The Eco Floristry Retreat
The Eco Floristry Retreat at Common Farm Flowers: A 1, 2 or 3 Day Sustainable Floristry Course with Georgie Newbery
The Eco Floristry Retreat at Common Farm Flowers is a 1, 2 or 3 day sustainable floristry course taught by Georgie Newbery on her working flower farm between Bruton and Wincanton in Somerset.
You cut from three acres of chemical-free, British-grown flowers in the mornings, and create with them in the afternoons, building up your skills from hand-tied bouquets on day one, to wedding table centres on day two, to large-scale installations, arches and urns on day three. It’s designed for enthusiastic amateurs and working florists who want to refine a foam-free, eco practice and come home with the confidence to deliver beautiful, profitable work.
You can book all three days together or any individual day. Club members receive 10% off.
What is the Eco Floristry Retreat?
Release your inner garden florist across three immersive days at Common Farm. Imagine having three acres of flowers from which to cut, and three full days to harvest, condition and create with them, time for yourself, time to nurture your creativity, and time to learn how a career in flowers needn’t cost the earth.
The retreat is built around the natural shape of a wedding: day one creates the wedding party’s flowers, day two dresses the reception, and day three builds the ceremony frame. You don’t have to book all three days, but we obviously encourage you to consider this! Many students come for the full programme because the skills compound across the three days.
Your three days at Common Farm Flowers
Day one: Hand-tied bouquets and bridal party flowers
You’ll cut flowers from the farm in the morning, then spend the afternoon creating hand-ties in many variations. Some guests practise bridal bouquets, others work on large hand-tied presentation bouquets, buttonholes, or the classic jam jar posy. By the end of the day, it’s as though you’ve created the flowers for an entire bridal party.
Day two: Table centre flowers for weddings and events
Day two turns to larger, more formal arrangements for wedding breakfasts and events. Using sustainable, foam-free mechanics you’ll mid sized arrangements such as pedestal vases in the afternoon, creating a beautiful tablescape, from flowers and foliage you cut on the farm in the morning. Whether you’re an enthusiastic amateur or a working florist refining a sustainable practice, you’ll leave with fresh ideas, practical solutions and a new eye for dressing a table.
Day three: Large floral installations, arches and urns
Day three is for scale. After a morning harvesting, you’ll tackle larger installations in the afternoon, maybe a large broken arch as though for a wedding, statement urns of flowers and foliage, and, depending on what the group wants to make, hanging arches, garlanding or meadow boxes. The teaching is student-led: if you come with a specific piece you want to master, we’ll find time in the morning harvest to make sure you have the right flowers to build it.
Seen across the three days it’s as though you’ve built an entire wedding, the bridal party, the reception and the ceremony, from a single working flower farm.
Who is the Eco Floristry Retreat for?
The retreat is designed for two different groups of students:
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The enthusiastic amateur florist who loves flowers, wants to take their arranging to the next level, and is curious about growing, cutting and using British-grown stems.
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The working professional florist who wants to refine a sustainable, foam-free practice, sharpen timing and scaling for weddings and events, and see how a flower farm delivers under pressure.
It’s also a strong fit for flower farmers who sell to florists or direct to the public, self-taught wedding florists ready for structured CPD, career-changers planning a floristry business, and anyone who wants three days of creative headspace in a beautiful working garden. No prior florisrty experience is needed, and complete beginners are welcome - you’ll simply start with the foundations.
What past students say about the Eco Floristry Retreat
Here’s what some recent students had to say about this workshop:
“Having just returned home from the 3 day Eco Floristry Workshop held by Georgie Newbery at Common Farm Flowers, I’m wondering how on earth I can go back to living my normal life without becoming depressed! The whole three days were truly fabulous, from learning or honing the skills of cutting & conditioning in the mornings, to developing the confidence to create stunning floral displays in the afternoons, this course truly had it all.”
“I attended the 3 day floristry course which was everything I’d hoped it would be and more. My floristry work has definitely come on leaps and bounds! I learned so much about cutting, conditioning and how to manage timing and scaling what I do. I’m now able to get much better results without that much extra effort. I would thoroughly recommend this course, both as an investment in your floristry and also as a chance to take some time for yourself. I spent 3 days in great company just thinking about what a lovely time I was having!”
Why learn with Georgie Newbery?
Georgie Newbery is the founder of Common Farm Flowers and the author of The Flower Farmer’s Year and Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers. She has grown chemical-free British flowers at Common Farm for over 15 years and has taught sustainable, foam-free floristry to thousands of students, in person at the farm, on her online courses, and through her Common Farm Flowers Club on Substack. The retreat is taught by Georgie herself, on the land she grows on, which is why the teaching is grounded in what actually works at a real, commercial flower farm.
Where is the retreat?
Common Farm Flowers sits between Bruton and Wincanton in Somerset, a short drive from the A303. The farm is reachable by train (with taxis) and there are a handful of excellent local places to stay within a few miles. Bruton in particular has become a destination in its own right.
How to book the Eco Floristry Retreat
You can book all three days together, or pick the individual days that interest you most. It entirely depends whether you have specific things you’d like to learn, or you’d like to do it all:
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Book The Eco Floristry Retreat Day One (hand tied bouquets and bridal party flowers)
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Book The Eco Floristry Retreat Day Two (tablescaping)
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Book The Eco Floristry Retreat Day Three (large floral installations).
Common Farm Flowers Club members (paid Substack subscribers) receive 10% off all website bookings, just apply your member discount code at checkout. Find out more about joining the Club.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Eco Floristry Retreat?
The retreat runs over three full days, with flower harvesting in the morning and arranging in the afternoon each day. Days start with coffee at 9.30am, before we start properly at 10am and we aim to finish by 4pm each day.
Can I book individual days instead of the full retreat?
Yes. Day one, day two and day three can each be booked on their own. Many guests choose one or two days based on the skills they most want to build, though the three days build on each other naturally. Places are very limited.
Do I need prior floristry experience?
No prior experience is needed. The retreat suits enthusiastic amateurs, self-taught florists and working professionals in equal measure — the teaching flexes to the group.
What will I make on the retreat?
Hand-tied bouquets and bridal party flowers on day one; wedding table centres and pedestal vase arrangements on day two; large installations such as a broken arch and statement urns, with optional garlanding, hanging arches or meadow boxes, on day three.
Is the retreat sustainable and foam-free?
Yes. Every technique taught at the retreat uses foam-free, sustainable mechanics and British-grown, chemical-free flowers from Common Farm.
Where is Common Farm Flowers?
Between Bruton and Wincanton in Somerset, UK in a small village called Charlton Musgrove.
Is there a discount for Common Farm Flowers Club members?
Yes. Paid Substack subscribers to the Common Farm Flowers Club receive 10% off all website bookings, including the Eco Floristry Retreat.
Who teaches the retreat?
Georgie Newbery, founder of Common Farm Flowers, flower farmer since 2010 and author of The Flower Farmer’s Year and Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers leads the retreat in person on the farm.
About Common Farm Flowers
Common Farm Flowers is a seasonal British flower farm and floristry school between Bruton and Wincanton in Somerset, run by Georgie and Fabrizio Boccha. Since 2007 we have grown chemical-free flowers for weddings, events and subscribers, and taught sustainable, foam-free floristry to students around the world through on-farm retreats, online demos and our Common Farm Flowers Club on Substack.
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