From a very early age I wanted to be a farmer; I actually loved hard and tough work, the outdoors and animals. Eight year old Lisa had visions of growing sunflowers and milking cows. While I’ve always had a great appreciation for the natural world, my journey with flowers started seventeen years ago. I was hired on at a flower shop as a delivery driver but quickly graduated to floral designer by week to servicing weddings on the weekends. That first flower shop taught me so much but mostly I learned how perfectly I could marry my creativity with the natural world using bright blooms, whimsical greens and lots of interesting textures. I also learned there wasn’t really anything ‘natural’ about the mainstream floral industry, in order to move forward in this occupation that has brought me so much joy, I needed to figure out ways to grow flowers and design in a sustainable way. Which is why BFF is proudly a ‘no spray’ farm and we grow many floral varieties, including native perennials to boost our pollinator population. We collect rainwater, fertilize with rabbit poop, hand pick bugs off dahlias and as we weed, we learn regenerative ways to grow to improve our farm, community and planet.
As far as my design aesthetic, I am obsessed with color and love to add texture and whimsy to all my work, in addition to clipping my own blooms for fresh arrangements, I love to forage in our wild backyard for unique greens, filler and flair. I strive to build designs with as little impact on the planet: you will never find micro-plastics like oasis anywhere in the studio and most of my glassware is upcycled. During the growing season I design all subscriptions and event work as close to the day of so you have completely fresh from the farm blooms.
Just as we value our physical health by investing in nutrient dense foods, I believe flowers support our nervous system and our emotional and mental well being. Local flower power is catching!