Start up in full bloom on Main Road

OFFERING unique arrangements, plants and wares, new florist Gardenia Magnifica has thrived since the day it opened.

Located at the busy intersection of Main Road and Humffray Street, the boutique florist offers handmade personal arrangements as well as wedding, event and corporate floral styling.

Having loved gardening and floral arranging from a young age, owner Ellie Feery said she had always wanted to do my own thing but I always felt that the timing wasn’t quite right

“I did an apprenticeship and was instantly obsessed, and then I went and worked in Melbourne for quite a few years doing big scale things, which is what I always wanted to do,” she said.

“Not that the timing was right to open my own place with COVID, but I just really wanted to get back into it, so I started off just doing a Mother’s Day campaign from home and as soon as I did that, people were ordering for other days before Mother’s Day and afterwards.

“Although I got this space in December, I was still working out of my studio up until recently and when I wasn’t doing orders, I was in here painting, grinding the floors, working at night on my brand and website, just everything.”

With the goal to open shop for Valentine’s Day this year, Ms Feery said although the lockdown made things a little more challenging, business has continued to bloom.

“It was lock down and I wasn’t sure what to do, but I knew florist friends in Melbourne who had been through stage four could do click and collect and deliveries, so we could still operate,” she said.

“It was trial and error for those five days to find out the best way for customers to collect things, but it’s been great since and especially having that street presence has changed the business.

“I love my customers, I go to suppliers in Melbourne every second day at 3.30am and I chose everything myself because I love doing that, making sure what I get is right and what my customers would like.”

Currently open weekdays and out doing events on the weekends, Ms Feery said she’s excited to get some extra help in store to expand the business’ offerings.

“It’s just mainly me and Charlie, my boyfriend, here and I have a great driver, she absolutely loves it and always makes sure they always look the same as when they leave the shop,” she said.

“I sell bunches out of Webster’s Café, because on the weekend’s I’ve been doing events so I can’t open the shop, so it’s nice to be able to do that instead until I get someone else in.

“People can come in and chose something off the floor, or tell me the occasion and we can just make it up to whatever needs, budgets, colours anything and with weddings it’s a bit more of a personal process.”

Order your own Gardenia bouquet or arrangement at gardeniamagnifica.com.