Blooming in the heart of Easthampton: Mother-daughter duo open Bouquets of the Valley on Cottage Street
Published: 10-02-2024 2:26 PM
Modified: 10-02-2024 4:37 PM |
EASTHAMPTON — In the heart of the Cottage Street Cultural District, something new is blooming.
Mother-daughter duo Alisha and Linda Markee have created colorful floral arrangements together for years, adorning the weddings of family friends, teaching small groups how to make the perfect flower crown and inevitably leaving a trail of stems across their kitchen.
They weren’t sure whether a physical storefront would ever be in the cards for them, but when a location opened up in their favorite part of the city, they knew they’d found a home for their business.
“We had always been an at-home floral business,” said Alisha Markee. “We didn’t even think we wanted a brick and mortar at first, but once we saw it, we knew we wanted it… we just thought it was the perfect spot here.”
“We consider Cottage Street kind of the heart of Easthampton,” added Linda Markee.
Walking past Mount Tom’s Homemade Ice Cream, those who walk into Bouquets of the Valley at 32 Cottage St. will find themselves immersed in a world of vintage-inspired decor and fragrant flowers. The cozy home and garden store doesn’t just encourage patrons to browse its array of furniture and flora, but invites them to stay and relax for a spell.
Nestled within its walls — one hand-patterned using swaths of lace, another painted an earthy green shade aptly called “In the Garden” — is a ring of seating and a tea cart, where the Markees envision people coming to host gatherings such as book clubs, or simply relaxing in the ambiance and company.
The Markees’ dog, Pixie, might even curl up in a visitor’s lap for a quick nap.
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“We wanted it to be everything we love in a store,” said Linda Markee. “We love this community, and we see this as a space where the community can gather.”
Linda Markee said she has long had a vision of running a store of her own — warm beverage in hand as she sweeps a floor bathed in early morning sunlight, or greeting customers with a smile as she carefully arranges the window display. For her, making the store a welcoming space that reflects the “vibe” of herself and her daughter has been nothing short of a dream come true.
“I think the space sort of told us what it was,” she said. “We’ve been painting and renovating and our whole family’s been involved in that, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
The pair sees the store as a space by the community, for the community, with an emphasis on all things local. Nearly anything painted or constructed within the store was done so by a family member or close friend, and in their month of constant work getting the store ready to open, the Markees have been excited to become a deeper part of the culture of Cottage Street.
“Throughout the process, we’ve had people come in, take peeks,” said Linda Markee. “People are really excited to have a place to just come buy flowers.”
Most of the flowers the Markees use in their arrangements and “by the stem flower bar” come from local growers, or from their own garden at home. They have also prioritized stocking goods from other nearby creatives and small businesses, from plantable greeting cards by the local business Small Victories, to books written by local author Kathryn Harrison.
“We really try to use local growers as much as possible,” said Linda Markee. “We try to be very ecological.”
Bouquets of the Valley will also sell houseplants, cookbooks, quilts and more in the future, including furniture that the Markees refurbish and possibly some of the pillows that Linda Markee enjoys creating. The Markees expect their offerings to change seasonally, shifting more toward home goods as the weather gets colder and focusing on gardening in the warmer months.
The sheer space offered by the storefront has also been a breath of fresh air for the Markees, who have long operated out of a home setting where they trimmed, curated and arranged.
Now, they have space to offer client consultations, and show prospective buyers of large arrangements samples of the flowers they will be receiving.
Linda Markee expressed that it has already been nice to have a space dedicated to the messy art of creating floral arrangements, including a refrigeration unit specifically designed for keeping their creations as fresh as possible.
There is even a basement that they have filled with pots and vases from a sale they attended when another florist’s shop went out of business, and a modest outdoor space they hope to use as a small garden.
For those interested in trying their hand at floral creations, the Markees also host a variety of workshops throughout the year, teaching attendees how to make elegant bouquets, wreaths or other seasonally appropriate decor. If others are short on time, they can stop by to select a couple of blooms and some ribbon to bind them together from the shop’s flower bar, featuring an ever-changing selection of focal flowers and accent greens.
“We’ve had so much support,” said Linda Markee. “I really believe that when you come from a place of kindness, kind, wonderful people just start surrounding you.”
Bouquets of the Valley has already “soft opened” for business, but their grand opening will take place on Oct. 10 at 4 p.m.
Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.