the next adventure
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About Wild Ginger Gardens Founder Lisa Bakke
Our life paths are impossible to predict but looking back it has been a fascinating ride through life. The threads that have woven together to lead me to create Wild Ginger Gardens are textured and multi-colored. In my childhood creativity was modeled and encouraged! I remember making sand candles and large stuffed sheep at the (now fancy and juried) Salem Art Fair. Then on to Oregon State University graduating with a BA in Clothing and Textiles.
After college, work was varied and interesting. Catering/concessions manager of Rian’s Restaurants taught me event organization, a stint at Nordstrom filled in my wardrobe (but I had to move on from that job so I could pay off my Nordstrom card!), and the tenacity and persistency necessary for selling restaurant equipment would set me up with my connections for the next step in my life adventure, City Flowers. My first flower business was “born” in the basement of my home. As it grew City Flowers occupied a house near John’s Landing followed by the anchor tenant spot on Macadam and additional locations, ending up in an amazing space in The Pearl.
By my side is my incredible partner in life Steve - building coolers, taking care of the many details required for opening new spaces, delivering flowers, and best of all, giving me space to bloom.
As fun as owning a flower business is, it is also exhausting, after 15 years and four shop locations, it was time to take a break and try something new.
Health and wellness is another recurring theme in my life. During the last 20 years, I was a consultant for doctors and individuals with supplementation and nutritional counseling.
Through it, all the flower ‘bug’ never disappeared completely. I designed wedding flowers for my nieces, friends and other events. Last year I joined The Bloom Project, a nonprofit organization that brings flowers to hospice patients and their families. I love to bring the colors and scents that flowers add to any occasion!
Most recently, I completed training with Erin Benzakein of the rapidly growing Mt. Vernon, WA company Floret Flowers (learn more about this amazing company here). I am now a 2020 Floret Alumni (find me on her website listed as a local farmer!).
Since the spring of 2019, Steve and I have been renovating a cool mid-century house with ½ acre of luscious LAND where I am cultivating flowers, veges, and Wild Ginger Gardens.
My inspiration for Wild Ginger Gardens comes from my mom Ginger Rogers who was a strong loving force in my life and not only supported my adventures but went on many of them with me! Her spirit lives on in everything I do.
"Happiness held is the seed;
happiness shared is the flower"
