(Photo above by Gary N. Miller)
Flitting about her rooms filled with the soothing perfume of flowers like a honeybee in a vibrant garden, Three Sisters Floral owner Ruth Raizin is riding a cresting wave of Valentine’s Day orders in this bustling time of the season.
“Valentine’s Day is a crazy time of the year around here,” she said, plucking a long-stem rose from the cooler. “I have sort of a love/hate relationship with it. The price of roses doubles and it’s such a Hallmark holiday that says this is the day you’re supposed to show your affections. I call it the day of obligatory love.”
Situated in the historic Hardy Allen home, now converted into a quaint floral and gift emporium, this signature Sisters business opened its doors in 2003, taking over from Nettie’s Flowers and Gifts, which existed for twenty years before that. With just a few days left before Cupid’s national holiday hits, the faded hardwood floors of the shop are crammed with decorated glass vases, ruby-tinted floral arrangements and wrapped bouquets in romantic hues of white, red and pink.
“We want people to come in and express their love year round, not just on Valentine’s Day. We have unique things here you can’t find anywhere else, like fragrant roses in a rainbow of colors, wildflowers in the middle of winter and artfully arranged, custom bouquets for any occasion, special day or whenever you can practice acts of random floral kindness.”
Three Sisters Floral is known for their attention to detail and tasteful, unusual arrangements using a personal Zen-like touch.
“We shop all over the world for our flowers in order to have the freshest and widest variety of product in season,” said Raizin. “Our customers are always repeat customers and we’re very proud of that. I did insurance for thirty-something years so being in the flower industry is a pleasure. But it’s labor intensive, seven days a week and very physical.
“There’s always some sort of deadline to meet, but it’s like the food business. Things are perishable. The flower trucks get here at five or six in the morning and you have to make sure the product comes in as fresh as it’s expected. It’s dependent to the weather too. Brides want peonies and peonies get flooded out in California so it’s subject to the whims of Mother Nature.
“We also carry a great selection of hilarious cards and John Kelly designer truffle fudge chocolates. And even though we’re Sisters based we do make daily deliveries to Bend and Black Butte Ranch and Camp Sherman. I love and appreciate my staff and they help make this such a pleasant place to work.”
Raizin considers her flower shop a colorful destination in town where friends meet and greet amid the joy and beauty of flowers.
“We’re also well known in the summertime for our gorgeous display of hanging baskets. And we transform into a nursery during the summer with loads of bedding plants, vegetables and herbs. We enjoy supplying weddings and parties and anniversaries and that gives us an opportunity to really stretch our imaginations in fulfilling specific floral-themed needs. We’re here for clients for all occasions, both happy and sad.”
Three Sisters Floral is located at 401 East Main in downtown Sisters.
For questions or orders call 541-549-8198.
