Flower Friend Spotlight-Meredith Cooper from Forage
I am so excited to introduce Meredith! We met at Flower Fest last year and became fast friends. While volunteering I was assigned to help her with her display. She had me create the most beautiful foam free installation topped with butterflies made of liatris and geranium leaves, they were precious. Not only is she such an inspiration to me, she is a girl after my own heart with her love of sweet peas! I think you will all appreciate this interview and love Meredith as much as I do.
You are self taught. How did you get into flowers and how did you feel confident to start your own business?
I was always the friend who volunteered to do the flowers and styling for showers, parties, etc. That gradually grew into requests from various levels of friends and the events got larger. When a wedding photographer friend asked me to be her florist, I decided I had to make it official before doing an industry wedding! I studied, got licensed, and formed my LLC all in one month in 2018.
What did you do before flowers?
I was (and still am) an ICU nurse. I am passionate about nursing and always will be. I love caring for people. Forage was a "side hustle" after my 9 to 5 for several years. Working crazy hours in the hospital allowed me to be free at odd times as well, and that led me to take custom orders more and more. I started booking small weddings and events, and it began to snowball. In December of 2019, I was ready to take the leap to chase this flower dream full time; I literally cried as I sent in my letter of resignation to my manager in the hospital. Throughout 2020, I was needed back in the hospital and went in as much as I could to help relieve my overworked, overwhelmed ICU family.
You are also in a joint studio with our friends at Truly Haute. What do you love about a joint space?
We moved into the studio in October of this year, and it has been incredible! My house was bursting at the seams in flowers, inventory, and buckets! Moving into a designated space has improved my workflow, my marriage (ha!), and my management of time. Rachel and Lauren of Truly Haute approached me about sharing the space at a Scout Guide event the night we met. We had worked together on several weddings, and we knew we loved each others' energy. They were looking at this space as a warehouse/retail combo, and I knew that I wanted in! Candles are a huge load of work in setting up, cleaning, and processing, and I was really looking to phase that out of my offerings. We're a match made in heaven because they are absolute masters at their skill and create some of the most beautiful candle filled weddings and events I've ever seen.
You are admirably foam free! Why did you make that decision and what is your most challenging aspect design-wise?
When I started designing, floral foam was just a given-- it was like, "Well, I guess if I'm going to be a florist, then I should buy this flower foam." I was soaking up every inch of education I could get, and realized that floral foam is a relatively new invention in the floral world. While reading books from the 1930s and 1940s about home gardening and design, I recognized flower frogs and pins that I had seen in antique shops, as well as mechanics made from wire set inside of vases. It really hit me that I just couldn't use any more floral foam when I realized that it never really goes away. Reading about microplastics and how they break down, how they are ingested, in our water, etc, it just shook me to the core. When I realized that floral foam was a part of this plastic problem, I already knew better ways to flower! It was a simple transition to chicken wire for me because of my general design style, and I have so enjoyed trying out every new foam-free alternative that I can find or think up. The most challenging aspect of being foam free is probably going to be a surprise... It isn't the large-scale hanging installations or shallow vessels en masse.. It's the acrylic sign trend! I have yet to find a great alternative to an oasis Iglu holder! You know, those tiny little pieces of foam with a stick back?! A chicken wire cage works to hold the flowers, but there isn't a great way to hide the mechanics and get it to stay in place on the clear sign. I've got a design idea for it that I would love to develop and patent in all of my free time! The most exciting new product in the foam free world (in my humble opinion) is the Oschun pouch. It feels like foam, it holds like foam, it doesn't drip as much as some other alternatives, and it holds water really well. I highly encourage anyone who wants to dip their toes in to try it out!
On the other side of the token, what are some benefits design-wise about being foam free?
The freedom. I have found that form is more free with a chicken wire mechanic, and I can truly create wildflower style designs when I am not working into a block. The flowers get to enjoy their native line because the stem length, bends, and quirks have to be taken into consideration with each placement. I absolutely love it! Being foam free also makes me get creative in what would be standard mechanics. This is especially true in sympathy designs-- standing sprays and casket pieces are works of engineering in my world.
Being foam free can also be really cost effective, and I think that's a major selling point for some floral designers. I will reuse a piece of wire 3-4 times before giving it the boot or it makes its way out of the shop permanently.
You do subscription services, how did that come about and what do you like most about the service?
Hands down, my favorite two things (you know I couldn't just give one!) about the subscription program are the following:
1. Constant interaction with people who love my work and who I have come to love. I cannot express how encouraging it is when someone commits to being a continued subscriber, and then sends pictures of the arrangement to say how loved it is. I love getting to know these families who are surrounded by my flowers each week; I'm tearing up just thinking about it. I then become a part of their lives-- they call me for their dance corsages, engagement parties, and showers and we have this little bond of trust in one another.
2. Total creative freedom. Each week, I look at ordering flowers for the subscription the following week. I check my local growers first-- Sunnyglade is my go-to, and Agnes is a close friend-- and then fill in the gaps from there. Sometimes I have a huge wedding the following weekend with a funky palette. In that case, my subscribers will get to enjoy the super special flowers ordered for the couple's big day. Sometimes I order just for them and let my creative juices flow. But don't get me wrong - I've had a couple of flops. Last year, around Valentine's Day, I ordered these popcorn hydrangeas in petal pink just for the subscription. The stems were huge, the blooms even bigger. They were in the cooler until I designed with them, and then I sent them out the following day. I kept one for myself to enjoy and within 24 hours, it was completely dead. Not a "you can rehydrate this" kind of droopy hydrangea; I'm talking, crispy crunchy chicken dead flowers. I reached out to a few subscribers to ask how theirs were. THEY DIED THAT DAY. I was so embarrassed, but I learned a great lesson. I ensure the flowers I use are long-vase-life varieties, and I test them beforehand!
You always look so adorable, where are your favorite places to shop?
You are so sweet! I am a huge thrifter and always have been. I also like nice things. Ha! My local thrift spot in BR is The Purple Cow, but I also use Poshmark for specific items I'm hunting. If I need a staple piece for years to come, Edit by LBP in Baton Rouge is my go to. It's so close to home and the girls are the friendliest. For fun and funky pieces (as well as my Mimosa jewelry) I love Wanderlust by Abby. Other clothes are usually bought off of targeted ads on Instagram, and the Universal Thread & Wild Fable lines at Target!
I know it’s hard to choose just one, do you have a favorite flower (or two or three!)?
Of course I DO!!! Icelandic Poppies and sweet peas. They just make me smile and I order them every chance I get. I'm salivating waiting for the local bloom of poppies and sweet peas from Sunnyglade! I also obsess over garden roses, and they never get old to me. A flower's scent is often as important to me as its visual appeal; Pure Perfume, White Ohara, and Carding Mill are a few of my favorite scents.
A few of my other favorites to design with are ranunculus, hydrangea, and anemones.
Find out more: https://www.foragefloralco.com/