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Legendary designer Anita Holmes

How did your life as a florist begin?
When I was 14, I had a Saturday job working for a greengrocer. After a short time, he opened a florist's in the shop next door and I quickly became hooked. Unfortunately, there wasn't a permanent job for me in the florist's, but I was forever having to be prised away from the flowers. After leaving school, I wanted to train as a florist but, being the 1970's, the regional opportunities were very limited. For that reason, I applied to The Constance Spry School of Floristry in London, and was eventually awarded their Diploma.

Who or what influences your designs?
I love the work of Belgian florist Daniel Ost, German florist Gregor Lersch and Swedish florist Per Benjamin, but I think my work is often influenced by simply seeing a perfect bloom and imagining how I could use it to best effect.

What is your most memorable moment?
There are almost too many to mention, but I've managed to narrow it down to three. The first was being asked to design and dress the Covent Garden Market Authority stand for IFTEX in 1996. This was to be my first exhibition stand and I was so excited, but so nervous that I drove through a set of red traffic lights on the way home from the meeting! The second was being awarded the Society of Floristry Training Award and going to the American Institute of Floral Designers in San Francisco. The third would have to be gaining my National Diploma from the Society of Floristry.

What's your favourite flower, and why?
White peonies are my absolute favourites. In fact, I love any bloom with a nice perfume because I think flowers should be fragrant. Unfortunately, not all of them are.

What colours should florists be working with this season?
Whites, creams, pale pinks, pale coffee, and soft limes with accents of turquoise and blues.

What flowers do you like to have at home?
In my home, I like to have seasonal flowers - hyacinths for spring, peonies for summer, lilies and phlox for early autumn and foliages and berries for winter, with white roses for Christmas.

What is the busiest day in your calendar?
Being freelance, it could be absolutely any day of the year. It depends purely on the event.

If you could decorate any venue in the world where would it be?
It would have to be Glamis Castle in Scotland because I love doing really interesting, large designs, and I think you could have flowers dripping from everywhere - especially if money was no object!

What is your biggest floristry bloomer?
I once took an order over the telephone and addressed the person as 'sir', as they had a deep voice, only to find out when delivering the order that it was actually a lady!

Any seeds of wisdom?
Don't be afraid to be adventurous in your work and, above all, enjoy what you do as it shows in the end result. Also, always remember to keep smiling, because everyone will smile with you!