A NEW LEAF

Blossom In Horsham Is Budding Under New Owners

We Brits may not have the same global reputation for romance that the Italians and French enjoy, but flowers are still big business here.

According to government statistics, we spent £1.3billion on flowers in 2018. The statistics don’t offer a detailed breakdown, so we don’t know how much of that went on wilting flowers with a circular yellow sticker – a tell-tale sign of a cut-price bouquet from a petrol station forecourt! Such a sticker rather dampens the pleasure of giving or receiving flowers, as there’s no substitute for freshly cut, seasonal plants.

One independent florist that has been supplying beautiful bouquets for over 15 years is Blossom, in Piries Place, Horsham. Now under new ownership, Blossom is steadily increasingly its customer base, and after a successful festive period, is now preparing for an even busier Valentine’s Day.

Gina Nelson said: ‘I work as a video game designer, so owning a florist’s might seem strange to people. However, I have loved flowers all my life and as a little girl, the only two things I spent my money on were comic books and individual flowers from the florist near my house. I always dreamed of having my own flower shop, perhaps after retirement, but then I walked through the alley in Piries Place and saw that Blossom was on the market.’

‘I couldn’t shake the thought of taking over the business and my husband was very supportive. He said, “You can either wait another 30 years or you can do it now!” Although my background is in a totally different industry, working in computer games has given me a solid grounding in business and marketing. The previous owner did a fantastic job at Blossom, but I had my own ideas and felt that if I could bring in experienced florists to help me, the shop could have real potential.’

Mimosa Colour

Gina took over Blossom in April 2022, keeping the doors open as she implemented changes and made her own mark. With help from family and friends, she would clean and decorate after finishing work, sometimes working into the small hours. New shelves was erected, while the work bench for arranging flowers was moved to the back of the shop to make it more welcoming for customers.

The team has grown too and now includes manager Deidre Nelson – Gina’s mother-in-law – and two trained florists. Alina is from the Ukraine and has a contemporary eye for flower arrangements, while Lara worked in photography for 20 years before retraining as a florist.

Lara said: ‘In my 20s, I worked near McQueen’s, the famous florist in London, and would marvel at the amazing creativity of the flowers. I often thought I’d like to do something similar, but my career followed a different path. Then I was furloughed during Covid and took the chance to gain work experience at a local florist. This further cemented my passion, so I enrolled on a course at the Sussex Flower School.’

‘I would often visit Blossom to buy flowers for my course, so I spoke to Gina and asked her to contact me if she ever needed someone for weekend work. It wasn’t long before she took up my offer. Now, I’ve qualified from the course and am at the shop four days a week, with Willow joining us on Saturdays too.’

‘What is great is that we all have different ideas and styles. However, when it comes to flowers, our focus is always seasonal produce, sourced whenever possible from the local area. That way, there’s constantly fantastic colour in the shop as we’re always bringing in new varieties. Even in January, there are flowers coming into season, like mimosa, which has incredible colour but also smells lovely.’

Local Partners

Once flowers are past their best, they are hung and dried, with many of these dried flowers used in the popular wreath workshops. As well as finding new ways to engage with customers, Blossom is working with an increasing number of local suppliers too, selling gifts and plants by other local businesses including candles by Blowww and Madgicks, reed diffusers by

Parkminster, and terrariums by Hugo and Green. Gina said: ‘I came across Madgicks at the market and really liked her products. As well as candles, she makes earrings using flowers grown in her own garden, fused in resin.’

‘Hugo and Green in Swan Walk is fantastic and I buy my indoor plants there. We’re keen to work with other businesses and are fortunate to be part of a great community in Piries Place. We supply flowers to the M Bar, Everyman Cinema, The Red Deer and Piries Bar, and ever since it was redeveloped, there’s been a strong business network. We also put a lot of focus on social media and e-commerce. We post pictures of seasonal flowers every day on Instagram and Facebook, which makes a difference as it inspires ideas for customers.’

Floral Magic

When it comes to ideas, you never know what the next customer will like. So, it helps to have a vast range of flowers and present them in different ways. Jam jar florals can brighten up a dreary table or window, while wreaths offer a unique gift for every season. Many of the wreaths and bouquets are made with dried flowers, creating an interesting and long-lasting arrangement. Blossom runs a monthly flower subscription too, delivering fresh, seasonal flowers straight to customers, and has also been known to source exotic or tropical flowers for weddings or other special occasions.

‘There is no right or wrong amount to spend on flowers,’ says Lara. ‘Some people pick one individual flower, while others like a big bouquet. Some have favourite colours, while others like the surprise of having something different every time. Whatever their taste, the magic is the same. They’re all beautiful and nothing quite beats the feeling of receiving flowers.’

WORDS: Ben Morris

PHOTOS: Alan Wright

Further information:

Visit Blossom at 25b Carfax, Piries Alley Horsham, RH12 1EE

Tel: (01403) 249908

Email: shop@blossomflowers.biz blossomflowers.biz blossomhorsham