Inside The Flower Summit with Jessica Eckford-Aguilera: Celebrating Women, Flowers, and Creativity in Australia
Episode 72 of The Backyard Bouquet Podcast features Jessica Eckford-Aguilera of The Flower Summit in Newcastle, Australia.
A Conversation Rooted in Creativity and Connection
Every once in a while, you meet someone whose passion for flowers feels like a movement in itself. In this week’s episode of The Backyard Bouquet Podcast, host Jennifer Gulizia sits down with Jessica Eckford-Aguilera, the creative force behind The Flower Summit and Newcastle Food & Flower Markets in Australia.
Jessica’s story is about more than building a thriving business—it’s about creating spaces where creativity, education, and community intertwine. From her beginnings as a young entrepreneur in Sydney to leading one of Australia’s most dynamic floral destinations, Jessica has cultivated a career that blooms from a deep belief in beauty, collaboration, and courage.
🌺 From Corporate Events to a Life in Full Bloom
Before she ever opened a flower market, Jessica was working in corporate events—planning, managing, and organizing everything down to the smallest detail. But something in her heart was missing. She longed for creativity, color, and connection.
When an opportunity came to leave her corporate role and take a redundancy package, she said yes. That leap of faith planted the first seed in a journey that would redefine her career—and her life.
“I was only 23,” Jessica shared. “I didn’t want to live on autopilot anymore. I wanted to create something of my own.”
She started by helping a friend manage weddings and quickly realized her favorite part of the process was working with flowers. Within months, she was designing events, learning floral techniques on the job, and building a small business in Sydney that grew faster than she could have imagined.
🌸 Creating Newcastle Food & Flower Markets
After more than a decade of success in Sydney, Jessica’s life began to change. She had three young sons and longed to be closer to family in Newcastle, a coastal city north of Sydney known for its beaches and strong community spirit.
Returning home sparked a new vision. She saw that Newcastle needed a place where florists could access fresh flowers, connect, and share ideas. That idea blossomed into Newcastle Food & Flower Markets—a wholesale flower market combined with a café and event space that has since become a local icon.
What started in a warehouse now thrives as a bustling hub where designers, growers, and floral enthusiasts come together. The aroma of coffee mingles with the scent of fresh blooms, and conversations about weddings, colors, and creative projects fill the air.
But Jessica didn’t stop there. She wanted to give others the confidence to explore floristry themselves. So she opened Newcastle Flower School, offering workshops and career courses that help students at every stage—from hobbyists discovering a new passion to professionals launching floral businesses.
🌻 Flowers as Therapy and a Teacher of Resilience
For Jessica, flowers have always been more than decoration. They’re therapy, a connection to joy and healing.
“When you work with flowers, you learn patience, grace, and how to adapt,” she explained. “No two days are ever the same—and that’s what I love.”
She’s witnessed firsthand how flowers change lives. Her flower school students range from teenagers to retirees, and she’s seen them gain confidence, rediscover creativity, and find meaning in each stem and petal.
One student in particular—a young woman with autism—reminded Jessica that artistry has no single form. “The way her mind saw color and texture was breathtaking,” she said. “Teaching her taught me to see flowers differently, too.”
It’s that blend of artistry and empathy that defines Jessica’s approach. Her businesses aren’t just about flowers; they’re about creating community, connection, and confidence.
🌸 Planting the Seeds of a Global Sisterhood
Recently, Jessica embarked on what would become a life-changing flower tour through Washington State, USA. There she met a group of inspiring women shaping the local flower movement, including Marryn from The Farmhouse Flower Farm, Galena from Micro Flower Farm, and Emily from Idlewild Blooms.
The trip opened her eyes to something she’d been feeling for years—that women in floriculture around the world were doing incredible work, yet there wasn’t a single place designed to bring them all together.
So, on a flight home from Seattle, she began sketching out her next big idea: The Flower Summit.
“By the time I landed, I had the business name, the domain, everything,” Jessica laughed. “It just felt right.”
🌿 The Flower Summit: Where Women in Floriculture Come Together
The Flower Summit isn’t just another floral conference—it’s a global movement to celebrate and empower women in the floral industry.
The inaugural event will take place November 24–25, 2026, at Stanley Park in Newcastle, Australia—a breathtaking 28-acre property set on the water. Think sweeping views, elegant teepee tents, flower installations, and the world’s most inspiring floral minds gathered in one place.
What Attendees Can Expect:
- Inspiring keynote speakers including global flower farmers, educators, and entrepreneurs
- Hands-on workshops in floral design, branding, photography, and business
- Networking opportunities that encourage collaboration over competition
- A celebration of sustainability, community, and creative leadership
- A closing cocktail event where attendees can connect, celebrate, and dream together
Jessica envisions The Flower Summit as more than a single event—it’s a platform that will grow, evolve, and eventually take place in countries around the world.
🌸 A Shared Passion for Local Flowers
As Jessica and Jennifer reflected in the episode, local flowers have the power to connect us—to our land, our seasons, and our communities.
Jessica shared that about 95% of the flowers she sells at Newcastle Food & Flower Markets are grown locally in Australia. She believes in supporting growers and educating clients about the value of seasonal, sustainable blooms.
Jennifer added that during the pandemic, local flowers sustained her farm and community in Hood River, Oregon. “Every bouquet felt like hope,” she said. “We all learned how much beauty can mean when the world feels uncertain.”
Their shared passion underscores why The Flower Summit matters—it’s not just about business. It’s about using flowers as a force for connection and resilience.
🌼 The Joy of Being Present
Toward the end of their conversation, Jessica shared a reminder that feels especially relevant for anyone balancing creative work and life:
“Something we’re all guilty of is not slowing down. But being present—whether that’s watching the sunrise, walking the beach, or arranging flowers—is how we fill our souls back up.”
For Jessica, those early-morning moments by the ocean in Newcastle are sacred. For Jennifer, it’s the stillness of a dahlia field at dawn. Both women agree: the joy of working with flowers isn’t just in the blooms themselves, but in the awareness they teach us to cultivate.
🌷 Listen to the Full Conversation
🎧 Episode 72: Inside The Flower Summit with Jessica Eckford-Aguilera is now live on The Backyard Bouquet Podcast.
Tune in to hear:
- How Jessica built Newcastle Food & Flower Markets from the ground up
- The story behind The Flower Summit and what makes it unique
- The lessons flowers teach about creativity, business, and personal growth
- Why the future of floriculture is brighter—and more connected—than ever
Connect with Jessica Eckford-Aguilera
Summit Website: https://flowersummit.com.au
Instagram: https://instagram.com/theflowersummit
Newcastle Food & Flower Markets: https://www.foodandflowermarkets.com.au/
🎟️ Tickets are now on sale for the first-ever Flower Summit, taking place November 24–25, 2026 in Newcastle, Australia. Join us in Australia: https://flowersummit.com.au/events/flower-summit/
🌻 Join the Conversation
If this episode inspired you, share it with a friend who loves flowers or dreams of starting a floral business. Tag us on Instagram @thefloweringfarmhouse and @theflowersummit to keep the conversation blooming.
Together, we can continue to celebrate the beauty, creativity, and resilience that flowers bring to our lives—and to our communities.
🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
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