“We Can’t Let It Change Us’: Virus Doesn’t Stop Work for Sparta Florist
65-year-old business still going strong in Alleghany County
SPARTA-It all started with a conversation. Janet Bottomley was at an auction 12 years ago when someone she knew walked up with a question. They knew she worked with flowers and had studied floral design at Penn Foster University. The owner of Sparta Florist wanted to retire, but didn’t want to see the business close. Would she be interested in owning the flower shop? After giving it some thought, Janet agreed, becoming just the fourth owner since the company first opened in 1955.
“It was the artistic part that interested me,” Janet said. “I’ve been self-employed for 28 years, since I was 18, and always been in artistic work. Here was an opportunity to have my own flower shop.”
But owning the shop is about more than designing flowers for Janet. Sparta Florist is a part of the town’s history. The shop at 65 E. Doughton Street is the third oldest retail store in Sparta and the fourth oldest in Alleghany County. That history and the community means something to Janet and her husband William, who helps her run the business.
“It’s about being part of a community and doing something you believe in,” she said. “It’s about giving a gesture. We all remember going out and picking flowers for our grandma. I want people to feel that same kind of love here, that it goes into everything we do. Even if you come in and have $5 or $10, I’ll find some way to make it happen.”
In addition to taking customers in Sparta, the flower shop pulls in clients from over the border in Galax and Independence, Virginia. They also work with funeral homes in the three areas, which is partly why they’re still operating. Under Gov. Cooper’s executive order on March 27, funeral homes and the businesses that help support them are labeled as essential services.
“She does all the designing, all the arranging,” William said. “She does everything and makes everything a florist can make. People call us because they know who does the work.”
After marrying Janet three years ago, he retired from his 20-year career in television news and joined the shop full time. Now the husband and wife team run Sparta Florist together, keeping a 65-year community staple going. William said right now they have less walk-in traffic, but are staying pretty busy.
Currently, they’re delivering orders anywhere in Alleghany County, as well as in Galax and Independence. They can take orders by walk-in or by calling (336)-372–8344. You can also see some of Janet’s work on the Sparta Florist Facebook page by clicking right here.
While the COVID-19 virus and Gov. Cooper’s order may have caused all but essential businesses to temporarily close, Janet said that hasn’t stopped people in her town from helping each other. That’s what she wants people to focus on right now.
“It’s about coming together,” she said. “Things are changing, but we can’t let it change us.”
Brian Carlton is the editor of NWNC Magazine. He can be reached at brian@nwncmagazine.com
