Who remembers when the brick storefront at Main and Mill streets was a shocking PURPLE color? It wasn’t that long ago, actually. There was a dry cleaner in there for years, wasn’t there? And I seem to remember that corner had a crossing guard for the downtown school kids, right? Well, that building is back to being purple, but the color is on the inside now. Plus red and white and yellow and all the other floral hues in the natural rainbow. It’s now Ronnie’s Flowers, and beautiful things are happening there.
“Ronnie is my dog, a black lab,” explains Sarelia Rios, owner of the shop. “I’ve always had a love for flowers, and I started getting into it as a hobby and a small side business about 3 years ago. I am happy to say business has grown to the point that I was able to quit my day job at Royer and move into this retail location a couple months ago. I want to say the folks at Royer were very understanding and awesome while I was doing it as a growing hobby. Many days I’d be bringing flowers to the office and delivering during lunch break!”
Sarelia is the daughter of Adolpho and Paula Garcia Rios. Adolpho is pretty well known in the Latino community as an accordion player. He and his uncle still do music for parties and events. “I’m living now with my boyfriend out near Canaan on Flat Bottom Road, on the old Pendleton Farm. Country life suits me, and I can grow some of my own flowers in a little garden.
“I quickly outgrew my garden and started partnering with local growers around the area. Before long even that wasn’t enough supply, and now I’m buying wholesale from the regional markets, and even some direct buying from South America.”
“In addition to the store, I also have a handcart with a big pink umbrella that I can fill with flowers to take to vendor fairs around the region. I also rent it out sometimes for bridal showers and parties.
When I asked Sarelia who her clients are, her reply was somewhat as expected. “I do a lot of work for weddings and parties, that’s the bread butter of the flower business. Then there are the folks who just love the natural beauty of flowers and want to brighten their lives and homes.”
But then her next reply was very interesting and insightful. “I have a lot of male customers who I group into two categories. First there’s the guys who need flowers, usually in an emergency, to make up for something they’ve done and need forgiveness. And then there’s the group I call the Really Good Men who are regulars, like monthly or even weekly, who are buying flowers for their spouses just out of love and thoughtfulness. I love those guys!
“This business is kind of a big swing for the fences for me, quitting my job, renting a building, following my dream. But I’m young, I have a lot of energy, this is the time to try it and see if I can make it successful. I guess my ultimate goal, beyond just the business aspect, is to make some kind of a difference in the community. You can actually uplift people with flowers, show positivity and joy with the art. It’s hard to be sad or negative with a beautiful bouquet on the kitchen counter! I invite everyone to stop in and say hi, and let’s see what kind of joy we can create for you.”
HOT TIP OF THE WEEK
There’s a guy by the name of Levon Jetplane playing at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. I say “goes by the name”, but what do I know, maybe that’s his real name. In any event, it’s totally awesome, and as Levon often says, “don’t know when I’ll be back again!” The other show of note is the Sunday concert at Shrewsbury-Windle House at 3pm featuring the Derby City Dandies. This is a ticketed show, and tickets are spendy by Madison standards at $40. But this is also a singular and intimate musical experience that you can’t find just anywhere. The audience size is very limited, the venue is historical and breathtaking, and you will agree once you go that it is worth every penny! Tickets are still available as of this writing, at MadTixEvents.com.
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