Hello!

Here is the story behind Wild Muse Flowers:

All endeavors begin with an idea, and the idea for Wild Muse Flowers was sown when I was very young. Hi, I’m Katy. I’m an independent florist, gardener, artist, and major flower enthusiast. As a child, the book Miss Rumphius, written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney, was one of my favorites. In this story, an adventurer named Miss Rumphius scattered lupine seeds wherever she traveled as part of her quest to make the world a more beautiful, wild place. The story of the “Lupine Lady” was inspired by Hilda Hamlin, a woman who spread wild lupine seeds along the Maine coast.

So it is fitting I’ve created a space that explores how women inspire women. How flowers, a symbol for the feminine, have coursed through the lives of many admirable and strong women-identifying figures. Women have long had a complicated relationship with the paradoxical idea of a “muse.” In Greek myth, the nine muses were goddesses who inspired music, art, science, and literature. These goddesses were active creators, not objects. But as Western society evolved, the “muse” became a vessel of inspiration for male creativity; in turn, a female muse was a source of idealized and passive beauty.

Many artists have reclaimed the image of the muse, and we celebrate them here through flowers. Wild Muse Flowers aspires to design floral homages to women from diverse backgrounds that have shown creativity and strength through flowers. Like a seed, I hope to scatter their words and messages throughout my local community by way of the language of flowers.

A little more about me, owner of Wild Muse Flowers: I am a Costa-Rican American born in Matawan, NJ. I was trained from a young age as a concert-pianist and attended Rice University (B.M.) and The Juilliard School (Collaborative piano, M.M.). I recently completed my D.M.A at Rutgers University and currently teach music as a lecturer. My research (no surprise) is centered around women pianist-composers. A hand injury led me to the artistic expression of floral arranging from my garden. I am so proud to now be able to grow flowers on a larger scale at Faraway Farm Alpacas. One day, I hope to create an outdoor concert series with a backdrop of flowers in the landscape. Until then, I’m excited to pursue floristry and bring local blooms to the Bronx & beyond!