spring flowers & Foliage
Emily McClure & Matthew Sharkey
Portico of Ards Portaferry & Private Cottage in Kearney, ? 2016
'...I am not sure how to even begin to say the biggest thank you to you, Suzie, for all of the gorgeous flowers. The arrangements in the church and the tent were simply magnificent and our bouquets the perfect balance of cottage informality and wedding glamour - that pop of reddy pink in my bouquet was perfect! Really, everything was stunning and we have had so many lovely comments from people about how wonderful the flowers were...'
VESSELS & VASES
VESSELS & VASES
Florestina is owned and run by Suzie Scott from her Garden studio in Northern Ireland. Flora and fauna has been the subject of fascination and intrigue for Suzie from a very young age growing up in a unique Areboretum on the Ards Peninsula provided endless study and play as a child. Throughout
Meet Suzie and hear more about Florestina below.
WEDDINGS
WEDDINGS
ABOUT SUZIE & FLORESTINA
ABOUT SUZIE & FLORESTINA
The Arboretum
'In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends'
Okakura Kakuzo
MY GARDEN ON THE ARDS PENINSULA
My Garden on the Ards Peninsula
about florestina
a child in the woods
Some of my earliest childhood memories are of being in a perpetually sunny, warm, walled garden with herbaceous borders, climbing roses and a beautiful old conservatory which was filled with scented geraniums, vivid vibrant fuchsias and exotic mottle leafed begonias.
Beyond the walled garden lay the beech woods overlooking the sea which in Spring were carpeted with bluebells, primroses and wood anemones...
..And then the woodland garden itself, which burst into life in the spring with the brilliant intense colours of the Rhododendrons set amongst the towering trees.
....It was a veritable horticultural playground and although sadly the walled garden exists only as a memory, and it wasn't always sunny, the seeds were sown (...pun intended) for a lifelong love of flowers and plants, so to speak.
the beginning of florestina
In the mid 2000’s I was working for a musical theatre youth charity and when we put on a show I loved creating flower arrangements for the productions and sponsor's receptions. I had the opportunity to work in some of the most beautiful theatres and venues across Ireland .
Being a charity, and operating on a shoestring, there was never a budget for flowers but they say necessity is the mother of invention and I relished the challenge to be inventive and creative. Huge urns with masses of foraged foliage can make such an impact for very little outlay....
...And for one event in an old industrial warehouse I remember scouring the derelict docklands of the titanic quarter for self seeded buddleja and ragwort which i displayed in massed rows of tin cans set on old reclaimed bricks.
It taught me about how to make an impact with mass & scale and its something I always have in the back of my mind when designing.
It was at that event that someone asked me if I ‘did’ flowers as a business and up until that moment it hadn’t occurred to me that I could, but later I realised that here was the artistic outlet for my creative spirit, and the catalyst was being asked soon afterwards by a good friend if I would do the flowers for her daughter's wedding. Most of the flowers came from their own garden or were donated by generous friends and I just loved every minute of it.
from that wedding word of mouth brought in more weddings and events, and so in 2014 Florestina came into being, following which i took on further training with the covent garden academy of flowers in london, and with sabine darrell in herefordshire
florestina today
Florestina today is a small family business creating wedding & event flowers, seasonal bouquets, and floral greetings cards. Florestina supports local flower growers.
suzie scott
Florestina Founder & Creative director
charles scott
Head of Florestina Logistics & Accounts
karen hill
Florestina Events
Right hand Woman
MR WOOKIE
Florestina model (When he is not off galavanting)
please get in touch
If my style appeals to you please feel free to e-mail, call, or use the link below to get in touch, I would love to hear from you.
We can then have a chat on the phone, or a meeting at my studio to start the planning process. You may have lots of clear ideas as to what you would like, or no idea at all, don't worry, I can help guide you through the various options for flowers and arrangements to best suit you, the time of year, your venue and your budget.