In conversation with Shane Connolly
Photograph by Eva Nemeth
For April’s blog I am delighted to share my first interview:
I had the pleasure of speaking with Shane Connolly - a huge inspiration to me and many other florists - to find out more about our shared love of flowers and all things sustainable. Throughout his career, Shane has consistently demonstrated the power and beauty of British flowers, and has been kind enough to share some of his boundless knowledge, specifically in relation to sustainability and it’s importance within the floristry industry.
I met Shane when he and I worked together for a Prince’s Trust event - the ‘One Million Young Lives’ dinner hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales in December 2017 at Buckingham Palace. I’d never worked on something of this scale before and it is the highlight of my career to date. Shane was such a kind, generous and insightful person to learn from, but more than this, his floristry approach has had a huge impact on how I go about my work and methods today. I have pushed forward with the sustainable floristry agenda and committed to big changes this year to reduce the environmental and social impact of my flowers.
I am beyond excited to share some of Shane’s thoughts, which, whether you’re a customer, gardener, florist or flower lover, I hope will inspire you too.
A little bit about Shane:
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Shane read Psychology at university, but a lifelong passion for plants and gardening eventually led him to a make a career change. A chance meeting with Floral Decorator, Michael Goulding, led Shane to an apprenticeship at Pulbrook and Gould and he set up his own business in 1989. Shane Connolly & Company has created timeless, artisan, floral arrangements and decorations for over twenty-five years, and is a passionate advocate for British grown, seasonal flowers. They are very proud to hold a Royal Warrant of Appointment to HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales. Shane is also the author of five books on floristry including his latest Discovering the Meaning of Flowers (2017). Pictured at the bottom of this page.
I hope you enjoy his musings as much as I have!
Fritillaria meleagris - Photos taken by Shane from his garden.
The Interview:
How did you begin working in the floristry industry and what was it that initially attracted you?
All coincidence and serendipity really. I met two great floral decorators, Michael Goulding and Elizabeth Baker, via a mutual friend and because they had a beautiful garden. They knew I loved gardens and so introduced me.
Before that I saw flowers in a “shop” way and never remotely thought of it as a career. I’d not realised that flowers could be done for events on such a scale and I thought it sounded like a dream job! They tried to put me off but I was determined and have never regretted it.
2. What are your favourite things about working with flowers?
I think my favourite thing is the seasonality and the chance to show people what nature is doing outside and how delicate and transient it all is.
3. I’ve found your work with sustainable methods so inspiring. Have you always had this focus?
I don’t know if we thought of sustainability as we do now. When I started, seasonality was almost the only option! And certainly Michael and Elizabeth, and then Pulbrook and Gould (where I worked for a few years) were total advocates of a seasonal, British approach. SO it really is second nature to me and I’m shocked at how we have lost the seasonal approach to flower design. The work educating about the issues with floral foam came about from research and from hearing about the problems…especially when in the USA.
4. Why is it important to you?
Where do I start!
To me it is an essential and non-negotiable part of flower design. The whole idea of flowers is to show nature…it is to nature that we owe everything. So how can we not then respect and protect her? That is my own approach and I feel I have to share my knowledge with everyone in the industry so that they can make that choice for themselves. Or not…if they wish.
5. What are the things that worry you about unsustainable methods?
That they’re unsustainable!
That they give totally the wrong message about nature and abusing it.
That they confuse the general public about seasons and feed into the great myth of denaturing life.
That they are the antithesis of all that natural things should be and that seems like an insurmountable issue in my opinion.
6. Tell me about some challenges that you have faced working this way and how you have overcome them?
Most challenges come from the client…who has seen a design on social media that is totally not achievable in a sustainable way…and want that. There we have the problem in a nutshell.
It is the lack of trust and imagination on the client’s part that makes it sometimes hard to provide a sustainable design. Hard to tackle that, in a generation so used to seeing things before they have them. But I try to build up trust and create mood boards of options. Commissioning an artist should always have the element of uniqueness and bespokeness that off the peg lacks. That’s what works with sustainable too.
7. What are your top three tips for people wanting to make a sustainable change, big or small?
1. Look at what is growing by visiting gardens, rather than seeing only what is in the flower market.
2. Look at local growers and build up a relationship with suppliers in general so that they can help find things you will like.
3. Be confident that it IS the right way and therefore be brave in decision making.
8. What season do you love the most and why?
All seasons for all reasons! I have no favourite.
9. Do you have a ‘go to’ British supplier? If not, could you share any general advice on how florists should try to source these flowers.
I think that they should look at “Flowers from the Farm” and find growers local to them and visit a few…see which ones they have a rapport with. And also get to know if there are British Grown flowers available at their usual market and if not, ask for them!
Flowers by Clowlance is another great go-to supplier who sources from several British growers.
10. Tell us about your proudest achievement working with sustainable techniques and British flowers.
I suppose that would be the Wedding of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011….as it wasn’t such a “thing” then and yet I think we showed it could be done. And on a massive scale too. The press were not oblivious to that and I felt very proud that we’d made it work and that it was a success.
11. Any other comments?
Not really. I would simply say that sustainable floristry is not something to be afraid of. Nor is it a “style”. It is something you can easily learn about and introduce into your own style of designing easily and make it your own too.
We all “invent” new techniques as desperation is indeed the mother of invention!
Shane’s work - Photographs courtesy of @shaneconnollyandco Instagram
Thank you Shane for your time and sharing all of the above, truly stirring stuff.
Share your thoughts and comments on Shane’s interview below, I’d love to hear them.
Let me know what floristry topic you would like to learn more about from another expert discuss next time.
‘One Million Young Lives’ Dinner - Buckingham Palace, December 2017
You can be further inspired by checking out Shane’s wonderful book ‘Discovering the meaning of Flowers’ (2017).
