The Journal
A new space to call our own
Lose yourself amongst the flowers, artistry, and design of our newest home, located in the beautiful coastal suburb of Currumbin on the Gold Coast. Nestled within The Warehouses, a new and unforgettable urban hub, our space is dedicated to community, connection, and the power of bold design. While we will continue to lovingly create and share floral art from our flagship Bangalow boutique – we feel there’s something truly special about our new location – and here’s why. As we’ve grown and evolved, having a second space from which to create and serve our community has been increasingly important to us. This feels especially true as we’ve met and connected with so many amazing customers on the Gold Coast in the last few years. If you’ve been lucky enough to already visit our new Currumbin location, you would have experienced our flower bar filled with unique and premium flowers, as well as our curated collection of locally made ceramics and homewares. What makes this space different however, is the way it has enabled us to create one-of-a-kind floristry experiences for our customers. When we first found the space, it was a blank canvas – an opportunity for us to apply our creativity and design thinking to a new environment. We decided to make the most of the light-filled arcade, atrium gardens, and beautiful architecture by immersing our blooms into the space. Stunning bouquets and unique creations grace each wall, while our sleek, contemporary, and practical fit-out makes it easier than ever before to lose yourself in moments of joy and reflection. We’ve also created a dedicated space for creative consultation appointments, allowing you to truly immerse yourself in our world. To bring the space to life, we commissioned a large-scale sculpture inspired by the bearded iris. Crafted by fellow florist friend and sculptor Parthenopi, the breathtaking piece aptly named ‘IRIS’ pays tribute to a signature yet fleeting bloom and its lavishly ruffled form. Thank you for joining us on this new adventure. We are so excited to share our signature floral art that our Byron Bay customers have come to know and love across the Gold Coast. With love, Brooke and The Flower Bar Co team x
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Local Loves: VRG GRL x TFBC
Local Loves Meet Brooke, the visionary behind The Flower Bar Co., and leader in the Northern Rivers floristry landscape. We take a look back at a collab, where VRG GRL IRL (in real life) took over the Flower Bar Co.'s floral wrap for a weekend, our CEO, Brooke Down, sat down with VRG GRL to discuss her story behind the making of The Flower Bar Co, as an iconic Australian brand. Q & A with VRG GRL & Brooke Down Q: What inspired you to become a florist? Can you share the origin of The Flower Bar Co.? A: The beauty of it all! I am incredibly energised by working with nature, it really is a dream to be surrounded by flowers every day. I am constantly inspired by the ever-changing beauty of flowers, the seasonality and evolution of mother nature; the waxing and waning of different flower varieties through the seasons is immensely beautiful and absolutely awe inspiring. Our brand was born by a desire to showcase this beauty. We wanted to bring together the best elements of contemporary floral design and the abundance and beauty of mother nature in a marriage that would really do justice to our craft. We’ve managed to achieve this in our beautiful Victorian era heritage listed bank building here in Bangalow. Q: When you aren’t in the studio, how do you like to spend your time? A: I love spending as much time as I can with my beautiful family and friends on the weekends. I’m design obsessed, so I spend a lot of time in nature and with my head in books and magazines for inspiration. I also practice yoga and attend pilates a couple of times each week for balance. Q: What keeps you motivated as a business owner? A: Goals! I always have goals - both near term and long term. As a business owner you’re always getting roped into the “urgent” things, but I try to also focus on the “important” things (i.e. the bigger picture). As we’ve grown, I’ve been able to spend more time on the bigger picture and future growth and that’s super motivating. We are also big on celebrating our wins here at TFBC and foster a really happy, positive culture within the team which keeps us all motivated and inspired. Q: As The Flower Bar Co. continues to go from strength to strength, are there any exciting plans in the works? A: Yes! Growth! Gold Coast here we come! We can’t share too much just yet but GC we are headed for you! Q: The Flower Bar Co. is based in the cool and quaint town of Bangalow - what are your favourite things to see and do in the area? A: Having a wine with the girls at You Beauty would have to be up there! It’s a beautiful little wine bar just down the street from us. It’s also hard to beat a dumpling date with my daughter at Red Ginger, and of course we love to watch the ocean and the rolling green hills of the hinterland - there are many vantage points around Bangalow, Coorabell and Coopers Shoot that we cherish. Q: How would you describe your personal fashion style? A: I would describe my fashion style as understated, simplistic, effortless. Dressing for a day immersed in flowers for me looks like a pair of tailored or vintage jeans, paired with usually a white or black tee, and a simple pearl or gold hoop earring. Outside of the studio I can be less practical, and this is where I introduce colour and different fabrics. I have learnt the hard way not to wear pieces I love to work! It’s a messy job behind the scenes! Q: What does a collaboration with VRG GRL mean to you? A: Flowers and fashion both appeal to people who have a passion for beauty on a foundational level. We’re speaking the same language and celebrating creativity and beauty through different mediums. We’re both Australian brands led by women passionate about our customers and their experiences with our products, so it’s super exciting to be collaborating with this iconic brand. Q: What’s your most popular floral arrangement and why? A: Our SOIREE design is our most popular design by far! She’s vivacious, bright and playful and this is really what our clients are drawn to time and time again, and recipient’s lucky enough to receive her are always blown away by the colour composition and unique varieties used in the design. SOIRÉE. was inspired by crisp pink-edged sunrises; long summer afternoons and balmy evenings, spent with friends in the glow of a still sunset. It’s no wonder it’s a crowd pleaser.
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Home-grown beauty
Home-grown beauty. How collaborating with local flower farmers helps us offer the freshest and most sustainable blooms for any occasion. Whether it’s sourcing our favourite flowers from nearby neighbours or sharing the stories of the growers behind each bouquet that graces our store – working with local farms is a rewarding choice for us, our customers, and the planet. To share more about the importance and benefits of shopping local for your flowers, we spoke to our good friend Charlotte of September Peony Flower Farm. Q & A with Charlotte of September Peony Q: September Peony Farm has such a wonderful story and is now home to an astounding 12,000 peonies. Tell us a little more about your farm and the amazing flowers you grow. A: “September Peony Flower Farm was unsurprisingly born out of a love of peony flowers. As peonies take such a long time to mature and only flower for a very short time, we also grow an extensive range of other perennials and annuals. Our standouts include hydrangeas, dahlias, delphiniums and roses. We also offer a large range of harder-to-get products like peony poppies, lupins, salvia and Russian sage. Our farm was originally established as a truffle farm – and still is – but truffles are a winter product. We couldn’t imagine a better way to spend the rest of the year than deep in beautiful flower fields.” Q: What do you feel are some of the most important benefits to working with local growers? A: “Freshness! Whilst we always support buying local over imported flowers, a lot of Australian grown flowers come from Tasmania or Victoria. This still adds quite a lot of miles to the product when compared to coming from us. A big concern for purchasers is ensuring they get something that they can enjoy for a reasonable amount of time. Our flowers are incredibly fresh. Most of our products are harvested the day prior to being delivered so you are purchasing flowers that have maximum vase life left.” Q: How do you ensure these flowers stay as fresh as possible? A: “Longevity in our blooms is really important to us. All the flowers harvested at the farm are placed immediately into conditioned water in the field. They are then taken back to be processed or placed into our cool room ahead of processing. Unlike more remote suppliers, we also ensure our product is freighted from the farm into Brisbane in water and in refrigerated transport. Once collected from the drop off point they are delivered again in water and using refrigerated transport to our customers.” Q: Do you undertake sustainable and eco-friendly practices when growing your blooms? A: “We have a big focus on sustainability and recycling in terms of our flower delivery practices. This is feasible given we are so local, and it ensures that between the farm and the vase there is maximum re-use occurring. We’ve implemented a range of sustainable practices on the farm too. Some of the practices we have include using mulch instead of herbicides and using beneficial bugs instead of spraying pesticides. As water is such a precious resource, we’re also able to manage our irrigation through an app, which ensures we are using our water only when needed.” Q: What’s your favourite flower that you grow and why? A: “One of the flowers I grab for myself most often to have in my home are marigolds. They last easily for two weeks and their huge orange heads provide such a wonderful burst of colour.” Q: We get to collaborate with you a lot at The Flower Bar Co. What have been some of your favourite moments and memories so far? A: “It’s been really nice to have the support of The Flower Bar Co team. It always brings a smile to our faces to see our products featured in beautiful environments. The spaces created by the team certainly stand out. We look forward to being able to expand our product offering to provide you with even more beautiful products more regularly.” Q: Do you offer blooms to the public as well as florists or other businesses? A: “We mainly service florists but also supply to a few select flower wholesalers who genuinely value sustainability and sourcing and supporting local flower farmers.”
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Behind the scenes at the Sydney flower market
Join us on a journey of sights, sounds, scents and surrounds as we take you along for the ride during a busy morning at the market. There’s nothing quite like the hustle and bustle of a (very) early start at the flower market. Before a recent big event, we flew down to Sydney to source a range of beautiful blooms for our clients. Not only did this provide us with more variety of flowers and foliage but allowed us to work with blooms that aren’t always readily available back home. Here’s how the morning went… Bright beginnings The early morning start is worth it once you realise you have access to the best flowers in the country. Rare and unique blooms always fly out the door quickly, which is why we always make an effort to get to the market as early as possible. We wake up at 4am, prep the van and get going long before the sun comes up. While the market is always cold, the atmosphere is warm – infused with fragrant blooms (think luscious garden roses) and vivid colourings as far as the eye can see. Behind the curtain While it may appear quiet on the outside, on the inside, the market is always filled with eager florists all hoping to find the most premium flowers for their clients. We’re lucky that we’re often granted early access thanks to one of our big wholesalers, and that’s when the real fun begins. The magical art of selecting each flower is such a special undertaking for us and is how we’re able to make sure only the best blooms come home with us. Once we’ve source our favourites, we then pack the van and send everything back home via refrigerated transport. The prize collection On this particular day we were able to source a number of gorgeous blue-headed hydrangea, as well as incredible cosmos, dahlia and delphinium. Shades of white, blue, mauve and pink were our inspiration and guided our selections. Some of the other pieces we sourced for a large wedding included a stunning weeping magnolia. This was all made possible thanks to our amazing collaborator, Mark at B&B who always has the most incredible foliage and interesting branches for us to work into our designs. We find these are the elements that can really elevate any atmosphere and we love being able to work with them regularly. We were also lucky enough to get our hands on some Australian-grown white roses from the team at Bagala Brothers, which continue to be as divine as you would imagine. More for the store Beyond sourcing items for our event clients, we also were able to find a number of beautiful blooms for the store, including slipper orchids. The team at Harry’s Wholesale source the best orchids for us time and time again, and always look after us. It’s in these acts that we’re then able to look after our customers – both instore and during events. All good things must come to an end Once our time at the flower market is over, we transport all of our purchases back to TFBC headquarters where we begin to condition our new blooms. This means we cut the stems, strip away any unwanted foliage, and place them into fresh water. We’ll then start allocating flowers for weddings as well as our store, and begin the creation of each arrangement. Importantly, we separate our waste during this time, ensuring regular recycling of soft plastics and green waste. Once we’re finished, our beautiful blooms are ready for their new homes.
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Caring for your flowers
Caring for your flowers Whether you want your favourite new blooms to last longer or you’re wondering how best to keep them looking fabulous and fresh for a special event, here are our top tips on nourishing and nurturing your flowers. When we compose our floral designs at The Flower Bar Co, we do so with the intention of helping you enjoy your blooms for as long as possible. Taking care of your floral arrangements takes a little bit of effort, but once you’ve put in the work, you’ll reap the rewards time and time again. A new home for your flowers The first few hours after receiving your blooms are critical. The earlier you take care of them, the longer they’ll last. First, be sure to prepare a suitable (and clean) vessel filled with fresh water that can house your flowers for the coming week. Once you’ve found the perfect vase, unwrap your bouquet as soon as possible and re-cut the stems. Try to reduce each one by 1-2cm as you go. While cutting your stems in a straight line is fine, we recommend cutting each one at a 45-degree angle if possible. Why? Because we want the entire surface area of the stems to be constantly immersed in water. When cutting straight instead of an angle, you risk the chance of the water not reaching the entire surface of your stem. Once placed inside the vase, try to keep your flowers in a cool space inside your home. Somewhere that’s away from direct sunlight and any heaters, as this can speed up the aging process of your blooms. Snip snip Did you know that it’s better to trim your blooms with sharp scissors? Not just because it’s easier (much easier) but because this prevents tissue damage to the stems, which can impair the cells at the base of your flowers. Instead, keep your florals strong and healthy by purchasing a pair of special flower-only scissors. Whip them out whenever your blooms need a trim or a haircut. Time for a drink OK, we might be talking about the flowers but let’s be honest, there’s always time for a tipple or two, isn’t there? Once you’ve hydrated yourself, take the time to refresh the water in your vase every second day. Flowers get super thirsty and drink plenty of water. What’s more, bacteria can build up in your vase, so ensuring the water is changed regularly will add plenty of extra days to the freshness of your blooms. You’ll also want to continue trimming 1-2cm off each stem whenever you’re changing the water. As you do so, be sure to remove any faded blooms from your vessel or vase, to keep the remaining flowers looking as fresh as possible. Ongoing maintenance Once your florals have finally faded and it’s time to replace them with a new bouquet, be sure to clean your vase thoroughly with soap and hot water. Not only will this help prevent any bacteria build-up, it will help to ensure your next batch of florals can thrive in a perfect environment. Keen to see more floral art or share yours with us and our community? Simply follow or tag us on Instagram.
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With Love to Mum
With Love to Mum Mother’s Day has always been a special occasion and one that’s close to our hearts, but never more so than this year. As the rate of homelessness in women over 55 years of age continues to rise throughout Australia – our desire to support and celebrate the resilient women in our lives is stronger than ever before. Making a difference Last year, we spoke of our community in the Northern Rivers, and how our area has become an epicentre for housing insecurity and natural disaster-induced homelessness. This hasn’t changed in the 12 months since, and our desire to help the best way we know how has only grown. In 2022, as part of our initiative to provide support and advocate for awareness of this pressing issue, we provided employment opportunities to women through The Flower Bar Co and donated $2 from each of our signature arrangements to Women’s Community Shelters Australia. As an organisation, the WCSA works tirelessly to establish new homeless shelters, which provide short-term and safe emergency accommodation and support for women. Given more than one in two women across the country seeking a bed in a crisis shelter are turned away every night, this has never felt more important. This year, we’re once again donating $2 from every Mother’s Day signature order placed online to the WCSA. A new partnership For a touch of something truly special that speaks to the wise and wonderful women we know and love, we’ve partnered with local business, Brookie’s Gin, to create a beautiful (and tasty) gift for mum this year. Our Mother’s Day gift set includes a 700ml bottle of Shirl the Pearl cumquat gin and our signature Mother’s Day bouquet. Not only is each bottle distilled right here in the Byron Bay hinterland at the Cape Byron Distillery, it’s inspired by a family recipe created by the grandmother of Eddie Brooke – the distiller and co-owner of Brookie’s Gin. Shirl the Pearl was quite the pocket rocket. Standing at 4ft 11” with a mop of curly hair, which had turned completely white by age twenty-five, Shirl was an adventurer, skier and one of Australia’s first female Tiger Moth pilots. She also knew her way around a bottle of gin. Her spirit of adventure and passion for life is truly inspiring and we hope to invoke this with each bottle. Let mum embrace the spirit of Shirl while sipping on a cumquat margarita or a Shirl & Tonic while admiring her hand-styled bouquet. Beautiful blooms Embracing the best of Autumn’s bounty with an abundant selection of blooms, our team of renowned floral designers will be using a selection of seasonal flowers and array of tonal and textural elements. These include florals such as Hydrangea, roses, spray roses, delphinium, snap dragons, stock, gladioli, gerberas, queen annes lace, statize, iris, dahlias, tulips, anthuriums, hyacinthus, lisianthus, chrysanthemum and more. We’re also celebrating warm and inviting seasonal colours such as pinks, lilac, baby blues, coral, pearl, lime, peach, lemon, apricot, cream, ivory and other complimentary colourways. Grab your very own bouquet for Mum or the Mother figure in your life.
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Introducing YUZU.
As the latest addition to The Flower Bar Co family, the YUZU Collection celebrates a striking yet soothing colour palette that ushers in the beauty of a new season. The basics Featuring crunchy, fresh blooms in delicious hues of lemon, lime, melon and blue – YUZU will take your breath away with its citrus-inspired shades and sophisticated composition. Allow yourself to be whisked away to another time and place with every interaction. Zesty yet calming, playful but refined – YUZU is set to impress and inspire anyone lucky enough to receive her. A point of difference Highly textural and generous in size thanks to layers and elements of integrated foliage, YUZU differentiates itself from our existing creations through its unique colourways and versatility. The use of blue and green – two of the most-loved floral colours throughout the world, creates a sense of calm, peace, and harmony. What’s especially lovely about the blue florals featured throughout each YUZU creation is how rare blue flowers actually are. Not only do they help to convey a message of love, they help inspire a contemplative mood. Think slow moments and deep appreciation. Whether gifted as part of a celebration, as a heartfelt thank-you, a birthday or anniversary, or simply a gesture that says, ‘thinking of you’, YUZU has been created to bring joy to any moment. Local love Like all of our designs, each YUZU creation incorporates a number of flowers from local growers into each bouquet. Based on seasonal availabilities, YUZU currently includes locally grown amaranthus, dahlia, zinnia, chamomile daisy, delphinium and queen anne’s lace. Importantly, thanks to our local growers across the east coast of Australia, we’re able to offer those harder-to-source booms each day – including our ever-popular blue toned flowers. Fabulous florals Wondering what kinds of foliage you may find in your hand-crafted YUZU bouquet? We use a range of foliage, which depending on the season, and subject to availability, may include olive, viburnum snowball, camelia, rose foliage, pittosporum, amaranthus, dogwood, blossom, and golden rod. We combine these with a carefully curated selection of showstopping florals including calla lily, arum lily, anthurium, cymbidium, slipper and phal orchids, hydrangea, dahlia, sim carnation, rose, disbud, dancing lady orchid, water lily, tulip, delphinium, daffodil, poppies, yellow bell, pincushion, chamomile, snap dragon, gerbera, zinnia, hellebore, snowball, banksia and zinnia. What’s in a name? One of our favourite parts about designing new floral creations is imagining the perfect name to go alongside each one. A name that captures the essence of our designs and embodies the soul of the varying elements in each arrangement. YUZU speaks to exotic citrus. To zest and fun, and all that lies in between. We hope you love her as much as we do.
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AUTUMN Blooms
As the temperature drops and the nights draw closer, many of us find ourselves filled with a sense of anticipation for the beauty of Autumn. It’s a time of year where the pace of life seems to slow into a comfortable rhythm; after the heat, humidity, hustle and bustle of summer. Crisp, pink-edged sunrises; long still sunsets, filled with ever deepening hues of orange and red are drawn tall into the sky. It's a real symphony of Mother Nature. Autumn is a mystical time that we as florists long for and greet with great passion. We observe with giddy excitement, the changes to our flowers, foliage and food. After long ripening over the warmer months, our larders and fruit bowls are filled with beautiful pears, apples, figs, pomegranates, mushrooms, pumpkins and the like. Equally, the abundance of breathtaking blooms and foliage filling our homes is spectacular. It’s as if nature intended Autumn to be a time of sharing in it’s bounty with friends and family, it’s a real season for the senses. Expect to see the below blooms featured in our floral work throughout Autumn, From the beginning of March through to the end of May.
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