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Florist blossoms in a variety of endeavors

BY MEGAN GOERING & ABBY RAPOPORT

When Cynthia Sherman saw a flower shop going out of business and looking for a buyer, she found herself wondering if the flower business was fun. Eleven years later, Sherman is the owner of the successful Flowers on Fourth-a store that barely needs to advertise because of its name and the attention the name draws.

Walking in, shoppers may easily find themselves having sensory overload as they are greeted by everything from wine to helium balloons.

The number of various offerings has expanded as the business has grown, creating a quirky and unexpected environment where shoppers are never quite sure what they might find.

The shop features many luxury gifts for customers of all ages. Lotions, candles, stationary and gourmet food crowd the walls, and part of the store's attraction is the possibility of coming across some unexpected item tucked away on a back shelf.

One of Sherman's most recent additions to her inventory is local wine from Jasper Wineries. The bottles range from $12 to $14, and can be included in the custom gift baskets Sherman offers. The baskets can include any products available either in Flowers on Fourth or in the town of Grinnell. The store also offers delivery to anywhere in town for three dollars.

But the main attraction is the flowers.

According to manager Diane Kirkholm, flowers are delivered fresh every day, in an effort to ensure top quality, variety and longevity.

Flowers on Fourth might be located in small-town Grinnell, but they are determined to keep up with the times. The employees travel to flower shows in order to learn new techniques and trends, allowing their creations to move into the "artsy [and] new age" according to Kirkholm.

Clients have the chance to watch Sherman's employees at work since the store's "craft workshop" connects to the store.

Employees, while taking their work seriously, get a chance to experiment with floral design. "I get a chance to be creative every day," said Jaci VandeKrol, who's worked there two years.

These chances for creativity are part of what makes the employees of Flowers on Fourth glad to work there. "The staff [is] fun to work with," said Kirkholm. "It's almost always a happy environment." Even though many of the workers must drive from out of town to work there, they are not complaining.

"If I didn't spend my days being creative I would buy so much more at craft stores," said VandKrol.

Part flower shop, part craft boutique, Flowers on Fourth houses an eclectic mix of knick knacks and plants for clients who are looking for a leisurely shopping experience.

-additional reporting by Julia Bottles

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