FLOWER MART
As indulgences go, fresh flowers arguably reign supreme. And as Glenwood Springs businesses go, there are few as enduring as The Flower Mart. If its walls could talk, they would tell you about romance and weddings, birth and death, loss and triumph. Flowers signify these life events in a community.
‘You can literally send your emotions to someone physically in the form of flowers. I don’t see that going out of style.’
-Jessica Moss, owner of The Flower Mart
More than simply owning the business, the people at the helm describe their role as stewarding this iconic enterprise. The Flower Mart just passed its half-century mark, and owners for 22 years—Dennis and Lynne Bader—recently passed ownership to its newest principal: vibrant entrepreneur Jessica Moss.
Jessica is a Colorado native with a background in resort retail in Aspen and Snowmass. Eventually she felt a tug toward Glenwood. “Managing ski shops was a blast, but I wanted to be a part of this community,” she said. “When I met Dennis and Lynne, we realized how many parallels there were in our lives. They were so inspiring to me with the path they’d taken. So, they mentored me.”
The Baders quickly learned that Jessica shared their sense of community and commitment.
“Leaving a legacy when you have a business in one location in a community for 51 years, I think that’s important,” Dennis said.
When the Baders first acquired The Flower Mart, internet was a fairly new idea. In 2018, Jessica’s innovations will include a new app and website and the use of the conveniently located space to hold classes and events in the spirit of creativity and connection. She’s also added gifts to her inventory and local artwork.
“We’re excited to engage a younger community,” Jessica said. “We’ll offer classes for people to get hands on with flowers, making arrangements together.” Along with floral arranging instruction, she plans to integrate art classes like watercolor painting and on-site yoga.
While some things change, the sentiment behind sending flowers remains the same. “It’s one of the few ways you can express generosity on impulse. You can literally send your emotions to someone physically in the form of flowers,” Jessica said. “I don’t see that going out of style.”
With the cycle of life and human experience, a florist is an entrusted part of the best and worst parts of people’s lives. “Some days I can’t even imagine what the flowers represent,” she said. “They bring softness, they bring love, they bring comfort.”
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