Romance Flourishes at Local Florist
New owners enliven century-old Kingston flower shop
by
Mimi Quinn
Elizabeth
Kelly and Brian Tymon are continuing the legacy of one of Kingston’s oldest and
most renowned businesses. The original 1904 brick edifice crowning the building
in uptown Kingston may say Burgevin—but now Kelly and Tymon are making the shop
blossom with their budding venture Toad Lily at the Burgevin, the florist they
launched in September 2010.
They’ve
already established that “neighborhood” feeling, being actively involved in the
community. They want their shop to be the go-to place for impeccable quality,
unique botanical and horticultural expertise, and what’s most important to them,
customer service to carry on what the original Burgevin’s was famous for.
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to discover the
shop’s lovingly created arrangements that exhibit the pure essence of love.
Kelly, a retired nurse as well as a wife, mother, and doting grandmother, said
their goal is “to make our shop be a welcoming place.”
“We know our customers by name and
we know what they like,” she said, adding that they offer a customer
appreciation card that gives $25 off a customer’s eleventh purchase.
With windows that shout out to
passersby, these two munificent co-owners have an “awareness” window with
displays such as last October’s pink presentation for Breast Care Awareness
month (Burgevin’s donated a percentage of each pink arrangement ordered to the
American Cancer Society).
Kelly noted they also participated
in awareness campaigns on Domestic Violence and AIDS. As an American Cancer
Society board member, Rotary member, and officer on the Old Dutch Church, Kelly
keeps her finger on the pulse of her community. And, not long after opening,
their already reputed old-time customer service won the shop the Daily
Freeman award in florist “top picks.”
“It’s like
an invigorating breath that helps you realize that we must be doing something
right,” said Kelly of the award.
As for
partner Tymon’s Napa Valley background in wine—he and the Kellys met when he
moved to the area and worked at a Rondout area wine shop that they patronized.
“After
getting to know them as customers, we began to run into each other in public
and we would always have fun conversations and laugh a lot,” Tymon said. But it
all came together once Tymon and his life-partner Philip and the Kellys began
hosting each other for dinners, brunches, and game nights and the subject of
opening a business came up. Initially thinking about a high-end wine shop in
the Stockade area, the two couples “were sitting on our front porch on a sultry
August Saturday and the idea of a flower shop came up,” he said.
Tymon’s
partner mentioned that Burgevin was for lease. They decided to take a look and
one month later the pair signed the lease.
Said
Tymon: “Liz and I also have very complementary visions and aesthetics. While we
often find ourselves grabbing for the same things at market, we also challenge
each other to step outside of our comfort zone. And frankly, we usually laugh
all day long. You can’t beat a workplace environment like that.”
Moreover,
their harmony carries over to the shop’s aura and creativity that they’re able
to offer their customers. “We create both traditional and unique
arrangements—so we keep a lot of unusual flowers and interesting containers on
hand,” Tymon said.
He added
that customers may think a dozen carnations or roses in a plain glass vase is
what they want—but when he and Kelly suggest something, in the same price
range, and more personalized to the recipient that pops with uniqueness,
“you’re getting better value and increased impact from your purchase.”
Even if
customers have a preconceived idea about what a floral arrangement should look
like, this creative team can combine traditional with innovative by simply
putting an arrangement into a vintage cocktail shaker. Or as Kelly did for her
daughter’s recent baby shower—wrap the arrangement in a feather boa and dangle
a silver trinket! Observers say, “Wow—I didn’t know you could do that with
flowers!”
In fact
Kelly brought that particular arrangement into Burgevin and, as a result, got
orders with a similar theme.
Also a
painter, Kelly said the two arts are similar; blending colors and textures of
individual flowers into arrangements that aesthetically interacts is very
similar to painting.
“You start
with a base; in flowers it’s the greens, and once they’re arranged in the vase
you add the flowers. Each composition takes on a life of its own. Blending a
pin cushion protea with a lily or roses works and becomes interesting,” Kelly
said, noting that they designed a “bat flower” for a restaurant around
Halloween and it’s featured on their website. Kelly and Tymon agree that what’s
“key” to them is teaching people that the wow factor doesn’t have to be
synonymous with arrangements that cost hundreds of dollars.
“What we
do is try to find the most unique, freshest, and long-lasting flowers at the
absolute best price possible—and trust me, our flowers bought at 8am on a
Wednesday down in Campbell Hall were on a plane from Holland or Central America
that landed at Stewart just hours before,” said Kelly.
The pair
has also been invited, twice, to be on WKZE’s “The Garden Show” with Sally
Spillane to speak of their philosophies on customer service and how flowers and
plants can brighten up winter months.
However,
one thing they don’t do is use wire floral services. But they have helped
customers by placing orders for them or advising them to use the Internet to
find businesses with good reviews. They may not get any commissions but Kelly
said, “Our goal is to help the customer in any way we can.”
With love
starting to waft in the air with Valentine’s Day on the horizon, the “Go-to
Florist” should be Burgevin if you really want your relationship to blossom!
Open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9am
to 4pm on Saturday. Sundays by appointment; phone voicemails are regularly
checked on evenings and Sundays, for urgent needs such as a funeral floral.
845-338-8500.
Find them
on Facebook at Toad Lily at the Burgevin (Burgevin Florist, Inc.)
Posted by Chris Hewitt
on 1:02 PM.
Filed under
buy local,
Culture Features
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