Shop Owner Stretches Scents

By Grace Clark for Murrieta Patch:

Adding a sprig of Murrieta flavor along with unique, custom designed gifts is what this small business is all about. Those visiting this little shop for the first time soon realize it offers much more than flowers.

Shop owner Heather Hard has found that in order to survive in today's economy she had to branch out into other areas, expand her inventory and do things differently.

Hard, who has been a florist for over 15 years, now joins forces with other local businesses so she can stay in business, doing what she loves.

"Small business owners need each other today and just can't do it alone, anymore," Hard said. "I cut my overhead by renting space from and it works out better for both of us by increasing traffic."

Hard's handiness with floral work has earned her some regular customers.

"Heather at The Flower Shop is very creative and her customer service is great," said Diane Warden, Murrieta resident and Bear Creek realtor.

"She works around busy schedules and has often delivered things after hours," Warden said.

"We just love The Flower Shop," said Lorri Powell, marketing director for the Murrieta Chick-fil-A, Inc. Chick-fil-A prominently displays a new fresh bouquet from The Flower Shop in the entry way, as a way of greeting customers.

"...It is a win-win situation for both businesses because we have beautiful bouquet each week and The Flower Shop gets exposure, also," Powell, a longtime Murrieta resident, said.

"I have personally ordered flowers from the shop and what I love about it is that each bouquet is different and unique, not something you can get anywhere else. You can tell Hard personally adds a special labor of love to each arrangement."

Hard said in today's market people are looking for products they can actually afford to buy.

A couple of months ago, Hard made a funky sign out front and advertised $5 bouquets of flowers to attract customers and provide a nice, quality bouquet of flowers at an affordable price. She also now has something you just can't get anywhere else.

"You really can't buy much for $5 anymore, and it was a big hit," Hard said.

She grows the flowers for the arrangement in a garden behind the shop, and includes peacock feathers in the bouquet supplied from a local farmer, giving it a classy flare. It comes in a country type vase–all for $5.

Another unique item she carries are personally designed, custom made greeting cards called Studio Heather, each with photos of Historic Downtown stores and other items of interest, helping to promote the local area. Each photo is taken personally by Hard. These sell for just over $3--reasonable in today's market when many times the card can cost more than the gift.

One of the highlights of her business and something close to her heart is a Christian apparel line she has designed. The line includes T-shirts, hats, baby bibs and even custom pillowcases with scriptures on them.

"I can't make the pillowcases fast enough to keep them in stock. People really like them and I am the only store selling Christian items within miles, unless people want to go to the larger Christian chain in Temecula," Hard said.

The name of the new and original line is Vintage Jesus Clothing TM .

"Each shirt, in addition to the design on the outside, includes a scripture which is imprinted on the inside back of the shirts and acts like an added dose of God's protection for the wearer," Hard said.

Before opening the Flower Shop, Hard opened a shop in Canyon Lake, where she grew up. With no formal floral training except for some on-the-job experience and a love for floral design, Boos Rooney Flower Shop was in business for three years.

With that experience under her belt, Hard opened The Flower Shop in February 2008. In this rocky economy, this local business has found something that appeals to the pocketbook, yet with an air of high-end quality and personalized design.