The roots of Meagan Cooley’s floral business — Meadow House Flowers and Gifts — run deep.
“My mother had a wildflower bed,” she said this week. “And my grandmother raised flowers and decorated with them.”
While Cooley grew up loving flowers, she never thought of it as a business.
But five or six years ago, when she was living in Lexington, working in administration for a technology company, she started a home garden, raising flowers.
Soon, Cooley was giving them to friends for their weddings and other occasions.
A few years later, when she was living in New York City, she bought a truck — a 1965 Ford F-100 — from a family in Glasgow and started The Mobile Meadow Flower Truck.
“I mostly kept it parked in New York, like a food truck, and people came to me to buy flowers,” Cooley said.
Last year, when she and her husband moved to Owensboro, Cooley kept the flower truck, making deliveries in Daviess County.
But the truck was getting old and unreliable.
So, this summer, Cooley went for her dream — a brick-and-mortar store.
And she sold the flower truck.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, Cooley will open Meadow House Flowers and Gifts in Old Town Shopping Center, 113 E. 18th St.
“We’ll have coffee from Libertalia Coffee and donuts from Rolling Pin,” she said. “And the first 30 guests in the store receive a free flower.”
The store has a flower bar, where people can select one flower or make their own flower arrangements.
There are also prepared arrangements that people can buy.
The store also has candles, mugs, calendars, art work, greeting cards and house plants.
Cooley said she also does flowers for events and weddings.
Soon, she’ll offer deliveries, she said.
“I want to make nice flowers available to everyone,” Cooley said. “I want this to be peaceful, calm space.”
Her flowers come from a wholesaler in Evansville and a local grower.
Roses and Gerber daises are the most popular, Cooley said.
While she’s been busy getting the store ready to open, Cooley has been a lot busier than customers realize.
“I have three children under 3 years old,” she said. “But I have a good support system.”
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
