Best of Melbourne 2020: city’s top 10 florists revealed
Melbourne’s florists are a talented bunch, and now we’ve arranged your favourites into one sweet list. These floral artists are anything but garden variety — they’re the best in town. SEE ALL THE WINNERS AND FINALISTS
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Want to brighten someone’s day with a pretty bunch of flowers and looking for the best Melbourne spot to buy them?
Here’s your answer.
These florists are anything but garden variety.
In fact, they're the pick of the bunch — the winners of our latest Best of Melbourne poll, as chosen by you.
When we put the call out to find our city’s sweetest floral artists, you rose to the occasion, nominating scores of budding beauties.
Our winners are an assorted arrangement — from barely blooming to well-established businesses.
Here are the Melbourne florists with a growing success rate — they’re certainly ones you’ll forget-me-not.
You can also see all the finalists at the bottom of the story.
And check out our other Best of Melbourne polls HERE, including where to find our best hairdressers, butchers, coffee and ice cream.
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10. THE WILDE BUNCH, HURSTBRIDGE
799 Heidelberg-Kinglake Rd
With more than 35 years’ experience as a florist, Tracey Gilligan’s most loyal customers have become like family.
The Wilde Bunch owner opened her Hurstbridge store 10 years ago and said her community was “supportive” and “tight knit”.
“People return week after week for house flowers,” Ms Gilligan said.
While her formative years were spent alongside renowned florist Kevin O’Neill in his Toorak store, Ms Gilligan said her style was now her own.
“We try and be sustainable as we can. We’re a bit more garden-y, a bit more natural and wild,” she said.
With only one part-time employee to help her, Ms Gilligan has full creative control and isn’t getting sick of her work any time soon.
~Richard Pearce
More: www.thewildebunchflorist.com
facebook.com/thewildebunchflorist/
9. BABYLON FLOWERS, BRUNSWICK
238 Sydney Rd
A fun and friendly workplace and an understanding of customers are the secrets to success at Babylon Flowers.
Floral designers Sarah Beaumont and Kylie Williams were already working at a florist when Ms Beaumont decided to start her own business.
It wasn’t long before good friend Ms Williams was along for the ride.
The pair said it was their relationship and the ability to read people that made them unique.
“It’s an intuitive thing,” Ms Williams said.
“That’s what we love doing – meeting everyone and when we make something we design it for that person.”
Babylon Flowers gets a steady stream of loyal customers and is building a following on social media with almost 4000 fans on Instagram.
They have a retail store at 238 Sydney Rd, Brunswick and cater for weddings and corporate events.
~Richard Pearce
More: www.babylonflowers.com.au
facebook.com/BabylonFlowersMelbourne/
8. FLOWER POT FLORIST, RINGWOOD NORTH
15 Milne Place
Community is at the heart of Ringwood North’s Flower Pot Florist.
Tucked away in the suburb’s shopping centre, it opened in 1981 and Vicki Carroll has owned the shop since 2012.
Ms Carroll said she and her team prided themselves on customer service and doing things a little differently.
“We love to listen to our customers and do personalised styles, not just formula floristry,” she said.
“We try to individualise things to make it different for people.
“It’s about creating something unique and inspiring, not just your bread-and-butter type stuff.”
Ms Carroll said she and the team sourced different plants, unusual flowers and foliage to spice up their arrangements.
She said they were “a contemporary florist” which focused on Australian-made items and offered more than just flowers.
The shop’s product range includes plants, chocolates, bodycare products, candles and earrings.
Ms Carroll said she and her staff had formed great relationships with many loyal customers over the years.
“I have always had a love and passion for flowers, but I really love the community and the customers,” she said.
“Being part of the Ringwood North community up here is lovely.”
~Kiel Egging
More: www.flowerpotflorist.com.au
facebook.com/Flowerpotflorist/
instagram.com/flowerpot_florist/
7. MONSTERA FLOWERS, WILLIAMSTOWN
46 Ferguson St
Keeping up with the trends is important but a focus on customer service is making Giang Truong’s business flourish.
The Williamstown florist opened Monstera Flowers about two years ago after working in the industry for 15 years.
“We’re a small florist but we work really hard to make sure our customers are happy,” Ms Truong said.
“If someone isn’t happy with their arrangement we take it back and have another go, no questions asked.”
Ms Truong said bright, contrasting blooms were popular as well as a combination of fresh and dried flowers.
Customer Rebecca Theofanidou said the arrangements were “creative and exotic”.
“Definitely more of a wow factor than just a bunch of red roses,” she said.
Ms Truong said hearing such positive feedback and being named one of Melbourne’s best florists made all the hard work and early mornings worthwhile.
“We do have early starts to get to the flower markets,” she said.
“But I love what I do.”
The Ferguson St business was named after Ms Truong’s favourite plant – the Monstera.
“It has unusual dark green foliage that we use a lot in arrangements,” she said.
The unusual plant is also known for its longevity.
“It’s a good omen for our business.”
~Lucy Callander
More: www.monsteraflowers.com.au
facebook.com/Monstera-Flowers-1816980092210
instagram.com/monsteraflowershouse/
6. FORGET-ME-NOT FLORET, MT EVELYN
9 York Rd
From baby showers to weddings, there is no occasion that Mt Evelyn florist Liz Lilburn, owner of Forget-Me-Not Floret, won’t cover.
Her dedication to the task is regularly rewarded with beaming smiles from delighted customers.
Ms Lilburn’s ability to turn a client’s floral vision into a stunning wedding day reality impressed one bride so much she was moved to nominate her in Leader’s Best of Melbourne search for our favourite florists.
“I was over the moon and very surprised … I didn’t even know about it until she tagged me in it,” Ms Lilburn said.
“It’s seriously the best part of my job when people are happy with the work we provide, it makes it so much more meaningful and the long hours worthwhile.”
Jenny Phelan said Ms Lilburn styled her daughter’s wedding.
“The flowers for my daughter’s wedding were absolutely beautiful, so fresh, fragrant, colourful and beautifully arranged,” she said.
Tiana Bedwell said the talented florist had “a way with flowers”.
“Her work is magical and always so breathtaking,” she said.
Rebecca Nichols said Ms Lilburn provided the flowers for her engagement, bridal shower and wedding.
“Liz goes out of her way to make you happy and knows what flowers work well together for any event,” she said.
~Andrew Rogers
More: www.forgetmenotfloret.com
facebook.com/forgetmenotfloret/
instagram.com/forgetmenot_floret/
5. BLOOMS ON BRICE, MOOROOLBARK
10 Brice Ave
Kerri Grassby never realised on her walk home from school, carefully picking flowers from her neighbours’ gardens for her mother, that the pastime would lead to a lifelong love of floristry.
But her passion for blooms only grew, and when the chance to try the industry for work experience as a teenager came along, it set her on a path of owning her own business – Blooms on Brice – more than 30 years later.
This year the colourful shop will celebrate its 25th birthday as it continues to serve the tight-knit community shopping village, with locals keeping the florist in business.
Ms Grassby said since she first chose to open her flower shop in Mooroolbark she has seen the community grow and change.
Those who were once babies have now had babies of their own, she said.
“We had a boy, 16, send roses to someone on Valentine’s Day this year with a card that read ‘will you go out with me’,” Ms Grassby said.
“We also had a cute couple who proposed out the front of our shop the day before Valentine’s Day.”
But she said the shop offered more than just flowers, with her customers enjoying a good selection of gifts, candles, jewellery and other items.
“It’s a one-stop shop,” Ms Grassby said.
“Lots of people don’t like going to the big shopping centres.
“We offer more than just your standard florist.”
While Ms Grassby said her favourite flower changed all the time, a classic love had always been the peony rose.
“We use as many local growers and wholesalers as we can,” she said.
Ms Grassby said while some tropical flowers and those not in season were sometimes imported, she used local businesses where possible, including Australian Roses in Silvan.
~Laura Armitage
More: bloomsonbrice.com.au/newblooms/
4. RAINFLORIST, DIAMOND CREEK
1/20-24 Chute St
A Diamond Creek florist has been serving customers with quality flower bouquets since 2004 and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Rainflorist owner Aimee Sykes said the family-run business prided itself on personal customer service and quality flowers.
“We make sure everything we send out is quality,” she said.
“We also do everything we cannot to be just a face behind a phone call or an online order — it’s about being personal.”
The Chute St business has been operating out of the same shopfront since its establishment.
Ms Sykes said it was “incredible” to be acknowledged by customers.
“They are the reason we do what we do and it’s great to be recognised for our hard work.”
~Anthony Piovesan
More: rainflorist.com.au
facebook.com/rainfloristdiamondcreek/
instagram.com/rainfloristdiamondcreek/
3. HIDDEN FLORIST, SUNBURY
40 Philip Drive, appointment only
For Sunbury florist owner Karly Marshall, giving someone a special bunch of flowers is one of the best ways to spread joy.
Ms Marshall, who has owned her home-based business Hidden Florist for three years, said she offered unique arrangements for weddings, special occasions, and events.
“I create really unique arrangements – it’s an artwork for me,” she said.
“I’ve been a florist for 19 years now and I’m still so passionate about what I do.”
She said she loved preparing wedding florals.
“It’s not everyday that you get married. It’s something special to carry down the aisle. It gives me so much joy to be part of a couple’s special day.”
Ms Marshall said she was passionate about floristry from a young age.
“At 15, I watched senior florists’ work and learnt so much from them. I was always so amazed by their work.”
She said she sourced fresh flowers from local and international suppliers.
“I source the freshest flowers from local suppliers. I’m so lucky to have some fantastic suppliers that I deal with.
“I’m overwhelmed by the support that customers have shown me. I thank them so much and if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
~Suzan Delibasic
More: www.hiddenflorist.com.au
facebook.com/HiddenFloristAustralia/
2. IN THE BUNCH, NEWPORT
Business is blooming for florist Kellie Holowka, thanks to a revived passion for “showstopping” wedding arrangements.
Holowka, who has been a florist for 27 years, said flowers were “on-trend” at the moment, with people happy to pay big bucks for quality blooms.
“People’s appetite for flowers has really grown and they’ve had a bit of a resurgence — they’ve gone from being something stuck in the background to the feature of a venue or event,” she said.
Holowka said natives had enjoyed a steady boost in popularity over the years, with more and more people choosing them for their big day.
“Ten years ago you wouldn’t get asked to do natives that much but now people really appreciate them for their beautiful textures,” she said.
Holowka knows a thing or two about weddings — she has “done hundreds of them”, including a few generations in the same family.
“I get a lot of referrals so I’ve done several for sisters and cousins and friends of other brides, but recently I did the flowers for a mum getting married for the second time and her daughter getting married for the first time,” she said.
Holowka runs a one-woman show from her studio, but calls in help from Melbourne Flower School’s Kim Treherne-Cardillo for big orders.
The pairing gives students at the flower school a chance to get first-hand experience working on major events.
“Sometimes people spend $20,000-$30,000 on weddings and it’s a lot of work for just me, so it’s great to team up with Kim on those,” she said.
Client Nicole Drummond said she had been using In The Bunch since her wedding in 2016 and it “never disappoints”.
“With Kellie, anything is possible,” she said.
“If you have a vision, or none at all, she will create it.”
~Jordy Atkinson
More: www.inthebunch.com.au
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1. MORDIALLOC FLORIST, MORDIALLOC
1/507 Main St
Kiwi-born floral connoisseur Megan Thornton spotted a gap for brilliant blooms in the Mordialloc market more than a decade ago.
And over the past 13 years, the mother-of-three has shown the effect of flower power on Main St, with her vibrant garden sanctuary — named simply Mordialloc Florist — drawing in hundreds of loyal bud lovers each week.
Living in Dingley Village and her children at school in Parkdale, Ms Thornton knows the importance of strong community ties — with her clientele stemming from her immediate bayside circle through to the Mornington Peninsula and inner Melbourne.
Three years ago, long-time customer Kylie Smits of Edithvale jumped on board as a business partner with husband Mike.
“I knew Mordialloc was an up-and-coming suburb so I developed a store that catered to mid to high-end clientele,” Ms Thornton said.
“We like to really showcase what’s available seasonally and see people get the best outcome for whatever the occasion … from hen’s crowns to end of life celebrations and weddings.”
The hard work has paid off, with Mordialloc Florist being voted Melbourne’s best florist.
The shop prides itself on long-lasting blooms with exceptional quality and stocks bouquets starting at $55.
The team does not outsource online orders and guarantees same-day delivery for customers located in most areas of Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.
“When we go to the markets we don’t just get the standard stock, we’re always looking for something different,” Ms Smits said.
“We want people to see something different every time they walk through the door, something that makes them say ‘wow’.”
Customer Maroussia Fewkes said Mordialloc Florist offered “the perfect balance between art and floristry”.
“Their posies are just sublime — you’ve never seen anything prettier,” she said.
And Katrina Woodman said: “Everything is amazing but one of my favourites is their orchids in large glass vases.”
~Brittany Goldsmith
More: www.mordiallocflorist.com.au