No mum’s going to be disappointed with a beautifully arranged bunch of flowers on Mother’s Day, but imagine having the knowledge and skills to throw together a bouquet yourself.
Organic Blooms is a social enterprise near Bristol with a working nursery which is used as a therapeutic setting for people with learning difficulties and mental health issues.
They also run a series of workshops open to the public, teaching green-fingered wannabes how to master things like hand-tied bouquets, wedding flowers and creating a cutting garden.
The focus is on British flowers and herbs, and prices for the workshops start at £40.
Funds from the classes and the cut flowers they sell help to support the therapeutic side of the business.
“Growing and selling cut flowers is the focus around which everyone who attends Organic Blooms finds their own unique opportunity to learn, to heal, to develop, to make friends, and to eventually find work and move on,” says director Jo Wright.
“There is something about being outdoors, doing something with your hands and being among like-minded people that is immensely therapeutic and grounding.
“As the flowers bring in more income, we are able to create more job opportunities for our service users who may not be ready to work in a less supportive environment. Organic Blooms is more than the sum of its parts. We are growing lives, as well as flowers, a perfect combination!”
Trainees spend up to three days a week with Organic Blooms and can come away with a City and Guilds qualification to get them ready for a career in flowers.