Shannon

Hi, I’m Shannon! Being in the art and design industry for 20 years, the last 10 of which also in the flower industry, I crave making just about anything aesthetically pleasing! Between the arts industry and working on organic farms for over a decade growing flowers and vegetables, I am endlessly inspired by mother nature, and constantly driven to always be making things with my hands. My flower journey progressed from growing and making market bouquets, to growing and making arrangements for restaurants and events, to eventually doing weddings! 

My favorite thing about working weddings is making large floral installations on the big day. I love all that is behind the scenes… the hidden structures beneath the flowers, how everything is built and made, and last but not least, every tiny color, texture, and composition decision! When I’m not designing, making arrangements, or working an event, I’m growing and drying flowers, painting, printmaking, cooking, practicing martial arts, and going on adventures with my husband and fur babies!

Hannah-jo

Hi, I’m Hannah-Jo - I grew up, and still live on my family’s homestead farm in Athens. I have spent most of my life outdoors in nature. I love the textures, colors, and personalities of so many of our native plants and flowers. I learned arranging from my earliest years playing with the things growing around me while I spent time with my sister & mom in our garden. In my spare time I have been renovating my tiny home and growing veggies and flowers in my yard. I am dog-mom to beautiful souls, Clancy Bob (Great Pyrenees/Red Heeler mix) and Gidget (tiny golden Chihuahua child). 

I joined Gardenia Floral in 2021. In my work as lead floral designer I pull from a variety of floral styles and bring the fundamentals of my art education: color theory, shape, texture, and interior spatial design to bring your wedding inspiration to life, as it is in your imagination. 

I look forward to making your special day floral perfection. 

Josh

My name is Josh, and I was born and raised in Georgia. I graduated from the University of Georgia and have spent the past two years working as a florist. Though relatively new to the field, I find great joy and fulfillment in creating floral arrangements. I have a particular love for working with vibrant, colorful flowers, and my favorite is the striking blue delphinium, which always adds a touch of elegance to any arrangement.

Mary

An Athens native, I grew up working weekends and summers in the greenhouses and propagation sheds of my father’s 75-acre wholesale nursery, which supplied retail nurseries across Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas with stock plants. It was hard and dirty work, but instilled in me a great love and respect for plants, their care and display.

Most of my adult life was spent in the San Francisco Bay Area where I attended the California College of the Arts and received my B.F.A. and M.A. degrees in film, photography and installation design. While there, I managed three florist shops in Oakland and Berkeley as well as a wholesale flower market in Emeryville.

I returned to Athens in 2008 and met my future husband, Gary, we bonded over a love of food, cooking, gardening, plants and flowers. Our property and greenhouse is our primary passion and our shared love of tropical plants, herbs and fruits is evident. We grow passion fruits, papayas, bananas, palms, yuzu, various gingers, Australian finger limes, South American peppers and a wide variety of orchids.

Every flower has its place and I love them all, but my favorite is the protea. My favorite days of my work week at Gardenia are when the flowers arrive and the fun begins!