Talking Blooms

Since moving to Tehachapi in 2006 with her family, Laura Brubaker has been finding inspiration in every corner. Laura has always been creative and an entrepreneur, but when the opportunity arose to create a business involving flowers, she knew she had found her true happy place. Within a few months of realizing this exciting endeavor, Blooms was born.

"My aunt is a florist and someone I have always looked up to and admired," Laura says. "When I was in high school, I would help out at her shop during the busy holidays of the year. I loved it." Laura also worked in greenhouses when she was younger and has always had an affinity for flowers. With her husband, who is a craftsman at heart, and her dog, Kona, at her side, she crafts beautiful works of art from unique containers, gorgeous local flowers, and treasures found at quality flower markets in Bakersfield, Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

"There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes here," says Laura. From traveling to gardens and markets to find the perfect flowers, to processing each individual stem, to cleaning the studio and feeding the flowers, to monitoring temperature and going out once in a while to scour yard sales in search of unique containers, Laura never sees the same day twice. For that, she is thankful.

Recently, Laura has encountered a new dark side to herself she didn't know was there. "I have never been interested in Halloween or horror, but I had a client ask me to create a bouquet inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe theme, and I found a whole new creative side to myself." Soon, Laura was creating bold designs with twisted dahlias, black yarrow and orange roses exploding from shining skulls. Her fondness of Grimm's Fairy Tales and Gaelic Folktales of old is reflected in every themed piece she makes, including a recent three-foot-tall design called "Morticia." But that's just the beginning of the holiday fun. Laura is already taking orders for Thanksgiving centerpieces and Christmas bouquets.

"Every day I wake up and can't believe that I get to do this again," Laura says. "The excitement and feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly encouraging and supportive. It makes me hopeful for a continued future with Blooms."

Clare Scotti is the Executive Director of Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce