Victoria Rhodes likes to use unusual blooms and foliage in her bouquets. Photo / Bevan Conley
Victoria Rhodes likes to use unusual blooms and foliage in her bouquets. Photo / Bevan Conley
Something Blooming Wonderful has sprung up in Whanganui's Maria Pl.
Florist Victoria Rhodes is creating bouquets with a difference in her vintage-themed shop where people can relax on the sofa and admire a range of Crown Lynn pottery, unusual plants and wall-hangings while she makes up their order.
"I lovemy job because I literally make people's day, every day," Rhodes said.
"Every day is different for me in some way."
Rhodes has been a florist for 30 years. She trained through Teleflora and at 18 she owned her first florist shop.
She operated Trafalgar Florist, which she bought from Robin Hancock, in Trafalgar Square before moving to Tauranga then Perth, Australia, where she also owned florist shops.
When she returned to Whanganui, she spent 10 years doing flowers for Countdown and New World supermarkets then set up her business in the La Station Design Store premises.
Rhodes moved into her Maria Pl premises three months ago.
"I found this spot and I thought it was great. There's good foot traffic - lots of people going past with Farmers next door," she said.
"I like to think I do different sorts of flowers. Some are a bit more unusual and I use a lot of local growers from Whanganui, Waverley, Hunterville and other places. Most flowers come in daily because I'm using local growers and I can just ring them if I need something.
"I like to use lots of greenery and foliage. I mix a lot of dried flowers with fresh. Dried is coming back into fashion. A lot of my clientele come for the different, unusual bouquets."
Victoria Rhodes' Maria Pl shop has a vintage theme. Photo / Bevan Conley
She also sells "lush green plants that aren't easy to kill", kokodama (coconut fibre) pots and dried flower displays in macrame hangers, another retro item that is right back on trend.
This week Rhodes is busy with Valentine's Day orders and then she's booked up doing flowers for weddings.
Rhodes is currently training a part-time staff member and says with all the weddings and funerals plus daily orders she's run off her feet.
Rhodes' talents were recognised in last year's Florist of the Year competition where she placed third. The gruelling 12-day event, held as part of Auckland's flower show, had competitors in individual cubicles - where they couldn't see what the opposition was doing - creating arrangements while thousands of show visitors passed by to see them in action.
Victoria Rhodes Blooming Wonderful Flowers is at 15 Maria Pl.
