Heavenly Blooms

It was from innocent beginnings that Heavenly Blooms came about, sparked by a desire to bring garden blooms with fragrance back into the market. Owner Nat
was studying surreal art in Sydney, and she lined the walls of her home with her works of art with pride. But after some time, she slowly began to realise that her living space was becoming swarmed with flowers rather than canvases, and so her love affair with flowers was born. ‘There is something about working with nature that just fills me up. It is good for the soul and it makes me smile inside.’ Heavenly Blooms has a very organic, free style, with hints of romance, and is often described as whimsical and feminine. Nat lets nature guide her, allowing the seasons to influence her ever-changing arrangements. ‘I am inspired every day by the world outside. I love the constant change of nature and the colour in nature’s palette. Everything goes together, and it flows to my work often. Nature has no rules of placing certain colours together or flower types … each of them just sits side by side happily.’But at the crux of her inspiration is the brides and grooms that she caters for. ‘I love to work with brides to translate their love story into a wedding bouquet, one that tells of their journey to marriage. It is not unusual for me to turn up on the day with a certain flower in the bride’s bouquet that just said “pick me”, only to find out it was her grandma’s favourite in the garden, or in some way meant something special to her. With her evolving mix of inspiration, Nat approaches each month with an open mind when it comes to her choice of florals, waiting for a blossoming bud that sings to her more than others. But there are a select few flowers that remain close to her heart. ‘I would say sweetpeas re still something I love dearly, lilac too and of course any dreamy garden rose that blooms with fragrance. I have a very distinct memory of sitting under my grandma’s tank stand as a child, and the smell of the sweetpea was intoxicating. I think that is why they are my favourites. My grandma passed away when I was till only young and I was very close to her. Many years later my mum gave me a big calico bag full of her wools and craft stuff, and in that bag I found a book of cut out flower arrangements from the 70s Women’s Weekly magazine. It puzzled me as I did not recall her flower arranging, but my mum later told me she had always wanted to be a florist. The connection is there now and I often think of her and special people in my life as I create.’ It is from this deep connection, and her drive to pursue the very best when it comes to her florals, that has made Heavenly Blooms what it is today. She has under her belt an extensive range of flowers that aren’t available commercially, most of which are organic. ‘I have a passion for this side of my industry and always try to use spray-free flowers, recycled containers and no plastic. I will go to great lengths to avoid using floral foam. I even have several different vessels and structures built to avoid the use of floral foam as it is toxic and does not break down! I also love to forage and find those little beauties that make my work different.’ Heavenly Blooms is frequently featured at the Eumundi Markets, with Nat hosting a stall every Wednesday and Saturday, offering local blooms in jars, containers or simply
wrapped. Her drive is to allow the business to grow organically. However, she does have some exciting plans in mind for the future. ‘I would love to be growing all my own flowers eventually and do more workshops and flower parties with my brides. Perhaps even having my brides over to the farm to pick and make their own bouquets – then I can really share this passion with everyone!’