By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – May Holley has lived a lifetime in the flower business.
Her parents, Jim and Claire Weidner, started a florist shop in New Orleans, operating Fontaine’s Florist for 30 years on Elysian Fields Avenue.
So it was no surprise that May was helping out at the family business when she was just a child.
“I was working there very early, but I actually started making flower arrangements when I was 10,” she said. “I was a licensed florist when I was only 16.”
Most of her life, Holley has been in the flower business in one way or another, but since moving to Slidell in 2002 so her parents could provide family support as her husband battled cancer, she was still putting together flower arrangements one way or another.
Finally in July of this year, after her husband’s death and time for her to recover, she was ready to take center stage again with her own flower shop, opening the Flower Nook at 248 West Hall Ave.
“I have spent most of my life working in the florist business,” Holley said. “But after living in Slidell for over 10 years, I think the city needs a florist who tries to help people with affordable prices. When we had the funeral for my husband, I saw what it could cost for people to buy a nice arrangement—sometimes up to $200—so I want to be the place to provide affordable prices for everything to do with flowers.”
These days her parents stop by the shop and chat, while a longtime relative, Millie Schiro, continues to be a family friend who is a big help to Holley. But ultimately, she is the one running the Flower Nook and determined to provide a way to help others in the community with affordable flowers for all occasions.
“My son is a junior in high school and I was surprised what it cost for girls to get the wrist flowers or boys to get the boutonnieres,” she said. “I want to do both of them for $25. And I want to offer very affordable flowers for funerals, or if you know someone who is in the hospital. Nobody is getting rich with a florist shop and I just want to support my family, and help other families with reasonable prices.”
Holley was a longtime Metairie/New Orleans resident, graduating from Grace King High School and marrying at a young age, which ended any dreams of college. But she was a talented florist due to her early experience and was able to work with her parents for many years before opening her own shop in Arabi. She operated “Flowers and More,” which was open until 1992 when she tried her hand in the real estate business.
Her husband was in the construction business, but when cancer struck, they moved to Slidell since her parents had retired and settled in a home on the water in Slidell.
“At a time like that, you want your parents around to help,” she said. “I had a young son also, so knowing I was close to my mom and dad was important.”
She took a job as the florist department director for Rouse’s Supermarket, then had to step away from that when her husband’s cancer got worse.
Going through the experience of her husband’s death opened her eyes to some aspects of the flower business that she didn’t know about before.
“I saw the flower prices for funerals and it was what I considered to be expensive,” she said. “I thought about that when I was ready to open my own place again, here in Slidell.”
But she doesn’t want to only offer help to families during trying times, she wants to make the purchase of flowers something that is affordable for any time, since she believes flowers are a “feel good” item.
“The truth is that buying flowers in most cases is a frivolous thing. But sometimes we just need to be frivolous,” she said. “People buy flowers to feel good, and to make others feel good, so I want it to be affordable all the time.”
She opened her West Hall shop July 1 and has been offering a special for a dozen wrapped roses that has been under $20, depending on her cost. She also likes to throw in something special for new customers.
“I give new customers something extra when they come here, and I hope they come back. I plan to offer free delivery in my zip code,” she said. “Why should people come here? Because I’m experienced at what I do, and I’ll be a fair person to do business with. I’m not trying to be a huge corporation, just offer flowers at an affordable price.”
You can visit Holley at 248 West Hall or call 643-1001.