December 2, 2004

Springfield florists buy Glen Garden

Patsy Gardner, center, has sold Glen Garden Gifts to Tony and Julie Quinones, who also own Netts Floral Co. in Springfield.

By Diane Chiddister

To Julie Quinones, the scent of lilies and the earthy smell of a greenhouse bring back childhood memories.

Quinones, born into a family in which five generations have worked in the flower business, was partly raised in Netts Floral Company, her family’s Springfield flower shop, and in their greenhouses, where they grew carnations, chrysanthemums and calla lilies.

Now Quinones and her husband, Tony, bring their long history in the flower business to Glen Garden Gifts, which they purchased last month from Patsy Gardner. Gardner will remain at the store until early January, and her current staff will stay on board after the transition, while the Quinoneses balance the needs of their new Yellow Springs shop with their Springfield business.

Julie and Tony Quinones, who live between Yellow Springs and Enon, said they are delighted to now have a business in Yellow Springs. They already visit the village frequently to dine out or shop or walk in the Glen, they said this week, and they look forward to meeting the needs of their customers.

They plan to keep things pretty much the same at Glen Garden Gifts, which, they said, seems to be working well as a business that offers fresh flowers, flower arrangements and an assortment of gifts.

“We like it here,” said Julie Quinones. “We want to keep it for the community.”

The Quinoneses will be the fourth owners of the local flower shop, which began in the home of Esther Baldwin before it moved to its current location on Xenia Avenue. Camille Hill owned the business next, before Gardner and Karen and Steve Current, her business partners at the time, purchased the shop 11 years ago. When the Currents’ other business, Current Cuisine, became busier, they sold their interest to Gardner.

Running a flower business has been a pleasure, said Gardner, noting that there was never a day in the past 11 years when she didn’t want to come to work. Flowers make people happy, she believes, and she feels gratified being a part of something that brings joy to others. Besides that, she said, if she had a bad day she could always go stand in the cooler and breathe in the intoxicating scent of fresh flowers.

Gardner said she also enjoyed responding to her customers’ needs and that many of her bestselling gifts are items that customers saw on their travels and asked Gardner to stock in her store.

But when her husband retired two years ago, she began looking to sell her business so she could have more free time, Gardner said. While she’s pleased to now have more freedom, she’s especially glad to have new owners who get along well with her staff and who she believes will be a good fit in Yellow Springs.

“I want the community to know that things won’t change much, and we all want the flower business to stay in Yellow Springs,” she said. “I hope our customers give them their support.”

The store will continue to purchase its flowers from Little Miami Flowers in Clifton, Julie Quinones said. Because Glen Garden purchases directly from a wholesaler rather than through a middleman, customers get the freshest flowers, said Quinones. She said that she may also bring in some of the calla lilies that her Springfield business grows in its greenhouse.

Though she grew up in the flower business, Julie Quinones pursued a career as a medical laboratory technician and worked at Mercy Medical Center, where she met her husband, before purchasing Netts from her parents 13 years ago. Her job as a medical laboratory technician involved sticking needles in people’s arms, Quinones said, and the couple agree that they prefer working with flowers.

“I’ve never seen anyone frown when you give them a flower,” Tony said.

The Quinoneses will spend most of their time in the Springfield store until their son graduates from high school next year. After that, Tony plans to spend more time at Glen Garden Gifts. Until then, the store will be run by its staff: full-time employees Lois Bravard, Daria Mabra, Jillyanna Morris and Pam Miller and part-time staff Michela Greco, Paia LaPalombara, Erin Silvert-Noftle and Emma Robinow.

But even though the Quinoneses can’t be in the store full-time now, the couple plan to keep a keen eye on customer needs. They encourage customers to let them know what they want, and they’ll do their best to provide it.