About Me
I’m Laurie Riley, a.k.a. The Garden Thief.
Sometimes, to move forward, you have to look back and remember what you were willing to risk everything for…
15 years ago, I began my floral design career in Chicago
I always knew that I needed to work in a creative and tactile way. Flowers seemed like the perfect medium—they have always been a defining presence in my life. Growing up, my Dad would pull over to the side of country roads while on our way to my grandmother’s farm. From the ditches, we gathered bouquets for her. She loved flowers, especially the wild ones, and it always felt so good to see her face light up when we arrived with them in hand. That was when I realized the power that flowers could have. And that was eventually how my crime spree in gardens began.
No one will notice
It’s just sticking out between the fence, I would tell myself. No one will notice. Oh, I had justifications for days. I would pluck a few blooms from a park or neighbor’s yard and take them somewhere private to study. I then promptly buried them in a park or the backyard to cover up my debauchery. When I was caught (and I was often caught), I was forced to return to the scene of the crime and escorted to the front door where I expressed my sincerest apologies. Grounded forever as well, obviously. I still sometimes think about a little snip here, a little trim there. But now I understand the hard work that goes into growing and maintaining a garden. I’m happy to pass by and admire the blooms, maybe lean in for a sniff. Or better yet, take a photograph.
Photographs
I am always taking them. It’s kind of a way to keep something without stealing it, to make what is fleeting last a little longer. At first, I studied with my camera privately, the way I studied flowers as a young thief. That’s how I knew the two were meant for each other.
Creating floral compositions and combining them with the depth and drama of natural light is the perfect unity of my two passions. I love the challenge of working with whatever the light gives me and I am fascinated with the psychology of color.
Now, my philosophy as The Garden Thief is simple: to have my appreciation for nature be apparent in every image I take. To create a sense of movement and flow, even in stillness. To design with intention, down to the smallest detail. To respect every bloom and give it the space it deserves. To do the flowers justice by keeping their beauty eternal.