Local Flower Shop News
'It's up in the air': Louisville-area florists hustle ahead of a pandemic Valentine's Day - Courier Journal
Wednesday, March 31, 2021LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Valentine's Day hustle at Susan's Florist gets started well before the calendar turns to February.Myriad roses need to be ordered for the storefront at 2731 Preston Highway. Grids have to be taped on top of colorful vases to hold up flowers during transportation. And, of course, flowers must be arranged in said vases for the special occasion.And though this year's Valentine Day is anomalous for multiple reasons — it's on a Sunday, a non-workday for many, and in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic — the 73-year-old flower shop is ready to do what it has done for nearly a year now: stay nimble and make special deliveries for its many customers.But like other holidays, COVID-19 continues to throw a wrench in everyone's plans."We really don't know what to expect," said Jessie Smith, lead designer for Susan's Florist. "We're just kind of rolling with the punches."As with businesses nationwide, the deadly coronavirus pandemic has impacted Louisville-area florists. On one hand, workers now suddenly... https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2021/02/11/valentines-day-2021-louisville-area-florists-hustle-amid-pandemic/4435860001/
'HOOSIERS WE'VE LOST': Lifelong florist never hesitated to help those in need - The Republic
Wednesday, March 31, 2021The series appears daily at therepublic.com.Name: Dawn SheetsCity/Town: IndianapolisAge: 93Died: April 16Dawn Sheets never hesitated to help a friend in need.Sheets, a lifelong florist, had no formal medical training, but when her friend Maxine Hessong needed kidney dialysis treatment, Sheets taught herself how to operate a dialysis machine so Hessong’s husband Dale could continue working.For more than a year, Sheets made three to four trips a week to Methodist Hospital to care for her friend, offering support and companionship during Hessong’s procedures. Eventually Hessong came home, and Sheets continued to run her machine, even showing Dale the necessary steps in the process.“She cared about people,” daughter Lori Arment said. “She cared about people’s feelings and their well being.”“That’s one of the highlights of her life to be able to help in that way at that time,” daughter Cathy Hiatt said.Helping others, faith and family were the pillars of Sheets’ life. Her compassion was matched by her late husband Ken’s, who became her primary caretaker as she dealt with dementia until he died in December.In early April, Dawn Sheets developed a cough and began running a temperature. She had a COVID-19 test on April 10. On April 13 the test came back positive for COVID-19. She died April 16 at a memory care facility in Hendricks County.“When people think of Mom, they always think of Dad, too,” daughter Dianne Boyd said. “It was always Ken and Dawn, and Daw... http://www.therepublic.com/2021/03/30/hoosiers-weve-lost-lifelong-florist-never-hesitated-to-help-those-in-need/
Colorado Springs entrepreneur brings flowers and charm to Old Colorado City with Sweetwater: A Flower Market - Colorado Springs Gazette
Wednesday, March 31, 2021She’s very self-sufficient and ambitious, and she just embraces what comes.”Izzy Cline, Kristyn’s 20-year-old daughter, is also involved in growing the business. In addition to being a Sweetwater florist, she handles the market’s social media channels, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.“We built this business from the ground up and seeing it come to life is mesmerizing,” Izzy Cline said. “As a young woman working for a woman-owned business it feels powerful ... I am my mom’s biggest fan and there is absolutely nothing she can’t do.”Christy Metz, Sweetwater’s head florist and creative director, echoed the same sentiments as Cline’s daughters.“She has really great relationships and cares about everybody, and that just comes across,” Metz said of Cline. “She’s also great at delegating and finding out peoples’ strengths and using those to build a strong team.”Metz, 57, was a florist in Chicago for over a decade before returning to her hometown a few years ago. She met Cline through a mutual friend in November, and Metz learned about Cline’s passion for opening the new business.“I could tell that she was a successful businesswoman just by the way she talked about her business and her staff, and we hit it off right away,” Metz said. “I envision Sweetwater being a really welcoming, wonderful place ... where they can feel really energized and inspired.”Cline and her team plan to open the store on Friday, March 5.“I am looking forward to genuinely just putting smiles on our customers’ faces,” Izzy Cline said. “We ware doing it for our community and we are doing it in the form of flowers and flower trucks.”To learn more, visit Sweetwater: A Flower Market on Facebook and Instagram at “SweetwaterFlowerMarket” and Twitter at “Sweetwaterxx.”... https://gazette.com/cheyenneedition/colorado-springs-entrepreneur-brings-flowers-and-charm-to-old-colorado-city-with-sweetwater-a-flower/article_7dbaedde-77a5-11eb-8fe3-1b45ec1a2d2e.html
Rebel Girl Floral Arranges 'Flowers for the Wild at Heart' | Lake Minnetonka - Lake Minnetonka Magazine
Wednesday, March 31, 2021Floral Sothea Keller, rebels against the ordinary. Vowing to never make the same arrangement twice, orders are custom made and created to give each flower a purpose. Sothea views herself as a garden florist, arranging “flowers for the wild at heart” and emphasizes the importance of creating a unique display while encapsulating the personality of each client.Rebel Girl FloralHer husband and business partner, James Keller, shares her approach. “I just want people to enjoy flowers and to experiment with just not having something typical,” he says. “I want them to be wowed.” The couple’s exposure to the floral industry does not fall short. James’ mother and sister are professional florists, and Sothea has been in the business for almost 15 years. Working alongside her in-laws helped her learn the ropes. Primarily focusing her work on wedding arrangements, Sothea eventually began to branch out to other events and custom work. Recognizing that the wedding industry is filled with florists, Sothea took another route—one that celebrates other important moments in life. After she, unfortunately, attended several funerals, she noticed that a majority of the arrangements fell flat. Seeing the same stark variation of flowers, shapes and colors, Sothea knew that there was a void that needed to be filled in the i... https://lakeminnetonkamag.com/rebel-girl-floral-arranges-flowers-wild-heart
After the shooting, a boy gave flowers to workers at King Soopers stores near the attack - The Washington Post
Wednesday, March 31, 2021He purchased dozens of carnations in a variety of bright colors and paid for them with money he earned from dog-walking. When JJ told the florist his plan to give a flower to every store employee, she offered him a generous discount.That’s when he turned to his mother and excitedly said, “kindness is spreading!” Witmer recalled.They did several laps around the supermarket and handed out one flower to every employee. With each flower, JJ shared an earnest message.“We just wanted to let you know you’re appreciated. Thank you for being here today. It must be hard,” he said to each employee.“At first, I was a little bit timid because I wasn’t sure how they would react,” JJ said.But then he saw that employees instantly responded with overwhelming gratitude.“They were really thankful. Lots of them were crying and giving me first bumps and air hugs,” JJ said. “It made me feel so good. I was filled with joy and happiness.”While chatting with the store employees, “they said they were kind of scared to go do their job,” JJ added. “I think we made the right decision because it made a lot of people feel good.”Although Witmer followed closely behind her son, “I just stood in the background and let him do his thing,” she said. “This was his idea, and I was just there to support him.”After about 45 minutes in the store, they moved on to another King Soopers location in Reunion, a community in Commerce City, which is where the Witmer family usually gets their groceries.“We know most of the employees there,” JJ said.He purchased three dozen red roses that the store’s florist also offered at a heavily discounted price. Again, he circled the supermarket, handing out flowers to every employee in sight.“He even waited for a staff meeting to end so he wouldn’t miss anybody,” Witmer said.Marsha Esparza-Barnabe, 58, who works in the pharmacy at the Commerce City King Soopers, was surprised when JJ approached her with a rose.The atmosphere in the store was “very somber,” she said. “Everybody was talking about [the shooting], and it was just very sad. It could have been our store.”Then JJ appeared, rose in hand.The small gesture of kindness was so overwhelming, Esparza-Barnabe said, that “I actually turned and walked to the back and cried.”Not far away, in the baking aisle of the supermarket, Zerelda Todd — a King Soopers employee of 46 years — was on her knees, stocking the shelves with tubes of frosting.“All of a sudden, I heard this quiet voice go ‘Ma’am,' ” Todd, 64, said. ... https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/03/25/king-soopers-shooting-flowers-colorado/
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