One World Flowers is pleased to announce the opening of the Fleurish Florist floral design studio in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia, specializing in sustainable floral design and “green” weddings. Fleurish Florist will be the first florist in Philadelphia to use Fair Trade Certified flowers, which will be supplied by One World Flowers. The company is a wholly woman-owned business founded by two sisters, Jane Cespuglio, owner and design director, and Susan Cespuglio-Bigler, owner and business manager. Fleurish Florists’ mission is to make the decision of going green a simple choice for clients hosting fair trade, eco-friendly events or fundraisers. Cespuglio commented, “As an architect, I have developed an in-depth awareness of issues of sustainability.”

 

Sustainable Design Principals

Fleurish Florists‘ design principles are based on the belief that customers do not need to sacrifice creativity, drama or excitement in exchange for choosing sustainable floral arrangements for weddings, events or corporate needs. Fleurish Florists employs eco-friendly techniques, ranging from the company’s choice of flowers and floral supplies, to its business structure and marketing strategy. Said Cespuglio, “I started Fleurish because I wanted to have a job that was a more hands-on approach to  design, while having an outlet of self-expression that was both useful and ethical.” To this end, Fleurish Florists purchases only certified Fair Trade Certified™, USDA organic, VeriFlora and local flowers to offset the impact the cut-floral industry has on the environment and people in third-world countries. Cespuglio-Bigler commented, “First and foremost, we feel it is the right thing to do to reduce our environmental impact and support a healthier and safer flower industry, but we also believe it makes good business sense.” In addition, Fleurish Florists never uses floral foam, which can be very harmful to the environment, and uses recycled-glass vases and ceramic containers created by local Philadelphia artists.

 

Wild Crafting – A Local Touch

The company also uses a technique called wild-crafting to create stunning visual floral arrangements for green weddings and other events. Wild-crafting is a design technique that relies on natural resources form the local Philadelphia area including branches, herbs, wildflowers, fruits and vegetables to create arrangements. Cespuglio added, “As a small firm focusing on eco-friendly events and corporate and   hospitality accounts, we can buy exactly what our customers need, cutting down on the waste and the industry practice of over-ordering.”

 

Environmental Commitment

Fleurish Florists composts all of its organic waste, recycles office materials and prints on 100 percent recycled paper with soy-based inks–with the goal of becoming a paperless business in the future. Said Cespuglio-Bigler, “This strategy will prove to be a more cost effective way to operate our business in the long-run. We’ll save money on paper costs by using e-mail and the Internet, as well as on energy costs by using more efficient coolers and equipment.” 

About Fleurish Florists

As a young design intern, Cespuglio spent nine years pursuing the art of floral design–starting out sweeping floors and cutting flowers, later developing into a talented designer with a Washington D.C. florist that specialized in Capital Hill events. Eventually she went on to become an award-winning registered architect with a Masters of Architecture from the Architectural Association in London.

With a keen business sense, 13-years experience in accounting and project management, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Susan Cespuglio-Bigler comes to Fleurish Florists with unique insight into the business of floral design. Her work experience with both small- and large-scale clients allows Cespuglio-Bigler to accommodate a full spectrum of needs, from one-on-one client relationships to the largest of wholesalers.

Fleurish Florists does business by appointment only at locations convenient to their clients. To make an appointment, e-mail info@fleurishflorist.com, call (215) 438-3841 or visit www.fleurishflorist.com.