This Mother’s Day Botanica Bird is celebrating motherhood in all of its beautiful and diverse forms.

We captured the different women in our lives and their journeys through motherhood in three limited edition bunches.

The Rebel, The Dreamer and The Nurturer bunches represent the spectrum of parenting through carefully curated colour palates and collaborations with Novocastrian businesswomen and mothers.

Finding the flowers

Botanica Bird will be delivering the Mother’s Day bunches on Friday 7^th, Saturday 8^th and Sunday 9^th May.

 

We will also be bringing you the ultimate Mother’s Day gift combo at a pop-up store with Babe of Mine at 26 Greenway Street (Next to House of Lita).

Botanica Bird will be arranging and selling our three unique Mother’s Day flower bunches. Meanwhile, Babe of Mine will be selling a range of gift vouchers that can be spent store-wide, along with a selection of Mother inspired A3 prints in store.

Come and see us at the pop-up store on:

• Friday 7^th May from 9-3pm

• Saturday 8^th May from 9-12pm

• Sunday 9^th May from 9-12pm

The Rebel

The blooms

She’s always on the go, coffee in hand and kids in tow. The colour combinations of red, blue and yellow flowers reflect her expressive style and energy for life. The white and black blooms intertwined within these primary colours, completes the colour spectrum, and interprets her loving and vibrant take on motherhood.

The Mum

Candice undoubtedly has the Rebel Mum vibe of self-expression and passion.

As a mum to two young girls, Candice describes her take on motherhood as “free-flowing”.

“It excites me that I have the opportunity to raise two humans that will bring something good into the world and have progressive morals and views".

“I want to raise them knowing that they can live their lives on their terms, have a career and have fun,” Candice said.

The girls rule their own days, spending most of their time as a family in nature and expressing their creative sides.

“Going to the rock pools on low tide and Black Butt Reserve to see the animals are some of our favourite things to do in Newcastle.”

Candice said she feels lucky to have had two smooth sailing pregnancies and healthy babies. However, her mental health while pregnant “wasn’t great”.

 “I felt like an alien in my own body. I didn’t feel that glowing feeling that everyone talks about.

“I think more people need to be more realistic about certain sides of pregnancy.”

Newcastle is also the home to Candice’s friends and family and is something that she is very grateful for. We think every mother can relate to her next quote: “It’s true when they say it takes a tribe to raise a child.”

 

The Dreamer

The blooms

She’s wakes as the sun rises, emitting warmth and happiness as she goes about her daily routine. Blooms of yellow, mustard and burnt orange show her passion and loyalty to her family and friends. While the white daisies and dusty pink tones remind you of her calming presence and go-with-the-flow style.

The Mum

We couldn’t have thought of anyone other than Lauren Carey to embody our Dreamer Mum.

Lauren is the mother of a 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl, and she describes her parenting style as ‘open and flexible’.

Lauren believes that there is no real ‘textbook’ to motherhood. Her go-with-the-flow attitude was most likely developed while raising her children in China and travelling the world for her husband’s work.

“Having clean, fresh air and water is something we don’t take for granted. Newcastle is a great place to raise children and having my mum and two sisters here means I always have a helping hand when needed,” Lauren said.

For Lauren, becoming a mum has given her a new respect for the older generations when raising children.

“Our mums didn’t have the information, support and resources that we have as mothers today. Especially the medical advice we have going through pregnancy and childbirth.”

Now that her kids are at school Lauren said her family’s routine is “a well-oiled machine”.

“I create time for myself by being planned and organised. You have to schedule time in for yourself and tackle parenthood as an equal partnership with your significant other.”

The Nurturer

The blooms

She takes it all in her stride, bringing a calming and positive presence to every room. Tones of greyed lilac, silvery pink, sage and green blooms and foliage are reminiscent of her peaceful and patient demeanour. While spots of mauve throughout the bunch express a deep love that is felt by her family and friends.

The Mum

When you meet Bec you will understand why she is our Nurturer Mum.

Bec’s composed approach to parenting is reflected in her happy, bubbly one-year-old daughter.

“She is such a happy baby all the time and I love watching her personality evolve. The responsibility of making sure she gains the values and support she needs as an adult is not lost on me,” she said.

Bec fell pregnant shortly after moving to Newcastle and with her family 3.5 hours away in Mudgee, she fostered a kind and supportive friend network who are only a call or text away.

“What I like most about raising my daughter in Newcastle is the community itself and the opportunities available for her to pursue,” Bec said. 

Motherhood has also changed Bec’s perspective on life and she “now she enjoys the little things and tries not to take life too seriously.” 

“Our daily routine is pretty relaxed. Although we do thrive on structure, but if something comes up that’s not in the plan, that’s not a big deal either.”

‘Me time’ for Bec means getting up an hour before her daughter wakes or finding time where she can go to a yoga class or for a nice walk.

Stronger together

The photoshoot for our Mother’s Day campaign was completely magical and so much fun! 

At Botanica Bird we are passionate about supporting local businesses and empowering women. That’s why we chose to collaborate with Novocastrian businesswomen to perfectly depict our Mother’s Day vision.

It was a Botanica Bird takeover at Sorella Salon the afternoon of the photo shoot. Marisa was the master of makeup and Illiana styled our models hair to perfection.

Our Rebel Mum, Candice, modelled vintage threads from Sunshine Dreamer, while our Dreamer Mum, Lauren, was styled in white linen by Lita Studios. Our Nurturer Mum, Bec, also radiated elegance in a custom Luna Joy satin silk slip.

Once our models had their Sorella Salon glow up, our long-time collaborator and friend from Shan Rose Photography captured our flowers and the essence of the campaign with amazing detail and consideration.

 The collaborations continued beyond the photoshoot. The Mother’s Day bunches will be delivered with a custom made Babe of Mine Mother’s Day card. You also have the option of adding on a $55 Babe of Mine voucher to spend online!

Rachel’s graphic design prints are hand drawn with the intent to induce beautiful newborn nostalgia and can be a thoughtful gift for a new or expecting mum. 

Newcastle ceramicist, BB Ceramics, are also featured as an add-on option for your Mother’s Day bunch. These handmade terracotta custom Botanica Bird vases with a clear glazed interior will be holding your flowers when delivered to the special mother in your life.

To this day Botanica Bird have collaborated exclusively with Novocastrian businesswomen. It’s an unintentional decision, but it’s truly because these businesswomen align with our ethos and provide incredible services and products.

Our promise to you

Knowing that a nurturing environment within the home is an essential family ingredient, Botanica Bird has been buying Australian grown flowers and free of harmful chemicals since 2018.

Our founder, Rachael, made the conscious decision to go eco after her pregnant sister went near the floral foam (single use microplastic that is typically used for floral arrangements). After Rachael expressed her concern, her sister simply replied, “Why are you worried about me, and not you?”

It was the spark that influenced Botanica Bird’s sustainable mission, giving Rachael, the Botanica Bird florists and our flower recipients the peace of mind that each Botanica Bird flower is sustainably sourced and in its natural form.

We recycle where we can, use compostable and reusable materials and honour the life cycle of the flowers and foliage by creating floral designs with seasonal blooms. We work with nature and not against it.

We promise to have a minimal impact on the environment while making an artistic and meaningful impact in your home.

To all mums

Today especially, there is no right or wrong way to be a mother. We want our flowers to help others express their gratitude and love for their mothers. Whether they are your own mum, step-mum, wife, aunty, grandmother, friend or mother-figure, a floral ‘thank you’ can mean the world.

Every mother, of any and all kinds, may see elements if The Rebel, The Dreamer or The Nurturer in themselves. Our journeys are all relatable and contain moments of colour that we wanted to capture in our unique bunches dedicated to all mums.

 

We are proud to be sharing these stories of motherhood and want to thank each and every one of you for fostering this sense of endless compassion and care for the mothers of Newcastle.

This blog is part one of a two-part series exploring the beautiful, deep and sometimes sombre facets of motherhood. In the next blog we are recounting a conversation had between mothers who have experienced infertility and loss.

On behalf of Botanica Bird, we would like to thank everyone who collaborated to create a campaign that’s close to our hearts. To the Newcastle community, thank you for your support and for choosing us to show your love and appreciation to that wonderful mum.

We look forward to collaborating with more mothers and businesswomen throughout 2021 and providing the Newcastle community with happiness in the form of Botanica Bird flowers.