Here at Country Baskets we love hearing from creative people. Recently we collaborated with florist, Hannah-Mae Lane of Hilary's Floral Design. Here's just a little interview highlighting some of Hannah-Mae's inspiration and background in floristry.

How long have you been working at Hilary's?

I began working at Hilary’s as Hilary is my partners Mum. One Christmas, I was asked to help out and I never looked back. This is when I realised I had a talent for floristry and enjoyed doing it much more than I thought I would. I have now been working at Hilary’s for nearly four years.

Where did you learn to be a florist?

I have been learning floristry and all my skills from Hilary’s daughter Charlotte. She has been a florist for over 10 years and has competed in prestigious competitions. This is how I got the bug.

What are your proudest achievements as a florist?

Last year, I took part in my first competition at RHS Chelsea Flower show and to my amazement I not only won gold but also the title of young florist of the year 2017. This was a huge shock and I honestly didn’t expect to even come close to any kind of medal, never mind winning the competition highest over all.

It has been such a whirl wind since winning at Chelsea and it has opened up so many doors and opportunities which I am so grateful for. I have had the chance to work at Fleurex as part of the Just Chris team, and this year it will be for the second time. Earlier on in the year I had the chance to be part of the Floral fundamentals team in the world wide IPM Essen trade fair in Dusseldorf Germany.

Any current projects or goals?

I am currently studying for my floristry qualifications which I hope to complete this year and then would like to carry on study to heighten my skills as I aspire to one day become a teacher.

What are your favourite styles?

I love the work of many different world wide florists such as Manfred Hoffmann, Iza Tkaczyk, Tina Kjaer and many others. Their work is very intricate and interesting to me as they use a diverse range of different styles in their work.

My least favourite is ‘traditional’ dull colours and no real design. I love floristry that is alive and colourful.

What do you like most about working for Hilary's

I love being creative and working as part of a team. Traveling and seeing new places is something that I love to do and I try to gain as much experience as possible. The shop it’s self has been part of the floristry industry for the past forty years now.

What are your hopes for the future?

I aspire to be a highly qualified florist and possibly a teacher or judge in the field one day. Overall, I hope I can still do what I love; traveling the world, seeing and seeking new opportunities as much as I can.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with us Hannah-Mae!