Meet The Team

Native Poppy's florist and operations team

Native Poppy has grown to a team of 26, including our talented florists, delivery drivers, event coordinators, and our operations and marketing crew. You’ll find our team flowering from two retail flower shops, in San Diego’s South Park and Solana Beach neighborhoods, as well as our Mission Gorge studio, where we prepare custom flowers for large-scale events and weddings, and create our signature collection of scented candles and dried flower bouquets.

Together, the Native Poppy team works towards one goal: sharing love through the power of flowers. 

All our Poppies have one thing in common: a love for beautiful blooms, and the knowledge that giving a thoughtful gift can do way more than just brighten someone’s day. We love all varieties of flowers, but we have a special affection for the flowers we grow in Native Poppy’s flower garden in El Cajon. Partnering with skilled local farmer Margaret Roche, this local initiative is reducing our carbon footprint, and expanding the possibilities for delivering joy to our community.

Natalie Gill - founder of Native Poppy

Natalie Gill

Founder

California-born and raised, Natalie is Native Poppy’s leader of all things floral design. She launched her intrepid flower business in 2014, to bring beauty to life’s important moments, and to make others happy. 

With a deep love of the natural world, Natalie has grown her business into a celebration of all the beauty that nature has to offer. Her obsession with Japanese anemones, King Protea, Hellebore, her mom’s home-grown roses, and tree peonies is rivaled only by her love of eating plate after plate after plate of sushi… like seriously, she might be part grizzly bear.

Natalie’s goal as a business owner is to create art that is authentic, ambitious, and true to her artistic point of view, and to become more balanced in how she lives day to day, taking time away from work to appreciate friendships, and kick back with her husband Steven and their puppy, Cheddar. She hopes to encourage her team to step into their creative potential and share their talents with the world.

 

Meg Blancato - co-owner Native Poppy

Meg Blancato

Co-Owner and Vice President

Meg is a San Diego native who lives in Encinitas with her husband, her two smiley littles, and her golden retriever, Henley! Being a florist is her dream come true, and Meg has been a constant fixture at Native Poppy since she first walked through the flower shop’s door in 2016. 

After working every possible job at our shop, from sweeping the shop as a floral assistant to installing epic event florals, Meg has become the embodiment of the Native Poppy brand – that’s Meg responding to your Instagram DMs, leading our brand photoshoots, and planning product launches!

Beyond her devotion to flowers and the Native Poppy team, this Peony lover is a major foodie with a serious love for cheese. Fun fact: come Dec. 1st, she could easily be confused for a real life Christmas elf – her holiday decor game is that amazing.

Native Poppy's flower farm in El Cajon
Native Poppy florist holding flower bouquet

Native Poppy's Core Values:

Manifest magic

We bring beauty to life with joy, optimism, and gratitude.

Consistent Growth

Not a daisy goes by where we don't strive to reach for the sun.

Care for Petals and People

We water our relationships, till our own soil, and take care of mama earth.

Artists in our field

We craft with artistry, precision, and authority in all that we do.

Adapt, adapt, adapt

Like the flower that grows through a crack in the sidewalk, we too will find a way to bloom.

Waste not, want not

We use every minute, every scrap and every opportunity to work efficiently and with haste.

Native Poppy team