Question
Hi my names Rebecca and I`m 17 years old.  Recently I`ve become interested in flower arrangement and have even considered going into it as a profession.  My question is can I make a good living being a florist and where might I go to get training in the field?  Thank you.

Answer
Hi Rebecca, thanks for your enquiry. This is a hard one for me to answer really as it does depend on so many things.
I was 18 when I started in a florist  although I had worked in a garden centre up until then and had been shown quite a bit already.  I have enjoyed the past 21 years as a florist but I do wish I had gone into it in a different way.
It's not an easy job. It's cold in the winter, long long hours at Mother's day and Valentines and Christmas, the pay to begin with is pretty lousy, you get dirty, you can't really dress up for work as your clothes get spoilt so quickly. It's sad dealing with bereavements, it's nerve wracking dealing with weddings. The whole day is governed by time with deliveries. There are some good points though especially if you do love flowers and you are artistic.
College is a good idea. In England you can study a City & Guilds in Floristy and there are quite a few colleges around which offer these.  I still feel the best way is to start at the bottom and work your way up in a good, busy flower shop.  You'll gain all sorts of knowledge this way and be paid at the same time!   A big city is a good place to start.  In London for example, the florists there deal with alot of contract work, making regular, huge displays in hotels and trendy restaurants. This would be so interesting and you'd get to use all different sorts of materials. But be prepared to start at the beginning, sweeping floors, making tea, etc etc but if you are really keen to learn, any florist worth their salt will notice this and nurture it, they may even offer an in-house training programme.  When you do apply for a job, interview them as to what they can offer you. Ask if they have contract work to do, see how busy they are.... if they're not, then try elsewhere. A dead end shop will only offer a dead end job.
You may also look into evening classes?
Give it a go but don't be put off. Give it time
Good luck
Sue