Flowers can change people. Florist Carolyn Chen sees this firsthand every day at her Homewood shop, Wild Things Flowers & Curiosities , where each arrangement is prepared with the giver’s heartfelt message to their recipient — moving messages for friends grappling with illness, grief or just a bad day; sweet personal notes to lovers; and celebratory congrats for new babies, anniversaries and birthdays. Flowers bring people back into the moment, connecting them to the one who sent the blossoms and making them smile. And they don’t just lighten the heart of the recipient, they bring joy to the giver, fulfillment to the creative florist, and even newfound confidence to the floral workshop student. “I think they are a reminder of the fact that we live on Earth” says Carolyn. “We go about our days among the hustle and bustle that we’ve created with businesses, industry, and technology, and we’re so immersed that we forget that we’re all human beings on an organic planet. So when something like a death brings you back to reality, flowers are a natural gift and reminder of the life cycle we live in on this beautiful planet.” “We use a seasonal mixture of flowers, both local and product that we order from abroad. We love flowers from Holland but also order from Italy, Japan, sometimes South America – it just depends on what we think looks good and what’s in season.” Carolyn Chen, lead florist and owner of Wild Things Flowers & Curiosities , of their curated collection of fresh flowers. “Flowers are so special to me,” says Carolyn, “And they’re special to everyone who works at Wild Things. It’s nice to be at the shop with a team who loves coming to work every day.” Carolyn’s floral-arranging style embraces that untamed beauty of […]