A Chat with Lucy Hunter

Today is a truly special day for flower enthusiasts in Andover! We are thrilled to welcome Lucy Hunter, celebrated landscape artist, floral designer, and author of The Flower Hunter books as she and Sandra host Les Fleurs’ very first Masterclass.

As the group delves into the art of flower arrangement and garden design, we wanted to extend the experience to our readers with this exclusive chat with Lucy where she graciously shares insights into her creative journey and the inspirations behind her stunning floral and landscaping work.

We hope you enjoy this delightful conversation with Lucy Hunter!

Photo Credits: Lucy Hunter

You've designed beautiful gardens for private clients. When you walk through someone's property, what is the creative process like?

Understanding the client’s dreams — even if they don’t quite understand them themselves — and then spending time in the garden or space is the first step. Listening to the landscape, space, and then imagining how we can turn an empty space into paths that connect to spaces where the clients can live, follows. Lastly are the rough sketches on a scaled site plan, lots of discussion and then final concept plans.

You started out as a landscape designer. How did you transition into floristry?

I’ve always adored flowers. My grandmother dabbled in floristry but for some reason I never considered it as a career. Then back in 2016, I was just finishing a garden of 26 acres for a client that had taken 4 years to complete.

It was a huge job, turning farmers’ potato fields into a country park with walled formal gardens, woodlands and 2 two-acre lakes. But at the end of those 4 years, I felt burnt out and I feared I’d even fallen out of love with garden design. I think my daily work had become more about running a large business and looking at spreadsheets, and less about creativity. I had stopped looking at the flowers, the small detail. I felt at a bit of a loss, not sure which direction to go.

Then my sister decided to marry her long-term partner and the family all got jobs. I was given the task of doing the wedding flowers! I threw myself into this, learning the basic techniques. I adored it – coming up with a style that spoke to me: wild, imperfect and totally of the garden. I did think I would give up the landscaping and become a full time Wedding Florist, but I missed the garden design work after a while. Now I’m lucky enough to be able to do both. The flowers keep me curious and that passion alive, and I think make me a better garden designer.

We’ve noticed that your designs often have foraged pieces, leaves, and dried stems. What do you gravitate towards when you're getting inspiration from nature?

The imperfect, I guess. The overlooked and the stems that have a delicious twist, that fight for light and space. I want my floral arrangements to look as if they are having a delightful conversation in the bowl.

Congratulations on book number two! Was publishing always the dream?

Thank you. No not really. I don’t think I ever allowed myself to believe that I could write. I couldn’t spell at school, which back in the late ‘80s seemed to be the biggest hurdle to having any form of writing career. But, times have changed beyond recognition now. Just writing a short blog on Instagram a few years ago started me wondering if perhaps it was something I could dream about.

The first book takes us on a journey through a year in your garden and artist studio. What can readers expect from this second edition?

The second book is how the landscape in all its guises inspires me back in the studio. For example: how the light at the Coast informs my photography, how the noise and bustle of the big cities encourage me to be bold with colour, and how the mountains inform scale and proportion.

We know you’re busy with landscapes and teaching floral masterclasses around the world, but what else is in store for you?

During Covid, I rediscovered painting. I did a Fine Arts BA degree back in the early ‘90s but hadn’t picked up a paintbrush for years — almost turning my back on it as a rejection of creativity and a conviction that I wouldn’t be able turn it into a career. But lockdown gave me the opportunity to while away the time, painting the walls of my studio with no expectations. I painted landscape murals and paintings with flowers and birds. A few years on and I’m about to launch a seasonal range of wallpaper under my company The Flower Hunter, which will be available for order globally. At least that’s the plan…

We hope that our conversation with Lucy Hunter was enlightening and stirred an even greater appreciation (like we have) for her work. To bring a piece of her floral artistry into your own home, you can purchase signed copies of her books or her illustrated notecards online.

Thank you for joining us in celebrating the beauty of floral design and garden artistry!

XOXO,
The Fleurettes

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