In Full Bloom: Celebrating Boulder’s Sustainable, Design-Forward Flower Shop

Jun 17

Boulder Blooms has been creating modern, architectural and floral-forward designs in their local Boulder shop for over 25 years. Focused on spreading the joy of flowers through unique and seasonal arrangements, they offer daily deliveries, plant installations and maintenance, and specialize in residential and commercial floral subscriptions and events.

Our partnership blossomed after meeting Boulder Blooms’ Creative Director, Lily Kelly, at Boulder’s organic nursery, Harlequin’s Garden. Lily and her partner, a local flower farmer, were selecting plants and after learning about their connection to the land and creative work in florals, we became fast friends with an interest to create together. And you know we just wouldn’t miss an opportunity to work with a female-driven team that is as obsessed with beautiful things as we are.

“It’s all about collaboration,” says Lily. “It’s really exciting when you find a company like Tectonic who shares our same vision of providing the Boulder community with services that are elevated, high-quality, and sustainable.”

Lily works alongside Zoe Tomar, the company’s Operations Director, who is critical in executing their wild visions into a reality. Together, they operate a business that centers around sustainable practices and seasonality while elevating every space they touch with whimsical, cosmic, and imaginative arrangements.

Check Out Boulder Blooms’ Arrangements for the Staging of Newlands House

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Rooted in Nature

As Boulder’s healthy home builder, we work with like-minded businesses who prioritize sustainable practices, reduce their carbon footprint and their use of toxic chemicals. Boulder Blooms is a dream collaborator for us because not only do they value the importance of creating harmonious environments that are good for us and the planet, but their dedication to sustainability is at the root of how they create.

They implement reusable floral frogs for their upright floral designs, compost all of their stems, have eliminated toxic common foam core that is common in the floral industry, as well as investing in local flowers that are pesticide-free. By sourcing local flowers whenever possible, which is currently more than 85%, they have also minimized their environmental impact significantly.

“We focus on hyper seasonality as much as possible,” says Lily. “Flowers and plants that are selected in the grow season means more vibrant colors and higher quality. Plus, we are creating personal relationships with the farmers who have sustainable and regenerative practices.”

Some of the local farms they work with include, Little Hollow Farms, Smokebush and Wild Nectar, as well as the Colorado Flower Collective who sources from farmers across the Front Range. Some of Lily’s favorite flowers are tulips in a variety of colors and petal count that bloom in spring, the Colorado native yarrow plant come summertime, and ornamental dahlias picked in the fall.

When it comes to arranging nature’s works of art, Lily opts for a more avant garde style that favors the bold and embraces the natural twists and curves of branches and stems. She is also an incredible taste-maker when it comes to supporting her client’s floral visions.

Alternative Arrangements

Creativity reigns supreme at Boulder Blooms.

“We always try to give the client what they want while honoring our sustainable practices,” says Lily. “The benefit is not only for the environment but it also means that the client gets a personal arrangement that is different than a stock bouquet made for the masses.”

For example, they don’t use traditional red roses on Valentines Day, since they are sourced internationally, and instead select alternatives that honor the sentiment of the holiday. Specializing in weddings and events, Lily and her team create custom arrangements that interpret feelings into flowers through exceptional designs that range from classic and chic to playful and whimsical.

Lily is excited about how the plant and flower growing industry is evolving. With breeding on the rise there are more innovative varieties available that keeps her floral design work ever-evolving.

Learn More About Tectonic’s Founders Dedication to Building Healthier Homes Focused on Environmental Stewardship

Bringing the Wild Inside

In a recent Tectonic Journal, we shared the innumerable benefits of biophilic plant design and the importance of incorporating living plants into a home’s interior design. This includes purifying the air and filtering out toxic chemicals, increasing humidity in the home, and reducing stress. When our client’s are seeking indoor plants for their residential spaces, we work with the industry’s most knowledgeable plant experts over at Incrementum Co. When it comes to gorgeous arrangements, whether fresh or dried, we put our trust in the incredible team at Boulder Blooms.

Lily has created custom arrangements for our Newlands House remodel and most recently supported Tectonic in staging the stunning Spring Gulch property. This modern ranch remodel is an expression of rustic regality that Lily beautifully complimented with selections of vibrantly-colored stemmed flowers and neutral, architectural branches to reflect the rich, chocolate brown hues of the home.

Our design build firm transformed the kitchen at Spring Gulch into an ensemble of creams, reds, and dark wood that ties in the original stone flooring and details of polished nickel hardware and pendant lighting. To honor this blend of old world and new, Lily selected a spiral eucalyptus, a bright leafy-green papyrus plant, and a bouquet of Colorado-grown single petal orange tulips to add a fresh feel to the heart of the home.

Heading into the primary bathroom, you will discover a regal space reminiscent of a luxury mountain spa.

“I was immediately inspired by the dark brown Emperador marble that wraps around the standing tub,” says Lily. “We selected pussy willows to adorn the side tables to compliment the rich tones of the room but not distract from the prominent stonework.”

The remaining bathrooms that Tectonic remodeled were afforded modern bouquets of the same single stem orange tulips as seen in the kitchen as well as Colorado-grown burgundy peony tulips. They were the perfect addition to add more visual depth to the white Taj Mahal Quartzite countertops and elevate the Arizona Flash Wall Tile in Cobalt.

The client was presented with a regal and well-appointed home rich with high-quality, natural materials that were accentuated with custom floral arrangements reminiscent of the gorgeous state of Colorado we call home. This collaboration is what we pride ourselves on: uplifting local Boulder businesses and integrating diversity through design.

“I admire Tectonic’s approach to design as well as their close relationships with their clients,” says Lily. “They go above and beyond to articulate their client’s vision beautifully, which is what we aspire to create for every one of our customers at Boulder Blooms.”