Dig out your secateurs, these whimsical bouquets will have you dreaming of a garden in the countryside.
9 English Floral Artists to Fuel Your Cottagecore Fantasy
Dig out your secateurs, these whimsical bouquets will have you dreaming of a garden in the countryside.
Some artists create with paint, while others innovate with clay. These makers, however, express themselves through the most natural medium of all: fresh flowers. Playing with height, colour, texture, form – and the not-insignificant matter of the changing seasons – their vision is an interplay with nature in all its organic glory.
From popping seasonal daffodils in jam jars to thinking big with dried branches, floral artists’ imaginations will surely spark something inside you too. Even if you’re not green-fingered, just hitting ‘Follow’ on these accounts will bring some joy to your feed.
1. Christie Leigh Floral
Former model Christie brings an artistic dimension to floral arrangements, with seasonal stems given space to breathe (her secret weapon is a Flower Frog, which opens up a whole new world of potential vessels - not just vases). On speed-dial for London’s hottest dinner parties and events, get following for a lesson in less-is-more styling.
2. Willow Crossley Creates
Willow’s weekly Instagram tutorials from her cottage in the Cotswolds are a joy to watch. Generous and insightful, she shares insider tips, often with branches and blooms foraged from what’s in her garden. By the end of a Reel, you’ll find yourself armed with secateurs and hunting out some chicken wire to create your own ‘floral bowl’.
3. Milli Proust
Milli’s romantic compositions wouldn’t look out of place in an Old Masters painting. What’s even more impressive is that her cast of flowers is plucked from the land outside her cottage in West Sussex, where the stylist and author has organically cultivated a flower farm all of her own. Her candid snaps of the garden and the countryside are just as captivating as her end results.
4. Scarlet and Violet
All you need to know about this north London florist is that Kate Moss commissioned them to do the flowers for her wedding. Founder Vic Brotherson’s abundant, vintage style is one that has spawned a thousand copycats.
5. Lex Hamilton
Brides-to-be should give Lex a follow for something a little different on their big day. From hydrangea ‘clouds’ flanking the aisle of an outdoor wedding ceremony, to unforgettable bouquets, get ready to start saving to a dedicated folder all of its own.
6. Shane Connolly and Co
As the florist of choice for the British Royal family, Shane and his team are at the top of their field and are setting the floral art bar high. They're also the go-to when London museums host dinners and previews, conjuring whimsical, large-scale creations with timeless appeal.
7. Larry Walshe Studio
Lush, 12-metre long tunnels, wisteria chandeliers, and magical moon gates of roses aren’t the stuff of fantasy for Larry and his team – they’re a reality. With limitless budgets, this studio’s projects are fairytale-like in the most sophisticated way.
8. JamJar Flowers
This is the florist who never sleeps: from decking out shop openings with camera-friendly displays to dressing spaces for parties and launches, each arrangement is even more desirable than the last. Whimsical, colourful, and providing plenty of inspiration, it’ll make you want to create your own display, immediately.
9. Kitten Grayson Flowers
Somerset-based Kitten’s ‘everlasting installations’ will have you pining for a permanent garland around your fireplace (that, or a canopy of dried flowers suspended from your ceiling’s rafters). With a strong emphasis on sustainability, this is another studio growing its own produce that will inspire you to get potting and planting, no matter how small your outside space is.