Now we’re selling wallflowers!
Florist refurb reveals piece of history
Step inside the newly expanded Flowers By Karen in Kilmarnock’s Bank Street and you can see a real- life piece of the town’s history.
When owner Karen Lindsay knocked through to the shop next door to expand the boutique they uncovered a wall that is thought to date back to the 1700s, making it one of the oldest in the town.
And the team at Flowers By Karen instantly fell in love with the wall, deciding to make it a feature of the new- look shop.
Karen said: “In my heart of hearts, I had hoped when we knocked through to No8 it would have an original wall and it did.
“It just fitted in so well with the look that we wanted for the shop that we decided to make it a feature and put shelves up.
“It’s been a great talking point and people pop in just to see our wall.
“We also found out that our shop used to be a taxidermist too. It’s amazing the history that we have in this part of the town.”
History is very much alive for Karen and the team as they have just returned from Leeds Castle in Kent where they were delighted to dress a window for the Festival of Flowers event held there.
And Karen will return to the festival this September to create more stunning displays.
“It’s lovely to be asked to go this event and see the stunning displays – it’s something I always look forward to.”
Having started in floristry as a Saturday girl at 14, Karen instantly fell in love with flowers.
She continued to work in floristry whilst finishing school and attending university, where she gained a BA ( Hons) in media.
Karen landed a job with a newspaper but after a couple of years realised her heart would always be in floristry.
So in 2002, at the age of 23 she opened Flowers by Karen in 10 Bank Street.
The mum- of- five said: “I’ve had 17 wonderful years in my shop and have over the years gathered the most amazing team of staff, who hold the same passion for the industry.”
“I’m the luckiest person I know being able to do what I love every day and would like to thank all our customers for their continued support.”
Walk into Flowers By Karen’s new look expanded boutique and your are met by a stunning sweet smelling island of flowers.
Karen explained: “We wanted to have as many flowers as we could out on the floor for people to see.
“Our customers come in and they can have a look around and we also have our own candle range and bath bombs as so many people want to add more to their bouquets. It all feels natural and organic in the shop now. We are delighted with how it looks.”
Recognised for their stunning arrangements, Flowers By Karen has been nominated by The British Florist Association for their annual awards this year in the categories of Retail Florist of the Year and Florist Website of the Year.
And Flowers by Karen was named as Best Florist in Ayrshire at this year’s local business awards.
The team also hosts workshop events where you can learn flower arranging.
Their live demonstrations also allow you to watch the florists share their tips online.
You can keep up to date with Flowers By Karen events and competitions on their Facebook page.