Murrindindi Guide Winter 2024

By Emily Friedel

Winter may not be the season most people associate with blooms, but for a flower farmer, it’s a busy time. Sophie Bowe’s winter will involve a lot of hard work in her half-acre growing patch as she gets ready for spring.

The need for adequate winter preparation is something Sophie learned the hard way last year.

“I got flooded twice and lost maybe two thirds of all the dahlias that I planted. We will not be having that happen again this year. So we’re rebuilding and restructuring the entire flower patch this winter, which is going to be a mammoth undergoing with excavation and everything to make sure it doesn’t happen

again,” she says.

Sophie’s business, With Love, Sophie, is a combination of micro flower farm and florist studio on her family’s property in Yarck. Her foray into floral design began two years ago when her hairdresser casually asked if Sophie would like to do her engagement party flowers.

“I was like, ‘Sure, why not? That sounds like fun. I need something to do on the weekend.’ So I did them.”

From there she got more requests from friends for wedding flowers and found that she was enjoying putting together arrangements. But taking the step towards becoming a professional florist only happened after some soul searching.

Sophie Bowe in her florist studio on her family’s property in Yarck, where she also has her micro flower farm. Photo courtesy Eve Imagery.

Sophie proudly produces entirely foam-free arrangements, a choice she has made due to the negative health and environmental impacts of floral foam. Photo courtesy Eve Imagery.

“At that point I was 20, 21 years old, and I thought I’m just going to run away to Europe and all my problems will be solved and I’ll find my life’s purpose and I’ll come home and it’ll be great. I tried that once and my partner was like, ‘Maybe let’s not do that again. Why don’t you invest in something like a skill?’ So I took it upon myself to move to Sydney and study floristry and I loved it,” she says.

“I wanted to grow my own flowers as well, so I spent [last] winter building the beds and planted out all these dahlias and roses. That’s where it all started, and I’ve just been falling more and more in love with it as the months have gone on.”

Sophie chose to grow her own flowers to make her business more eco-friendly and ensure the highest quality blooms.

“They don’t travel anywhere other than 20 steps to get from the patch to my studio, so there’s no miles in transit. And because I’m picking them fresh, they’re in perfect condition when I work with them.”

Among her favourites to grow are roses, and this year’s crop will also include dahlias, hydrangeas, and sweet peas. Much of her produce ends up in wedding arrangements, and Sophie says this is one of the best parts about her work.

“I love bridal bouquets and I love designing something that’s just so special and such a big part of someone’s day.”

“The business is called With Love, Sophie because I always sign off on cards ‘with

Floristry found Sophie when friends started asking for engagement and wedding arrangements, which eventually led to formal training and now her own business. Photo courtesy Eve Imagery. love, Sophie’ and everything I do is made with love and care.”

Part of that care is being mindful about selecting materials, and Sophie adds that all her creations are made with her safety and that of the environment in mind.

“People don’t really know much about the health risks of floral foam, which is the green bricks that are used. So not only does it pose risks to me because it’s carcinogenic, but it produces a lot of microplastics which then

end up in our waterways and I’m really not a fan of that. So I work completely foam free in my business and choose to use things like chicken wire or other sustainable alternatives. And that’s something I’m very proud of, and that local florists are jumping on board with, which is really cool.”

Adding new foam-free options to her range will be part of Sophie’s winter preparations. So along with more flower varieties in the growing patch, spring will see the launch of birthday packages that can

be ordered online. These packages will include bud vases and flower clouds to add a little floral flair to party decorations.

So although the plants may be taking things easy over the winter, Sophie won’t be. For her, it will be a season of hard work and serious planning before the patch is in bloom and the warmweather festivities begin.

For more information go to withlovesophie.com.au or email sophie@withlovesophie. com.au and you can find her on Instagram at @ withlovesophieflorals