Village Squire, 1977-12, Page 11individual shop could grow. They have acres and acres of
greenhouses. Recently Jo -Anne visited one of the complexes to
view the Christmas crop of poinsettias and calls it "just
fantastic". The masses of red make one wish to have a camera,
she said.
Jo -Anne says she likes the business because she's always
liked to work with her hands, and it's an ever-changing business.
Her enjoyment of doing things with her hands led her into
drawing at one time, a hobby she'd still like to do but doesn't
find time for.
The creativity is rewarded in the making of arrangements
where, she says, you never make exactly the same arrangement
twice. Adding to this variety, is the seasonal nature of the
business, with the use of oak leaves, corn and gourds in fall,
Christmas themes to the festive season. spring flowers, etc.
There are always new things to try, new ways of doing things.
People, she feels, are becoming more flower conscious. People
will come in for a single rose to take to someone. when they are
visiting. Some men come iri once a week to buy flowers for their
wives. It seems to be a movement toward the European way of
doing things, she says, where you buy your milk and you buy
your bread and a flower for the table. Everybody needs flowers
as a little extra touch to make everything special. she says.
Roses, she says, are the flower of sincerity and are still among
the most popular flowers. The nice thing is, she says. you can
take a single rose to someone and it gets the message across.
Jo -Anne's own favourite is a mixed bouquet with flowers that
will last included.
Her love of plants extends to her home, she says where she's
limited because the apartment has few windows. but she makes
use of every available area to put plants in. In addition to
providing a nice environment visually. she points out, they help
put oxygen in the air and also act as humidifiers.
As mentioned earlier, a hectic career (the staff often works
until midnight to get orders ready for formal dances, weddings
and other special occasions) makes it hard to work in personal
interests outside the business. Still she acted as treasurer of the
fund-raising campaign for the 'new South -Huron District
Community Centre in Exeter, a campaign that raised $260,000
locally in 18 months, most of it. she says. deposited in cheques of
about $15. It taught her a good deal about how not to keep books,
she jokes.
Like everything else, Jo -Anne seems to like to learn by doing
and she seems to have learned well. Her shop draws customers
from London. Stratford. even Hanover who come for the special
arrangements she can make up. especially with silk flowers. It's
quite a tribute to a girl who started out cleaning floors. 0
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VILLAGE SQUIRE/DECEMBER 1977, 9.