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Interview: Growing Steady with Leah Gibson of Homebody Floral Co
Meet Leah – homebody, creative, florist, sustainable grower, friend and collaborator of The Lake. Leah lives and grows in the quaint town of Perth where they spend their time foraging, flowering, and designing the most thoughtfully whimsical floral arrangements this side of Eastern Ontario. From events to flower subscriptions, Leah's intentionality for locally grown, wild and intuitive designs are a true delight to the senses.
From May through August, Leah's floral business, Homebody Floral Co, offers a monthly flower subscription in Ottawa, Perth and now – Kingston! Because what says everyday pleasures better than fresh, thoughtfully grown flowers?
Gift a loved one (or yourself) a full season of locally grown, garden-inspired, mindfully arranged bouquets.
The Lake flower club pickup dates:
May 20
June 24
July 29
August 26
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What drew you to floral design?
I love working with my hands and with colours and textures. I fell into floral design accidentally after university and immediately fell head over heels with it. I’m not a great painter, music isn’t my forte, but flowers are a way of creatively expressing myself while simultaneously connecting with nature that feels very ‘me’, if that makes sense.
When it comes to creativity, where do you draw inspiration from?
I get a lot of inspiration from spaces, colours, and nature. I feel like I pull a lot from how I dress, to how I design flowers, and how I arrange my space from interior design and the natural world. I love seeing different combinations of organic textures with surprising colours. When I’m feeling stuck or creatively blocked, a walk outside without my phone, a swim, a browse through a book, or even a nap can help get me back in motion. Rest is key!
What is something you wish more people knew about growing flowers (or the broader sustainable growing movement)?
It’s hard! I don’t say this to be negative or to scare anyone away but gardening and growing flowers is a massive undertaking. There’s so much that goes into learning to garden, and so much that is beyond your control due to the elements, pests, etc. I’ve had celebrants who have never gardened before ask me if they can grow all of their wedding flowers for their upcoming wedding… - it takes years of trial and error, and growing viable stems for designing is extra tricky!
I wish that people also knew more about where their flowers were coming from. The majority of bouquets purchased at a grocery store or even your local flower shop are likely 99.9% grown and shipped in from overseas. This is why I focus on growing my own flowers as well as heavily relying on other local growers who have been growing cut flowers for years for my designs. This is a much more sustainable route and encourages agriculture in your area!
What rituals leave you feeling most grounded?
I wish I could say ‘grounding’ (where folks go barefoot in the grass etc.) but I am actually so allergic to grass and my feet swell up when I do this….. Dirt on the other hand is great. Getting my feet or bare hands into fresh soil or compost is centering. Another way I ground myself year-round is swimming. At my local indoor pool in the colder months and in any lake or river I come across in the warmer months. The water is my church.
What is your zero sips drink of choice?
Ouu! There’s still so many I want to try but I’ve been loving the Parch Prickly Paloma lately. Infuse anything with adaptogens and botanicals and sign me up.
Tell us what’s on the horizon for Homebody Floral Co in 2023!
Well, my biggest focus this Spring is to build a large fenced garden area to begin growing my cut flowers (inspired by my papa’s cottage garden, and also out of pure utility to keep the deer out). I plan to record the process and begin sharing this as an online course offering for those who want to get into growing as well.
We’ll be leaning into our first season at our new space and learning about the land we are on, building a new sense of community in a new area, and settling in. Very much looking forward to visiting Kingston more often and frequent stops at The Lake!