CONTINUING STUDIES
Kristen Carrier
Graduate - Floral Design Certificate As luck would have it, the last assignment of the course was to develop a business plan and present it to the class. Carrier’s plan was to see her vision for a flower farm and floral design business in Southeast Kelowna come to fruition. “I saw that there was a need for more sustainable flower options in Kelowna,” she said. “I love using flowers and foliage in designs that allow them to look natural, as though they are in their organic setting.” After graduating from the course, Carrier and her husband were offered an amazing property to grow on, and as a result, Lavender and Lace Floral Farm and Design was started.
G
rowing up in Kelowna, Kristen Carrier always loved helping her parents in their garden and around the yard. She never dreamed that as an adult she would have her very own floral business. For five years following high school, Carrier toiled in the soil of a local garden centre and flower shop. Her interest in things floral took root, and bloomed into a passion that led her on a near-constant quest to know more about plants and floral design. As Carrier’s enthusiasm for the industry grew, so too did her desire for a formal industry qualification. Carrier’s research led her to the floral design certificate program being offered at Okanagan College. She saw the value in having a credential that spoke to her passion, and excitedly signed up for the 150hour part-time course. “I wanted to feel confident in the basic skills of floral design, and to gain as much knowledge in the industry as I could. This certificate was the perfect opportunity for both.”
The primary focus for Lavender and Lace is weddings. Carrier grows organic blooms and seasonal greens for brides in order to select the perfect flowers for their unique floral arrangements – from bouquets to centerpieces and everything in between. She enjoys meeting her clients in her new flower studio on Gordon Drive in Kelowna. “The shop is great because I get to show people what we do and make that connection with them. Previously I was designing in our spare bedroom, so to now have a space to do that in, it’s amazing. I love the simplicity of the space and all of the beautiful pieces that my husband built for it. Additionally, my mom is able to come in often and work side by side with me, as it is still a passion of hers as well. The support of my family has been critical to the success of the business.” In diversifying her product offering, 28-year-old Carrier has also developed a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) offering – Frequent Flowers. Customers register to receive a customized scheduled subscription of
beautifully arranged flowers, picked specifically for the season. “My favourite flowers and foliage that we grow really changes with each month. The Frequent Flowers program is a great way for me to highlight the different flowers that we grow in different seasons. In the spring I love sweet peas and ranunculus, in the summer dahlias are my favourite. The herbs, vines, eucalyptus that we grow allows us to utilize unique textures, colours and shapes in the flowers and foliage. It’s the best feeling to walk around the farm and pick buckets of flowers that I get to design with for my customers. “Our vision for this business really came to life, through a lot of trust, hard work and a big dream. I am grateful that I was able to obtain my certification locally, and was able to take that knowledge and turn it into a full time career.” Kathy Neufeld, current Instructor of the Floral Design Certificate, says the course is getting a diverse mix of ages, genders and skill levels attending the floral program. “Students are able to take the knowledge and skills they learn in the program and apply them for personal use, or take the mechanics they have learned and apply them to their own concepts in the floral industry, just like Kristen did.” To learn more about the Floral Design Certificate at Okanagan College, please check out okanagan.bc.ca/cs or read more on page 16
okanagan.bc.ca/cs
3