Phil Castle, Business Times

Sydney Garvey has sold flowers by subscription, at farmers markets and from her farm near Palisade.

But she’s excited about soon selling flowers from yet another venue — a florist shop she’s about to open in downtown Grand Junction. “It’s, in my opinion, a perfect location.”

Flowers by Garvey’s Gardens is expected to open in time for customers to pick up bouquets for Valentine’s Day.

She’s accepting orders that will be ready for pickup on Feb. 14 at the shop. Those who miss the ordering period also can purchase wrapped bouquets on Valentine’s Day while supplies last.

The store will be located in a small building at 137 N. Fifth St. that once housed Snap Photo. Garvey said it’s a well-known and distinctive place that offers a central location in the Grand Valley, nearby parking and proximity to professional offices downtown. “It’s in a good spot.”

The shop is the next step in what for Garvey and her husband, Justen, is a growing operation in every sense of the word.

They moved to the Grand Valley in 2015 and purchased a 3-acre property off 33 Road on East Orchard Mesa.

In early 2020, Garvey survived a life-threatening pregnancy complication, but lost her daughter, Maeve, 45 minutes after birth.

While Garvey previously worked as a teacher, she said she changed directions with a renewed interest in gardening. She took several classes in planting, garden design and flower farming.

She planted something of a test garden in 2020 that proved successful, she said. “It just bloomed it’s head off.”

She expanded her intensive planting in 2021 and began selling flowers at farmers markets in Grand Junction and Palisade. She expanded further in 2022 and also started supplying flowers for weddings.

Garvey said her farm specializes in growing flowers that are difficult to ship, among them anemones, dahlias and ranunculus.

In addition to flowers grown on the farm, Garvey also purchases flowers and foliage from  other farms in the United States, most of them family operations.

What she doesn’t do, she said, is  buy flowers imported from outside the United States. Those flowers are often treated with pesticides and preservatives — chemicals that for her triggered an allergic reaction, she said.

Garvey said no pesticides are applied on her farm, and she uses compostable and recyclable packaging as much as possible.

The downtown Grand Junction florist shop constitutes the next phase of the operation, and Garvey said she’s excited about the retail side and consistent hours — from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The shop is small at just 700 square feet and has required some repairs and renovations, but offers a good location, she said.

The shop will offer flowers from which customers can choose for customized bouquets as well as bouquets that already have been assembled. Flowers also will be available on an a la carte basis for weddings and other events.

Garvey said she also hopes to work with downtown businesses and restaurants to supply them flowers.

For more information about Flowers by Garvey’s Gardens and Garvey’s Gardens and to place orders for Valentine’s Day arrangements, log on to www.flowersbygarveysgardens.com or call (970) 730-8644.