HANNAH LING
Owner, Gardenia Organic

Hannah Ling, owner of Gardenia Organic, was an international management consultant for 13 years before she opened New York's first eco-conscious floral design studio. Committed to living an ethical and organic lifestyle, she was surprised by the comparative lack of effort behind the 'green movement' when she moved to the East Coast from Europe in 1999. Nearly a decade later, delighted that consumer awareness had proliferated, Hannah wanted to do something good. Not just for her own life but something that would also benefit others.

As someone that had always been creative, Hannah longed for a more wholesome and personally fulfilling career. So she decided to re-qualify, sell up and put her money where her mouth is. In December 1997 she opened New York's first designer florist to only sells flowers that have been grown using environmentally sustainable farming methods and fair labor practices.

Gardenia Organic is at the beginning of the journey - being the first means having to prove it can work. The flowers speak for themselves - they look beautiful, last longer and smell better than conventionally grown ones. Gardenia Organic has gone from strength to strength since opening, and the whole team is delighted to have been named 'Best Florist 2008' by New York Magazine.

gardeniaorganic.com