Hannah Emery, a graduate of Writtle College’s Professional Floristry Foundation Degree, recently returned to the College to teach 90 floristry students how to create the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic medal winner bouquet. A florist at the world renowned Jane Packer floristry shop in London, Ms Emery is a part of the team that will be creating 4,400 floral bouquets to be presented to athletes along with medals during the Victory ceremonies.
In total the team of 90 students and three lecturing staff at Writtle will be creating 1,156 bouquets at the College, with lecturers having additionally attended training sessions with the Jane Packer team in London.
Helen Sheard, Lecturer in Floristry at Writtle College said: “Floristry students at Writtle have found the opportunity working with Jane Packer on the Olympic bouquets invaluable. Not only is it an honour to have been asked to be involved in the first place, but the practical experience of producing such creative bouquets on such a large scale is unrivalled to anything they have ever had the opportunity to do before. The legacy of hosting the Olympics in this country is enormous, and to skilled professionals such as florists, the experience really is worth its weight in gold – we are all so excited here at the College and really can’t wait to be involved in this part of British history.”
Named the Victory Bouquet by the popular designer Jane Packer, who sadly died late last year, the bouquet encompasses only British ingredients including colourful roses and English lavender.
CEO and Managing Director of Jane Packer Ltd, Gary Wallis commented: “Jane Packer have Partnered with key colleges whose floristry students will be assisting us with the creation of the bouquets during the games in London. It was important to us that as part of our commitment to the UK floristry community, we involved the educational establishments that provide us with high calibre students that help develop our business. It also means that the wider floristry community is involved in the exciting opportunities that London 2012 brings.”
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Pictured:
A student creating one of the beautiful Victory bouquets