Meet Charlie McCormick, the Floral Designer You Need to Follow on Instagram
Feast your eyes on the English countryside, gorgeous gardens and beautiful blooms.
"Flowers are meant to bring joy," said Charlie McCormick, the gardener/floral designer whose flower-filled Instagram (@mccormickcharlie) boasts more than 33,000 followers, explaining his love of whimsical blooms and fantastical designs. The native New Zealander, who now resides in Dorset, England, has been potting plants and milling about gardens for as long as he can remember, and he gave us the inside scoop on his go-to flowers, creating the perfect centerpiece and why you should consider growing your own wedding bouquet.
On finding inspiration
"I look for inspiration from old English gardens, Dutch master paintings and the way flowers spread in the natural environment," McCormick said of his picturesque Dorset, England garden, which he changes seasonally.
Let flowers be a little wild
On his favorite breeds
McCormick gravitates toward "traditional English flowers" and says tulips get better with age, while dahlias are "magical" thanks to the array of colors and shapes they come in. He also loves sweet peas, poppies and roses when they are "blowsy and overblown."
Color families
Pinks, reds and corals
On choosing wedding flowers
McCormick married Ben Pentreath (right), the architect/interior designer who decorated the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Kensington Palace apartment, in a July 2015 ceremony. While he has not done the flowers for any weddings to date, he did handle the blooms for his big day.
English country wedding
A peek inside McCormick and Pentreath's reception in Dorset. While planting and growing your own flowers takes about two years of planning — and ample space — McCormick said the payoff is well worth it. He encourages couples to forgo formal training in favor of doing what inspires them but notes that it is important to be mindful of the season and the venue.
On his favorite arrangements
"I like color and unusual shapes and forms," said McCormick, who described his design style as having "traditional bones" but with a more "loose and natural feel."
Loose blooms
Nothing too fussy
On creating the perfect centerpiece
"I like lots of little vases and silver cups scattered down the tables filled with tulips, or anemones or Icelandic poppies, with trailing honeysuckle and flowering climbers."
Many small vases
On current flower trends
"Dahlias and chrysanthemums seem to be having a moment, and I am seeing a lot of orchids being used at some really beautiful parties now. I feel like unusual things like daffodils and 1950s-inspired flowers will be returning soon."
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