Belton, TX Florists

Belton Flower Shop News

Longtime Waco florist dies at 97 - KWTX

In fact, the business grew in the coming years and at one point had retail shops and greenhouses in Temple, Belton and Cameron, he said.Whatever was necessary is what Reed did after he graduated from La Vega High School, took flying lessons and eventually joined the Army Air Force where he learned to fly the B-29 Superfortress and later trained other Air Force pilots. At the time Reed thought about making a career of flying, then after he came back to Waco’s James Connally Air Force Base to teach pilots to fly the B-25 Mitchell, he decided he’d stay and re-joined the family business. He married his school sweetheart, Glenda Pledger, finished his degree at Baylor and returned to the flower shop with his parents until they retired and he took over operations. Reed remained in the U.S. Air Force Reserve for 10 years and during the Korean War, was recalled to Connally where he trained radar intercept pilots and engineers who worked on the Superfortress. Reed loved to fly, but he found flowers would be his fortune. Reed, in his oral history with Baylor, explained Waco, in those days, was an important cog on the Texas floral business, the Texas State Florists' Association, the professional trade association for all branches of the floral industry including retailers, wholesalers, growers and manufacturers of floral products and supplies, was founded here in 1914 at the old Hotel State House at South 6th Street and Franklin Avenue. It’s now headquartered in Austin. Reed dedicated himself to a life of service when he became a Mason and later joined AAONMS, the Shrine, where he’ll celebrate his 72nd year of membership this year, records at the Karem Shrine Temple show, where he today is the oldest member on the rolls and is among the oldest active Shriners in the United States. Reed has a brother and a sister but neither has ever shown any interest in the flower shop, he said. ... https://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Well-known-downtown-businessman-Harry-Reed-passes-away-at-97-505939331.html

The flower shop that wins customers and communities - Belton Journal

That dream never materialized, but she is just as happy creating original floral designs and homecoming mums for local customers. The Belton Tiger-themed homecoming mum display in the window of BJ’s Flower Shop rivals anything in Las Vegas.Jacobs credits her late husband, Jake Jacobs, with guiding her at the start of her journey. “My husband worked for Brown & Root Construction, so we traveled around the country,” Jacobs said. “After he retired, family and business opportunities brought us back to Belton. My husband liked to buy things. First, we had a flooring store here in Belton—Fashion Floors and Interiors. Then he decided to invest in video rentals, so we opened Bijou Video, which was the first video rental store in Belton. Then he bought a cooler, and we had to build a flower shop around it.”Jacobs also acknowledged the lessons of Belton florist Shirlee Porter. “I worked for Heartfield’s Florist for about a year and a half,” Jacobs said. “Shirlee Porter was my mentor. She worked at Heartfield’s for some 30-odd years. She taught me more about flowers than floral design school. She still helps me when she can.”For many, the floral industry holds a prestigious allure, but it is not all about roses. Jacobs admits the family business is har... http://beltonjournal.com/flower-shop-wins-customers-communities/

Still coming up roses: From 1930 'til today, Reed's Flowers remains in the family - Waco Tribune-Herald

People either didn’t buy flowers or they did and then couldn’t pay.”Like flowers, the business grew in the years after that. At one point the Reeds had shops and greenhouses in Temple, Belton and Cameron, he said. This 1943 photo taken at Hatbox Field in Oklahoma shows Harry Reed (right) during his time in the U.S. Air Force.But Harry Reed took a bit of a detour from the flower business when he thought he might make a career of flying. After graduating from La Vega High School he entered a program to train civilian pilots and later joined the U.S Air Force. He was called to be an instructor and trained other pilots. He also was trained on the large B-29s, which were designed for use in the Pacific during World War II.After the war he flew B-25s at Connally Air Force Base, teaching radar interception tactics to pilots. He remained in the Air Force Reserves for 10 years.He married his own sweetheart, Glenda Pledger, completed his degree from Baylor University and had two daughters and a son.He returned to run Reed’s Flowers with his parents, eventually taking over for them.Waco also holds a place in the history of the state’s floral industry. The Texas State Florists’ Association was founded in Waco in 1914, though it is now headquartered in Austin.Harry has two younger siblings, James Reed, a retired Army colonel in San Antonio, and Dorothy Campbell, of Cleveland, Ohio, but neither were interested in taking over the business as he grew older.As he has stepped away from the day-to-day duties of overseeing the business, he does have fond memories of his years in the floral trade.“I’ve met some of the nicest people through the industry,” he said. “I’ll never forget how many nice things they have done for me.” Debbie Reed finishes making a bouquet to be sold at Reed’s Flowers. She has run the longtime downtown flower shop the last two years. Photo by Rod AydelotteDaughter Debbie eventually decided she would continue the family legacy.Much like her father, Debbie Reed grew up learning various aspects of the business over time. First it was deliveries, then how to design bouquets and arrangements, and she has since added bookkeeper to her duties with the shop.“It’s definitely a seven-day-a-week job. There is a lot going on,” she said. “But every day is a new day.”She said it’s been about the last 10 years that she’s gotten heavily involved with running the business. Debbie said she got a great sense of what is required to run the place during a six-week stretch in 1998 when her father took a cruise and visited Australia and she was put in charge.“That’s when I really saw what it takes,” she said.One of Reed’s Flowers standing orders is providing floral arrangements for a number of churches throughout Waco.“We’ve been doing it for a long time, and we give them good prices, but we also look at it as giving to the church,” she said.Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day remain the big flower occasions, and Debbie Reed knows it won’t be any different this year. She and her staff are getting ready for the heavy stretch.She added that her dad is still her biggest hero and she’s glad she has embraced the legacy of continuing Reed’s Flowers.“I decided I wanted to keep it and keep it going,” she said. http://www.wacotrib.com/waco_today_magazine/still-coming-up-roses-from-til-today-reed-s-flowers/article_0f4d5419-c8b0-5371-8c90-db8e670a3ccd.html

Hutto Flower Market opens on FM 1660 - Community Impact Newspaper

Taylor Jackson Buchanan is the editor for the Round Rock/Pflugerville/Hutto edition of Community Impact Newspaper. She has a bachelor's and master's degree from The University of Texas. ... https://communityimpact.com/austin/round-rock-pflugerville-hutto/business/2019/11/12/hutto-flower-market-opens-on-fm-1660/

You Can Pick-Your-Own Strawberries At A Magical Flower Farm Near Houston This Spring - Narcity

Spring is coming a lot sooner than we think so that means it's time to start looking into what cute plans we want to make as soon as the flowers start blooming again. Texas is home to many beautiful fields of flowers and here in Houston, there is a flower and strawberry farm with pick-your-own fruit and bouquets.Atkinson Farms is located just outside of Houston and is about to open back up on March 1. It is a "Pick-Your-Own" farm where you can go out to the strawberry and flower fields and pick your own pail of fresh berries or your own bouquet of colorful flowers... or both!While you're there, you can also pick up the freshest produce possible in their market so you don't have to worry about grabbing groceries later.The strawberry fields open back up on March 1 but we recommend keeping up with their Facebook for updates so you know when flowers will be ready for picking, which opened back up in May last year.Visiting their sprawling strawberry and flower fields is the best way to spend a sunny spring day.It would be such a cute date, picking fresh strawberries to take home and use to make a yummy strawberry cake, chocolate-covered strawberries, or... https://www.narcity.com/things-to-do/us/tx/houston/a-houston-flower-farm-has-pick-your-own-strawberries-this-spring

HER | Local decorator helps get homes ready for holidays - Texarkana Gazette

Marie Barfoot graduated from the Frankie Shelton School of Design in Houston, her intention was to own a flower shop, and for the next six years she owned Atlanta Floral on Main Street in Atlanta, Texas. In the early 1980s she sold the store to Benita's Blossoms and moved her business to Texarkana.She went from florist to interior decorator and opened a store in McKnight Center until she outgrew it. For the past 25 years Marie's Interiors and Gifts, on the corner of McKnight and Pleasant Grove Road, has grown to fill every corner of every room with delightful seasonal finds and upscale home interior items.Besides the store, where she sells unique items, she also goes to homes and decorates for clients - even working with contractors on new homes from the ground up.Marie works with the clients on color schemes and patterns, and orders everything from carpet to furniture to custom drapes. Once the house, or room, is designed, she decorates it with items she finds at market in Dallas."The key to being a good decorator is to visit with the clients first," Marie said. "Once you get to know them well, then it's easy to make them happy."Each winter she and her team decorate 35-40 homes in... https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/her/story/2019/dec/03/her-local-decorator-helps-get-homes-ready-holidays/806564/

Taos event planner helps make holidays, weddings about you - taosnews

Palmer.Palmer has worked with wedding parties who come from all over the world for a destination ceremony in Taos. She coordinated weddings for residents from Texas, Colorado and Africa, among other places. Many of her clients favor garden weddings, and Palmer enjoys such events because of the color and texture they provide.An interesting challenge in this realm includes a wedding at Old Martina's Hall in which the couple requested an outdoor garden theme in an indoor setting. "When I receive such a request, I strive to rely on visions of nature, especially the forest, for various types of flowers. I keep in mind whether people have allergies, especially sage," Palmer related.Palmer rightfully earned the name Taos Floral Diva, and under this title one may seek her website. Her business also uses the title Margaret Palmer Floral Design. Some of the brides and grooms become her friends and they invite her to their wedding as a guest.FamilyPalmer experienced some firsts in her genealogical lineage. Her late father Giuseppi Vitulli arrived in this country from Italy, thus making his children first generation Italian American. Her late mother, Evelyn, on the other hand, was a first-generation citizen herself because her parents came to the United States from Calabria, Italy.Her father worked as a Merchant Marine and came to this country with a strong work ethic. He arrived in America illegally, to escape Mussolini's Italy during World War II, and later became a naturalized citizen.Margaret Vitulli married her high school sweetheart, Richard Palmer, 30 years ago. The couple raised two children. Daughter Paisley, 27, received her B.A. from the University of New Mexico-Albuquerque and her M.A. at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. She is an archaeologist for an environmental company and plans to marry Matthew De Freese in Hawaii on Dec. 16. The Palmers' son, Allen, 25, completed his bachelor's degree at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. In April, he wed his wife, Serenah. The couple lives in San Antonio, where he serves in the Air Force as a commissioned officer.Personal interestsPalmer prefers to live in the moment, and loves sharing stories. The frequent volunteer helped with hockey, soccer, tennis, drama, fundraising and many activities in the schools, including substitute teaching. She supports the Taos County Chamber of Commerce as a member and an ambassador. "I like to stay involved with town things, and that includes political campaigns," said Palmer.As frequent travelers, the Palmers visited Europe and Russia and have gone American river boat cruising. The couple enjoys traveling with family. Anticipated future vacation spots include Alaska, Machu Picchu and Africa.In this season of Thanksgiving, Palmer said she is grateful. "I give thanks for another day in paradise. I live in a wonderful place. Our children received a good education in the Taos schools and they continue to come to Taos whenever possible. I love to spend time with family and travel the world. The Taos sunsets are the best. I love my life here with my husband - who's my best friend." ... https://www.taosnews.com/stories/know-your-neighbor-margaret-palmer,60914?