When Molly Ford was five years old, she told her parents she wanted to be a “flower girl” when she grew up. “In my mind, that meant spending my days picking wildflowers in open fields,” she remembers. And while frolicking among bluebonnets and cosmos didn’t exactly pan out as a career path, Molly makes a living doing the next best thing: working as a floral designer for high-fashion brand activations and events in New York City. “Being a florist isn’t always easy, but sometimes I can’t believe I actually get to live the life I once dreamed about,” she says.

Molly’s floral studio, Flowers by Ford, is the result of a creative, rural upbringing in Arkansas. “My childhood felt like something out of a storybook,” she describes. “My mom crafted all of our furniture by hand using grapevines, and every room in our house was painted a bright, bold color. Mine was covered in tropical murals, even across the floors. We also had a little farm, where I’d often gather flowers—those were the moments I first realized how much I loved nature and wanted to surround myself with beauty.”

Now, Molly does just that, spending her mornings shopping at the New York Flower Market and her afternoons crafting whimsical arrangements in her Brooklyn studio. In her free time, she can be found in the garden she built in her apartment’s backyard. “As spring rolls around, I am eager to go to a nursery and purchase many foxgloves and rose bushes to add to my garden,” she notes. Below, Molly shares the plants that make her swoon, her unpopular gardening opinion, and the tool she can’t live without.

Your first garden memory:

When I was a little girl, I was always outside! Our home in Arkansas was whimsical and warm. My mom was always working on home and garden projects. One of my first memories of being astonished by nature was seeing the wild wisteria in our backyard. It grew freely in the woods every spring! The vibrant lilac color and its fragrance fill my memory!

Instagram accounts that inspires you:

@greatdixterofficial, @thetickingtent, @kwekerijgoossens, @bearcreekfresh, and @amandacbrooks.

Describe in three words your garden aesthetic.

Whimsical, inviting, English-inspired!

Plant that makes you swoon:

I love a shaped hedge! Yellow garden roses, foxgloves, poppies, and hydrangeas!

Plant that makes you want to run the other way:

You can’t go wrong when planting a garden. I have yet to run into one that I hate!

Favorite go-to plant:

Grass! I planted a few two summers ago and they grew to be over six feet tall last summer. I have high hopes for them this year.

Hardest gardening lesson you’ve learned:

One corner of my garden gets little to no light because of its location! I am still having the hardest time figuring out what will live there.

Unpopular gardening opinion:

I hate the idea of planting bulbs in the fall and not seeing them until the spring! For some reason, I have never been inclined to do that. I’d rather purchase plants in the spring.

Gardening or design trend that needs to go:

Outdoor rugs? I feel like they look trashy after a rainy season!

Old wives’ tale gardening trick that actually works:

Talk to your plants! They love some affirmation 😉

Favorite gardening hack:

Spend time in your garden without your phone. It’s supposed to be meditative. Gardening is an art and a gift. Putting your attention towards it makes the garden so much better!

Favorite way to bring the outdoors in.

I love cutting overgrown branches and bringing them into the house. Put them in a fun vase and watch them transform the space. It’s something you might have thrown away before.

Every garden needs a…

A table to sit with your friends and family while enjoying a glass of wine or cup of coffee!

Favorite hardscaping material:

A good fire pit! It extends the garden season further as our friends and family gather around the fire.

Tool you can’t live without:

My leaf blower.

Go-to gardening outfit:

Anything comfortable that I feel good getting dirty! I sometimes garden without shoes, which is odd, but I love it.

Favorite nursery, plant shop, or seed company:

I love getting unique plants at the New York Flower Market. I will sometimes use a plant for an event design and then repurpose it in my garden after the event!

On your wishlist:

The Solo Stove smokeless fire pit.

Not-to-be-missed public garden/park/botanical garden:

I love the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the McCarren Park Demonstration Garden, and Msgr. McGolrick Park.

The REAL reason you garden:

I love nature and watching a garden grow year after year. I love to create an environment for people to come and enjoy!