Lovely red velvet rose petals pave the path to Expressions of Love Floral & Gifts on Broadway in Old Town Atwater. Excitement is in the air for Marie Lugo as she celebrates the anniversary of her shop’s 15 years in business on Feb. 1.
Valentine’s Day is all about love, and those looking for pampered, well-treated plants glowing with life will find them at Expressions of Love at 1486 Broadway Avenue in Atwater when they shop for the perfect gift.
The quality of the plants and flowers at Expressions of Love stems from the meticulous care they receive from Marie and the staff members she has personally trained.
Customers will be able to purchase floral gifts custom-designed by Marie — beautiful, fresh cut arrangements — lots and lots of Beautiful Roses, and some Tropicals. A dozen roses is always a classic gift in exquisite taste.
At this time of celebration of those near and dear, live plants with fresh cut Roses added will also be a lovely present.
Gifts with lots of Valentine’s Day Red will melt the hearts of those in our community who receive items from Expressions of Love.
Marie takes pleasure in preparing the shop for Valentine’s Day. She enjoys being creative with plants and flowers and nurturing customers’ preferences.
She said, “It is my pleasure and honor to be the personal florist in Old Town Atwater.”
She is currently working with a variety of ferns — Boston, Fluffy, and Asparagus.
Walking into the shop, one sees unique, stunning plants to the right and to the left. The customer’s eye will be drawn to the intriguing prayer plant that has a lush lime- green leaf with deeper colors through the center. Its leaves curl up at night and open wide in the morning.
A perfect accent for any room and an especially nice entryway plant is the sage-green rubber tree with its pink edges and veins.
Another excellent choice of gift is the very tall Fabian Trunk Aralia, a tropical plant. Its trunk is woody, like a shrub’s trunk, and the plant has deep green leaves that are purple or maroon on the underside.
About opening her own business on Feb. 1, 2007, which was her dream come, Marie exclaimed, “I’m still just as passionate about my shop! As the saying goes, ‘If you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life’. In my heart, I believe flowers are the universal language of love.
“The vibe of good, old-fashioned customer service can’t be beat. Every order is handled with a one-on-one relation with our customer. My customer base started with family and childhood friends and extended to so many people I’ve met through all stages of my life. My heart is so full, it runneth over. Much love to all.”
She announced, “Valentine’s orders are already coming in. It’s never too early to order for this special occasion. It gets really crazy the week of, so please place your order early by coming in or calling (209) 358-3660.”