Hendri’s Story
A Dutch florist living and working in the Garden of England.
In the beginning…
Flower & Grace was founded by Hendri in December 2019 in Otford, Kent, where she works from her garden and garage. Inspired by the countryside she loves and influenced by the changing colours and textures of the seasons, she is a passionate gardener who loves using homegrown flowers, foliage and seed-heads in her designs.
Originally from the Netherlands, Hendri has been living in the Sevenoaks area since 1993. She found her way to floristry by helping with church flowers in St Nicholas Church in Sevenoaks, after which she decided to do an introductory course. She has since decorated the church for several festive periods and obtained a NCFE 2 and 3 Certificate at Hadlow College.
A bespoke business from the start…
Flower & Grace began with workshops that Hendri ran in her kitchen in December 2019. Plans for other workshops in 2020 inevitably changed; and she ran her first workshop over Zoom. Soon customers were asking her for bespoke wreaths, table decorations and mantlepieces - which gave her the extra push to start selling her work.
Since then she has worked with The Chocolate Shop in Sevenoaks for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter - with her work expanding to weddings, funerals, family gatherings and other local businesses like The Old Bank, Squerryes Winery and Vineyard.
An Eco-friendly Ethos.
Flower & Grace aims to minimise negative environmental impact - by using recyclable or bio-degradable craft paper for the wrapping and encouraging bare-stemmed bouquets which can be more economically wrapped. Flower & Grace also sells eco-friendly vases made from recycled-glass to accompany the bespoke bouquets if desired.
Social Impact Values.
Flower & Grace also donates a large percentage of profits to charity, hoping to deliver social impact beyond the joy of fresh, seasonal and unique floral designs. Flower & Grace has donated to Tearfund, Friends for Families, as well as a local food bank. Flower & Grace is driven to continue supporting local charities wherever and whenever possible.