Floralia is a Hemmingford, QC based floral company using local, seasonal and ethically grown flowers to create gorgeous displays for weddings and events. Caroline, the creative force behind Floralia, arranges her flowers in loose bouquets reminiscent of old English gardens and pretty meadows. Think wild and abundant flowers with bohemian elegance.
Ethically grown flowers have been a bit of a concern for me ever since I found out that there are some pretty nasty practices in the floral industry (how ironic that something so beautiful can potentially be so terrible). Up until now, I didn’t really know where to turn for flowers that I knew were grown in environmentally and ethically sound conditions.
Plus lets face it, sometimes babies breathe and fern leaves aren’t what we had in mind in our arrangements. I see so many beautiful flowers online and was happy to see someone local doing arrangements that really stood out.
Q&A with Caroline Boyce of Floralia
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I’m originally from Germany, but moved to BC with my family in my early teens. Montreal has been my home for the past six years.
My grandmother and mother are avid gardeners and I learned most of my gardening skills through them. Experience on organic farms and Fine Arts classes from Concordia rounded out my practical and design education.
What is Floralia?
Floralia specializes in floral design for events and weddings with local, seasonal and ethical flowers. We grow a lot of our own flowers on an organic farm in Hemmingford.
We want the flowers to look alive and bring a sense of wellbeing to a space. Everything we do is unique and each design is based on what we find growing in the garden.
Why did you decide to start Floralia?
I had an opportunity to have my own garden and decided to experiment with flowers. I was happily surprised to learn all the new varieties of annuals and perennials that were used as cut flowers and quickly became hooked.
I started selling bouquets to CSA (community supported agriculture) farmer baskets. Soon, I started having requests from clients to do their weddings and with the help of other businesses decided to start Floralia.
What makes Floralia different from other florists?
People like the style of flower bouquets we offer and the flower varieties that we include. We are a small team and work closely with our clients, which allows for flexibility with requests. Everyone wants his or her wedding to be original and we help make that happen.
Why should someone choose locally grown flowers?
It’s not always possible to choose locally grown flowers, but when they are in season the flowers have traveled less, thus are fresher. Surprisingly, there are quite a few less known local varieties of flowers. People are always surprised to discover these lesser known varieties.
It’s also nice to buy according to season. I always look forward for June when I know there will be plenty of peonies and then again in September when the dahlias have long stems and are all in season at the same time.
How does Floralia work?
Floralia works like most florists but you will only find us online. For special events like weddings, parties and other events please contact us directly so that we can work with you to discuss design and cost.
To buy a bouquet, sign up to our mailing list and we will let you know when our bouquets are available which are available spontaneously throughout the year, but mostly during the summer. Bouquets are $30 including delivery costs. Delivery is available to destinations listed in their online map.
If you are interested in flower arranging workshops, check our website for upcoming classes and fill out the form to keep updated.
For any other requests just contact us directly!
Tell me a bit about your floral workshops?
The floral workshops are offered 4-5 times a year using the flowers currently in season. In addition showing how to arrange flowers in a vase, we also give tips for keeping your flowers longer and specific advice on the flowers used. Everyone is given time to create their own flower arrangement with buckets of flowers and foliage to choose from. The floral arrangement workshops are located at Galerie-Co.
Why are you so passionate about what you do?
I consider myself lucky to work with flowers. They are really are more than just a luxury item. Only a few stems of flowers on my kitchen table or nightstand remind me to take the time to appreciate the small things. It’s a lifestyle statement. Even when the flowers start to wither I see their beauty. I really enjoy sharing this passion and beauty with my clients.
A big thanks to Caroline for putting up with all my questions and supplying the photos.
Remember to check out Floralia for their gorgeous bouquets and workshops.
All photos were taken using items from Galerie-Co. All photographs are by Melodie Hoareau.
Michelle Little
Writer & Photographer
