Episode 784: Visit the Portland (Oregon) garden studio of FloraWood, where designer Jen Wilcoxon draws her inspiration for seasonal floral subscriptions and workshops

https://youtu.be/R-QtKdwKdSU?si=fipDZUssACCpompf

If the garden is your muse, or your source of peace and mental wellness, you’ll want to join me today on a restorative and inspiring visit to FloraWood, where Jen Wilcoxon’s delightful home garden and design studio serve as the basis for her creative, plant- and flora-based business. Jen founded FloraWood in 2019 to share her love of all things green with others via custom floral and botanical designs. She sources most of her plants and flowers from local Oregon growers and uses some of the varieties that flourish right outside her studio. Jen’s original vision for FloraWood was to bring people together in beautiful spaces and share the joy of creating. She taught around Portland while also offering container design services. Soon, clients requested cut flower bouquets for special occasions too, which led to FloraWood’s focus on bespoke, garden-style arrangements for any occasion! Jen recently welcomed me into her charming garden studio where she designed a signature compote arrangement featuring locally-grown blooms. I know you’ll enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed my visit!

Jen Wilcoxon of FloraWood PDX (c) Milana Gilligan @gilligan_milana

When Jen Wilcoxon built her design studio, she set her intention for FloraWood and wrote it on the foundation: Growth, Beauty, Abundance, Creativity, Community, Friends, Joy.

Inside the garden studio at FloraWood (c) Milana Gilligan @gilligan_milana

FloraWood is the manifestation all of these attributes, a deep reflection of Jen’s personal mission to live among and share the beauty of flowers.

The dreamy garden studio (c) Milana Gilligan @gilligan_milana

In the process of creating and building her client base, she has learned much about herself and her values. As she writes: “FloraWood has allowed me to slow down and really pay attention to the rhythm of nature and the plants and flowers of each season. I feel reconnected with nature’s beauty anew each season and enjoy the creative process of designing bespoke floral and botanical arrangements for my clients. By building FloraWood, I feel as though I created the perfect job for myself.” All of this started in 2019, after having a career in marketing and taking a hiatus from the corporate world to raise two daughters and volunteer in her community.

FloraWood workshop The garden studio (c) Milana Gilligan @gilligan_milana

FloraWood began as a garden container design business, but by 2023, after juggling both