Floraltribute

The TN card is the loyalty scheme that rewards shoppers for supporting local businesses at 750 independents across Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, its founder Jess Gibson chats to Dawn Thain, owner of independent florist, Mrs Florist, about the shop and her pick for the perfect Valentine’s bouquet…

Dawn, your beautiful shop sits on the corner of London Road and the High Street and brightens up my day whenever I drive past. How long have you had the shop now?

Thanks so much Jess. We love our shop and being part of the High Street community – we are now in our third year as a bricks and mortar business and time has really flown.

Am I right in thinking you began as a flower stall on the High Street, not far from your shop?

Yes! We had an outdoor flower stall on the High Street every Saturday. It took us a while to convince the Council to let us open there, but we did eventually and we were really well supported. Unfortunately, the British weather wasn’t our friend –

WHO: Mrs Florist

WHERE: 8 London Road, TN1 1DA

REWARD: 10% off fresh flowers

For more info: thetncard.com/mrsflorist we did very well on sunny days but on wet, windy days we’d be quiet. It wasn’t great fun putting our gazebo up and down in all weathers and bringing water, buckets and flowers back and forth! It’s wonderful having a permanent home now.

When did your love of floristry begin?

I have always had a keen interest in homes and interiors and seeing how beautiful flowers and plants can enhance the style and beauty of any room. I worked as a house stylist, preparing homes for sale prior to following my dream and moving into floristry. I love what I do now and am very fortunate to have a team of five very talented florists helping me to serve both the Tunbridge Wells community and customers further afield.

How would you describe your style at Mrs Florist?

We offer stunning, natural contemporary designs. Our team create both bespoke and ready-made arrangements with love and care, whether it’s a deluxe showstopper or just a few stems. Our shop is friendly and welcoming, and we love helping all our customers. Some pop in quickly for a ready-made bouquet while others will spend their time absorbing all the colours and scents before putting together a bouquet stem by stem. It’s lovely being able to cater for everyone in this way.

Which flowers are a favourite for Valentine’s Day?

Red roses are popular of course, but in recent years we have seen lots of customers going for beautiful pastel bouquets. For inspiration we have a large Valentine’s selection on our website, which includes our popular bespoke range. We welcome customers to the shop as well as providing a delivery service within ten miles.

Do you offer gifts alongside your flowers?

Yes absolutely, we stock the most gorgeous scented candles and diffusers by Aery. We also have an interesting range of house plants, seasonal bulbs and succulents, including pots and vases in various sizes as well as our selection of dried flowers.

What are your plans for the year ahead?

2023 is going to be another tough year for small businesses and I am so grateful for all the support we receive from our community. We’ll keep working hard to keep our prices as affordable as possible, despite rises from our wholesalers. I’m really looking forward to working with our brides and grooms with weddings booked for this year and continuing to work with our local venues – we have so many beautiful buildings in Tunbridge Wells.

Thank you for being part of our TN community. How do you thank members for supporting local?

We joined the TN card at the start and are delighted to give the TN community 10% off fresh flowers (excluding weddings). It’s a small thank you from us for their amazing support.