At the edge of Cynthia Street and Pentonville Road in the London borough of Islington, sits a hidden gem called the Paula Pryke Flower School.

After a laborious tube ride in 30 C heat and getting lost at least three or four times, I was fortunate enough to attend her four-day intensive floral instruction course.

Many would agree that Pryke is one of the most innovative florists in the world. Having already published 14 books, she appears frequently on television and writes for numerous magazines. Her reputation is on par with Preston Bailey and Jeff Leatham in the floral design world.

Pryke is best known for her original and ingenious creations that range from smaller hand-tied bouquets to massive, full-scale event designs.

The Paula Pryke Flower School was established in 1994. During the four-day course, Pryke demonstrated her floral design with a very hands-on approach. Over the four-day period, she instructed her students in many different floral techniques, the importance of scale and colour co-ordination.

Day 1 began with a general introduction of her highly skilled staff and the purpose of the school. We were shown the technique of a hand-tied bouquet and explained how it has become the arrangement of choice for most recipients. The hand-tied bouquet is a simple floral arrangement that you construct in one hand and constantly rotate as flowers are added. The result is stunning: a very proportional bouquet of flowers that is enveloped in cellophane and filled with water. The recipient simply removes the cellophane from the bouquet and places it in a vase filled with water. No mess, no fuss and an instant, beautiful bouquet for their home.

The day then moved on to working with larger stemmed flowers. Celosia, calla lilies, hydrangea and other larger varieties of flowers were used in simple container arrangements. All of Pryke's designs exemplify simplicity. Bold colours complemented with a simple design. The container plays an important role . Pryke believes that the floral container is a key element in the design of the arrangement. In the end the container should complement the flowers and design chosen to work together in pulling the whole look together. Perhaps one of Pryke's most popular signature styles is to place a smaller glass container inside another larger one and fill the outside with coloured sand. This is one of the most versatile arrangements in terms of changing up colour and style on the outside of a simple container.

One of the highlights of the first day was the visit from her wholesale flower supplier. The massive semi-trailer filled with fresh flowers arrived straight from Holland. The driver must leave his auction in Holland and drive straight to London in order to deliver the flowers at their freshest. The trailer was like nothing I've ever seen. Imagine wall-to-wall flowers in a refrigerated container that you simply step inside and choose what you would like. Of course the flowers most in season at the time, like hydrangea, roses and orchids, dominated the trailer. Pryke simply chooses what she would like to work with at the time and will see him again in a few days. The trailer arrives two to three times a week.

The four-day intensive floral course is designed for those who are interested in making a career of floral design. But don't let that scare you away. Many people take this course to learn the basics of floral design and to simply learn how to work with flowers. You don't have to be a floral designer to take this course. It is fabulously enjoyable as a wonderful way to spend four days.

Next week, days 2, 3 and 4.

For more information check out www.paula-pryke-flowers.com

lunter@shaw.ca