My florist career began from a dream. A dream that one day I would start a florist business! Never did I actually think it would actually happen.
Being a Nurse and a Midwife, I loved my jobs. I loved meeting everyone I encountered. I am sympathetic to every emotional situation and can understand and relate to many situations.
Due to a severe back injury (not work related), I honestly did not know if I would be able to walk again. Being a wife and a mother to 3 small beautiful children, this frightened me like you would not believe. How was I going to be able to be a Wife and Mum, if I continued to be in so much pain and unable to function let alone walk?
Laying flat on my back, I started to reassess my situation, and my career.
A friend asked me what I had always dreamt of doing? Well yes actually! So that is where it began. As I lay on my back unable to do much at all, I was able to start learning little bits about floristry. I was able to start playing with flowers. In doing so, this helped the depression I was battling with, due to having chronic pain. I had found My Happy Place! A wise woman once quoted "Flowers are Medicine to My Soul" (Yvette Timmins), I am living proof of that quote!
As time went on and operations were had to help my pain, I could gradually do more and more. Still limited with tiredness, I still was in my "Happy Place". My beautiful husband with 100% support built me a bench and set up an area in our garage. My 3 gorgeous kids are so proud to see what I am now able to do!
I am so grateful for "Bloom College" - Flower College who hold regular workshops and courses. I could never stop learning, I wanted to know as much as I possibly could! Originally the business was called Petals & Lace on the Bellarine, but after 12 months I decided the name needed to be simplified. Orders started to come in, first bunches, then events and weddings! I was actually living my dream!!!
What once started as "playing with flowers" in my garage has now grown, and has been transformed into a business, "Petals by Elise" in my garage studio.