Jo Moody grew up in Staffordshire in the UK. Her family was in the business of flowers, which was initiated by her grandmother, who had trained as a florist during the 1940s in the USA. After graduating from university with a degree in Business and Marketing, Moody decided to set up her own flower business. Here’s more from the florist:
Tell us a little bit about your beginnng in floristry.
After graduation, I put myself through floristry courses at agricultural college where I had an amazing tutor who helped me to see just how creative and diverse a career in floristry could be.
After meeting my husband, I relocated to the South East of England. Here I was asked to join a leading supplier of flower bouquets to UK supermarkets. My role initially was to train staff within the horticultural department but this soon became a senior role as head of New Product Development. This was my first experience of using my passion and creativity to design bouquets suitable for large multiple retailers.
Throughout my work with leading bouquet suppliers to UK supermarkets, including Waitrose, I was able to express my passion through the floral designs which found its way to tens of thousands of homes in the UK every week through stores and online sales.
I now run my own business again as a freelance florist where I specialise in weddings, special venues and of course working with La Fleur.
What attracted you to flowers?
I am totally mesmerised by flowers, foliage and plants. Nature is so clever and I never tire of their beauty and the detail that is in every stem.
What are the special floral designs that are currently trending?
In Europe, there is a real trend towards very natural styles. Colours are muted, very different to the colours we see in India. In the La Fleur designs, we bring European design with a touch of Indian culture.
You will launch in India soon. What will be the USP of La Fleur?
La Fleur launched a pilot in selected supermarkets in February 2019. The success of the pilots has resulted in a further roll out of stores from April onwards in Mumbai and Pune and expansion of La Fleur into Bengaluru stores in March of this year.
La Fleur has introduced fresh cut flowers in supermarkets in India, thus making it more convenient, accessible and affordable to the consumer. La Fleur bouquets are based on designs and trends in UK and Europe. It ensures freshness of the bouquets by direct sourcing from farmers in India and maintaining cool chain from farm to store. This is in combination of the provision of consumer flower food which helps increase vase life of the bouquets. All bouquets are wrapped in the latest designs of eco-friendly packaging made of high-quality recycled paper.
How to pick the right buds and flowers?
When choosing flowers, always check that there are no faded or wilting blooms. Ensure that stems are strong and can support the weight of the flowers. Make sure that the leaves have not gone brown or have spotting. The flowers need to be dry as water on the flowers can instigate disease, shortening the vase life.
What is the ideal combination of flowers in an arrangement?
Personally, I either like a combination of different textures in an arrangement or one type of flower with beautiful lush foliage. Really, it is whatever makes you happy.
Can you give some creative ways of setting flowers in a home?
You can choose flowers to contrast or to tone with your home décor. A beautiful display in a hallway or as a center piece on a dining table always looks fabulous. An alternative idea is to have single stem of a fabulous flower, like a rose or gerbera, in a small slim necked vase to make a contemporary display.
Fresh flowers usually wilt soon, any tips for taking care?
In order to get the best out of your flowers, always use the flower food provided in a clean vase, cut the stems by about one centimeter before you place into the vase, keep out of direct sunlight, away from heat sources and top up with fresh water.
What are your future plans?
My plans are to keep on doing what I love and spreading the joy of flowers. My long term aim includes setting up my own flower school.
On La Fleur plan, I hope to have the flowers available in Hyderabad and Delhi in the next 12 months through our partner stores and other strategic alliances. We are on track to offer in the next three months online deliveries through our online shop and subscription offers in Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru to the wider public and businesses.
