Feeling floral? Try these flower arrangement classes and courses

There's nothing better than getting a new bunch of flowers to show off in your house - especially when they smell great. Sometimes, though, it can be hard to recreate the perfect arrangement they came in. With so many styles of floral arranging from Ikebana to English Garden out there, it can be overwhelming even knowing where to start!

An art form that dates backs as early as ancient Egypt, with flower arranging you can create and mould a perfect bouquet if you know the right floristry technique.

If you're looking for the best flower arranging and floristry courses, you've come to the right place. Whether you're buying for yourself or to gift a friend, find the best flower arrangement courses across the UK.

If you're just dipping your toes into flower arranging as a complete beginner we suggest you start with this book, A Practical Guide to the Art of Flower Arranging written by tutors and master florists at the FlowerSchool New York. There are simple and easy-to-follow instructions on arranging flowers. Go on a step-by-step guide through this book before your class so you feel prepared!

What styles of flower arranging are there?

There are four main styles of flower arranging: Japanese Ikebana, English Garden, Modern and European or Contemporary. We'll break them down to make it easy for you.

Ikebana

A traditional Japanese style, Ikebana ("making flowers alive") was developed by Buddhist tea masters and now stands as a famous flower arranging type. Beginning as floral offerings, they now are placed in the home to show forms of emotion. You can find branches, leaves, grasses and blossoms in this style and it looks to bring nature and humanity together.

English Garden

This style is what it says on the tin - flowers formed in English Gardens. These often include seasonal flowers and come from natural blooms in cottage gardens all over the country. This style is very natural, with barely any stylisation, with the look of flowers 'fresh from the garden'. These flowers are then placed loosely in a classical vase - very common here in the UK.

Modern and Contemporary

These Modern and Contemporary designs are far different to that of English Garden or Ikebana and generally like to use more space between flowers. Using exotic flowers, stones, bark and mosses, contemporary designs can be vast but many follow linear designs and asymmetrical placement.

Our highlights of the best flower arranging workshops

Best flower arranging course for two: Flower Arranging Workshop for Two in Hackney

Best dried flower arranging course: The Art of Dried Flowers Experience

Best luxury flower arrangement course: English Cut Flower Course and Two Night Farmhouse Stay

Best delivered flower arrangement course: Make Your Own Table Arrangement by Arena Flowers

Best online flower arranging course: Online Flower Arranging Course by Red Letter Days

Best flower arrangement class deal: Online Flower Arrangement Workshop with Midas Touch Crafts

The best flower arrangement classes and courses UK

With expert advice from a qualified florist, start with choosing the perfect colours and flowers, how to look after your flowers, different styles as well as tips for a hand-tied bouquet. You can even take your own bouquet home at the end of it.

Where: Hackney

What’s included?

• Introduction to styles, palettes, flowers and arrangement

• Step-by-step demonstration

• All flowers and equipment provided

• Tea and cake

• Take home your own bouquet!

Learn about the process of dried flowers, how they're created and the best way to layer them to make them last forever. With sustainability in mind, this is an exciting gift or experience for someone who loves this new trend.

Where: Hatton Garden, London

What’s included?

• A 90-minute class for two

• Learn the basics of hand dried bouquets and how to present dried flowers

• Tips from the experts

Run by All Hallows Farmhouse Cookery School, you'll be treated to an extensive countryside escape, with cooked breakfast every morning and cream tea on arrival. With floristry demonstration, a tour around the gardens and your own hand tied bouquet to take home, this is perfect for an extravagant flower lover.

Where: Dorset

What's included?

• Midweek escape to Georgian farmhouse for two nights

• Cream tea on arrival and cooked breakfast each morning

• Personal tour around the garden and floristry demonstration

• Create your own hand tied arrangement to go home

Where: Delivered straight to your home

What’s included?

• Eight different types of flowers including Yellow Roses, White Roses, Solidago, Craspedia, Yellow Statice, White Freesia, Ruscus, Pistache Foliage

• A decorative bowl (20.5cm diameter)

• A step-by-step table flower arrangement guide

Learn to master flower arranging from the comfort of your own home with this hands-on training course. Over four lessons with educational videos, notes and assignments, you can learn with a group of up to 20 classmates.

You'll need to grab your own items for this floristry course so be prepared to buy some extras but with a £25 price, we think it's worth it.

Where: Online/virtual classroom

What’s included?

• A voucher for one person with access to online experience anytime, anywhere

• Learn the fundamentals and techniques, hand-tied bouquets and stunning arrangements

• Four lessons and lifetime access to educational videos, notes and assignments

• Group chats and direct messages to classmates

This flower arranging workshop is carried out on Zoom so you can learn it from home and you'll be sent a PDF full of exciting extra tips and crafty ideas.

Where: Online

What's included?

• Learn the basics on how to make a decorative table design, hand-tied bouquet and what the best flowers are

• Extra PDF full of other crafty ideas such as rainbow-coloured roses, ice flower vase, flower fountain and more

• Only £15 for the Zoom course

Top tips on flower arranging from Myrtle florist, Pat Boden

We spoke to professional florist Pat Boden from Myrtle, to tell us her best tips on what she does to make a beautiful bouquet. Here's what she had to say...

Be open-minded

"Don’t be afraid to experiment with a wide range of colours and shapes and textures. Customers often think if their decor is neutral they should have neutral coloured arrangements but bright, bold colours will really pop against neutral decor - and there are some wonderful, funky colours available."

Look everywhere for inspiration

"Pinterest, Instagram and social media are great but you should choose flowers because you love them, not just because they are the latest 'in thing'. You want to enjoy them for a long time, not get bored of them after a few weeks. Most florist shops now have a dried flower range and there’s a lot to choose from online too: sites like Etsy and Trouva are good, you’ll even find a good selection on eBay and Amazon!"

Be colourful

"Picking a couple of your favourite colours is a good place to start and build from there, mix things up a bit and be willing to try combinations that you wouldn’t expect to work - you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results."

Don't overthink it

"Relax and enjoy the process, don’t rush it, and don’t be disheartened if your first attempts are not what you expected. Be prepared to start again. It helps to take a break and come back to it with fresh eyes."

Mix up your flowers

"Large flowers like protea are great to start with. There are so many varieties and they bring a dramatic, exotic look to arrangements. Preserved eucalyptus is a great basic too, it looks fresh and contemporary and it smells amazing too. Don’t aim for perfection, or perfect symmetry, cut stems to different lengths and keep things nice and loose for a more natural, relaxed look."

Tools to arrange your flowers

Of course you might need to pick up a few extras to really bring your flowers to life when you're learning how to arrange them. We selected a few tools that will make you look like an expert in no time!

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