana for nine years and Gabriella for six. This is what they said:

Do you think you were destined to become a florist?

Creating something memorable from flowers has always been in Liliana’s blood, ever since she and her brother would play outside as children in the countryside in Cordoba, Argentina, where they would make little characters from the seed-heads of clematis flowers.

For Fee, it was a childhood spent playing outdoors in Yorkshire where she would pretend to be a presenter on a TV cookery show and use piles of leaves decorated with flowers as food!

From an early age, Gabs, was drawn to the beautiful enticing and fascinating flower shops in her home city of Budapest.

Both Gabs and Fee chose to study Horticulture directly upon leaving school. Fee studied for three years at Leeds City College which for her was a welcome change from the formal dynamic of classroom learning. For Gabs, ‘horticulture’ was the first word that jumped out at her when she opened the book of careers given to all Hungarian 14 year olds at her high school. She went on to study six years of Horticulture at University in Budapest. Coincidently, both loved learning the Latin names for plants and the design aspect of their courses before deciding to specialise in floristry inspired by the flowers they had been taught how to grow.

Liliana travelled all over the world before moving to London in her thirties where she was inspired by her then house-mate to study on a 3 year floristry course at Southwark College. The alumni from the 2003 graduation year is one to be proud of, including flower experts and florists such as Rona Wheeldon, founder of Flowerona, Rafael Ballesteros, Manager of Galton Flowers and Mary Woolcot the owner of Windmill Flowers. Liliana’s tutor proudly stated that it was a very competitive year!

The first question we are always asked by people thinking of moving into floristry is, is it worth going to college?

All three whole heartedly agree that yes, you need to have a sound knowledge of the basics.

For Liliana, going to college gave her the confidence to be a professional:

For me, it was the most amazing thing I could have done as it opened my eyes to different forms of floristry and you need to have that knowledge to be professional.

Gabs agrees:

Studying allows you to be the very best you can be.

Upon leaving college, Liliana and Fee, were given lucky breaks by wonderful flower shop managers in London who believed in giving good college graduates a chance; they never looked back!

Do you still love flowers after all these years?

Liliana jokes that her hands certainly don’t! But all three agreed that they still love flowers. Liliana loves growing her own and using them in her house.

Fee explained that there are always new flowers emerging in the industry which make you fall back in love with the simplest flowers that you have used for years. Her passion is always sparked by new varieties of old style flowers such as the quirkiest varieties of carnations called ‘Nobbio Violet’ and ‘Peach Extazis’.

We asked what each would be doing if they weren’t working in this mad floral world?

For Liliana, it would be something crafty or artistic, perhaps fine art whereas for Fee, as well as creative writing, she would be immersed in history, delving into myths and legends and the history of ancient buildings. Which is why she always volunteers to install event flowers at some of our most historical London venues such as Merchant Taylors’ Hall, St Paul’s Cathedral and The Queen’s House, Greenwich!

Gabs however, would have liked to study Microbiology, especially creating new flowers, or an architect!

Do Gabs, Liliana and Fee have any tips for people considering a career in floristry?

Gabs advises to never stop learning, make everything as if you were making it for yourself and keep the passion. The industry is so intense that once you stop loving the industry, you will leave, so keep the passion alive!

Fee recommends keeping perspective and not sweating the small stuff. She said:

Listen and learn from the experienced florists, they will teach you new tips and tricks. Each florist, each shop and company does things differently absorb it all and you’ll find what works for you.

Liliana is more pragmatic, advising to be prepared for cold days, early hours and lots of psychical work:

It is very creative but you can never rest on your laurels. If you work in the flower industry, keep in mind that it is one of the hardest environments to work in as your product is perishable so you must always be thinking of ways to sell your creations.

Gabs added:

It is never boring! It is one of the only professions where you will be continually thinking, prioritising, calculating, selling, creating, physically lifting and moving, driving, liaising, marketing, planning, drawing, presenting and writing and that’s before touching any flowers!

Made up of individuals, Hybrid, is more than the sum of its parts: our combined experience means that we can always ask each other for advice or run new ideas past one another and there are moments of sheer joy when we sit down and simply chat, talk about the old times, discuss philosophies of life and learn something new about each other.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a bit more about the Hybrid Heroes and we are always happy to answer any questions you may have about a career in floristry.

The top 5 Ultra Violet flowers inspired by Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2018

As a florist with a degree in Communications, there is nothing I enjoy more than interpreting a client’s brief using flowers to convey their message, and I believe that the right combination of flowers in a design can send a powerful and long-lasting message to all those who view it. Put another way: flora themed design can be used to strengthen a brand, create an atmosphere, and enhance an identity.

When used in a stunning display, flowers have the power the unleash forgotten memories and create associations and may cause the onlooker to actually feel different. For example, vibrant orange and pink can make you feel a bit wild, happy and adventurous, whilst that same orange with whites and fresh greens will create a more chilled out vibe, reminiscent of summer days.

We often ask clients to give us three key words to describe the ‘message’ they want to convey. We have received all manner of adjectives from ‘sharp’, ‘professional’ and ‘dynamic’ to ‘glamorous’, ‘sexy’ and ‘shocking’. To our design team these three words are the key to unlocking inspiration, permitting us to unleash our creative edge to ensure the flowers we chose are the most effective at conveying this message.

Every year, Pantone, a company based in New Jersey most commonly known for providing a system for matching colours, releases their colour of the year. For 2018, this colour is Ultra Violet. At Hybrid, we eagerly await news of each year’s colour and spend a lot of time discussing which flowers will best match whichever colour it is.

No surprise then that we have always preferred the more florally inspired years:

2014’s Radiant Orchid was blooming ‘with confidence and magical warmth that intrigues the eye and sparks the imagination’ and gave us scope to develop designs with warm deep pink tones.

2017’s Greenery was a ‘refreshing and revitalising shade… symbolic of new beginnings’ and was perfect for so many foliage inspired designs.

However, this year’s Ultra Violet is without doubt, our all-time favourite! Violet has the power to anchor and give depth to so many other colours and flower combinations. Whenever a brief dictates ‘vibrant, bold and strong’, we think: violet. Right now, spring and summer give us perfect blooms in ultra violet tones. Violet is a bold and brazen colour and can be used to create the most amazing statement designs, it can also make colours placed next to it come alive.

Ultra Violet is so important that we feel it warrants further praise and reverence, we asked our friend and colour mentor, Applied Colour Psychology practitioner Karen Haller for her view on this colour:

The ultra-violet ray is the last colour before the invisible and reflects stepping into the unknown. It’s the ideal hue to reflect taking a leap of faith and connecting to our inner self, our intuition and taking our self-awareness beyond our current thinking.

The colour’s vibrant namesake, the violet flower, also brings great joy as it is one of the first flowers to appear each year. This little woodland bloom heralds the start of spring with its deep intense colour, its surely one of the most audacious in the natural world with it’s sensual tone hinting at drama and intrigue.

Aside from the valiant yet petite Violet, here are our top five Ultra Violet flowers:

Anemone

Anemone is a spring bloom of an intense deep purple with a black face. Although its sold to us as being “blue”, we are buying it for its glorious violet colour.

Tip: their soft, long, delicate stems work beautifully in vases of fresh water on their own or as part of a collection, but don’t try and use them in floral foam if you are making over 15 table designs as your team will never forgive you!

Best mixed with: orange roses and cherry coloured ranunculus.

Flag Iris

These shapely tall flowers stand head and shoulders above their smaller cousin, the ‘common or garden’ Iris. The violet coloured varieties are particularly dramatic and their striking silhouette is simply stunning.

Tip: don’t cut these stems too short as they are born to be tall, dramatic and glamorous. Arrange them simply in a beautiful vase with their spear like leaves as the only foliage.

Best mixed with: nothing! Simply place them in front of a plain backdrop to really promote and show-off their shape.

Hydrangeas

As summer arrives, we seek out the violet version of this amazing bloom, each individual vivid floret creates the most striking domed shape.

Tip: these large rounded domes of violet add weight and depth to most floral designs. Use them as a base shape to enhance other stunning summer flowers.

Best mixed with: a blown open cerise coloured peony, or alternatively use bundles of violet hydrangeas in modern vases set amongst matching vases of bold shapely flowers to create impressive colour blocks of flowers.

Vanda Orchid

The assortment of violet tones available from vanda orchid growers is breathtaking. These striking blooms look amazing under a spotlight at events and their reliable long lasting vase life means they are perfect for weekly vase designs in both offices, restaurants and hotels.

Tip: stems of Vanda orchids can be arranged beautifully at the mouth of tall vases and their individual heads can be removed from the stems and submerged in water, placed into individual tubes of water and strung into tall branches.

Delphinium

Each floret of the vibrant purple delphinium has the most amazing violet tones. Packed together, their impact can be phenomenal! This delphinium is probably one of the most striking flowers available to florists and is one of the tallest flowers around in British gardens at summer time.

Tip: use these beautiful stems to make massive fan shapes of colour in large containers atop striking plinth pedestals. They look equally stunning in modern glassware in high end modern architectural spaces as they do in traditional stone urns placed in within landscaped gardens at summer soirees.

We hope that you will be inspired by the flowers we have showcased here and that if you are looking for a display that is eye-catching, sensuous and bold you remember these Ultra-Violet heroes, especially if the message you’re looking to convey is one that is punchy, deep and mesmorising!

BTW the most uninspiring Pantone colours of the year were for us Turquoise, Emerald and Marsala. A turquoise coloured flower? Anyone?

The two flowers that make a florist’s life worth living over the winter months: Part One

A while back, as a welcome break from short, dark, drizzly autumn days the team at Hybrid were given a special treat in the form of an evening at the stunning Royal Observatory Greenwich, where we were lucky enough to be taking part in a venue showcase. We were greeted with the perfect autumnal evening and a magical, starry atmosphere in a truly amazing setting.

It was one of those happy, sociable nights that just fly by and we were so delighted simply to be there, amongst such inspiring people and industry experts (although I suspect the canapes, which tasted sublime, and free-flowing drinks from Party Ingredients contributed!). We found ourselves immersed in conversation with other guests, discussing the merits of London over New York, the trials and tribulations of event photography and loft living in Wapping. However, the one discussion that really got me thinking was about, wait for it…. flowers! Specifically:

Which flowers capture the very essence of winter?

We all know that, nowadays, you can get your hands on practically any form of fresh produce, regardless of season. That makes our lives as florists easier and gives us far more creative choice with design. There are nearly as many different varieties of rose available in January as there are in June and you can easily buy dianthus or hydrangeas in your local co-op in March! Nevertheless, I felt the need to dig deeper. Maybe it’s the purist in me. That or the maniacal new-age hipster in search of the perfect sour dough starter. For me, the quandary I wanted to solve was:

Which flowers would completely mess with a florist’s life if they weren’t readily available during winter?

After much thought and more than a little pestering of our Contract and Event Designers from me, the Hybrid consensus of opinion was thus:

There are only two truly magical, wintry varieties that qualify: the cymbidium orchid and the amaryllis.

In this blog I’ll be looking at the cymbidium, a wonderful, fascinating and infinitely adaptable orchid that we never tire of due to its amazing versatility and variety. Hybrid have the privilege of working with some amazing cymbidium suppliers in Holland and their knowledge of this plant is second to none.

Sandra, husband Leo and team have been growing cymbidiums for eighteen years. They produce some of the highest quality orchids under the brand of Cy More Flavour. Their obsession with the variety knows no bounds.

The longer you work with them the more you love them. When you look at any variety closely you’ll find out that every one of them have beautiful details.

The cymbidium plant originates from Asia and each variety flowers once per year, but we wanted to know why they are a winter flower:

Originally, it is thought of as an autumn/winter product because that’s the time that most of the varieties bloom from origin. It depends on the genes of the variety to which month that is, but a variety that blooms in November from origin is not suitable to bloom in April or May.

The sheer variety of cymbidium is vast, each with unique patterning and colour tones. The name Cy More Flavour reflects the idea: ‘See More Colour’. The food mentioned in the flower’s name represents its colour, with coconut for white, cherry for red and caramel for the brown and oranges.

All these colours give us the most amazing palettes to work with. At Christmas time the green and red tones are very popular, and in autumn the copper and brown colored varieties perfectly represent the season. And for a winter wedding white is wonderful.

It can be used in so many different styles, in classic arrangements as well as contemporary and every style in between.

Hybrid have used these magnificent flowers in all manner of ways, for example:

Showcasing their tall towering stems in event pedestal designs
Creating wide fanned shaped designs for tall table centres in hotel ballrooms
Submerging the whole stems in clear cylinder vases for weekly corporate reception designs
Arranging individual stems into clusters of modern vases to fill luxury, contemporary spaces
Hanging them upside down from ceilings and arches at parties and weddings
Using the individual heads in vials of water amongst bouquets

The possibilities really are endless!

Growing a Cymbidium is not mean feat and creating such a beautiful plant can’t be rushed, in all, it takes seven to eight years from the moment of cross pollination to harvest! First, the grower selects two features of individual plants that they would like to incorporate in a new one. Pollen is transferred and it takes around 9 months for germination. 400 ‘cotyledon’ can be created from one seed but, incredibly, after three years, only 3 or 4 plants will make it through Cy More’s selection criteria. It then takes another three years before the flowers first bloom. And to think that we get impatient having to wait for them just over the summer months!

I asked Cy More which variety was their favourite, Sandra told me:

The variety “Madelon” is a beautiful deep red and named after our daughter. I think George Harrison “Flying High”, a gorgeous red variety with nicely shaped flowers, could be the new classic.

I asked Sandra which florists, in her opinion, did the flowers the most justice:

There are so many florists from all over the world who create wonderful arrangements with cymbidium. The Norwegian master-florist, and former world champion, Stein Are Hansen, is a real cymbidium lover who designs wonderful arrangements. Mark Pampling, an Australian based floral designer, often works with cymbidium in a very fresh and contemporary style.

Cy More’s recommendations:

The orchid is the symbol of pure friendship so they make perfect gifts.
Never throw away the lower heads of orchids on a stem, use them in a tiny vase in fresh tepid water.
Look after cymbidium by cutting 1 cm off the end of the stem and repeat this every five days.
Never use cut flower food and do not put the cymbidium stem into direct sunlight.
Avoid touching the stigma as this will accidentally distribute the pollen and the lip from the cymbidium flower will turn red earlier.

All images, unless otherwise stated, are generously supplied by Orchids-Info

The journey, the detail, and the interaction: how Sarah Kay creates “other worlds”

There is something to be said about being the last to arrive at the party. Alright, alright we don’t mean the actual party (we get up far too early for that), we are talking about the wonderful world of event planning.

We florists, the providers of the finishing touches, often find ourselves presented with unique themes and impressive event briefs around which to create bespoke floral designs. It really does mean that no two events are ever the same. In the last few months alone we have created floral arrangements to accompany all manner of amazing themes including Vintage Circuses, Luxury Summers, Tiki Bars, Secret Gardens and Maritime Wonders but to name a few!

Now of course it goes without saying that choosing the right floral design can be absolutely key to creating impressive event. But in order to make these occasions truly immersive it calls for a crack team of events professionals from catering, entertainment and lighting to scent and virtual reality providers . All of these industry experts have one mission in mind; to come together and create an experience for the guests that will resonate far beyond the event itself.

Ask the expert

Sarah Kay is one of the most inspired, energetic and knowledgeable experts on the UK events scene. Through her company, The Edit, Sarah organizes and consults on a broad spectrum of amazing events which transport her clients’ guests to exciting new worlds. Ever eager to gain some exclusive insights from an industry expert, we decided to ask Sarah to some key questions on how to create an amazing corporate event. Enjoy!

What do you love most about your job?

What I love about events is that it’s creating another world for the day or evening. Guests step into a space and they’re transported – worries are forgotten and it’s all about having a good time, socialising and enjoying the moment.

Does an event always have to have a theme?

Themes certainly help to create ‘worlds’. Nowadays everything feels so fast paced and serious that a really fun theme that creates something so removed from your day to day life is hugely appealing and has maximum impact. But a ‘theme’ doesn’t mean ‘themed’. For example, we recently provided conference styling for a bank where the brief was black and white with the conversations of the day adding the colour. We added ideas that encouraged audience participation and created fun moments such as black and white balloons that were popped to reveal colourful confetti. It was about adding a fun touch without detracting from the concept of the day.

How do you create an engaging corporate event?

When you think about the journey, the detail and how guests will interact with the space. Just having huge props isn’t enough for people to feel that they’re in another place or world. It’s all about thinking how your guests will respond, what will make them smile, what would they Instagram and how will they walk away feeling. It’s more than a look, it’s a concept and should run through every element of the event from the invite through to the food, the entertainment and the atmosphere. We’ve even introduced event scents before as they evoke such powerful memories – that really helps to immerse people.

What are the three key aspects that you cannot neglect when working to a theme?

Detail, food and the journey. We design an event so that people walk in and think ‘wow’ but then as the event continues they notice the detail again and again. People remember the atmosphere and the detail. The food is something most events have and it’s missing a trick to not incorporate this into the theme. It’s such a small cost to do so therefore we think it’s essential to consider.

What has been your favourite corporate event?

My favourite event is definitely the festival theme we did at Sushi Samba with Story. It was such a fun brief and we totally transformed the space. Guests arrived and were given a lanyard with a stage schedule, wristbands and a phone charger. The journey saw them taking in four different bars, all styled to a theme, the main space which has been covered in grass, and if they were lucky enough to discover it, a secret garden (with Hybrid’s designs!) complete with liquid nitrogen cocktails and ice creams. The theme was so much fun and we really ran with it, creating a totally unexpected space at the top of a skyscraper.

Any predictions for future events themes?

I think immersive events will continue to be popular, so any theme or world but just totally all consuming, very theatrical and full on. People are exposed to so many stimulants that event themes have had to keep up and the immersive concept overtakes to create impact.

I also think natural. As the world becomes more digital people crave nostalgia, nature and relaxed atmospheres so I think we’ll see lots more of this.

Having said that technology is huge especially virtual reality which is definitely one of the event buzz words of the moment.

Any pearls of wisdom for the corporate events planner?

Always consider what you are trying to achieve. What are your goals? How do you want your guests to feel before the event, during and after? Thinking about the guest journey and experience as this really helps you plan. Also find the best suppliers as they help you create the best events – I couldn’t do it without them!

With thanks to Story for the Festival Event at SushiSamba images and The Edit for all other images.