Meet the florist: Fionna Tamin
October 2023
Hello, flower lovers!
Welcome to October, and hasn’t Spring truly sprung! Everywhere I look there are flowers bursting out in gorgeous, joyous colour that warms the heart and lifts the spirit. As does the work of our featured florist this month, Fionna Tamin, owner of Canberra-based floristry studio Peony N’ Pearl. Fionna specialises in weddings and events, and loves to connect with her clients through creative floral design.
Fionna’s love of flora stems from a childhood spent in Jakarta surrounded by the tropical flowers, water lilies and fruit trees that her mother grew. Yet Fionna’s immersion into floristry didn’t come until later, when she realised that what she was studying at uni was not for her. It was then that she dipped her toe in the waters of floristry and hasn’t looked back since.
Fionna’s passion for flowers and her dedication to her work are palpable – she has driven up to Sydney to buy fresh flowers at Sydney Flower Market many, many times – and her commitment to her clients shows through her beautiful work. She not only provides tailored services to her clients but also strives to maintain her true focus: creativity.
I’ve been fortunate to have Fionna as a long-time supporter of Typoflora’s products. In 2021, I was delighted to work with her to rebrand Peony N’ Pearl, and we got to know each other better. I love the way Fionna creates gloriously romantic arrangements of blooms in soft, earthy palettes, using colours such as rust, toffee, apricot, blush and cream. She has a great eye for layering texture and creating visual depth. Her bouquets remind me of an enchanted garden – they are always full, lush and a little wild as she uses many different flower varieties and shapes to create her stunning works.
Despite the growing success of her business, Fionna is also very humble about her achievement and always grateful to people who have helped her all the way – I can vouch for that from personal experience, and am grateful to her in return!
Our flower for October is Fionna’s favourite: her business’s namesake, the peony. Here’s what Fionna had to say when I interviewed her for our 2023 Planner.
1. Which flower inspires you the most and why?
Peonies! These beauties come in many colours, shapes and sizes, and they are all spectacular. I’ve never met a flower-loving person who doesn’t get excited when peonies come into season.
2. Any fun facts about peonies you’d like to share?
Peonies have a very short availability period, so definitely make the most of them once they become available. You can also try drying them: when they still look fresh, turn them upside down and hang them in a dry area. They dry beautifully, usually keeping most of their colour and shape intact.
3. Can you share any styling tips for peonies?
I love peonies styled on their own as they are so spectacular and rare, and therefore deserving of their own moment. The more peonies in an arrangement the better!
You can find Fionna’s website here or follow her on Insta here.
Shannon x
SHOP THE Peony COLLECTION
