Despite fire, florist bustles with buds

Less than a week after its shop burned, the Seminole florist sprouts in space next door in time for Valentine's Day.

By CHRIS TISCH

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 14, 2001

SEMINOLE -- On what should be the busiest day of the year at Liberty Florist, the windows are sealed with plywood.

The building sits quiet. A sour, smoky smell seeps from the structure. There are black soot marks on the top corners of the green building.

But there is a sign pointing customers to the right, to a neighboring office building. There are red and pink balloons tied in front, then another welcoming sign.

In the back, two women sit on the pavement, sorting pink and red and white carnations that have been ordered by local schools for fundraisers. More than 500 need to be sorted and shipped.

Inside, customers are ordering Valentine's Day bouquets and arrangements. Sitting atop the counter is a collection of red and pink roses for Frances in Seminole; next to it, a bright assortment of yellow button mums and violet daisy mums for Marilyn in Madeira Beach.

Next to them are photos of the charred business next door. A fire gutted the 20-year-old Liberty Florist, 11403 Seminole Blvd., on Thursday, causing up to $80,000 in damage.

But the owners have not given up on what is their biggest sales day of the year. And though the fire clipped business by about 50 percent, the owners say the community has rallied to support them.

Loyal customers made it a point to order from Liberty. Strangers came to order just because they heard about the fire and wanted to help. Some brought baskets and vases from their garages if the business needed them for arrangements.

"Everybody has been fantastic," said co-owner Cindy McGarry as she sat on the pavement sorting carnations. She owns the business with her husband, her daughter and her husband. And other florists -- competitors -- offered to donate coolers and roses. Wholesalers offered extra batches of flowers. One florist even sent over a tray of sandwiches on Saturday, which was the first day the shop was open in the next-door office.

And today Liberty Florist will be shipping dozens of orders.

"The people in the community and the florists and people in the business have really come through," said co-owner Dawn Melander.

One of the orders will be for one of only a few betta fish that survived the blaze. Though the fire blackened the bright-blue fish's water, it lived and will be shipped to a new owner today.

The owners say they wish the fire, caused by an electrical malfunction, never happened. Though they got a new cash register after the fire, they miss their old crummy one. They said this temporary spot is uncomfortable, like an unfamiliar bed.

"I hate it," McGarry said. "I hate the whole thing. I wish I would wake up and we would still be in our cozy place."

Meanwhile, business has sagged, Melander said. "I think a lot of people are assuming we're not here anymore," she said.

But the owners vow to rebuild and hope to be back in their old shop soon.

"That was like our second home," Melander said.

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