Mary Smith works with an arrangement in the cooler at the Blossom Shop in Scottsbluff. Smith and her husband, Rod, have owned the shop since 2011. For Mary Smith, owning a flower shop was a dream.

In 2011, she and husband Rod were able to fulfill that dream when they purchased the Blossom Shop in Scottsbluff.

“I worked for a florist in Colorado before we moved up here,” Mary Smith said. “I just wanted to own a flower shop, so when we moved up here I established a relationship with the previous owners and came to work for her part-time. Then she gave an opportunity me and Rod couldn’t pass up.” Kaila Sroufe fills a balloon with helium at the Blossom Shop in Scottsbluff. Sroufe is working at the shop through the LifeLink student program. Today, the shop employs 10 people — six full-time and four part-time, seasonal.

“Wonderful people,” Smith said of her staff. “Talented people. Good team. Positive. I try to surround myself with positive, talented, wonderful people.”

Becoming a designer takes some work. First one has to get to know flowers and the floral business, taking orders and how to process flowers. That all comes “before you even can think about putting a flower in a vase” or making an arrangement, Smith said.

“We get that question a lot. How did you become a florist?” Smith said. “Hands on. My head designer, Kim (Hauk), how did she become a florist? Hands on. A lot of people ask did you go to school. There used to be schools for floral design. I think they’re a rarity anymore. Hands on is probably your best. We were finding there were no designers coming in to apply. We need to start training them, teaching them. That’s how most – (Blossom Shop designers) Myndi (Doremus), Adri (Webber) — that’s how we’ve taught them.” Kim Hauk works on an arrangement at the Blossom Shop in Scottsbluff. The Blossom Shop first opened in 1974. The Blossom Shop itself dates back to 1974 when it was on East Overland. It was in the Monument Mall for a time and landed at its current location on Broadway 22 years ago.

“It’s a wonderful business,” Smith said. “I didn’t know what a wonderful business it would be. It brings a lot of joy to a lot of people. It helps a lot of people through. You know, when you think about a floral shop and different occasions, people would order flowers, it’s a lot of celebrations, but also a lot of memorials and funeral services. You’re providing such a beautiful thing on both ends that it’s really a blessing helping people through that.”

While the Blossom Shop is a member of Teleflora and FTD, Smith said she prefers the personal touch a customer gets from dealing directly with their local florist in whatever city the flowers are to be delivered. She said ordering directly from the local florist allows a more personal and better service for the customer.

“When a customer places the order […]