For Lizbeth Ibarra ’26 and Kathy Villanueva ’26, flowers are more than just beautiful—they’re a way to express affection and connection. “I see it as an act of love and self-care. Flowers always signify an embrace,” Villanueva said. The Independent spoke to the duo, known as the “Florecitas,” about their decision to share their passion for bouquet-making with the Harvard community just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Their journey began last semester when a friend who had recently graduated reached out to Ibarra, asking her to create a “big, dramatic red rose bouquet for his girlfriend.” Ibarra and Villanueva, blockmates who shared the same passion for flowers and bouquets, teamed up to bring the vision to life. That experience sparked something in both of them—they realized how much they enjoyed sharing their passion for flowers and creating something special for others.
Flowers have always been a part of the Florecitas’ lives. Growing up in Mexico, the two were immersed in the tradition of crafting bouquets for family or friends, often picking up tips and skills from those around them. “My mom actually is the one who inspired me to start creating more bouquets of flowers because she really loves making them,” Villanueva said.
“Both of our communities back home have pretty dramatic and big, colorful bouquets,” Ibarra added. “We had previously talked about: ‘What if we start telling more people that we make bouquets and ask if they want us to make them for any special occasions?’”
Their name is rooted in their heritage as well: ‘flor’ and ‘flores’ means ‘flower’ and ‘flowers’ in Spanish. “Florecitas, we felt, was a really cute and dainty name,” Ibarra explained. They chose the name to honor their Spanish-speaking and Latina roots while also reflecting their desire to share their passion with everyone. Recognizing a gap in the market, they wanted to bring their unique style to campus, offering something for all to enjoy.
“We hadn’t really seen many flower bouquet shops around the area that sell big, really cute bouquets like the ones we’ve seen back home,” Villanueva said. “I haven’t seen these types of mixed bouquets or custom bouquets around the area, so I’m excited to bring them to Harvard.”
The Florecitas recently created an Instagram page, [@florecitasharvard], where students can message the account to inquire about an order. “[Students will] either send us a picture that they found on our Instagram or other info that they’ve seen online, but most people actually don’t have an idea of what they want,” Ibarra said.
The pair then collaborates with the customer to design a bouquet that meets their vision. “Because a lot of our primary customers have been men, I think a lot of them don’t really know what they want to buy for whoever they’re buying a bouquet for,” Ibarra said. “We’ve definitely been really helpful in that process, doing a lot of back-and-forth communication … helping negotiate and talk out what they want.”
The Florecitas also relish the chance to demonstrate their creativity when filling an order. “We offer people the opportunity to let us freestyle, which I think tends to be really fun. And we’ll just ask them a couple questions about, ‘What kind of colors do you think this person likes?’ ‘What are their favorite seasons?’ ‘What are some things that describe them?’ And that helps us really customize the bouquet for that person,” Ibarra added.
“I just love working with flowers. I always have flowers in my room, so just being able to share that with other people, I’m very excited,” Villanueva exclaimed.
The Florecitas source their flowers and materials from local vendors, which is a challenging feat at times and necessitates planning in advance. For Valentine’s Day, they’ve thought ahead, already ordering and removing the thorns from 400 roses. Despite the time-consuming work, the Florecitas say their time making the bouquets is worth it: “I’m excited to see people get their flowers delivered and their reactions. I think some of them don’t even know they’ll have these really pretty flowers delivered to them. That’s so cute,” Villanueva said.
They hope their business—and the sentiment behind flowers and bouquets—will resonate beyond just Valentine’s Day. “I’ve just, for years, liked getting flowers from my friends, and I like to give my friends flowers, just because it’s something I think people don’t typically think about buying for themselves. It’s nice when someone else thinks about you,” Ibarra said.
“My parents have made it a habit of getting flowers throughout the semester, so I constantly have them around me. I see it as a way for my parents to show affection and love, even if they’re far away,” Villanueva explained. “I usually get myself flowers when I’ve had a hard test or a rough week or day. It’s just a moment where I bring peace to myself and show myself affection.”
Whether it’s for a friend’s performance or a personal treat, the Florecitas are excited about the opportunities to grow their craft. “I think it’s felt really fun and nice to see how many people are super intrigued by what we’re doing and also super interested,” Ibarra said. “By making more bouquets, we’re going to get better.”
She finished with a hopeful sentiment: “I think this little idea we have of engaging with the power of community will encourage people to show their friends and other people more love and appreciation because your friends deserve flowers, too.”
Layla Chaaraoui’s ’26 (laylachaaraoui@college.harvard.edu) favorite flower is a sunflower.