Photo by Jake Holschuh.Since 1911, City Floral has been an evolving garden center in Colorado’s horticulture industry. Originally dedicated to cut florals, City Floral has emerged into a year-round grower and retailer business. An essential link to City Floral’s success is General Manager Trela Phelps, who has managed the company’s growth and change for more than three decades.
Phelps says, “Today, if a person comes in looking for a special gift, we can help them find it.” As guests enter the store, they experience sweet floral aromas along with bursts of vibrant color from magnificent plants like the ever-popular dinner plate dahlias. Phelps shares, “We love color and change displays weekly to reflect the seasonal blooming plants. Azaleas, for instance, give a big pop of color and their blooming period lasts a long time.” The garden center’s paths meander through each of six departments, housing annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, vegetables, house plants, hard goods and gifts. More than 1,200 colorful hanging baskets hover overhead, each named for a Colorado place or historic site.
As gardening in Colorado changes seasonally, so too does City Floral. Following the planting and harvesting seasons, the focus shifts to straw bales, bulbs, mums, strawberries and pumpkins. The holidays are replete with concolor (evergreen) trees, poinsettias and hundreds of amaryllis bulbs, and the new year brings on the house plant craze. “Florist-type hydrangeas are grown in November and again in February to help beat the winter blues,” said Phelps.
Phelps is dedicated to working with the owners and employees to present the best selection of products for their customers. She says, “Our staff has been with us for a long time and they are pivotal to any changes we make. The fun part is we all have an entrepreneurial spirit so when we see trends, we go with them.”
