Amy Darling, the founder of The Paper Bag Flower Company, spent her childhood tending to flowers and watching them grow beautifully. Amy wanted to do something to conserve the beauty of unwanted and dead flowers.

Those childhood memories are the driving force behind The Paper Bag Flower. Amy turns unused flowers into beautiful creations and products.

Sooo, you no longer have to worry about those lovely, expensive wedding bouquets going to waste!! Amy also gives us some AMAZING tips for keeping flowers fresh.

We were lucky enough to have had the chance to interview Amy about her ingenious idea!!

-Could you give us a brief background of your company?

"We launched the company in 2017 as a pop-up model selling rescue and locally grown floral arrangements in paper bags and at our pick-you-own Stem Bar. As we worked with the flowers, we realized how much waste was produced just from ourselves and after a bit of research realized this is a huge problem across the cut flower industry. We knew we could do something with this floral waste and are now creating products using flowers that can be used in everyday life."

-So you came up with your idea for the Paper Bag Flower Company from a childhood memory, how does it feel to now be helping the environment, giving brides a significant memory from their special days, and being an inspiration for children to do what they love?

"I love that I get to work with flowers every day. Part of our brand ethos and one of my personal values is to share happiness, so it’s pretty special that we get to take an element of one of the happiest moments of people’s lives and turn it into a product that can be shared with their family and friends while helping couples to reduce their event waste and provide more value for wedding florals."

-What is your favorite product? What other products do you make?

"This changes basically every time I use one of our products. My current favorite is our wax melts. I love watching the petals float in the wax melter and it makes the whole room smell so pretty."

-How does the process work?

"After an event, we’ll collect the flowers from the venue. Then, we sort them and dry them according to the types of products we’ll be creating. Next, we create the products, package them, and send them out to you and your guests."

-What are the best flowers to use for this process?

"For any of our home products like wax melts or room spray, any wedding flowers will be beautiful! For any bath & body products like our Bath Salts, it’s best to use organic or sustainably grown flowers to avoid skin contact with any pesticides or unwanted chemicals."

-If you could give others some advice about pursuing an idea, what would it be?

"Find partners or mentors who understand you and your idea. Starting a business can be really lonely so it helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of or just to share your thoughts out loud."

-How should brides keep their flowers fresh longer? I was recently in a wedding and my flowers began drooping pretty quickly.

"Try to keep the flowers as hydrated as possible! Keep them in water before and after the ceremony and between photos. It’s helpful to have a vase or even a mason jar for the bride and bridesmaids to place the flowers in when they are done with the ceremony and photos. Plus, you can use them on the bride’s and maid’s reception tables as decor."

-What inspires you?

"For my business, I’m definitely inspired by the work that other women around me are doing. Whether it’s creative or techy or philanthropic or fun, others who are doing awesome things always helps to spark new ideas for me. For life in general, it’s so silly but my dog. She is the most persistent little creature and never gives up trying to get exactly what she wants."

-What is a great summer flower?

"Sunflowers!"

-Which beautiful flowers also have health benefits? EX: Rosewater

"So many flowers have health benefits. Roses, of course, are amazing for your skin. But others that you may not think of like jasmine, sunflowers, lavender, hibiscus, marigolds and even carnations all have benefits as well. Also, there are a bunch of studies that show that just having fresh flowers in your home or workspace can make you feel happier, more creative, and more productive."