Regardless of being happy or sad, celebrating a special day, or simply just because, receiving a flower or merely being in its presence conjures one timeless image: A smile.
“There’s no way you can make flowers without a smile on your face. They’re just magical creatures,” said Adrienne Kort. “They’re beautiful, fragrant, and they match any kind of décor you have. There are thousands of different styles and different artists that make the styles.”
Co-owner of Blossoms at Biltmore Park, Kort and her business partners, Audrey and Alan Kirsch, have spent the last 14 years creating an independent brand of floral arrangements for daily deliveries, weddings, and large-scale events.
“Most flower shops do one or the other. But, for us, it’s never a question of doing both,” Kort said. “We love being a part of daily celebrations and also the wedding events.”
What initially started out as a way to be their own bosses and have a flexible schedule to spend more time with their children has now become the “go to” shop for all things flowers in Western North Carolina.
“Everybody who works here brings something different to the table,” Kort said. “You can do all your shopping in our store for your special day.”
Bringing back face-to-face interaction and customer service in a world of online shopping, Blossoms at Biltmore Park aims to create a relationship with their clients instead of making a quick sale and pushing folks back out the door.
“The client is the only thing that matters, and we take the time to get to know them. We want to listen to the client, walk them through the cooler, tell you what’s in there, your favorite color or any sentimental flowers to you,” Kort said. “You can’t go onto our website and pick arrangement #286. That doesn’t exist. Every day is different. We don’t stock something all of the time, no must haves. It’s a blank spreadsheet every week, and it gets built on what looks good and what’s in season.”
“The boxes arrive, and the farmers bring in the buckets, and every day it’s like your birthday,” said Kort. “You open up the boxes and look through the buckets, and you can’t wait to see what is inside—it’s always different.”
In 2009, Blossoms at Biltmore Park purchased the Baggie Goose, a gift store that has been part of this region for the better part of 50 years. In 2013, the entire operation relocated to Biltmore Park. And each week is entirely different than the next.
Being a proud small business in the community, the shop launched the “Kindness Campaign,” where they give away a free bouquet of flowers every single day.
“That can be someone who does something great in the community or the nonprofits we work with and they give the flowers to a volunteer,” Kort said. “This little flower shop has led us to be involved in things we never thought we’d be involved in. I love getting to know the community, and I love that personal connection.”
With 15 years in the flower business, Kort sees the shop as more than just selling flowers. It’s a lifelong connection to her clients.
“We have people who had us decorate their bar mitzvahs, who now have our flowers at their weddings,” Kort said. “And we get to be part of those celebrations for the rest of their lives.”
This post is adapted from our annual Welcome to Western North Carolina magazine. Click here to read more online, or click here to order your own free copy.