Holidays are a busy time for floral creativity
By RACHEL BREWSTER
DCN Reporter
Angela’s Bella Flora encourages people to tap into their creative sides.
The flower shop hosts several seminars each month dedicated to the education of floral design. Angela Stocke, the owner and creative leader of Angela’s Bella Flora, teaches the events.
“It’s kind of like artwork,� she said.
The classes are often booked a month in advance. This week’s workshop was “Thanks for Thanksgiving� to excite people about the upcoming season.
The class for the December workshop, “Holiday, Time to Play,� is already full.
Stocke has created a pre-order system to prepare her flower shop for the upcoming demands of the season.
At her Holiday Hot Chocolate Open House last weekend, customers were served hot cocoa as they wandered past floral arrangements for sale. If they saw something interesting, an order was placed to have it arrive before the holidays.
Instead of customers calling in and requesting a wreath for tomorrow, we can be prepared and organized ahead of time, said Stocke’s assistant, Mindy Slettedahl.
“That’s helpful because we can’t carry (everything) all the time,� said Stocke.
Stocke enjoys giving hints on how to add color to the outside of a house during the winter months or suggesting what would liven up the centerpiece in the dining room.
“We want to show people what they can do,� she said.
Stocke strives to be innovative every day, and spreading floral ideas fulfils a part of her, she said. She wants the people at her seminars to have fun with the “creative part of their soul.�
Clients and students have told her that they are inspired by the arrangements she has helped them achieve.
“My goal … has been reached when people say that stuff to me,� said Stocke.
Linda Habberstad has been a customer at Angela’s Bella Flora since it opened. She has been to almost every workshop.
“Angela is this incredible creative force,� she said. “I’ve always liked working with flowers, but she’s taught me how to (perfect) that.�
When Habberstad’s daughter became engaged, she turned to Stocke for advice on designing a special floral scene for the wedding. They put their creative minds together to create something memorable.
“She added all these unique little things that I never would have thought of,� said Habberstad.
After learning how to make one arrangement, Habberstad was able to tackle the challenge of creating 30 others.
“I could never have done that if I didn’t work with her (Stocke),� she said.
And managing so many flowers was quite the handful.
“My car smelled great,� Habberstad joked.