Bloom Charleston Featured Speakers

After graduating from Auburn University with degrees in horticulture and landscape architecture, Molly lived in the United Kingdom for ten months and worked in some of the world’s most renowned gardens.

In 2017, she returned home to Alabama where she served as the Assessment Project Leader and Associate Director of Gardens Support at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. She was able to seamlessly share her training in horticulture and landscape architecture while working on future development of the Gardens.

In 2023, Molly founded her design firm, Roots & Ramblings. Molly will work in tandem with the Conservancy horticulture team to bring her deep design knowledge and expertise of Southeastern horticulture to aid in selecting plants best suited to Charleston’s climate and the unique challenges and demands of Colonial Lake.

As the Associate Editorial Director, Miranda Crowell oversees all garden content for Better Homes & Gardens print magazine. She has more than 20 years of experience writing about gardens and homes for national publications, including Martha Stewart Living, Elle Decor, The New York Times, and Country Living.

She currently lives in the California Bay Area, where she tends to her own tiny, low-water garden year-round.

Stephen Eich directs the design, development, and construction of city-based projects ranging from residential terraces and corporate headquarters to hospitality and park redevelopment. Since joining the firm in 2010, Stephen has overseen the design and management of some of the firm’s most highly publicized and notable projects in NYC and abroad.

Stephen’s hospitality, residential, and office projects have won accolades from the ASLA, AIA, and ICAA, and recognition in publications such as Elle Décor and Architectural Digest. A sought-after expert on rooftop and on-structure landscapes, Stephen is a regular speaker on the opportunities and complexities of urban landscape design.

Lucy is a multi-award-winning English landscape designer with over 20 years of experience in creating garden spaces for clients home and abroad. A degree in Fine Art, a self-taught photographer, a Fine Artist, and the author of the bestselling books, The Flower Hunter and A Floral Love Story, Lucy would describe herself as ‘a restless creative’.

She is passionate about the natural world, flowers, and landscapes in all their guises. She travels the globe, designing gardens, teaching, and encouraging guests in sell-out workshops to take cues from the landscape and nature to inspire their creativity and floral world. 

When she is not traveling, Lucy splits her time between home and studio in Charleston, SC and London, where she can be found designing hand-painted wallpapers and mural panoramas for her company The Flower Hunter LLC.

A multihyphenate of the plant world, Michael Perry (AKA Mr Plant Geek) is a TV presenter, speaker, hortpreneur, and author of Hortus Curious, a visual menagerie of the weirdest and wackiest plant species. Michael got his start in new product development at Thompson & Morgan before quickly working his way up to becoming an authoritative voice knowledgeable in all areas of horticulture.

Having presented guest slots on ITV’s This Morning and Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch, and regularly speaking at RHS Flower Shows and industry exhibitions across the globe, Michael’s focus on the fun side of gardening, with an emphasis on new plants and trends, encourages and nurtures the new generation of gardeners.

Joan is a designer, educator, and passionate advocate for cottage living, bringing over two decades of horticultural expertise to the art of floral design. With 25+ years immersed in the world of gardening, she channels her deep understanding of botanical beauty into crafting exquisite floral displays for events, corporate spaces, and celebrations. As both a floral artist and an experienced florist, Joan transforms nature's bounty into captivating installations that elevate any occasion.

In addition to being a sought-after speaker and workshop leader, Joan has dedicated herself to fostering community engagement through leadership roles such as Director of the East Low Country District of The Garden Club of South Carolina, President of The Garden Club of Charleston, Volunteer Coordinator for the Horticulture Division of the City of Charleston, and Garden Editor of Charleston Magazine.

Joan embraces the cottage lifestyle wholeheartedly, tending to her lush retreat in Downtown Charleston, South Carolina, where she lives with her husband and—true to her devotion—an abundance of plants.

Ryan is a fifth-generation family owner at Bailey Nurseries, one of the country’s largest producers of shrubs and trees. He is also a garden designer, author, and spokesperson for Bailey’s consumer brands: Endless Summer® Hydrangeas, First Editions® Shrubs & Trees, and Easy Elegance® Roses. 

Ryan is passionate about connecting people to nature and encouraging home gardeners to enjoy digging in the dirt. He travels the country educating homeowners on how to be successful in the garden and has been featured in publications such as Better Homes & Gardens, HGTV Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, and more. Ryan's approach revolves around making gardening fun, breaking down barriers, and creating a welcoming space to collaborate. His first book, Field Guide to Outside Style, helps home gardeners discover their own style for designing their outdoor space.