Leah Gibson
(she/they)
— Designer, Florist, Grower
With a childhood spent in the garden, a degree in Philosophy, and an enthusiasm for landscapes; Leah’s penchant for nature and its importance in our overall well-being is deep-rooted. Her draw to Philosophy was its multi-disciplinary perspective, which translates into her floral work instinctively. Ever questioning, always learning.
Upon stumbling into floral design, Leah instantly fell for the craft of working with her hands and fleeting organic material. She quickly became fascinated with the study of colour theory, composition, and the therapeutic results from combining the two. Her approach to design emphasizes the natural texture, pigments, and movement of flowers reflecting their place in the garden and the wild.
Leah is also drawn to Fashion and Interior Design for similar reasons: the curiousity & play of attaining different experiences and emotions through tonal and textural combinations that can effect one’s energy in profound ways…
Homebody Floral took its humble beginnings in Leah’s studio apartment in the city of Ottawa - years later, it’s now reached its embodied vision in beautiful Heritage Perth, Ontario. Here, Leah grows much of the flowers used in her designs & has access to many other incredible local woman-owned floral farms.
Locals only mostly.
The floral industry is one rooted in its admiration for nature - yet has grown so far from it. It has evolved to rely heavily on single-use plastic, synthetic materials, pesticides and chemicals, and flown-in imported stems resulting in massive amounts of waste & a large carbon footprint.
At Homebody Floral, it is our promise that we will strive to use the most sustainable mechanics available to us, and to continue learning new ways to make our arrangements in ways that least impacts the environment. Your bouquets will always be wrapped in recycleable material. We will do all that we can to source locally grown flowers, either grown by us or by trusted local farmers. When unable, we will aource Ontario/Canadian greenhouse grown, substituting only when necessary or during off-season.
For this reason, our Wedding season runs from May to October, along with the ebb and flow of the weather here in Canada. This unfortunately means we cannot offer Christmas centrepieces or Valentine’s day rose bunches, but it does make it that much more special when Spring arrives and we can design with seasonal blooms… Find comfort in the regenerative aspect of Winter knowing there are bulbs beneath that thick blanket of snow just waiting to be tucked into early May bouquets… We, as a business, take this cue for down time during those colder months. But you can always reach us by e-mail - see you in the Spring!
Check out the following resources on local and sustainable floristry:
Flower Confidential: The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers
have flowers
will travel
have flowers will travel