Ep. 139: Inside Tulipina: Building a Global Floral Brand with Kiana & Nate Underwood
Release Date: 07/23/2025
Ep. 141: Twisted Willow Flowers: A Family Floral Story
Botanical Brouhaha Podcast
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Ep. 139: Inside Tulipina: Building a Global Floral Brand with Kiana & Nate Underwood
Botanical Brouhaha Podcast
In today's BB Podcast episode (No. 139), we're visiting with world-renowned floral artist Kiana Underwood and her husband and business partner, Nate Underwood. Eight years after their first appearance on the Botanical Brouhaha podcast, we invited them back to reflect on the massive evolution of their business, —from planting bulbs on their New York farm to becoming a global floral powerhouse with a 10,000-square-foot studio in Lake Como. They open up about building a business in Europe, navigating the luxury wedding industry with integrity, and finding balance between creativity, family, and...
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Ep. 138: Building a Heart-Led Floral Business with Janelle Gerestein
Botanical Brouhaha Podcast
In today's BB Podcast episode (No. 138), we're visiting with Janelle Gerestein—better known as Janie of —a Calgary-based floral designer whose career spans over two decades and multiple continents. From her early dreams of becoming a wedding florist to launching a successful business in Bolivia, then rebuilding from scratch in Canada, Janie’s story is a testament to resilience, creativity, and community. We're excited to dig into her business strategies, her signature seasonal workshops (flowers + desserts = genius!), and how she weaves purpose into everything she does—including...
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Ep. 137: How iBuyFlowers Helps You Buy Farm Direct
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In today’s BB Podcast episode (No. 137), we’re visiting with Wilfred de Wit, founder and CEO of where florists and event planners can shop online for wholesale flowers directly from 100+ farms in both the US and abroad. Will shares his background in the floral industry and the challenges he witnessed, leading to the inception of his company. The conversation covers the importance of transparency, ethical sourcing, and customer education. Will also talks about his hopes for the role AI will eventually play in personalizing orders for iBuyFlowers customers. If you’re looking...
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Ep. 135: The Evolution of MUD Urban Flowers
Botanical Brouhaha Podcast
In today's BB Podcast episode (No. 135), we're revisiting Chloe Murray, CEO/Creative Director of MUD Urban Flowers in Glasgow, Scotland and our second guest ever back in 2017 () when the BB Podcast was just getting started. When we last visited, Chloe was only a couple of months into her new business and absolutely on fire! She was seeing quick growth and loving the process. Fast forward to 2025. Today, Chloe has guided MUD Urban Flowers through a pandemic, exponential growth, and significant life changes. And she's still passionate about her business model and the people she serves. And she's...
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Ep. 134: Rooted in Heritage: How Jamaican Roots Guide Olivee Floral
Botanical Brouhaha Podcast
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Ep. 133: Farewell Flowers: Sustainable Options for Funeral Flowers
Botanical Brouhaha Podcast
A Vision for Sustainable Funeral Flowers In today's BB Podcast episode (No. 133), we're visiting with Carole Patilla, co-founder of the and owner of . She joined forces with Gill Hodgson, founder of , to address a need in the floral industry that is often overlooked and avoided — sustainable funeral flowers. This conversation will be helpful for you if: 1) you're unsure how to execute your vision to create funeral flowers without traditional flower foam and single-use plastics or 2) you're struggling to educate clients (and funeral directors) about the importance of sustainable funeral...
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Ep. 132: How Layla Robinson Found Her Niche in Dried Flowers
Botanical Brouhaha Podcast
In today's BB Podcast episode (No. 132), we're visiting with , a creative force in the flower industry known for her specialization in dried flower arrangements and installations. This conversation is specifically for you if: 1) you're interested in dried flowers or 2) you're struggling to find your niche in the floral industry. Layla's journey into the flower industry began over 15 years ago with fresh flowers. Living in the UK, she was inspired by the "buy local" movement and saw an opportunity to start a business that could be managed alongside raising her children. However, the challenges...
info_outlineIn today's BB Podcast episode (No. 139), we're visiting with world-renowned floral artist Kiana Underwood and her husband and business partner, Nate Underwood. Eight years after their first appearance on the Botanical Brouhaha podcast, we invited them back to reflect on the massive evolution of their business, Tulipina—from planting bulbs on their New York farm to becoming a global floral powerhouse with a 10,000-square-foot studio in Lake Como. They open up about building a business in Europe, navigating the luxury wedding industry with integrity, and finding balance between creativity, family, and ambition. It’s a powerful conversation about values, resilience, and the courage to dream big while staying grounded.
Join us as we chat with Kiana & Nate about:
- Life changes since their first podcast appearance, including an empty nest and evolving dreams
- Moving to upstate New York and establishing a second home and business in Italy
- Behind the scenes of building Tulipina's European presence post-COVID
- The challenges and opportunities of working in the "luxury" floral market (although Nate isn't fond of the word luxury!)
- How they structure their business to support creativity and profitability
- Why they don’t do design renders—and how they protect creative freedom
- Honest reflections on industry dynamics and staying true to your values
- Kiana’s design process from ordering flowers to wedding day improvisation
- Favorite projects, including the epic Paris Opera House wedding
- Thoughts on what luxury and success truly mean—and what’s next for Tulipina
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Rachel Birthistle | The Lake Como Wedding Planner
- Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
- Color Me Floral: Stunning Monochromatic Arrangements for Every Season (by Kiana Underwood)
- Tulipina's Floral Fantasy: Magnificent Arrangements and Design Inspiration from World-Renowned Florist Kiana Underwood
- The Paris Opera House wedding
This episode of the Botanical Brouhaha Podcast is brought to you by:
Madrid Flower School
You can find show notes and more episodes of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast at botanicalbrouhaha.com, and you can find the BB Podcast co-hosts on IG @botanicalbrouhaha and @hey.nataliegill.
This episode of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast was produced by Joel McGee. Original music by Landon McGee.