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Florist with a sustainable edge turns over new leaf
Mail & Guardian
|May 09, 2025
With over 30 years of experience in floristry, Emely van Heesch-Smith turned over a new leaf during the Covid pandemic, becoming a sustainable floral décor artist for a new age.
After the whole industry shut down, she decided to find a workable solution for making floristry a sustainable practice, using the dried flowers that she had saved up for her Christmas decorations. This gave way to her first sculptural work using dried flowers and also opened up a whole new way for her to look at flowers.
After working as an apprentice to the internationally acclaimed florist Zita Elze, Emely learnt how to let the flowers do the talking by celebrating the subtle art of nature, while also achieving her National Certificate in Floristry from the City and Guilds NPTC in London.
After gaining experience working with various clients, she began her work as a consultant to Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff in 2013 while building her brand and team along the way.
This story is from the May 09, 2025 edition of Mail & Guardian.
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