About

As a little girl, i, of course, had that dream of being crowned miss america and wanting world peace (spoiler alert- I didn’t accomplish that dream, still working on world peace though. Honestly, I don’t think I would have made the cut for being Miss America.)

Yes, I was one of those girls that loved playing dress up but also digging in the “dirt”. I grew up in the country where you don’t have sidewalks or traffic lights, but where you have nature all around.

The school day would end and I would be rushing off the bus to help my grandparents plant seedlings or pick the harvest from the garden. My grandfather had his garden and my gram had her rose and flower beds. But, more often than not, they would be working side-by-side. It isn’t until now that I wish I would have paid more attention to all the knowledge they had. More importantly, I’m thankful for the beautiful memories we created together.

My mother always had fresh flowers in our home. She would cut a few flowers off outside and bring them indoors to arrange. She somehow made them last for weeks; giving them a longer life than most. It’s amazing what the power of flowers can do for you. Always remember self-love. And my dad would always extend the flower beds if we asked. (I’m sure he wasn’t too thrilled but the end result was beautiful). When I was in college I had a cutting of a curly willow tree that I wanted to plant at home; my parents were fine with it as long as the tree wouldn’t get too big… Guess what, the tree has grown to a size where you need a bulldozer bucket to lift you to the top to cut branches. We laugh about the size of the tree and the fact that they knew all along it would grow rather large. To this day, I love being able to add something of me to the many designs that leave the shop that reach you, hopefully brightening your day or adding a smile to your face to share among others.

Let me get back on track; in high school after taking the Plant Science, I decided to attend Pennsylvania College of Technology to earn an Associates Degree in Floral Design and Interior Plantscape and then continued on with a Bachelors Degree in Business Technology Management. During those four years in college and following, I met and worked with some of the most incredible designers. These are just a handful of unique individuals that I look up to. I couldn’t be where I am today in the industry if it wasn’t for them. We built friendships along the way and I had the opportunity to watch each walk across the stage to be accepted into the American Institute of Floral Designers. What an astonishing feat!

Fast forward to today, we have a small studio, a “she shed” as most would see it. When you walk in that door the amazing aroma from the flowers soothes all your troubles. Even if you have no troubles in the world, walking into the studio, you always get greeted with a smile and leave with the beginnings of a friendship. Most days you’ll find Melissa in the studio or out on the road doing deliveries. There aren’t set retail hours just yet but we hope in the future to update you. On the weekends, you can find her and her team either in the studio, making deliveries, or out on site creating a beautiful setting for a special day. If you book Flowers & Friends for your wedding day, you’ll see Melissa throughout your event or one of her experienced team members. Whatever the occasion, reach out to Flowers & Friends to order fresh flowers, ask questions about your interior plants, discuss your wedding day flowers, set up a workshop creating a fun design with your friends, or just pop in and say hello. We look forward to the opportunity to work with each of you!

Keep smiling and continue working on world peace!

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

Mother Teresa