Who is the human behind Phosphorus Botanical?
Hi! My name is Rebecca. I was born and raised in Western Washington, my home to the bones, although I am an adventurer and my heart also lies on the open road and in the energy of Brooklyn, where I’ve spent a good part of my life. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, wandering the forests and coast, instilled in me from a young age a deep connection to my mossy home and an appreciation for the greater ecosystem we are only a part of. I am proud to come from a family of growers, explorers, fishers, habitat appreciators and craftspeople. From my parents and grandparents, I learned how to garden, identify and protect native plants and birds, and understand the tides. I also became used to my family turning these experiences with nature into creative expression- handmade wool sweaters, pillows and braided rugs, lamps and fairy lights made of shells found on the beach, homemade pear and apple honey, wood carvings and photographs of bears and owls. To observe, appreciate, and understand the rhythms of nature feels intrinsic to my identity as an artist. I come from an academic arts background, and in another life worked as an arts educator in the museum setting- and am very peaceful in having found the sweet spot at the intersection of creativity and a connection with the environment.
Where does your inspiration spring from?
Much of my design inspiration comes from the native wildflowers and species that I learned from my parents in the wild, as well as folk and fairy tales, vintage and contemporary fashion, cinema, and music. I’m a theatre kid at heart, so for me it is all about finding the story and the magic innate to any given project, which then comes out in a floral manifestation. I love to know about the people I am creating for! I can be quite sentimental, and it gives me a lot of joy to honor someone’s spirit, a dream, a partnership, another person’s vision, with my work. My aim is to create meaningful experiences that feel authentic and dreamy to my clients. I honestly just love it when people swoon and feel happy and excited because of something I created for and with them. I love to weave playfulness and a sense of wonder into my designs, which pair romance and beauty with an undercurrent of funk- in my mind, as in nature, one cannot exist without the other.
What is your ethos when it comes to sustainability?
I work along a strong value system that focuses on stewardship and adoration for the earth. I work hard to make sure I'm making as little of an impact on our dear earth as possible while working in the events industry, hoping to help quell the waste that so often goes unmitigated. I practice this in a number of ways including:
Limiting the use of harmful materials like single-use plastics, and omitting the use of toxic floral foam and bleached flowers
80-90%% of the flowers and botanicals that I use are grown in Washington, Oregon, and California, with the summer months almost entirely sourced from Western Washington. I enjoy working with dear local farms and wholesalers to source flowers and therefore limit emissions from fossil fuels in transportation from afar (it’s also more fun to design with what is seasonally, locally available- the colors work so well together!) I do occasionally use flowers that are not local to the Pacific Northwest when outside our growing season, such as in the winter, and very occasionally for events if a specialty bloom is called for.
Breaking down all my own events so that everything is properly composted and reused if possible
Being mindful and responsible on occasional foraging trips. I never collect more than necessary as I would rather the plant remain healthy and provide habitat for other creatures, and there are many plants and areas I would never ever ever take, like our precious wild spaces or rare native flora.
Being mindful and responsible on elopements. When bringing natural materials into wild spaces, nothing is left behind and I do not bring in any material that could be potentially harmful or invasive, such as pampas grass.
I’m a proud charter member of Emerald Hour, Slow Flowers, and Something Green, groups that share resources for florists and wedding vendors to work together to build a more earth-friendly and sustainable industry.
Where does the name Phosphorus come from?
I grew up on Puget Sound and we spent a lot of time as a family navigating the nooks and crannies of this salty kelpy water on our little boat (which, for one summer, we lived on as my parents built our new home). We’d go down Hood Canal, and once, up to Canada. But mainly we’d spend time in the San Juans, camping on the boat, fishing, climbing up on rocks,, timing the tides… my brother and I would shove out on the tiny dinghy to explore rocky coves and look for geoducks and starfish.
At night, we’d tie up out on a dock or a buoy to sleep and my Dad would swirl a fishing net in the dark water. The first time I saw the sparkles, I thought it was mermaids. My Dad told us it was phosphorus, and it causes the water and some organisms to glow in the dark. I love saying the word because it’s beautiful and reminds me of my childhood, and how science and mystery are intertwined.
I’m forever enchanted by the magic of nature and how we intuitively dream up folktales, fairy tales and hauntings from what the earth shows us (or hides). As a kid I was constantly building gnome homes, attempting to commune with the fairies, and coming up with ghost stories. I still do these things, in different ways, and my hope is that every person keeps a grasp on childlike wonder and imagination. It keeps me going and I think it connects us to each other and all non-human beings.
What else should be known about working together?
I am thrilled that you are interested in connecting, and can’t wait to learn more about you and your story. Whether it is to honor your love, the birth or death of a loved one, or to work together in a creative collaboration or editorial piece, I can’t wait to hear from you!
A few more points of value:
I am unwavering in my support for all kinds of love. I will not work with any brand, vendor or venue that I know to be against the lives and love of our LGBTQ+ community. We are one community and one love. Full stop.
Since I work in accordance with the seasons, I do ask for some trust and flexibility in designs, as some flowers, colors, shapes, or textures are not always available during the same timeframe year to year (this is especially true as we face heightened climate change and hotter, drier growing seasons). I am proud of our regional growers and how hard they work to get exceptional product to us- but it’s nature, and nothing is ever a promise, except that whatever we make will be beautiful! As a client, your trust and understanding of this is so greatly appreciated.
