Mark Grehan has worked in London, Sydney, New York and across Ireland, as a landscape and floral designer for both private and commercial clients including Gucci, Chanel, COS, Hermès, & Other Stories, Ballynahinch Castle and Brown Thomas. He is the founder and owner of landmark floral design studio and store “The Garden” in Powerscourt Townhouse, Dublin.
How did you get into floral design?
I have had an interest in the outdoors for as long as I can remember. I got a Saturday job in a flower shop when I was young so my love for flowers and horticulture really started there.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I grew up in Connemara which is of course known for its unique beauty.
The surrounding barren landscapes of heather, bracken and gorse fields have definitely inspired a lot of my work. Overall, I tend to be drawn to landscapes, changing skies, just the overall beauty of this country. I also get a lot of inspiration from art galleries particularly in terms of colour palettes and tones.
Tell us about The Garden?
After studying Horticulture at University, I started my own landscape floral business in 2005. In 2010, having always enjoyed working with people, I realised my dream of becoming a shopkeeper and opened “The Garden”. Located in the foyer of the Powerscourt Townhouse, it has become one of Dublin’s city’s landmarks full of beautiful plants and flowers. I am delighted to say that we have become one of Ireland’s leading floral design studios creating flowers for events, weddings, landscape designs and of course for the shop itself.
Do you have a signature style?
It tends to be quite loose, organic, and free flowing, incorporating elements from the west of Ireland. I tend to work closely with my clients to bring their dreams to life.
Describe a memorable event/career highlight
I was asked to design and create a large scale floral garden for a Brown Thomas fashion show. We used thousands of Summer blooms to create a catwalk backdrop and all the flowers were repurposed into bouquets for the customers the next day. It took a lot of people and was a big challenge but an incredible experience creating a garden in the middle of the store.
Read the full interview in The Spring Edit of GalwayNow, on shelves now.
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