Finding Balance in Bloom: Melissa Lafontaine of Earth Within Flowers
- Montana Edit
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
For the past decade, Melissa has been weaving Montana's wild beauty into her floral designs, one locally sourced stem at a time. From her studio in Missoula, she creates ethereal arrangements that mirror the landscape she loves, while her nonprofit work helps women and girls reconnect with the natural rhythms of their own bodies.
Can you tell us about yourself and what led you to floral design?
I've been working with flowers for about 15 years. I started in Brooklyn, New York, at an inner-city youth veggie and flower farm, and I was designing with Molly Oliver Flowers, who's an incredible florist in New York City. When I moved to Missoula to start graduate school in plant-based education for kids, I launched my floral business—that was about 10 years ago.
I specialize in locally sourced and foraged florals. I love working with local farmers and cutting flowers from my own garden. I'll occasionally go out and find something really unique, like wild clematis, to put into a bridal bouquet—something that really touches the Montana landscape. My designs are ethereal, very wild and whimsical, and they replicate what you see around us here.
When you're not in the studio creating, what does a perfect day look like for you?
I'm really into holistic wellness, so starting my day slowly in the garden—doing some qigong, having a really nutritious breakfast. Then going for a mountain bike ride with my dog, Yarrow, and enjoying an evening dinner with friends. That would be one perfect day.
Is there a particular place in Montana that continues to inspire your work?
Livingston, Montana. The prairies and the peaks and the wild rivers, the color palette there is just stunning. That deep red with the earthy blues and greens and wheat colors, and the wide open sky. There are always so many gorgeous wildflowers out there. It's really expansive. I do a lot of weddings in that area, and it's probably my favorite place to travel to. Part of my heart is in Livingston.
What advice would you give someone wanting to incorporate more sustainable, locally inspired floral design into their home?
On my website I have a sustainable floristry resource page. I'd encourage people to reach out and learn who their local farmers are, go to the Good Food Store and choose locally grown flowers, and be willing to pay a little extra for those. Growing your own flowers is wonderful too.
What are some simple tips to extend the life of fresh flowers at home?
For making flowers last longer at home: give them a fresh cut at an angle, make sure your vase is really clean, and replace the water daily. You can add a little lemon to the water, keep them out of direct sunlight, and store them in a cooler space in your home if you're prepping for an event. Flowers thrive at temperatures between 39 and 44 degrees Fahrenheit.
How do you approach floral design during Montana's winter months?
Winter is really a time for the business to rest and start to sprout new ideas and plan for spring and summer. We offer everlasting floral designs for homes—meadow arrangements for dining room tables, tall dried pieces for mantles, or even installations on walls or coming down from ceilings.
What Montana-specific plants shine during winter?
Our pines and coniferous ornamentals are beautiful. Pussy willow is really beautiful too—it's the first one I'll go find in late February or early March.
You also founded Earth Within Girls. Can you share a bit about that organization?
We make preventative reproductive health education accessible from a young age through nature-based programs. We work primarily with people who have experienced complex trauma.
Something new we're offering in 2026 are multi-age, caretaker-daughter rites of passage retreats, as well as perimenopause and menopause programs. We're actually changing the name from Earth Within Girls to Earth Within, so it's for female bodies throughout the life cycle. You might be the first to hear that announcement!
How do your floral work and nonprofit connect?
A lot of what we do with Earth Within Girls is very hands on and tactile and immersed in the natural environment. We empower our community to care for themselves with plants and flowers while connecting to their natural cycles. We teach people how to make natural body care products with floral infusions and how to ethically harvest rose hips to blend into immune-boosting honey infusions. In the girls program, we make flower crowns and floral arrangements that represent the life cycle and how it relates to our bodies and the beauty of femininity.
What's an achievement in your floral design journey that you're most proud of?
A win for me is finding balance. After 10 years, I've finally found a place where my business feels sustainable—not only financially, but also for my health. I'm a chronic Lyme disease survivor and I'm in remission now, thank goodness. Finding balance rather than pushing through the hustle culture of the mainstream wedding industry has been really important.
Can you describe a favorite arrangement or installation you've created?
This past summer I did one with an incredibly challenging but unique color palette—light blues with bright oranges and lupine-colored purple with accents of peach. It was for a wedding at Copper Rose Ranch in Livingston. We did a moon-shaped installation at the front of the aisle with all those colors, and down the aisle we featured just the light blue and white. It was really dreamy.
What's your process for wedding work?
Most couples book at least six months to a year in advance if they're doing my full-service option. It's an iterative design process where they'll bring me their ideas and I'll come back with my own unique take. I'll ship flowers on Tuesday or Wednesday, then design Wednesday through Friday, and do on-site design on Saturday.
The process really depends on the budget, but usually it takes several days. I love that collaborative approach—working together to create something that feels truly personal.
How has your business evolved over the past decade?
In addition to events, I’ve shifted the business to include a strong focus on education—doing workshops throughout the year. I teach everything from Thanksgiving centerpieces and holiday wreaths to Mother’s Day compositions. I really like giving people the concepts behind floral design—color theory, the difference between using repetition or negative space, floral forms—so they can continue to create on their own.
To learn more about Earth Within Flowers, upcoming workshops, or to inquire about wedding and event services, visit earthwithin.com or follow along on Instagram at @earthwithinflowers.
