INSIDE WOODSTOCK’S FLOWER CAFÉ

The Secret Language of fLoWERS

A welcomed sanctuary on Sir Lowry Road

Last year, while many businesses closed their doors, others scrambled to adjust their offerings in order to survive. A company that turned itself around was Petals Group in Woodstock, Cape Town. Events and weddings—highly intense social activities—were at the core of the company’s activities and so Petals Group found itself in a desperate situation when the pandemic hit. “Closing our doors and saying goodbye to our staff members was never an option,” says Veronica (Vee) Yankelowitz, one of Petals Group’s events coordinators. “Not being able to run corporate events and bespoke weddings we had to reinvent the way we use our resources.”

And so, sticking to their forte, the team created Flower Café. Not a coffee shop that sells flowers, but rather a place for flower lovers to get creative. “While Covid may have locked us out of hosting large events, it couldn’t lock us out of helping people unleash their inner flower arranging natures in our oneof-a-kind space,” says Petals Group founder, Flower Walker. (Yes, her name is Flower.)

Located along Woodstock’s busy Sir Lowry Road, the founders of Flower Café have created “a large, whimsical workshop space and a team of talented floral artists who know how to host a great party. It was an easy transition to make,” says Vee.

While you set about arranging a bunch of flowers in the workshop area, Flower shares interesting facts about a few of her favourite blooms and talks about the ‘The Secret Language of Flowers’. It was a Victorian tradition to use flowers to convey secret messages to loved ones in a society where feelings often had to be suppressed.

In between arranging flowers, you can enjoy barista-made coffees and help yourself to a delicious spread of cakes, muffins, quiches, and homemade biscuits. Flower Café even has a dedicated crêpe maker where a crêpe (or three) can be made to suit your taste. So, if you’re looking for a fun, relaxing way to spend time with your family or friends, schedule a visit to Flower Café. A morning spent in this space is also a great way to enjoy a special occasion such as a birthday or baby shower, or even a fun and different team-building experience with colleagues.

Enjoy FlowErs For longEr

Most of us toss out our droopylooking bunches of flowers after a week or so, but do you know there are several ways to enjoy flowers in your home for much longer? Below are some of Flower’s tips on making flowers last longer: • Don’t cut the flower’s stem straight across at the bottom, instead cut them at an angle. This allows for more water uptake, and helps the flower to look fresh for longer. • Submerge flowers in hot water (not boiling) and then cold water. Warm stems soak up more water; while afterwards the cool water help keep the blooms fresh. • Add a drop of Jik and a teaspoon of sugar to the water. The chlorine in the bleach kills bacteria and the sugar feeds the flowers. • Top up the vase every second day with fresh water. • Remove all leaves that will be below the waterline. Sodden leaves rot and contaminate the water. • After two weeks cut the stem again and add more Jik and more sugar. • To make blooms last even longer, cut them at their necks and place them in a shallow bowl of water. • Once the flowers are at the end of their fresh life remove the petals, let them dry and use them for potpourri.

How FlowEr CaFé works

“Create whatever your heart desires in our Flower Café. We give guidelines, but there is absolute freedom to play,” says Flower. “Of course, the whole idea is to take your floral creation home with you.”

Here’s the lowdown: • Book in advance so Flower Café can manage social distancing and other safety measures. • A R70 non-refundable booking fee per person secures your spot and is deductible from your floral purchases on the day. • You can either select a vase from the

Flower Café collection or bring your own vase from home. • Greenery and flowers are priced per stem, allowing you the freedom to customise your floral design and fit your budget (Their signature Tussie

Mussie is always available.) • The inviting space is available to work in and come and enjoy a coffee. • WiFi is available if you want to host meetings and work parties in the space. • Private group bookings and gift vouchers are available.

Flower Café is at 184 Sir Lowry Road in Woodstock, Cape Town. Secure parking is available across the road at the Woodstock Quarter. Please email vee@ petalsgroup.co.za or call 021 461 8809 to arrange a booking. Flower Café is open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Or, to find out more, visit www.petalsgroup.co.za.