Ruth Kenny, a former Tate curator and owner of new ‘alternative florist’ Rosebud draws on her background in art history to provide an alternative service unlike that one might expect from a traditional florist. With one of the busiest days of the year for florists looming, Rosebud have put together a special collection of Valentine’s bouquets inspired by famous couples: ‘Bogie and Bacall’, ‘Morticia and Gomez’ and ‘Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI’, so Kenny and co have you covered this year regardless of your loved one’s popular culture penchants. We spoke to Ruth about her background and finding her green fingers.
What is your background and what inspired you to become a florist?
I come from an art-history background and before coming back to Dublin last year to start a family, I was a curator at the Tate in London for several years. Flowers are something I’ve always loved and I’ve been arranging them since I can first remember. I grew up in the countryside and my father is a keen gardener and amateur botanist, so I guess a love of plants is in my DNA. Having done the flowers for a number of friends’ weddings over the last few years and really enjoyed it, I decided to turn a growing sideline into a business and Rosebud is the result.
What exactly is an ‘alternative florist’?
Rosebud is an ‘alternative florist’ in that we aim to offer something a bit different from the norm. Inspired by films, books, paintings and music, we specialise in offering beautiful, unique bouquets and event flowers with a large helping of imagination. Each bouquet takes its theme from a different source, from Wuthering Heights to Sunset Boulevard via Dutch Still Life Painting. We also love to use slightly ‘alternative’ flowers; unusual or old-fashioned varieties with the addition of twigs, berries, miniature fruit and other natural elements to give our arrangements a different feel.
Any particular plans for the coming months?
We’re teaming up with more Irish growers over the spring and summer months, which is central to our ethos in terms of sustainability. One of our suppliers, who grows out near Dublin airport, is 87 years old. We’re looking forward to calling on his many years of expertise and working some of his beautiful wild flowers into our bouquets and arrangements. We also have our first Rosebud wedding coming up in a few weeks time, which is very exciting, and creative collaborations with a number of fashion designers and craftspeople in the pipeline. 2015 is going to be busy!
For more see rosebuddublin.com
Words: Danny Wilson / Photo: Giita Hammond
