Allan’s Flowers has suggestions for floral bouquets.
These, as well as classic long-stemmed roses, are just a few of the high-demand blooms for floral arrangements being offered by Allan’s Flowers & More on East Gurley for Mother’s Day. “Also popular are sunflowers, blue dendrobium orchids and lilies,” said Manager Nicolette “Niki” Laflamme.
Following in a century-long tradition, owners of the Prescott floral store say they are well prepared to provide the finest floral bouquets for the upcoming holiday, Sunday, May 12.
The shop is constantly busy, says Laflamme. “Valentine’s Day is our single busiest delivery day, whereas Mother’s Day is definitely busier but spread out over a few days.”
The shop, which was originally established by the Allan family of Prescott, was sold in 1999 to Jim and Rakini Chinery, who continue own and operate Allan’s Flowers today.
The Chinery husband-and-wife team moved to Prescott in 1989 and became an integral part of the Prescott community. It was their love of Prescott and flowers that led to the decision to take ownership of Allan’s Flowers.
Laflamme says Rakini is busy in the store almost every day. Meanwhile, as manager, Laflamme focuses on customer service needs, staff, plants, ordering, processing flowers and much more.
In addition to floral offerings, the shop also has a wide selection of gifts, including gourmet truffles, handbags by Soruka, casual jewelry, unique apparel, Teaspressa cocktail sugar cubes, cocktail mixers, and some “sassy things like stickers, magnets and Malicious Women candles,” she said.
To mark the Mother’s Day holiday, Allan’s Flowers will be hosting a free Bubbles, Scrubs & Backrubs event to the public from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 1. Customers can explore the full range of gifts offered, while enjoying champagne cocktails by Shake Stir Pour. Visitors will also be able to rejuvenate their senses with a chair massage and experiment with crafting their own sugar scrub bar for the skin.
As with all holidays, Laflamme advises customers to order flower arrangements early. “We run out of things and cannot always take last-minute orders for delivery. We are limited on how much we can produce by the staff we have. They always work hard, but especially during a holiday!”
She notes that finding talented floral designers is a challenge. Those interested in the business can find specialized training and online schools or serve as an apprentice in a flower shop.
The most popular bouquets are priced from $85 to $125. Bud vases are $15 and large, extravagant arrangements are priced from $300 to $400. “We don’t have a minimum for delivery and are happy to accommodate everyone’s budget,” she added.
During the pandemic, the availability and delivery of products and supplies was limited. “We have seen lots of improvement in getting products and a wider variety is available,” Laflamme said. “Prices have increased, as well as shipping, which has caused us to rethink our buying and sourcing products from as many places as we can.”
In a story published in QCBN on Jan. 28, 2022, Rakini commented on the sourcing of flowers: “We try to use flowers from the small farms when we can in the spring and summer. The majority of our flowers come from South America,” Chinery said.
Today, South America is still a main flower supplier. “A lot of our flowers come from Colombia and Ecuador,” Laflamme explained. “We also buy a lot from Holland and California.”
Laflamme said flowers are shipped via FedEx directly to the store from Ecuador, and “we work with local wholesale houses in Phoenix who bring in things we order from Colombia and Holland.”
In 2010, Allan’s Flowers relocated from its original storefront to its current shop on East Gurley and began expanding the territory served. Instead of serving Prescott exclusively, the flower shop grew to include Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Dewey-Humboldt and the surrounding area.
In addition, Allan’s Flowers drive-through services and partnerships with neighboring businesses continue to flourish.
According to the website, “We’re always happy to assist our customers in bringing their vision to life through flowers.” QCBN
By Betsey Bruner, QCBN
Photo by Kay Lyons: For the love of flowers, Rakini Chinery, along with her husband, Jim, have owned and operated Allan’s Flowers for more than two decades.
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