La Grange Park resident Kim Lesher stumbled upon floral design quite by accident. But it’s a talent she’s cultivated to launch a second floral and gift shop in La Grange after 18 successful years in Evanston.
Lesher said she opened Bloom 3 La Grange in December at 104 W. Burlington Ave., while maintaining a one-third interest in the Evanston store with two other partners.
It was a risk to start over, she admits, but worth the chance to bike to work on occasion, pick up her two children from grade school and attend all their events.
“Everyone here has been such a great support, knowing I’m local,” she said. “My best advertising has been word of mouth. People see the arrangements when I deliver or at a party, and they like it.”
Lesher said she thrived on the constantly shifting challenges of Neiman Marcus’ visual design department in Northbrook, where she started working more than 20 years ago. She said she was surprised when asked to do the store’s floral arrangements for parties and events without any experience or training.
“They gave me a budget and sent me to floral wholesalers. I had no idea,” she remembered. “They had high expectations for the types of florals they wanted, orchids and novelty things. They liked what was unique and different.”
Lesher said she knew very little about flowers but had to learn in a hurry, especially that first year, once her go-to blossom, tulips, were no longer in season.
“That forced me to look around, and I started going after the textures of flowers,” she said. “I never learned how to design how people are taught. I guess I just learned the hard way.”
More Top Picks Best Portable Cpap Machines For Camping
Lesher now incorporates an interesting array of colors and textures, from the fuzzy Green Trick in the carnation family to frilly pink astilbe, snowberry, blushing bride protea and calla lilies with the deep purple centers, known as Picasso.
“I like the super green roses. They’re long lasting and a staple,” she said
Lesher said she frequently orders from the Netherlands for a ready supply of orchids, hydrangeas and unusual flowers. During the summers, she said she cuts various blooms from her own garden to fill out arrangements.
The price of arrangements varies but averages $30 to 50, she said. A number of commuters stop by from the train station across the street to bring home a smaller bouquet for $20 to $30, she said.
After getting positive feedback on her floral designs, Lesher said she and two co-workers started Bloom 3, first in a garage and then in an Evanston shop. Lesher had planned on pursing a master’s degree in architecture, but said she stuck with her partners in their budding business.
Over the years, the trio added gift items to the shop, mostly vintage and repurposed finds from estate sales, antique shops and various travels, Lesher said. They also showcase area artists’ home furnishings and fashions.
“We love to go hunting for those kinds of things, so we figured why not sell it,” she said. “We do a lot of road trips during the slow periods. We like barn hopping.”
Lesher has polished up a radiator, hung bedsprings on the wall and made hanging lamps out of fishing baskets. She and her partners maintain a customer wish list and keep an eye out for unusual items.
“Nothing ever stays the same here,” she said. “I always have to keep it fresh, inventive, intriguing and exciting.”
Lesher said she is also branching out to host flower-arranging workshops and parties at her shop and envisions art shows in the future.
Peter Moran, chief executive officer with the Society of American Florists in Alexandria, Va., said new retailers need to have a strong online presence and find that business niche in their communities. Moran noted that 42 percent of floral customers order online.
Moran said some florists are combining ventures, such as Lesher offering gift items. A Baltimore florist has a partnership with a local bakery to pair flowers and baked goods, and a Seattle florist also runs a coffee shop, he said.
‘Those retailers who survived the recession have come out stronger,” he said. “With the economy coming back, there’s a strong demand for flowers.”
Twitter: @janemichaels22
On the clock
Location: 104 W. Burlington Ave.
Phone: 708-937-9266
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday;10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bloom3.com
More Top Picks Lintelek Id115hr