Meet Erin, Owner of Free Spirit Floral
Hi there! I’m Erin.
I developed a deep appreciation for nature while growing up in the mountains of Eagle, a small town near Vail, Colorado. My love for flowers reaches all the way back to a childhood spent mostly outdoors, exploring all our natural world has to offer. This beautiful place I continue to call home instilled a fascination with nature in me, and I am so grateful to use flowers as my creative medium today.
After graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in Communication, my desire to turn my passion for flowers into a career led me to the floral industry. Over several years working for an experienced florist, I gained the skills and knowledge to venture out on my own as an artist and soon enough, Free Spirit Floral was born.
I enjoy my work for the flowers, but also for the creative liberty, and nature is my source of inspiration. I love experimenting with all the different colors, shapes and textures in organic materials to create designs that are as unique and vibrant as the world around us. My love for flowers does not stop in the artistic world, and when seasons allow, I enjoy growing native Colorado wildflowers like Columbine, Lupine, and Rudbeckia, and like to test my floriculture skills with cut flowers like dahlias, roses and tulips.
I feel honored to work in the realm of beauty, and I’m so fortunate to be a part of your celebrations and to collaborate with talented individuals in my industry along the way.
Gratefully,
Erin Carrieri, Owner of Free Spirit Floral
Sustainability
For a profession that celebrates nature, floristry can be quite wasteful, and nature-adoring designers like me are striving to make a change towards more sustainable practices.
Although not always possible, I avoid out-of-season blooms and use only field-grown flowers.
I’m a proud member of the Sustainable Floristry Network and have completed the SFN training course in sustainably floristry.
I refrain from using floral foam, which has been a staple in floral design for decades but is toxic to our health and planet.
I create my designs in reuseable vessels and avoid any single-use mechanics, besides the occasional use of floral tape.
I do not forage for product; precious wildflowers should never be removed from the wild for any reason.
Any product that cannot be sold is repurposed to be enjoyed as long as possible rather than tossed in the trash; I break down all my own events to ensure products and materials are properly recycled.
Meet the Cooler
Although florists create with a perishable medium, the way designers care for their flowers influences their vase life and overall quality immensely.
Proper processing and storage of flowers are the fundamentals to designs that are fresh, high quality and long-lasting. Without proper storage, a florist cannot provide quality work, which is why I invested in a walk-in cooler specially designed for plant life. Stored at 70% humidity, an optimal temperature of 42-48 degrees Fahrenheit and with plenty of room for air circulation, my flowers stay fresh and fragrant until show time to ensure clients and recipients can enjoy them for as long as possible. I also sanitize all clippers, knives, and buckets after each use to provide a clean environment for my product that is free of any harmful bacteria that will shorten their lifespan.
