We've been so lucky to have Ashley Plainos of Ashton Creative here for workshops over the years. And it was so kind of her to answer a few of my questions.
What is your first memory of flowers?
My Great-Grandmother's front garden had these huge climbing rose bushes. She used to cut them for me and wrap the stems in tinfoil so I wouldn’t prick my fingers on the thorns.
Did you have another career before becoming a florist?
I worked as an office manager for a few years after university before going full time with my floral business, which was a great help for my admin organizational skills!
What inspired the name of your business, Ashton Creative?
I didn’t want to use my actual name in my business name, so I used Ashton as a substitute. It came from this stuffed white bunny that my Papa brought to me in the hospital when I was born. It was one of those Gund toys with a name tag on it that said “Hi, my name is Ashton”. He didn’t know when he bought it that my parents named me Ashley so it was a total coincidence.
Any surprises once embarking upon this flower journey?
Oh, so many. I can’t even begin to remember them all. Running your own business is tough, but nothing could have prepared me for the roller coaster that was the 2020 pandemic. That was a wild ride, but we made it through!
What do you love about being a florist? What don’t you love?
My favourite part is being present at my couple’s ceremonies. I have been able to witness so many incredible love stories and been very moved by a number of them. Second to that is when the couple walks into their reception room reveal. Seeing all of the hard work come together and the joy on their faces is so rewarding.
I definitely have questioned my career choices during a few all-nighters. It’s hard not to when it’s 4am and you haven’t had any sleep. But luckily, those days are behind me as I now have a great team to support a better work/life balance.
Have you had doubts over the years? What did you do to quiet the doubt? And persevere with your passion?
Everyone has moments of doubt, but I’ve always known that this is the thing I am meant to be doing. Whenever I have doubts or feelings of imposter syndrome I think back to the beginning of my career and remember that where I am today is something I could have only dreamed of back then. It’s pretty amazing to look at your life that way. We spend so much time thinking of what’s next, that we don’t necessarily think of what we HAVE accomplished and that’s an important thing to remember.
What is unique about your style?
I definitely have a romantic, garden style, to my florals, but I really try to create what my clients are after. Just because you favour a particular design style, doesn’t mean you can’t do another. I’ve done several modern, sleek designs for clients in the past for example, which isn’t prevalent in my portfolio. Making the client’s vision come to life is more important in my opinion. It’s their wedding after all!
Favourite flower & why?
White O’hara garden roses. Their smell is my favourite thing in the world.
I imagine there is some level of stress in this industry. A few unknowns. How do you manage and/or work with/through the more stressful moments?
I always try to keep a calm and level head in any given situation. It’s impossible to act when you let your emotions run away with you and focus on the problem itself and who’s at fault. The important thing in the moment is to think of what can be done to find a solution and act on it. You can figure out who’s to blame later and deal with it accordingly.
What do you enjoy doing outside of your flower arranging?
I love to read so I spend a lot of my down time with a good book. I also like being outside (when the weather is nice) so I go for long walks in my neighbourhood, which I love. There are a lot of beautifully kept homes and gardens where I live so I enjoy seeing their progression over the spring and summer months.
Why are flowers, and the act of buying flowers for others & ourselves important?
Flowers really do make people happy. I hear it from my clients and their guests all the time. The best ones are those given for no reason at all in my opinion, so it’s always a special treat when you are surprised by a loved one with them as a gift.
Where do you envision yourself & the business five years’ from now?
I hope to be doing what I’m doing now. After 15 years in business I finally have a good work-life balance and I’d like to maintain it. I have a wonderful team who I enjoy working with so much. We laugh and joke around when we are in studio designing. It makes me feel so good to know I have a happy and joyful work environment, since not everyone does. I feel really lucky to have that. And we work with wonderful couples who appreciate what we offer and that’s just the cherry on top!
