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For Heidi Lane, there was always something about the power of flowers to make people happy that called to her, and after quickly moving from working in her garage to opening her first storefront for The Petal Parcel, on Hepburn Street in September of last year, Lane is in the midst of a move to a larger location, driven by high customer demand.
"I always wanted to create a brand and the Petal Parcel is that brand. I wanted to create a story, and just be very open and let people get to know me, my business and my family," Lane said.
In August 2023, Lane opened her floral business, initially working out of her garage.
"It had no heat or air conditioning. I was just kind of doing it for the love of flowers, really, and the love of the sentiment of it all," she said.
"I feel like I offer a fresh take on the industry in general. I don't follow rules," Lane said, crediting her creative sensitivities for her quick rise in popularity.
"People have been really receptive to things I want to try. It's really incredible," Lane, who at one point was attending school for criminal justice, said, stressing that she is mostly self taught.
"I've always been very creative, but I would watch people and how they put things together. I learned so much from watching florists do their everyday work on Tik Tok live," Lane continued.
The Petal Parcel focuses on everyday events, birthdays, anniversaries and the like and has begun her working more with weddings.
Additionally, they offer same day delivery.
Lane's flair for the unique lead her to receive the Sun-Gazette Reader's Choice award in her first year.
Since that time, Lane's business quickly bloomed, necessitating a move to a larger space.
"I grew out of this space pretty quickly, and it just so happened to be at the right time," she said of the space that she acquired during the COVID-19 pandemic and previously rented out.
With the increase in space, Lane plans to expand on her already impressive offerings.
"Its like five times the space, so I'm gonna do a lot more plants. I want to have a plant your own pot type of station that anybody can come in and do whatever they want.
Another station Lane looks to have is for people to plant their own kokedama ball and accessorize it how they want with bling, jewelry, etc.
"I haven't seen much of that before, so it's kind of coming out of my own brain," she said.
"I also wanted to do an open house every month, so people come in and build their own bouquet," Lane said.
She will also be venturing into customizable arrangements, complete with photos and themes of what the receiver is interested in.
A grand reopening in the new location, 801 E. Third St., is being planned for July.
Even with the expansion of the business, Lane remains committed to mental health awareness, which she said has always been integral to her brand.
"I really stay true to that. I think there's a huge need in this community for so many different charities and fundraisers that people do, honestly need," she said.
"For myself, it feels so good to help other people, and people love to receive these gestures," Lane said, stressing the trickle down effect of helping to even just brighten someone's day.
"When you start it, it keeps going, and it can change 20 people's whole day by doing something like that," she said.
This outlook will be the basis for her new location, she said.
"It's very high dopamine, which means that it's very maximalist. It's going to be a lot of wacky colors and patterns, things like that. So when people walk in, they just feel different," Lane explained.
"I want it to be a full fun experience where people can come in, they can buy flowers, they can hands-on make something, or they can just come in and hang out with me and talk like a lot of people do," she said.
"I want my brand to be more than flowers. I want it to be more of a feel good brand, where people know what they're supporting, because that's what small business is," Lane said, stressing the often unseen impact of buying local.
"When you're buying from a small business, you could be putting their kid through dance class, things like that. That's why it's very important to me to be at my store and talk to my customers, and they get to know me and I get to know them," she said.
"That connection is so important, whether you're buying something or not. I want people to want to support my brand and the things that it stands for, which includes mental health," Lane said.
And while the demand for Lane's products has risen so dramatically, the enormity can get lost in the day-to-day of it all.
"I think it's awesome, but I don't really dwell on it," she said.
"I just want to keep providing my best product and moving in a direction where it's just enhancing what I'm doing and being able to serve more people and do more things," Lane said.
"With this expansion, I plan on hiring somebody to help me, and I'm so thankful because this has literally been my dream," she said.
With the move, Lane has also begun a new vase recycling initiative, where those that bring in six vases receive 10% off their order.
"They can drop them off anytime, because you actually cannot recycle them at the recycling center due to the type of glass they're made of, she said.