Beauty for Ashes - Workshop .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Our Beauty for Ashes workshop is based on the Biblical wisdom (Isaiah 61:3) of exchanging beauty for sorrow, grief or pain.  Working with flowers and natural plants can bring a sense of well-being, particularly for those experiencing emotional pain.   Life can throw up unexpected challenges, so having an opportunity to focus on creating 'something beautiful' using plants from the natural world allows our minds space to heal.  Studies show that engaging with the natural world allows emotional cognition (that churning of negative thoughts) to enter a state of stillness that brings a sense of peace.  

 And underpinning the Beauty for Ashes concept for this workshop was the inspiration of Julia Clements, a post World War II English floral artist.  Despite great personal loss which she briefly details in her autobiography, My Life with Flowers, Julia devoted her life to bringing artistic inspiration using flowers to women all over the world.  She was the impetus behind the establishment of flower arranging clubs world-wide that brought a sense of purpose and joy to women devastated by the effects of two world wars.  

So we gathered a group of eight women together (this workshop works best in groups of less than 10) for the sole purpose of spending a couple of hours creating beautiful garden posies.  Our aim was nothing more than to relax and learn some simple posy tying skills while enjoying the colours, shapes and perfumes of a range of foraged flowers and foliage.  

To these we added sumptuous winter-flowering heirloom roses, mainly Teas, with perfumes ranging from sweet tea through to fuller fruity fragrances.

And once the foraged plants were partnered with the heirloom roses, there were lots of proud 'oohs' and 'aaahs' as creations were finally tied with ribbon.  

Then, of course, each creation was held up and posed for it's own special photo ... 

The posies were all beautiful and each reflected the creativity and artistry of the lovely woman who had crafted it.  


At the end of the workshop, a new skill had been developed, or an old skill honed, with every woman taking home the knowledge that they too can create 'something beautiful'.

Healing Workshop - Hand-Tied Garden Posy .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

One of the special joys of growing a country garden filled with heirloom roses is sharing the beauty of these lovely flowers. 

We do this regularly through our flower-craft workshops.  A lovely aspect of our workshops is the sense of peace and healing that handling lovely flowers and foliage brings to the participants.

So our main focus and purpose for the workshops is to develop flower-craft workshops that bring healing for participants who are experiencing a difficult season in their lives.    

Or perhaps they are going through a very busy time where there is little opportunity for self-nurturing.  For this reason our workshops are suited to young mums who feel as though they are constantly giving out and looking after others, with no time for themselves.  

A recent workshop was popular with a group of young mums where we provided childcare for their toddlers.  Then our young mums were able to spend two hours focusing on doing nothing more than putting together their own creations using foraged foliage and flowers and of course, our heirloom roses.

And after the posies had been created there were proud displays and photo sessions of their lovely and very individual creations.

Our next flower-craft workshop is our Healing Workshop - Beauty for Ashes which is fully booked.  Our inspiration for this Healing Workshop is Julia Clements, the post WWII florist who devoted her life to bringing joy to women all over the world who had suffered loss and grief.  More on that in the next post. 

Until then, take a little time to notice the sights and smells of the natural world, maybe even smell a flower or two every day!!