May 6, 2025 • 36 mins
In this episode of Boulevard Beat, co-hosts Meghan Blum and Krissa Rossbund sit down with Maya Boettcher, the visionary behind Wildflower, a beloved floral business that brings joy and beauty to everyday life. Maya opens up about her unique upbringing between the English countryside and the heart of Iowa, and how those early experiences inspired her love for gardens, history, and natural design. From dreamy European summers to launching a thriving business, Maya’s journey is filled with creativity, intention, and charm. Tune in for a heartfelt conversation about finding your style, embracing your roots, and bringing a little more beauty into the world.
Street Style Takeaways:
Cultural Roots Shape Creative Vision
Maya's formative years spent between London and Iowa gave her a unique design perspective—one that blends the wild romance of English gardens with Midwestern charm.
Nature as a Narrative
Her love of florals is deeply rooted in sensory memories—scents, textures, and visuals from historic gardens—which she now translates into her work at Wildflower.
Beauty in the Everyday
Maya believes in elevating ordinary moments through intentional design, proving that flowers aren't just for events—they’re for everyday joy.
A Personal Brand with Heart
Wildflower isn’t just a floral business; it’s an extension of Maya’s personality and travels, built on authenticity, nostalgia, and storytelling.
Creative Success Starts with Passion
Maya’s journey underscores the power of leaning into what you love—even if it's unconventional—as a path to both fulfillment and business success.
Save 15% site wide at www.houseofblum.com with promo code beat15! Or you can use this link- https://houseofblum.com/discount/beat15!
Connect with the Hosts https://www.instagram.com/boulevardbeatpodcast/
Connect with Meghan Blum Interiors https://www.instagram.com/meghanbluminteriors/
Connect with House of Blum https://www.instagram.com/shophouseofblum/
Connect with Krissa Rossbund. https://www.instagram.com/krissa_rossbund/
Connect with Liz Lidgett https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/
Episode Website https://www.blvdbeat.com/about
Street Style Takeaways:
Cultural Roots Shape Creative Vision
Maya's formative years spent between London and Iowa gave her a unique design perspective—one that blends the wild romance of English gardens with Midwestern charm.
Nature as a Narrative
Her love of florals is deeply rooted in sensory memories—scents, textures, and visuals from historic gardens—which she now translates into her work at Wildflower.
Beauty in the Everyday
Maya believes in elevating ordinary moments through intentional design, proving that flowers aren't just for events—they’re for everyday joy.
A Personal Brand with Heart
Wildflower isn’t just a floral business; it’s an extension of Maya’s personality and travels, built on authenticity, nostalgia, and storytelling.
Creative Success Starts with Passion
Maya’s journey underscores the power of leaning into what you love—even if it's unconventional—as a path to both fulfillment and business success.
Save 15% site wide at www.houseofblum.com with promo code beat15! Or you can use this link- https://houseofblum.com/discount/beat15!
Connect with the Hosts https://www.instagram.com/boulevardbeatpodcast/
Connect with Meghan Blum Interiors https://www.instagram.com/meghanbluminteriors/
Connect with House of Blum https://www.instagram.com/shophouseofblum/
Connect with Krissa Rossbund. https://www.instagram.com/krissa_rossbund/
Connect with Liz Lidgett https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/
Episode Website https://www.blvdbeat.com/about
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to boulevard Beat, a podcast where life and style intersect.
I'm designer Megan Bloom along with my co hosts, editor CHRISA.
Rossbund and gallery owner Liz Legit. This podcast focuses on
the daily highlights instead of the hustle, interviews with tastemakers,
and personal conversations on how to highlight achievable style you
constrol one street at a time, Boulevard Beat proves.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
The one you should take.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Today we're joined by the ever talented Maya, floral designer, entrepreneur,
and founder of Wildflower. Maya's work brings a fresh and
deeply personal touch to the floral world, inspired by her
childhood split between the lush gardens of London and the
quiet beauty of Iowa. In this episode, we talk about
how place, memory, and emotion influenced design and how Maya
channels all of that into the joyful, intentional work she
(00:58):
creates every day. Get ready for a conversation that blossoms
with inspiration. Let's get into it.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
So welcome, Maya. We are so happy to have you
here today. The name of our podcast is Bulevard Beats.
Since everybody started somewhere on a street, everybody grew up somewhere,
tell us a little bit about the street that you
grew up on.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
This is a toughie because I grew up on a
couple different streets. I think that the one that relates
the best to sort of my vision and business is
a street in London where my mom and dad were
married and lived, and it was called the Highbury Hill
and it was right down from the Arsenal soccer stadium
in London. I don't know if you're familiar, but my
dad's English, my mom is from southern Iowa. I think
(01:41):
that had a huge influence on my design. Just hanging
out a lot in English gardens, you know, backyard gardens
that were like full of wild roses and crawling vines
up buildings that have been there since you know, who
knows how long. A lot of history there and smelling
it and taking it all in sticks with you. So
I was there through just about first grade, so I
(02:04):
have a lot of memories of living there and then
a lot of traveling back there. So through my early
twenties I spent most every summer traveling throughout England and
other parts of Europe, using England as a home base
and my dad's house as a home base. So I
think that's probably one of the more interesting things about me,
because the rest is pretty much Iowa based. The street
(02:28):
I grew up in in Indianola where I went to
high school, you know, it was very, very different, but
it was nestled inside of a town.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I had a big support network my family.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
My grandparents were small town people, So I think I
get my work ethic from here, and my design influence
from the UK, and then from being around all of
these creatives my whole life that my dad and mom
kept as friends. As a little girl, I'd sit around
dinner tables and have big grown up conversations with people
that were writers and musicians.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
So I have a.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Skop on things that maybe is a little different than
my indian Ola neighbors.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
You know, what a great opportunity you had to grow
up in Europe in the UK and spend the early
parts of your childhood there, like such an interesting contrast
from living in the Midwest. You've had wonderful influences from
an early age. What led you to develop this business?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Living in the Midwest? Being creative led me down this path.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
There aren't a lot of opportunities to work creatively in
a smaller community. I feel like so floral was one
of those things I always had a knack for. I'd
been working around it for years and years. One thing
sort of led to another, and because of the labor
around floral and how much cooler space and time and
(03:46):
labor it took, it was something that I really used
in my planning and event business as a add on,
and I would usually sub those flowers through different companies,
so I was able to just that with a company
and then show up on site and have them deliver it,
and it would be great a lot of times, and
then a lot of times it wasn't so great. So
(04:07):
I decided to sort of pick it up on my own,
which looking back just seems crazy because I was doing
it in my kitchen and dining room and with no coolers.
Long story short, my husband made me a cooler in
the garage and I started producing them myself, and then
when it got too expansive and I needed more help,
I ended up getting a storefront.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
As you know, arranging flowers is nothing new.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
It's been around forever and it's been a simple tool
people can just use from their backyard as well. But
I think flower arranging it's really taken on a new
artistic form and it's really kind of gone to another level.
I know personally, I love to go down that rabbit
hole on social media where you just watch somebody make
these fabulous design and that's you, and it's inspiring for
(04:52):
even the work that I do, and I love to
see it. But tell us a little bit more why
it's important to understand flowers as an art form and
think out side the box.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
We're working with a customer, right, I mean a lot
of times we do have some you know, artistic freedom,
but a lot of times the idea is you're trying
to hit the nail on the head for that customer.
And whether it's Megan Bloom and something for a shoot
in her dining room, or whether it's Kathy down the
street that needs a small birthday arrangement, I have a
(05:21):
lot of questions, you know, I want to really build
something that's going to knock the socks off.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Of the recipient.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
It's important to me that the color, that the size
of it, that the shape of it is specific to
that client. And of course Wildflower has a very like
consistent sort of brand look, which I think is just
modern floral design. But I think for me it's about
the customer. So all hydrangen roses for me sometimes is
(05:49):
exactly perfect, you know, but the overall look needs to
be thoughtful, organic and quality. The stems need to be
really good. And I think that what we see that's
different in especially locally, is pretty much a grocery store
vibe and then there's the boutique vibe. And I think
(06:10):
my customer shops from both. The important thing is training
people in a town that maybe haven't seen it on
every street corner. The difference between the two. You know,
you can still do both. You can still go to
Trader Joe's and buy a package of ten tulips. I
mean I do it when they're three ninety nine. You're like,
I can't get that. That's that's less than wholesale, you know.
(06:33):
And so I think that understanding both and when they
are both needed. You know, in a town, you know
where you've got access to stems, but on a really
custom level, you need a boutique florist to be able
to do it.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
MAYA, what is how does that affect your personal style
and what is your personal style when it comes to
flowers and design in all forms.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
You know when you pay attention to trend and you
know you're watching because I watch, not for research, but
because I'm obsessed. I mean, I'm really obsessed with other
designers and other shops and what they're doing nationally. I
love edgy, I love unique, I like everything. I mean,
I like more as more. I love traditional gardening, English garden,
(07:17):
English roses, you know David Austin cabbage roses and garden
roses that are just all on their own, pe andies,
all on their own. A classic traditional vibe has my heart,
I think. But I'm really into art and creative expression
in using things that you've seen for decades and decades
that may have been really relevant in the seventies. Let's say,
(07:41):
like you know this flexed rose movement, Like everybody flexes roses.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Now you're taking the pedals and you're manipulating them all
the way around.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Well, when I worked for that family florist company, they
would have old books of funeral arrangements and different things
that they did back in the seventies.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Those were all just flex roses. So we've done it before.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
It's a matter of bringing it back just like fashion
and sort of reinventing the edge of them, so we're
not doing them the same way that a grocery store
might do it, and we're trying to look into our history.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Books a little bit and be creative with elements.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
So anything new, anything striking, anything artful that makes you
go oh wow, And whenever we have an opportunity to
make something like that, it gets me jazzed.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Well. I do love that you said that you love everything,
because I think those of us who are in the
design industry's we're intrigued by it all.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
So come one of those that's hard to pick your
favorite child. It's hard to pick flower right, No, totally,
and I think that's so true. Like, as you mentioned,
just everything old is new again, and I think that's
true in fashion and in tear design for sure, it's
just a.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Reinterpretation of it.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I find it interesting how you feel like hot stems
come and go, Like where do you see trends evolve
or where they become influenced to the consumer, and how
do you take that influence as an artist and incorporate
them into your design. I'd love to hear more about
your creative process because I find that fascinating, just to
learn more about how your brain works in your creative world.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
When I was really starting the floral side of my planning,
you know, my party planning company, my event planning company,
I was deeply invested in anything.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
That was happening in Australia.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
It feels like because they're on the other side of
the earth or you know, I don't know, they get
things first. It's trends happen there immediately. And that whole
Boho kind of movement of big proteas and eucalyptus went
crazy in Australia probably ten years ago. We still do
them sometimes here, but you know, it takes a while
(09:40):
to get to the Midwest, these trends.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
It's because they're a day ahead of us, maybe I.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Swear, I know.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
And it's like even like their wedding dress lines and
their venue and like using yurts and tps and big
like all of those big cheese charcouterie boards, those grazing
boards that all originated especially at weddings and when they're
floral and fruit and abundance. It was all all I
was seeing in Australia ten years ago. So protella, I
(10:07):
think you know, when you're talking about trendy stems. Protella
is that big pineapple looking, you know, South African stem
and I've got it on the side of the Wildflower
van because it's really our mascot flower. It's something that
we feel like makes every arrangement stand out. And I know, Chrissy,
you've probably seen a protea in one of your arrangements
(10:28):
or two, but they're they're the king the queen of
the arrangement and you really don't need much besides. So
that protella and that Boho trend, I feel like really
was where I started in the way of change in floral.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
I think it's just evolved from there.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
I think that again, Australia way ahead of the flex rose,
which is what takes my team twelve hours on every
Thursday during production just to flex these roses.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
No one had to do that before, but here.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
We are, you know, flex these roses because we've seen
it being done in other cities and and and you
catch on.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
So that's how those things evolve.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
It's definitely now we're in an age of visuals, right,
so Instagram's my and Pinterest, you know, we live there
looking for what's new, what's great, what's hot. Where we
really get to shine creatively is like when we make
our holiday collection, for instance, like this or a Mother's
Day or a Valentine's Day collection that we're launching on
the website.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
We really dig in as a team.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
A lot of our process starts with the client, but
when it really can just begin with us, it's very
much like, Okay, what's hot, what's what's happening in Europe,
what's happening in Portland and La how can we manipulate
those looks to make sense to our customer in the Midwest,
you know, like ribbons, you know on everything. Right, it's
bos bos bos Bo's for the last couple of seasons,
(11:51):
and I think they've had their day, maybe on the coasts,
but I think people are still getting used to the
idea here. So we'll kind of take some Christmas greens
and some red berries, throw some red bows. It's an
affordable arrangement and it looks really fresh and modern and new,
and you feel like, you know, you've just ordered something
from an La florist. I feel like Bridgerton too. I
(12:12):
feel like was another huge influence. The first season was
real floral and it was insane. We did a funeral
today that I just got photos of that I'll have
to show you guys later, but it was Bridgerton. They
asked for Bridgeton as a theme for this funeral floral
so and that spoke to us right away. We know
exactly because we loved it. We were obsessed with it.
(12:33):
We paid attention. So it's like hanging with steria and
soft pastels and in the springtime courting season of the
old days in England and stuff. So yeah, we're we
take things. We take influence, you know, lots of publications,
anything Chris has been working on, anything Megan's been working on.
It's like you take the influence from people around you
(12:54):
that know they know their stuff. We talked about that earlier.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Is just everyone trying to have their own creative process
and pull their own flowers, maybe from their garden or
that master gardener, or that trip to Trader Joe's as
well too, because we know a lot of our listeners
like to try and do it themselves here and there
on a regular Tuesday. Are you able to give us
any tips for them that they can do to help
elevate their arrangements to be more maya quality.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Lately we've been teaching some classes.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
It was something that was never really at the forefront
of my mind, but it's become something that we're building
in because it's true. We know that not every arrangement
is going to come from wildflower. You know, we live
in a great area of the country that grows beautiful
dahlia and zinia and rinunculus and sweet pea and delphinium.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Some of the most beautiful stems we.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Get are locally grown, and so we know better than
to try to keep trade secrets from people when really
there's little tips and tricks.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
That everyone should know.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
And I think that when you're building an arrangement, if
you go to the grocery store, let's say, and you
buy one of those pre made plastic wrapped arrangements and
it's stuffed with mums or daisies and roses and carnation
and alstromeria, I think that they can still be beautiful,
but they've got to be taken apart, and each stem
needs to be treated. You know, there's a process around
(14:14):
floral process where you need to cut them each time
they come out of the water. So when you've gotten
them home from the grocery store. They've been in water.
They need a trim before they go back in water,
and that's for hydration.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
And at an.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
Angle, they say, so that the stem doesn't sit flush
at the bottom of the vase and not drink, which
seems obvious, but honestly, some of those things were new
to me. But this is what happens when you get
to hang out with designers of all ages that have
learned from other designers.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
You learn all these great tricks.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
So when you get that that package of flowers from
Trader Joe's or wherever, and you open it up, each tulip,
each stem needs to be treated especially and I think
that people don't. They sort of underestimate how much time
it takes to put an arrangement together. And the container
that you use needs to be super clean. And if
you have some kind of aperture, whether it's a frog
(15:04):
like and like your grandma's glass or pin frog that's
been around some chicken wire, if you've got a solid
container like a ceramic container, and make yourself an aperture
that way or with tape across the top of any vase,
just so that if you are a novice designer, you're
spreading the stems out so that each one gets to
be seen individually, because I feel like a lot of
(15:26):
times I'll go to my girlfriend's houses, which I think
is I don't know why they would even let this
happen when they know I'm coming over, but they just
take it out and stuff it in the.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
And you're like that, you have to try I think
that episode for they.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Want you to do it, I know a lot of times.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
Yeah, Or if you get to go to a farmer's
market and you you know, you still have to treat
those stems, but pulling all the leaves off no leaves,
no foliage in the water that grows bacteria and will
kill your flowers. All of those few leaves that are left,
you know, for travel, need to be taken off and
you can leave a but they carry dirt and sand
(16:02):
in them a lot of times, and so cleaning each stem,
I think is really helpful and giving yourself an aperture.
So whether that's tape or chicken wire. We don't like
to use floral foam as much. It's not good for
the environment or good for you, but it'll give you
the space to really be creative and remember that everything
can't be one length, So giving yourself some up, doown
(16:23):
some asymmetry designing and odd numbers, those kinds of things.
But I think mostly that's if you can get unwrapped, cleaned, trimmed,
fresh water, change the water every day.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
You should be doing that once a week for yourself.
No matter what, I think we've all been taught wrong.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Because if somebody brings flowers to us for a dinner,
party or otherwise, what's the first thing people say, I'm
going to go find something to put these in.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
And that's where it ends, right, Yeah, space to put
them in, and that's where it ends. And I think
that that's where that stems from. No pun intended.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah, but we've never been taught how to care for
our flower stems.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
So no, they I mean people, you know, they know
they need to drink. But the questions that we get
asked by all kinds of humans, men, women alike, is can.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
These stay in the car? Can these go? You know?
Speaker 4 (17:14):
The basic knowledge of floral is it's out the window
unless you've been taught. So that's why we've been liking
to do these classes, just because I feel like, why
wouldn't we want to share the best way to take
care of I mean it's wasteful.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
So knowing how to go to Whole Foods.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Also, have you seen these men on the internet that
it's like a TikTok and it'll be this like very
handsome young man and he's like, you can pay your
forest Flora's four hundred dollars, or you can go to
Whole Foods and buy six different packages of hydrangea roses
tulips and let me show you the basics on how
to put this together.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Like how romantic is that that?
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Like?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
And he's making the arrangement and then fixing a dinner
and whatever. I think. I think people do need to
know how to do things for themselves. You know, you
don't always want to prepare it arrangement and for a
dinner party. Let me just say I think less is
more A lot of times when you come and you
come visiting, a bottle of wine and a little bottle
of floral with three tulips and a little filler is
(18:10):
just like and you can do that from your backyard
and you don't need to be a designer to do that.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Well, on the table, they can get a little overwhelming.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
A lot of people make them too tall.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
So that segues perfectly into the next question, Maya, because
you know you talked about people doing themselves, maybe their
husband or boyfriend or partner will.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Bring an arrangement home.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Flowers are sort of the final cap in the design world,
after the furniture has been placed, after the artwork has
been hung. So how do you approach flowers in your
own home versus other elements of design.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
What I've learned a lot about interiors, especially working with
interior designers locally and Megan especially, is that it depends
on what you're doing. I think, if you're shooting it,
or like maybe you're selling your home and you want
some floral in your home, you know it needs to
be less is more a simple set of branches. You know,
blooming branch looks great in a base on its own.
(19:07):
And sometimes I get a little carried away and I'm like,
you know, this designer brings me this amazing urn and
I'm like, oh my god, you could put everything in
this and in my home too, because it's an older
home it can support big floral arrangements. But really I'm
like an all pa Andy, I'm in all branches that
are blooming you know, some forcythia just on its own.
(19:30):
I love garden stems, and really I end up staying
often very like mono floral.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I like the look.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Of you know, all sunflowers or all gladiola even I
think even like moms that drive me crazy, or if
they're on their own and they're together, they look really good.
A lot of times I'm in a hurry. I'm you know,
the cobbler's children wear no shoes, right, Like, I don't
have flowers? Are you kidding?
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Like?
Speaker 4 (19:57):
I mean, I'll be like sometimes I'm like, dang it,
why didn't I bring something home for this dinner that
we're having or whatever? But yeah, I think when I do,
it's usually like around the holidays, all just Christmas greens.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
With a little bit of berry.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
I think that's really wonderful advice. The less is more
in the florals in the home because it complements it
and lets other items kind of be the star of
the show in that area too. And I know in
the home there's obviously beautiful vases and urns and containers
that can go along with the designs. I know, I
as well like to bring you a container sometimes and
(20:32):
let you work your magic. How does that item inform
your design on how you're creating these beautiful artistic arrangements
And are there certain vases that make for better flower arrangements?
Speaker 4 (20:45):
Yes, I love I love this question because the container
in my business is absolutely the most important part of
the arrangement to me, even if it's a solid black
ceramic or a solid white ceramic which is reasonably priced,
all the way to a cool ginger jar that is
collected and old. For me, I am a big fan
(21:06):
of a solid container. Glass for me is tough. I
think it gets dirty. You know you can see the
stem glass for me is tricky, and you want to
remember too, the more open the mouth, the larger it
needs to be the arrangement, and the more stuff you've
got to have in it. So that's why it's nice
to get a bottle to take to your friend, your
garden flowers, whatever. Something small but container to us is
(21:29):
definitely what makes us stand out because I feel like
we use things that aren't what you think of it at.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
A grocery store.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
So your glass, hour glass shaped ginger jars, or your
rose vases that have cut crystal in them, or you know,
things that you've seen time and time again. We're really
more into a solid piece so that you can use
your aperture like chicken wire without showing the mechanics. I
love designing in homes too, because I'll go into your
cupboard and I'll find a really amazing picture or really
(21:57):
amazing soup touring that was yours, and we'll fill it
out with kale and magnolia and just a few flowers,
and all of a sudden, it's like a sentimental piece
with an amazing container, with not a ton of money
in phil it's just something that's beautiful, and it's very
Martha Stewart to me, you know what I'm saying. She
honestly one of my biggest influences because when she came
(22:20):
out and was, you know, doing weddings, it was just
pae andies wrapped with ribbon, and that wasn't happening before
it was all these cascade bouquets and all this. So
in entertaining, it's very much from the garden and you know,
shoved into something that you love. So don't discount what's
in your cupboards, I think is important. And also having
some chicken wire so that container can be easily arranged
(22:44):
by a novice designer.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Well, and how lovely to be able to use you know,
you mentioned a soup terrain and those are sorts of
pieces that could be handed down from a grandparent and an
heirloom sort of situation to bring those out, because again,
a soup terin you. I mean, if you have a
dinner part and our stupring soup, great, but when else
are you going to use it?
Speaker 2 (23:02):
So you're not great with flowers. So we've talked a little.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Bit about the event side and how that helped you
launched your career and think about the world of flowers.
How have you seen events change throughout your career in
this industry? And the reason I thought that was important
is because social media has captured events and it is
(23:34):
one of those categories that just is shown over and
over and over again. And look, we understand that from
the wedding perspective. You have a lot of young women
who've grown up with the Internet and so they're used
to posting every single detail. But how have you watched
events evolved? Could you maybe give us one or two
(23:56):
examples and share how social media has has influenced that
or directed those conversations When your clients are articulating to you.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Yeah, it's definitely a visual, social media kind of pressure.
I think that's changed some of these traditions. The one
thing that I've noticed the most is changing of traditions,
so that when you were planning this wedding, and my
mom was in the wedding business, she made wedding dresses
when I was growing up, and every wedding was the same.
(24:27):
It was at the same kind of church, it was
in the you know, maybe in the church basement, even
with punch and cake, or you know, in a room
with all round tables and a centerpiece with confetti. And
I mean it wasn't a big deal. I really don't
think so. I think it's come a long way in
an expression of not only the love you have for
your partner and sharing more of your personality, but in
(24:50):
your personal style and really breaking the mold of what
those events should be. And we have to do that
with our clients. Essentially, they'll tell us what kind of
people they are and what a party they want to have,
and I'll say, oh, you're definitely like a cocktail style reception,
food stations, mixing and mingling, not a seat for everybody.
And they look at you with like this look of
(25:10):
horror of like, well, what about a head table? And
you're like, yeah, but see, we can get away from
those things and still have all the traditional elements of
toasts and first dances, but setting it up for an
experience based fun party. I think people are also gravitating
towards party planners, an event design, and a whole crazy
(25:32):
level just because of social But what it's also giving
them is a ticket to experience based planning.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
When I planned my wedding, I knew I wanted.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
It to be different, but they were weren't planners around
eighteen years ago like the way they are now, And
so all of the design was my family, all of
the coordination was my family, all of the you know,
we all pitched in and we just did it, and
it honestly was stressful. It wasn't great, and things didn't
go as well because there wasn't someone there guiding it.
But I think that we're spending our money more wisely
(26:01):
in the way that that planner and that designer that
you have on site is an insurance policy for that
money being well spent and getting a bang for your buck.
So traditional elements are kind of out the door. There
is no have tos anymore. There's still pressure, especially in
the Midwest, to have a cake and do a cake
cutting and a dollar dance and all these things that
(26:22):
aren't necessary. But if they're coming to an experienced planner,
we can tell them, you know, hey, listen, let's look
at all sides of.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
The coin here.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Wouldn't it be fun if or because you guys are
big musicians and you love music, let's hire a real
band to come in, you know, and will break their mold.
Idea of bands aren't always twenty five thousand dollars or
even ten thousand dollars. They can be a couple thousand
dollars for a stand up base and a saxophone, and
(26:49):
it still changes the space and makes it amazing. So
I think hiring services is something that is very different
and new and come to the Midwest now in a
big way where it was very coastal before.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
A crux of.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Your event planning business is, for sure, weddings, but there
are so many other reasons to celebrate. Can you tell
us about an event that was non wedding related or
a floral arrangement that you did for somebody that was
a little bit outside the box that you really thought
was memorable.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
The first one that comes to mind, and only because
it was more recent, was a client had her fortieth birthday,
and these are the other things that I don't feel
like used to be as crazy and now people are
looking for reasons to throw them on as content and
she definitely is a content creator. So it was butterfly
themed and I mean a fortieth birthday. So we were like, okay,
(27:43):
we got to do this really well because we don't
want it to look like a kid's birthday party.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Right.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
We nailed it though.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
It was so interesting and so beautiful, and she really
gave us freedom.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Floral arrangements were very modern.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
We did a lot of close pieces, so the glass
dome close very like hidden fairy garden, but grown up
and mature, high end stems but nothing crazy like five
or six stems under a big dome as a centerpiece.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Lots of candles. But the big piece and the big.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Wow was a huge tree that we created in the
corner that was filled with butterflies and flowers. It was
like smilax and different greenery to fill out the tree,
and then we had willow and different things to make
the branches, and then we hung candles from the tree
and filled it with artificial butterflies. And I just don't
(28:32):
think she knew quite how crazy that thing was going
to be. Like you give us an inch, We're taken
a whole mile, and a lot of times my staff
will look at me and be like, we ran out
of budget like three hours ago, what are you doing?
And I'm like, it's you know, You're like, I gotta
like just three more of these and five, you know,
because it becomes about you at that point of like
your design, style, your reputation, and so that's where everybody
(28:53):
got their picture taken all night and it's magical. It's
like a thing that nobody else is going to have
a butterfly doused flower tree at the country club.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Well, And I think that's so true as an artist
and a creative in the same way where it is
hard to stop sometimes and just tone it down a
little bit too, because you just want to take it
to that next level all the time. And it's been
so fun hearing about all that. You talked a little
bit about your classes, but we'd love to hear more
about what's next on the horizon for Wildflower.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Wildflower as an entity has only been opened since twenty eighteen.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
My event planning company.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Has been around since two thousand and nine. So understanding
floral company was definitely. I had worked in and around it,
and I knew a lot about it. But you never
know till you know. And I've learned insane amounts of things.
Business ownership on its own is crazy, but then add
in a perishable product and it'll drive you nuts. I mean,
(29:52):
you're really working on your margins, you're really working on profitability.
People don't understand how expensive this stuff is. I'm sure
it's just like design. It's flowers are a luxury and
they're expensive, and so we don't want our noses in
the air.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
We're not trying, you know.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
I hear a lot of times, well, well this is flowers,
especially you are you know, they're really expensive.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I'm like, you know, we're not gouging. This is just
what they are. And so training your client on that
stuff has been really important.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
But I will say that the history of Wildflower is
there now, and I've been analyzing in the last year
with a really great accountant, where is the profitability? What
can we do to maintain the staff size that we
have and do this all year round instead of having
such a crazy off season like we have right now.
And for me, that's retail and classes and event on
(30:41):
a smaller level.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
So I think for us, we have our brick and.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
Mortar on Ingersol, which is kind of a fun, funky
street in Des Moines that will never go away, that'll
always be there. It's too much of our brand, it's
too much of the way we started.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
It's a billboard to our business.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
But a second location that isn't a warehouse is is
looming and it would be more. We do have a
studio location, but no customers are coming there. And what
happened between Ingersol Tiny and then having the second location
was we lost this magic of being able to show
our customers the stuff we were making. So now it's
(31:18):
this quiet little boutique with a few flowers in the
front cooler, and I want to end that people want
to dig in, they want to see what's going on,
they want to see you designing this big piece, and
it's marketing to have people be able to walk in
and see all these flowers that you've been trusted by
a client with or they'll order a seventy five dollars
birthday arrangement. But then they'll if you do it right,
(31:38):
they'll come in the next week and say, I have
a butterfly themed fortieth birthday party and we want you
to go crazy with it. So I've learned that retail,
even though it wasn't how I started in my brain
thinking that.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
We would end up, this is where we've ended up.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
It's an experience based boutique floral experience for our customers,
and so making sure that they can dig into it
a little bit and that we're always customer facing is
really important to me. And I'd love it to have
a little bit of an event space off the side
where we can host some of these events, because essentially,
what the accountant is telling me is that our labor
is so crazy for these big planned events.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
So it's like you do these big events.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
And you're so proud of them, and I mean I
could tell stories about like we did a really really
big one in twenty twenty three and the heart attacks
that I had and the labor. I know, we didn't
clear that much on that event because again I was
standing there sticking things in until the very you know,
and you know, I had to cry in my car
one time, and you know, get through it. But I
(32:42):
think that the retail consumer, the funeral, the birthday, I
think that's where Wildflower can really expand and do more
volume and be more available for our customers to be
involved in and hang out with and come be more
community than hiding in a north side warehouse where nobody
can see us.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
We're so excited for you.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
And I mean again, I think that when you're talking
about flowers, everybody just wants to see the expansion and
they're always beautiful to look at. We always end each
podcast with a couple of final thoughts. So what's the
beat that keeps you going joy.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
And excitement in the final product, And whether the final
product is a birthday for my kid or a big,
huge wedding, it's the obsession with the final result that
and the hard work that you put into it.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
And then walking in and getting goosebumps from top.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
To bottom and saying like this is why I do
this happiness on people's faces. I mean, I know this
is big picture stuff I'm saying, but this is what
really gets me. Having somebody, even with a small arrangement
or in my family too, same thing, trips, whatever it is,
it's all about just seeing the expression on faces when
it's done.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
So Maya for our very final question, what your perfect
boulevard look like?
Speaker 4 (34:05):
My perfect boulevard is obviously it's full of organic, beautiful
English gardens and trees and lights and beauty and whatever.
But I'm not only serving my family and my clients,
but my community as well, and lifting others up, especially
women and marginalized humans in my neighborhood, where everyone feels
(34:28):
a part of something and also not left out that
they can be involved in things like flowers or parties,
or that it's not over anybody's head, and making that
stuff accessible for humans and people, and showing my kids
that's how they should be as well, and setting an example.
The word boulevard means a lot to me in the
(34:49):
way that it's a lot about for me, style and
design and creativity and the way people lay out their
front yards and the way that it all comes together
even if they're different. Right, You've got Spanish mission style houses,
you've got craftsmen style houses, you've got modern new, brand
new built houses, and just keeping everything different and creative
(35:09):
and sort of celebrating everyone's differences and being a part
of the movement of that in my city, in my neighborhood,
and making people feel welcome and loved is where I'm at.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Well, that definitely sounds like a boulevard that we would
want to walk down or drive down and stop because
since we live's a driving community.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
I thank you and Maya. We are so happy to.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Talk to you about all things floral and your small business,
and we congratulate you on your success that you've had
thus far.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Thank you both so much for having me. It was
so fun.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
Thanks, Thank you for listening to this week's episode of
Boulevard Beat. If you enjoyed this episode, if please fall
along and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or
wherever you listen so you never missed an episode. And
of course, follow your host on Instagram at Megan bloom Interiors,
at Chrissa Rossbund, and at Liz Legit. We'll be back
(36:06):
next week as we take a stroll down another boulevard.
Welcome to boulevard Beat, a podcast where life and style intersect.
I'm designer Megan Bloom along with my co hosts, editor CHRISA.
Rossbund and gallery owner Liz Legit. This podcast focuses on
the daily highlights instead of the hustle, interviews with tastemakers,
and personal conversations on how to highlight achievable style you
constrol one street at a time, Boulevard Beat proves.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
The one you should take.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Today we're joined by the ever talented Maya, floral designer, entrepreneur,
and founder of Wildflower. Maya's work brings a fresh and
deeply personal touch to the floral world, inspired by her
childhood split between the lush gardens of London and the
quiet beauty of Iowa. In this episode, we talk about
how place, memory, and emotion influenced design and how Maya
channels all of that into the joyful, intentional work she
(00:58):
creates every day. Get ready for a conversation that blossoms
with inspiration. Let's get into it.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
So welcome, Maya. We are so happy to have you
here today. The name of our podcast is Bulevard Beats.
Since everybody started somewhere on a street, everybody grew up somewhere,
tell us a little bit about the street that you
grew up on.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
This is a toughie because I grew up on a
couple different streets. I think that the one that relates
the best to sort of my vision and business is
a street in London where my mom and dad were
married and lived, and it was called the Highbury Hill
and it was right down from the Arsenal soccer stadium
in London. I don't know if you're familiar, but my
dad's English, my mom is from southern Iowa. I think
(01:41):
that had a huge influence on my design. Just hanging
out a lot in English gardens, you know, backyard gardens
that were like full of wild roses and crawling vines
up buildings that have been there since you know, who
knows how long. A lot of history there and smelling
it and taking it all in sticks with you. So
I was there through just about first grade, so I
(02:04):
have a lot of memories of living there and then
a lot of traveling back there. So through my early
twenties I spent most every summer traveling throughout England and
other parts of Europe, using England as a home base
and my dad's house as a home base. So I
think that's probably one of the more interesting things about me,
because the rest is pretty much Iowa based. The street
(02:28):
I grew up in in Indianola where I went to
high school, you know, it was very, very different, but
it was nestled inside of a town.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I had a big support network my family.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
My grandparents were small town people, So I think I
get my work ethic from here, and my design influence
from the UK, and then from being around all of
these creatives my whole life that my dad and mom
kept as friends. As a little girl, I'd sit around
dinner tables and have big grown up conversations with people
that were writers and musicians.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
So I have a.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Skop on things that maybe is a little different than
my indian Ola neighbors.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
You know, what a great opportunity you had to grow
up in Europe in the UK and spend the early
parts of your childhood there, like such an interesting contrast
from living in the Midwest. You've had wonderful influences from
an early age. What led you to develop this business?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Living in the Midwest? Being creative led me down this path.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
There aren't a lot of opportunities to work creatively in
a smaller community. I feel like so floral was one
of those things I always had a knack for. I'd
been working around it for years and years. One thing
sort of led to another, and because of the labor
around floral and how much cooler space and time and
(03:46):
labor it took, it was something that I really used
in my planning and event business as a add on,
and I would usually sub those flowers through different companies,
so I was able to just that with a company
and then show up on site and have them deliver it,
and it would be great a lot of times, and
then a lot of times it wasn't so great. So
(04:07):
I decided to sort of pick it up on my own,
which looking back just seems crazy because I was doing
it in my kitchen and dining room and with no coolers.
Long story short, my husband made me a cooler in
the garage and I started producing them myself, and then
when it got too expansive and I needed more help,
I ended up getting a storefront.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
As you know, arranging flowers is nothing new.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
It's been around forever and it's been a simple tool
people can just use from their backyard as well. But
I think flower arranging it's really taken on a new
artistic form and it's really kind of gone to another level.
I know personally, I love to go down that rabbit
hole on social media where you just watch somebody make
these fabulous design and that's you, and it's inspiring for
(04:52):
even the work that I do, and I love to
see it. But tell us a little bit more why
it's important to understand flowers as an art form and
think out side the box.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
We're working with a customer, right, I mean a lot
of times we do have some you know, artistic freedom,
but a lot of times the idea is you're trying
to hit the nail on the head for that customer.
And whether it's Megan Bloom and something for a shoot
in her dining room, or whether it's Kathy down the
street that needs a small birthday arrangement, I have a
(05:21):
lot of questions, you know, I want to really build
something that's going to knock the socks off.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Of the recipient.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
It's important to me that the color, that the size
of it, that the shape of it is specific to
that client. And of course Wildflower has a very like
consistent sort of brand look, which I think is just
modern floral design. But I think for me it's about
the customer. So all hydrangen roses for me sometimes is
(05:49):
exactly perfect, you know, but the overall look needs to
be thoughtful, organic and quality. The stems need to be
really good. And I think that what we see that's
different in especially locally, is pretty much a grocery store
vibe and then there's the boutique vibe. And I think
(06:10):
my customer shops from both. The important thing is training
people in a town that maybe haven't seen it on
every street corner. The difference between the two. You know,
you can still do both. You can still go to
Trader Joe's and buy a package of ten tulips. I
mean I do it when they're three ninety nine. You're like,
I can't get that. That's that's less than wholesale, you know.
(06:33):
And so I think that understanding both and when they
are both needed. You know, in a town, you know
where you've got access to stems, but on a really
custom level, you need a boutique florist to be able
to do it.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
MAYA, what is how does that affect your personal style
and what is your personal style when it comes to
flowers and design in all forms.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
You know when you pay attention to trend and you
know you're watching because I watch, not for research, but
because I'm obsessed. I mean, I'm really obsessed with other
designers and other shops and what they're doing nationally. I
love edgy, I love unique, I like everything. I mean,
I like more as more. I love traditional gardening, English garden,
(07:17):
English roses, you know David Austin cabbage roses and garden
roses that are just all on their own, pe andies,
all on their own. A classic traditional vibe has my heart,
I think. But I'm really into art and creative expression
in using things that you've seen for decades and decades
that may have been really relevant in the seventies. Let's say,
(07:41):
like you know this flexed rose movement, Like everybody flexes roses.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Now you're taking the pedals and you're manipulating them all
the way around.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Well, when I worked for that family florist company, they
would have old books of funeral arrangements and different things
that they did back in the seventies.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Those were all just flex roses. So we've done it before.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
It's a matter of bringing it back just like fashion
and sort of reinventing the edge of them, so we're
not doing them the same way that a grocery store
might do it, and we're trying to look into our history.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Books a little bit and be creative with elements.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
So anything new, anything striking, anything artful that makes you
go oh wow, And whenever we have an opportunity to
make something like that, it gets me jazzed.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Well. I do love that you said that you love everything,
because I think those of us who are in the
design industry's we're intrigued by it all.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
So come one of those that's hard to pick your
favorite child. It's hard to pick flower right, No, totally,
and I think that's so true. Like, as you mentioned,
just everything old is new again, and I think that's
true in fashion and in tear design for sure, it's
just a.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Reinterpretation of it.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I find it interesting how you feel like hot stems
come and go, Like where do you see trends evolve
or where they become influenced to the consumer, and how
do you take that influence as an artist and incorporate
them into your design. I'd love to hear more about
your creative process because I find that fascinating, just to
learn more about how your brain works in your creative world.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
When I was really starting the floral side of my planning,
you know, my party planning company, my event planning company,
I was deeply invested in anything.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
That was happening in Australia.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
It feels like because they're on the other side of
the earth or you know, I don't know, they get
things first. It's trends happen there immediately. And that whole
Boho kind of movement of big proteas and eucalyptus went
crazy in Australia probably ten years ago. We still do
them sometimes here, but you know, it takes a while
(09:40):
to get to the Midwest, these trends.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
It's because they're a day ahead of us, maybe I.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Swear, I know.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
And it's like even like their wedding dress lines and
their venue and like using yurts and tps and big
like all of those big cheese charcouterie boards, those grazing
boards that all originated especially at weddings and when they're
floral and fruit and abundance. It was all all I
was seeing in Australia ten years ago. So protella, I
(10:07):
think you know, when you're talking about trendy stems. Protella
is that big pineapple looking, you know, South African stem
and I've got it on the side of the Wildflower
van because it's really our mascot flower. It's something that
we feel like makes every arrangement stand out. And I know, Chrissy,
you've probably seen a protea in one of your arrangements
(10:28):
or two, but they're they're the king the queen of
the arrangement and you really don't need much besides. So
that protella and that Boho trend, I feel like really
was where I started in the way of change in floral.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
I think it's just evolved from there.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
I think that again, Australia way ahead of the flex rose,
which is what takes my team twelve hours on every
Thursday during production just to flex these roses.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
No one had to do that before, but here.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
We are, you know, flex these roses because we've seen
it being done in other cities and and and you
catch on.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
So that's how those things evolve.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
It's definitely now we're in an age of visuals, right,
so Instagram's my and Pinterest, you know, we live there
looking for what's new, what's great, what's hot. Where we
really get to shine creatively is like when we make
our holiday collection, for instance, like this or a Mother's
Day or a Valentine's Day collection that we're launching on
the website.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
We really dig in as a team.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
A lot of our process starts with the client, but
when it really can just begin with us, it's very
much like, Okay, what's hot, what's what's happening in Europe,
what's happening in Portland and La how can we manipulate
those looks to make sense to our customer in the Midwest,
you know, like ribbons, you know on everything. Right, it's
bos bos bos Bo's for the last couple of seasons,
(11:51):
and I think they've had their day, maybe on the coasts,
but I think people are still getting used to the
idea here. So we'll kind of take some Christmas greens
and some red berries, throw some red bows. It's an
affordable arrangement and it looks really fresh and modern and new,
and you feel like, you know, you've just ordered something
from an La florist. I feel like Bridgerton too. I
(12:12):
feel like was another huge influence. The first season was
real floral and it was insane. We did a funeral
today that I just got photos of that I'll have
to show you guys later, but it was Bridgerton. They
asked for Bridgeton as a theme for this funeral floral
so and that spoke to us right away. We know
exactly because we loved it. We were obsessed with it.
(12:33):
We paid attention. So it's like hanging with steria and
soft pastels and in the springtime courting season of the
old days in England and stuff. So yeah, we're we
take things. We take influence, you know, lots of publications,
anything Chris has been working on, anything Megan's been working on.
It's like you take the influence from people around you
(12:54):
that know they know their stuff. We talked about that earlier.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Is just everyone trying to have their own creative process
and pull their own flowers, maybe from their garden or
that master gardener, or that trip to Trader Joe's as
well too, because we know a lot of our listeners
like to try and do it themselves here and there
on a regular Tuesday. Are you able to give us
any tips for them that they can do to help
elevate their arrangements to be more maya quality.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Lately we've been teaching some classes.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
It was something that was never really at the forefront
of my mind, but it's become something that we're building
in because it's true. We know that not every arrangement
is going to come from wildflower. You know, we live
in a great area of the country that grows beautiful
dahlia and zinia and rinunculus and sweet pea and delphinium.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Some of the most beautiful stems we.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Get are locally grown, and so we know better than
to try to keep trade secrets from people when really
there's little tips and tricks.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
That everyone should know.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
And I think that when you're building an arrangement, if
you go to the grocery store, let's say, and you
buy one of those pre made plastic wrapped arrangements and
it's stuffed with mums or daisies and roses and carnation
and alstromeria, I think that they can still be beautiful,
but they've got to be taken apart, and each stem
needs to be treated. You know, there's a process around
(14:14):
floral process where you need to cut them each time
they come out of the water. So when you've gotten
them home from the grocery store. They've been in water.
They need a trim before they go back in water,
and that's for hydration.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
And at an.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
Angle, they say, so that the stem doesn't sit flush
at the bottom of the vase and not drink, which
seems obvious, but honestly, some of those things were new
to me. But this is what happens when you get
to hang out with designers of all ages that have
learned from other designers.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
You learn all these great tricks.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
So when you get that that package of flowers from
Trader Joe's or wherever, and you open it up, each tulip,
each stem needs to be treated especially and I think
that people don't. They sort of underestimate how much time
it takes to put an arrangement together. And the container
that you use needs to be super clean. And if
you have some kind of aperture, whether it's a frog
(15:04):
like and like your grandma's glass or pin frog that's
been around some chicken wire, if you've got a solid
container like a ceramic container, and make yourself an aperture
that way or with tape across the top of any vase,
just so that if you are a novice designer, you're
spreading the stems out so that each one gets to
be seen individually, because I feel like a lot of
(15:26):
times I'll go to my girlfriend's houses, which I think
is I don't know why they would even let this
happen when they know I'm coming over, but they just
take it out and stuff it in the.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
And you're like that, you have to try I think
that episode for they.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Want you to do it, I know a lot of times.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
Yeah, Or if you get to go to a farmer's
market and you you know, you still have to treat
those stems, but pulling all the leaves off no leaves,
no foliage in the water that grows bacteria and will
kill your flowers. All of those few leaves that are left,
you know, for travel, need to be taken off and
you can leave a but they carry dirt and sand
(16:02):
in them a lot of times, and so cleaning each stem,
I think is really helpful and giving yourself an aperture.
So whether that's tape or chicken wire. We don't like
to use floral foam as much. It's not good for
the environment or good for you, but it'll give you
the space to really be creative and remember that everything
can't be one length, So giving yourself some up, doown
(16:23):
some asymmetry designing and odd numbers, those kinds of things.
But I think mostly that's if you can get unwrapped, cleaned, trimmed,
fresh water, change the water every day.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
You should be doing that once a week for yourself.
No matter what, I think we've all been taught wrong.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Because if somebody brings flowers to us for a dinner,
party or otherwise, what's the first thing people say, I'm
going to go find something to put these in.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
And that's where it ends, right, Yeah, space to put
them in, and that's where it ends. And I think
that that's where that stems from. No pun intended.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah, but we've never been taught how to care for
our flower stems.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
So no, they I mean people, you know, they know
they need to drink. But the questions that we get
asked by all kinds of humans, men, women alike, is can.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
These stay in the car? Can these go? You know?
Speaker 4 (17:14):
The basic knowledge of floral is it's out the window
unless you've been taught. So that's why we've been liking
to do these classes, just because I feel like, why
wouldn't we want to share the best way to take
care of I mean it's wasteful.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
So knowing how to go to Whole Foods.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Also, have you seen these men on the internet that
it's like a TikTok and it'll be this like very
handsome young man and he's like, you can pay your
forest Flora's four hundred dollars, or you can go to
Whole Foods and buy six different packages of hydrangea roses
tulips and let me show you the basics on how
to put this together.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Like how romantic is that that?
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Like?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
And he's making the arrangement and then fixing a dinner
and whatever. I think. I think people do need to
know how to do things for themselves. You know, you
don't always want to prepare it arrangement and for a
dinner party. Let me just say I think less is
more A lot of times when you come and you
come visiting, a bottle of wine and a little bottle
of floral with three tulips and a little filler is
(18:10):
just like and you can do that from your backyard
and you don't need to be a designer to do that.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Well, on the table, they can get a little overwhelming.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
A lot of people make them too tall.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
So that segues perfectly into the next question, Maya, because
you know you talked about people doing themselves, maybe their
husband or boyfriend or partner will.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Bring an arrangement home.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Flowers are sort of the final cap in the design world,
after the furniture has been placed, after the artwork has
been hung. So how do you approach flowers in your
own home versus other elements of design.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
What I've learned a lot about interiors, especially working with
interior designers locally and Megan especially, is that it depends
on what you're doing. I think, if you're shooting it,
or like maybe you're selling your home and you want
some floral in your home, you know it needs to
be less is more a simple set of branches. You know,
blooming branch looks great in a base on its own.
(19:07):
And sometimes I get a little carried away and I'm like,
you know, this designer brings me this amazing urn and
I'm like, oh my god, you could put everything in
this and in my home too, because it's an older
home it can support big floral arrangements. But really I'm
like an all pa Andy, I'm in all branches that
are blooming you know, some forcythia just on its own.
(19:30):
I love garden stems, and really I end up staying
often very like mono floral.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I like the look.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Of you know, all sunflowers or all gladiola even I
think even like moms that drive me crazy, or if
they're on their own and they're together, they look really good.
A lot of times I'm in a hurry. I'm you know,
the cobbler's children wear no shoes, right, Like, I don't
have flowers? Are you kidding?
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Like?
Speaker 4 (19:57):
I mean, I'll be like sometimes I'm like, dang it,
why didn't I bring something home for this dinner that
we're having or whatever? But yeah, I think when I do,
it's usually like around the holidays, all just Christmas greens.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
With a little bit of berry.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
I think that's really wonderful advice. The less is more
in the florals in the home because it complements it
and lets other items kind of be the star of
the show in that area too. And I know in
the home there's obviously beautiful vases and urns and containers
that can go along with the designs. I know, I
as well like to bring you a container sometimes and
(20:32):
let you work your magic. How does that item inform
your design on how you're creating these beautiful artistic arrangements
And are there certain vases that make for better flower arrangements?
Speaker 4 (20:45):
Yes, I love I love this question because the container
in my business is absolutely the most important part of
the arrangement to me, even if it's a solid black
ceramic or a solid white ceramic which is reasonably priced,
all the way to a cool ginger jar that is
collected and old. For me, I am a big fan
(21:06):
of a solid container. Glass for me is tough. I
think it gets dirty. You know you can see the
stem glass for me is tricky, and you want to
remember too, the more open the mouth, the larger it
needs to be the arrangement, and the more stuff you've
got to have in it. So that's why it's nice
to get a bottle to take to your friend, your
garden flowers, whatever. Something small but container to us is
(21:29):
definitely what makes us stand out because I feel like
we use things that aren't what you think of it at.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
A grocery store.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
So your glass, hour glass shaped ginger jars, or your
rose vases that have cut crystal in them, or you know,
things that you've seen time and time again. We're really
more into a solid piece so that you can use
your aperture like chicken wire without showing the mechanics. I
love designing in homes too, because I'll go into your
cupboard and I'll find a really amazing picture or really
(21:57):
amazing soup touring that was yours, and we'll fill it
out with kale and magnolia and just a few flowers,
and all of a sudden, it's like a sentimental piece
with an amazing container, with not a ton of money
in phil it's just something that's beautiful, and it's very
Martha Stewart to me, you know what I'm saying. She
honestly one of my biggest influences because when she came
(22:20):
out and was, you know, doing weddings, it was just
pae andies wrapped with ribbon, and that wasn't happening before
it was all these cascade bouquets and all this. So
in entertaining, it's very much from the garden and you know,
shoved into something that you love. So don't discount what's
in your cupboards, I think is important. And also having
some chicken wire so that container can be easily arranged
(22:44):
by a novice designer.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Well, and how lovely to be able to use you know,
you mentioned a soup terrain and those are sorts of
pieces that could be handed down from a grandparent and an
heirloom sort of situation to bring those out, because again,
a soup terin you. I mean, if you have a
dinner part and our stupring soup, great, but when else
are you going to use it?
Speaker 2 (23:02):
So you're not great with flowers. So we've talked a little.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Bit about the event side and how that helped you
launched your career and think about the world of flowers.
How have you seen events change throughout your career in
this industry? And the reason I thought that was important
is because social media has captured events and it is
(23:34):
one of those categories that just is shown over and
over and over again. And look, we understand that from
the wedding perspective. You have a lot of young women
who've grown up with the Internet and so they're used
to posting every single detail. But how have you watched
events evolved? Could you maybe give us one or two
(23:56):
examples and share how social media has has influenced that
or directed those conversations When your clients are articulating to you.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Yeah, it's definitely a visual, social media kind of pressure.
I think that's changed some of these traditions. The one
thing that I've noticed the most is changing of traditions,
so that when you were planning this wedding, and my
mom was in the wedding business, she made wedding dresses
when I was growing up, and every wedding was the same.
(24:27):
It was at the same kind of church, it was
in the you know, maybe in the church basement, even
with punch and cake, or you know, in a room
with all round tables and a centerpiece with confetti. And
I mean it wasn't a big deal. I really don't
think so. I think it's come a long way in
an expression of not only the love you have for
your partner and sharing more of your personality, but in
(24:50):
your personal style and really breaking the mold of what
those events should be. And we have to do that
with our clients. Essentially, they'll tell us what kind of
people they are and what a party they want to have,
and I'll say, oh, you're definitely like a cocktail style reception,
food stations, mixing and mingling, not a seat for everybody.
And they look at you with like this look of
(25:10):
horror of like, well, what about a head table? And
you're like, yeah, but see, we can get away from
those things and still have all the traditional elements of
toasts and first dances, but setting it up for an
experience based fun party. I think people are also gravitating
towards party planners, an event design, and a whole crazy
(25:32):
level just because of social But what it's also giving
them is a ticket to experience based planning.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
When I planned my wedding, I knew I wanted.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
It to be different, but they were weren't planners around
eighteen years ago like the way they are now, And
so all of the design was my family, all of
the coordination was my family, all of the you know,
we all pitched in and we just did it, and
it honestly was stressful. It wasn't great, and things didn't
go as well because there wasn't someone there guiding it.
But I think that we're spending our money more wisely
(26:01):
in the way that that planner and that designer that
you have on site is an insurance policy for that
money being well spent and getting a bang for your buck.
So traditional elements are kind of out the door. There
is no have tos anymore. There's still pressure, especially in
the Midwest, to have a cake and do a cake
cutting and a dollar dance and all these things that
(26:22):
aren't necessary. But if they're coming to an experienced planner,
we can tell them, you know, hey, listen, let's look
at all sides of.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
The coin here.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Wouldn't it be fun if or because you guys are
big musicians and you love music, let's hire a real
band to come in, you know, and will break their mold.
Idea of bands aren't always twenty five thousand dollars or
even ten thousand dollars. They can be a couple thousand
dollars for a stand up base and a saxophone, and
(26:49):
it still changes the space and makes it amazing. So
I think hiring services is something that is very different
and new and come to the Midwest now in a
big way where it was very coastal before.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
A crux of.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Your event planning business is, for sure, weddings, but there
are so many other reasons to celebrate. Can you tell
us about an event that was non wedding related or
a floral arrangement that you did for somebody that was
a little bit outside the box that you really thought
was memorable.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
The first one that comes to mind, and only because
it was more recent, was a client had her fortieth birthday,
and these are the other things that I don't feel
like used to be as crazy and now people are
looking for reasons to throw them on as content and
she definitely is a content creator. So it was butterfly
themed and I mean a fortieth birthday. So we were like, okay,
(27:43):
we got to do this really well because we don't
want it to look like a kid's birthday party.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Right.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
We nailed it though.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
It was so interesting and so beautiful, and she really
gave us freedom.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Floral arrangements were very modern.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
We did a lot of close pieces, so the glass
dome close very like hidden fairy garden, but grown up
and mature, high end stems but nothing crazy like five
or six stems under a big dome as a centerpiece.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Lots of candles. But the big piece and the big.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Wow was a huge tree that we created in the
corner that was filled with butterflies and flowers. It was
like smilax and different greenery to fill out the tree,
and then we had willow and different things to make
the branches, and then we hung candles from the tree
and filled it with artificial butterflies. And I just don't
(28:32):
think she knew quite how crazy that thing was going
to be. Like you give us an inch, We're taken
a whole mile, and a lot of times my staff
will look at me and be like, we ran out
of budget like three hours ago, what are you doing?
And I'm like, it's you know, You're like, I gotta
like just three more of these and five, you know,
because it becomes about you at that point of like
your design, style, your reputation, and so that's where everybody
(28:53):
got their picture taken all night and it's magical. It's
like a thing that nobody else is going to have
a butterfly doused flower tree at the country club.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Well, And I think that's so true as an artist
and a creative in the same way where it is
hard to stop sometimes and just tone it down a
little bit too, because you just want to take it
to that next level all the time. And it's been
so fun hearing about all that. You talked a little
bit about your classes, but we'd love to hear more
about what's next on the horizon for Wildflower.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Wildflower as an entity has only been opened since twenty eighteen.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
My event planning company.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Has been around since two thousand and nine. So understanding
floral company was definitely. I had worked in and around it,
and I knew a lot about it. But you never
know till you know. And I've learned insane amounts of things.
Business ownership on its own is crazy, but then add
in a perishable product and it'll drive you nuts. I mean,
(29:52):
you're really working on your margins, you're really working on profitability.
People don't understand how expensive this stuff is. I'm sure
it's just like design. It's flowers are a luxury and
they're expensive, and so we don't want our noses in
the air.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
We're not trying, you know.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
I hear a lot of times, well, well this is flowers,
especially you are you know, they're really expensive.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I'm like, you know, we're not gouging. This is just
what they are. And so training your client on that
stuff has been really important.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
But I will say that the history of Wildflower is
there now, and I've been analyzing in the last year
with a really great accountant, where is the profitability? What
can we do to maintain the staff size that we
have and do this all year round instead of having
such a crazy off season like we have right now.
And for me, that's retail and classes and event on
(30:41):
a smaller level.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
So I think for us, we have our brick and.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
Mortar on Ingersol, which is kind of a fun, funky
street in Des Moines that will never go away, that'll
always be there. It's too much of our brand, it's
too much of the way we started.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
It's a billboard to our business.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
But a second location that isn't a warehouse is is
looming and it would be more. We do have a
studio location, but no customers are coming there. And what
happened between Ingersol Tiny and then having the second location
was we lost this magic of being able to show
our customers the stuff we were making. So now it's
(31:18):
this quiet little boutique with a few flowers in the
front cooler, and I want to end that people want
to dig in, they want to see what's going on,
they want to see you designing this big piece, and
it's marketing to have people be able to walk in
and see all these flowers that you've been trusted by
a client with or they'll order a seventy five dollars
birthday arrangement. But then they'll if you do it right,
(31:38):
they'll come in the next week and say, I have
a butterfly themed fortieth birthday party and we want you
to go crazy with it. So I've learned that retail,
even though it wasn't how I started in my brain
thinking that.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
We would end up, this is where we've ended up.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
It's an experience based boutique floral experience for our customers,
and so making sure that they can dig into it
a little bit and that we're always customer facing is
really important to me. And I'd love it to have
a little bit of an event space off the side
where we can host some of these events, because essentially,
what the accountant is telling me is that our labor
is so crazy for these big planned events.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
So it's like you do these big events.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
And you're so proud of them, and I mean I
could tell stories about like we did a really really
big one in twenty twenty three and the heart attacks
that I had and the labor. I know, we didn't
clear that much on that event because again I was
standing there sticking things in until the very you know,
and you know, I had to cry in my car
one time, and you know, get through it. But I
(32:42):
think that the retail consumer, the funeral, the birthday, I
think that's where Wildflower can really expand and do more
volume and be more available for our customers to be
involved in and hang out with and come be more
community than hiding in a north side warehouse where nobody
can see us.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
We're so excited for you.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
And I mean again, I think that when you're talking
about flowers, everybody just wants to see the expansion and
they're always beautiful to look at. We always end each
podcast with a couple of final thoughts. So what's the
beat that keeps you going joy.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
And excitement in the final product, And whether the final
product is a birthday for my kid or a big,
huge wedding, it's the obsession with the final result that
and the hard work that you put into it.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
And then walking in and getting goosebumps from top.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
To bottom and saying like this is why I do
this happiness on people's faces. I mean, I know this
is big picture stuff I'm saying, but this is what
really gets me. Having somebody, even with a small arrangement
or in my family too, same thing, trips, whatever it is,
it's all about just seeing the expression on faces when
it's done.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
So Maya for our very final question, what your perfect
boulevard look like?
Speaker 4 (34:05):
My perfect boulevard is obviously it's full of organic, beautiful
English gardens and trees and lights and beauty and whatever.
But I'm not only serving my family and my clients,
but my community as well, and lifting others up, especially
women and marginalized humans in my neighborhood, where everyone feels
(34:28):
a part of something and also not left out that
they can be involved in things like flowers or parties,
or that it's not over anybody's head, and making that
stuff accessible for humans and people, and showing my kids
that's how they should be as well, and setting an example.
The word boulevard means a lot to me in the
(34:49):
way that it's a lot about for me, style and
design and creativity and the way people lay out their
front yards and the way that it all comes together
even if they're different. Right, You've got Spanish mission style houses,
you've got craftsmen style houses, you've got modern new, brand
new built houses, and just keeping everything different and creative
(35:09):
and sort of celebrating everyone's differences and being a part
of the movement of that in my city, in my neighborhood,
and making people feel welcome and loved is where I'm at.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Well, that definitely sounds like a boulevard that we would
want to walk down or drive down and stop because
since we live's a driving community.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
I thank you and Maya. We are so happy to.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Talk to you about all things floral and your small business,
and we congratulate you on your success that you've had
thus far.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Thank you both so much for having me. It was
so fun.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
Thanks, Thank you for listening to this week's episode of
Boulevard Beat. If you enjoyed this episode, if please fall
along and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or
wherever you listen so you never missed an episode. And
of course, follow your host on Instagram at Megan bloom Interiors,
at Chrissa Rossbund, and at Liz Legit. We'll be back
(36:06):
next week as we take a stroll down another boulevard.
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