Meet Sheilan Mueller | Floral Artist & Business Owner

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

Hi Sheilan, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
It’s a major misconception that being a floral designer is just about, “playing with flowers.”

While it is obviously true that we work with a beautiful medium, florists wear many hats. We work with perishable products under intense deadlines in extreme environments with clients who want a one-of-a-kind experience. We navigate a line between being an artist and entrepreneur, and given the nature of our industry, we usually tackle the tasks that many other businesses hire a whole staff to do. Think cleaning, bookkeeping, marketing, scheduling, product ordering, and client-relations, just to name a few. And while the event season in Colorado is concentrated between May-October, this admin work runs year round.

In addition to the tremendous amount of back-end work we tackle, this career is very physically demanding, and requires a lot of physical stamina to be successful. Event days are long, and filled with heavy lifting, ladder climbing, and around 15,000-30,000 steps…. and it’s usually hot!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Flowers have always moved me. As a child, I would spend the afternoons helping my dad in his garden. The smell of geraniums, peonies, and marigolds still takes me back to those warm afternoons in the Colorado sun. I would gather dandelions from our neighborhood creek and turn them into flower crowns. My encyclopedia books were filled with pressed blooms, the pages stained with color. I was fascinated by how one petal could contain so much vibrancy. This nostalgic love of flowers moved me to pursue a life in floristry, and thus Yarrow & Spruce was born.

Yarrow & Spruce is founded on the belief that it is all of our responsibility to practice environmental stewardship. There is no skirting around it: the floral industry leaves behind a large carbon footprint. I am constantly exploring new ways to reduce our environmental impact while still bringing to life beautiful designs for my clients. I believe that there is no greater way to respect and appreciate floral art than by celebrating the earth and practicing sustainability. Working with nature has helped me develop a unique style that I am honored to share with my clients.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite month in Colorado is probably September, so I would plan the trip then! I would take them up to Grand County in the mountains, At that time of year the days are warm, but the nights are cool. During the day we would spend time exploring some of my favorite hikes, mountain biking, or possibly fishing. Really anything in nature, because nothing is better than a Colorado September! After our outdoor adventure, I would suggest going to Hideaway Park Brewery for a cold beer and a hot dog snack. In the evening we would watch the sunset, before making a fabulous dinner in (my friends are all foodies and we enjoy cooking together). If we felt like going out to eat, I’d take them to one of my favorite mountain restaurants, Tabernash Tavern. In the morning we would get bagels from Bighorn Bagels and coffee from Simple Coffee Co.

Rinse and repeat.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The Colorado Flower Collective has been integral in my personal success. The fact that they have made locally grown flowers accessible for florists has really fueled my passion, and helped my business thrive. They are doing great things for the flower community!

Website: www.yarrowandspruce.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/yarrowandspruce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/yarrowandspruce

Image Credits
Paula B. Photography