Walking into Hanako Flower Shop isn’t like walking into any old florist. It’s the start of a floral journey, where you will take more away than just a bouquet of flowers.
We’ve always been a creative space for people to come and explore, create and purchase beautiful florals, but recently we made a big move, and now we have so many more exciting things in store.
So, what’s the story behind Hanako?
Hanako Flowers, now based in the Courtyard of Ashridge House, launched itself as an exciting new concept to Berkhamsted High Street back in August 2021.
Jump back a few months prior to March 2021, when Haylee, Hanako’s founder, first met with Kate (aka Polly), who she knew previously from the beautiful floristry installations she had done throughout Berkhamsted High Street. The idea of Hanako (meaning ‘Flower Girls’ in Japanese) was pitched, and immediately, they knew that with Kate’s creativity and their joint passion for creating unique experiences, they would be able to create something amazing for the people of Berkhamsted.
Taking inspiration from the Japanese language of flowers, Hanakotoba, where each flower has a meaning and represents an emotion, Haylee and Kate sought to honour this tradition which has been lost over time in our own culture. They did this by creating a beautiful and relaxing space for everyone to enjoy floral experiences and learn about the flowers going into their bouquets.
Gone were the days of a florist working behind the scenes with no one able to see the art being created. Anyone who stepped through Hanako’s doors could see it in the making, and still can, with our one of a kind ‘Florist’s Table’.
Offering people different ways to encounter the beauty of flowers – such as in-store bespoke arrangements, online bouquet deliveries to their door, seasonal and one-to-one hands-on workshops, and floral services for weddings and events – Hanako quickly became an established high-end luxury florist, with the demand for their variety of floral services growing.
It grew to the point that our small team of talented florists, Kate, Laura, Fiona and Nicki, needed more space, not only to build their creations, but for people to enjoy flowers in different ways.
Jump forward to September 2022 and Hanako were lucky enough to partner up with the exquisite Ashridge House, who offered them a private workshop space, as well as a beautiful shop space in the heart of their Courtyard. By October 2022 the move was complete and Hanako has reopened its doors to anyone and everyone who visits Ashridge House.
With this new space, the team are able to offer even more experiences to people who want to learn the art of floristry, or who would like us to help them bring their special event to life with flowers. With two exciting seasonal floristry workshops coming up before the end of the year, and with Christmas just around the corner, our flower girls are busy planning for not only this, but for all that is to come in 2023.
Hanako will now be one of Ashridge House’s preferred wedding suppliers, offering brides and grooms bespoke and personal floral services to make their day one to remember. We can’t wait to inspire couples with contemporary and creative installations, sustainable mechanics, and our delicately detailed hand tied bouquets.
We will also be hosting a full calendar of monthly floral workshops, where people can become the florist themselves and come away with new skills and knowledge, as well as their own beautiful arrangement.
As well as this, we have just launched our next day national delivery service, so you can now send our luxury bouquets to friends or loved ones who are further afield.
Find out more about Hanako Flower Shop and their services on their website.
Book on to one of their upcoming Christmas Wreath Workshops at Ashridge House here.