Larissa Everett, resident of Yarraville, and local business owner of Flowers by Larissa. “I create beautiful, unique an…

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Resident of Yarraville

Local business owner of Flowers by Larissa

I create beautiful, unique and affordable botanical designs from my lovely home studio in Yarraville using local and market fresh flowers from Santospirito Flowers and the Australian Flower Group in Footscray.

In the 70s I grew up in Ballarat when it was a very small country town. It was a very racist period in Victoria and I remember being teased and called awful names. These cruel taunts disappeared when I travelled to the villages of my parents in Croatia. Now, I am so proud of the country my family came from and always say, “I am from Croatia.”

My family has lived in Yarraville for 21 years. Initially we wanted a historic home with beach views, however, we couldn’t afford Williamstown or Elwood, so we found our dream home in Yarraville. Our home was built by the original owner in 1930 by hand. We met his daughter who came to see our home and gifted us with a hand-painted portrait painted by her memory. This hangs proudly in our entrance. Our home has a large garden, high ceilings, big rooms and lots of history.

Flowers and nature are my passion and I’m motivated by the 1930s British florist and author Constance Spry who once said, “Your imagination is fired and feeds on things that perhaps before you never even noticed.” The quote strongly resonates with me as I see the true beauty in flowers and foliage. Plus, I have discovered my true gift is arranging flowers to suit the mood of any occasion.

My work is meaningful to me as I literally create a circle of life from my flowers. I have been involved in creating flowers for births, countless birthdays, weddings and even a funeral. “Affordable flowers for all occasions” is my tagline.

Floristry is only something I fell into very recently. I only started studying Certificate II in Floristry in February 2017. Previously I was a primary school teacher for 24 years, teaching across all levels and classes. At the end of last year, I felt I needed a change and began pursuing floristry.

Flowers can be sourced from all over the world and you would be surprised at what I can order for you. Being new in the business I really listen carefully to my customers’ requests and make sure we agree via photos on the final work.

Here’s something many people do not know about flowers: Most flowers don’t actually smell. Stop putting them to your faces as you are really breathing in chemicals sprayed onto by businesses overseas or at Melbourne Airport.

An interesting fact about me: I was once used as an arm model for Daily Blooms. I was in a local boutique in Williamstown called Blue Illusion and they were advertising a fashion parade. I turned to a staff member and jokingly said, “Hey do you need a model? My arm is famous!” Amazingly, they were looking for ‘real’ people so my arm and the rest of me ended up in (so far) three fashion parades and now I also work there on a casual basis. You could say I was “Arm hunted” instead of “Head hunted!”

Integrity is a key part of my business and I only do one big event e.g. wedding / Ball per weekend so I can totally focus on the bride’s needs and ensure the flowers are at their absolute best. I have quite a few weddings and events booked for 2017 and even a few in 2018.

I’m married with two children, a 15-year-old daughter and almost 13-year-old. My daughter once taunted me with, “Not everyone likes flowers Mum!” But I’m slowly changing her love of flowers love. I sometimes hire my son as my helper for $5 a day. Not that the tax office knows about it!

I already deliver anywhere in Melbourne, but my dream is to purchase a big white van with ‘Flowers with Larissa’, painted on the sides. I also plan to include a selection of luxury hampers to enhance the mood of the floral occasion. There will be paid staff to assist me, so it won’t just be my son.

Flowers can be breathtaking and timeless. There are exquisite and individual flowers that elevate your moods and are guaranteed to enhance your day. Have a look at my Facebook and Instagram pages and see my beautiful and affordable floral world!

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