Bella, Sunshine Coast - QLD
I'd only been in the industry for about 6 months and it was was my first Valentine's Day at my first florist job. It was a bit of a pop up stall in the middle of Rundle Mall in Adelaide and was crazy busy on that Friday afternoon. A young guy, maybe around 19 or 20 came up with such an excitable energy that I had to watch him after he'd left with the bouquet he'd quickly picked out - lots of chrysanthemum daises. He hurried back across the open mall to a jewellery shop which he sort of half stood around the corner from, hiding the flowers in his left hand - out of the view of a girl who was coming out of a store. Seeing him, (presumably her boyfriend) she casually walked up to him and as she got closer, he pulled the flowers out to surprise her with. It's like the cutest, most loved up little spark went through her and she ran into his arms. It felt like such a privilege to have witnessed that little innocent, intimate moment of love and it had me falling deeper in love with the power of flowers and these little gestures that bring us together.
Rosan, Amy & Sara, Worimi Land - NSW
Embracing sustainability, A Beautiful Occasion generously donates their excess flowers to Salamander Early Education - a heartwarming partnership between the local florist and the centre has blossomed over 2 years into a beautiful act of community kindness. These blooms are transformed by our children, from the tiniest toddlers to our eager preschoolers, into what we've lovingly named 'Kindness Posies'.
Each posy is a small bouquet crafted with care and creativity, embodying our centre's mantra: 'Kind thoughts, kind words, and kind actions.' Once assembled, these posies are delivered by the children to members of our local community, including the neighbouring community centre, library, and shopping centre. The joy and surprise on the recipients' faces are priceless, reinforcing the powerful impact of simple, thoughtful gestures.
This initiative not only teaches our children about sustainability and the joy of giving but also strengthens our community bonds, one posy at a time. It's a tangible expression of kindness that leaves a lasting impression on both the giver and the receiver.
Belinda, Toowoomba, QLD
We are a husband and wife team, having gardened together for many years. We started are little micro flower farm after moving to the Toowoomba region in 2019. We primarily grow dahlias which are my passion and grow around 600 plants each Summer. I absolutely adore them! Outside of family, gardening and growing flowers is everything!
A few years ago, in the weeks before Mothers Day I noticed that our neighbours young children had been selling avocados on the roadside at the front of their house. Their dad had helped them pick them, and they had made their own painted signs to attract people driving past.
A few days later they spotted us working in the garden and asked if they could buy some flowers for their mum for Mothers Day. They had been saving all of their earnings to buy their mum something special. They told us their mum loved roses so we picked them a lovely bunch plus a bonus bunch for being so sweet. Such a sweet memory.
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We sell our flowers to our local community via our roadside stall and love the connections we’ve built through the stall.
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I have worked at Tesselaars for almost 10 years and previous to COVID we would save all of our unsold flowers and the staff at a local nursing home would come and collect them for the residents to have a "creative day." Once a week they would all make a bunch to put in their rooms. At first the staff used to put in the money and give us a small portion which was so lovely.. that they used their own money to enrich the lives of their residents, after a while we would just tell them to come and collect the flowers and spread the love.
I've been in this industry since I was 15..a long long time. How could a florist possibly have a favourite flower...
I love them all
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Trishia, Monbulk - VIC
Bella, Sunshine Coast - QLD
It was the week following Valentines Day. '12 red roses thanks.' We'd been cleaned out of that particular colour. It was such a slow day, I had time for a chat while he considered some purples and pinks.
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His name was Arjuna and he came into the florist with that kooky energy of someone with stories to tell. I told him about this book, that I'm gathering stories of people expressing love through their giving of flowers. 'Have I got a story for you then,' he says. It's a bit of an epic one, fit for this absolute character. It was February, 2003 and he was coming to the end of a six month stint in Asia, exploring some beautiful places but sorting out his head a bit too. Traveling the Himalaya's, he was hiking up a mountain and felt the urge to scream, 'if there is a God, show me.' Immediately, a flock of white mountain birds flew past him and he heard a voice; 'forget all you know, go back to the start.'
It was days before he was meant to fly back to Australia but all of his plans changed within a few hours when, descending the mountain he found himself in a small town, bumping into an American on the street that he'd met years before back in Peregian Beach, Queensland. 'You have to meet my guru' this guy says. But he was back in the Indian town that Arjuna had started this whole trip in. He didn't have long to decide, there was a bus leaving that day to go back to this town with only one seat left on it. In the time that it took him to have a smoke, he had made his decision. He got on that bus. Back in this Indian town where it had all started, on Feburary 14th, 2003, he walked into a German bakery. In this bakery was a German woman. They fell in love and most years, around Februrary, they go back to that same German bakery in that same Indian town and Arjuna gives his wife 12 red roses.
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They didn't make it this year but he got her some pink and purple roses (her favourite colours) from this beachside Aussie town instead. And bloody heck, I'm glad he did.
Jessica, For The Loveee of Flowers, Sunshine Coast - QLD
Flowering since 2012, top 5 flowers are delphinium, phalaenopsis, roses, king protea, dahlia
Covid was a busy time for florists as the mandated restrictions stopped us from visiting friends and families, going to funerals, birthday parties and weddings! People would instead send flowers as a way of communicating their emotions and their missing presence.​
It was during this time that a loved up couple, a girl from Australia and a guy from Germany, had to part ways after trying everything in their power to keep him here in Australia. He had to return home to be with his family. We all know how the story went, boarders closed, countries shut themselves up. He found our florist and used us almost weekly. Counting down the days until they saw each other again, but not really knowing when that would be. We got to know this couple quite well and they were the loveliest, most beautiful people. Almost two years later, they walk through the door of our flower shop, giving us the good news of their reunion and that he had also proposed! They were getting married! They also shared that the flowers kept their love alive; even in their darkest moments, they would look at the flowers and be reminded of what's most important... LOVE. It was one of the happiest moments of my florist career.
Hannah, Adelaide - SA
I was working in emergency services and battling with some heavy mental health when i decided to completely change my path, study environmental science and apply to work at a florist that I had always loved. By some luck of the universe I got the job at the florist, and worked there while finishing up my study. One early, early morning, a cyclist stopped by to grab some flowers. He had been on his ride to work when he passed a home where an elderly woman was crying in her front garden. He stopped to see if she was okay and she told him that someone had pruned her beautiful rose bushes overnight, taking all of her hard-grown flowers. Strangers to each other, he was gifting these flowers to the heartbroken woman to cheer her up.
Jan, Gympie - QLD
I had just purchased an established florist and it was my first Spring since owning it. One morning, as I came in to open the shop, an older gentleman turns up on the doorstep unannounced. He is immaculately dressed in pressed trousers, a shirt and jacket, next to him are buckets of sweet peas. Turns out, this man for years before, would come with his little harvest to sell his home grown flowers to the old owners. He was so lovely I just couldn't say no! Although most of his flowers were often too short to use in bouquets, I'd come to look forward to him magically appearing every year and after I'd lock up after a busy week, I'd always take the smaller, unsellable stems to my own mum for her to enjoy.
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Over time, I came to know him a bit better and found out that he had originally started growing the sweet peas for his wife because they were her favourite flower and they loved to garden together. When she eventually passed away, he figured he'd sell them to the local florist, and so the tradition began.
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One day, we were informed that he had passed away. The first Spring didn't feel right when his flowers weren't there.​
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Gail, Just Flowers, Auckland - NZ
In 2024, a dear friend of mine shared with me the devastating news that her partner had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. He loved sunflowers so I bought some seeds and planted them in my glasshouse in February. They managed to start growing for him right into June. I've had them growing all through summer and again they will go through winter just for Bevan. I drop him a big bunch every week and I know he loves them so much. I used to be a vegetable grower but now I've developed a new passion for flowers as the pure joy they bring to people is priceless. I've started a small business selling just flowers, no bells and whistles or fancy wrapping, just flowers.
Bella, Sunshine Coast - QLD
Favourite flower changes with the seasons but paper daises hold a special place in my heart.
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Clear, blue sky on a Monday morning, a man comes in wearing classic Queensland attire; a tank top, shorts and thongs. He's quite direct, 'I want some flowers,' straight to the point. He looks to be in his late 70's and has a strong stutter as he speaks. The flowers are for the group of therapists that helped him learn to speak again. He recently had a stroke and because of the way that one part of his brain stopped communicating, over the last 8 weeks he has been undergoing some heavy rehabilitation. How amazing that our bodies can be that determined, but how amazing that there are people in this world that can help us to recover. Today is his last session. A graduation. He's come a lot way, he says. The flowers (as well as some choccie that his wife picked out) are a thank you to the dedicated team who taught him how to 'be' again.