Petals Lane Blossoms at Flower Show

Putting a different spin on the mom-and-pop flower shop, s owners Brittany Gillespie and Michael Phinney have gained notoriety as local florists who excel at their craft.

Following two awards from the Philadelphia International Flower Show, the industry affirms the Roxborough husband-and-wife's success.

"We were just excited to be asked to be a part of it, and then we won... it was pretty amazing," Gillespie said. 

Petals Lane Origins 

Gillespie, from Andorra, began working at Robertson's Flowers in Chestnut Hill at age 15. Two years later, Phinney from Abington, joined her. Both her floral skills and their relationship bloomed.

"I worked up from the bottom there. I did stocks, then gourmet, then personal and centerpieces," she said.

Phinney attended Arcadia University and received a degree in education. However, the two decided to go into business—Gillespie on the flower end, Phinney manning the other aspects.

"We have a good mix. She has the foundations, the creativity and dealing with colors... And I bring more experience in dealing with the structural elements, the setting elements. Together, it combines nicely," he said.

Started seven years ago, Petals Lane originally launched lower in Roxborough. As the business increased, the couple outgrew the space and looked for a bigger, mixed-use home/office.

They moved up to a stately home at 7380 Ridge Ave. four years ago and transformed the detached garage into a refrigerated storage area and work space for Gillespie.

Primarily, Petals Lane focuses on events. A small sign signals the home office, and they don't possess much of a store front. As a small operation, Phinney said Petals Lane never wants to disappoint, and if it had retail concerns and frequent customers, it would take away from their speaciality—weddings.

"The retail is nice to be able to work with customers that you can establish a relationship with, but to maintain that and give a more individualized look to each bride you are dealing with, you need a much higher staff," he said.

The Flower Show

Previously, Petals Lane worked at the flower show, but never as a main exhibitor with its own display. Being invitational, organizers reached out to Petals Lane to participate in the 2012 Hawaiian theme.

For any business, owners most weigh the costs verse benefits. The flower show involves intense commitment in time and resources. It's scheduled toward winter's end, typically a slower time for florists, but still is a departure from their work.

"The prestige of saying that you've been in the flower show, it's something that's good for your clientele... But you have to look at money, budgeting so that you are not taking too much on," Phinney said.

As Petals Lane excels in weddings, Phinney and Gillespie chose a beach rehearsal dinner scene, entitled "Pineapple Piena," with "piena" another word for "luau." It featured a sanded area with cocktail tables, spear-guided pathway leading to the main table, and a garden filled with lush tropical plants. 

"We stayed true with Hawaii. It was mainly tropicals. We did a variety of orchids, like phalaenopsis—more elegant—and mokara, which has more water weight in it," he said, adding they also added Philadelphia natives, like hydrangeas.

Gillespie said the work was fulfilling and different than expected.

"We do weddings every weekend, so I thought it'd be like that. Just one thing that we have to set up, but the continual changing of the flowers was the hardest part," she said of the 10-day setup/exhibitor period.

For their efforts Petals Lane took home the best in show invitational floral invitational award and an achievement distinction for best romantic display.

"A lot of vendors do some extravagant displays, which is so overwhelming. So we just set out to be true to what we do, weddings... and to win and get recognized is an amazing thing," Phinney said. 

For more information, visit the Petals Lane website.