In the Spotlight: Featured uBloomer, Bobbie Kopelman

Bobbie is single with a 19 year old son and lives in Maui, Hawaii along with her 2 dogs and 1cat. She owns a perfume business called Paragon Perfumes, LLC and Bobbie’s Bouquets, a floral design business. Bobbie won second place in the uBloomer Flower Design Contest with her project titled "Lovebirds on a Perch." Here is my exclusive interview with her.Tell me a little about your background and how you got started in floral design.I grew up around flowers and gardening. My family owned a horse ranch and farm of several hundred acres back in my home state of Kentucky. When I got older, I ended up pursuing the medical field, earning several degrees in medicine. Eventually, I found that even though I liked helping people feel better, I disliked being in such a negative (sickness, pain) atmosphere all the time. Having a natural nose for smells and scents, I switched careers and became a perfumer…and I LOVE IT! As a perfumer, I work with lots of flowers, herbs and trees. I grow many varieties, especially orchids, in my garden and nursery. Since I work with so many flowers, I naturally started studying floral design. Now I have my own business called "Bobbie’s Bouquets."Wow! Sounds like you stay very busy.Yes, I do! Besides my perfume and floral design businesses and my garden/nursery, I’m also into plant propagation, bonzai, and am a member of the Orchid Society. Orchids are a great passion of mine.You mentioned to me that you were writing a book. Tell me more about that.I am currently writing a book about perfumes titled "The Perfumer’s Soul." In it I talk quite a bit about flowers, the floral industry and the scents of flowers. I should be done with it by the end of the year.Let’s talk about your winning project. How did you come up with the idea for "Lovebirds on a Perch?"This may sound strange, but actually, I had a dream about it the night before the contest started. The next morning, when I went online to uBloom and saw the uBloomer Flower Design Contest, I knew it was meant for me to enter.After making your project, how did you use/display the design?I gave it as a gift to a neighbor who had just moved in nearby. She was thrilled to receive it and kept telling me how beautiful it was. Of course, it made me feel good that I could help make someone’s day.Any other tips you can share about making your design?Yes, I’m glad you asked that. It helps if you take a tiny bit of wire and wire the branches to the basket. It will give the design some extra sturdiness.What is your favorite flower?Oh my gosh, I’m in love with so many flowers! I guess I would say that my very favorite has got to be the Chinese Violet. It’s actually a flowering tree and the blooms smell a little like cotton candy. It’s very challenging to grow, maybe thats why I like it so much!What style floral design do you enjoy making the most?Anything to do with weddings. I especially like making cascading bridal bouquets.OK, that being said, and with money being no object, how would you decorate your "dream wedding?"I would use a Roman theme with large columns and huge urns. Everything would be on a grandiose scale. Lots of flowers with gorgeous scents.Which floral designer(s) do you draw inspiration from?Well, J is my absolute favorite! I love his enthusiasm for flowers and his designs are excellent. I also love Norman Oshiro, who is well known for his mastery of ikebana. I had the privilege of being able to study under him.What is your all time favorite JTV webisode?It is a webisode that aired back in 2006 where J made a faux hand tied bouquet with Bells of Ireland.You live on the beautiful island of Maui. How is gardening there different as compared to the mainland?It’s so much easier to grow flowers and trees here. The soil is extremely rich and drains well. Plants grow very lush and very big!Tell me something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time/money to do it.Time permitting, I would love to visit France again and tour the wineries there. The old grapevines are enormous and are quite something to see. I also want to get in to one of those wine vats and stamp the grapes with my bare feet! It looks like a lot of fun and I’m really a kid at heart.