After the end of her marriage a few years ago, Deb Glickman Charles rediscovered her love of flowers and created Bmore Blooms, a floral subscription and design business. A Pikesville resident and mother of two, Glickman Charles, 53, believes flowers help people to “stay in the present” and are a “wonderful way to show people you care for them.” She recently spoke with Jmore about her business and supporting the local economy.
1. Why flowers?
After my ex left in 2014, the life I thought I would have wasn’t the plan anymore. So I had to figure out something new. People kept saying to me, ‘What have you always wanted to do?’ I worked briefly in a flower shop during graduate school and I loved it. But it wasn’t financially viable, so I put it away in a file in my brain. All of a sudden a light went off. I said, ‘This is it.’ I went to flower school, put together a business plan, pulled together an LLC.
2. How did you learn to be a florist?
There are many paths to being a floral designer. What I did was take two courses. My teacher [Michael Gaffney] used to have brick-and-mortar stores [where he taught] in different cities, but now he lives out of a suitcase, traveling from city to city. He has a wholesaler in each city and rents space and does a one-week intensive where you cover the same content in a shorter time.
My first course was in D.C. and my master’s class was in Manhattan in the ‘Flower District.’ It was a total hoot! Last month, I did a one-on-one class with Amy Balsters. Her business is called The Flower Coach and she’s been in the industry 20 years. It was two days and totally catered to what I wanted to learn.
3. Impact of the pandemic?
At the beginning, there was no business at all, but now it’s a trickle. It’s been a good opportunity to do some behind-the-scenes work. I’m also about to launch a new website. Flowers are safe [for COVID-19]. There is no-contact delivery. This is a time when people are looking for ways to connect, and this is a safe way to connect and to make the space you’re stuck in a warmer, more joyful place to be.
4. Your business model?
I have three categories. There’s the “Because you Care” category when someone will call and say, ‘I want to send flowers.’ Then, there are flowers for the home. I love doing homes and I offer subscription services. You can get a flower arrangement once a month, once a week or every two weeks. There’s a free consultation when I’ll come to the house and people will show me what they like and I come up with a program for them. The third category is intimate events like dinner parties, Thanksgiving, a small wedding or bar mitzvah.
I source locally as much as possible. You get an amazing product that you can’t get otherwise. It supports the local economy, it’s better for the environment and you get fresher flowers that last longer.
5. Favorite flower?
My absolute favorite flower is lisianthus. Also, right now I’m infatuated with heirloom mums. They’re so beautiful and they come in the most beautiful colors. They’re like mums on steroids! —Simone Ellin
For information, visit bmoreblooms.com.
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