British Flowers Week 2015 - Interview with Zita Elze

British Flowers Week 2015 starts today, an industry-wide, nationwide campaign in support of British cut flowers, founded and organised by New Covent Garden Flower Market!

The first florist and flower to be featured are Zita Elze and the larkspur. And I’m delighted to feature an exclusive interview with Zita on Flowerona today:

How long have you been using British flowers?

I’ve always used British flowers and try to use them as much as possible. I love their softness compared to imported blooms. And I also take cuttings from British plants to use in arrangements.

Your chosen flower for British Flowers Week is the larkspur. Could you tell us why you selected it?

It’s just such a delicate, dainty, intricate flower. And I absolutely love using it in my designs.

Could you tell use about the three designs which you’ve made exclusively for British Flowers Week 2015?

I’ve created a floral embroidery dress (pictured below), which I’ve named ‘Shadows’. It includes larkspur, delphiniums, cornflowers and sweet peas. I’ve also made a pedestal design featuring larkspur, pretty wildflowers and lots of different varieties of grass. And my final design is an elegant bouquet featuring larkspur (pictured above).

Apart from larkspur, which are your other favourite British flowers?

I love cornflowers, especially the burgundy/black variety. They’re pretty but also have depth and they work well with dried material. And I’m very fond of grasses, due to the wildness they add to arrangements.

Do your customers ask for British blooms?

Yes, they do. This could be helped by the fact that we’re based very close to Kew Gardens.

Are you running any special events during British Flowers Week?

We’re running Posy Workshops using British flowers at our shop in Kew during British Flowers Week. They will run on a drop-in basis from Monday 15th June to Friday 19th June between 10am-5pm.

Could you tell us about the bouquets which you’re selling during British Flowers Week?

We’re selling two bouquets. I’ve created one with a wedding in mind. It’s very stylised, very pure and perfectly shows off the larkspur’s vivid colour. The simplicity of the bouquet is complemented by the beautifully embellished handle. The second bouquet includes an eclectic mix of flowers, foliage and grasses.