How to Work with Woody Shoots

Here’s how to work with Woody Shoots: a simple, seasonal way for designers to source Pacific Northwest woodland botanicals—with clarity, honesty, and room for the work to breathe.

Woody Shoots is a small woodland atelier, not a wholesale house. I harvest native woody stems, select evergreen and understory foliage, and woodland ephemera at a scale that protects the plants and your designs. Here’s how we work together so you get stems with character, and I stay in step with the woodland.

Who Woody Shoots Is For

I work with designers, artists, and creative directors who build with line, structure, and story — not just color. If you’re drawn to native silhouettes, select evergreen and understory foliage, woodland foliage, and textures that feel like a specific place (not a generic green), you’re in the right place.

You might be:
– A floral designer or studio intentionally planning winter–spring weddings and events
– A creative director or stylist building editorial work with a strong sense of place
– A designer who already has flowers handled, but wants better structure, greens, and woodland ephemera
– Someone who values seasonal honesty, small-batch harvesting, and quiet luxury over volume

If you want to go deeper into the why and who of this work, slip over to the For Designers page.

How the Woodland Calendar Works

The woodland sets the tempo. Woody Shoots is a winter–spring–leaning studio with a strong evergreen and understory palette. Instead of promising the same list 12 months a year, I follow what the woodland and understory are actually doing.

Winter – Woodland Architecture: Colored Cornus stems and Western red cedar tips for structure, line, and deep evergreen presence.
Late Winter / Early Spring – First Movement: Red‑Flowering Currant and Oemleria as early-season softness and scented, ephemeral notes.
Spring – Unfurling & Soft Structure: Cascara and Heuchera foliage for fresh, intuitive line and grounded color.
Autumn – Color & Woodland Ephemera: Snowberry and lichen on downed branches for quiet color shifts and woodland-floor atmosphere.

Summer is intentionally quieter here; I lean on perennials, evergreens, and understory materials rather than chasing year-round product. If your project sits near a seasonal edge, we’ll talk through what the woodland is likely to offer for those specific dates.

The Process

Every project runs through the same simple arc: you share the story you’re building, I answer with what the woodland can honestly offer, and we shape a harvest plan that fits your design.

Step 1 – Share Your Project

Send a note through the Contact form with your dates, location, rough scale, and the feeling you’re after. This doesn’t need to be a full recipe — just enough for me to understand the architecture, palette, and mood. Projects that begin with seasonal openness tend to be the most successful fit.

Step 2 – Seasonal Possibilities

I’ll respond with what’s likely to be in season then: specific woody stems, evergreens, and woodland ephemera that fit your project’s form and feeling. Think of this as a seasonal sketch, not a rigid menu.

Step 3 – Confirm & Plan the Harvest

Once we agree on a direction and budget, I’ll confirm estimated quantities, pricing, and pick-up or delivery details. From there, I plan the harvest so stems are cut at the right moment for your designs.

Step 4 – Pick Up the Woodland

You receive conditioned, ready-to-design botanicals — stems with character, seasonal honesty, and a clear sense of where they came from. I’ll flag any surprises the weather has handed us and offer swaps that keep the design story intact.

When you’re ready, share your project details and I’ll respond with what the woodland can offer.

What to Include in Your Inquiry

You don’t need a full recipe to reach out — but a little information goes a long way in making your seasonal options clear and generous.

It helps if you can share:
Dates and location of the event or project
Scale of the work (for example: “20 centerpieces, 1 ceremony installation, 2 personal”)
Palette and mood in your own words, or a link to a moodboard
Key mechanics (tall vessels, low compotes, foam-free installs, hanging work, etc.)
Your must-haves and no-thanks (for example: “strong evergreen scent is welcome” or “no berries near linens”)
Your flexibility level – how open you are to substitutions if the woodland shifts

From there, I’ll translate your notes into a seasonal stem plan so you can design with materials that feel aligned, not improvised at the last minute.

Boundaries That Protect the Work

Clear boundaries keep the work honest — for you, for me, and for the woodland.

Seasonal honesty: I won’t promise stems the woodland isn’t offering, even if a wholesaler somewhere has them on a list.
Small-batch harvesting: I cut at a scale that protects plant health and design quality; large orders may need more lead time or a different approach.
Weather-aware details: Frost, heat, and storm cycles can nudge timing; if something shifts, I’ll communicate and offer thoughtful swaps.
No rush-and-strip: I don’t strip the woodland for last-minute emergencies. If your project is close on time, I’ll be clear about what’s realistic.
Respect for your design: I understand mechanics, line, and composition; any suggested substitutions are made to support your design language, not fight it.

Our Mutual Pledge

My side of the work is to offer stems with character—native-first, thoughtfully harvested, and rooted in this woodland—along with clear, candid communication about what’s possible.
Your side is to bring your designer’s eye, curiosity, and a willingness to collaborate with the season as it is, not as a list.

If that sounds like the way you like to work, I’d be honored to support your next project.

Careful handling of native woodland stems during small-batch harvest in a PNW woodland atelier