Glasshouse Flower Arranging Workshop in NW11: £50 Wreaths

The Flower School teaches inside a renovated old glasshouse at the Flower Station garden centre, 788A Finchley Road, London NW11 7TJ, in Hampstead Garden Suburb. It is one of the cheapest places in London to try a flower arranging workshop: the BYOB bouquet class costs £75, the version with a glass of Prosecco costs £82, and the December wreath class costs £50, with coffee and cake from the garden cafe on the house.

The school is run by Flower Station, which it describes as one of the leading florists in London. Instead of a city-centre studio, it set up at a garden centre in the suburb, where the central feature is a beautiful old glass house structure that has been renovated into the school room. The light is the point: on a bright winter day you work under glass, with the garden centre's shrubs and pots outside.

That setting also makes it a relaxed place for a class. You are not squeezed between delivery orders in a working shop, and the garden cafe is on site for a coffee before you start. The school is clear that its flower courses are not accredited. These are hobby classes and day courses for people who want to make something good for the table, not a route into a professional qualification.

The Flower Workshop with Prosecco costs £82 for 90 minutes. Saturday sessions start at 2pm and finish at 3.30pm, and Thursday sessions run from 4pm to 5.30pm. Remaining 2026 dates include Thursday 29 October, Saturdays 7, 14 and 28 November, Thursday 10 December, Saturday 12 December and Thursday 31 December. All flowers and materials are provided, and the Prosecco comes as a complimentary glass.

The BYOB Flower Workshop is the same length and teaches a hand-tied bouquet, at £75. The idea is simple: bring your own beer, or any other drink you prefer, and save £7 on the Prosecco class. For a group of friends who already have a bottle in mind, BYOB is the better deal. For a gift, the £82 version is easier to explain, since the drink is included and nobody has to carry anything.

The Art of Wreath Making is the bargain of the season at £50, which undercuts the £90 to £250 charged by the other London studios in this series. Sessions run either from 11.30am to 1pm or from 4.30pm to 6pm, with December 2026 dates on Saturday 5, Thursday 10, Thursday 17, Saturday 19 and Thursday 24 December. Coffee and cake are available at the premises, which helps on a cold morning when you are working with damp moss.

The One Day Wedding Floral Course costs £185 and runs from 11am to 3.30pm on dates including Saturday 24 October, Saturday 31 October, Thursday 5 November, Saturday 21 November and Thursday 3 December. You design your own bridal bouquet, a buttonhole, a corsage and a flower girl accessory, with a complimentary glass of Prosecco. It is aimed at couples planning a wedding or friends making the flowers for one, so skip it if you only want a single bouquet.

The school also lists a Floral Seasonal Table Arrangement and a Romantic Vase Arrangement at £85 each, a Seasonal Hand-Tied Bouquet and Table Arrangement at £175, a Seasonal Wreath and Garland Making Course at £150, and a Floral Tablescape Day Course at £195. No dates for these were listed for this autumn, so the bouquet and wreath sessions are the ones you can actually book right now.

Book at least 48 hours before your chosen class, because the school does not take last-minute places. On the day, aim to arrive 15 minutes before the start. Questions can also go by email to the school address shown on the website.

All the flowers you need for the course are covered, and the school offers students a cup of coffee and a slice of cake at its Garden Cafe as part of the class. Work on the table can get wet and messy, especially with wreath moss, so wear something you do not mind marking. The Thursday 4pm slots finish at 5.30pm, after dark in December, so plan the journey home before you set off.

The nearest bus stop is Temple Fortune Hill, a six-minute walk from the glasshouse. The nearest Tube is Golders Green on the Northern line, about 15 minutes on foot. Drivers are pointed to the nearest car parks, the Indigo car park and the one at Brent Cross station. In the dark winter evenings, the bus from Golders Green is the easier option.

After a morning wreath class, walk up to Hampstead Heath Extension, the open fields on the suburb's southern edge, or wander the Arts and Crafts streets of Hampstead Garden Suburb towards Central Square and St Jude's church. The shops and cafes of Temple Fortune on Finchley Road are close by too, if the cafe cake has not been enough.

If every December wreath date fills up, The Flower Appreciation Society in De Beauvoir runs £90 evening wreath sessions in early December. The Flower School wins on price and on setting, with the old glasshouse and garden centre around it, while the east London studio suits people who want a foam-free method and a city location.

Address: The Flower School, Flower Station garden centre, 788A Finchley Road, London NW11 7TJ. Nearest bus stop: Temple Fortune Hill. Nearest Tube: Golders Green. Flower Workshop with Prosecco: £82. BYOB Flower Workshop: £75. Art of Wreath Making: £50. One Day Wedding Floral Course: £185. Book 48 hours ahead and arrive 15 minutes early. Cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before by phone.