Portfolio

Hi! I'm Alexis and I'm a corporate burnout learning floristry. I've always loved flowers and working with my hands. After twenty years of sitting at a desk, I'm ready for a more active, creative professional life. Below is my photo journey of learning this craft and all the obstacles and opportunities that have crossed my path.

I am currently looking for freelance florist work and internship to complete my NYBG Florist Certificate program. Please reach out with any opportunities I could help with!

Alexis@cherrybombflorals.com

She's a Gold Digger

October 21, 2026

Continuing with my menu, and in honor of all those names women are regularly called to diminish their efforts and contributions, I present the Gold Digger. Filled with Playa Blanca Roses, Mums, Carnations, Israeli Ruscus, and Italian Ruscus this soft beauty includes a dainty strand of pearls, a golden vase, and gilded foliage. Gold Digger represents all the things we want as women--our own success, beauty on our terms, and bodily autonomy (that last one is hard to see in flowers but still goes.) Seasonless, and goes with anything!

Stems: Playa Blanca Roses, White Carnations, Mums, Baby's Breath, Italian Ruscus, Israeli Ruscus

Mechanics: Metal Vase, Floral Mesh, Floral Wire, Satin Ribbon, Pearl Strand

Building My Menu

October 10, 2026

I've been considering what my floral menu offerings will be as an independent florist and a few things have become evident to me. I want a flower-forward menu. I want to offer a variety of options to meet the tastes of those in my area. And finally, I want to make sure there is some humor and playfulness in everything I do. I have learned I hate florist ribbon, but folks in my area love ribbon. Some people love some rhinestones incorporated with their flowers, while I do not. But perhaps I have found a way to meet those expectations in a way that matches my taste. Additionally, I have followed other florists and been inspired by their own interpretations of these values. I am drawn to elevating these materials for a look that is both new and vintage simultaneously.

I found myself building a bouquet that I would have wanted when I was a kid. Remember Valentine's Day in high school where you could have a carnation delivered to someone for one dollar? Well, this is my modern take on that exact feeling. I call her The Material Girl and she is a throwback to the '80s and 90's with hot pink roses, red and pink carnations, and lots of baby's breath accented by a red satin ribbon, a hot pink velvet ribbon, a single strand of tiny rhinestones, and a spray of light pink ostrich feathers.

It's a lot, but so were we back then.

Stems: Pink Floyd Roses, Red and Pink Carnations, Baby's Breath, Italian Ruscus, Israeli Ruscus

Mechanics: Ceramic Vase, Floral Wire, Satin Ribbon, Velvet Ribbon, Rhinestone Strand

New York Botanical Gardens Floristry Program Fundamentals of Form--Class 4

October 6, 2026

The Hogarth Curve is probably my favorite floral design shape, and I really enjoyed creating it! Wiring the Italian Ruscus was almost meditative and assured the frame would hold up to the desired S-shape. I worked wide, as our teacher pointed out. I could have emphasized the lower curve for sure. Using chicken wire for this shape was incredibly challenging and I did not bring my frog to class so there was a lot of stuffing green into the chicken wire to keep that upward curve in place.

I really love the petal placement on this arrangement. Incoporating the natural curve of each stem into the arrangement gives the impression of constant movement. I would have loved more petals here but the I ended up loving this arrangement just as it is and the tulips kept waking up as I worked and the Stars of Bethlehem continue to open nearly a week later.

Stems: Ornithogalum, Tulips, Italian Ruscus,

Mechanics: Plastic Compote, Floral Mesh, Florist Tape, Florist Wire

New York Botanical Gardens Floristry Program Fundamentals of Form--Class 3

September 29, 2026

I was so excited for a U-shaped arrangement, and these stems were beautiful! I'll say right away this is my favorite arrangement I've ever made. Working with foam is liberating in having control over stem placement but the foam fills fast and with an arrangement this shape the ends of the foam get used up quickly.

I focused on three-dimensionality here, makingsure the arrangement was balanced and interesting from all perspectives--front and back, sides, and from above. I also attempted some intentional grouping here since the stems and colors were begging for it. The result is a wild garden-style arrangement with architectural interest and rhythm in placement of the Dahlias.

Stems: Pink Daisy, Gomphrena, Straw Flower, Zinnia, Dahlia, Clematis, Huckelberry, Salal

Mechanics: Plastic Tray, Oasis Foam, Florist Tape

New York Botanical Gardens Floristry Program Fundamentals of Form--Class 2

September 22, 2026

After practicing our round mass in week one, we focused on a triangle arrangement in week two. A very high CVA with implied and actual lines forming a triangle. We also worked with a vase and frog. Admittedly, I struggled with this project. I found it much harder to create lines with these materials and looking at the result, the flower placements seem arbitrary rather than intentional regardless of my attempt at placing specific stems to create those triangle lines. I was hoping to use the Campanula to establish the frame but looking at the photo now, I can hardly find the Campanula placements. This is also a green heavy arrangement which is more my style, but this is too light on petals for my taste. I feel some larger scale, round, petal stems would help this arrangement with balance and interest.

Stems: Snapdragons, Solidago, Campanula, Larkspur, Limonium, Leather Leaf

Mechanics: Plastic Vase, Frog, Florist Tape

New York Botanical Gardens Floristry Program Fundamentals of Form--Class 1

September 15, 2026

It started. I was so excited to step into my first, live, in-person, floral class. After two hours in GWB traffic eleven other students and I listened to a quick lecture on CVA (Central Vertical Axis), the building of a round mass, and the basics of a taped mechanic. We picked our pre-chosen stems and started to work. Building a symmetrical, round, arrangement seemed easy, but this was the first time using tape and a frog while ensuring stems stayed where they were intended was a challenge. The hydrangea love flipping their top-heavy heads around so the frog came in clutch to keep them in place and cutting the spray roses and carnations to the exact length for that perfectly level and round shape was intimidating but I'm happy with the result. I don't usually love a tight arrangement with little to no greenery, but this sweet pink and white arrangement looks pillow soft with satisfying symmetry.

Stems: Hydrangea, Playa Blanca Rose, Green Cherry Carnation, Pink Majolica Spray Roses, Burgundy Hypericum

Mechanics: Plastic Vase, Frog, Florist Tape

It Was On!

September 6, 2026

In the old days, you would flip through TV channels and there were some movies that were always on. Top Gun was one of those movies. Full disclosure, Top Gun is one of my favorite movies of all time. The thing is, today we must seek out something to watch and luckily, Top gun seems to be on every streaming service I subscribe to. One afternoon while I was doing some computer work I turned on the movie in the background.

Since pursuing floristry, I am forever noticing florals in films and Top Gun did not disappoint. Charlie's house was a contradiction to who she was in her professional life. At work she was masculine, with tailored lines and brainiac intelligence. Her house, however, was ethereal and romantic and it was filled with flowers. Her patio featured this enigmatic arrangement of only carnations and baby's breath, and I lost my mind at its beauty and simplicity. It is emblematic of the time--carnations were huge in 1986--but also has a timelessness to it.

I tried to replicate Charlie's carnations but missed the mark. First, Charlie's arrangement is mini carnations in peach and red. I used full size red carnations and peach mini carnations. Also Charlie's Baby's Breath is huge, and I couldn't find anything that substantial, so I added white mini carnations to round it out. I also added some Israeli Ruscus which I did not need. If I do it again, I will focus on full size red and peach carnations and double up the baby's breath. Regardless, this brought me joy and reminded me that carnations are one of the best flowers ever and Top gun is one of the best movies ever.

Stems: Red Carnations, Peach and White Mini Carnations, Israeli Ruscus, Baby's Breath

Mechanics: Brass Vase

Happy Pub Date!

Spetember 1, 2026

A dear friend of mine published an incredible children's picture book recently and I was so inspired by her words and the illustrations gave me an idea. Could I translate an illustration to flowers? Let's try! This illustration is a literal bouquet of dreams full of stardust and planets with a cool bedtime palette that glows like a nightlight. I had a pink, funnel neck, reeded glass vase that matched the palette perfectly then I built the recipe with the colors and shapes from the illustration. Silver Dollar Eucalyptus was perfect for planets, and the eryngium blue thistle lends to the palette, planets, and satelites. Vendela roses represent the central light of the illustration and the lilies, snaps, and mums round out the palette. I love to add a novelty piece to an everyday arrangement for specificity--in this case, wired stars bursting from the center of the flowers. I had so much fun with this project and it made the author very happy to receive it. While I have you, please pick up That You are Here is No Small Thing by Traci N. Todd and Illustrated by Vashti Harrison.

Stems: Blue Ocean Mums, Eryngium, Silver Dollar Eucalyptus, Israeli Ruscus, Snapdragon, Alstroemeria, Vendela Roses

Mechanics: Glass Vase, Floral Wire

Happy Birthday!

August 29, 2026

It's my Mother-In-Law's birthday! As any good florist, I had to make her an arrangement. I wanted to do a fun vase and, in this case, she can reuse it as a pitcher when the arrangement is finished. I was wanting a summery blue and yellow palette but didn't love the final colors. I didn't realize how few blue flowers there are! The mums were more purple than blue which threw off the vision. I've learned that a light purple reads bluer next to yellow which would have worked better than this darker purple mum. Lesson learned, but the receiver loved the arrangement and that will do just fine.

Stems: Mini Carnation, Blue Ocean Mums, Eryngium, Silver Dollar Eucalyptus, Israeli Ruscus, Snapdragon, Vendela Roses

Mechanics: Ceramic Vase

Crystal Fairy Garden Roses

August 24, 2026

All white! When working with a limited palette I like to play with texture and this trip to the wholesaler didn't disappoint! It was the first week of Dahlia's, and I was able to grab some beautiful Astilbe and Queen Anne's Lace, but the kicker was the Crystal Fairy Garden Roses! My sales rep said they're expensive, but they open to the size of a softball...and they did!

I was able to create a very impressive vase arrangement with a wildflower meadow feel for this end of summer celebration.

Stems: Crystal Fairy Garden Roses, Dahlia (local), Snapdragon, Astilbe, Lisianthus, Mini Carnation, Variegated Pitt

Mechanics: Glass Vase

Personals

August 15, 2026

Boutonniere

Deceptively difficult is how I describe making a boutonniere. I love that I don't need tons of material but the mechanics must be strong to hold everything together and create a wearable that lasts.
I included a vendela white rose, mini carnation, ruscus leaves, and bear grass. I was focused on mechanics here so the aesthetics are basic but pretty. I should have wrapped the ribbon all the way to the bottom of the stem but somehow didn't notice it when making it.
Can't wait to practice more of these!
Stems: Bear Grass, Israeli Ruscus, Mini Carnation, Vendela Rose
Mechanics: Florist Tape, Satin Ribbon, Pearl Pins

Bouquet

This is my first attempt at hand-tying a bouquet. I found it difficult at first but understand that the more I do it the easier it will get.
I started with crossing the ruscus then adding one stem at a time alternating sides. The bouquet turned out nicely and I liked that once you have a fistfull of stems you can really manipulate the shape of the arrangement stem by stem. Pulling up the anemones and ranunculus to be showcased and give them some bounce in the hand.
I secured wth arrangement with a rubber band and wrapped the bouquet with paper tied with a satin ribbon.

Stems: Bear Grass, Israeli Ruscus, Snap Dragon, Mini Carnation, Ranunculus, Anemone, Vendela Rose

Mechanics: Rubber Band, Florist Paper, satin ribbon

The Leftovers

August 13, 2026

After creating the petite arrangement for my salon, I had a load of stems leftover. I started playing and was able to create a scaled arrangement as an example of ladder pricing, or the difference between a $100 and $200 arrangement.

I was able to create the same display as my salon arrangment but with more stems and a bigger vase. I essentially multiplied the first recipe by three to come up with the new, bigger arrangement. I am happy that I was able to scale up the display and show a side by side of the two sizes but both are beautiful and are good examples of the value and cost of the arrangement.

My next step would be to add a third size as that seems to be an industry norm and a mid-size seems to be popular with customers looking to splurge without breaking the bank.

I have been working on developing my P&L to get a feel for pricing which seems to be the overwhelimingly most difficult aspect of this job and starting out. Offering value as a start-up small business is important while also remembering that flowers, just like any other agricultural product involves a costly supply chain and a successful business learns pricing structures before anything else.

That said, these are two of my favorite arrangements I've made and they both made their recipients very happy!

Stems: Bear Grass, Israeli Ruscus, Sedum, Snap Dragon, Mini Carnation, Ranunculus, Anemone, Vendela Rose 40cm

Mechanics: Glass Vase

Support Small Businesses

August 11, 2026

My local salon recently expanded, essentially doubling in size through a remodel. I was one of the first clients through the door after their reopening and now that I've been building my little business on my own, I was so impressed by what they had done. What a cool moment for a small business to be able to grow and I wanted to show my appreciation as a client and as a fellow small business owner. When the owners asked for a stack of my business cards to display I knew I was going to have to return to the salon and as any good florist I couldn't show up without flowers!

The key here was creating an arrangement that exhibited my skill but also reflected the salon's style. The salon is monochromatic, contemporary, and minimal. I chose a limited white palette for this design with seasonal blooms that are trendy, gorgeous, and can last in a vase for about a week. I also added a quiet architectural value through looping bear grass as a filler. The vase serves to elevate the design and also leans into the salon's black and white color palette.

I couldn't be more pleased with the design. I was aiming for not too big, not too small and think I nailed the size. There were such a variety of blooms and greens included in the arrangement so texture was interesting and permimeter was bouncy and soft. Using only white stems removed color theory for me which helped me focus on mechanics and construction. I was worried that the vase would create a very vertical arrangement but using the techniques I have learned I was able to create a full circular display. I began with the Sedum and bear grass loops as the armature and layered snapdragons then the roses, carnations, anemones, and ranunculus for shape and bounce.

Stems: Bear Grass, Israeli Ruscus, Sedum, Snap Dragon, Mini Carnation, Ranunculus, Anemone, Vendela Rose 40cm

Mechanics: Glass Vase

There's No Place Like Foam

July 24, 2026

After my frustrations with a previous arrangement's chicken wire, I wanted to practice with foam and what a difference. To place stems exactly where you want them at the height you want them makes a world of difference. I put this arrangement together with some leftover filler plus new Cool Water roses. I wanted to practice symmetry and flower placement for a 360-degree arrangement. The seeded eucalyptus is not the perfect green for this structure and I would have liked to replace it with some Variegated Pitt for scale, color, and shine. The color palette is simple and the shape is symmetrical.

Stems: Cool Water Roses, Yin Yang Daisies, Monte Casinos, Seeded Eucalyptus, Limonium

Mechanics: Ceramic bowl, Foam, Tape

Pool Party!

July 24, 2026

We were headed to a pool party, and I needed a hostess gift. Luckily, I had some flowers laying around.

I formed these in my hand, cut the stems thenplaced them in the vase. I wanted something colorful and cheerful that could be set on the outdoor table. These roses lasted a long time, even after a hot car ride, and opened quickly with minimal processing.

Stems: Cool Water Roses, Sunflowers, Limonium,

Seeded Eucalyptus

Mechanics: 5" round glass vase

Just Do It...

...Then Do It Over

Evaluation in Practice

July 7, 2026

I received my wholesaler membership recently and went shopping! Overwhelm is an understatement. I tried to pick out a few things that could go into an arrangement while considering color, texture, and shape, not to mention my student budget. As I tried to put a larger arrangement together, I realized this is harder than I expected. Below is the progress of this arrangement as I made it, evaluated it, then edited it.

Stems: Stock, Limonium, Carnations, Button Mums, Mustard Roses, Yin Yang Daisies, Monte Casinos, Seeded Eucalyptus, Alstroemeria, Sunflowers

Mechanics: Silver compote and chicken wire.

First,

I threw all the pink stems into the arrangement along with some fillers and greens. My goal here was to create an asymmetrical, one-sided display for a buffet table or altar piece. My first reaction is wow, working with chicken wire is hard. The flowers don't go exactly where you want them, and the result is clumpy focal flowers. I love the idea of reducing foam use but understand foam's value in large arrangements.

Second thing I noticed is texture. I love the matte leaves of eucalyptus but realize this arrangement could have used some shiny green like Pitt or Ruscus. Also, there is too much 'seedy' texture here between the Limonium and Seeded Eucalyptus. I would have loved to edit the Eucalyptus to right side and add a shiny and less droopy green to the left bottom side.

Third, color. I don't love how the cool toned Carnations clash with the warm toned peach Stock. So, I changed them out.

Then,

Welcome, mustard roses! An improvement but I was still not satisfied with the palette. I played with reflexing some petals to add a bit of sophistication and interest to the perimeter.

After staring at this arrangement for a day, I decided I LOVE these roses! The golden petals could be and excellent addition to fall and holiday arrangements with some deeper green, red, and purples.

Now the wheels are turning, and I decide that it is the peach stock that I'm not liking here so luckily, I had a run to the grocery store planned--off to find red or purple line flowers!

Finally!

Alstroemeria is not a line flower. I know. But Shop Rite's line flower selection was nil AND these were gorgeous! I grabbed some sunflowers too because it's that time of year.

Now I feel good about this palette. It has a sophistication to it though it leans a bit more fall seasonal. Perhaps I plan this for a seasonal offering in the coming months? I also added a deconstructed sunflower because I really wanted to try this trend that has been everywhere. I love it and think it adds a scale that this arrangement was missing. I would have added two more, but I ran out of stems. I am looking forward to including these in more arrangements in the future.

All in all, this exercise has been great for getting my hands on stems and playing and evaluating my work. I'm not a designer yet, but my practical skill is coming along.

Practice Conditioning and Processing

July 7, 2026

I am enrolled in the New York Botanical Gardens Florist Certification Program, BUT my classes haven't started yet, AND I can't wait to get started. Today, at Shop Rite, I picked up a few stems to see if I could process and condition them properly and measure their life span in an arrangement.

I picked out white hydrangeas, pink peonies, and white chrysanthemums and added a sprig of honeysuckle from my backyard. First, I removed all the foliage from the Hydrangeas, gave the stem a fresh 45 degree cut and fed them boiling water before adding them to the arrangement. The peonies were golf balls coming home but after removing the guard petals, a little spritz, a gentle massage, and fresh cut they opened right up. I stripped the foliage the chrysanthemums and gave them a fresh cut. I stripped the honeysuckle of all leaves below the water line.

For mechanicals I used a small four inch round ceramic vessel and chicken wire. I added tepid water and flower food provided by the grocery store and changed the water daily.

The peonies lasted a full seven days before they lost some petals and started to brown while the hydrangeas and mums lasted a full TWO WEEKS!

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