Blossoms

Jeff Green | Feb 03, 2011

Back to HomeFeature Article - February 3, 2011 A “Blossoming” businessby Julie Druker

Photo: Pam Morey of Blossoms

Pam Morey of Harrowsmith stumbled across the ad on Kijiji and the rest, as they say, is history - business history. A wife and mother of two, Pam had always wanted to start up her own business and was intrigued by the ad looking for an entrepreneur to open up a Blossoms store in Kingston.

Blossoms is a line of Canadian retail stores based in St. John, New Brunswick, which create and sell edible centerpieces made from fresh fruit. “I knew it would be the perfect kind of work for me - I love flowers and have always loved being creative and making crafts so it seemed the perfect fit for me,” Morey said.

She took possession of the Kingston store on October 1 and with the help of friends did an intensive month-long renovation, knocking out walls, putting in plumbing and rewiring the entire store before her grand opening on November 6.

Pam’s store is one of 10 operating across Canada with many other locations in the States and the business is steadily gaining in popularity. Morey vouches for that. “I had a very busy first Christmas season and as people get to know that I am here and see what I make, I am seeing more and more customers walking through the door.”

Blossoms specializes in a wide array of edible bouquets, each made from a variety of fresh fruit -pineapple, melon, cantaloupe strawberries, apples and pears, some of which is dipped in chocolate and covered in a wide selection of tasty decorative toppings, all arranged into a centerpiece as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat. The bouquets are made fresh daily and prices range from $30-$118.

Pam also sells chocolate-covered strawberries which she says make great Valentine’s Day gifts. Her products are designed to fit that special gift need for any number of occasions including anniversaries, baby showers, hostess gifts, corporate gift giving, retirement or as novel additions to dinner parties. Pam has also created a number of arrangements for patients recovering in the hospital and for a small fee she will also deliver them.

Each centerpiece takes Pam about an hour to make and she will often customize her work to fit a specific special occasion or theme, which she says is a lot of fun. So far she has created a basketball-themed bouquet and an angel bouquet as well.

She is also exploring new items and has been experimenting with candied caramel and chocolate apples, of which she has already sold a number. Fresh fruit smoothies are another idea that she is pursuing. Along with the chocolate-covered strawberries for Valentines Day she will be selling a special Valentine’s Blossom Bouquet made with pineapple hearts and strawberries dipped in white chocolate.

Like with all businesses there are challenges and Pam finds that the business end of things is where she has experienced her greatest learning curve. “I do all of my own marketing, advertising and promotion, so getting to know that end of the business has been a step-by-step process for me but I find that each time I do it, it gets easier.” She also says, however, “I am a people person and the fact that people are often buying for happy occasions makes the business an all-around enjoyable one.”

Pam’s family has been 100% supportive of her undertaking from the get go, something she says is a must for anyone undertaking a full-time business venture.

With that support and a true love of her work, Pam is confident that business will steadily grow.  “I feel that I have found my niche and feel very lucky. I love going to work every day, which is really what it is all about.”

Blossoms is located at 2785 princess St, Unit 3 just west of the Cataraqui Town Centre. Orders should be made two days ahead of time. Call 613-389-3180 or visit www.blossomskingston.com for more information.