Tasha Lee Van Dinther had always had a love of plants and green things, but as a bartender for fifteen years, didn’t get much time to pursue this passion. Tasha attributes living in Montreal, seeing all the fresh floral shops and markets in the city, to re-igniting her passion and the realization that this was something she could create a business with.
A couple of years later, having gained experience at through internships at flower farms in Prince Edward Country and La Primavera Farms in Hamilton, Tasha’s dream has come true with the opening of THUYA Floral Arts in the Hamilton International Village.
Tasha opened the shop with a bang on October 27th, wowing guests with a giant floral wall installation…which she hopes to do more of in future. Since the grand opening launch, her regular hours have become Wed – Sunday 11ish to 7. (See details hours below)
In the shop, patrons will find not only THUYA’s florals, but plant themed gifts, botanical oils and beard oils, arranged beautifully on a mixture of industrial and antique shelving, and handmade wares like macramé plant holders and wall-hangings, adorning the exposed brick walls. Though all the gift products that Tasha brings in are unique and eye-catching, the real allure is her fresh cut flower bouquets.
Tasha didn’t love the regular bouquets she was finding at traditional floral shops and found that none of them really spoke to her. The difference in THUYA’s bouquet’s is quite a stark contrast to the traditional bouquets, even to someone like myself who isn’t a floral expert. Muted tons of green, maroon and cream are peppered throughout the bouquets, with unique flowers you won’t find in other shops – though Tasha is open to creating special custom bouquets and arrangements for events, just ask her!
In future, Tasha plans to bring more creative ventures into her flower-filled world, with lots of large floral installations, public workshops in her studio, and collaborations with local artists and businesses.
THUYA Floral Arts
www.thuyafloralarts.com
191 King Street East, Hamilton, ON
289-389-4496
HOURS
Wed 12 to 7, Thurs – Sat 11 to 7, Sunday 10 to 5
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