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All in the details | House of Florelle
All in the details | House of Florelle
Through House of Florelle, Georgia Casey welcomes visitors to her rural property for floral workshops, garden parties and events that showcase her love of flowers, creativity and the finer things.
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This story was told with the support of House of Florelle in Sage Vol. 1
When Georgia Casey and her husband moved back to her childhood cottage on a farm near Kemureti Cambridge, the youngest of their three daughters was just four weeks old.
The small cottage garden she inherited had been somewhat neglected – it was more paddock than plants. A few established trees and hedges offered some shape, but the rest was open space, waiting to be tended. Having pictured this garden for years, when Georgia moved back from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland in 2020, she dived straight in. “I launched into designing the space and planting everywhere – left, right, and centre,” she says. Her goal was to build a place for her family, as well as a setting for the floral events she had long dreamed of hosting.
Taking shape
While living in Auckland, Georgia bought fresh flowers to fill her home each week. Back on the farm, growing her own was the obvious next step. What started as growing cut flowers just for herself and her family quickly led to selling the extra blooms as subscription buckets, bouquets at a local cafe and flowers for local offices.
Georgia also began reshaping the garden so it was less about production in every space, and more about areas to sit, wander and relax. The front paddock was allotted to rows of cut flowers, while the cottage garden became a place for events for her business, House of Florelle.
Georgia is not aiming for uniform perfection and describes her gardening process as trial and error. She’s rebuilt one garden three times, moved plants when they didn’t work, drawn inspiration from her visits to other gardens, and responded to her own changing tastes.
The complete experience
“I have always loved flowers and entertaining. Hosting people and creating occasions with elevated detail and elegance has been a passion of mine,” says Georgia. So it felt natural to open her home and garden for floral workshops, seasonal gatherings and garden parties. “As we developed the property and settled in, I simply loved being here and thought it should be shared with others.”
Preparing for events calls for more than just weeding and trimming. Georgia’s focus on detail touches everything, from the flowers and candles throughout the house, to the tableware and linens for guests. It’s all about creating a complete experience for her guests; where people can slow down, step away from daily demands and immerse themselves in something creative.
Hosting her first workshop was equal parts excitement and nerves. “Raising flowers on the same ground I was raised on made it especially meaningful,” says Georgia. “I wasn’t just sharing blooms, but a piece of myself too.” The day wasn’t ideal – it was cold and wet. “I was so close to cancelling,” she admits. But with people travelling from as far as Auckland, she knew she just had to make it work.
Though the dream was for sunshine, that first day still turned out to be a beautiful one. “The women were relaxed, chatting and laughing as they worked, surrounded by candles, moody tunes, and warm coffee and cake,” Georgia says. “I really felt such a sense of achievement because for me, the mood and atmosphere of my workshops are just as important as the learning itself.”
A challenging landscape
Gardening – like running a business – is a constant learning curve for Georgia. “I think gardening is something that grows with time, passion and patience,” she says. “It might be a small border garden, or pots on your deck – either way, you’ll learn so much from that first step.” Georgia’s not afraid to change what isn’t working, and she expects her garden and offerings will never truly stand still. “I imagine the garden will continue to change as my appetite for flowers, foliage and texture shift in time,” she says. Each season brings a new flower to grow, a different texture to play with or a variety that proves itself in her soil.
While she relishes hosting others, the garden is, of course, just as much for her whānau (family). One of her favourite times is walking the garden with her husband, her three girls running free around the space, soaking in the familiar sounds of the countryside.
This story was told with the support of House of Florelle
florelle.co.nz | @houseof_florelle_
