What The Flowers: How Gemma & Natale’s Floristry Flourished with Strategic Support

When friends of more than 10 years, Gemma Buntain and Natale McDonald, opened their florist, What The Flowers, in September 2024, their vision was to make a bold statement and deliver a unique floral experience. With over 40 years of combined expertise, Gemma in funeral tributes and Natale in weddings and creative displays, they wanted their brand to blossom as an experience, bursting with flair, individuality, and botanical artistry.

“We wanted people to know straight away that this wasn’t your usual flower shop,” says Gemma. “It’s about style, creativity, and making flowers feel exciting. We wanted to have a shop that people don’t just come to because they want or need flowers for an occasion, but because they want that wow feeling.”

Their combined talents reflect the breadth of their vision. Natale is the expert designer of What The Flowers, from weddings to seasonal showcases, always bringing boldness and innovation. Meanwhile, Gemma is expert in the funeral side of the business called Heart to Bloom, offering a compassionate, personal service in a dedicated, private space. She also leads on customer experience and brand identity, managing all online content and social media. Together, Natale and Gemma create the beautiful bouquets that define What The Flowers. This balance of creativity and care has become a defining strength of the business, giving What the Flowers both flair and heart.

Far from being a traditional florist, What The Flowers has built its reputation on bold, unmistakable style. Their bouquets are big, colourful, and unapologetically different, structured so that every stem has room to shine. Always featuring quirky, tropical flowers that aren’t usually found anywhere else. Their signature touches, spray-painted leaves in neon shades and hand-made ‘floofs,’ as well as oversized reed diffusers, and quirky ornaments being sold in the shop, adds to the uniqueness of the business.

Even the packaging reinforces the brand: black wraps and striped fans that make each colourful flower pop, ensures their work is instantly recognisable. It’s this fearless creativity, woven through every detail of their branding and products, that makes What The Flowers so distinctive. It has quickly established them as a flourishing florist in Blackpool and beyond through their online delivery service.

From Floral Flair to Strategic Growth: Planting the Seeds

Even with their creativity in full bloom and following moving to a new and bigger premises in June 2025, Gemma and Natale recognised a need for some stronger foundations. They were recommended to contact the Blackpool Growth Business Academy, and what started as a quick exploration soon grew into a strategic partnership.

“We have very creative minds; we always have idea after idea for the business. But when it came to financial planning, strategy, and forecasting, we needed that extra support from an expert,” reflects Natale.

Paired with Growth Specialists from the Academy, Gemma and Natale began receiving tailored support to strengthen the roots of their business. Their journey started with one-to-one coaching from Academy specialist Nicola Pickup, who guided them through the practicalities of managing staff and the financial realities of running a business.

Alongside this, Gemma attended some of the workshops held by the Academy, where she found inspiration not only in the content and the learning but in the community of entrepreneurs around her. “Meeting other people that are like minded has made me realise that to grow your business, you have to be willing to grow yourself,” she says. “And that means putting yourself out there. I am starting to do more networking, and I want to attend more of the workshops to learn as much as I possibly can.”

More recently, the pair have been working closely with Growth Specialist John Townsend, who has helped them focus on more strategic steps and a personalised growth action plan. From business planning to forecasting, they have worked together to break down their vision into smaller, achievable goals, ensuring that every decision brings them closer to sustainable growth.

Gemma says “John has been brilliant, he has known exactly what to do and how to advise us. He has made me realise that we do know what we are doing and that we are getting things right. Working with John and the Academy has given us so much more confidence.”

A Flourishing Future

For Gemma and Natale, the Academy’s support has been more than practical, it’s been a source of reassurance and inspiration. As they approach one year of What The Flowers and with the support of the Academy, they hope to continue to grow and possibly franchise in the future.

“We’d 100% recommend the Academy. It’s an amazing resource. We’re good at floristry, but the Academy has helped us grow as business owners. I know that we still have a lot to learn and it’s reassuring to know that we can reach out to the Academy for any support we need,” says Gemma.

The Blackpool Growth Business Academy is encouraging Blackpool business looking to refine their strategic plans and grow, to chat with the Growth Specialists at the Academy for readily available fully funded support.