Hailing its beginnings in a Victorian-era house on University Avenue, the Flower Basket is a mod-meets-shabby-chic styled boutique and flower shop.
The Flower Basket, managed by Macie Redd, moved down the Avenue to Provo Town Square about two years ago. And as they get ready in their small shop for the arrival of fall clothing, the shop’s large windows –and Redd’s Chihuahua Milo –drink in every last bit of summer light.
The shop, which has been a Provo staple for more than 35 years, expanded its repertoire beyond flower arranging and rustic tchotchkes to clothing and accessories a little less than 10 years ago. As part of the boutique now, they sell locally made body products, candles, art, toys and baby clothing, in addition to the hand-picked pieces of clothing from other designers.
Redd, who has worked at the Flower Basket for 4 years, began as just a florist, but now sells the accessories she and her sister make alongside other local artists at the shop. Their line, Phyllis and Larue, echoes the design aesthetic of the boutique; the handmade necklaces, earrings and wristbands are bold geometric pieces with a vintage air.
It comes as no surprise, since she has creative liberty of the shop, while the owner manages the bookkeeping end of things with occasional collaboration. But for the most part, she has been able to use the shop to display her well-curated items.
Most days, she and Milo tend to the store alone, but if her experience has taught her one thing, it’s how to mass-produce arrangements with beautiful precision. That’s not to say she doesn’t put thought into her work, though. Some arrangements she can whip up in less than five minutes, but when she’s asked to get creative, she takes her time at the figurative drawing board.
“You have to put a lot of thought into it to come up with a cool, funky design,” she said.
The Provo Town Square space is considerably smaller than the house, but they utilize their vertical space –something they didn’t have before. Redd hopes to one day figure out a floor plan that allows the same kind of hangout space the house, maybe adding a couch to the mix so people can lounge in the store.
As the buds in the garden begin to fade, grab the few left to create a flower arrangement of your own.
Macie Redd, florist at the Flower Basket, shared these tips:
1) Choose flowers of a similar color for a cohesive look. Here, Redd chose pink dahlias and lilies and orange safflower to pair with her greens.
2) Pick a vase according to the shape of the arrangement. Is this a vertical arrangement or a round one? Full flowers and short vases tend to work best for round arrangements.
3) Remove all foliage from the bottom of stems. Otherwise, they will rot in the water.
4) Cut stems at an angle, using the vase to check proportion.
5) Arrange a base of greens for volume and to fill space.
6) Turn vase as you place flowers and tall greens. They should look good from all angles, not just the front.
7) Use greens and sticks to fill in the spaces.
