The Flower Drum Girls March to Their Own Beat, Even for Mother's Day

By Jen Smith
May 4, 2011

flower drum

Holly Hipwell (r) and her associate, Mylee Fitzgerald, the gals behind the Flower Drum blog, in action at the flower markets; Hipwell with the first ever flower bomb, a signature Flower Drum creation

Drum roll, please, on a garlanded snare.

With Mother's Day around the corner, we went in search for floral inspiration that went beyond the usual roses and tulips (and no, we weren't going for Princess Kate Middleton's myrtle sprig, either). Where did we land? In Sydney, Australia, where Holly Hipwell and her associate Amalia (Mylee) Fitzgerald are bringing their hilarious, lo-fi hippie flower antics to blogland via Hipwell's floral blog, The Flower Drum. They shared some new ideas for Mother's Day and filled us in on a few of their adventures while they were at it.

flower drum

"This is a table display of David Austin roses, lotus pods and Singapore orchids. I love all the colors together," says Holly Hipwell; Fitzgerald and her son, Rocky, picking out flowers at the flower markets.

“What started out as a hobby has now turned into a full time spare time business!” says Holly Hipwell, who works a full-time day job in public relations while tending to her real calling - being a floral designer. “Some days, I get up as early as 4 am to drive to the flower markets where I either collect orders or do consultations with clients. Afterward, I come back to the city, put all the flowers in water and am at my desk by 8:30 am! I work all day and then come home and work through the night to deliver a job early the next morning.”

The floral design jobs vary from weddings to installations, posies for grandma and “flower bombs” (their term for a globe-shaped flower arrangement) for the girl next door. “It literally takes up every second of spare time I have. I even place flower orders during my lunch break!” She continues, “The dream is to one day have a beautiful shop and work space where we can sell flowers daily and work on projects for our clients… and by nighttime have little rock n roll soirées & G&T's with our friends! But for now, we just base ourselves in blogland!

flower drum

A hanging flower installation by the Flower Drum

Mylee Fitzgerald, Holly Hipwell’s partner in floral crime is equally creative in the rest of her life. She has a band named Mylee Grace, which she plays in with her boyfriend, pro-surfer and Goons of Doom band member Ozzie Wright. As for Wright, he's no wallflower, either. "He creates artwork and makes all of our videos and orders us pizza when we are up to our elbows in rose petals! He also entertains us with his ukulele songs!” says Holly Hipwell.

On the Flower Drum floral blog, Hipwell and her band of outsiders (including cameos of Fitzgerald and Wright’s little boy, Rocky River) poke fun at themselves and their craft, introducing viewers to flower peddlers at the market, unorthodox delivery systems, and their Lucy- and Ethel- style experiments where they push the boundaries of floral design. We had a few questions for them and they didn’t hold back.

The Flower Drum, a Sampler

Previous Next

should I stay or should I go now?" This post is one of Fitzgerald and Hipwell's favorites from their blog. Says Fitzgerald, "When Ozzie and I first read Holly's (famous) post 'Should I go or should I stay now' we both suffered a serious laughing attack. I think everyone can relate to being tricked by 'snooze brain.'
fully for serious addicted
late bloomers
PARTY time excellent
return of the flower bombs: Fitzgerald and Hipwell taking flower drum flower bombs on an adventure.

The Inside Source: Tell us a little about yourselves. When did you first realize you were flower enthusiasts?

Holly Hipwell: My flower enthusing started when I was about 10 and I visited a store in Hong Kong called French Flowers. Everything about it amazed my eyeballs, right down to the way they wrapped up the arrangements. Ever since then I have been flower crazy! I just want flowers—flowers everywhere, flowers in my hair!

Mylee Fitzgerald: We had a giant pink camellia tree in our yard. I used to pick the buds up off the lawn and peel each petal off one by one until there was nothing but a stem. I'd sit there for hours doing it until I had a whole bowl of premature petals for the table. I guess you could say I was a petal enthusiast before I was a flower enthusiast.

The Inside Source: How did you find each other?

Holly Hipwell: I found Mylee at her house…I went there with my boyfriend. We basically walked in the door and within about 45 seconds he and Ozzie (Mylee’s partner) had run down to the beach for a surf. So, I sat in Mylee’s lounge room, awkwardly looking around, and she offered me a lamington [a sponge cake with chocolate and coconut]. As I started eating it, I dropped coconut all over the floor and tried to blame it on her son, Rocky.

The Inside Source: So you became friends and then how did the floral design business evolve?

Holly Hipwell: One day we took off on an adventure to the flower markets and realized that it was just about the best place on earth. We began scheming up flowery ideas and put them into practice every Saturday morning, documenting our adventures on our blog. We didn’t expect it to become such a hit!

Derk Nord Geek, the movie: This video, made with Fitzgerald's boyfriend, Ozzie, is one of the Flower Drum girls' favorites on their site. Says Hipwell, "We didn’t plan on making a movie, Ozzie just filmed us over two days and by the 36th hour of petal pushing a concept came into creation! The title Derk Nord Geek came from us saying 'Dork Nerd Geek; over and over again. We were so tired that it just came out as 'Derk Nord Geek' and we thought it was totally hilarious."

The Inside Source: How did you come upon the name "flower drum" for your floral design blog?

Holly Hipwell: The name The Flower Drum was dreamed up by my dad. He is surprisingly full of feminine ideas. Actually, he and my mum used to go to a restaurant in Melbourne called Flower Drum a long time ago. And I really liked the sound of it, so that’s where it came from!

The Inside Source: Mother's Day in the U.S. and we're looking for some new floral design ideas. Can you some DIY inspiration?

Holly Hipwell: Moms loooove hand made “prezzies” (presents), that’s for sure! Some easy DIY flowery gift ideas:

1. Using dried or fresh flowers, create a heart shape on some colored cardboard. Once you are done, put it all in a frame and you have yourself an everlasting Mother’s Day card!

2. Why not whip up some tasty “bloomsicles” treats—that’s flower infused popsicles for those of you not in the know! You can use rose petals, lavender and pansies mixed with juice and raspberries and pour the mix into popsicle containers and freeze overnight. [See photo below.]

3. Or make your mumma a flower crown! Just like the one Mylee is wearing in the photo below.

flower drum

Fitzgerald and Hipwell tasting flower-infused bloomsicles.

flower drum

Flower Drum blogger and floral designer Mylee Fitzgerald wearing a flower crown.

The Inside Source: What are your favorite Mother's Day memories?

Mylee Fitzgerald: Two weeks after my son, Rocky, was born I had my first Mother’s Day. Ozzie surprised me with a personal premiere of a film clip he'd made. The song was written about Rocky the night he was born. He'd put together footage and photos from my pregnancy and our freshly born son. Needless to say it rocked my Mother’s Day socks off.

Holly Hipwell: Every year for Mothers Day, my mum and I visit her favorite restaurant of the moment. This year I hope she will come down and visit me and I can take her to my new favorite place, The Boat House at Palm Beach. It is so beautiful!

The Inside Source: Besides spreading your love for flowers across the globe, what new things are on the horizon for you?

Holly Hipwell: The Flower Drum is in talks with a clothing collaboration, which is totally exciting! Floral print dresses and tulip hem skirts!

We have so many creative and clever friends so there are projects on the go always. A new exciting project that we will be a part of is called Atlas, a bi-monthly (or thereabouts) study on the output of those that 'do.'

I think this year we might have to do a mega milkshake party/exhibition where Mylee’s and Ozzie’s bands can play, exploding flower bombs will fall from the ceiling, our friends’ artwork will hang from the walls and a full length "Flower Drum" movie will premiere. Your invite is in the mail!!

Live a piece of The Flower Drum lifestyle. You can shop from Holly and Mylee’s dream list below.

Roll over items for details

Red Retro Double Metal Glider

(buy it now price, $139.99)

1962 Cadillac DeVille

(current bid, $3,800)

Vintage 1942 World Map Poster

(buy it now price, $4.99)

Retro '70s Flower Girls Playing Cards

Blue Ball Perfect Mason Jars

(buy it now price, $78)

Doc Martens Floral Flower Boot

(buy it now price, $275)

Talavera Pottery Hand-Painted Worm Ceramic Pot

Mexican Paper Banner

(buy it now price, $18.16)

Bob Dylan: Studs Terkel's Wax Museum CD

What Flower Is That? by Striling Macoboy

(buy it now price, $16.14)

Oasis Floral Foam Spheres

(buy it now price, $15.85)

Novelty Toy Batman Walking Talkies

(buy it now price, $24.50)

Diptyque Three Candle Set

(buy it now price, $135)

Antique German Sand Pail B

(current bid, $13.50)

The Flower Drum Girls March to Their Own Beat, Even for Mother's Day

1. Red Retro Double Metal Glider: “Double tulip love seats!”

2. 1962 Cadillac DeVille: “Valley Of Scum Here we come!!!” (This is a lyric from one of Fitzgerald’s partner, Ozzie Wright’s, songs.) Both ladies consider this caddie to be the ultimate flower delivery wheels/getaway car.

3. Vintage 1942 World Map Poster: “Wall decoration and an easy way to keep track of our friends!”

4. Retro '70s Flower Girls Playing Cards: “Holly and I would surely have less fiery card tournaments if we were playing with this deck of sweet '70s flower girls,” says Fitzgerald.

5. Antique German Sand Pail B: “Imagine this filled with beautiful white peonies. Flower vessels don't always have to be glass vases--think outside of the bucket!” the Flower Drum girls instruct.

6. Oasis Floral Foam Spheres: The Flower Drum ladies agree—eBay is a great resource for Flower Bomb supplies.

7. Mexican Paper Banner: Fitzgerald says, “Papel picado–hand-cut paper banners from Mexico. We both have these in our houses–instant color!”

8. Diptyque Three Candle Set: For the smell of your favorite flowers when they aren't in season.

9. What Flower Is That? by Stirling Macoboy: Hipwell and Fitzgerald recommend this book, saying it has all the answers to life's (flowery) questions.

10. Blue Ball Perfect Mason Jars: “I used so many of these Ball Mason preserve Jars as vases for a wedding last week. Love them!” says Hipwell.

11. Novelty Toy Batman Walking Talkies: Batman to Robin, “Do you read me?” Hipwell and Fitzgerald keep in close contact at the flower markets with walkie talkies.

12. Bob Dylan: Studs Terkel's Wax Museum CD: “I want this for the cover art more than any thing,” says Hipwell. “Only Bob Dylan could pull off a head like this for an album cover!”

13. Doc Martens Floral Flower Boot: “Ozzie bought Mylee a pair of floral Dr Martins boots for Christmas. I need some too!” cries Hipwell.

14. Talavera Pottery Hand-Painted Worm Ceramic Pot: "Excuse me! I'd plant my face in this pot if it was possible. So cute!" says Hipwell.

Tags: