Rose & Mary

5.0

Dutch-born, London-based florist Leonoor Vader hails from a fine art background but soon succumbed to the artistic pleasures of the natural world. Living the life of a struggling artist and subsidising her income with part-time work in a flower-shop (which in itself sounds rather romantic, right?), Leonoor soon became disillusioned with the art world. “If I wasn’t a florist I’d probably still be a sculptor,” she says, “though perhaps not a very happy one. I’m a people person and love working with our customers - sculpting is quite a lonely profession.” These statements ring true in the vibrant bouquets that Vader and her team now craft from their workshop in Richmond. Unmistakably joyous and forged from personal touches, it’s all about relationships for Rose & Mary, and what different flowers mean to different people’s lives. “The bouquet becomes a hybrid of the giver and receiver’s personal favourites, as well as the season and the reason!”

If we were flowers we’d probably be: A snapdragon! Structural, colourful and sometimes you find them growing wild in a crack in the wall or poking out of the concrete. Delicate but tough!