Allison Hood Flower School

Flourish: Autumn Abundance

Sunday 13th September | 9.30am–4.00pm

Ever wanted to spend a whole day surrounded by beautiful seasonal flowers, in stunning surroundings, enjoying delicious food and wonderful company while learning sustainable floristry from an award-winning florist and RHS Chelsea medal winner?

Then Flourish is for you.

Set amongst the beautiful walled gardens of HiddenHuntleyBelfast , Flourish is a full day of flowers, creativity, food and friendship.

We’ll begin with coffee and pastries before exploring the gardens and gathering inspiration for our first group project — an abundant autumn tablescape in the characterful Hay Shed.

After lunch, we’ll head to The Greenhouse for an afternoon of individual floral designs, which we’ll bring together to create a spectacular group installation inspired by Victorian greenhouses.

Think seasonal flowers, fruit, vegetables, ferns… and a few surprises!

There’ll be full tuition and guidance throughout the day, plenty of opportunity to learn from one another, and lots of time simply to enjoy being surrounded by flowers.

Flourish: Autumn Abundance
Sunday 13th September
9.30am–4.00pm
The Studio at Hidden Huntley
Dunmurry Lane, Dunmurry, Belfast BT17 9JS

Four places currently remain.

Full details and booking at www.allisonhoodflowerschool.com , via the link in my bio or send me a DM

Let’s Flourish together,

Allison

From the Garden.

Back from holidays and the garden has had a major growth spurt with all the rain while we were away. So… back to the novelty of cutting flowers in the rain!

I spent a very chilled afternoon pottering around the garden and cutting whatever caught my eye.

I grow quite a lot of flowers every summer, although I often get far too emotionally attached to cut them all. So occasionally I have to remind myself that the whole point of growing them is actually to cut them and enjoy them indoors!

Rose ‘Claire Austin’
Cosmos ‘Purity’
Bronze fennel
Sweet peas from last year’s saved seed
Amaranthus ‘Pony Tails’
Oats
Buddleja seed heads
Jasmine foliage

There’s something rather satisfying about wandering around your own garden with a pair of scissors and seeing what you can make.

Mechanics: bowl, chicken wire & water.

Introduction to Floristry Course - starts Tuesday 8th September

September/October 2026

Have you ever found yourself thinking…

“I’d love to learn floristry.”

Whether you’re dreaming of a career change, looking for a creative escape, or simply want to spend six inspiring weeks surrounded by beautiful flowers, this course is for you.

Together we’ll explore the foundations of professional floristry using seasonal flowers and sustainable techniques that are kind to both the flowers and the environment.

Over six relaxed morning sessions you’ll learn:
~ Flower care and conditioning
~ Colour, design and composition
~ Sustainable floristry mechanics
~ Beautiful hand-tied bouquets
~ Floral arrangements and so much more.

With small class sizes, you’ll receive plenty of individual guidance and encouragement every step of the way.

Held in The Studio at HiddenHuntleyBelfast , you’ll learn in a peaceful setting surrounded by beautiful gardens and nature—a place to slow down, be creative and reconnect through flowers.

There are now just TWO places remaining on the Tuesday September course.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to begin your floristry journey… this could be it.

Tap the link in my bio for full details and online booking, or send me a DM or email [email protected] if you’d like to have a chat before booking.

I’d love to welcome you to the Flower School.

Allison

Floristry training Belfast | Allison Hood Flower School | Sustainable Floristry course | Professional Floristry Education Northern Ireland | Flower School Belfast

Just four places now remain for Flourish: Autumn Abundance.

Sometimes we all need a day to step away from the everyday.

A day to slow down.

To create.

To spend time surrounded by seasonal flowers, beautiful surroundings and like-minded people.

That’s exactly what Flourish: Autumn Abundance is all about.

If you’ve been thinking about joining us this September, I’d love to welcome you.

Places are intentionally limited to keep the day relaxed, creative and personal.

You can find all the details via the link in my bio, visit www.allisonhoodflowerschool.com or send me a message if you’d like a chat before booking.

If you can picture yourself there… I’d love you to join us.

Allison

Flourish: Autumn Abundance

An Autumn Floral Gathering

People keep asking me…

“But what actually is Flourish?”

The truth is, it’s quite difficult to describe because it’s so much more than a floristry workshop….

It’s not a retreat.

It’s not quite a masterclass.

It’s a day created for florists and flower lovers who want to step away from the everyday and immerse themselves in flowers, creativity and inspiration.

It’s about slowing down and reconnecting with nature.

Creating ambitious floral designs together.

Learning new techniques and sharing ideas with like-minded people.

Gathering around a table we’ve adorned with seasonal flowers, fruit and beautiful natural materials to enjoy lunch together.

And leaving with armfuls of flowers, fresh inspiration and a creatively recharged mind.

If you’ve been wondering what Flourish is really all about, I’d love you to have a little scroll back through my recent posts.

Last year’s photographs tell the story far better than I ever could. They capture exactly what Flourish is all about — flowers, creativity, beautiful surroundings, delicious food, plenty of laughter and a group of people brought together by a shared love of seasonal floristry.

Whether you’re a professional florist looking to reignite your creativity, or simply someone who loves flowers and would enjoy spending a day completely immersed in them, Flourish: Autumn Abundance was created with you in mind.

~ Flourish: Autumn Abundance
~ Hidden Huntley, Dunmurry Lane, Dunmurry BT17 9JS
~ Sunday 13th September

With limited places available, the small group allows plenty of time to create together, share ideas and enjoy a relaxed, inspiring day in beautiful surroundings.

With limited places available, the small group allows plenty of time to create together, share ideas and enjoy a relaxed, inspiring day in beautiful surroundings.

To reserve your place, simply visit www.allisonhoodflowerschool.com (link in bio) or send me a message if you’d like to chat before booking.

I can’t wait to welcome you to HiddenHuntleyBelfast this September.

Allison

Wearable Floristry & Wiring Techniques Masterclass

Thursday’s Wearable Floristry & Wiring Techniques Masterclass was such a wonderful day.

A full day immersed in flowers, creativity, traditional and contemporary techniques… with plenty of laughter along the way.

It was a real pleasure to spend the day with such a lovely group of ladies - the craic was epic!

Together we explored the art of wearable floristry, learning how to wire individual flowers and foliage, understand the mechanics behind beautiful wearable designs and create floral pieces that are both elegant and secure.

One of the greatest privileges of teaching is sharing the skills that have become second nature to me after nearly four decades of working with flowers. The little techniques, tips and mechanics that often happen almost without a second thought are exactly the things that can transform someone’s confidence and open up a whole new area of floristry.

Watching each student’s confidence grow throughout the day, and seeing their own individual style emerge in their finished designs, is always one of the highlights for me.

It was especially lovely to welcome Sharon and Julie back to the Flower School. Seeing students return to continue developing their skills is one of the greatest compliments I can receive as a teacher, and it’s always a privilege to be part of their floristry journey.

A huge thank you to Sharon SweetPea And Willow Flowers , Ann Ann Mulvany - Dublin Florist and Julie Ditsy Daisy Flowers for joining me. It was an absolute pleasure to share this special area of floristry with you all.

I’ll definitely be running this masterclass again, so if you’ve been looking to develop your wiring techniques or discover the world of wearable floristry, keep an eye on my page or get in touch to register your interest.

Wearable Floristry | Wiring Techniques | Floristry Masterclass | Professional Floristry Education | Sustainable Floristry | Wedding Floristry | Floral Crowns | Buttonholes | Corsages | Allison Hood Flower School | Belfast | Northern Ireland

“A well-made buttonhole is the only link between Art and Nature.”

Before this garden-inspired buttonhole could come together, each element was carefully wired by hand.

Every stem, leaf and berry prepared and ready to become something beautiful.

Raspberry, wild strawberry, sweet pea, rose, rosemary, lavender, ivy, chamomile and viola… each stem meticulously prepared before being assembled into one delicate design.

It’s a slower way of working, but one I love. It gives complete freedom to position every flower exactly where it belongs, creating movement, texture and a wonderfully natural feel.

These traditional wiring techniques are something I still use every week, whether I’m creating wearable flowers for weddings or teaching florists how to master them for themselves.

Swipe through to see the finished buttonhole, and then the individually wired components before they became one design.

Sometimes the beauty is in the preparation.