Florest to the stars

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been passionate about plants. I grew up on a farm on a small island in Portugal called Madeira and I was forever planting a selection of flowers and always collecting driftwood and logs.

I left school when I was 14 to work on the family farm; we had vegetable patches and sold produce at the markets. My father grew bananas and had a winery.

It wasn’t until I was 18 that my parents decided to move to Australia. It was an unreal journey, as I had never left the island before, not even to mainland Portugal. Moving from a natural environment to a big city was hard at times and Sydney was really ugly back then.

We moved to Stanmore, where there was a large Portuguese community. Language was a big barrier so I took a short course in English and started working in different jobs to find my feet.

I knew I was gay but didn’t discuss it with anyone. I didn’t really know anything about being gay or Oxford Street but quickly met people through school and work. It was only four years later that I discovered the scene -“ I was so young and na?.

After doing odd jobs, I started to work in the catering department for a five-star hotel. We did events and weddings but I was always focused on the flower arrangements. I was always asking questions like: Who was the florist? What flowers were used?

I worked there for a few years and met a boyfriend. We moved into a nice place in Darlinghurst. After we moved in together I had had enough of the hotel industry and became a monorail driver.

At first it was very exciting because it’s different from driving a car. There is no steering wheel; it’s all done through the computers. I had to be aware of people jumping onto the track.

It was painful when the vehicle broke down. Once I was stuck mid-track for three hours. We couldn’t get it to start; I had to be towed out by another train. It was quite embarrassing.

After a while the job got extremely boring and cyclic. My partner and I travelled around the world to take a break from its repetitive nature but still I wanted to do more. Plants and flowers kept coming back to me.

I kept driving but also started to do some freelance landscaping. I used to work on people’s gardens, planted trees and installed many feature settings.

In 2003, I had a huge awakening. My 10-year relationship ended and I quit my six-year stint at the monorail. I was 32 and said, I’m going to follow my dreams. At this turning point, I enrolled in a Sydney floristry school.

The course was very frustrating at times because I wanted to do what I wanted. I learnt lots and met fantastic people. The course also gave me lots of opportunities including my first job as junior florist at Garlands Florist.

It was a new business but attracted many high-profile clients. I loved going to the flower markets in Balmain and buying all the products.

After eight months, the owner approached me and asked if I wanted to buy the business. He saw potential in me and I haven’t looked back.

Six months ago my business moved to the St Margaret’s complex in Surry Hills and business is booming once again. Oxford Street isn’t like the old days; no one goes shopping there any more.

I’ve picked up many high-profile clients such as Kate Fischer and Ada Nicodemou but I also do a lot of local business. I also do photo shoots and had flowers in Vogue magazine. Next month I’m doing a high-profile book launch. I’m also thinking of putting a flower float in the Mardi Gras parade next year.

I think what makes my work stand out is that I’m very authentic. I go back to my childhood on the farm and use raw materials including hessian bags, driftwood and pebbles.

I have a great source of flowers and use a variety of pods and big leaves, giving it that special touch. I buy only homegrown flowers and cater for everyone’s budget.

As a florist you learn every day about different plants but my motivation is making sure I have the best product and keeping my clients happy.

Garlands Florist inquiries: 9357 7900.

Interview by Sunny Burns