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O
ne day a certain type of
flower may be popular
but be out of style the
next day, silk may become hotter
than fresh or bouquets may go
from tight and rather plain to
loose and colorful.
But there is no mistaking that
flowers are symbols of a variety
of emotions, from love to grief
and anything in between. Florists
will do whatever is needed, but
they all prefer selling their wares
for happy occasions.
“
Flowers are personal and we
do what we can to personalize
each arrangement we make and
sell. We are selling emotions and
we want to touch the emotions
of the recipient of the flowers
in the way the giver intended,”
said Kelly Pohl, owner of LeFleur
Floral Design and Gifts in
Washington.
Pohl said that whenever
possible she and her designers
will make arrangements that
tell a story about the recipient
or in the case of an anniversary,
the couple. She cited one case
where the husband asked for
an arrangement that told the
couple’s story from the time they
were married to the present.
“
It told the story of their life
together. We loved doing it. It
wasn’t hard because we loved
doing it,” she said.
“
We are passionate people here
and that is an advantage because
so much of what we do is about
passion,” she added. “We try to
touch hearts and make people
cry, in a good way of course.”
Telling a story also is done
with funeral arrangements, Pohl
said. “The family loves being able
to see their loved one’s life told
that way. It is special and it is
something special we can do for
them,” she said.
Lynette Hacker, owner
of Georgette’s Flowers in
Peoria, said her store will also
personalize arrangements for any
occasion, including funerals. “For
families it is the last thing they
can give their loved one who has
passed, so we want to make sure
we please them. We take special
care to help the family feel at ease
and comfortable. Usually when
they leave here they are pleased,”
she said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
SELLING LOVE: FLORISTS
Styles May Change Frequently, but Flowers
Always Equate to Love and Other Emotions
by Paul Gordon
Kelly Pohl, right, is the owner of LeFleur Floral Designs and Gifts in Washington. With her is Valeri Wilson, who was
one of Pohl’s instructors in floral design at a school in Chicago and now is the senior designer at LeFleur, which is
on the square.
