http://www.theivyinstitute.com.au/

The Ivy Institute, 125 Scroggies Road, Lakesland (2025)

05/11/2024

Firstly CONGRATULATIONS!

Making the decision to remove something from your design practice that you’ve become so used to using, even when you know you need to, can be the hardest decision of all.

I totally get that, because I was you.

But please believe me, as someone who’s maybe a little further down the eco friendly road….other than the immense satisfaction of knowing you’re not putting one more chemically filled micro plastic brick into the 🌍 you’re about to find the joy of creative freedom & a new found pride in your work like never before.

But how?

One design at a time:

🌿 review your designs & choose which ones you could design easily foam free ( vases, vessels with bird wire - see my reels)

🌿 practice designing without it. You invested in your learning now is the time to invest time / training to un-learn foam based design.

🌿start letting your customers know the changes you’re making & why.

They will come along on this journey with you, trust me.

Like anything we become to depend on it’s daunting to go ‘cold turkey’ & maybe your business right now depends on a certain design style.

But let me ask you this, if there wasn’t a brick of oasis floral foam to be found in your floral workplace tomorrow.
What would you do??

Well please know this is the reality of the future of our industry ( can’t come soon enough in my opinion)

Natural Floristy that shows a respect for the very nature we love & use daily is THE only way forward for us.

& I’m soooo here to help YOU.

ONE DESIGN AT A TIME

Your friendly flower godmother 🌿🌿

📷: foam free urn design - greenhouse membership library -

30/10/2024

The results are in! …..

Final FREE MASTERCLASS of the year will be Thursday 28th Nov - 1pm AEDT.
MASTERING THE ‘WHIMSICAL’ BOUQUET.

As from my latest poll over 40% of you asked for a demonstration on creating light & airy bouquets.

I’m so glad you did because I have lots to share on this still popular style bouquet along with one very important technique that I see so many florists NOT doing that can make a massive difference to their lasting ability.

I mean no one wants a bouquet that’s only Insta worthy initially & then a short while later those lovely delicate extended heads are facing the brides shoes instead of the camera come photo time.

In a packed 60 min you’ll learn

🌸 how to select the best ingredients for this style

🌸 see my process on building a bouquet

🌸 a variety of helpful techniques

+
Open Q & A
+
A very special something for those that join me LIVE …

A walk through sneak peak into my brand new upcoming online course
FLORAL DESIGN 101 - a complete beginners guide to natural floristry.

More on that soon but for now registration to join me for this FREE masterclass is now open.
I’ll pop it in stories, you’ll also find it in my bio link & website ( under courses & events)

N 🌸

20/05/2024

🍁 FREE LIVE MASTERCLASS🍁

30th MAY - 1pm

Can’t make the live?

No problem, register to receive the recording.

Our AUTUMN session is dedicated to a topic we’ve been discussing inside our Greenhouse Community recently about your wedding client flow.

Ways to move your ideal couples through from enquiry to booking in 7 days.

Is this even possible?

I believe so.

Weddings have been a major part of my 30 yr floristry career, literally 1000’s.

Which also means I understand the frustration of being ‘ghosted’ & why having a professional & smooth client flow has everything to do with your couples trust in you which then means they can’t wait to book with you.

These free seasonal masterclasses are just one way The IVY I honours its commitment to offering mentoring support, education & community.

Simply fill in the registration form & I look forward to seeing you LIVE Thursday 30 May to walk you through this process.

Your friendly Flower Godmother
N 🍁

26/04/2024

‘What do florists want?’

Is one of the most frequently asked questions I hear when working with Flower Growers.

Like any design based business, floristry is driven by trends but what makes this tricky for you as a grower, is that in our case, we are working with nature & a much longer lead time to be able to take advantage of a potential ‘new trend’

So what if I could give you a little more insight into what florists love to use, will happily pay more for & help you stay ahead of the game instead of feeling like your hard work is stuck in the paddock because no one wants that anymore?

I’m thrilled to be joining the .not.flown team again this year for a series of masterclasses.

We’ll be covering a wide variety of topics starting with this most often asked question, which I know most will be surprised by my answers.

Just $49 to join us live & get your questions answered in real time + access to the recording.

See .not.flown to book your spot.

09/04/2024

PRICING & more importantly PROFITABILITY continues to be THE biggest cause of stress for us as floral based businesses.

Lack of confidence in your pricing formula leads to lack of trust with your clients which leads inevitably to a feeling of failure when we’re just not making that all important p r o f i t !

Meet Melissa, She’s been there too. But instead of just talking about it and battling on she created a solution.

Her FLORIST IQ program- essentially a multi faceted florist calculator is a game-changer, taking the guesswork out of pricing and ensuring her retail florist business and now many others are actually thriving financially.

‘ wow, I can’t believe it I’m actually making a profit!’

Is something she hears regularly now.

I’m thrilled to be able to share Melissa’s story and invite you to join us inside the GREENHOUSE member library for an exclusive in depth interview and peek inside to learn how FLORIST IQ can transform your business too.

Plus, as a member, you’ll get access to a very special discount!

You can get access to this guest interview + so so much more for just $22 / week, no lock in contract.

We can’t wait to see you inside.

N 🍂

18/03/2024

Introducing the wonderful Bec Noble and joining us as one of our special guest experts on Sat 23rd
FLORISTRY INNOVATION - Redefining Floristry for Tomorrow

From event management - thriving wedding floral business - the cutest retail flower shop in country Vic - corporate installation artist - & podcast co founder & host Bec has an incredibly diverse & inspiring career as a florist, & one she’s looking forward to sharing with us this coming Saturday.

A fellow advocate for all things sustainable floristry, passionate about supporting farmers & known for innovative installations, I know our attendees will receive so so much value from how Bec has transitioned through all these areas of floristry, juggling family life while still living her creative life in flowers. All the while staying true to her brand, values & ethics.

She’ll also be co-instructing during our group build in the afternoon session!

Just a hand full of tickets left for this exclusive masterclass, florist friends of Melbourne, we’d love for you to join us to be completely inspired by your craft again & what the future of floristry can be for you.

Tickets up ⬆️ - link also in stories

17/03/2024

Tomorrow….

9 of my Greenhouse members are flying in from all over the country to be a part of creating The Ivy Institute’s first floral installation at the iconic .

So so grateful for this community we’ve created together & to share the experience with this diverse & talented team of like minded women 🫶🏼
Our installation is an educational piece, not part of the competitions, with a focus on creating an immersive & ‘get you back to nature’ experience.

Zero waste, seasonal and locally grown & absolutely made with love.

The introduction of the new Environmental impact & sustainability sections, that I’ve helped create, to the judging criteria, I think, is a huge step forward for us as an industry.

One that I’m so proud to be a part of as I’ll be judging this section with another passionate educator in this space.

Rather than banning certain products & processes this is about rewarding those that are designing with consideration to the 3 E’s

Environmental
Ethical
Economical

We’ll also have a surprise activity inviting guests to the show, to add their own little personal touches to the design. ( a little hint to come & visit us early every day to be a part of this )

I’ll be flooding the socials this week to share all the behind the scene & the amazing designs.
For those of you in Melbourne please drop be & say hi!

Lastly for the floral designers who would like to gather together to learn from some incredibly talented forward thinking designers & business women, gift yourself some creative play & join in on the conversation around how exciting the future of floristry can be then we’d love to have you join us on Saturday at my
Floristry Innovation Masterclass. An exclusive event upstairs in the gorgeous theatret of the Royal Exhibition Building. (You can book your seat in the link in bio).

So excited to get flowering tomorrow!!

📷 -

06/03/2024

I knew immediately when I met Ilona that she was the perfect Instagram Coach for our community!

It’s not just the name
INSTAGRAM COACH FOR QUIET CREATIVES , but is her friendly & generous manner, her expertise & knowledge when it comes to mastering this platform &, I mean come on, just look at her own beautiful, on brand and aesthetically gorgeous feed that’s clearly resonated with so many of her buyers & IG clients.

So I’m absolutely thrilled she will be joining us remotely inside the Ivy Greenhouse for this very personalised full day course
INSTAGRAM FOR FLORISTS - Sat 16th March.

Where you will

📱 get a personal IG Review

📱 branding journal to refine your aesthetic & audience

📱Reels how-to instructional throughout

📱 a new understanding of how the IG machine works

📱 Clear strategy moving forward

This day will be so much more than just learning how to create reels!

Specifically but not exclusively aimed at florists, as creatives we have the privilege of being makers with the medium of flowers - absolute gold when it comes to engaging & beautiful imagery for a platform like IG.

Sometimes though we just lack the skills & confidence to show up with this magic in a way that will grow our followers & in turn increase our sales.

Just 2 spots left - please don’t miss this if you’ve felt frustrated by the algorithm & struggle with maximising this powerful free tool in your business.

I can’t wait to host you ( with our usual retreat style experience) & introduce you to Ilona on the 16th.

Link in bio & I’ll pop it in stories too.

25/02/2024

Let me introduce you to Liz Ricci !
The creative force & brains behind &

Given these businesses continue to thrive within the CBD of the most ‘shut down city’ in the world a few years ago, they are a real testament to Liz’s resilience, talent, the relationships she’s built & most of all her INNOVATIVE approach to business.

So I’m thrilled to have her join me for our ‘round table’ discussion on

23rd March - FLORISTRY INNOVATION- Redefining Floristry for Tomorrow

Liz will be sharing how she continues to elevate & grow her business in a way that serves all of her customers with a high level experience along with the power of collaboration & brand clarity.

This will be a hot seat Q&A style conversation, so get your questions ready & your notebook out as we discuss
INNOVATIVE BRAND BUILDING

Your ticket includes entry to the show & we also have a special deal for GROUP BOOKINGS available.
Think:
staff team development
PD for teachers
Those that want to elevate their business, reignite their creativity & be inspired by the leaders in the industry. Basically those that want to be part of Redefining Floristry for Tomorrow.

N 🍃

22/02/2024

FLORISTRY INNOVATION MASTERCLASS - Redefining Floristry for Tomorrow- 23rd March

Introducing .ceramics to our upcoming masterclass
Right now, pottery artist Melody is creating beautiful hand crafted, Japanese inspired bowls for our attendees to design in & of course take home.

A little extravagant? Maybe

But I wanted this event to be a collaboration of designers in multiple ways, inspiring our attendees to elevate their design & business by also seeing the potential to create their own collaborations that set them apart.

Plus, you’re florists, creative flower lovers, who don’t necessarily want to chat business all day so I had to include some rare design-without-a-brief playtime, using an unusual & glorious array of floral materials in your beautiful new bowl .ceramics & Kenzan from Australian owned & made Stay Put Kenzans

So much more to share over the coming weeks about the format & inclusions of this masterclass, ( if tickets last that long )
One of which will be to introduce you to one of my special guest experts!
A women who I think is one of the most innovative business woman & designers in the industry.
More on that later, for now if you did want to join us, please don’t miss out, you’ll find the booking details in my bio ( I’ll pop it in stories too)

See you there Melbourne

13/02/2024

Friendly reminder for the flower fans on this day of love ❣️

When you choose to convey your love through flowers today you have the power to spread the love far & wide.

♥️ by choosing to buy local Australian grown blooms that are designed by the creative hands of a Florist.

♥️ Not only are you supporting a farmer who has potentially nurtured that plant for years to have it blooming perfectly just for this day ( & just for you)

♥️ but you’re also supporting the hard working & talented florists who rely on this collective day of love, to keep sharing their craft with you all year round.

Today & always nothing conveys your emotions quite like nature’s incredible beauty, so please make the growers & florists day as well as your lovers.

📷 - from Greenhouse tutorial on creating a hand made rosette using local grown roses from .bros

❤️

09/02/2024

🕊️ Step into the future of WEDDING FLORISTRY 🕊️

🍃MASTERING GREEN WEDDING DESIGN - 2 day Course 🍃 1st & 2nd March🍃

As I write this I literally have 2 SPOTS left in my next in-person 2 day course dedicated to all things wedding design & business.

Swipe 👉🏼 for details

No matter whether you are just beginning, a few years in or established as a wedding & event florist this 2 day course is for you if:

🍃 you’ve felt frustrated by the harmful effects the more traditional products & techniques you’ve been taught & are ready to step into the future of floristry with confidence.

🍃would love 2 days dedicated to elevating your skills and redefining your own signature style

🍃 understand how beneficial it could be for your business to access 2 days of open Q & A coaching & connecting with a small group of like minded florists.

After literally doing 1000’s of weddings in my time I can honestly say they were always so rewarding for me. I loved them!

Yes they have tight deadlines, troublesome clients at times & can be stressful.
But it’s the years of problem solving, building long lasting & loyal relationships with my venues & clients, my 2 part pricing for profit framework, a guided market tour, the wins & the learnings ( so you don’t need to learn the hard way) that I’m so looking forward to sharing with you.

Split payments are available so just $375 can secure your spot today!

Of course it wouldn’t be an Ivy course if it didn’t include beautiful food, gift bag of goodies & a retreat style experience here on the farm.
One of our attendees has already booked The Hut but If you did need accommodation please DM or email me & I’ll send over some suggestions.

If this feels like something you’ve been waiting for please don’t miss out.
I’m really looking forward to helping our small group of 6 create a successful earth loving wedding business. I hope you’re one of them!

N 🕊️

23/01/2024

So this happened over the holiday break…..

I’m not talking about this photo shoot & feature, that really was such an epic highlight of 2023, for - October sustainability issue.

I’m talking about being featured by , the talented woman who took these stunning photos, as part of her new Artist journal project.

How fascinating to delve into these art-filled worlds via Flore’s lense & eye for detail & explore the wide variety of mediums we use to express our creative voices.

What an absolute treat Flore to be among them, thank you x

I’ll pop the interview link below
https://florevalleryradot.com/my-journal/nadine-brown
in my stories if you’d like to have a read ….actually, pour yourself a tea & read them all. Her questions really do seem to dive to the heart of what makes ‘makers’ so unique.

+ I’m so glad we can now finally share all of these beautiful images in one place.

Styling
Photography
Location The Ivy Greenhouse & surrounding property
The super star fur babes Bud, Gypsy, Togzy, Minfus & Hagrid & Magnus

08/12/2023

Final CREATE WITH NATURE - community class for 23 ✨

These monthly sessions were born from a discussion with Nina, , my daughter, 2 years ago, when I began to see this need for people to connect again …..

To their creativity
To nature
To each other

She actually suggested why not do a
“pay what you feel”
Community night!

I loved the idea immediately & since then these have become a real joy.
For me & the women who join me in the Ivy Greenhouse for supper, tea, friendship & of course natures beauty 🌿

The last one for 2023 is this coming Thursday 6pm.
🤔 what shall we make? I’m sure it will have to be a 🎄 theme.

Bookings are first in via DM.

N ✨

The Ivy Institute

05/11/2024

30/10/2024

20/05/2024

26/04/2024

09/04/2024

18/03/2024

17/03/2024

06/03/2024

25/02/2024

22/02/2024

13/02/2024

09/02/2024

23/01/2024

08/12/2023

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