An oasis in the West End

West End

There is a lovely, old-timey feel to Flowers in Bloom at 611 Ellice Ave. Angela Hyland opened the shop 10 years ago and it has since become much more than your everyday flower shop.

Yes, you can order bouquets and arrangements on her website or over the phone. She is also part of the florist-to-florist network.

But walk in instead and be charmed by the eclectic mix of healthy, glossy house plants and antiques in the cozy shop. It is the homey and countryish touches that really set it apart.

One wall holds $2 packets of seeds. Hyland harvested many of them from plants growing on her acreage. She will also order in seeds she doesn’t have upon request. The morning glory seeds I brought in will be added to the collection after they have been neatly packaged and a picture added. Cone flowers, snapdragons and pineapple sage are all very popular.

Community members often contact her for advice when their plants aren’t thriving, as she is somewhat of a plant whisperer and enjoys helping people revive their ailing plants. A few will stay in the shop for a little while, soaking up the sunlight and her care.

The trays of seedlings sitting in the window will probably be out in her garden centre soon, depending on the weather. This spring’s colder temperatures have upended the traditional gardening calendar, so May 24 may not be our last frost.

When you go through the rustic wooden gate into the back-yard garden centre, you will find a mix of gardening necessities as well as trays of reasonably priced seedlings for sale during planting season. Some are grown in a greenhouse on Hyland’s acreage outside the city and others come from a wholesaler.

Come July 1, or shortly thereafter, the backyard garden will become seating for a little cafe with a to-go menu. Ice cream will be for sale, of course! Jamaican patties, ]ginger beer and more will also be on the menu in honour of Hyland’s Jamaican heritage. There won’t be any tables, but there will be benches set out to sit on. It will be a lovely addition to summer in the West End.

You can view and order flower arrangements from flowers in Bloom at flowersinbloomWinnipeg.com.