Fleurs de Villes comes to Boston from November 4 to 8 with a floral celebration of the awe-inspiring natural wonders of our world. Among the talented local floral artists taking part is Haley Cormier of Bluebird Bouquets, who is transforming her mannequin into a towering kapok tree to bring the Amazon Rainforest to life. We spoke with Haley about the biodiversity that inspired her design, the hidden details tucked among her tropicals, her move away from floral foam and the Boston spots she recommends to every flower lover.

Which natural wonder are you bringing to life in Boston, and what excited you about it?

I am bringing the Amazon Rainforest to life! I am absolutely fascinated by the biodiversity found in the Amazon. It is such a vast, layered, and wondrous place; the World Wildlife Fund reports that, on average, a new species is discovered there every two days! It has been fun to learn more about the Amazon in preparation for this show, and it reminds me of the book The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, which I read a few years ago during a trip to Costa Rica. While there, I spent time in the rainforest and jungle, so it was so cool to connect what I read in the book to real life. As I’ve been working on this project, more and more connections continue to surface.

What surprised you most as you researched your natural wonder?

The sheer number of species found in this one area. We’re talking hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of different species! I knew the numbers were high, but seeing them written out is truly incredible, especially knowing there is so much yet to be discovered in the Amazon.

How did you translate your natural wonder into flowers?

My main sources of inspiration are the layers of the rainforest and the kapok tree. Kapok trees are among the tallest trees in the rainforest and sit in the emergent layer, with incredible flared trunks and roots that spread wide at their base. They remind me of similar trees I’ve seen in my travels, which inspired me to turn my mannequin into a kapok tree with all kinds of tropicals growing at its base and up along the trunk. I am trying to bring in a bunch of different varieties to showcase the biodiversity and layers found in the rainforest.

‍What detail should visitors look closely at on your mannequin?

I love sneaking in little details, things like mushrooms, leaf-cutter ants, bark I foraged, and interesting moss and lichen. I want people to notice something a little different every time they look at it.

What would surprise people about creating a large-scale floral installation?

There’s a lot of engineering that goes into building something at a large scale. You really have to think about weight and balance and how it will all safely stay together. Then there’s the added challenge of “How do I keep this very perishable product alive for an extended period of time?” Adding in the flowers is really such a small part of the process.

What’s inspiring you creatively right now?

I’ve been trying to really pay attention to the seasons and my surroundings lately. There are so many colors and textures in our local landscape that I am leaning into more. Flowers from local farms have also been the highlight of my wedding season.

Is there a flower you keep returning to?

Oh man, all of them? It changes from season to season and event to event. In our garden this year, we grew some dahlias from seed, which has been a really fun experiment, and it’s super cool that we’ll get to be the ones to name the new varieties.

‍What’s been a defining moment in your floral career?

Early on in my business, a couple reached out saying they had seen my work on Instagram from another wedding at their venue, and they wanted to work with me. Knowing they connected with me and my work based on a handful of pictures was such a validating moment in my flower journey.

What’s your dream floral project, with no limits on scale, setting or materials?

I think my dream project leans more towards owning a very floral-forward venue one day, where I can curate spaces through gardens, plants, and floral designs that are integrated into the architecture of the space.

Where would you send a flower lover visiting Boston for local inspiration?

Checking out the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a must! The courtyard is curated with seasonally rotating plants that are meticulously cared for. Slightly outside of Boston, greenhouses like Logee’s and the Lyman Estate’s orchid sale are absolutely worth the drive!

Complete the sentence: Flowers make me happy because…

...they provide a moment of connection: to memories, to friends and family, to moments in time. They have this beautiful power to keep us in the present while also making us reflect on the past.