Business Spotlight: Foraged Florals

Wanting to share their love of flowers led Carol Millet and Susan Larder to open Foraged Florals in 2021. Following permaculture principles and practices, they have transformed a portion of the 32 acres of forest they live on into a thriving and sustainable flower farm. Members of the Sustainable Floristry Network, Susan is the creative force and designer, Carol is the business organizer. Living on site in their tiny home they get to enjoy the ecosystem they have built every day.

Q1. How did Foraged Florals Start?

1. The name came before the official business started. We were doing local events and markets but had no garden at the time. We foraged for everything. Personal health reasons made us turn it into a full-time business. We continue to focus on foraging and not extracting. We are tiny by intention.

Q2. You are now in your third year of business, how has it grown?

1. The garden has continued to grow along with what we are offering at Foraged Florals. We decided not to be a flower shop, it didn’t align with our model. We are clearer on what is sustainable for us, the land, and what gaps in the market we can fill.
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3. We focus on education, offering workshops, special occasions, and on-site and off-site events. We have added a tiny off-grid cabin for visitors to stay in, unplug, and enjoy the forest and flowers. We added a flower CSA, which is now at capacity. We continue to grow our network of partnerships collaborating with other flower growers in the area.

Q3. Why focus on permaculture principles?

1. Permaculture continues to improve and build the soil as well as the whole ecosystem. The soil gets better every year. We don’t use any chemical inputs. Our floristry plan is based on foraging and working with what we have. We manage by disturbing as little as possible.

Q4. What led you to set up in the New Ross area?

1. Susan is from New Ross. She inherited half of the current property, and we purchased the rest to bring it all together.

Q5. What are your plans for 2024 and beyond?

1. We want to continue to share our space and beauty. Humans need beauty. We will continue with our annual plant sale, hosting private functions, our popular Holiday planters in Nov/Dec, moss garden workshops, and attending Holiday markets.

Thanks to the popularity of our full CSA, we have now added a half share option.

We are excited about our workshop/event line up for this Summer:

• July 14 - Eat Your Medicine: A Wild Food Foraging and Dining Experience with Oren Hercz
• July 28 – Flower Essence Workshop with Treechild
• Sept 7 – Plein Air Foral Experience with Lisa Hrabowsky

The Plein Air event is also a fundraiser for the New Ross Community Care Centre.

Our next big project is expanding into micro-weddings with the addition of our wedding bowery. Woodland weddings all in under $10,000 for 8 people or fewer. Our packages are all inclusive with flower design, stay on-site, music, food, photographer, and justice of the peace. We want to keep building on what can be done on-site.

https://www.foragedfloralsnewross.ca/