Wildrose and Thyme

Hello!

Tel: +1 831 801 1740
Email:  mimi.dougherty@gmail.com

Hello and Welcome! My name is Mimi Dougherty, owner and creative designer of Wildrose and Thyme. I started this company after I had four kids with my youngest being 3 and the oldest 13. I had been home with them for 13 years and really needed a creative outlet. I had tried to go back to a career International Trade Policy, but found it impossible to be home with my children. I then fell into flowering when a couple of my friends were getting married and I sheepishly said I knew how to do flowers, of which I did have some experience making bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages for my siblings using flowers from my garden, but never thought of it as something beyond that! I was also a fledging photographer, having bought a basic DSLR. These two weddings became a turning point as I launched my company, Wildrose and Thyme. Not only did I do the flowers for the two weddings but I also photographed them. I took quite a bite for my first two weddings that launched my career! Since then I have focused my energy on flowering but I do continue to do photography to keep up my skills, mostly family photography now.

Born Wild - It really wasn’t a total accident that I landed in this field. When I look back it makes sense. I was the kid that played outside all day. I would be in the garden playing with branches and building them into canopies. I would climb trees and pick apples and plums. I would reach the neighbors yard for lilac and look outside every spring for what wildflowers would grow in our backyard. My parents did not keep a garden, so it was wild. It was thrilling though to see what the birds brought. Our neighbor’s lilac tree shot up in our yard and so did wild asparagus and naked ladies (the flower) and so many small tiny wildflowers. My mom gave me bok choy seeds one year and I was so excited when they sprouted and became large enough to eat!

Creative Approach - The way that I grew up really influenced my style now, I like to use all sorts of materials from the garden and often use fruit, branches, or grass in my arrangements or along the table. I enjoy this type of creativity, to use what is in nature and make unique arrangements that is special to you. There’s so much to appreciate in its season, from flowering branches in the early spring and wildflowers to leaves in the fall to dried flowers, berries, and branches in the winter.

Flowers from Local Farmers - I also use flowers direct from farmers. When I did those first weddings, I harvested from my garden and from farmers at the farmers market. Those flowers from the local farmer’s market got me! They were so fresh! From then on I decided my flowers must come direct from farms. When I first started there was only one flower farmer in the area. Since then many have popped up and I have developed relations with all of them, including GraceHopeFlowers, BlueHeron, Ruvalcaba Flowers, and Camflor. They are not only the most beautiful flowers but the choice makes a big impact on the environment. Flowers are local, sustainable, and renewable! I choose flower growers that use organic methods, that reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible, and I in-turn reduce my carbon footprint. But if you have ever had a grocery store flowers which are most likely flown in from South America to a fresh bunch of flowers from me or a local garden you know and can smell the difference. And if you haven’t experienced it, I recommend you order a bouquet from me! They will come from the local farm!

I hope you will run with me on this journey and make your event fresh, beautiful, meaningful, and a bit wild!

Love, Mimi - Wildrose and Thyme owner and creative