The Art of Escape: A Floral Workshop with Layla Robinson.

Layla in her beautiful garden.

One of the things I love most — to photograph, to be around, to have in my home — is flowers. I’m completely captivated by them. Their texture, their colours, the way each one holds itself — upright and open or quietly leaning, curling, or unfurling. There’s something about flowers that makes time slow down, so to spend a whole day immersed in them is an excellent way to recalibrate.

Here at Hergest Lee, you’ll know that Layla Robinson’s work has long had a presence here. Layla's wild, poetic arrangements have found their way into the cabin, the lean-to, and onto our tables — always quietly elevating the space, adding that touch of something natural, grounded, and completely beautiful.

Some of you may remember Layla from Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig, when she came to Hergest Lee and led a flower workshop with Sandi and the comedian Roisin Conaty. The episode was filmed for Channel 4 (watch it here).

Strawflowers in the Sunshine

Layla’s home is only a short drive from us, but it feels a world away. As soon as you arrive, you feel the shift — from fast to slow, from thinking to feeling, from noise to stillness. Her garden in July is absolutely bursting with life — wildflowers, strawflowers, herbs, flowering shrubs… colours everywhere. There’s bees humming gently, butterflies fluttering through sunbeams, petals catching the light. It’s one of those rare places where you immediately exhale and feel more grounded.

We began the day with a slow wander around the garden. Layla welcomed us, offering us the freedom to look, touch, explore. She shared a few thoughts about the flowers and how the day would unfold, but nothing felt rushed or overly structured. It was more of an invitation than a schedule.

Then we stepped inside her workshop, and honestly — it’s what I imagine heaven might look like, if you’re a flower lover. Flowers hang from every inch of the ceiling, drying in bunches, their colours fading into soft muted tones. Shelves lined with jars, ribbons, clippers, spools of wire. The scent of dried petals and sun-warmed wood. It’s not precious or overly styled — it’s real, tactile, working beauty. It feels alive. You can sense how much time, love, and presence has gone into it.

The Drying Room

Our first task was to make a willow wreath base. We went back into the garden, where Layla showed us how to bend the willow into a circle — slowly coaxing it into shape. There’s something so satisfying about working with your hands like that. Once we’d wrapped our bases with wire to hold them firm, we moved back into the workshop to start the layering process.

This is where the creativity really kicks in. I began with birch twigs, placing them around the wreath in a clockwise direction. I wanted mine to feel a little wild, with bits that jutted out here and there — not too polished or symmetrical, more like something you might find hanging in the cabin. Once the birch was in place, I started to add in smaller, more delicate materials — choosing whatever caught my eye, the invitation is to work intuitively with colours an flowers that you are instinctively drawn to as Layla said there are no rules!

My colour palette ended up being soft and romantic — I was drawn to creamy whites and pale pinks, I used honesty, strawflowers, gypsophila, tiny sprigs of seed heads. Each addition felt like a small decision, but never overthought — more like responding than planning. Letting the materials guide me.

Flowers hang from the ceiling

Halfway through the workshop, we paused for lunch in the garden. Rob (Layla's husband) had cooked a simple but utterly delicious meal — homemade pizza, a big bowl of fresh garden salad, roasted vegetables and a huge bowl of strawberries and cream for pudding. It was one of those meals that tastes even better because of where you are and how you feel. Sun on your skin, hands still smelling faintly of flowers...

After lunch, we headed back in to finish our wreaths. I found the second half of the day even more meditative. My hands knew what to do by then, and I settled into a rhythm. Weaving, tucking, stepping back, looking again. I found myself completely switching off — not in a passive way, but in that rare, deeply satisfying way where your mind goes quiet and your body takes over. It’s such a gift, that kind of creative immersion. For someone who lives in her head most of the time, it felt like medicine.

Eventually, my wreath was finished — and I have to say, I absolutely love it. It now hangs in the lean-to at Hergest Lee, catching the light in the afternoon, its textures and shapes changing slightly with the shadows. I also gathered a few extra stems and placed them in one of our favourite vases in the cabin — a quiet reminder of the day, of the peace I felt, and of the beauty that lives in small things.

Layla's work in the Lean-to

I left the workshop that day feeling deeply rested. in that full-body, soul-deep kind of way where you’ve done something — made something with your hands, eaten good food, been around kind people, and existed, for a few hours, entirely in the present. It’s something I think we’re all craving, whether we realise it or not. A chance to step away from the endless scroll, the noise, the thinking, and to do something purely for the joy of it.

My finished wreath

Layla was such a gentle, generous guide throughout. She has that rare balance of being quietly confident in what she does, whilst enabling you to find your own rhythm and creative voice. She offers guidance where it’s needed, encouragement throughout, and a real sense of presence that made the day feel safe, nourishing, and quietly magical.

Bubbles was always around to lend a helping hand.

If you’re staying at Hergest Lee and looking for something special to do nearby — something grounding, beautiful, and entirely enriching — I honestly can’t recommend Layla’s workshop enough. Whether you go solo, with a friend or partner, or book a one-to-one, you’ll be in the very best hands.

Please get in touch if you would like to book a private workshop, either at Layla's or at Hergest Lee.

All tools and materials provided. You don’t need to be ‘creative’ or have any experience. Just bring your curiosity, your senses, and your willingness to slow down.

You’ll leave with a wreath, yes — but also with something more lasting: a deep sense of calm, a reminder of your own creative instincts, and a full heart.

My finished wreath which I absolutely love.

https://www.laylarobinson.com/

@laylarobinsondesign