BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS
Great things - in the form of Christmas crafts, beautiful blooms and festive foliage have arrived in Guisborough. Elysia Fryer heads to Ruffled Flowers to catch up with florist Jenni Di-Niro
Fresh, festive & flourishing I’m spending a chilly Thursday afternoon rummaging through an Aladdin’s cave of fabulous floral creations and I’m struggling to work out when a trip to a florist went from a quick pit-stop for a Mother’s Day bouquet as a child, to somewhere I can quite easily while away the hours and get lost in the beauty of seasonal blooms. I’m not quite sure where the lines were blurred and my fondness blossomed, but I’m loving every minute of it - even more so as burnt oranges, deep reds and glittering decorations take over the space. There really is nothing more pleasing to the eye - and the nose, for that matter, as I pop in to see Jenni during the autumn/ winter transition. As I enter the new Market Place shop in Guisborough, Jenni is swapping pumpkins and pampas grass for berries and stunning, silvery eucalyptus. A spicy, piney scent fills the room as she hangs festive wreaths and makes up seasonal bouquets. For Jenni, winter is the perfect time to get creative, bundle up stunning, hand-tied bouquets and get everyone together for some Christmas crafts. “Things will look a little different this year,” says Jenni. “But we’ve come up with some creative new ways to deliver our festive crafts and workshops, and we’ve got some lovely winter stock in if people want to come and see us.” Having set up shop on Guisborough high street last year, Jenni and her small but mighty Ruffled Flowers team have used the lockdown period as a time to pivot, adapt and grow. “We opened the shop across the road last November, just in time for the Christmas rush. We had a wonderful winter and 2020 started well, but we
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all know what happened come spring. “But, despite the pressures of the pandemic, we signed the lease on the new shop and it actually bought us some time to get everything together, work on the interiors, and come up with creative ways to continue trading throughout the uncertain times. “The plan is to use the original space as a workshop for creative classes and a base for weddings and commissions, keeping the new space for our day-to-day floristry.” A business plan Jenni was able to put in place throughout the lockdown period, and one that seems to be flourishing into life after an incredibly busy time. “We were really busy with gift bouquets
through the lockdown. I lost all of the weddings I had booked in spring, summer and beyond, but we were able to bump ourselves up with flower orders, which we started sending out nationally as well as locally. “We feel so lucky to be able to continue doing what we love - all while getting our new space ready to welcome customers.” And here we are, heading into the cooler months with no sign of slowing down and a beautiful new shop on the buzzy high street. “It’s my favourite time of the year,” says Jenni. “So it’s been a great time to design and decorate the new space. There’s nothing
better than getting the festive decorations out, adding deep reds and berries to our bouquets and pulling wreaths together. “We’ve decided to expand our offering, creating bespoke bouquets and hand-ties that people can take away and enjoy in their home for the full season. “We’re also stocking some lovely gifts and interior products. Throws, cushions, candles - things that just scream winter cosiness.” In its newfound home, Ruffled Flowers has grown into something of a lifestyle store - stocking everything from gifts and house plants, to cosy furnishings and on-trend home decor. As beautiful as it is, none of this takes away from Jenni’s
We’re also stocking some lovely gifts and interior products. Throws, cushions, candles - things that just scream winter cosiness NOV/DEC20
