Leading the way for sustainable floristry in Tassie, Florage have been quietly reshaping Tasmania’s floral landscape, supporting local growers and makers alike.
New beginnings bloom
After years spent abroad, partners in business and in life, Tom and André escaped expat corporate lives and moved to Tasmania looking for a completely different pace of life, taking the reins of Florage in Launceston circa 2022.
Tom’s two decades in corporate finance across Hong Kong and Singapore, and Andre’s extensive career in luxury retail with names like Gucci, Chanel, and Burberry, bring a refined sensibility to their craft.
“Hobart felt like the natural next step for Florage, so we opened our second store in Murray Street. Along the way, we also created Tasmanian Hamper Co, so today we’re lucky enough to spend our days working with beautiful locally grown flowers, incredible Tasmanian producers and a fantastic local community.”
Green thumb and a green heart
Their ethos – prioritising locally sourced blooms and creatives and seasonally driven designs – aligns with the growing demand for conscious consumption, especially here in Hobart where we care about produce, where it’s from and how it was sourced.
Customers can bring in their own vases to be refilled, a small but meaningful gesture towards reducing waste.
“Flowers come from nature, so we think floristry should respect nature too. Most people don’t associate a florist with having an environmental footprint, but our industry actually does. That’s why we’ve chosen not to use floral foam, plastic cellophane or synthetic ribbons.”
As proud members of the Sustainable Floristry Network, Florage are committed to ethical floristry practices that honour both people and the planet. This means working closely with local growers who prioritise regenerative farming, eliminating floral foam, and embracing circular design principles to minimise waste. Each arrangement is a thoughtful expression of sustainability, ensuring beauty doesn’t come at the expense of our environment.
“We reuse and compost wherever we can, and buy from Tasmanian growers whenever the seasons allow. We simply want people to leave our stores knowing they’ve made a beautiful choice that’s also a better one.”
Hampers and homewares
Beyond floral arrangements, Florage offers a gorgeous, curated collection of homewares, bringing style and elegance to any space. Their vase collection ranges from timeless classics to contemporary statement pieces, ensuring you’ll find the perfect vessel to showcase your blooms.
Florage also curates premium Tasmanian gift hampers, well known as Tasmanian Hamper Co, with delivery Australia-wide. They partner with exceptional winemakers, fine food artisans, and talented creators from across Tasmania. Each product in the hampers has been handpicked and thoughtfully paired to offer the best possible taste and texture combinations.
You will find featured, award-winning wines from the Tamar Valley and Freycinet wine regions, locally brewed beers, champion cheeses, handmade chocolates and fudges, artisan quince pastes, mustards, and natural organic products. These hampers showcase the best of our island’s rich culinary landscape, making a perfect gift for any occasion!
“Our giftware and hampers are also heavily focused on Tasmania, working with local artists, makers, food producers and wineries. We also enjoy finding unique giftware that isn’t available elsewhere in Hobart, so customers can discover something a little different every time they visit. We love supporting other small Tassie businesses, and telling the stories behind those products alongside our own.”
Community driven
Apart from saving the earth one bouquet at a time, it’s the customers that get Tom to work every morning.
“We get to be part of life’s biggest moments every day: birthdays, weddings, new babies, celebrations, and sometimes saying goodbye. Helping someone make another person’s day a little brighter never really gets old. And we’re lucky enough to do it alongside a fantastic team who make work enjoyable every single day.”
Rather than following a formula or making the same arrangement over and over, Florage designs each one around the best flowers the season has to offer.
“Every arrangement is unique, because every occasion and every person receiving it is unique.”
Florage’s flower selection shifts as frequently as the Tasmanian weather, ensuring a fresh and ever-evolving collection sourced from local growers. Many of these relationships were forged at the Farm Gate Market, where Tom and Andre have become regulars, deepening their connection to the local producer community.
Hello Hobart Gift Card
Give the gift of flowers with the Hello Hobart Gift Card. Florage are a participating business in our gift card program,
“I think it’s a fantastic initiative. Anything that encourages people to shop locally is a win for everyone. Independent businesses give Hobart its personality, so if a Hello Hobart Gift Card introduces someone to Florage Tasmania for the first time, or helps them discover another great local business, that’s exactly what it’s all about.”
