Asheville Floral Escape | Ponderosa & Thyme Workshop

This summer I had the honor of securing one of the coveted Ponderosa & Thyme floral workshop slots for a one-day intensive in Asheville, North Carolina, and it was MAGICAL. From the location, to the blooms to the sunset dinner, and everything in-between.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but truly enjoyed it and would totally do it again. For those of you who may be considering a Ponderosa & Thyme workshop, I thought it would be nice to provide a little review/feedback! Keep in mind, I only had the opportunity to experience a one-day workshop, not a multi-day or full week like many of Katie’s intensives. Partaking in one of her European workshops would be a serious dream! Maybe for a later year 😉

WHO ATTENDS?

This was my first question when I entertained the thought of attending a workshop. Because let’s be honest – it ain’t cheap, and floristry is not my profession. Nevertheless, I’m a big fan of self improvement and development. Love putting myself in scenarios that allow for personal growth. The majority of attendees were indeed full-time professional florists {I was in such great company!}. Along with a few florist enthusiasts like myself sprinkled in. Even as the minority, I did not feel unwelcome, or out of place in the slightest. Whether you’re a pro, or a beginner – Katie and her team will make you feel right at home.

WHAT DO YOU LEARN?

Katie structures her Ponderosa & Thyme workshops with more emphasis on personal connection, more-so then tangible floral lessons {from a newbie’s perspective}. Which is totally cool, just slightly different from what one might expect. You won’t be in a lecture setting all day, which I thoroughly appreciated. Rather, you’ll experience foraging for blooms, industry discussions, reflection, story telling, meditation and connection. From my experience, the hands-on floral learning process was a tad limited, but that may have been due to time restraints. Katie walked the group through an arrangement demonstration, paired with a story telling journey. I love that she encourages her students to envision a moment or memory, and tell a story with stems. That can be pretty powerful. I was hoping to learn a bit more about the flowers themselves: tips for cutting, keeping them alive, varietal specifics, arranging tips, etc. However you most certainly will walk away feeling refreshed/inspired, and that is certainly valuable.

FINAL TAKEAWAY

Adore Katie, love her workshops, and truly admire the business she’s building. For the one-day workshop {I can’t speak on anything but my experience}, it’s jam packed with LOTS of emotional ups and downs – which I was not expecting. Be sure to have your tissues on hand! Haha, not kidding. At the end of the day, this workshop was totally worth my time, and I would do it again. Even if I didn’t learn anything new about flowers, being surrounded by nature and crazy talented florists, was so inspiring. Just seeing these ladies create in their element, watching Katie arrange, and given the opportunity to do the same was invaluable.

FULL PONDEROSA & THYME WORKSHOP CREDITS: 

WORKSHOP | Ponderosa & Thyme
PHOTOGRAPHER | Kim Branagan
VENUE | Lady Luck Flower Farm
CATERING  |Verbena Cakes and Catering
WORKSHOP TEAM | Sarah Pearson, Niki Irving Flourish Flower Farm, Lily Peterson Flower Shop, Annie Perkinson @annielouiseperkinson
FLOWER GROWERS | Flourish Flower Farm @flourishflowerfarm, Lady Luck Flower Farm @ladyluckflowerfarm, Blue Ridge Blooms @blueridgeblooms, Fraylick Farm @flwrtherapy, Poppins Posies @poppinsposies, Full Sun Farm @fullsunfarm, Paint Fork Farm @paintforkfarm, More Tomorrow Farm @moretomorrowfarm, The Purple Iris @the_purpleiris, Sideways Farm @sidewaysfarmandbrewery, Grace Rose Farm (CA) @gracerosefarm