Windham Gardens owner Erin Windham had 10 years of experience in the floral industry before deciding to open her own store in Granby.
“Flowers have always been my passion, but opening a studio has always been a dream," she said. "I enjoy creating arrangements that my customers won’t forget.”
Windham Gardens Floral and Event Design describes itself as "a full-service florist offering arrangements and design services for weddings, and special occasions as well as commercial accounts."
Granby-East Granby Patch asked Erin Windham to answer some questions about her new business.
Patch: When did your business open? Is it family-run? Please list the names of the owners and your role with the company.
Windham: We began in 2003 as a cut flower farm, and have continued to grow our own flowers since. We are a family run business. I am the owner, and I do all design work myself. I also do all wedding work, but do have others who help with delivery and set up of special events.
Patch: What services do you offer?
Windham: We are a full service florist, offering arrangements for retail sales and delivery within the Granbys and surrounding towns. We offer weekly services to restaurants and commercial accounts as well. Our specialty is weddings and special event work, and we offer design services as well. In addition to floral arrangements, we carry gift items, potted plants, seasonal items, jewelry, and other works of art from local artists.
Patch: Why did you decide to open your business in Granby?
Windham: Our farm is in Granby and we have found a huge amount of support from the Granby community. We have sold our flowers via local farmers markets as well as on site at the farm and were excited for the opportunity to serve our customers year round.
Patch: What sets your business apart from others?
Windham: We try to make designs that are unique — not your run of the mill roses and baby's breath. We use unique containers, different flowers, and techniques that you might not see at other local florists. We also try to focus on keeping our products local, utilizing not only our own flowers, but those of other local growers, and offering the works of local artists and craftspeople in CT. We try our best to support local business.
Patch: Can you tell us about your business background? What did you do before you opened your business? Have you owned other businesses in the past?
Windham: I began working with flowers in the greenhouse setting. I received my degree from UConn in Ornamental Horticulture and began doing special event work about 10 years ago. I began growing my flowers on a commercial scale in 2003, and have been growing ever since. In addition to the flower farm we have a Community Supported Agriculture program which is run at the farm, which is also located in Granby.
Patch: What's your business address, phone number and hours? Do you have a website?
Windham: Windham Gardens Floral and Event Design is located at The Granby Village Shops, 10 Hartford Ave. Granby. Hours are 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Tues. through Saturday and 11 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Sundays through the holidays. We are also open by appointment for consultations. For information, call (860) 653-8103 or visit http://www.windhamgardensfloral.com.
