Tobey Nelson

 Tobey Nelson is known not only for her commitment to sustainable floristry, but also for her direct way of communicating, some silliness and for her proclivity to randomly adopt accents. She is a generous instructor who loves to share her knowledge. Tobey has a BS in Landscape Horticulture from Michigan State University circa 1993. She spent over 20 years as a professional horticulturist, running a landscape design & maintenance company. In 2010 she founded her floral business, first named Vases Wild and then changed to Tobey Nelson Events + Design. From the beginning Tobey specialized in weddings, and to working without floral foam and with a focus on sourcing locally grown flowers. She is the founder of the Whidbey Flower Workshop, a multi-day retreat for floral pros held annually each spring, and dedicated to teaching Sustainable Floristry. Tobey has studied with Tomas deBruyne, Gregor Lersch, Hitomi Gilliam, Joseph Massie, Susan Mcleary, Francoise Weeks and many others along the way. When she's not playing with flowers (or cleaning the studio or answering emails or scheduling social media posts), she can be found in her garden, or spending time with her husband, sons and dog.