MEET Annemarie
Founder & Designer of Exquisite Blumen
Annemarie Schweiger
One of my fondest childhood memories is hiking with my family through the majestic snowcapped Alps of Germany and Austria gathering wild flowers along the trails. It was then that I fell in love with nature’s pure beauty and grace along with the tranquility it brought me. The first flower to completely enchant me was the rare Alpine blossom Edelweiss - a small and delicate bloom with velvety, white petals that signifies deep devotion found only in the toughest Alpine conditions.
This flower was believed to be gathered by courageous men braving the steep and rugged conditions to gift the precious blooms to their loved one. A sign of True Love.
Finding Beauty in the Alps
My Mother often wore an Edelweiss pendant around her neck - now a cherished keepsake honoring our German heritage which I hold close to my heart.
With this bloom, the Love Story began between me and flowers.
Moving to the United States brought so many wonderful opportunities and to my delight, I found a second passion just as powerful as the first. Horses. The peace, balance, and singular focus of their energy when riding brings me another avenue to a deeper connection with nature. The moment I sat in a saddle, I knew horses would become a part of my soul.
Competing in various English disciplines including Hunter Jumper and Three-Day Eventing to playing Polo at the Santa Barbara Polo Club taught me discipline, dedication and focus. My intrigue has now settled with the art and dance of Dressage. Through hard work and training, I recently earned my USDF Bronze Medal – a coveted milestone that is difficult to achieve.
I enjoy riding Dressage several times a week always having my next goal of Silver Medal in mind.
My Affinity for Horses
As my love for dressage keeps me quite energetic with 3 powerful horses, spending time immersed in my garden instills harmony in my life, with a meditative practice resulting in a thriving oasis and extraordinary focus while I am engrossed in sport.
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In my early twenties, I entered the world of corporate event planning. Large scale venues such as trade shows, company parties and fundraisers were my forte. Creating beautiful environments from nothing was fascinating to me and found myself consistently integrating floral and living plant arrangements.
I found the magic of bringing the outdoors “in” along with the artistry of floral design has exceptional power in producing unique, elegant and luxurious environments.
Finding My Flair
In the early 2000’s, My priorities shifted to raising my two daughters and offering my skill set to meaningful volunteer work. Of several charities I worked with, the Dream Foundation, an organization to fulfill end-of-life dreams for terminally ill adults, became my dearest choice of contributing my time.
Giving Back
I WANTED MORE OUT OF LIFE AND THE NEED TO CONNECT WITH MYSELF ON A DEEPER LEVEL.
Gardening is the activity i choose to build a bridge between myself and nature in order to return to the simplicity of things. Admiring how well the flowers & the bees live in harmony, leads me to share that bliss with others, to help women find themselves through gardening to create balance IN LIFE again.
I hope that our connection will start you on A
path that will grow both you and your GARDEN
into the
blossoming flower
that you wish to become.