Stems Brooklyn was founded in 2013 by Suzanna Cameron, Owner & Founder, in front of a tiny, darkly lit speakeasy bar and has since grown into the bright and beautiful warehouse style studio and retail shop it is today. Stems Brooklyn is rooted in family, community values and working towards a more equitable and sustainable future in floristry. They firmly believe that taking care of Mother Earth is vital to ensuring a better future for tomorrow. With this belief, Stems goes above and beyond to practice the following eco conscious operations; sourcing local florals, recycling and upcycling, excluding floral foams, chemical dyes and bleach and composting organic floral waste. Stems offers customers a plethora of services and options ranging from everyday floral arrangements, full-service wedding design, engaging workshops, and thoughtfully curated and hand-crafted retail goods from local artisans.

“I fell in love with flowers in 2011. I say ‘love’ because my passion for great flowers led me on my journey towards entrepreneurship, the small business community, and relationships within the floral community,” shared Suzanna. “I wanted a career in florals, so I learned business. I think you can do it the other way around, too. If you love business, you can learn florals.”

Popping Into Business

“Stems Brooklyn started as permanent pop-up shop in a Brooklyn speakeasy bar. Essentially, I would ‘pop up’ every day and break down at night allowing the space to morph back into a bar,” shared Suzanna. “It was grueling – and fun! I loved the community of customers and the relationship fostered between the pop-up and bar. I realized that working with florals was the perfect amalgamation of hands-on creativity.”

Those humble beginnings helped catapult Stems Brooklyn into its present-day operation within a large warehouse style studio and retail shop located in vibrant and diverse Bushwick. While the size and scope of the business has grown, Stems Brooklyn remains steadfast in its commitment to customer service and sustainability. “Buying flowers should be easy and fun. Often, customers purchase flowers for emotional reasons. Florists should be there to offer support,” shared Suzanna. “Committing to the customer experience is a big reason why our customers come back to Stems over and over again.”

Rooted in Sustainability

At the heart of Stems Brooklyn is a commitment to an equitable and sustainable future in floristry. However, the commitment to sustainability wasn’t a driving force behind their origin story, rather, a realization that came with time and observant eyes. “Stems wasn’t started with the intention of being a sustainable flower shop. Because of my upbringing I have always subscribed to nature’s natural cycles, negating waste, using only what’s needed and working within a framework of creativity,” explained Suzanna. “As my career with floristry grew, I observed the waste within our industry. Endless hard goods were thrown away, plastic waste and foam was abundant as was the adoption of floral dying tactics. There wasn’t enough of a ‘return to the earth’ and I wanted to do things differently.”

Implementing eco-friendly practices in an established floral shop can feel intimidating. Suzanna offers palatable tips and mindset shifts for those craving change. “Sometimes, in our perfectionist brains we feel we can’t enact change because of fear. We fear we can’t do ‘everything’ right. Before getting lost in that mindset, embrace that you’ll never do things perfectly, and if you do, the benchmark will change. Most of the widely adopted floral products and tactics used in mainstream floral shops were honed and refined for decades – all with the intention of making florists’ lives easier. Building new, sustainable systems requires time. I believe these new practices can make designing easier and more profitable in time.”

Tips for Adopting Eco-Friendly Design Tactics

For years, the floral industry has leaned heavily on single-use design mediums to create their work reliably and efficiently. At Stems Brooklyn, eco-friendly materials are utilized in place of foam and other traditional materials. Making a shift to eco-friendly design can feel daunting for floral shops who’ve relied on alternate techniques. Suzanna offers the following tips to jumpstart efforts:

1. Follow eco-friendly florists on social media: Tutorials and tips are often shared and it’s a great way to learn and observe.
2. Take a workshop: Many eco-friendly florists offer in-person or digital workshops which are engaging and often hands-on.
3. Start small: Suddenly shifting to eco-friendly mechanics from tried-and-true techniques can feel overwhelming. Try implementing change in small ways. Is there a retail offering you can switch? Could you work on one wedding a year utilizing foam free designs? Could you stop selling certain designs that use dyed florals and swap for a natural offering instead?
   
   
   

Tips for Building a Sustainable Flower Business

Stems Brooklyn is more than just a flower shop; it’s a model for how small businesses can create and prioritize sustainability and still thrive. Here are some valuable sustainability tips Suzanna has learned along the way:

1. Source seasonally: If possible, swap to seasonal floral sourcing versus relying on standing orders which can be very wasteful. Additionally, by sourcing seasonal flowers, there’s a reduction in transportation emissions and support of local agriculture.
2. Switch to eco-friendly design mechanics: Explore gentler design solutions, new innovations, and classic mechanics such as chicken wire, floral tape grids, natural armatures and pin frogs. 
3. Start composting natural waste: Flower shops naturally produce significant organic waste, from trimmings to wilted blooms. Instead of discarding these materials, turn them into valuable compost to enrich soil and reduce landfill contributions.
4. Avoid unnecessary plastic products: Ceramics, glass materials and hard goods can be easily repurposed and don’t contribute as meaningfully to our global plastic waste.
5. Skip dyed or painted florals: Dyed or painted flowers often contain synthetic chemicals that are harmful to the environment and can contaminate soil and water when discarded. By skipping these artificially colored blooms, you minimize the ecological footprint of your shop. Opt for naturally dried products instead.
   
   Looking Ahead

To fellow business owners, Suzanna offers a feeling of hope and grounding clarity. “I hope all floral businesses can all work towards a space of support for each other. Running a business is not for the faint of heart. It’s hard, endless, grinding work. My interpersonal hope is that we can all work on being softer, kinder and more patient with each other. We have the honor and responsibility of helping our customers share their feelings through flowers and that’s something we can easily forget during our daily grind. I believe we can make the world better through our daily business and sustainability practices.”

Stay up to date with Stems Brooklyn via their website and @stemsbrooklyn.

To shop Accent Decor’s wholesale decor, event decor and floral decor along with new flower, plant and home products, visit accentdecor.com. 

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