Meet Viridiana Frias of Veridian Deserts in San Gabriel Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Viridiana Frias.

Viridiana, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Veridian Deserts was born at the same time I entered the world, back in the 80’s. It represents a desire to belong to the earth in the most respectful and loving way. As a kid, this “save the earth” mentality was manifested as a need to be around critters, whether that be the rolly pollie I found while playing in the dirt or the adventures I had chasing the neighborhood cats. I know this can sound like a Disney cartoon but I truly reveled in nature (cue the bird sounds). Even so, this inherently cool, amazing, save the world, captain planet personality could have been diluted as I grew older had it not been for the people I have met along the way. Growing up in Pasadena, I had the good fortune of meeting Ms. Katherine Lowry who in second grade taught me that the lungs of the world (the Amazon Rainforest) were being destroyed for greed. This degradation occurs on a daily basis and results in species destruction and the reduction of clean air for people. In college, I met animal loving individuals who taught me that our food choices can have detrimental environmental consequences. Learning about the many different opportunities we humans have to make choices that support a cleaner, healthier planet I edited my life to align myself with this knowledge. I wanted to be part of the solution and my goal with Veridian Deserts is to facilitate the relationship people have with plants and through falling in love with a piece of nature perhaps a more generalized sentiment of appreciation can be extended to planet earth. Yes, I know this is a stretch, but fires can be started with mere embers and it is important to believe bigger than is thought possible. In the meantime, this micro enterprise is allowing me to continue playing in dirt among the natural world and has become my greatest source of gratitude and happiness.

Has it been a smooth road?
Challenge is the name of the game when building a business. There’s the logistical aspect of getting clients, choosing a business structure and the myriad of tasks that can drain one’s energy. But these are just run of the mill challenges-no biggie. All other bumps in the road are opportunities to be a better ambassador for our brand and overall mission. Therefore, in the grand scheme of things, I haven’t faced anything business related that I wasn’t prepared to face or grateful to have learned from. I welcome every challenge that allows us to stay in business.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Veridian Deserts story. Tell us more about the business.
Veridian Deserts aims to use beautiful, earth friendly plants to adorn special events, home interiors and gardens. We can be described as a mega florist enterprise because the same plants that can wow guests at a wedding can brighten garden spaces with the same beauty. With sustainability at our core we concentrate on water conservation, pesticide/herbicide free gardening and use of recycled re-used materials when designing a project. Many clients also seek to incorporate fresh flowers in their special event décor, and when requested we seek to buy local, California grown flowers to reduce our carbon footprint. In short, we do our homework in regards to sustainable material to allow our clients to enjoy their event and gardens guilt free.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The green movement is in full force and many clients are already seeking to purchase products that promote sustainability. As we learn more about the ways in which human health is affected by the pollution in our air, water and soil, I believe people will invest in companies whose focus is sustainability and pollution reduction. The last five years have already seen the birth of many companies whose products are an improvement over their counterparts in terms of their earth friendliness. Major floral retailers are light-years away from changing their practices with many of their floral products being water guzzling, pesticide ridden disposable crop from South American countries like Ecuador or Colombia. However, many startup companies (and many of these led by women) have shifted their focus to provide organically grown flowers in this beautiful state of California that on top of being more eco-friendly also contribute to fair labor employment. The desire to protect the environment will grow deeper in the human consciousness and as a result businesses like mine will not only continue to exist but will thrive.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.veridiandeserts.com
• Phone: 323-686-8591
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veridiandeserts/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Veridian-Deserts-243662945772359/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/veridian-deserts-pasadena

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