Three businesswomen working with flowers in unique ways
Do you have a budding interest in working with floristry as a career? Be inspired by these three Irish creatives with petal perfection at the root of their trades.
Bronagh Harte
Florist and shop owner
“I got hooked on flowers in a tiny garden centre in Kilkenny, where I bought my first succulent – a bargain at 10p! I named it Fred and the rest is history, “ says Bronagh Harte of Ginkgo flowers on Baggot Street, Dublin. “It’s thanks to Fred that Ginkgo is known for its plant range.”
Bronagh went on to do a degree in horticulture as well as work experience at greenhouses and gardens, and worked in both small and large Dublin florists before setting up on her own in the shop in Baggot Street. “Working for other people first and in gardens and at events is really where you really earn your green fingers,” she says.
What does a typical day look like for Bronagh? “It’s always an early start, and on delivery days that goes double,” she says. “The flowers are prepped by taking leaves off, recutting stems and putting them into fresh water. Called conditioning, this keeps flowers vibrant much longer. After this, the day can go anywhere. Sometimes we don’t even get to open up before a huge order comes in – then it’s all hands on deck!”
Other days, Bronagh is meeting brides – weddings are a staple of the flower industry – and quoting for events as well as visiting suppliers or designing something tricky, such as a site-specific like an arch or doorway.
“A venue recce before big events can take up to half a day, but it’s worth it to see places like Adare Manor, Luttrellstown Castle or Ballyfin Demesne,” she says. “In the afternoon, I often have to do a spot of ordering before I can put my feet up. One of the most fulfilling parts of the job is when customers become friends, though. The other day, a man sending flowers to his wife reminded me that he got his Debs corsage in Ginkgo! We’re in a great neighbourhood and have become part of the community. We often hear before anyone else when wooings lead to weddings. There are people who go out of their way to pass the shop to see what we have in our window. When a display creates a buzz on Baggot Street or gets some social media love, that’s rewarding.
What are the most challenging parts? “Getting through Valentine’s and staying sane is an annual challenge – it’s a manic day, but I love it all the same. December is the busiest month, and summer is packed with weddings, events and garden parties.”
A memorable career highlight for Bronagh and an event that pushed the limits of her creativity and technical know-how was the RHA exhibition by Roland Mouret & Dragana Jurišic, for which she created a huge floral sculpture. “Ten meters long, it was suspended from the roof, like a dragon made of mixed foliage. It was tricky to execute and with a few hairy moments on the step ladder, but we pulled it off spectacularly if I do say so myself!”
Bronagh says it is too hard for her to pick a favourite flower, “as it changes each season. I love spring daffodils, cerise pink peonies in summer, orchids and dahlias for autumn and hellebores in winter.”
Grace Cahill
Stylist and event planner
“Come summer, peonies are my downfall,” says event planner Grace Cahill, a journalist turned freelance stylist who having left her role as fashion editor of YOU magazine and the Irish Daily Mail 18 months ago has fashioned a new career for herself with event styling at the heart of what she does.”At the time of year I coincide visits to see my dad in Wicklow with trips to Avoca flower market where good coffee and fresh flower shopping are double the dopamine hit.”
Grace’s career journey was not linear, having first studied fashion at the University in London and interning at Marie Claire Magazine after graduating. “My first taste of the fashion industry age 21,” she says. “From there fashion assistant roles came organically as I moved from London to Melbourne back to Ireland. My work in fashion informs everything I do now, from event design and creative direction to fashion and interior styling and staging.”
When Grace went out on her own, her first job happened to be a Beckham birthday, which she says will always hold sentimental value for her. “If the doors open, I think that’s a sign it’s truly meant to be.”
Grace says she has picked up so much from watching collaborators at work and learning that floral design is ever-changing. “Right now, floral trends, for instance, are all about fluffed out stems cut and angled in your vase at different heights and directions.”
Every day is different for Grace – “I know it is clichéd to say as so many hats are worn, but you do figure out how to do them all as you grow a business.” Day to day, this can vary from managing emails, administration and social media to business strategy, sourcing props and fabrics or designing or styling a job.
“If I’m on location at an event, I have a small, mighty team who freelance for me, and it’s all hands on deck. To work hard and value your worth. The latter is sometimes a lesson half learnt, but I try to stick to it. It’s important, especially as a woman in business, to understand what you bring to the table. It’s also the first step in building a sustainable and happy career.”
Grace says her top tip for elevating a floral bunch for a party at home would be to invest in a handful of frog pins, pop them into a pretty scallop bowl and style them individually in low, mid, to tall heights. “I promise you, you won’t look back!” She says.
Carol Maxwell
Floral artist and painter
Artist Carol Maxwell made a successful career for herself as a textile designer before launching her own illustration business while on maternity leave with her first child. Fast forward ten years, and she has honed her skills to painting fine art florals on canvas, which she sells through her online business and in local pop-up galleries between where she lives in South London, and Wexford, where she is originally from.
“I studied art at NCAD, and I remember that in my third year in college, we all went to Chicago on J1 visas – about 12 of us! – which is where I first saw Georgia O’Keeffe’s work in real life,” said Carol.”It really influenced me and I have been drawn to botanical painting ever since.”
As well as painting on canvas, Carol also paints installations on windows – most recently at the Baker Street hotel in Marylebone in London – as well as on walls, including private homes. “One of my favourite murals ever was in the bridal suite at Ballintubbert House in Laois, where I painted a cherry blossom tree. It still makes me so happy to see my art pop up in people’s wedding snaps.”
Carol says she loves to paint all flowers, but that, in summer, peonies, roses, irises and dahlias are all a feast for her painterly senses.
“Florals can be quite traditional, but I kind of like the idea of giving them quite a modern edge,” she says “Most recently, I have been playing with the idea of the ‘language of flowers’ which was so important in times gone by. I love that certain blooms signify certain things – such as lotus flowers symbolising purity, faithfulness, wholesomeness, wealth, and elegance, while the red chrysanthemum means “I love you. I particularly love to work with the colour blue, which is associated with trust, reliability and stability.”
A typical day for Carol starts with yoga and a dog walk first thing before dropping her two boys off at school. “I usually do my admin work for my website graphic business first before starting to paint. I break to pick the kids up again and then often return to painting in the evening before bed. I love the summer months as I can paint into the evenings so much later – it feels so much better for me than slumping in front of the TV!”
Photography Joanne Murphy, Alex Daniels and Claire Brown.
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of IMAGE.
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