Educating a new generation of Florists since 2013.

Preparing to launch ⸻

Introducing ourselves at the Melbourne Flower Show ⸻

Bloom's Beginnings

When Bloom College first opened its doors in March 2013, it was born from a simple but powerful realisation: flowers are medicine for the soul.

Founder Yvette Timmins, an award-winning florist with over 30 years of industry experience, established the school at a pivotal time in her life. Having discovered that the simple act of arranging flowers was a pathway to healing and mindfulness, she set out to build a space that didn’t just teach the mechanics of floristry but also nurtured the spirit.

Before Bloom College existed, Yvette Timmins taught the government-accredited Certificate III in Floristry at Gordon TAFE in Geelong.

While Yvette loved teaching the craft of floristry, she noticed a disconnect. Her classrooms were filled with highly educated students – many with university degrees -who found the rigid, “tick-a-box” nature of the government curriculum frustrating. They were often looking for a change and wanted creativity and flexibility, not just a piece of paper.

Our first classroom ⸻

Our first workshops ⸻

Introducing Bloom College

Driven by a vision to make floristry accessible to everyone, Yvette began building Bloom College behind the scenes in 2012.

On March 24, 2013, Bloom officially introduced itself to the world with a “triple launch” at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, debuting an installation and introducing Bloom College to the floristry world and at the same time, debuting the website and launching the pioneering Bloom College App, ensuring that people could access floristry education from anywhere in Australia, and the world.

Classrooms & Career Changers

We started small, with Yvette and a small team offering hobby workshops in hired classrooms across Port Melbourne and Geelong. The response was immediate. Whether it was building a terrarium, making a bouquet, or joining a 5-week beginner course, the classes filled as fast as we could schedule them.

Demand grew so quickly that Bloom College opened its own dedicated campuses in Port Melbourne and Geelong. It was here that we introduced our Career Change Courses, designed for those ready to turn their passion into a profession.

These courses were different. We took students out of the classroom to visit flower markets and growers. We taught them event floristry, but more importantly, we taught them modern business acumen. While other schools focused only on mechanics, we taught marketing, strategy, and real-world industry skills.

The result? Bloom College graduates entered the workforce more equipped than their peers. They were highly sought after by employers, and many went on to become industry leaders who now employ the next generation of Bloom students!

Our graduates ⸻

Bloom From Anywhere

Yvette also saw a desperate need for accessibility. She met aspiring florists from regional Australia and Tasmania who couldn’t travel to the city, and she connected deeply with those unable to attend traditional classrooms due to physical or mental disabilities.

This was personal. Earlier in her life, Yvette had navigated her own journey through agoraphobia. She knew firsthand that healing came from a mix of mindfulness and nature, something she found within the craft of floristry.

She wanted to share this lifeline with others who felt isolated, creating a way for them to learn without barriers.

Inspired by the positive impact this had on students, Yvette decided to dive deeper into her story with her book Feed Your Soul With Flowers, and the accompanying online Flower Therapy course, to ensure this content was available far and wide.

When the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Yvette made the difficult decision to close the physical classrooms. However, because the school was born with digital accessibility in mind, Bloom College didn’t stop; it just pivoted.

The online curriculum has since become the core of Bloom College. It allowed our community to stay connected and creative during the hardest of times, and now continues this mission to ensure it’s possible to Bloom from anywhere.

Today, Bloom College operates primarily online, with two membership communities:

Plus a host of different online courses for different floristry levels:

Bloom College is working to continue growing our communities and online offerings, with the aim of recommencing some in-person training and workshops again in the future.

The Bloom College philosophy remains: as we grow, our business grows, and what sets Bloom College apart is its holistic approach. Not only teaching students how to run a business or how to wire a rose, but how to bloom into themselves, their careers and their creativity. Whether you are here to launch a career, start a business, or find your centre, we invite you to grow with us!

A new era Blooms ✳︎

Meet Yvette

"I believe flowers are essential to our self-fulfilment. Their energy is food for the soul."

For Yvette Timmins, flowers are more than just a profession – they are a family legacy. With a Grandmother, Great Aunt, and Great-Grandmother who were all florists, it would be easy to say that creativity is in her blood. However, Yvette believes that the art of floristry isn’t a special skill reserved for the chosen few; it is an innate ability available to anyone willing to silence their inner critic and connect with nature.

With over 30 years in the industry, Yvette has truly “done it all.” She has climbed every rung of the ladder, moving from a Casual Assistant to Senior Florist, Shop Manager, and Shop Owner, eventually becoming a Floristry Teacher and the Principal of Bloom College, which she founded in 2013. Her leadership extends to the national stage, where she served as a founding director and board member of Flower Industry Australia.

Beyond the business of blooms, Yvette is a champion for the mental health benefits of creativity. She has witnessed firsthand how working with nature decreases anxiety and nurtures the soul. This passion led her to co-found the charity Floral Acts of Kindness and to write her recently published book, Feed Your Soul with Flowers.

Today, through her online membership and app, Yvette is dedicated to ensuring that geography and physical ability are no longer barriers to learning. She is here to help you grow your business and feed your soul, one stem at a time.

Want to chat?

Book a free 15-minute discovery call with Yvette.

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Discover the right course for you.

Flower Basics

Start your flower journey here. Flower Basics equips you with the essential knowledge of floristry techniques. Perfect for those taking up a new hobby or those needing a refresher on the basics.

Learn More

Intro To Bloom In Business

This free mini-introduction course will help you start your very own floristry business! In this 30-minute session, Bloom College Founder, Yvette Timmins, covers the essential steps required to start your floristry business.

Learn More

Bloom In Business - Complete

With our complete floristry course, you gain access to our entire catalogue and archives of content. You will have the tools and knowledge to become a commercial florist & run your very own business in as little as 12 weeks!

Learn More

Floristry Career Change

Looking for a change, our most popular in-person course for over a decade is now online! Learn the skills to work in a florist shop, freelance for events, or start your own side hustle in this 10-week self-paced course.

Learn More

Flower Therapy

Yvette Timmins helps people move through anxiety, depression and personal growth with the healing power of flowers. Plus, you’ll receive a copy of Yvette’s book – Feed Your Soul With Flowers

Learn More

Educating a new generation of Florists since 2013.

Bloom's Beginnings

Introducing Bloom College

Classrooms & Career Changers

Bloom From Anywhere

Meet Yvette

"I believe flowers are essential to our self-fulfilment. Their energy is food for the soul."

Want to chat?

Discover the right course for you.

Flower Basics

Intro To Bloom In Business

Bloom In Business - Complete

Floristry Career Change

Flower Therapy

Not sure which path to take? Let’s chat.

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