During one of my Facebook scrolls looking for events for work, I came across a different kind of activity. The event’s cover photo caught my eye first. Colourful flowers spread out on a table and five brown-haired women creating bouquets. It was a flower workshop by Mardis Florart. I clicked on the event. The pictures were stunning and as you may know, I love flowers and the idea of a series of workshops teaching different arrangement techniques sounded exciting!

I’m always looking for something alternative to do and I love discovering new activities in Cyprus. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something fresh pops up. This felt like one of those moments. Lately, I’ve realized how much time I spend looking at screens. My work requires me to sit in front of a computer 8 hours a day but even in my free time, I still find myself online. Social media, movies and even chatting with friends now takes place digitally and I actively have to plan activities that are offline, away from screens, are more physically active and hands-on because I type all day, every day.

I started looking into Mardis Florart and what they do. They are a Floral Design and Event Planning company decorating weddings, parties, christenings and so on. I got in touch with them for a newspaper feature. Talking with the founder and owner, Maria Dianellou, I saw how passionate she was about her work and she told me how during the lockdown she finally found the time to launch her flower workshops – something she’s been wanting to do for a while. Mardis Workshops has its own Facebook and Instagram pages where you can find all of the upcoming events. One had caught my eye.

It was a Flower Crown and Corsage workshop in mid-September which Maria kindly gifted to me. I went alone. I was apprehensive about going solo. It sounded like the perfect activity to do with your girlfriends but when I arrived at her studio in Laiki Geitionia in Nicosia, all those worries washed away. I wouldn’t really call her space a ‘studio’. It’s more like a mansion. One of those old Cypriot homes with tall ceilings and a patio. We climbed the round staircase into the workspace to a beautiful granite table with vases filled with fresh flowers and greenery.

Soft music was playing in the background and Maria began showing us the first steps of creating our flower crown. Given the current conditions, the number of participants was very small and there were gloves and antiseptics available, whilst we tried to socially distance from each other.

The flowers were fresh, all imported and of various kinds. We collected whatever flowers and colours we liked and step by step started assembling our crowns, taping flowers onto a metallic base. The process was fairly easy once you got the hang of it. It’s a bit of a balancing act trying to keep the flowers on the spot you want them whilst taping them on and trying to imagine how it will develop. The instructions to follow were few and simple so after a bit, it felt mindless. I enjoyed that about the process, I simply focused on creating my design and nothing else, trying to see how to best combine the flowers.

Though we all had the same flowers to choose from, our combinations were completely different and we ended up with totally independent crowns. That’s the beauty of it, I guess. Each person expresses their creativity and emotions through different colours and combinations. Once the first hour was gone, doing a hands-on activity felt intensely relaxing. My mind was free and my eyes focused solely on the colours of the flowers. In between, we chatted while Maria helped us with our creations and poured us a glass of wine. She was friendly, casual and had insightful flower tips.

By the end of the workshop, not only did I have a stunning flower headpiece – which I did not take off for the rest of the night – and a corsage, but I also felt refreshed and energised. It was incredible to create something using my hands and spend time away from screens! It gave my eyes and brain a much-needed break. I see now why Maria says this is like therapy for her. It felt like an ideal activity to do with your friends or your mum and Maria told me that she also does this for private events. Let’s say you’re organising a hen’s party or celebrating someone’s birthday, Maria can take her workshops anywhere.

It’s a different kind of activity. A highly creative one, fun and relaxing. This workshop’s normal price was €45 which included all of the flowers and tools used, Maria’s time and expertise. Not to mention that you get to take your creation home with you!

I asked Maria how I can best preserve my flower crown because honestly it’s so stunning and I want to re-use it as home décor. She advised me to dry it by placing it upside down in a dark, closed space (like a closet) for a few days. This helps it dry out without ruining or crumbling the flowers. I’ll give it a go!

The experience was incredible. I certainly recommend it if you want to try out something different, whether alone or with friends. I especially look forward to her Christmas-themed workshops. Maria, you can sign me up from now!

Check our her work and upcoming workshops here: Mardis Workshops