Melanie, the artist behind Forever Green, lives in Burnsville, NC, nestled in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains. She has devoted much of her life to creative pursuits, drawing inspiration from the surrounding wilderness and time-honored crafting traditions of the mountains she holds dear.
Across mediums and crafts — from textiles to woodworking to floral art — she works with a thoughtful, intentional approach. She never takes more than is needed and, in the spirit of reciprocity, always seeks to replenish the earth with what she’s been given.
Our Approach
Inspired by the wild meadows of Western North Carolina, we create our dried arrangements using only flowers grown on our land and sustainably harvested grasses and plants from the surrounding meadows and fields. We choose every stem with intention and dry it naturally to preserve its color, texture, and quiet beauty.
With sustainability and reciprocity at the heart of everything we do, we grow, harvest, and craft each arrangement by hand — honoring the land, the seasons, and the beauty of what lasts.
"All flourishing is mutual. Soil, fungus, tree, squirrel, boy —all are the beneficiaries of reciprocity.”
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Our Story
Melanie first opened Forever Green in the early 1990s. The small Main Street shop in downtown Burnsville, NC, carried a variety of loose-leaf teas, sustainably sourced gifts, and, of course, dried flowers.
Melanie and her mom, Sandy, grew, harvested, and dried the flowers, filling the shop with ethereal beauty and a subtle, enveloping fragrance.
Though the shop had to close its doors, Melanie has always been happiest — and most at peace — in her garden and has long dreamed of returning to flowers and reopening the business. Now, nearly 30 years later, she has done just that. Alongside her daughter, Mariah, Melanie intends Forever Green to be a continuation of the shop’s original spirit.