3 Things You Should Know About Poppies
This April marks a BIG birthday for us here at Poppies. The occasion has prompted lots of reflection about who we are as a business, as a part of this community, and what is important to us. We are so VERY GRATEFUL to still be here to help you express your love, provide a pick-me up, console a friend, celebrate an achievement, liven up your space, or treat yourself! Whatever the reason you’ve come into Poppies and left with some more colour in your life, we are thankful to have shared in those moments with you. And so to celebrate our birthday, we want to carry on sharing… sharing about Poppies! (It’s our party, after all.) Here are 3 things you should know about Poppies.
Our Mission Statement
If you frequent our store, website, or Instagram feed you’ve likely seen it and we hope you’ve felt it. Our mission statement is and has always been to SPREAD JOY. It is a mission statement, a mantra, a raison d’être, from the way we present ourselves to the Queen Street passersby by decking out our outdoor display for you to enjoy while you’re waiting for the 501, to the care and attention we put into EACH bouquet to make you feel extra special. Poppies is a PLACE OF JOY for everyone -- those who work here, stop in, or walk by. We love FLOWERS and PLANTS and want to share our excitement with anyone lucky enough to walk through our door. We hope that coming into our store is a feast for the senses, a momentary escape from the stresses of daily life. Our job as a flower shop is to bring JOY, especially during life’s tougher moments. Life’s naturally full of those, but we’re determined to tip the scale towards JOY. #spreadjoy ;)
Our Namesake
It’s time to set some things straight. First of all, POPPY does not exist. She does not work here or own this store, though wouldn’t that be so cute!? It’s not Poppy’s, like a person, it’s Poppies, like the flower! Secondly, despite being named after the poppy flower, we actually don’t always carry poppies. Our signature style is a mixed bouquet of a variety of beautiful blooms, both local and imported, that vary with the seasons. So then why did we pick the name Poppies? Poppies are not only beautiful, they are a key ingredient in certain euphoric inducing pharmaceuticals. A plant of pain relief or a plant of joy, if you will. Because we set out to bring more joy into the community with this store and as a nod to the neighbourhood’s rougher beginnings, it seemed appropriate. And the rest is history.
Our Anniversary
Speaking of history, this year our flower store officially turned 20 years old! We are so honoured to still be here, part of the West Queen West community. We’re ringing in our birthday with old and new friends. We remember late nights at the Beaver, the Beaconsfield chili cheese fries and good times; back when it was the Social instead of the Dog and Bear; when what is now Jules Bistro was once Bar ONE. We’ve watched the Drake expanding, the Gladstone rebranding, and we’re still standing! We got our start in the outskirts of the city, but it blossomed into an established arts hub full of life and pedestrians, thanks to creative trailblazers like Katharine Mulherin’s Bus Gallery, Thrush Holmes Empire Inc., INabstracto and the DeLeon White Gallery. We cannot thank all of our customers enough for their support across the years and especially over the last few years allowing us to keep our doors open to all of you. It is quite the cause for celebration! To show our appreciation, we present the Anniversary Collection. Everything for $20 for our 20th birthday. April 1st to April 10th.