This past year I have dived head first into all the courses I could afford and also have time for. These are the ones I have completed and what I think of them:
The godmother of flower farming, Erin Benzakein, literally empties all her knowledge into this course. It is brilliant. There is so much information, so many videos, so many spreadsheet templates and you have lifetime access. Really recommend it. Only downside is you will probably have to call Zurich and move some money around to pay for it. But it is good value. Really good value.
This was the first growing course I did. It was knowledgeable and practical. Perfect intro for growing tulips. And it was affordable. If you are already growing tulips probably not for you - best for beginners.
Green and Gorgeous Flower Farming for Beginners
Held at Rachel and Ash's inspiring farm, this course was brilliant. They have so much wisdom to share. They cover a lot in the day so it was mainly spent sitting down listening but also included a farm tour. Handouts are sent prior and after which is great and you can refer back. Great course if you are thinking about growing but want to get an overall idea of what is involved before you start. The day also includes home cooked lunch which was delicious.
Forever Green Flower Co Advanced Flower Farming
Cel is a fountain of knowledge. This course is run over three zoom sessions. It definitely is an advanced course in that it assumes a certain understanding of what is involved in running a flower farm and focuses on the planning and business side of things. Spreadsheets and more spreadsheets. Really useful and an important course to take if you want to ensure your business is profitable and sustainable on a year-by-year basis.
This is an online workshop that I am currently doing to learn how to force tulips so that I can have tulips much earlier in the year. It is full of information and lots of videos. I assume I will have access for life but not sure. It isn't as well structured as Floret's and certainly not as much information as only on Tulips but the price reflects that. It is still quite expensive but I am not sure where else you would find out this information as Lynda and Emily are ahead of so many in their growing techniques and knowledge. If you know you are definitely going to make forcing tulips part of your business plan, then it’s worth investing in this workshop.
Tallulah Rose Flower School Intro to Floristry
I went up to their school in Cumbria for this course. It was 3 days. It was a big commitment financially but it was excellent value. We got to make so many different arrangements and worked with such beautiful flowers that were mainly British flowers. Flowers that are similar to what I will be working with. For me this was a wonderful opportunity to build my confidence in floristry. I learned great skills and loved my group. It was one of the highlights of my year. They have lots of other courses too. For me, this one was enough to set my on my way but there are plenty more if you want to keep going back.