Blooming Creativity with Sown and Wild - Dried Flowers
From childhood days spent amidst the petals in her mother's flower shop to the joyous cultivation of gardens with her own children, Chloe's passion for flowers has flourished into a business endeavour. Join us as we explore the artistry and craftsmanship behind Sown and Wild's exquisite dried flower business, each bouquet and wreath is a testament to Chloe's dedication to preserving the ephemeral beauty of nature.
Can you share more about your upbringing and how it influenced your passion to start a dried flow business?
From as young as I can remember, I have been immersed in nature and the natural world. Our family spent most days outside and looked forward to travelling during the holidays. This love and passion that was instilled in me from such a young age, has contributed hugely and been the perfect foundations for growing a dried flower business.
Flowers have always been there, whether this was growing my own in the garden with my children, or decorating the house with bunches of daffodils or hand picked bundles from walks. Flowers, and nature, have been my happy place, and although this was in the background for some time, I now totally live and breathe them.
What inspired the name "Sown and Wild" for your dried flower brand, and how does it encapsulate the essence of your business?
The name ‘Sown and Wild’ has come from the experiences in nature with my family, from sowing our own fruit and vegetables, and flowers in the garden during lockdown, to foraging in the wild on our walks in the countryside, near our home.
Our brand is our lives, we love nature as a family and I know how much joy and calm that brings, to us and to others. Sown and Wild has this at the centre, the recognition of the importance of being outside and immersing ourselves in nature, learning and growing with each other, and bringing this indoors. Bringing the beauty of nature, of flowers, inside and enjoying them forever, as dried flowers are eternal, as beautiful on the day you receive them and for years after.
How do you come up with new designs for your bouquets?
Designing bouquets, wreaths, all of my products are hugely inspired by seasons. Dried and preserved flowers are not limited in terms of what's available during each month of the year, you can get all flowers all year round, that’s the beauty of it, but the seasons are the main influence in my style, designs and what to include.
In winter, I love creating indoor and outdoor wreaths with cooler colour tones, yet in Spring, I love meadow inspired designs with neutral pastel tones starting to awaken our senses again after the long, dark winter months. In the summer, I love the brighter, colourful and full designs, and then the autumn brings warmer tones, focusing on colours that truly reflect nature - green, terracotta, cream and peach. Each season brings different designs, and influences, and I love working in this way as it grounds you into nature's offerings.
Could you describe the process of creating dried floral arrangements, from selecting the flowers to the final product?
There is a lot of preparation prior to creating a dried flower arrangement, actually making the arrangement is the easiest part. I usually gain inspiration from the season, as I mentioned, and from being outdoors - in nature - I grow flowers in my garden so this too can influence the design.
Once the flowers and foliage are picked and dried from home, or ordered, then each stem has to be conditioned (usually just pruned, as dried flowers don’t need a water or food supply) and I start creating. Carefully selecting stems which accentuate the beauty of the next, and this can take hours, sometimes days, depending on the style of that arrangement.
After time spent ensuring the arrangement is aesthetically pleasing, and I am happy with the final product, I carefully choose packaging which is eco-friendly and sustainably sourced. And finally, one of my favourite parts to finish, naming the product and promotion.
Could you share your top three dried flower arrangements?
Over the years, I have found that these change with the seasons, at present as we are in Spring, I have found that 2 of the top 3 arrangements are meadow inspired bouquets, and as the wedding season is starting to build, our Wildflower crown is very much in demand.
Fleur, a spring inspired, pastel toned bouquet, is one of my favourite to create and currently my best-seller. A fully sustainable, feminine bouquet with a pink, yellow and white colour palette, serves as a memory of a hand picked bunch of flowers, from a spring afternoon walk in the fields.
Spring Skies, inspired by a sunny spring day, with hints of yellow, blue and white as a reminder that those warm, longer days are not far away. This everlasting bouquet includes lavender, gypsophila and a variety of grasses, so the bouquet has a wonderful depth as well as smelling truly divine.
Wildflower Crown, this dried flower crown has a subtle colour palette with white, pink and blue colours perfectly complimenting each other. An eco-friendly, delicate flower crown for a more subtle look, and is proving to be very popular with brides, bridesmaids and even for a hen do.
How do you ensure the sustainability and eco-friendliness of your products and practices within Sown and Wild?
A central and highly important value for Sown and Wild is ensuring, and maintaining eco-friendly practices and sustainability. Naturally, dried flowers are such an amazing alternative to fresh, and even artificial flowers, as they are long lasting and so have minimal wastage, whilst perfectly preserving the natural beauty of flowers, and nature.
The methods used in creating the dried flower arrangements are always made in a way that is planet positive, from ordering flowers and foliage in bulk to purchasing packaging that can be recycled or reused. This is central to my business always, now and in all future endeavours.
Can you share any memorable moments or experiences since the establishment of Sown and Wild that have been particularly rewarding or challenging?
One of my favourite memories, and a hugely rewarding experience since starting my own small business, was organising a wedding styled photoshoot. One of my favourite times of year is when Summer meets Autumn, when the days are still warm, and the colours of nature are becoming rich in oranges and reds.
This particular photoshoot had an all female vendors list, in the most beautiful setting, Bryngawr House in Bridgend. I wanted to ensure nature was at the centre with my dried flowers and macrame pieces from Hooked In Cotton, and the day itself was more than I could imagine.
My daughter, Eva, joined us, and it was truly inspiring to watch her, to see her learn and be guided by inspirational women, from all female businesses. The images from the day really encapsulated the positivity of the day, and better yet, the photoshoot was featured in County Wedding Magazine, and we made the front page.
How do you find inspiration for your floral arrangements, and do you have any favourite flowers or botanical elements to work with?
"My main inspiration for my floral arrangements is nature and its seasons. I find that the experiences we gain from being outdoors and immersing ourselves in nature are truly inspiring, this clears my mind and allows me to be creative. If you saw my house, you would see that our living space is draped in plants and flowers, they are everywhere, I am slightly obsessed."
Are there any upcoming projects or developments from Sown and Wild that you're excited to share with your customers and followers?
With wedding season underway, I am most definitely excited about the beautiful weddings I have been lucky enough to be involved with this year. I take so much pleasure from meeting with my couples, from getting to know them to designing, and creating their wedding pieces.
It is such a personal experience, and a huge responsibility to perfect, one of which I absolutely adore and get excited about every time.
I cannot wait to share these experiences with my couples, and at a later date, with my customers and followers too. It is such a lovely way to inspire others, and showcase your style and ways of working.
What advice would you give to individuals who are interested in pursuing their passion for floristry or starting their own dried flower business?
Quite simply, follow your dreams.
Do what makes you happy, and go for it!
Immerse yourself in learning, creating, designing. Learn from others, and learn from your experiences. Don’t be hard on yourself, and enjoy every moment, even the slower days.
It is hard work, it is constant work, there are not many days off, but that is the beauty of it. If you truly love what you do, it won’t be work, it will be something to cherish and enjoy for years to come. So take the leap!
Lastly, how do you envision the future of Sown and Wild, and what aspirations do you have for the brand in the years to come?
I am a true believer in allowing things to unravel and naturally grow, I have aims and aspirations but I love allowing Sown and Wild to develop day by day, year by year.
Allowing this to happen in its own time is far more enjoyable, as I find that if you are too set with your plans, things may disappoint or not go the way you envisaged. I never imagined still creating years later, so each order, request, review and email is truly amazing.
My future plans for Sown and Wild is to continue on this path for as long as I can, to grow my online social media accounts, to keep connecting with customers and other amazing businesses, to develop my wedding portfolio, and hopefully incorporate some destination weddings too. The list is endless but exciting too!
SHOP CHLOE'S STUNNING DRIED FLOWERS HERE