New florist - which has 'simple ethos' based around eco-friendliness and sustainability - opens its doors on Rhuddlan High Street

Jacqui Bell has opened The Little Flowermonger at 4 High Street. Cllr Arwel Roberts, town mayor, supported Jacqui during a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, October 16.

The shop’s ethos is based around eco-friendliness and sustainability.

Jacqui, who had a shop in London called Flowermongers, has been in the floristry industry for 25 years.

“I am over the moon to be finally open,” she said.

“So much work went into the shop and when it first opened it was so rewarding to see the results and the joy of being able to share that with everyone is impossible to fully explain.

“I’d like to thank everyone who came out to support my little shop and all my friends that have helped me so much over the last few months.”

The Little Flowermonger is open for business

Jacqui, who attended a school in Denbigh before moving to London, has been toying with the idea of opening a shop for about six months.

The decision was made after a drive through Rhuddlan; Jacqui saw a rental sign in the window of a ‘quaint little shop’ which turned out to belong to a man she had met previously when refurbishing her home.

“I signed the lease within a couple of days and that was that,” she added.

The mum of one has modelled her shop on her previous business in London.

She was interested in keeping the name but realised it was very similar to cheese shop next door - The Little Cheesemonger.

Fortunately Gemma Williams, owner of The Little Cheesemonger, didn’t mind.

Flower displays on show at the shop

She said: “As there has always been a florist in Rhuddlan, I wanted to maintain that tradition and become part of that wonderful community."

Animal lover Jacqui, who has two fish, a dog and two cats, said floristry is in her blood.

She explained: “No matter where I go, I end up in the midst of flowers.

“The passion I have for this is the same as when I took my first steps into the world of floristry all those years ago.

“I love the vibrancy, colour, texture and smell of this world. I love buying from the flower market in the middle of the night, when most people are fast asleep and making the most beautiful works of art - even if it means pulling a few thorns out of my fingers.

“Most of all, I love interacting with the people that come through my door, people confide in a florist, as we play a key role in their happiest life moments and also, at times, their toughest.

“We create works of art to pair with the moments of peoples lives, from big to small.”

Jacqui is determined to make a make change in her own way when it comes to being eco-conscious and sustainable.

“Wherever possible, this should be something every business aspires to where it is feasible to do so,” she added.

“A few years ago, I was doing a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) course in London when we went on a field trip to a crematorium to prune roses and meet the gardeners who looked after the grounds.

“I was looking at the compost heaps on my lunch break when I fell upon a huge mountain of floral foam waste as big as my shop. The gardeners told me that this was to be sent to the landfill.

“This made me feel quite sick because Biodegradable foam has been around for at least 10 years and it appears that the florists are not doing much about it.

“I think as a trade we need to be at least trying and I am determined to make a difference and make change in my own way.”

The florist foam Jacqui uses is biodegradable.

She said: “Within one year it will have degraded by nearly 50 per cent and within four years it will degrade almost completely.

“I also try to use chicken wire where possible instead of florist foam to support my work.

“My cellophane is also biodegradable and completely degraded within six months. I use recycled paper for all my wrapping and for my business cards, even the candles and glassware that I have sourced and stock is recycled.

“Where possible, I buy British flowers and foliage first and foremost because I believe we have an amazing product in this country and it deserves to be given a platform on which to shine,” she added.

“This also lowers our carbon footprint as we aim to import as few flowers as possible.

“By no means are we perfect but we are always looking for ways to improve.”