When disaster strikes, it's good to know that family, fortitude and a love of flowers can help you cope. Just ask mother-daughter florists Pat and Lindsay Flaherty of Stoneham, MA.
At about 9 p.m. on Oct. 23, the Flahertys' Evergreen Florist went up in flames. The four-alarm fire started in an apartment in the same building and spread rapidly, ravaging the spot that had long been a fixture in the small New England square, about 12 miles from Boston.
More than 60 firefighters worked to stop the blaze that burned for about five hours, according to the Stoneham Independent. Two firefighters required hospital treatment; no one else was hurt. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, says Pat Flaherty.
The business Pat founded with her sister in 1977 – they chose the name "Evergreen" from the popular Barbra Streisand song – has suffered a setback. Pat's sister has since retired; her daughter Tracy (on the right in photo) works in the business with Pat and Lindsay.
Can you imagine – 30 years there?" asks Pat Flaherty, adding that their Christmas merchandise as well as the holiday props her father made for them before he passed away perished in the fire. The building dates back to about 1900 and they had renovated it two years ago.
'We're all a bunch of strong women ...'
Despite their loss, Pat, Lindsay and Tracy are upbeat and hanging tough. As Lindsay puts it: "We're all a bunch of strong women and we're going to get through it. It's been devastating, but [working as florists] defines us, it's what we do and who we are. My mom's really made a name for herself."
For Lindsay, it's like losing a little chunk of her childhood. A baby when her mother and aunt opened their doors, as a toddler she'd go with her mother to Boston to buy flowers and by fourth grade she was working Saturdays in the shop. Though she has a degree in elementary education/special needs, Lindsay didn’t want to leave the flower business. "I love what I do," she says. "I don't think many people can say that."
Moving forward
After they got the news, the Flaherty women didn't waste time feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, starting at 4:00 a.m., they secured new flowers for a funeral, then gathered at home to prepare; they also had a number of upcoming weddings, including one on Halloween. Luckily, Pat had the brides' folders with her, so she called each one to offer reassurance. This prompt attention meant Evergreen didn’t miss a beat on customer care.
The next job was to relocate and they quickly found a new shop across the street (1 Central St., evergreen-florist.com) where they will lease for about a year, until their old venue is ready for them; it will likely require a tear-down and rebuild. Meanwhile, they have a cooler and their new Dove POS system. "That's paramount with us, we depend on that completely," Pat says. "If shops only knew how easy that is."
Their positive attitude, along with the support of their community (especially Bay State Farm Direct Flowers and the Boston Flower Exchange) and help from Teleflora technology sales representative Steve Capano and marketing counselor Diane Roberts, is seeing them through. Says Pat: "Some people might get knocked down and not get up. But we've already started again."
