Meet Maria: The Heart Behind Your Local Florist
Behind every beautiful bouquet is a florist with a story — and for Maria, that story began almost four decades ago.
In 1987, Maria and her husband purchased a local milk bar and corner store. At the time, the business sold a variety of products, including flowers. While flowers were only one part of the business then, Maria quickly found herself drawn to them.
Wanting to develop her skills and turn that interest into something more, Maria enrolled in floristry at TAFE. After completing her training, she shifted her focus fully to floristry — and the rest is history. What started as curiosity grew into a lifelong career built around creativity, passion, and a love of flowers.
What inspired Maria to open a florist shop was simple: she has always loved anything to do with flowers. She has always enjoyed working with them, being creative, and bringing beauty into people’s lives. Turning that passion into a business has been incredibly rewarding.
Maria and her team have proudly been part of the Interflora network for over 15 years, allowing them to connect with customers both locally and across Australia while continuing to deliver quality, care, and beautiful floral designs.
One of the things Maria loves most about being a local florist is the sense of community. Over the years, she has built strong relationships with customers and gotten to know so many wonderful people in the area. She also supports other local businesses, and there’s a real sense that everyone looks out for one another. That connection is one of the most rewarding parts of what she does.
Her shop is located in a beautiful beachside suburb, which makes it even more special. Because Maria lives nearby, she has had the opportunity to become part of the community in a very real way. There’s something incredibly meaningful about serving familiar faces and being part of life’s big and small moments.
What makes the suburb unique is that it’s a small seaside community, and Maria’s store is the only freestanding business surrounded by residential homes. Customers love visiting — not just for the flowers, but for the ease and charm of stopping by. Street-side parking makes visiting simple, and the store is open until 7 p.m. on weekdays for added convenience.
Maria’s floristry style is best described as innovative, experienced, and bold. She loves pushing creative boundaries while staying true to timeless floral craftsmanship.
She is especially drawn to unusual blooms — flowers that stand out and spark conversation. Some of her personal favourites include Dancing Lady orchids, kale, and other unique varieties that add texture and character to arrangements.
When it comes to seasonal flowers, peonies are hard to beat. They are absolutely breathtaking and remain one of Maria’s all-time favourite blooms.
Maria also finds a lot of inspiration from overseas floral trends and techniques. One of the store’s specialties is reflexing roses, a styling technique that opens the petals outward to create dramatic, luxurious blooms. It adds incredible character and gives bouquets a modern, elevated feel.
Like many florists, the busiest time of year is Mother’s Day, followed closely by Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas. These are the moments when flowers become such an important way for people to express love, gratitude, and connection.
A typical day for Maria starts early — very early. Her day begins at 3 a.m., heading to the flower markets by 4:30 a.m. to source the freshest blooms. After returning to the store, the doors open at 7 a.m. Once the van is unloaded, the real work begins: preparing flowers, creating arrangements for the shop, and fulfilling online orders. It’s a full, fast-paced, and highly creative day, with the store closing at 7 p.m.
Of course, busy days require coffee — and lots of it.
With 11 staff, coffee is practically essential. On a busy day (or even a normal one), the local cafés know the team well. Their regular order might include 2 almond piccolos, 1 long black, 2 lattes, 1 flat white, 1 mocha, and 1 matcha — just to name a few.
Over the years, Maria has also received some memorable and amusing requests. Some of the funniest include creating a bouquet resembling the Colombian flag, and another request for a bouquet made entirely from $100 bills — definitely one of the more unusual briefs she’s received.
At the heart of it all, floristry is about more than flowers. For Maria, it’s about connection, creativity, and helping people celebrate life’s moments — big and small. After all these years, that’s still what makes this work so special.