“When I started to really inquire more about it I got to meet kids who have never been exposed to plants in NYC.”

Celadon & Celery Events and environments is a unique New York City floral design house that creates “green” events that integrate respect for the planets resources with beautiful products and spaces.

They specialize in the art of floral design with attention to quality and detail, combining colors, shapes, textures, patterns and innovative containers to make events truly memorable. They believe event decor is not just about flowers…it is about creating an atmosphere. Celadon and Celery Events assist on layout, custom lighting, specialty linens, furniture and props. Everything that creates a personality for a party, they take care of.

MO: Tell us about your personal background and how it prepared you to run Celadon and Celery Events?

Bess: In college, I studied ecopsychology, which looks at how people interact with the environment. With my degree and expertise in fashion design (I opened her own clothing company, Besos, at age 21), easily translating these skills to design eco-couture, floral décor for my clients. Through my blend of skills such as fashion, farming, interior design, studio art, art history and the environment, Celadon and Celery events are of unrivaled style and sophistication with an eye on green design.

MO: The Event planning industry can become very saturated in certain markets. How do you distinguish yourselves from other florists and event and decor companies?

Bess: That’s a great question! We are always evolving and we are inspired by strangers’ laughter, kids giggles, and the melody of songs. We dedicate our practice to personalizing every event, wedding, or private affair to the clients’ story and life. It’s important to do so while maintaining our commitment to buying local and seasonal.

MO: Using organic plants is very important to your company. Can you tell us about some of the things you do to support sustainability?

Bess: Being “green” is a word that we use to describe our environmental awareness when designing flowers and executing events. Being “green” means we conduct our day-to-day business using principles, policies, and practices that contribute to solving, rather than contributing to the environmental and social problems of our world. In our commitment to the earth, we are replacing plastic trash bags with biodegradable bags, we are composting our waste with the Lower East Side Composting Center, and we are buying from local organic farmers and from certified organic purveyors. Celadon & Celery is also taking an initiative in becoming more energy-efficient. We are taking the necessary steps needed to run the studio off of solar panels attached to the top of the building to help reduce our carbon footprint.

Details:

o Celadon & Celery chooses to buy fresh local produce and flowers in order to help reduce the use of fossil fuels and packaging. When local produce and flowers are available and in season, we choose to support our local farmers; however, when the seasons change and we no longer have that option, Celadon & Celery buys from certified vendors who sell flowers that are USDA Organic, Veriflora Certified, or Fair Trade Labeled. We also promote sustainable style through our use of recycled containers, fabrics, and salvaged materials. We believe in sustainability as much as we believe in buying organic.

o We understand that composting helps preserve landfill space and reduce climate change by avoiding methane emissions from organic decay in landfills. The process of composting materials is very earth-friendly, for it turns these materials into nutrient rich soil that helps to grow fresh food. Knowing this, Celadon & Celery has joined forces with the Lower Eastside Composting Center. The Lower Eastside Composting Center is a community-based recycling and composting program. We know as florists and designers that our industry lends itself to being wasteful; therefore, we are dedicated to reducing our impact on the earth by composting and replenishing the earth.

MO: You just finished working with the Intern program from Perkins Academy of Arts in Brooklyn. Can you tell us more about this program and why you decided to get involved?

Bess: I heard about this program through a friend in my dance community. When I started to really inquire more about it I got to meet kids who have never been exposed to plants in NYC. I saw the eagerness and wanted to change their perception about nature, so I took on a student and he ended up teaching me about the urban life and we reciprocated with our garden knowledge.

MO: Tell us about the floral workshop tour you will be going on in the next couple weeks and how this is an important strategic move for your company.

Bess: I promised my business partner a fabulous life and 6 weeks of travel every year. Part of taking the classes on the road is fulfilling my promise to her! We plan on cultivating strong relationships with our vendors in the CA region and want to promote their work while also teaching the basic techniques of floral design.

MO: Celadon and Celery launched in the heat of the recession. Why did you believe this was a good time to launch your company?

Bess: First of all I did not have a job so why the hell not? Secondly, I got lucky and an investor found me and wanted to give me the capital to start my own floral business. With her initial investment I was able to work hard for very little money. I got creative in how I was marketing myself and recruited cheaper help. In all honesty the market also had less competition because so many floritsts were closing shop due to crazy high overheaed.