“At this stage of my life, floristry has taken centre stage, but horticulture is not going anywhere,” says Agnese Safonova, a graduate of Bulduri Technical School. It may seem that being a florist is easy – arrange some flowers in a bouquet and that is it. In reality, the profession requires a solid body of knowledge and practical experience. Studying at Bulduri Technical School provides both and is a good starting point for further growth for anyone with an interest in horticulture and other “things related to the land”.
Agnese Safonova’s dream of becoming a florist began when she was studying at Lauciene Primary School. “It was around the eighth or ninth grade. The school organised some really great events that we were involved in, and while decorating one small event, I developed the dream of studying floristry,” says Agnese.
However, she could not pursue it immediately, as when Agnese finished ninth grade, there were not enough students to form a floristry group. “So I went to study to become a horticultural technician, and that gave me a lot of knowledge,” she says.
The job of a horticultural technician is not simply to “work in a garden”. These specialists plan and organise the propagation and cultivation of crops, as well as harvesting and storage. The profession can be focused on plant propagation, floriculture, vegetable growing or fruit growing. This qualification provides a foundation for working in a plant nursery, greenhouse, fruit or vegetable farm. It can also be useful for someone who wants to develop their own plant-growing business.
The Centennial Scholarship and the European Young Gardeners’ Competition
“While studying horticulture, I received the Centennial Scholarship. I did not even know about it beforehand. The school, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, evaluates the students, looking at their academic performance, participation in school activities and achievements, including in Erasmus+ projects,” says Agnese.
It should be noted that receiving the Centennial Scholarship is no easy task. Essentially, it is state recognition awarded to one of the technical school’s most outstanding and active graduates.
Her participation in the European Young Gardeners’ Competition in Würzburg, Germany, was particularly important in this regard. The competition brought together 21 teams from 13 European countries – Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Switzerland.
The competition tested knowledge of plant propagation and planting, identification of plants, vegetable seeds and seedlings, preparation of tools, identification of insects and plant damage, as well as practical landscaping skills.
From among students studying landscape construction and horticulture programmes, the school always selects the most knowledgeable students to participate in such competitions – those who can react quickly and have good English-language skills.
It is worth noting that in 2028, Bulduri Technical School will host the 12th European Young Gardeners’ Competition, meaning that such a competition will be held in Latvia for the first time.
How Much Knowledge Goes into a Good Bouquet?
Agnese’s knowledge of horticulture and floristry is also proving very useful as she becomes involved in the family farm “MiglDārzi” in Laidi Parish, Kuldīga Municipality, run by her future husband, Gustavs Gulbis, who is also a graduate of Bulduri Technical School.
It is the largest certified strawberry plant nursery in Latvia, and one of its specialisations is testing different varieties and cultivation technologies. However, its activities do not stop there – the farm also grows grapes, blueberries and various fruit trees.
Asked what exactly falls within the scope of a horticultural technician’s work, Agnese says that the profession combines several areas – horticulture, garden establishment and garden maintenance.
“The range is very broad. We also covered some basic arboriculture, but there was more on horticulture, vegetable growing, fruit growing and other things. These skills are very useful to me in my life right now.”
Asked about the scope of a florist’s work and whether it is simply a matter of arranging flowers in a bouquet, Agnese laughs and says that this is the romanticised image of the profession.
“I think it can be divided into two parts: there is the technical work, and then there is the beautiful part – creating bouquets and fulfilling orders. I work for two companies. One is mainly a flower shop, while the other involves travelling to decorate various events.
“Of course, you need to know how to work with customers, serve them, accept different opinions and deal with criticism. And then there is the invisible side of the job – caring for flowers, regularly trimming them, changing the water and everything else.
“The first impression is usually that you just put some flowers together and hand them to the customer, but that is not where it ends. Bulduri Horticulture Secondary School gave me all the knowledge I needed – both in colour theory and in understanding that every flower has its own character.
“A lot of knowledge has to come together to create a good bouquet. Later, I also trained as a florist’s assistant, which is a higher level of training. There, you learn even more about creating compositions.
“When someone from outside the profession creates a composition or bouquet, we can see many mistakes that we were taught to recognise at school. For example, which flowers should not be put together in the same bouquet if you want it to last, stay fresh longer in a vase and bring joy to the recipient.
“Our flower shop also sells houseplants and potted plants. It is important for customers to receive advice from a specialist about where a plant should be grown, what conditions it prefers and which plant to choose for a particular location. For example, older people sometimes need a plant that requires less care.
“People also ask about things in the garden – whether a particular plant can be planted and where it would be best placed. I am interested in these things myself. You can study at school, of course, but if you are not interested yourself, it is very difficult to apply the knowledge in real life. I like the feeling that, overall, there is so much knowledge to learn.”
I also ask a slightly provocative question: if she had to choose between horticulture and floristry, which would she prefer?
Agnese says the two professions go hand in hand. Each has its own nuances, but they complement one another.
Agnese says that at Bulduri she also learned about garden design and establishment – how to choose plants, plan a garden and make different elements work together.
“If it is a larger project, you work more closely with landscape construction technicians or other specialists, because they develop the drainage system and deal with other technical aspects. We focus more on plant compatibility, what should be planted together, positioning and similar things.
“You can learn a great deal about the practical side from teachers. Learning from books is one thing, but when you actually work in practice, completely different questions arise.”
Another topic is the “fashion” of plants – what we plant in gardens and flower pots, what we put on windowsills and what we want to see in bouquets.
Agnese acknowledges that fashion really does exist in every area of life, from clothes to flowers.
“It is influenced by major distributors, new varieties and retailers. Floristry also reflects what is fashionable at a particular moment. For example, at the moment people have really embraced bouquets wrapped in paper – they attract more attention than bouquets without wrapping.
“It used to be the opposite: if the flowers were wrapped, people thought something was being hidden or that the flowers were not very good. Now, if there is no paper, people sometimes do not even look.
“It is similar with plants. People see a particular variety online, such as special petunias, and then want exactly those. The influence of the internet is very strong at the moment.”
In floristry, the beautiful result is only the visible part of the work. The floristry specialist programme at Bulduri Technical School teaches students to assess and prepare plant material, create bouquets, wreaths and interior decorations, plan event décor and oversee its installation.
Alongside composition and plant identification, the programme also covers customer service, calculating prices and estimates, inventory management and work organisation.
A floristry specialist must be able to listen to a customer, propose a solution within a set budget and timeframe, source the necessary materials and ensure that the idea works not only in the workshop, but also in a shop, celebration venue or event location.
At Bulduri Technical School, the floristry specialist programme is available to students who have completed Grade 12 and lasts one and a half years.
The school also offers programmes in landscape construction, catering and hospitality, while adults can take part in continuing education and courses.
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