Telegram - Serving Metropolitan Detroit Since 1944

Now and Forever Flower Boutique in River Rouge just recently celebrated one year in business. The family-owned floral shop is operated by Ecorse resident LaWanda Hines and her parents, Henrietta and Albert Smith. Hines says floral arranging has been a lifelong passion for her mother, who took classes in floral design and found she had a talent for it. Some of that talent rubbed off on Hines, who explains she grew up watching her mother create beautiful floral arrangements from home for friends and family but never considered flower arranging herself. Hines, who was working full-time at the Circuit Court in Detroit, urged her mother to establish her talent as a small business and helped out with handling the basics of starting a business.

"I just wanted to help her grow something she actually enjoyed doing and then once I got the business side together, I said, Let me take some classes too so that way I understand all sides; and once I took classes, I fell in love," Hines recalls. "Then we realized we have two different styles that complement each other, so we're able to work together." Smith, who along with her husband are residents of Inkster, has more than 30 years' experience in floral design.

Hines and her mother are both the face of and the creative energy behind Now and Forever Flower Boutique, while her father handles the business end. Now and Forever Flowers offers a complete fresh floral service for weddings, funerals, and other special occasions, along with foliage plants, gifts, chocolates, and balloons. "We try to be your everyday flower shop but also your specialty event shop as well," says Hines.

Hines says a lot of serious consideration and prayer went into their decision of whether or not to open a business during a global pandemic. "We are a family of faith," says Hines. "The challenge was stepping out in faith. But everything led us here, everything drove us here, all the doors just flew open for us to be here. It's been great ever since."

"River Rouge has been real good to us," says Henrietta Smith. "I tell everybody even if we get a bigger place, we would still want to stay here because the community-- the post office, city hall, the schools, police department even, everybody's been really good to us."

"We like the area because not only are there local homes surrounding us, there are businesses surrounding us as well," Hines adds. "The community support was just like, 'We're so happy you're here, we have a flower shop, and we've never had a flower shop in River Rouge!'

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Now and Forever Flower Boutique services a 50-mile radius from the city of River Rouge and offers delivery service as well. All deliveries within River Rouge are free, Hines notes. Both Hines and Smith say personalized customer service is at the heart of their business philosophy. "When we speak with our customers we want you to feel like family too because we're family. When you walk in we get to know you by name, we get to understand the flowers you like and we design accordingly to what the needs and the wants are. We work with you within your budget. We try to make it a hands-on experience, a personal one," says Hines.

Now and Forever Flower Boutique is more than just flowers and carries a supply of gifts and plants for most any occasion.

Hines and Smith say they plan to grow their business in River Rouge and welcome anyone to stop by and see what they have to offer for Valentine's Day. Anyone who works in the downriver communities of River Rouge, Ecorse, Wyandotte, or Lincoln Park can receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases and orders. Seniors and veterans receive a 10 percent discount as well. In addition, Now and Forever Flowers offers Flower Cub, a digital "stamp card' which allows customers to accumulate points for each purchase and redeem those points on a later purchase.

Now and Forever Flower Boutique is located at 10512 W. Jefferson Avenue. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday hours are by appointment only. Now and Forever Flowers offers delivery, curbside service, and in-store pick up. Reach them at 734-436-1386 and check their website at http://www.nowandforeverflowers.com. See their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/nowandforeverflowerboutique/.

"It's just nice to be able to bring smiles to people's faces. It's great to be able to build something from our home into something that makes people happy," says Hines. "I believe everyone deserves flowers and that's one thing I would the community to know: treat yourself or treat someone else."