bug floral— the origins

where it all began

In April of 2021, a frustrated, burnt-out barista named Jonah started seeking out new pathways to find joy in a career again. While scrolling on job boards, he found a listing for a floral assistant at Blooms by Brandi is Verona, WI. He had no idea how applying for that job would shape his life, but fast forward four years, bug floral was born.

Jonah was thrown into the floral deep-end while working at Blooms that first summer in 2021, as rescheduled weddings from 2020 flooded in. It was like a crash course to being a florist, and it was obvious that there was something to it for him. He eventually learned his way up to being a designer & then eventually running the shop alongside his mentor, Brandi Mueller. She recognized the gift Jonah possessed & took a chance on him.

In fall of 2022, Jonah made the difficult but thrilling decision to listen to his heart & move across the country to Portland, OR. Leaving everything behind was terrifying, especially when he wasn’t sure that his floral career would follow with him.

But sometimes taking the chance is all you need to do, and he wound up with a job as a designer at one of Portland’s top retail flower shops shortly upon arrival. Here, he fine-tuned his craft & honed in on a distinct style as a designer.

And somehow there was always more to learn, which he expanded on when he was taken under the wing of Josef Reiter, the owner of Botanica Floral Design/Botantica Floral + Home. He showed Jonah the ropes when it came to the corporate world, foliage services, & networking.