Spotlight on Sellwood Flower Co.
Community Partner Spotlight: Sellwood Flower Co.
By Heidi A. Nadel
“ “Our mission is to be the florist for Sellwood. We design with intention and take pride in offering excellent customer service.””
Only steps from the bustle of SE 13th Avenue, Sellwood Flower Company is a hidden oasis with all of the magic of a secret garden. Meadowy grass and vibrant seasonal flowers seem to bend in greeting on the pathway to the shop’s entrance. Outside extends inside, and inside is in full bloom. A rainbow of different shapes and sizes cover tables and fill pots in every corner.
Sellwood Flower Company is a full-service florist in SE Portland that offers same-day flower delivery in Portland metro, and a unique experience for those who visit the shop in person.
Simple Twist of Fate
LauraLee and Bill Symes went looking for a small storefront for a flower shop in 2015. They instead found a 1902 Victorian on Sellwood’s Antique Row. They rescued it from an uncertain future, transformed it into an airy, French-inspired floral house and invited the salon that had been in the house for two decades to stay. Sellwood Flower Company officially opened on Father’s Day 2015, but it quickly grew deep roots in the community.
Why flowers? LauraLee grew up on a farm surrounded by nature. Her schooling and professional career initially took her into organizational development, where she focused on improving overall quality of life and happiness in the corporate workplace. But LauraLee also arranged flowers as a hobby and knew the power they had to boost moods. LauraLee realized she could inspire happiness and improve quality of life more broadly while doing something she loved – sharing the beauty and intimacy of fresh flowers. And voilà!
A Little Bit Of France In Sellwood
Created in the image of a French floral house and inspired by lush European gardens, Sellwood Flower Co. specializes in locally-grown, seasonal, fresh flowers and arrangements designed specifically for each customer.
This is no fluorescent-lit, pre-made, plastic wrapped flower shop. From the café tables that invite visitors to sit awhile, to the 2000-year-old wooden temple beam that serves as a design table, the shop exudes the French countryside, nostalgia and a love of flowers.
Sip, Nibble & Shop
Visit for the flowers, but linger over a glass of French wine, a house-made macaron, or a chocolate truffle. Peruse unique gifts and greeting cards as you wander to the plant-adorned sun deck. Or sit awhile in the garden, listen to the soft bubble of water and smell the flowers.
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Enroll in Flower School, Portland
Want to up your professional flower game or simply learn a bit of flower magic? Flowerschool Portland at the Sellwood Flower Company offers FIY (Flower it Yourself) workshops, masterclasses and other events in the professional studio upstairs from the flower shop, in the outdoor garden, and in other inspired venues.
LEARN MORE
To learn more about the Sellwood Flower Co., click on the button below.
Heidi A. Nadel is a Sellwood/Moreland resident and mom who celebrates and writes about local businesses and events when she is not busy practicing law.