Jill’s Story
I don’t remember a time in my life where I didn’t love to be outside and have my hands in the dirt. My maternal grandmother and my mother were gardeners and never minded me being right next to them, digging, planting and harvesting. I went through the careers of being a marriage and family therapist, owning a consignment store, healing touch practitioner, ordained Presbyterian minister and hospice chaplain before finding out my true calling…flower arranging and flower farming.
In January 2019, my church decided to no longer use florists for our weekly sanctuary flowers and formed a flower guild.
A church member who is a retired florist headed up this guild. I decided I would give it a go. Wow! It was a life changing experience for me. I fell in love with arranging flowers and bonus, I was naturally gifted at it. I began to buy the “sale” flowers at the local grocery store, arrange them in my kitchen and give them to friends and family. Then, people wanted to start buying them, this was “next level.” I donated a kidney in August 2019 and was off work from hospice work for a full month. It was a time of discernment and I decided I was going to sell the house to give me the equity and freedom I needed to quit my salaried job and become a florist. Finished full-time hospice work on January 31, 2020 and began my new adventure as an entrepreneur. We moved house in late February 2020 and then COVID19 hit on March 13, 2020. I was never so scared in my entire life that I had made a huge mistake in quitting a salaried job to start a new business and the world had shut down!
Little did I know that a global shutdown was a boost to the florist industry, as so many people were not able to see one another during milestone events, they sent flowers instead. The year 2020 saw me growing a business out of my laundry room, finishing a certificate program in floral design from Hall’s Floral Design School and doing more church flowers than I ever imagined as our Flower Guild at church was put on hold while we waited for vaccines to become available.
I am now in a wonderful studio in Avondale Estates (Little Tree Art Studios) where I create among other artists. I am in a new home with a full-sun yard, which I am slowly turning into a garden (tons of red clay to amend). My goal for 2022 growing season is to have 3/4 of the flowers in my arrangements come from my garden. High aspirations for a new garden and yet, I am loving the challenge. The year 2021 also found me decorating homes for the winter holidays, designing flowers for intimate weddings and creating amazing gift boxes for corporate clients
When I am not arranging flowers or gardening, you may find me preaching in local churches, knitting, laughing with my husband, or cooking for the family and for the local freefridge.
While I’m located in Avondale Estates, I also deliver to City of Decatur and Tucker as well. Supporting the community and their needs is what Pop Up Flowers is all about!