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A Floral Family Legacy

Inheritance Floral Designs carries on family floral tradition

Article by Evelin De La Rosa

Photography by JJ Photography, Clear Skies

Originally published in Cypress Lifestyle

Andra Collins Johnson remembers attending a wedding nearly every weekend as a seven-year-old. Her mother, a floral designer, would style bridal arrangements and Andra, was her eager little helper.  Though she was young, Andra enjoyed the creative process and quickly learned her mother’s craft. Floral design is in her blood, she likes to say. 

Andra created floral arrangements as a freelance designer for years, but it wasn’t until 2018 that she took a leap of faith. She opened her own floral design business and called it Inheritance Floral Design.

“As a child, I helped my mom with many events,” Andra says. “That is why I named my business ‘Inheritance Floral,’ because I inherited design from my mother.”

Located 15 minutes northwest of downtown Houston, Inheritance Floral Design creates custom floral styles and even coordinates weddings. Whether it’s an intimate dinner or an over-the-top event, Inheritance Floral can make custom designs fitted to each client’s style. The group travels anywhere clients wish to have their event and collaborates with event planners to bring each client’s floral fantasy to life. 

Andra works with two other partners to run both the creative and business side of Inheritance Floral. Her best friend, Michelle Simon, helps with project management and running the business while her longtime friend Joana Crumpton, works as a designer. 

“With their help, I’m able to manage my business very well,” Andra says. 

Andra, who has a degree in agriculture, animal science as well as soils and crops, knows exactly what she is doing. She understands where to find the best flowers and how to create artistic designs using what’s fresh and in season. What she loves most about designing is being able to create beautiful artwork that makes her clients happy. Inheritance Floral Design is dedicated to making each and every client satisfied no matter the occasion. 

“It makes me feel special knowing that I am really designing what my clients want,” Andra says. 

Norma Sanchez, one of Andra’s clients, recommends Andra to friends and family after Andra coordinated Norma’s wedding and designed all of her floral arrangements. Andra even went out of her way to tour floral vendors with Norma to help her find exactly what she was looking for.

“Andra was good at keeping everything in check at my wedding,” Norma says. “She is very professional. What we had envisioned for our wedding was made possible because of Andra.”

Not only does Andra dedicate herself to her floral business full time, but she teaches agricultural science at Davis High School in Aldine. Being a teacher and a designer go hand-in-hand for Andra, who’s been teaching for more than 15 years. 

In the beginning, she taught floral design to her students from basic to more advanced concepts, she says. Now she teaches more animal-science subjects.

Andra’s love of flowers even extends into the garden. For those planning to start their own garden this spring, she offers this advice: Research what flowers complement each other when planting. It's also important to know how to maintain those plants.

“I would say cut down anything that is browning on your plants. The plant should still be alive,” Andra says. “You also want to choose plants and flowers that really coexist with each other in your garden.”

Andra also says it’s also crucial to pair plants and flowers that require the same kind of growing needs, such as soil and sunlight. The same is true for those who want to assemble their own flower designs. 

“It is the same when making your own flower arrangements at home,” Andra says. “Make sure you pick flowers that group well and survive at the same rate in a vase with water.”

Eventually, Andra hopes to leave teaching to run Inheritance Floral full time. Her goal is to pass on her knowledge of floral design to future generations in her family and keep her inheritance alive.

InheritanceFloralDesign.com

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