Meet Samantha Zwickey | Floral Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha Zwickey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, what are you inspired by?
As a floral designer, I am inspired by the changing seasons. I love incorporating seasonality in my designs, using locally grown flowers and foliage when possible. I love seeing my favorite blooms in the market for the first of the season, from lilac and peonies to cosmos and dahlias; you’re never bored with the flowers because they change all the time.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I first landed into floral design while living in New York City and vying for time till I felt ready to commit to a graduate program in Museum Studies or continue with my undergraduate studies in Classics. From a young age, I have been drawn to creative pursuits, so when I discovered FlowerSchool New York, which offered an Intro to Floral Design course, it seemed like a natural fit. From there, I interned at an amazing flower shop in Brooklyn. Since then, I have worked in numerous positions in the flower world, most notably when I went back to FlowerSchool New York and was able to teach the classes I had initially taken. I knew I wanted to open my own flower business one day, but I wanted it to be different than a classic flower shop. When I returned to my native Colorado, I realized there were shops that offered seasonal classes but nothing that was primarily a space dedicated to workshops. The Floral Mint was born. While our space won’t officially be open till next spring, we will offer a full schedule of classes for the novice to the advanced, as well as hosting classes for private events from corporate to birthday parties.

In addition to our standard courses and parties, a fundamental element of our business is making creativity accessible. Everyone deserves flowers, and with this idea in mind, we don’t have a floral minimum for weddings and offer DIY packages for those who would like to be able to create their own florals for a wedding or event. Additionally, we look forward to partnering with other local wedding florists to donate their flowers from events that, sadly, are thrown away at the end of the evening. On these occasions, students will be welcome to come free of charge and can repurpose those flowers for themselves or other local charities as a means of practicing their floral design techniques.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite part about Denver is its outdoor accessibility, so we would naturally have to start there. Day one would be a day trip to Boulder and hiking Mount Sanitas. It’s my favorite because it is strenuous but doesn’t take the whole day, and it has a beautiful perspective of Boulder. We’d then head to Pearl Street and meander the stores, having a bite to eat and a drink on the rooftop of my favorite spot, Rosetta Hall, which gives a great view of the Flatirons.

Another aspect that I love about Denver is the sports teams. Depending on the season, we’d take in a game at Coors Field, tailgate for the Broncos, or head to Ball Arena for an Avs or Nuggets game, with grabbing dinner at Denver’s oldest joint, My Brother’s Bar.

You can’t come to Colorado and not experience a couple of craft breweries, so we would definitely hit up a couple of my favorites like Zuni Street Brewing, Little Machine, or Liquid Mechanics. Sitting outside in the sun with a beer, food truck, and your dog is a quintessential Colorado afternoon.

Denver also has lots of unique neighborhoods, and I love Berkeley, particularly Tennyson Street. We’d first get a biscuit sandwich at Rise & Shine and then head to the shops on Tennyson, stopping for a late lunch at Post Oak Barbeque. We’d then pick up a pie at Legacy Pie Company for dessert later.

After all the eating, the next day would be prime for exploring any of the hikes in Golden. If time allows, head up I-70 to explore the mountains, perhaps spending the night in Breckenridge or Frisco.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Without a doubt, my mom. She has encouraged me at every phase of my journey, and she is always willing to pick up a broom and help me however she can.

Website: https://www.theflroalmint.com

Instagram: @theflroalmint

Image Credits
Mikaela Antonelli