Sweetpea's Floral Studio

09/09/2024

“How much can you really fit in a teacup, though?”

A lot. Life is about balance and so are our teacup arrangements. 😉

09/04/2024

** FLORAL WORKSHOP REGISTRATION **

One of our amazing florists is branching out (pun intended) and hosting her own Floral Arranging Workshop. has set up this wonderful event, which includes everything you need for a fun night with friends, learning the basics of putting together your own floral creation. Visit her page for full details.

08/22/2024

Social media is a weird beast. We know we don’t have the capacity to break through the algorithm. We aren’t making fun reels, with dancing florists or informative, entertaining skits. It’s not what we do. I certainly enjoy when others have the capacity to do this, but it’s not for us.

I admit, we have pretty much given up on social media. As a business owner with everything that involves running this place, that’s where our focus has to be. Many would argue that social media has become part of running a business, but … is it really?

We make beautiful arrangements. Our customers are happy. THAT is the focus. And those wins are the ones we take home at the end of the day.

I don’t know what the solution is, but for our team, we will keep posting the occasional photo as examples of our work and hope they stand on their own merit.

*jazzy hands to finish the post, in style*. 👋🏻👋🏻

08/21/2024

When your favourite client asks for body parts in their arrangement, you include body parts.

*Order Notes*
“… if you’re struck by some brilliant inspiration involving human body parts, florist’s discretion (maybe something creepy and Lynchian and viscerally off-putting; not only does the 13th thing carry connotations of evil luck, but we just binged all of Twin Peaks because they hadn’t seen it before and the weird Eraserheady vibe lingers still).”

08/08/2024

Heliconia and Alamo riding shotgun.

07/30/2024

🌿 WE ARE HIRING!!! 🌿

Experienced Florist

We are hiring:
An EXPERIENCED Floral Designer with strong mechanics behind their work and the versatility to work in a variety of design styles. Please look to our website and Instagram for examples of our work.

Sweetpea’s is known for its custom orders, meaning you have a great amount of creative freedom, and a variety of styles you will be working in.

Candidates must also be comfortable with animals as the shop cats are a big part of our family.

Please check out our website and Instagram/Facebook accounts to get a feel for the shop and the level of experience we need.

********************************************

Florist candidates must:

• be available Monday to Saturday 8am-3pm (rotating schedule). Please note, as we are a closed studio, once orders are complete for the day, you will be able to go home early. In the slower months, florists leave around 2pm.

• be capable of putting together an everyday mixed bouquet or vase arrangement on budget, with proper floral mechanics.

• be team-oriented, upbeat and positive.

• hourly wage, starting at $25.50/hr, based on experience.  

• working parents are welcome. We will do our best to accommodate your schedule.

• please note preferred pronouns and names, if applicable.

Qualified Applicants, please email: info @ sweetpeas.ca (do not apply through social media messages. We will not reply or take DMs as formal applications)

07/26/2024

07/24/2024

When your sister is your florist, and she uses her own dress as the inspiration for your accent wall … 💕🌸🦩

Dress
Photos

06/26/2024

06/25/2024

This year, after nearly fifteen years of owning a floral studio, I decided to start bringing home a small number of flowers to have in my house each week. It is usually whatever is left at the end of the week. Tulips, peonies, dahlias, old roses, whatever is past sellable.

How crazy is it, to own a shop like this for all this time and never displayed fresh flowers in my own living space? The Shoe Cobbler’s Shoes and all that.

The simple act of having a few stems of fresh flowers on the kitchen counter and next to my bed have made home life so enjoyable.

This small cluster of garden roses, I couldn’t resist at our suppliers started it all. It’s been six months and I’m so happy I bought this magic into my life.

06/20/2024

Noodle arms, reaching for the sky. 💚🐙

06/16/2024

In November of 2021, doctors told my dad it was likely he would never walk again. A year later, as he left the hospital and went to rehab, those doctors said the same thing. They told him they wanted him to have ‘realistic expectations’. He replied “if you’re not going to help me, find me someone who will.”

Yesterday, my dad walked my youngest sister down the aisle. 💕

06/14/2024

It’s nice to be back and doing larger scale events again. It’s a lot of behind the scenes work, but with the wedding only a day away, it’s coming together. As the pieces fall into place, it’s exciting to see the vision come to life.

Tomorrow includes an 18’ dried grass/botanicals feature wall, as we transform a brewery under construction into a stunning tropical pink paradise.

Stay tuned ….

06/13/2024

Oh. Hello. 💖🧡💜

06/07/2024

Congratulations the beautiful couple, Kelly & Jess. It’s been such a treat working with both of you. Thank you for trusting us on your special day.

04/24/2024

We got creative today!

This beautiful piece was made for a special client. However, when finished, we realized it was too front heavy and tipped forward. Before taking it all apart and starting again, we decided to get creative. We added extra blooms to the back, low down, to add more counter balance. Then, filled a pretty vintage creamer with heavy, wet soil and a cutting from one of our pothos plants and carefully placed it towards the back, for more weight.

Now, the whole piece stands upright, while the customer gets a cute bonus ‘gift with purchase’ in the form of a Royal Albert creamer and plant cutting.

Creative solutions to unusual situations. 💕

04/20/2024

The other day I was thinking of when we had a huge stock of vases. Pre-pandemic, you could walk into suppliers and there were piles of affordable, colourful, unique vases available. This whole display was a single shopping trip. I even remember the cost, which is a fraction of what it would be today.

I feel like I’m getting old, with my “remember the good ol’ days, when vases were pretty and easily restocked? We used to walk to the suppliers. Uphill. Both ways. Barefoot. In the snow.”

But seriously, a big part of me misses these colourful designs and ombré retail displays.

As the economy continues to stumble, it’s hard keeping this kind of inventory on hand at all times. I also really miss the fun of merchandising and playing around with decor in the shop. I keep thinking how nice it would be to go back to a retail store setting.

I’m working at this afternoon. Although it’s been a long week, and I’m super tired, I am excited to see customers, work on various projects I have been putting off, and hanging with Wini and Scout for the day. Those two weirdos always make me happy. 🐈🐈‍⬛💕

Annnnnnywho … one of these days, we will have vase displays like this again. Like the good old days.

04/20/2024

Some vases are just hard to use. The only choice is up. Waaaaaay up.

04/09/2024

It’s been a strange start to the year, to say the least. It has been hard work, for sure, but we’re doing our best to adapt to the slowed economy. As a small business, we are feeling the struggle everyone has financially. We had to cut a lot of staff over the last year, which has been an adjustment. Rachel and I have taken on more shop assistant duties, letting the florists stay focused on designing. Whether that is cleaning floors, wrapping arrangements (which I am terrible at, by the way), making boxes, organizing the cooler, etc.

One of my favourite days of the week is flower buying day. Mostly because Rachel and I get to process flowers together. We get to stay busy and productive with our hands, but it’s also a nice chance to visit, chat and have some fun. We laugh a lot. At some point someone is getting poked with a stem across the table and in return a broken flower is definitely going to be thrown back at you. I mean, siblings. Duh.

Anywho … flower processing with my sister is a lot of fun and I am thankful it’s now part of my weekly tasks.

Finding the positive when everything seems to be falling down around you is the only way we are making it through this time. Even if it means having a busted carnation thrown at you by your sister. 💕🌼🍃🌸

(featuring a premium, colourful bespoke arrangement, designed by Margo, supervised by Gizmo 🐈)

04/01/2024

Easter Dinner, with a family-run floral studio.

My dad used to sharpen all our floral knives and snips, before his illness, which took away the use of his hands.

That’s when we initially met and fell in love with Nathan, from We lost Nate to a motorcycle accident in May last year. This one hit many of us, harder than I can put into words. Nathan was one of the best people I have known. I still tear up when I think of him and the last visit we had, after Valentine’s Day. “Remember! Don’t jump. Bounce.” being called out his driver window, as he rush home to make it for story time before bed. 💕

I’ve had a hard time, coming to grips with losing the two people I trusted to care for the tools we rely on day to day, in the most upsetting ways.

While in hospital, my dad; who loves knife sharpening, tried to teach me. I just couldn’t get it. This is not a skill set my personality works with.

This week, Rachel sharpened a couple of the knives at the shop. She’s been sharpening knives for years, but the floral snips were a new one for her. Rachel texted my dad, who has regained some use of his hands, and asked if he could teach her when he came over for Easter dinner. My dad was immediately so excited.

Tonight, I arrived with the tools, along with the sharpening kit he had me put together. My dad was like a kid on Christmas morning. It’s taken nearly 2.5 years, but he’s back and sharpening for us. He’s had to adapt to his abilities, but he’s back to work!

So, as we enjoy our Easter dessert and tea, my dad has taken half the dining room table as his sharpening station.

If you ever wonder the backstories of owning a small business, this one of them. Tool sharpening at the dinner table, over a cup of tea, lemon meringue pie, and Girl Guide cookies.

Shop Small. Support Local.

You are part of our family gatherings. 💕

03/27/2024

🌿 They’re Back & ON SALE! 🌿 White Phalaenopsis Orchids 🌿

Though their elegant and tropical appearance may cause some pet owners to worry about toxicity, orchids are perfectly safe to have in your home with your pets. Plus, as a bonus, their low-maintenance watering needs make them the perfect choice for a busy household.

After a long time of being MIA, we are excited to bring back our beautiful Orchid Planters. These have been a best seller since we first introduced them.

💐🐰 Perfect for the Easter holiday for your home, or as a gift to friends and family. 🐰💐

03/22/2024

I don’t know if Throwback Thursdays are still a thing, but here we are. Please take a moment to remember, Alamo’s maternity photoshoot, inspired by Queen B herself.

03/19/2024

I have been living with a moderate concussion since February 6th. It’s been … interesting.

I have always prided myself on my memory along with the ability to multi-task and brush off stress easily. The week after the incident (which happened to be Valentine’s) was rough. For the first time I found myself overthinking, over analyzing, and struggling to find the words to properly communicate. I would repeat questions I had already asked. I was exhausted all the time.

I have lived with chronic pain since my 20s. This was a whole new beast. The concussion made me sensitive to sound in a whole new way. The fatigue was intense. I found that I’d be fine, and then, randomly, in a moment, I could barely function. Sometimes my battery lasted all day. Other times, I couldn’t make it to mid-afternoon.

The doctors I have seen ask me if I have taken time off work. I have to hide my eye roll. How does any business owner, even in good times, take time off work? Let alone in the economic crisis we are currently navigating.

That said, the ability to switch from computer heavy tasks, paperwork and graphic/web design became a welcome treat. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to process flowers. How satisfying it could be to clean and organize the cooler. Taking the afternoon to clean out supply and tool cabinets was one of the best TGIF tasks I have had in a long time.

I am still struggling with non-stop headaches. I have a hard time with a few physical tasks. My eyes ache most days. But, the return to reading in place of TV or scrolling on my phone, the return to working with my hands, the break from screens and mentally draining tasks has been such a welcome change. It reminds me that I started this business as a side hustle. I was a graphic designer, working 14+ hours a day in front of a computer. I wanted to get outside, put my hands in soil, touch plants, create and nurture life, while beautify spaces. And, here I am, 14 years later, rediscovering what made me love my work.

Sometimes, you need to give your head a shake (hopefully not to the degree I have), and remind yourself what’s important to you and your happiness.

03/14/2024

A BTS tour of our photo area. I would love to show how cute Jiji looks when she sneaks into her box and hides, but we can’t seem to find her.

Life with a void … 🐈‍⬛

03/13/2024

Let’s talk about the compassion fatigue experienced by florists.

This is something everyone in the industry faces. We often explain that being a florist is creating a visual representation of someone else’s sentiments. The idea of “a picture is worth a thousand words” is often just as applicable to a floral arrangement.

We can’t tell you how many times someone has placed an order and we ask “would you like to include a message?” and are hit with a stunned silence on the other end of the phone. They don’t know what to say. This could be love, encouragement, simple kindness, or often the hardest messages to write, sympathy.

As a shop admin, we brace every time an order comes in. We listen to stories, we offer a supportive few moments while someone is experiencing the feeling of wanting to do something, but not sure how to properly express it. We become invested, sometimes more than we should, because we care. We want to provide some sort of relief, support, kindness of our own, to both the sender and the recipient.

In the span of minutes, we can go from discussing the excitement of a new baby, to a heartbroken partner begging for forgiveness, celebrating a new job, a death of a parent, or even worse, a child, and then a simple ‘happy birthday’ message to a friend. Often we go through all of these things throughout the day.

Although you adjust to this constant up/down of emotions, it doesn’t necessarily make it easier. It’s more, you know what to expect when you arrive to work; accepting you will be part of someone’s story for the day.

The truth is, it can exhaust us. There are still orders I think about, over a decade later that will hit me out of the blue. Sometimes I smile and laugh as I retell a story, and other times I find myself crying quietly in my car, wondering if that person is ok, or how their family is handling their loss after years have passed.

Just like anyone in the service industry, we face the brunt of misdirected anger and frustration. More often than not, we take it on the chin, and tell ourselves “they are upset at the situation, not at me”, but that doesn’t make it easier.

Be kind to yourself and others.

02/01/2024

Finally, we have a unique collection of the Hollywood Classics 🎥 💕
These are from our all time favourite romance classics. Let us know which ones your favourite in our poll below ⬇️

Make sure to take a look at our other collections from our Pretty Woman Collection, The Notebook Collection and more. Here, we’ve featured our Hollywood Classics Collection!
1. Breakfast at Tiffany’s
2. Gone with the Wind
3. Casablanca

01/31/2024

Hello love birds, that’s not all for our Valentine’s Collection.
Choose from our Hollywood Classics Collection, Pretty Woman Collection and more- here we’ve featured our The Notebook collection which comes in both Modest, Standard and Premium in a stunning Garden style! Link in bio to view the whole Valentine’s Collection 🌹

01/31/2024

We’ve got the PRETTY WOMEN collection in a modest and standard size 🩷
🌹

01/24/2024

Some days you have to remind yourself, to take the photo. As florists, we make beautiful things, knowing they are only temporary. We see them for a moment, as they are completed, just before they are packed into a box and swept away.

Margo’s bespoke piece was worthy of that reminder. Take the moment. Take the photo.

We work with perishable goods. We create perishable pieces of art. This is our way of preserving them. 🌱🫶

01/17/2024

That cordyline big spooning the snapdragon, though …