About Us
Stems Brooklyn was founded in 2013 by Suzanna Cameron in the front of a tiny, darkly lit speakeasy bar and has since grown into the bright and beautiful warehouse style studio & curated store that it is today!
Stems is all about community values and working towards a more equitable and sustainable future in floristry. Taking care of Mother Earth is vital to ensuring a better future for tomorrow which is why we go above and beyond to practice the following eco conscious operations; sourcing local florals, recycling/upcycling, excluding floral foams, chemical dyes & bleach and composting our organic floral waste!
As a team we are always doing our best to support each other’s needs and take so much pride in what we do by holding ourselves accountable for each and every interaction and design. We are so grateful you continue choosing us to serve all of your flower needs!
Where do our flowers come from?
We source seasonally which means our farms and wholesalers are sourcing locally which is considered anything brought to us by vehicle (from New York State and surrounding states), domestically, think California and North Carolina and internally, Holland, Ecuador and Africa.
Our local farms grow without the use of pesticides while imported flowers we prioritize certified fair trade flower farms. Sourcing a close to Stems as possible during the warmer months is our best practice!
What eco conscious facets are part of Stems?
Part of being eco conscious is about what we don’t use as much as what we do us. We only carry naturally dried flowers for our dried flower selections. We never use chemically altered materials such as spray paint, harmful dyes or chemically laden bleached products.
Composting is part of our everyday life to ensure our carbon footprint is offset as much as possible by diverting organic waste from landfills.
Foam free! We use chicken wire or floral tape to ensure our flowers stay in their vases. Flower foam is a single use micro plastic that ends up in our oceans and can be harmful to those humans using it in flower shops.
Recycling any and all paper, rubber bands and up-cycling packing is also highly important to us. We are always looking to how we can avoid extra waste, part of why you won’t see ribbons on our designs and compostable twine instead!
Why shop Stems?
Our values support several mutual aid groups and non profits around NYC. To us, building a business that is inclusive and gives back to our community is of the upmost importance. We believe in equity for women and LGBTQ+ groups. Black Lives Matter.
We focus on supporting three major efforts Bushwick Ayuda Mutua, BK ROT, and The Black Florist Fund.
As a priority to support women owned, BIPOC owned and Bushwick artists that are part of our community, we sell artistic hand made gifts in our shop that put money back to communities that have historically been marginalized. Equity matters.
Meet the team!
Name: Suzanna Cameron
Hometown: Asheboro, North Carolina
Favorite Flower: Pincushion Protea
Why do you work at Stems Brooklyn?: I started Stems Brooklyn in 2013 all by my lonesome, to have a team of likeminded individuals who help me on my journey is awe inspiring! I could never have imagined Stems would become what it has! I want to have the best flower business in Brooklyn!
What you do in your parallel universe: I am a mom, a free spirit, a risk taker, a scuba diver, a mountain climber, all the things! Being a mom to my son Ace!
Favorite Quote (or passage):
“And a, and a wise man told me, man, like
Life is like a table
Full of like glasses of water
And your job is to keep ’em all full
You know what I’m sayin’
So everyone’s happy
But
At the same time, you gotta keep your pitcher full of water
So you could fill everybody else up”
– Murs
Name:
Hometown: Miami, FL
Favorite Flower: Aztec Sunset Zinnia
Why do you enjoy working at Stems Brooklyn?: We get to do what we love and share that with our community, there isn’t anything better.
What you do in your parallel universe: In a parallel universe I live on a rocky coast in Maine and write romantic novels.
Favorite saying, quote and or sustainability tip: “I went looking for my ideals outside of myself and discovered it’s not what the world holds for you but what you bring to it.” – Anne Shirley
Name: Shannon Cowan
Hometown: Greensboro, NC but I consider the mountains of NC to be my true home
Job title: Manager + Senior Designer
Favorite Flower: oh gosh! It varies by season, but I consistently favor delphiniums
Why do you enjoy working at Stems Brooklyn?: Stems Brooklyn is my home away from home. This space and how it’s constantly shifting, is a beautiful metaphor for who I am as an individual as well. I enjoy working here for an endless list of reasons, but to simplify it in an all encompassing way- I enjoy working at Stems Brooklyn because it accepts me for who I am, encourages me to pursue my interests and empowers me as an artist.
What you do in your parallel universe: Parallel me is an avid scribbler of thoughts, observations and insights. I nap in gardens, swim in lily pad ponds, sleep on a chaise lounge in an apiary and only eat fruit. It’s an eccentric, otherworldly existence that THIS world identifies as a “fairy tale.”
Favorite saying, quote and or sustainability tip: “If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”
— Lewis Carroll
Name: Faye Blue
Hometown: Queens, NY
Job Title: Workshop Instructor + Designer
Favorite Flower: currently loving dahlias and clematis!
Why do you enjoy working at Stems Brooklyn?: The people make it amazing, and the ingredients we use & the ethos behind everything is truly beyond my wildest dreams.
What you do in your parallel universe: live on a farm off the grid
Favorite saying, quote and or sustainability tip: “education should be as free as air and water” -Peter Cooper
Name: Andraya Mendez
Hometown: Navarre, Fl
Favorite Flower: Spirea
Why do you enjoy working at Stems Brooklyn?: I love being surrounded by magical flowers all day and by people that love them just as much as I do!
What you do in your parallel universe: In my parallel universe I live on a flower farm in France, I bake a lot and I spend lots of time with my ten dogs.
Favorite saying, quote and or sustainability tip: “Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light. Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing.” – Frida Kahlo
Name: Kyu Bae Lee
Hometown: Seoul, Korea
Job title: Delivery Facilitator
Favorite Flower: Forsythia
Why do you enjoy working at Stems Brooklyn?: It’s the chillest spot ever and the staff I work with are amazing people. In house stuff and what goes on behind the scenes I’m still trying to learn as I am on the road mostly. But I believe in what we do and how we do it. I know that we are deeply rooted in our community and at Stems people grow too!
What you do in your parallel universe: I’m a pilot
Favorite saying, quote and or sustainability tip: I’m a tough nut m8. By Jordan D’Arsie (Also my bandmate 🙂
Name: Neysha Merced
Hometown: Allentown, PA
Favorite Flower: Antherium (is that basic? LOL)
Why do you enjoy working at Stems Brooklyn?: The team at Stems is super sweet and their love of flowers and sustainability is inspiring!
What you do in your parallel universe: I dance, model, and get my hands into any adventurous, fun projects.
Favorite saying, quote and or sustainability tip: “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming” – Pablo Neruda
Name: Julia Masotti
Hometown: Rockville Centre, NY
Favorite Flower: Cosmos
Why do you enjoy working at Stems Brooklyn?: To work somewhere so committed to sustainability and to the growth, joy, and health of all the people who come through its doors is a privilege. I started as an intern here, and I feel so grateful to have been able to learn and expand as a florist and as a person over the years.
What you do in your parallel universe: A farmhouse. A garden of flowers. The ocean. A sunroom for painting. A library of books.
Favorite saying, quote and or sustainability tip: “When it’s over, I want to say: all my life/ I was a bride married to amazement./ I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.” -Mary Oliver
Name: April Massey
Hometown: South Lake Tahoe, CA
Favorite Flower: Ranunculus
Why do you enjoy working at Stems Brooklyn?: The flowers & people! Stems commitment to sustainability & taking an active role in the community is inspiring.
What you do in your parallel universe: In my parallel universe, I’m an actress *dramatic pause*.
Favorite saying, quote and or sustainability tip: “Make Compost, Not Trash!” Check out makecompost.nyc for everything you need to know about composting in NYC!