Saskia Havekes’s flower addiction bloomed at an early age. “Flowers have always been an important part of my life,” she says. “My mother often drew our attention to them, pointing out different blooms wherever we happened to be.”
And her flora fascination has flourished into a career. Her Sydney business, Grandiflora, now in its 20th year, creates some of the most impressive arrangements in the country. It’s the florist of choice for weddings for the bold-face name set, for glossy editorial shoots and for major events, not to mention one of the chicest places in town to pick up a “thank you”, “I love you” or “congratulations” bouquet.
Her new book, Flower Addict, offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of Grandiflora’s most extravagant installations, as captured by photographer Nicholas Watt.
Flowers, Havekes says, bring personality to any event – be it a big-budget corporate blow-out or an intimate gathering at home. “They’re crucial,” she says. “Even if you just have leaves or some moss or something that brings nature into the event, it creates such an ambience. It doesn’t always have to be the biggest most extravagant, expensive treatment; it can be just something really honest and simple. It shows character.”
Havekes has one piece of advice for organising flowers at home: keep it simple.
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