Kendra Gilbert
Latest posts by Kendra Gilbert (see all)
- FresYes vs the Anaconda Burrito - December 10, 2016
- Fresno + Etsy = Easy Online Local Shopping for Christmas - December 3, 2016
- Friendsgiving Memories From Around the Valley - November 19, 2016
Fleurie Flower Studio
Flowers and love go hand in hand. They are given out by the dozen on Valentine’s Day and carried in bunches down the aisles of countless weddings. But before they can take center stage in a grand display of affection, they must be grown. And that takes a love all its own. No flowers are given more love than those grown in the garden of Laurie Garza.
Garza grew up in the garden, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother. From day one, she had her hands in the dirt, she says. By age 20, she had designed flowers for her first wedding. And six years ago, she opened her own floral design business, Fleurie Flower Studio. You could say that her career in the flower business has really blossomed. What’s truly special about the arrangements Garza is making these days for brides and events across the Central Valley, is that the flowers come from Garza’s home garden in Reedley. Adding in blooms sourced first from California and American growers, she whips up some truly spectacular arrangements.
Today, Garza is busier than ever, but still spends as much time as she can either in her garden or her studio. It’s no surprise that people love her flowers, because Garza loves her flowers. And that shows in each and every arrangement she makes. The downside to all this love? It often makes the flowers hard to part with. Here, Garza talks about her inherited love of gardening, why the business of arranging flowers is personal for her, and explains what she does during the cold winter months.