As promised, here is our second installment of highlighted downtown businesses: the business behind the beautiful floral arrangements, Classic Designs by Doreen Thomas CF.
According to Thomas, her love of growing flowers began at age ten and since then, every year she has added to her collection of flowers. With over 100 peonies, 300 dahlias, thousands of ranunculus and anemone, and a large variety of cut flowers, Thomas understands it is a challenge to keep up– and flower farming is a hard thing to do. “In the business, you have to be tough, creative, and a jack of all trades,” says Thomas. “Mother nature is unpredictable, and if you are not prepared, you will not succeed.”
But that challenge, and her love of flower-farming, is what “gets her out of bed every morning on 4 am on some mornings with a small light on her head” to harvest flowers for her customers.
In addition to weddings and events, Thomas also decorates and makes gift baskets for Thunder Bay Winery, as well as collaborated on the first downtown farm-to-table dinner with Chef Kevin Peterson and Thunder Bay Winery, which was hosted at the winery last October.
In the last few years, she has been holding more workshops, from flower arranging to fresh wreath-making. She plans to hold more of these hands-on workshops, and plans are already in the works. In addition, she also crafts homemade macrame for sale at the Local Basket Case or for local weddings.
As far as collaboration goes, she is thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with other artists and learn about their experiences. “Being a mentor, calling it like it is, and listening these are artists is just a fantastic way to pay it forward.”
Classic Designs by Doreen Thomas CF has an office located on the second floor of the Maltz block on Water Street. She offers creative decorating for weddings and special events, highlighting beautiful fresh flowers and gorgeous, custom backdrops. Connect with her on facebook by clicking here.
Blog Downtown is written by Anne Gentry.
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