Have you ever wondered if we’ve allowed our little metro worlds to become so structured, safe and organised that we’re……missing out?
Everywhere you go there are signs prescribing expected behaviour and todays experience of something as fundamental as trading is a long, long way off from what our grandparents enjoyed. I say enjoyed because I believe the process of trading should and could be more than a transaction – it should be an enjoyable experience. You need only visit your local farmer’s market and the body language of the people browsing stalls is a long way off what you’ll observe in the local supermarket on any ordinary week day.
Enter my weekly dose of yesteryear – my floral elixir – The Sydney Flower Markets.
Whilst we specialise in silk and faux flowers at Secret Blooms we keep ourselves accountable to very high standards both in terms of quality of blooms and seasonal relevance. Visiting the markets every week not only inspires our designs it prompts timely seasonal ranging. It’s only through closely observing real blooms that we can be sure our eyes are trained to select the finest, most truest silk and faux flowers in our range.
The flower market comes alive long before most of us have contemplated rising. Whilst they’re open for trade Monday to Saturday – the main market days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Saturdays are a delight for the novice with market closing specials galore. Beautiful blooms in abundant variety at prices that will ensure your drive home is a floral spectacle!
In the early light of 5am the professionals of the industry are on the market floor, browsing, touching, smelling and collecting sumptuous armfuls of colour and bloom. I could watch this scene for hours – and I regularly do! The sights, sounds and smells are intoxicating. Its organised chaos like you’ve never seen. With forklift trucks whizzing about and traders blinded by armfuls of florals it could easily and mistakenly be interpreted as an alarming health and safety hazard. Thing is, it works. It works because people are left to do what they do best – trust their intuition and instinct. The market floor is dominated by people who have lived and breathed this space for generations.
I’ve been to the markets so often now that I’ve inadvertently stumbled across the wonderful nooks and crannies that give the market its richness like those quiet traders hiding in corners that handcraft the most wonderful organic artworks. Its these layers of richness that add to the magic of the place. If you don’t have time for regular visits then one of the most enjoyable inductions to the Sydney Flower Markets comes in the form of a Market Tour hosted by Judith Browne – owner and creative director of The Sydney Flower School. Hosting small, intimate tour groups, Judith will take you through the Sydney Flower Market in the early hours and give you an introduction to the markets only her vast experience in the industry can offer. Each tour is finished off with a gossip and sumptuous group breakfast at Scalas – which itself is a sumptuous feast for the senses with shelves and fridges decked in gourmet Italian delights.
Treat yourself to the time, space and sensory overload that is The Sydney Flower Markets.
Go on. Get drunk on blooms!
You’ll thank yourself for it.