My name is Camelia – florist, creative director, and founder of Austen Flowers. I am often asked if this is my real name… You could say that, with a name like Camelia, I have been predestined to work with flowers. I couldn’t dream of doing anything else; the flowers give me strength and energy and I, in turn, am fortuitous in bringing smiles and happiness everywhere I bring my floral creations.

My journey started about 40 years in my grandmother’s herb garden in Romania – I can still remember the cascading rose bushes tumbling over neat rows of parsley, wild strawberries and thyme (you will often find fragrant rosemary, mint, blackberries and fruit in my designs).  Couple of degrees in horticulture later, my journey continues to London and Sheffield in the plant nursery fields, and then to Ireland.