Here's a look at two new local florists that provide arrangements made with locally grown blooms, as well as other services.
1. Lynn Fossbinder founded Pollen, a Ravenswood-based floral design company, last July. Originally focused on weddings, Fossbinder is now extending her offerings to corporate and nonprofit clients. Using locally grown flowers and greens whenever possible, Fossbiner's arrangements incorporate blooms such as peonies, dahlias, delphiniums, and orchids from a greenhouse in Villa Park. To keep her business practices as green as possible, Fossbinder uses a hybrid I-Go car to deliver flowers to offices and event spaces. She also composts all organic materials that are byproducts of her work.
2. Christine Noelle Design opened in January. The Gold Coast shop stocks a daily selection of flowers from local farms and international countries, and staffers pull together arrangements using everything from French tulips to ranunculus, peonies, lilacs, and kiwi vines. Along with providing flowers for offices and event spaces, the studio can host groups of 12 for private floral design classes. The classes typically last two hours and cost anywhere from $75 to $250 per head— average cost is about $100 a guest. The studio works with a preferred list of caterers and can help arrange for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, and hosts are also free to bring in caterers of their choosing.