7 Floral Secrets From Flowers By Brett Matthew John [Guest Post]

We're delighted to introduce our guest post by leading Melbourne, VIC floral designer Brett Coles of Flowers By Brett Matthew John to answer some of your burning questions to do with floristry and events.

Brett virtually pioneered the current trend for spraypainting florals - seen here as his stunning iridescent monstera leaves paired with our iridescent cutlery for hire at this glamorous picnic and styled shoot in the Botanic Gardens we collaborated on two years ago.

1. What flowers are least likely to wilt in the summer heat?
Summer is a tough one with many beautiful flowers unable to withstand strong heat. Our favourite summer-proof flowers include carnations, calla lilies, antheriums, amaranthus and phalaenopsis orchids.

2. I want to use shallow compote bowl vases without using green floral oasis foam. What would you suggest?
Depending on the design and brief, your florist should be able work straight into the compote bowls.

Sometimes we use kenzan [spiky floral "frogs" put in the base of a shallow bowl], chicken wire and tape for more complex forms.

If you're mindful about your event flowers being as "green" as possible I suggest bringing this up during your initial consultation.

Your florist will have a number of tips and tricks to ensure your florals are as environmentally friendly as possible such as sourcing blooms for local growing, avoiding all single-use plastics and greenwashing any florals left after the event.

3. My venue has long narrow communal tables with little space for centrepieces. What would you suggest? 
We'd recommend something simple yet stylish like size-appropriate bud vases at various points along the table to create a floral point of interest to the tablescape.

4. Our event has a glamorous black and gold theme. What flowers would you suggest? 
Definitely a touch of 24K gold tinting to the design! Alternatively a touch of matt black in the forma of tinted orchids or reflex roses. Tinted flowers and foliage are very on-trend currently and make a design super-contemporary.

5. We'd like to donate our event flowers to a local nursing home afterwards. What flowers have the longest-lasting scent?
Tuberose has a fabulous scent which always fills a room! Sweet pea also has a beautifully delicate fragrance reminiscent of a spring garden. Garden roses are also a solid favourite with an incredible fragrance.

6. What floral/foliage design would you recommend for guests with lots of hayfever allergies? 
When we're working with a client with allergies we avoid anything with a strong fragrance or pollen. We would be recommending favourites such as fragrance-free roses, trailing orchids, anthuriums and hydrangeas.

Fruits and vegetables are also very on-trend and we're currently loving tablescapes of gourds mixed with premium orchids etc.

As experienced florists we generally like to avoid florals and foliage that cause allergies. There are always substitutes available so please don't feel you have to compromise!

7. Where would you suggest using faux flowers eg staircase, ceiling installations, walls etc?
We don't suggest faux florals ever! We're biased on this department but we love fresh flower installations.

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