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Last Updated: Aug 22, 2008 - 12:10:50 AM |
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Linda Jack and Carol York have been working together in the Flower Connection for nearly two decades. Mitch Traphagen Photo
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VICTOR - With 20 years in the business, Linda Jack knows flowers. She knows why they are special and why people buy them, particularly on Valentine’s Day.
“Because we can’t make them,” she said.
Despite our technology, we can’t precisely duplicate the scent and delicate nature of a flower – it is something, perhaps, that reminds us of the beauty and fragility of life itself.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Linda and her long-time employee Carol York are gearing up for the demand. But there is more to both Linda and the Flower Connection than flowers alone.
Like it’s namesake, the store changes with the seasons. At some point Linda or her employees decide when the change will occur. Right now, spring is beginning at the Flower Connection. The colors are alive and space is being cleared for a garden section – something for the gardens that are currently under snow and ice. But they won’t be for long.
“We have different things coming in all the time so that when people walk into the store they always see something new,” Linda said. “We do gardens, indoor décor and outdoor décor. We paint often – some people probably think we never stop painting but basically we do it with the seasons.”
Inside there is jewelry and an eclectic collection of furnishings and art. According to Linda, the changing store allows the furnishings and art to be seen in a new and different light.
But for a short time, spring will be on hold for Valentine’s Day. For those less than romantically inclined, there is help available.
“We have a lot of things made up ahead of time –in all different price ranges,” Linda said. “When someone walks in the door, he can grab and go if he wants – or we can offer suggestions. If they want, we can take someone through the whole store and show them everything that is in their price range – and we can ask questions until we narrow down what we think the person might like.”
For many people, however, nothing can compare with the simple rose.
“You don’t need to say anything when you give someone a rose,” Linda said. “What other thing could you give someone like that?”
The store is dynamic and for some customers, a refuge. According to Linda, there is never pressure on anyone who walks in the door. Help is available as is the solitude of browsing the nooks and crannies of the Flower Connection.
“People should never feel as though they have to buy something when they come in,” Linda said.
But for the ever-changing displays, for the art, the joy and the furnishings, the most basic product is also the most incomparable. It is, after all, what gives the Flower Connection its name.
“If you take a bouquet or a vase of flowers to put on the dinner table, it will immediately change the mood for everyone around the table,” Linda said. “They are calmer, they want to talk more - it just sets the frame of mind. It can help you mentally. God put flowers on earth so we can enjoy their beauty.”
Clearly, she knows her flowers. Recently, Linda and Carol were invited to handle the fresh flower arrangements on a Rose Bowl Parade float. “We’ve been through all kinds of things in our 20 years,” she said.
They have also become adept at keeping secrets.
“If the card doesn’t have a name on it, we can’t tell people who sent the flowers,” Linda said. “We have to protect our customers, we have to keep the secrets.”
They likely also know who may be in the doghouse at any given time – but again, those secrets are safe.
I walked out of the store with a bouquet of flowers under my arm. Later that night, I gave them to my wife – the happiness was clear on her face and in her words. Without my prompting, she put them in a vase and placed it on our dining room table. During dinner, she commented on how nice it was to have flowers on the table; how beautiful they were. It was all just as Linda said it would be.
“Flowers are special because we can’t make them,” she said. “They are something that man can’t do – only God can do it. And God meant for us to enjoy them.”
The Flower Connection is located at 219 Washington St. in Victor. Normal business hours are from 9 to 5 Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. According to Linda, most of her customers know they can call her at home should they need something outside of her business hours.
With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, orders should be placed in the store as soon as possible.
© Copyright 2008 by The East Iowa Herald
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