Wildstone Floral

19/07/2024

😊😊😊

Queen Mary of Teck, grandmother to Queen Elizabeth II, has been artfully created here in a dress of dried florals by Joanne Truby Floral Design and Wildstone Floral 👑💐
Queen Mary of Teck visited Eltham Palace after the Courtaulds had restored the Great Hall and said it was a ‘charming visit’. We very much agree! 👏

18/07/2024

It’s all in the details!

I’ve been sharing a lot of behind the scenes information on how and I brought our Queen Mary mannequin to life.

So far I’ve shared details on the stand design, her dress mechanics and refresh logistics. I’ll also be sharing details about how we created her hair and jewellery, and the surface embellishments on her dress soon.

This has been a wonderful project to be part of. I hope you’re enjoying learning more about it!

📷 Jim Holden/ © Historic England. English Heritage Trust

16/07/2024

The importance of arranging leftovers!

These Scabious were removed from mine and stand as part of the Monday refresh. No longer good enough for public display, they are however perfectly acceptable for the kitchen!

Observing how leftovers fade is an essential part of learning what flower choices are best, for a varying selection of placements and circumstances.

Also, it reduces waste and brings you joy!

14/07/2024

Here she is! Our beautiful Queen Mary of Teck!

Created alongside for the latest show at Eltham Palace for

Over the next week I’ll be sharing more details on our design, flower choices, the logistics and mechanics. We created her completely foam free, something Joanne and I feel very strongly about, and we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved with chicken wire!

The whole set up day was an absolute pleasure, with all teams creating a lovely friendly atmosphere. Thank you to all the team, for curating such a fabulous show and being so welcoming and organised. The Eltham team were also excellent, and it all ran very smoothly indeed.

I’m taking charge of the refreshing, whilst Joanne reclines on a sun lounger! I’ll be sharing behind the scenes of what’s involved with that too.

Thank you to for all the beautiful imagery and footage.

11/07/2024

Hello! It’s been a while, for various reasons. Mostly because I’ve been working on my biggest project to date, with my very wonderful floral friend

Tomorrow is install day, and all shall be revealed! She’s going to rival the Polesden Fairy Godmother!



📷

11/07/2024

Hello! It’s been a while, for various reasons. Mostly because I’ve been working on my biggest project to date, with my very wonderful floral friend

Tomorrow is install day, and all shall be revealed! She’s going to rival the Polesden Fairy Godmother!

#

11/07/2024

Wildstone Floral is a floral design studio based in Redhill Surrey, established in 2021 by Leanne Smith. Specialising in artful, elegant and naturalistic floral installations and sculptures for events, brands, photoshoots and personal clients.

To schedule a design call, get in touch with Leanne at [email protected]

17/06/2024

Time to start creating more dried goddess crowns!

A very limited selection will be available to purchase at the upcoming .littlefair on Sunday 30th June. They’ll be an opportunity to try one on and take a fabulous selfie too, plus pre-order should you wish for something bespoke.

My dried goddess crowns are substantial and statuesque. They sit proud on the head and feature extra long lengths of chiffon ribbon which can either be tied gracefully around the neck with a bow, or tied at the nape of the neck and elegantly fall down the centre of the back.

I’ll also have some lovely fresh bunches and few surprises too, so come down and say hello to myself and lots of other wonderful local businesses!

The Little Fair
Sunday 30th June
10:30am - 3:00pm
Lloyd Hall, Outwood Surrey
Adults £2.00 entry Children free

24/05/2024

A favourite design from this week! Sumptuously soft Picotee Ranunculus, Grasses, Orlaya, Sweet Rocket, Sweet Williams, Anemones and Sweet Pea.

Sweet Peas are a very short lived bloom, but the tendrils have great longevity. As I created this two days before a client event, I used the tendrils only. Removing almost all the leaves and utilising their wispy ends to create elegant lines and subtle movement.

Flowers grown by
Bowl by using a hairpin frog
Client for their showroom

05/05/2024

Very much looking forward to all that summer froth! A favourite gift arrangement from last year created with 100% locally grown flowers.

01/05/2024

Today was about continuing to explore alternative table centrepieces that take a more sculptural path. Tomorrow, more of the same!

Celosia
Achillea
Butterfly Ranunculus
Grass

Created totally foam free.

28/04/2024

Although I do love a bowl arrangement or bud vases clustered together, I think I may be starting to prefer an undulating table sculpture instead. So many possibilities!

Created using various sustainable apparatus, garden grown Tulips and foliage plus a selection of complementary fruits.

24/04/2024

This week’s bowl arrangement for How exciting to have some Lilac! This one is a dwarf variety and I also planted a stunning blush pink Lilac tree two years ago. It’s in full bloom right now, but I really don’t think I can snip a bit without compromising its long term shape, so dwarf Lilac from the front garden it is!

This week’s selection:

Dwarf Lilac
Viburnum
Fern
Heuchera
Aquilegia
Snakeshead Fritillary seedpod
H**e
Acer
Mountain Witch Alder
Fringed Tulip
Mint
Weigela
Auricula

24/04/2024

The joy of growing your own flowers never escapes me. These Tulips were planted very late and in a panic on Christmas Eve! Could their stems be longer? Probably. Could they be any fresher or more fabulous? Absolutely not!

I’m so grateful for the growing space that I have. I am rather adept at maximising how much I can grow in the area available, and always looking for ways to increase my growing output.

I love exploring new varieties and trying new combinations. My garden greatly informs my floral design, and I learn something new every time I step outside into it.

This year I’ve sow more seeds than ever, and exploring container gardening in order to find a home for all the seed babies. It’s going to be a very verdant summer, hopefully!

19/04/2024

Some still life explorations, whilst observing how the arrangement evolves.

I really enjoy watching how florals change and degrade over time. It teaches you so much, and informs your choices regarding which materials are best for certain projects and circumstances.

Since creating this design for a few elements have faded and been removed. I also shortened the Solomon Seal, as I felt the proportions were a little out. It’s an ever evolving process!

1. A still life from this afternoon.
2. Taken yesterday after shortening the Solomon Seal.
3. With the longer Solomon Seal
4. A flat lay of this week’s choices.
5. A special Clematis which I treated myself to last week after quite a big business disappointment. Buy a plant and dust yourself down, before moving ever upwards!

The selection:

Parrot Tulip
Double Narcissi
Thalictrum
Solomon Seal
Euphorbia
Clematis
Dicentra
Muguet
Cerastium Tomentosum
Ornithogalum Nutans

💚

16/04/2024

Beautiful British blooms in a favourite antique jug. A mixture of those grown by myself, and those grown by

Created using a hairpin frog. Always, always, ALWAYS foam free!

14/04/2024

What’s in my installation toolkit?

It varies depending on the installation, but here are some essentials which I’m packing up this evening. Tomorrow is day one of an exciting two day build with the team. We are creating some woodland wonderment for the upcoming exhibition by

Pictured:

Loppers
Secateurs
Wire Cutters
Scissors
Multi-Tool
Rustic Wire
Reel Wire
Cable Ties
Leather Gauntlets
Lightweight Gardening Gloves

What’s in your toolkit? I’d love to know!

10/04/2024

So I’ve started a new project for myself, and you’re welcome to join me! Mostly it’s born out of a love for my garden, and my fascination with how it evolves. It’s also giving me some midweek focus after a series of disappointments. Running a small creative business can be rather hard on your resolve, but I’m not about to lower my standards or expectations, so I’ve set myself a project to look forward to each week instead.

Each week I’m going out into my garden and cutting one stem from each new thing, or semi new thing. I then photograph them as a flatlay, before arranging in a suitable vessel. Some weeks will be more fruitful than others, but I’m hoping this will enhance my understanding of seasonal flowers and what’s possible with them. I’m greatly inspired by my garden, and this project will further enrich that.

I’ve created the hashtag to keep them all in one place. If you want to join along please use it too, so I can see what’s growing in your garden!

Mostly I’m aiming for Tuesday/Wednesday, but Thursday is also technically midweek in my book. There’s no benefit in getting uptight about it!

This weeks selection:

Tulip
Heuchera
Cowslip
Brunnera
Sanguisorba leaf
Meadow Sweet leaf
Puschkinia
Bluebell
Azalea
Magnolia
Primrose

Arranged in a bowl by using a Kenzan.

03/04/2024

What better treat when you return home from holiday, to step into the garden and see what’s been happening in your absence?

We were only away for five days, but so much has burst into life. The rain and slugs have had their fun of course, but that’s all part of it. I’ve snipped some lovely exciting floral treats, which are now hydrating ahead of some floral respite from the mountain of laundry!

27/03/2024

An early spring textural bouquet, which I absolutely loved! Featuring some interesting foliages, combined with Hellebores and Snakes Head Fritillaries from my garden.

Always a pleasure to work with Spirea! So delicate in appearance but actually rather robust. The lines and gestural flourishes it creates with its sweeping stems produce beautiful movement within arrangements. I also grow Spirea, but mine are still too young to yield stems of this length. Next year perhaps!

21/03/2024

The first snips from the garden! Hellebores and Snakes Head Fritillary. What a joy it is to grow flowers, cut them, and then arrange them.

17/03/2024

A long and low arrangement, perfect for running down the centre of tables, so you get all that undulating floral flounce whilst still being able to see and converse with those sat opposite. If you want to!

Created using three Kenzan in a vessel by

13/03/2024

I never waste flowers. Any off-cuts or broken heads get a second chance in bud vases, or floating in tea cups.

Here’s a glimpse of a bouquet prior to being repurposed as a long table arrangement. I wanted to experiment with Hyacinths, having previously avoided them for an eternity!

These Hyacinths were bolder than I expected. This is why I like to explore florals I haven’t worked with before. You learn so much.

If Barbara Cartland ever returns from the grave I’ll know exactly which variety to buy!

Vessel
Mechanics - A selection of Kenzan from .hq

08/03/2024

Happy International Women’s Day!

Women are amazing, but it’s not easy being female. Having been a teenager in the 90s I can see how things are changing for the better, but there’s still a long way to go.

On a personal level, I feel far more confident and empowered to speak my mind and call out sexist behaviour, but only since I’ve ventured into my 4th decade. I got shouted out by some random tw*t as he drove his car down Reigate high street recently, and told him to f*** off at the top of my lungs. I’m not advocating telling everyone to f*** off, just those who you perceive deserve it! It’s actually a very liberating experience. So is saying no to things which serve you no benefit, and not apologising for it, even if others try to guilt trip you about it.

I think men are quite wonderful too actually, and they are learning. Certainly the ones in my sphere anyway. I’m the mother of a boy, and I feel it’s important to raise him to understand the female viewpoint, but also to know that being male is amazing and brilliant too. Equality happens when we are all on the same side.

I had two very negative experiences in my business last year, both of which were orchestrated by women in their 70s. I feel that there is a generational aspect to consider too, and women are not always as supportive of one another as they could and should be.

So here’s some Mimosa, the floral symbol of IWD, for all us fabulous women who hold the world together, often while holding onto silent rage, and a glass of wine.

06/03/2024

A bowl of leftovers, from above.

I never pass up an opportunity to explore a new floral combination, refine my design skills, or create something out of the remnants. It’s how you learn and progress, and with flowers there is always something new to learn.

The leftovers today were a very welcomed distraction from the carnage caused by ongoing renovation work. It’ll be lovely once it’s done, I keep telling myself! So this evening I shall be looking at this centrepiece, instead of the hole that is the front bedroom.

04/03/2024

I’m really loving how the tops of the Hyacinths reflect the colour and shape of the Eustoma buds. I so enjoy curating these little details.

An admin day today. Made a gallon of tea for the decorators and had a conversation about Christmas wreath workshops. You gotta get in early with these things!

02/03/2024

Did you know I used to be a picture researcher?

Prior to floral design I worked for several years as a picture researcher within publishing and advertising. I also did a stint in photographic archives.

You need a good eye for photo editing. There’s a process of course, but also an instinct. Those years working within that field have greatly informed how I capture and present my work. I have a process of designing, capturing and editing as much floral work as I can. It makes you a better designer, as the lens sees things differently to the eye.

What this means for my floral clients, is that I understand how to maximise the photographic potential of their arrangements. This is especially important for weddings. You enjoy those florals for one day, but your photographs last a lifetime.

Pictured: My current Mother’s Day offering, available to reserve via email or online.

28/02/2024

I’m so in love with these Tulips! Golden yellow petals with a bold splash of cherry red, like they have been painted with a brush, plus deep, deep aubergine anthers.

Taken three days ago when they were freshly reflexed. Now they are fading beautifully. Their colours softening as they chase the light in my kitchen.

Such a joyful bloom. Who else is a Tulip fan?