A Family Business…
Our story begins with my great-grandmother.  Many years ago, when she left Bari, Italy for America she brought with her an old-world knowledge of horticulture.  Despite the language barrier, her young granddaughter, Mary, soaked up her lessons in the garden.  Like her grandmother before her, my mom taught me about flower species, soil and climate, fruits, vegetables and herbs carrying on a deep-rooted relationship with nature to the next generation.  Every time I eat a peach, I carefully examine the pit and recall my mom’s story of growing a peach tree with her grandmother.   I’m proud to be continuing the tradition by schooling my daughter in the very same way.  She’s alongside us for flower market trips, arranging, and learning to grow flowers while she grows.

In Bloom…
Although life has a tendency to take you down a path far and away from what you love best, it also has a way of turning you full circle to that very same place. After careers in the finance and medical fields, we started Harbor Homestead & Co. at home…in our gardens and kitchens, growing and arranging. We later refined our raw floristry knowledge at the prestigious Flower School New York, learning and working with some of the most well-known master florists in the world like Ariella Chezar, Emily Thompson, Christian Tortu and Meredith Waga-Perez.  

Our shared love for flowers has blossomed into the creative team that is Harbor Homestead & Co., a home-based floral and event design studio.  Our artistically styled arrangements & tablescapes bring exquisite, graceful beauty to every setting.  Always fresh, seasonal blooms tucked beside wild vines and foliage spill from our garden-style bouquets.  Being mindful of Mother Earth and her delicate balance, our flowers are locally sourced and gathered whenever possible. 

Outstanding In The Field…
We’re located about an hour outside of New York city, giving us access to one of the world's greatest flower markets.  But yearning for more unusual flower varieties, native plants and organic materials to design with has led us to our newest venture, growing our own flowers here amid the coastal landscape of Long Island. Growing provides endless inspiration from natures colors, textures and shapes.  It’s also what comes most natural to us.  That knowledge my great-grandmother bestowed upon us about how a flower grows was a gift and now we reap its benefits with each changing season.  

Natural Inspiration…
Drawing inspiration from nature and our clients is the essence of our creative process. We see our work as pure interpretation of nature, our goal is to portray it in its most authentic form. 

Close collaboration with our clients is very important to us and we feel it is paramount to a flawless, chic event. We design our clients vision with meticulous attention to detail and heartfelt commitment to quality.  Subtle, unique touches are the ingredients for an event of stunning beauty, a sensuous experience of splendor, an evanescent moment captured for all time.

Mary Schlotter & Krishtia McCord