Sharing what moves and inspires us.

Some of us are old enough to remember the dried flower trend of the 1980s, when arrangements of lavender, statice, and gypsophila were placed in wicker baskets or hung upside down in country kitchens, creating a sense of nostalgic, homespun charm.

Today, a new generation of florists and flower lovers is breathing new life into dried flowers, reimagining them with fresh, modern aesthetics. Today’s dried floral designs are sculptural, bold, and expressive, blending unexpected textures and dynamic forms.

Few understand this revival better than Layla Robinson, a pioneer in the world of dried flowers. With years of expertise in growing, drying, and arranging flowers, Layla has helped redefine the perception of dried flowers, transforming them from sentimental keepsakes into striking, contemporary designs. This resurgence reflects a growing appreciation for slow floristry, where nature’s ephemeral beauty is cherished rather than discarded.

Phoam has been developed for both wet and dry use, and Layla was one of the first florists to test an early iteration of Phoam during the development stage. Now, as she prepares to launch her highly anticipated book, Everlasting Blooms, we are thrilled that Phoam is featured within its pages, marking a new era for sustainable floral mechanics. The book is a celebration of dried flowers, offering expert guidance on drying techniques, innovative design methods, and the joy of working with nature in a way that is both creative and kind to the planet.

We spoke with Layla Robinson to learn more about her love for nature, her insights on dried flowers, and what sustainability truly means to her.
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What are your first memories of flowers growing up?

One of my very first flower memories were of the rock roses growing by the garden gate of
the cottage where I was born. I was crawling at the time! I grew up in a very beautiful place
called the golden valley in Herefordshire. From a very early age I can remember walking the
lanes picking wildflowers, and even trying to create my own wildflower garden (which failed
as I was only 4 or 5 years old at the time) My parents separated when I was three, and I can
remember one summer’s day that my dad Pat came to visit, and he dug me a small circular
flower bed and planted it with French marigolds that he had bought for me. I must have been
about 4, these memories were the beginnings of my life-long passion for flowers.

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How did your career in flowers begin?

Initially I studied garden and landscape design and management at Pershore College of
horticulture and went on to start my own business working in some of Herefordshire’s most
beautiful gardens owned by serious plant lovers and collectors. With the pregnancy of my
first daughter, I decided to change tack to be able to be more home-based and planted up a
cut flower garden and started my journey of flower growing and floristry, learning as I went.
This was at a time when British garden grown cut flowers was in its infancy, and there was
still a long way to go convincing a lot of the public that it was a thing and that these unique
blooms were not somehow ‘second hand’ compared to shop bought flowers.

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How has your business evolved over time?

It was from this that my passion for everlasting flowers was discovered, I just loved the
versatility, sustainability, organic textures of them. It was in winter when my fresh flower
garden was dormant, that I found other ways to provide floral decoration using foraged
branches, twigs, berries, seedpods, and my dried flowers. This sparked a newfound love for
dried floral sculpture which steadily grew as I explored and developed my knowledge. After
several years and two more daughters, I had started to get a name for my unique style of
everlasting flower sculpture and decided to make the leap and specialise in growing and using
dried florals entirely. The building of my new studio workspace in 2021 was a lifechanging
moment for me, breathing new possibility into my work and what I can achieve. Since then, I
have been able to create large installations for galleries, festivals, and exhibitions, have made
TV appearances, featured in lots of magazines, and written a book Everlasting Blooms due to
be published in June 2025. This year is looking exciting with more exhibitions coming up,
including a floral display at Chelsea Flower Show in May, and Strawberry Hill Flower
Festival in September

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What inspires you about dried flowers?

They speak to me! To my soul. The textures, shadow and light, it’s hard to put into words,
but I’m drawn to them, fascinated by them, and think of them more than is probably healthy!
For me, the sculptural effect of using dried flowers and having time to work with them was a
revelation. I could really take my time, and explore ideas, I just love the architectural
possibilities they open up. I also feel so much happier that the effort of all the growing,
harvesting, designing and creating that goes into a floral project can be enjoyed for years,
rather than just a few hours or days of fresh flowers. I love challenging people’s perception of

what dried (dead) flowers are, by creating bright, contemporary, striking pieces that exude a
sense of life and vitality. To add to this, every weed now has potential! Going for a walk at
any time of year is now filled with an abundance of texture and drying possibility. My eye is
always drawn to interesting shapes, pieces of wood, or a sprig of berries, or interesting seed
heads. I am also extremely grateful for the world they open up for me, the possibilities,
adventure, and creativity are a blessing. The people I meet through them, the places I go, it is
all a wonderful, beautiful learning journey, and I love that it is so rich and captivating,

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What does sustainability mean to you?

Sustainability is incredibly important to me. The consumption and disposability in the world
these days is terrifying. I hope that flowers may be a good way of making people more aware
that it doesn’t need to be this way, and there are many positive ways to improve how we view
and do things. Ideally, sustainability should start at the very beginning of a process and carry
all the way though to its end. My flowers are grown in no-dig beds using organic methods,
and no chemicals or pesticides. I try and disturb nature as little as possible as I grow my
flowers to help maximize wildlife habitat and food sources. I try to keep any man-made
materials to a minimum, so that they can be either re-used or compostable at the end. Dried
flowers increase the sustainability of having flowers in our lives enormously. A dried flower
arrangement needs no water or light, and can last months, or even years compared to the few
days that fresh cut flowers usually last. Many of the materials used in my creations are
foraged from the roadside verges and would be cut down by the hedge trimmers anyway.

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Why are flowers so important?

For whatever reason, flowers make people feel good and feel happy. We are inexplicably
drawn to them and have been throughout history, marking special moments and celebrations
of all kinds. They connect us to nature, and even though many may not even be aware of it,
having them in our spaces can create a sense of calm, wellbeing, and underlying happiness, or
even unadulterated joy! They are also a brilliant way of uniting and bringing people together
the world over. The love language of flowers is universal even if tastes differ. I think flowers
are a great way to tell a story, or spread a message through their design, and can reach people
that may not be possible in other ways. Flowers are good for us, they connect us, ground us,
and bring hope and beauty into the world.

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Layla Robinson’s Everlasting Blooms is set to be published on 19 June 2025 by @greenfinch_books and @quercusbooks. Follow Layla Robinson on Instagram: @laylarobinsondesign.

Learn with Layla's online courses

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