Creativity Blooms At Garden Bouquet & Design
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Marquette, MI – Climbing apple trees and exploring the fields and forests of her family’s small hobby farm as a child left Kim Smith touched by the magical world of nature. She continued to nurture the strong connections she had grown to the natural world throughout her life, and now shares her deep knowledge of plants and flowers with the U.P. community through her floral shop, Garden Bouquet & Design; located across from the Children’s Museum on Baraga Ave. in downtown Marquette, MI.
Smith has a natural talent for art and design yet, she brings much more to the table than flower arranging! Building on her childhood passion for plants, she studied Botany and Environmental Education at Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University. She then went on to study Biology and Secondary Education for her master’s degree, completing her Master’s thesis by developing and implementing an Outdoor Environmental day camp on Mackinac Island.
Equipped with scientific knowledge and experience in the study of plants and flowers, Smith went on to purchase a small farm in Skandia in 1993 and developed the first cut flower farm in the Upper Peninsula, Honeydale Farm Flowers. Here she grew and sold more than 10,000 specialty cut flower stems per year from more than 25 varieties, mainly selling wholesale to florists throughout the county from 2000 – 2009.
In 2004 she was offered the opportunity to purchase Garden Bouquet giving her a retail outlet for the flowers she was growing on the farm. Says Smith, “Because I have always taken art classes and have been very creative, the design aspect of growing flowers was very appealing and natural to me. When I purchased Garden Bouquet, I changed the name to Garden Bouquet and Design and began including regional, sustainable art, in addition to the floral design and green plants.”
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Through her work with plants Smith hopes to share the deep connection she has for the natural world with others, “I want to help other people find it, explore it, and understand the value of it for themselves,” she says. This has kept sustainability in all ways possible a primary focus for her. Her favorite designs are those created with fresh, seasonal and organically or sustainably grown products.
“Ideally, those are flowers I’ve grown myself, but I have not been able to grow enough to meet the demand. What I notice is the overall health of what I grow or what other organic/sustainable growers produce. One of the florists I used to sell to off of my farm said my flowers were always ‘crunchy!’ In other words, they are fresher, more turgid and vibrant,” she says.
In addition to supporting healthy growing practices for the plants and flowers she provides, Smith also makes room in her shop to support the work of other local artists. “I want to create an environment that inspires people when they come in. A place where they feel at home and hopefully find creativity and inspiration within themselves,” she exclaims.
Smith has cultivated this creative space that reflects the beauty of nature in every design. Plants do not merely line the shelves at Garden Bouquet & Design, but burst forth from sculptural vases, pots, and terrariums carefully chosen to accentuate the unique characteristics of each plant. Many of vessels housing plants within the shop have been designed by local artists.
At the forefront of the sustainability trend, even before it gained popularity, Garden Bouquet & Design puts emphasis on featuring the work of artist’s who have incorporated elements of earth friendly practices into their work. For instance, home decor by local upcycled bike furniture designer Andy Gregg, REdesigned clothing and jewelry provide customers with unique gift options that support Smith’s sustainable business ethic.
It doesn’t stop there for this vibrant local business, Garden Bouquet & Design is committed to community education teaching classes on plants, flowers, floral design, and environmentally friendly products and farming. Future plans include developing their own signature line of soaps, bath salts, and candles using natural products from the plant world.
For Smith, stagnation is not an option. The same principles that drive the natural world are woven into every aspect of her life: keeping things fresh, growing, and evolving. Says Smith, “If I can share my love of plants and flowers and inspire a handful of people in the process, then I’ve done my work.”
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