CHARLOTTE – Sue and Libby are the mother-daughter duo tackling fresh floral designs from Abbey Rose Floral Artistry in Mint Hill, NC. With 24 years in the business and one of the oldest floral shops in Mecklenburg County, they know a thing or two about flowers. Sue has worked as a floral artist since 1984. Libby joined forces with her mother in 1998. Being a woman-owned business, they felt passionate about shaping their brand to focus on projecting authenticity and creative expression into every arrangement. Together they take pride in being a part of the milestones in someone’s life and “not being complacent in design” Libby adds.
Libby continues, “Designers are always changing; they’re always evolving their fashions the same as [floral] design.” Sue and Libby delight in customizing each floral bouquet, tailoring the formulation to the customer. They are in love with finding new inspiration in nature and use unique floral containers to enhance the overall style of the arrangement.
Sue and Libby believe the key to their success is “[putting] so much attention into the details, that [they] work really hard to make sure that every arrangement looks like it fell into the vase.” The Abbey Rose company’s goal is to display a sense of effortlessness and symmetry.
They enjoy working with new varieties of flowers, such as premium garden flowers, seasonal flowers, and sometimes wildflowers. In the Spring time, the most requested Mother’s Day flowers are mixed, seasonal arrangements. However, the duo relishes when customers “[leave] it up to [them] to create one-of-a-kind designs” resulting in a more uniquely charming bouquet. Interestingly, Abbey Rose has an option to provide a budget and have an arrangement drawn from pure creative interpretation. Feedback determined that 80% of their customer base have tried and loved this option. Often the sentiments are more personalized than the selections on the website.
Libby and Sue are so excited to create incredible arrangements this year for Mother’s Day. “We found a new source of flowers, and [as] I said, they are flowers that nobody else has,” Sue gushed. Considering the adored women in your life, Libby suggests, “If you know that your mother loves tulips, cater to what your mom likes and the same thing with your wife. I think that the language of flowers kind of speaks universally.” They both agree that selecting flowers based on coloration meanings is a thing of the past. However, going with what is pleasing to the eye and the individuality of the person’s likes is the way to go. Knowing your mother’s favorite colors is a great inspiration to start, as the craftmanship of Abbey Rose Floral Artistry can help bring floral dreams to life.
When recalling one of the best memories for Abbey Rose, Sue tells of the time when her creativity was put to the test as she had to think outside the box. She remembers she had to prepare seven entirely different arrangements, all in the color scheme of red and black, for a biker funeral. But Abbey Rose never shies away from seemingly difficult requests like this. Matter of fact, they welcome them, insisting they “love a challenge.”
If you would like to support the local business Abbey Rose Florist Artistry, you can visit their website AbbeyRoseFlorist.com or call (704) 545-4900.
