Expressions Florist – sharing the love from Hardy Street

I love that sensation when you walk into a florist shop and you are hit with explosions of colour and fragrances of flowers. It’s a sensory feast of creativity, colour and smell that makes you feel instantly happier.

The phone rings and a cheerful Angela takes another bouquet order. Kelly is the owner and is in her corner preparing flowers for a wedding. The two girls enjoy what they do and there is lots of laughter.

Now that you get a feel for what I’m seeing, I start asking questions as I see they are on a tight deadline.

Kelly moved to Nelson after the Christchurch Earthquake with her now 14-year-old son Harri. She worked for the previous owner at Expressions and took on the ownership of the business in October 2021. With her youngest son Xavier about to start school, it was the perfect time to take the leap.

“I completed a course in floral design and was enjoying it as a hobby, and the job opportunity came along and I ran with it and have never looked back. I love my job! I get to be part of the process of sharing the love. Sometimes it’s for sad occasions, but it’s all positive for me knowing our floral arrangements will make a difference and brighten up someone’s day.” says Kelly.

“We source our flowers from Wellington and top up from local suppliers in Nelson and Christchurch. Our website is a key component for our ordering as we have a huge selection of flowers and gift packs for all budgets. We can do International orders via several websites like Interflora.co.nz and petals.co.nz which is popular for locals with loved ones in other countries.”

“One of the highlights of running a business is the growth in confidence you experience. Talking to people and making business decisions is a steep learning curve – but that’s where the growth happens. It is very rewarding. Also having my sidekick Angela working with me makes the day go fast and keeps us on top of our orders.”

When Kelly isn’t working in the shop she enjoys painting and has presented in the New Zealand Art Expo.

“I love painting on mixed media and my artworks feature conceptual and celestial themes. I love moons and stars. My dad talked me into painting on Aluminium panels, and even though initially I was not so keen… he delivered a pile of them, so I had to try it. There’s one over there in the shop.” she laughs.

“My partner helps run the accounting side of the business and that makes me very happy. It’s almost impossible to be creative, do customer service and then switch to crunching the numbers. It’s a very important part of running any business but I am extremely lucky in my situation.”

Their most popular orders are bouquets, and after the lockdown, they decided to try offering indoor plants. It was a hit. So think hanging baskets with macrame and leafy green colours. A little spikey indoor Cactus is a fun gift.

When asked whats your advice to aspiring business owners?

“It’s important to have fun and have a good laugh. It can be stressful at times, but you can always choose your reaction when things get tough. We remind ourselves we are blessed to be able to do what we love and the local community have been very supportive. We have a small box of cacti labelled tiny pricks. It’s the sort of thing that makes us all laugh.”

These guys are a vibrant part of our CBD community so please support them, or just poke your nose in the door and have a sniff. You will see what I mean… instant happiness!

Find them at 197 Hardy Street, Nelson.

Website www.expressionsnelson.co.nz
Facebook www.facebook.com/expressionsflorist
Instagram www.instagram.com/floristexpressions

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