I’ve been thinking for a while that perhaps I should properly introduce myself.
I’m Laura, the owner of Harakeke Florist in Sumner, Christchurch, and flowers have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
Long before I became a florist, I was the child outside in the garden picking flowers, gathering little bunches and noticing what was growing around me. I still love gardening now. There is something about watching the seasons change, seeing the first new shoots appear and noticing what is flowering that never gets old.
That connection to gardens and nature is probably at the heart of why I became a florist in the first place.
Twenty Years Surrounded by Flowers
I have now spent around 20 years working in floristry and retail.
Over that time I’ve had the privilege of creating flowers for so many different moments in people’s lives — weddings, birthdays, new babies, anniversaries, celebrations, funerals and all of those ordinary days when someone simply wants to let another person know they are thinking of them.
That is still one of the things I love most about floristry.
Flowers are beautiful, of course, but they are also incredibly personal.
Sometimes we are helping someone celebrate one of the happiest days of their life. At other times, we are helping them find the right flowers when there really are no words.
It is a privilege that I have never taken for granted.
The Relationships Behind Harakeke
One of the loveliest parts of owning Harakeke has been the relationships we have built with our customers over the years.
There are customers whose families we have created flowers for again and again. We’ve watched children grow up, celebrated engagements and weddings, welcomed babies and been trusted to create flowers during difficult times too.
Some people pop into the shop regularly just to have a chat and see what has arrived that week.
Those relationships mean an enormous amount to me.
Harakeke has never just been about selling bouquets. I have always wanted the shop to feel welcoming, personal and connected to the community around us.
Being based in Sumner makes that particularly special. There is such a strong sense of community here, and I’m incredibly grateful for the people who continue to choose a small independent florist and gift store.
A Love of Sustainable Floristry
My interest in sustainability has also been part of my floristry journey for a long time.
In 2009, I was named New Zealand’s Young Florist of the Year and went on to represent the floristry industry at the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition.
As part of that experience, I developed a project around recyclable florist materials and more sustainable ways of working.
Sustainability in floristry is still something I care deeply about.
For me, it isn’t about claiming to do everything perfectly. It is about continually looking at the way we work and asking whether there is a better option.
That might mean reducing unnecessary packaging, choosing reusable or recyclable materials, minimising waste, working thoughtfully with seasonal flowers or simply making sure we value every stem that comes through our doors.
My love of gardening probably plays a part in this too. When you spend time growing things, you become very aware of just how much work nature puts into producing a single beautiful flower.
Sharing What I’ve Learnt
After so many years in the industry, I have also found that I really enjoy teaching.
Our floral workshops are one of my favourite ways to share that knowledge.
They are not about creating something absolutely perfect. They are about enjoying flowers, learning a few techniques, slowing down for a while and creating something with your hands.
I also offer one-on-one floristry training for anyone wanting a more personalised experience.
That might be someone thinking about entering the floristry industry, a florist wanting to strengthen a particular skill, or simply someone who has always wanted to learn more about flowers.
Sessions can be tailored around bouquet making, conditioning and flower care, wrapping, colour, wedding flowers, event work or other practical floristry skills.
I love being able to pass on some of the things I have learnt over the past two decades.
More Than Floristry
Running Harakeke has also given me an enormous amount of experience in retail.
When you own a small business, you quickly realise that you wear a lot of hats.
Alongside being a florist, I have spent years buying products, merchandising the shop, managing stock, working through pricing and margins, creating displays, marketing, building an online store, training staff and constantly thinking about how to create a better experience for customers.
I genuinely love independent retail.
I love a beautifully considered store. I love discovering a great new product. I love thinking about how a space feels when someone walks through the door.
And I particularly love seeing other small businesses succeed.
That has led me into helping other independent retailers through one-on-one retail consulting.
Rather than approaching it from a purely theoretical perspective, I bring the experience of someone who is still very much in the middle of running a retail business herself.
Sometimes another set of eyes can uncover opportunities that are difficult to see when you are working inside your business every day.
Still Learning, Still Growing
After 20 years, I certainly don’t feel as though I have reached the end of learning.
If anything, owning a small business teaches you that things are always changing.
Floristry changes. Retail changes. Customers change. Technology changes.
But the things I value most have stayed remarkably consistent.
Beautiful flowers.
A connection to nature.
Creativity.
Thoughtful service.
Strong relationships with customers.
And the wonderful little communities that form around independent businesses.
I feel very lucky that my career has allowed all of those things to come together.
Harakeke has grown and changed over the years, and I’m sure it will continue to do so, but at its heart it will always be about flowers, people and creating something beautiful.
Thank you to everyone who has walked through our doors, ordered flowers online, joined a workshop, recommended us to a friend or simply stopped for a chat.
You are a much bigger part of the Harakeke story than you probably realise.
Laura x
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