TONASKET – Sending flowers just got a little bit easier for Tonasket residents.
The Wild Rose opened on Whitcomb Street in mid-July after several months of work in the former hair styling shop. It is Tonasket’s first custom flower shop.
“The Wild Rose is a full service floral design shop. We also have live house plants, silk flowers and plants, a growing variety of gifts, and salt water taffy, more specialty candies and chocolates to come,” said owner Kelli Johann in a business description email. She and her husband Jay bought the shop.
After a fairly extensive remodel (knocking out walls, filling in doorways) and bright new paint, the shop is ready for a grand opening during the first week of August.
The grand opening will include refreshments and snacks, treats for kids, daily door prixes and a grand prize $75 gift certificate.
Though this is their first business, Johann has more than 20 years of experience in floral design.
“I love to work with flowers and people, so, since the folks at Hughes closed over a year ago, it left a place for us to cater to our community,” she said. “We miraculously found a wonderful little spot with lots of space, so Jay mastered a beautiful remodel on our location, and now we have loads of incredible flowers.”
She moved to Tonasket three and a half years ago from the Chelan Valley. Her husband has lived here for 10 years. “You’ll see our whole family in and around our shop for hopefully many years to come,” she said.
The shop is about more than the token red rose on Valentine’s Day.
“Our business offers fresh, unusual floral designs for all occasions, also in silk designs,” said Johann. “We want to make what our customers really love, so we’ve begun to create a personal ‘favorites’ list for the ladies.”
In fact, any new customers entering the shop will have a chance to fill out a “favorites” card with colors, flowers and other descriptions.
“We’ve had a humbling, enormous number of residents visit and welcome us in our first week, and our ‘my favorites’ file is packed full of information, so guys, sending something special will be easier than ever before,” she said. “We will also create gift and food baskets for all occasions and we’re featuring original water color paintings by East Wenatchee artist Lila Putnam and photography by Oroville’s Tillie Porter.”
Though newly opened, the couple are already planning for the future.
“The future of our business will see us getting closer to our community, celebrating birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, new births, weddings, school milestones and special occasions,” Johann said. “We also hope to make tributes to loved ones an easier time with beautiful floral expressions for funeral and memorial ceremonies.”
They plan to add custom-designed furniture (her husband’s hobby, according to Johann), home accents with earth elements and locally made personal care treatments.
The florist previously worked for Sandra Wildermuth at Sandra’s Blossom and Briar in Oroville. She saw from the number of deliveries and requests in the Tonasket area that Oroville wasn’t the only North County community needing flowers and other gift items. With Wildermuth’s blessings and help, Johann began to brainstorm for Wild Rose.
“A very special sister-kind-of-thanks to my closest friend, Sandra Wildermuth, who’s been the wind beneath my wings in this endeavor,” she explained.
The couple have four children. Oldest son Taylor lives and works in Chelan, daughter Maya lives in Tonasket with her mother Katie and Kelli’s two youngest sons, Spencer and Abe, also live at home and attend school in Tonasket.
“Our house is full of animals and we’re creating a wonderful homestead in the dusty wilderness of Tonasket, complete with a big garden, solar resources and now a new family challenge, our own little flower shop,” she said.
Store hours are 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday’s, with expanding hours for holidays and special events. The store phone number is (509) 486-8000 and address is 210 S. Whitcomb Ave., across from the police station and library.
