Laura Dowling served as the White House Chief Floral Designer from 2009-2015 during the Obama administration. In this episode she shares her favorite White House projects and tips for holiday decor. I loved hearing about her experience interviewing for the job at the White House. Inspiring and honest, I loved every minute of this conversation! Laura's latest book, Designing Christmas, will be out this fall and I can't wait to order it.

Martha Brettschneider is an experienced gardener, nature photographer, a positive intelligence mental fitness coach and a mindfulness teacher. In this conversation she talks about the role gardening has played in her life and how this relationship has evolved over the years. Martha is the author of Blooming into Mindfulness - How the Universe Used a Garden, Cancer and Carpools to Teach Me that Calm is the New Happy. I loved every moment of this conversation and can't wait to be present again ...

I learned so much about owning a successful floral design business from Oscar Andrade of Petals to the Metal. After 8 years owning this business and growing up working in his aunt's flower shop in Miami, Oscar has floristry in his blood. During our conversation Oscar gives some great advice to new and experienced floral designers. He also describes working with wire service providers and explains how he sources most of his flowers. Be sure to follow Oscar on social media and reach out i...

In this episode I interviewed Sangeeta of Renzinnia Farms. We talked about succession planting, money saving tips, sunflower varieties and the benefits of working in the soil. Sangeeta has wanted to own a farm since her childhood and in 2020 purchased a beautiful 22-acre property about 30 minutes from her home. Enjoy this conversation and all the lessons Sangeeta has for you.Follow them on Instagram:@renzinnia_farms

Episode 2 of Season 2 is very exciting! I talk with Sarah Khan, a visual architect and floral artist in the DC area who does very creative and extravagant work. She has made a boat out of florals, 30+ peacocks, a Barbie House and even designed with some of her team on Season 2 of the HBO show Full Bloom. Sarah, owner of Sarah Khan Events & Design, is the queen of floral installations. She currently has an exhibit at the Museum of Illusion in DC. In this conversation Sarah shar...

Laurie Young is an inspirational advocate for neurodiversity in Loudoun County, VA. She is the executive director of Legacy Farms, a non-profit in Leesburg that employs neurodiverse individuals ages 16 and up in an apprenticeship-mentor business model. Legacy Farms offers incredible weekly flower subscriptions to several places in Northern Virginia. Check out their CSA packages and locations!Follow them on Instagram! And remember like we said on the show today, "Awesome people make awes...

Listen to this episode to learn all kinds of tips and tricks from Ellen Frost, floral designer, master gardener and owner of Local Color Flowers in Baltimore, MD. Local Color Flowers has been around for 18 years. They source 100% of the flowers they use for weddings, events and single orders locally. They work with about 40 farms in the surrounding area. Isn't that incredible? Ellen is here to talk about how they make this work! Be sure to follow Ellen and join her Flo...

Today I had a great conversation with Rachel Robillard of June Moon Florals. She enjoys designing in a contemporary style and her designs are breathtaking! Listen to hear what Rachel's favorite flower is and to hear her tips for increasing vase life. In this conversation Rachel offers some advice for floral design freelancers and tells us about her business goals for 2024.BIOWith a lifelong passion for nature and a keen eye for design, Rachel has been creating stunning arrangements for ...

In this episode I talk with Alisa Ellie, the founder and lead floral designer behind Malva & Moss, a floral design studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I loved our conversation so much. Alisa said, "Florals don't just decorate, they narrate a story about a space, a brand, or a person." I completely agree! I admire Alisa's rebellious design style where she uses the whole stem, includes sculptural pieces and makes genuine pieces of art. I hope you enjoy our conversa...

In this podcast I interviewed Wanpen and Miguel Ordonez. They have been married for 39 wonderful years. They demonstrate how it takes teamwork to make a garden thrive. Both Wanpen and Miguel grew up gardening - Wanpen in a small village in Northern Thailand and Miguel in New York.Listen to hear what is growing in their garden, how they build their garden fence and irrigate using rainwater only. Enjoy this great conversation. This will inspire you to bring nutrients into your soil, build hot b...

In this podcast I interviewed Kate Carrico and Kira Memery, two incredibly generous flower farmers in central Virginia. They are the faces behind Blooms4Good. Kate and Kira sell their flowers at local pop-up events with 100% of the proceeds going to the non-profits they support!!! Yes, you read that right. 100% of what they earn goes to the nonprofits they support! This 2024 growing season they are supporting the non-profits SAFE (a shelter for victims of domestic vio...

In this episode I interview Joan Fuller of Hidden Pond Farm all about the history and purpose behind her cut flower farm. Started as a way to raise money for farm animal sanctuaries and as an educational farm to teach others how to grow cut flowers, Joan and her husband Bill, are living life with a purpose! I'm planning a day retreat to visit Hidden Pond Farm on Saturday, Sept 14. Anyone local be sure to check out the schedule and see if you can make it down there with me or another time...

In this episode I get to talk with Mike Hines, a floral designer, instructor, entrepreneur and owner of Epoch Floral Design Company in Chicago. He is also the author of the book Uprooted, where he describes his floral design technique, philosophy and sources of inspiration. In this show Mike gives his best advice for florists - old and new. He talks about how his designs have changed over time. Mike is an inspiration in the floral design world. I'm so excited for you to hear him talk ab...

Eugene Schied is a hobby gardener. He has been gardening for 27 years since buying his home in Vienna, VA. He lives down the street for me and his garden is just bursting with life and color. He even has a beautiful garden over his garage! For Eugene gardening is a means of artistic expression, an opportunity to connect with nature, and a way to honor his ancestors. His dad was a gardener at their home in the suburbs of Chicago. Now he shares his love of connecting with natu...

On this podcast I spoke with Amanda Green of Yonderyear Farm in the Shenandoah Valley. She is a flower farmer and full service wedding/event florist and she walks us through her tasks the week before a wedding. She also shares her method for perennializing her dahlia plants. Whether you are a flower farmer, florist or someone newly interested in gardening you will learn a lot from Amanda Green! If you are a bride in search of an experienced & talented florist, check her ...

My guest, Karen Hugg, is a certified ornamental horticulturalist with 20+ years of experience designing gardens and teaching others about plants. She is also a writer and has written several novels and has had articles featured in many publications such as the Washington Post. In our conversation she describes the benefits of having plants, ways to experience plants, and how to destress through plants. She also talks about her new idea and possible book topic, which is how to create a SIMPLE ...

This is one of those podcast episodes where my whole perspective about gardening changed. Nicky describes gardening as a relationship, providing many benefits for both you and the creatures within it. At the same time, she speaks honestly about the barriers we face to spending time in the garden. You will come away with so much knowledge and inspiration to co-create your garden space in balance with you and to create a place you will feel joy and peace.More about Nicki JennerNicky Jenner live...

I loved talking to Marianna Rappou, an agronomist, landscape architect and author of 100 Plants to Grow in Your Dream Garden. Marianna lives in Greece and is also a podcaster. She teaches her listeners how to grow a beautiful garden! In this podcast she gives great advice to encourage people who say they can't grow plants. She tells them to think of it as an adventure and to keep trying new techniques. Marianna is right when she says that we grow with the plants we are growi...

Missy is a micro flower farmer in the great state of Missouri, outside of St. Louis (where I was born!) She owns a turquoise flower truck named Rosalee and is the host of the Flower Truck Friends podcast. In this episode Missy talks about the easiest and hardest flowers to grow, her biggest gardening mistake and her children's book Lena's Zinnias. She shares what she loves about gardening and some money saving tips. Be sure to listen! I guarantee that you'll want to visit h...

Today's podcast was a great conversation about gardening basics with Gina Schley. We talked about healthy soil. She explained the difference between compost and fertilizer and described the different types of fertilizers to use on your plants depending on their life stage. We talked about pest management tips. I am now armed and ready for a prosperous Spring season in my garden. Gina is teaching a 4-week class followed by 7 months of live Q & A sessions and the link to sign up...