Linda Donaher has a nose for the flower business.
And she has a passion for the community.
Throw in a little business sense and it all adds up to Linda's Floral Designs, a standalone shop on the south side of the Holland Street commercial strip.
Described as an “invaluable asset to our communities for many years,” Donaher was acknowledged at the annual South Simcoe Police Service recognition awards earlier in May for always pitching in when asked. Over the years she’s donated nearly 1,000 carnations to various community initiatives.
That includes 100 flowers for the Caring With Cards and Carnations Campaign for seniors to mark Valentine’s Day, poinsettias around the holidays to brighten up communities as well as donations to the police force’s recognition awards nights.
Donaher simply sees it as giving back to a community that has supported her shop since she set up shop in Bradford 14 years ago. She now has a thriving business which supports about six people, which could swell to a dozen on special occasions, such as the recent Mother’s Day.
It all began four decades ago when she established a retail flower business with her mother in St. Thomas. They sold that shop when Donaher moved to St. Albert. And although she didn’t have a storefront location in those early days when her children were young, Donaher continued working with flowers while running a business in her home.
Soon she was getting business from a Bradford funeral home and others started approaching her. That led to a business in Sharon, something of a stepping stone to her current setup in Bradford.
In her current location, business can be so brisk that she sometimes turns to a local business with coolers where she can keep a larger number of flowers nice and fresh during some of the larger special occasions, like Valentine’s Day.
“And that’s how the business kind of grew and grew and grew, because people were actually coming to my house for funeral flowers,” she explains with a chuckle. “I’m very, very fortunate, I have a very good staff. Of course I take pride in everything we do … I have made an awful lot of wonderful connections with the business. And a lot have become good friends.
“I have always tried to be very supportive ... Lots of people come knocking on my door and I don’t necessarily know all of them, but I try my hardest to help out anyone.”
Her gifts typically come in the form of flowers that could be used during events, banquets and fundraisers.
Several years ago Donaher created Good Neighbour Day – something the FTD flower service once encouraged, but had fizzled out with time. Donaher liked the idea, so she picked a day in September, erected a tent in front of the store and gave away flowers in exchange for a donation to one of several organizations. That has resumed since the COVID-19 pandemic and Donaher is now thinking about how she can get the word out and make it a larger event before she does it again this coming September.
The contributions, Donaher explains, is just a way for her to show the community her appreciation for the support she has received in creating a successful business.
“I just want people to know I’m really thankful and very appreciate for everything that has happened to me in my business” that makes giving in the community a natural response she says, adding that she’s the process of supporting Bradford District High School’s art award during graduation this year.
“I’m thankful for what I have gotten, and hopefully I can pass that along to people.”
