Conversations with Leslie Nelson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Nelson.

Hi Leslie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I spent my entire junior year of college at Oxford in the Stanford in Oxford program. I was one of two students who stayed the full year. I really loved the flora and fauna in England. I loved rock walls. Loved being a part of a rowing club in Oxford (I had never rowed before)…And I loved all of the gardens. My father was a man who did many things: he was an estate attorney, an owner of multiple apartment complexes where he kept the grounds looking quite nice. He started a tennis club that was a large part of my life during my youth and my teenage years. My first job was working with kids coaching tennis camps.

After I finished my year in England, I returned to Stanford, but I remained pretty enraptured with England and so I returned there after graduating. Then I worked at an ad agency in London under the creative director. Once back in the states, I started a ad copywriting and graphic design firm, writing articles for newspapers, designing brochures and eventually writing video scripts. Then my husband and I merged our two businesses into one company where we focused on corporate video production. We have run that corporate video business, VisualConcepts.tv, LLC for over 25 years.

The whole time I had been gardening. I gardened with my kid’s classes at school for years, I put natives on my hillside, I planned my entire landscape of our home. I have been a part of the board of the San Carlos Community Garden for about 12 years. So as my husband got closer to retirement, I decided I would start selling flower at different fairs and do floristry out of my home. So 3 years later, I’m doing floristry, but I am also a certified small grower with the state and I grow a lot of seasonal veggie plants that I sell along with house plants at various fairs in San DIego and sometimes Orange County.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been fun and also a lot of work. Flowers have become increasingly expensive, with tariffs and now also the cost of gas has been driving up expenses. However, all of my design skills and gardening experiences really helped me distinguish myself and do some great work. I feel compelled to grow lots of unique and interesting vegetables, particularly tomatoes. I’ve been testing out different varieties and selling a lot of them. So I’m kind of a gardener/grower/florist. I have avoided going to certified farmer’s markets because there are so many regulations, that it doesn’t really work for someone who’s mostly a florist and a small grower. It’s really made for large growers who sell a lot of flowers en mass.

Bookkeeping has been challenging, because each little Venmo transaction, each Square transaction, and even cash transactions needs to be entered, so that has been a challenge. The selling and meeting people and solving their gardening problems or giving them ideas is the fun part.

Lastly, I get challenged when people don’t understand the value of flowers. Often families fail to engender a love of nature by not letting the beauties of nature be a part of their life. Flowers have the power to help people relax, to make them feel loved and appreciated and to heal. It’s pretty rare to be at a fair where a dad buys flowers for a mom who’s taking care of multiple kids…doing this every now and then would really bring joy to the whole family. Kids learn to appreciate nature more. I love it when kids are interested in flowers and want to know the names of certain flowers. I go further and help them understand how certain shapes work better together and how plants and flowers have different traits whether it’s a rose that smells fruity or perfumy or a couple of stems of grain that add texture to an arrangement. This helps them respect the uniqueness of the different flowers and perhaps gain interest in plants, flowers and nature.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve really become known for my bouquets and my gardening/small grower skills along with the house plants that I grow and/or take care of. I also have learned a lot about orchids, and really enjoy growing those. I enjoy doing florals for small weddings, memorial services, meetings, where I can really have a positive impact on the vibe, and help create a pleasant atmosphere. I like really distinctive unique flowers, and the same with veggies. So I’ve really sought them out. At the same time, my work does reflect the suburban mountain environment of my home near Mission Trails and Cowles Mountain, the largest mountain within the City of San Diego. We have always loved the vibe of the Mission Trails Visitor Center and I think my bouquets look very much at home there. My first floral gig was when I did my daughter’s flowers for her wedding at Mission Trails Visitor Center. Such a beautiful place that’s worth a visit. And I really loved doing the flowers for that event.

When I go out and sell flowers at fairs, I like to bring unique florals or interesting colors that aren’t that common along with the basics. I still really respect flowers that last longer like carnations, Israeli ruscus, Tuscan ruscus, lillies…I depend on these basics particularly when the weather gets hot. But what really intrigues people is when you add a few unique looks to the bouquets and arrangements that transforms them.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I haven’t had a lot of time, but I have read a number of floral books and I do a lot of floral research on Instagram. Some of my favorites are books by Erin Benzakein. She’s an amazing farmer/grower/designer/educator. I also make an effort to follow a lot of inspiring florists and other gardening-related folks. One of the more fun ones that I recently started following is a person who shared different types of knots. They use funny sound effects to show how effective they are and keep it interesting.

Pricing:

• • Bouquets: $25-$75
• • Arrangements $35-$100
• • Plants ($13-40) and Orchids/Anthuriums ($17-50)
• • Veggie Plants ($6-18)
• •Herbs ($5-$15)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @NelsonFreshBouquets
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslie.nelson.581