Even though it is winter, there are plenty flowers in bloom at this shop. Owner Rhonda Burnette has surrounded herself with color and lots of gift items for her newest venture.
Blue Ridge Florist and Gifts, Inc. has actually been established for many years, but under different ownership and at another location. Burnette worked with the most previous owner, Patsy Harrell, for a month before making the purchase and moving the shop from its Route 58 location to its present home, a cottage-style shop at 3578 Black Ridge Road near the Parkway.
The shop was opened at its new location on January 2, and the phone has not stopped ringing. Burnette says getting to shadow Harrell and also purchase her inventory made her new job easier. She didn’t have to worry about some of the details, for instance, what size cooler to purchase, or other things important to the business. She even got the delivery van. Most importantly, she was able to connect with customers that have frequented the business throughout the years.
The new location has a proven record, too. Burnette moved the shop “only about 10-15 minutes away” to the place that once housed another family business operated by her mother, Wanda Ingle, sister, Lisa Mauk, and herself. The Mockingbird Nest, a gift shop, was part of the community for eight years. At that time, all of the owners were doing double duty with other jobs. Ingle was a high school teacher, Mauk was an administrative assistant with Fralin, and Burnette worked with Micro Metrics, and later at the high school.
Burnette says this location puts her in the middle of several major delivery areas – Floyd, Meadows of Dan, Stuart, and Hillsville. She is also located near the well-traveled Blue Ridge Parkway, and just down the road from a popular destination, Chateau Morrisette.
Today, as one of the biggest holidays for florists – Valentine’s Day - is underway, Burnette points out the most popular flower for the occasion. “Roses are still a huge thing.” And the preferred color? “Red,” she says without hesitation. “Red means ‘I love you’.” The florist says she also likes to combine three colors of roses, a favorite combination being the red, yellow and confetti (yellow roses with red dip) ones. She also has a signature offering that she “adopted” from another florist, the “My Love Is Forever” bouquet of roses.
But Burnette also has other flower favorites and will try to keep such specialty flowers in the shop. “I love the lilies, (including) the stargazers, also tulips, and gerber daisies….We use them in arrangements, and that makes them so special.”
There are potted plants, basket arrangements, and dish gardens at the shop.
Customers will also find a variety of gift items from bird houses, candles, anniversary items, plush animals and balloons to home décor items – pictures, wall art, garden themed items, wreaths swags, and garland for the windows. “The use of evergreens can be year round,” Burnette comments. “Most people think evergreens are for Christmas. It just depends on what you put with them.”
The florist shop rents wedding accessories – arch, kneeling bench, candelabras, and ferns. And there is a Christmas section that is part of the shop all through the year. Part of Burnette’s business includes work with funeral homes for casket sprays and family arrangements.
Blue Ridge Florist is also FTD and can wire out flowers anywhere. The shop is also a member of Flower Shop Network, that offers a website – http://www.flowershopnetwork.com - from which customers can order. Burnette also has a web site for her customers - blueridgemtns.net/Florist/Florist.htm.
Burnette also keeps busy with another enterprise, Home Interiors, a party-based business. She does personal decorating, consulting and fundraising associated with that business. Her website for that business is: http://www.homeinteriors.com/rhondaburnette.
“I love both (of the businesses),” Burnette says. “I think they can kind of go hand-in-hand. With the florist business, I can offer fresh flowers.”
Burnette, whose most recent job at the high school was as secretary to the principal, says she misses the students at the school. She is married to Rick Burnette, who is also part of a family business, B&S Automotive in Willis. The couple has three children: Richard, 12, Chris, 11, and Mary, 5, and the family lives just a short distance from the florist shop.
Burnette has a busy schedule at the shop. She is the only full-time employee. Her mother comes in to help as needed, and Burnette says she is greatly appreciated. Burnette does her own delivery for the shop, but when she is out on deliveries, an answering machine records calls for the business (540-593-2991), and she forwards calls to her cell phone.
Hours for the shop are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment or chance.
by Wanda Combs
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