The Florist on the Hill
From a Rathmines garden to bouquets
that tell stories of modern love
The Florist on the Hill began with a single wedding bouquet during Covid. Now Carolyn Duggan creates arrangements for apologies, gratitude, remembrance and all the ways we say we care.
In the Dublin suburb of Rathmines, where generations of families have put down roots, Carolyn Duggan is redefining what it means to say ‘I love you’ with flowers. Her business, The Florist on the Hill, emerged from the Covid pandemic, when Carolyn found herself drawn back to her family garden.
What began as an instinctive need to create something beautiful during lockdown has blossomed into a floral practice that captures the full spectrum of how Irish people express love today. “Floristry came into my life quietly,” Carolyn recalls. “During Covid, I retrained almost instinctively. Everything stopped, and with that came time, stillness, and a strong need to do something with my hands.”
The garden where she first began growing flowers is where her grandmother played, where her parents grew up, and where childhood summers unfolded. When her cousin Jane’s wedding was rescheduled after Covid restrictions lifted, Carolyn offered to grow and design the bridal flowers as a gift. A conversation with a guest at that wedding changed everything. The Florist on the Hill was born, named after the road that has shaped her life and rooted firmly in a sense of place and family.
Beyond The Bouquet
While weddings form a significant part of Carolyn’s work, they represent just one expression of love amongst many that flow through her studio daily. The arrangements she creates tell stories that are often more profound than the grand gestures we typically associate with romance.
“Every day, flowers are used for apologies, thank-yous, encouragement, sympathy, and remembrance,” she explains. “They’re bought for friends having a hard week, parents wanting to say they’re proud, families saying goodbye, or people simply wanting to bring a little beauty into their day. Some of the most meaningful arrangements have no occasion attached to them at all. They’re about care rather than celebration.”
This understanding that flowers speak when words fail has shaped how Carolyn approaches each commission. Whether it’s an anniversary of loss, a quiet reconciliation, or a gesture of gratitude towards a teacher or neighbour, each arrangement carries intention. “Friendship flowers are incredibly important, as are sympathy flowers and gestures of thanks to people who showed up when it mattered,” Carolyn notes. “Flowers often become a way to say I’m thinking of you, and that can mean everything.”
Shifting Landscape
According to Carolyn, the way people express love through flowers has evolved in recent years. Traditional red roses maintain their place in the romantic lexicon but Carolyn has witnessed a marked shift towards more intentional choices. “People are increasingly choosing flowers that feel more personal rather than prescribed,” she observes. “My clients are drawn to colour, scent, and texture. They chose combinations that reflect who they are or who they’re honouring. It tells me that love is being expressed in a more thoughtful, individual way.”
One wedding request crystallised this philosophy for Carolyn in an unexpected way. A bride chose soft pastels, lemons, and pinks for her bouquet, but it was the personalised ribbon that stood out. The bride selected words that held deep meaning for her and her partner, keeping them secret from the groom until she walked towards him during their vows.
“The words read: ‘Just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger. With all my love, I place this wedding ring upon your finger’. What struck me was how it brought the groom into the flowers in a way that rarely happens. It turned the bouquet into a shared moment, and reminded me that the smallest details, handled with care, often carry the greatest meaning.”
Love In The Everyday
As An Post launches its latest Love stamp, Carolyn has developed a clear perspective on what love looks like in Ireland today. “Love in Ireland today feels real, practical, and deeply human,” she reflects. “It isn’t about grand gestures or clichés. It’s about showing up, checking in, and marking both beginnings and endings with thoughtfulness. It might be a bunch of flowers left on a doorstep, a quiet tribute to someone who’s passed, or a small gesture that says I’m here. Love lives in the ordinary moments - in joy, in grief, and in everything in between.”
The Florist on the Hill is located on Rathmines Road Lower in Dublin 6. See https://thefloristonthehill.ie. The An Post Love stamp can be purchased at anpost.com/love
