Owner Nikolle Grainger is excited to continue the tradition this Mother’s Day with her signature, stunning, fresh floral displays.
“I grew up in a flower shop in Saskatchewan, working side by side with my mother, Beth” reminisces Nikolle. “She has been a master florist in the industry for over 30 years and I have learned so many things from her.”Nikolle has always loved working with flowers. At just 13 years old, Nikolle was the youngest person to write the first level of AIFD Introduction to Floral Design.
As a busy wife and mother, she started doing arrangements on the side for her friends. Her creativity never failed to impress; her friends encouraged her to turn her passion into a business.
“When COVID hit,” she continues, “It was hard for my husband to travel to and from Mexico where he worked. I wanted to do something to help out and our youngest had just started school. So, it was the perfect time to launch the business.”
Launching meant one cooler and a small workspace, but business was so brisk that she quickly moved to a larger location. That soon led to a spot in Main Street Market as a vendor.
Boy O Boy’s arrangements are known for their customizations and creativity. Nikolle gets to know her clients and their needs, then designs accordingly. In addition to bouquets in her collection, special orders see unique touches that leave receipts speechless on milestone events, birthdays, anniversaries or “just because.” She also makes custom pieces for funerals that celebrate the life, passions and hobbies of the departed.
“There are over 150 vendors from Alberta at Main Street Market,” she shares. “I do my arrangements and place them in the cooler on site; I don’t have to be there. This means I can parent, run my own store and come and go as I please. It is very positive for work/life balance. Being inside Main Street Market was the best choice for my business. It is such a unique place and the customers are the best! They really shop at Main Street Market with the intention of supporting locally-owned businesses.”
“I truly love what I do, and it shows,” smiles Nikolle. “I am able to tell people’s stories through the arrangements I make. I take people’s vision and put them into each creation. Whether it is the little kids who come in and want to smell the flowers or helping a young person buy their first flowers for someone special in their lives – I love it all. A customer once told me she had a picture in her head and it was so cool that I could make that idea into something that was real and something that she loved.”
Her space at Main Street Market embodies the many attributes of the Shop Local movement and entrepreneurship.
She is grateful to her clients, the local and very supportive business community, the family and organizers at Main Street Market and her husband and children who inspire her every day.
This Mother’s Day – and every day – turn to Boy O Boy Flowers for memorable arrangements customized to delight the lucky recipient. Flowers do more than make people smile. They speak volumes when words are hard to come by.
