Mom’s inspiration blooms for florist on Mother’s Day

By Steffanie Costigan - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on May 13, 2023.

Herald photo by Steffanie Costigan Catherine Irwin, owner of New Hope YQL Floral and Botanical Studio, organizes flowers in the cooler ahead of Mother's Day.

A mother’s unique nurturing ability can greatly impact individuals’ lives to come to a bloom of hope.

Flowers symbolize the phase of blooming into something of beautiful worth. Perhaps for this reason, women are gifted with flowers by their loved ones. It is the same mother’s love and guidance that has impacted a local flower shop to bloom sweetly.

Local New Hope YQL Floral and Botanical Studio says simple flowers can brighten Mother’s Day. With Mother’s Day on Sunday, it is no surprise to see the shops full of flowers.

Catherine Irwin, the owner of New Hope YQL Floral and Botanical Studio, shared the significance she has witnessed when kids pick the flowers out for their moms.

“It’s whenever kids come in like teenagers, daughters, sons, anybody that comes in; any kid that comes in. They go in the cooler, and they find the flowers that they like, they want to give their moms. I find that’s very special, especially when they’re in there . . . You make their bouquet, but then you actually have them go in the back with you when you make it with them. It’s a lot more special,” Irwin said.

Irwin said her inspiration for becoming a florist came from her own mother.

“I learned a lot of flower arranging from my mom. That’s who taught me was my mom. We used to, back in the day, have a greenhouse, and we used to always be in the dirt pile. We were brought up in the greenhouse basically. That’s why, when Mother’s Day is here, I’m very happy for it. I’m really proud that I’m her daughter. And she taught me all these things,” Irwin shared.

Susie Irwin, a staff member at New Hope YQL Floral and Botanical Studio,is the mother of the business owner. Susie shared how their flower shop has adapted to increasing prices.

“Things have gone up, but we’ve adapted our bouquet style and our designing style to maybe less greens and more flowers just to keep it within a doable budget for people, and that’s been huge like we have been really careful about that,” she said.

Irwin shared an encounter last year’s Mother’s Day when a family came in to buy flowers for their mother, not only for Mother’s Day but to help her find hope with the recent passing of her husband and father.

“They didn’t have a lot of money which I was totally fine. We didn’t care. We wanted to make it special first, so we even added extra flowers in our cost because, again, it was a mom that lost somebody during that time. And we just want to make sure she was happy… The dad and son came back in, and they go, ‘That was probably the best thing that ever happened. She was very happy.’ Last year, that was really special,” shared Irwin.

According to Green House Canada 64 per cent of Mother’s Day purchases are made by women and 36 per cent by men.