Meet Ruslana - a day in the life of a florist

In the midst of our enchanting garden centre in the heart of Hampstead Garden Suburb, we spoke to Ruslana, one of our most trusted florists. Originally from Ukraine, Ruslana joined us in September 2022 and has had a blossoming career with us ever since.

We asked Ruslana what she loves so much about her job and why she feels the Flower Station is such a special place to work.

What made Ruslana want to work with flowers?

Ruslana has been working with flowers for the last seven years. We asked her why.

One of Ruslana’s initial memories of floristry was as a six-year old girl in Kiev, living with her parents. She reminisces upon walking inside a flower shop and simply thinking ‘wow’. Creativity is something that has always lived within Ruslana. Growing up, she wanted to be a designer. Yet, with a desire to help others and spread happiness, she then decided she wanted to be a vet and work with animals. However, as she entered adulthood and entered the world of work, something within her changed…

Ruslana explains, ‘I just wasn’t happy and I wanted to change that’.

After listening to her heart, Ruslana made the decision to flip her life on its head and make her childhood dreams come true, beginning her career as a florist. Ruslana tells us that she now wakes up every morning knowing that she is going to her favourite job.

The best part about Ruslana’s job is not simply the opportunity to get hands-on and let her creative spark flow, creating amazing bouquets, but she gets to make people happy in the process. It really is true that ‘happiness is contagious’.

For Ruslana, flowers are so special because they are so simple, yet are capable of spreading such meaningful messages from the heart. Not only does Ruslana get to create a bouquet that says ‘I love you’, but for her, flowers are therapy to the soul.

We asked Ruslana which bouquets she enjoys creating the most. But Ruslana tells us it’s not so simple. When she’s feeling happy, she creates bouquets of bright, warm colours and when she’s feeling down, her bouquets are moodier, with dark reds and deep shades. Comparing her work to the work of an artist, Ruslana explains that she paints her life with flowers. Her work deeply comes from her soul and speaks from her heart.

Favourite flowers?

Perhaps a cliché answer from a florist, but Ruslana doesn’tactually have a favourite flower! She thinks all flowers are beautiful and unique in their own way. One flower that she isn’t fussed for, however, is the rose! While she does admit they look great in every bouquet, Ruslana’s personal style is less traditional and more wild.

How did Ruslana begin her career at the Flower Station?

When Ruslana first came to London, she knew she wanted to work with flowers. Pretty much within the first few days of her arrival, she came across our store in Hampstead Garden Suburb and it was love at first sight. Gazing upon the seemingly endless greenery and vibrant colours that were bursting out of the store, Ruslana knew it was a place she just had to work at.

What’s next for Ruslana?

While Ruslana absolutely adores working at the Flower Station, this is not her final stop. Ruslana has always dreamt of opening her own shop, filled with vibrant, colourful blooms. Opening up her own shop would give Ruslana the opportunity to give others that ‘wow’ feeling she first felt upon entering into her first ever flower shop. Her biggest goal in life is to make people happy, making bouquets that will create smiles everyday and add more colour and happiness to the world.

We can’t wait to see what Ruslana’s future holds and are looking forward to seeing where her career takes her next.

Wise words of advice from Ruslana

After sharing her personal love story with floristry, Ruslana wanted to end the conversation with a piece of advice. That is, don’t listen to what others tell you to do, or what others think you should do. The only way to be happy in this world is to follow your passions and dreams and do what makes you feel good.

Start your career with us

Has Ruslana inspired you to make a change and commence a career as a florist? We are always looking for more bright, talented, creative and hardworking individuals to join our family here at the Flower Station. So don’t hesitate to get in touch if you think a career with us is for you.