A Life Amongst Flowers
Maude Photo Co.: Elli smiling while arranging flowers; Elli smelling a bouquet in the studio; colourful floral display in the studio. From "Branding Photoshoot- Maude Photo Co." (March 27, 2022).
Floral design: Small Flower {floral studio} — @smallflowerfloralstudio.
There are people who enter our lives for a season, and there are others who quietly change the direction of our path forever.
My love of gardening led me to spend my summers working in a greenhouse while completing my degree in Fine Arts and Design.
When it came time to finish my bachelor's degree, I moved to Calgary.
One afternoon, while searching for work, I found myself walking down 17th Avenue, a vibrant street lined with local shops and cafés. Sandwiched between a record store and a bakery was a pair of painted black French doors that made me dream of Europe.
When I peered through the glass, I found myself looking into a world of flowers. Though I had never stepped inside, something about it felt welcoming, as though I had stumbled upon a place I was always meant to find.
Buckets and buckets of blooms filled every corner of the shop. Behind the counter, women laughed as they worked, transforming armfuls of flowers into beautiful bouquets. There was a creative energy in the room, a kind of alchemy that made it impossible not to step closer.
I repinned my tousled bun on top of my head, pulled up my maxi skirt, took a deep breath, and stepped through the French doors.
Looking back now, it feels as though I was crossing a threshold into another time.
I knew absolutely nothing about making bouquets.
I had never worked as a floral designer and had no formal training in arranging flowers. What I did have was a knowledge of garden flowers gained during my summers working at a greenhouse. Surrounded by perennials every day, I learned their names by heart, both common and Latin.
Standing in that flower shop, surrounded by buckets of flowers, I made a bold proposition to the owner.
"Give me a chance," I said. "If I can name every flower in these buckets, I'll come back tomorrow."
One by one, I worked my way through the shop, identifying each blossom by both its common and botanical name.
Somehow, that was enough.
It was my foot in the door.
The next day, I came back.
Unfortunately, my first day did not unfold as I had imagined.
The other designers made beautiful bouquets look effortless. Mine, on the other hand, were simply not coming together.
It quickly became clear that knowing the names of flowers and designing with them were two very different skills.
By the end of the day, I was asked to go home.
Thankfully, a petite woman with crystal blue-green eyes saw something worth nurturing.
Her name was Elli Jespersen.
She convinced the owner to give me another chance.
Not long afterward, she shared words with me that I have carried ever since:
"Let the flowers speak for themselves. Don't force them. See their beauty and trust the magic in your hands."
At the time, I thought Elli was teaching me how to arrange flowers.
Looking back now, I realize she was teaching me something much deeper.
She taught me to listen, to trust, and to let go. She taught me that flowers have a language of their own and that beauty often reveals itself when we stop trying to control it.
Under Elli's guidance, I began to understand that every stem held a story.
The ruffled folds of a garden rose or peony could resemble fabric, drapery, or the gowns of another era. A flower could awaken a childhood memory, stir a feeling of nostalgia, or transport us to another place and time.
Flowers hold sentiment, imagination, and emotion. They celebrate life's happiest moments, bring comfort during life's most difficult seasons, and express what words sometimes cannot.
Elli taught me not only how to arrange flowers, but how to truly see them.
Not long after we met, Elli became the owner of Anne Paterson's Flowers. For more than a decade, we worked side by side among a remarkable group of women, each contributing her own unique flavour to the creative alchemy of the shop. Inspiration flowed freely, creating a magic that swept from the floral cooler, throughout the display floor, and into the workroom at the back.
Those years shaped me in countless ways.
I learned the mechanics of design, the rhythm of the seasons, and the artistry of flowers. But I also witnessed the generosity with which Elli shared her knowledge. She mentored designers, encouraged artists, nurtured creativity, and helped people discover strengths they did not yet see in themselves.
Many of those she taught went on to become talented and respected floral designers in their own right, carrying forward the lessons, encouragement, and passion she so generously shared.
That is part of her legacy.
Looking back now, those years feel like one of the most beautiful photographs of my life.
The memories are filled with flowers, friendship, creativity, laughter, hard work, and lessons that continue to shape me today.
Most of all, they are filled with gratitude.
It is my honour to write about Elli Jespersen, founder of Small Flower Floral Studio in Calgary, Alberta.
She is an extraordinary artist, a gifted teacher, and one of the kindest souls I have ever known.
Her floral designs have touched countless lives, but it is her generosity, encouragement, and unwavering belief in others that leave the deepest impression. Through her teaching and mentorship, she has helped people discover not only the beauty of flowers, but also the confidence to trust their own creativity.
Her work continues to inspire, but her greatest masterpiece may be the people she has encouraged, mentored, and quietly transformed along the way.
When I think of Elli, I think of her hands carefully gathering stems, creating beautiful and inspired bouquets and arrangements that seemed to tell stories of their own. I think of the people she has nurtured, the artists she has encouraged, and the lives she has quietly influenced along the way.
Some people teach us a skill.
Others help us discover a way of seeing.
Elli taught me both.
Small Flowers
by Elli Jespersen
“A flower is never just a flower. It carries memory, sentiment, imagination, and wonder.”
Ask a floral designer to name their favourite flowers and the answer is rarely simple.
Every bloom has its own beauty, its own story, and its own place in their heart.
These are a few of the flowers closest to Elli's heart at the moment, and some of the memories, sentiments, and moments of wonder they bring to mind.
Peonies
For My Grandma Laura
Peonies will forever remind me of my Grandma Laura and her beautiful garden.
I can still hear the gentle hum of bees and see the ants busily exploring those enormous buds before they unfurl into magnificent blooms.
There is something wonderfully extravagant about a peony. Its countless layers of petals and almost impossibly beautiful fragrance feel like nature celebrating abundance.
Whenever I see a peony, I am carried back to those summer days in the garden and, most of all, to my grandmother.
Forget-Me-Nots
For My Mom
How could I not love a flower with a name like Forget-Me-Not?
These tiny blue blossoms are pure nostalgia for me. They remind me of my mom and her love of the colour blue.
There is something so tender about a flower so small, yet so capable of holding such powerful memories.
Perhaps that is part of what I have always loved about flowers.
Their beauty is not measured by size or grandeur, but by the feelings they awaken within us.
Dahlias
For My Omas
My Omas grew the most magnificent dahlias, and as a little girl, I was completely mesmerized by them.
The extraordinary geometry of their petals, the endless variety of forms, and their seemingly perfect patterns fascinated me.
Looking back, I think they were my first lessons in the artistry of nature.
Even now, I find myself marveling at their structure, their complexity, and their almost architectural beauty.
Sweet Peas
For the Romance of a Garden
Oh, sweet peas.
What's not to love?
Their delicate fluttering petals. Their whimsical tendrils. The way they climb, twist, and dance through the garden.
And, of course, their heavenly fragrance.
To me, they embody everything I adore about an English country garden.
Romantic, wonderfully unruly, and delightfully imperfect.
The sort of flower that makes me want to bury my nose in a bouquet and linger just a little longer.
Hellebores
For Their Mystery
There is something quietly captivating about hellebores.
Their nodding blooms, extraordinary colours, subtle markings, and quiet beauty are endlessly fascinating.
They do not demand attention the way some flowers do.
Instead, they invite you closer.
They ask you to pause, to linger a little longer, and to discover just how extraordinary they truly are.
The longer I play with flowers, the more convinced I become of their enchantment.
When someone asks me to create something special, I listen carefully. I listen to their story and search for the emotions, connections, and experiences that matter most to them.
But flowers offer more than memories.
Their colour, shape, texture, and form open the door to ideas, emotions, and imagery. The graceful folds of a bloom may resemble the elegant drape of a gown, while an airy cloud of blossoms can call to mind a sunlit meadow on a summer afternoon.
It is from these ideas, feelings, and images that floral designs begin to take shape. Much like words brought together to tell a story, flowers can be gathered to create a scene, capture a feeling, or share something from the heart.
There is something deeply special about understanding what certain blooms mean to people and recognizing the memories, emotions, and connections they hold.
That is what I love most about floral design.
It is about bringing people and flowers together in a meaningful way and creating something deeply personal that expresses what words sometimes cannot.
Elli taught me that.
She taught me to listen. To observe. And to trust that the right flowers will often say what words cannot.
These may be a few of her favourite flowers today.
Tomorrow, the list may be different.
The memories, feelings, and images they bring to mind, however, will remain.