Who’s Behind the Counter: Allison Glascock at Blue Iris Flowers

Patch: How long have you been in business in Catonsville?

Allison Glascock: My mother, Catherine Glascock, is my silent partner. She and I bought the entire business: the name, the customer list, the inventory, from the Lough family. We opened on April 1 of this year.

Patch: What is the history of the business?

Glascock: I think we are the fifth owners of Blue Iris Florist. The business has been in this building since the late 1960s. Before that it was a grocery store and before that, a butcher. The founder of Blue Iris was the daughter of the owner of the grocery. She wanted to open a flower shop.

Since we took over, we have modernized. We have a Facebook page, an e-mail address, a website. We take orders online. All that’s new.

Patch: How did you get involved with Blue Iris?

Glascock: I came to work part-time for Patsy Lough in August 2008, when I was a student at UMBC. I had worked for Wilhides Florist before that, but I continued to learn from Patsy and others in the business.

Patch: What do you like about being in Catonsville?

Glascock: Being on Frederick Road is a wonderful location; we are right in the heart of a unique town. We have young and old here, people who have lived here their whole lives and people who have just moved. I live in Ellicott City, but I plan to move here within the next year.

Patch: What services do you do?

Glascock: Funerals and weddings are our biggest events, but if it’s a special occasion, you name it, people want flowers. Or for just every day.  

I’ve been talking with Karen Gatzke [with We Love Catonsville] about doing something here with Create in 21228, maybe carrying some crafts that are locally made.

We have the walk-in shop and we deliver. We just got a brand-new vehicle; it hasn’t even been painted because we’re looking to make a new logo for the store.

Patch: Do you do all the flower arrangements?

Glascock: I do everything myself right now. But I just hired my younger sister part time and I’m training her to learn the basics. 

Patch: Do you have a personal style for your flower arrangements?

Glascock: I like to use lots and lots of color, very bright. Some people call it modern.

Patch: What’s one of the hardest things about your work?

Glascock: Ordering, definitely. It’s hard to predict the flowers I’ll need for the week. 

Patch: What are you proud of?

Glascock: I am proud that we have tripled the business that Blue Iris was doing last summer. I’m so excited. We have done a lot of networking with other businesses up and down Frederick Road and that has brought us a lot of new customers.

Patch: What’s your favorite thing about your work?

Glascock: I love it when I get a phone call from a customer who was very pleased about what they received. That motivates me even more to provide excellent service and premier flowers.

Patch: Do you have any specials or loyalty programs for customers?

Glascock: We offer half price cut flowers on Saturdays. Every once in a while, I’ll do a rose special or, on a holiday, I might offer a price break or free delivery for early booking.

Patch: What are you looking forward to?

Glascock: For the holidays, we are going to do pre-packaged snack baskets, with or without flowers.

We are hoping to spruce up the front of the store with new paint and a new sign.

When we can, I’d like to open up the front room for more space for flowers and gifts and do the arranging in the back. If that happens in five years, I’d be satisfied.

Patch: What is one thing you think is needed in the business community?

Glascock: The Chamber is a wonderful support system. We also have We Love Catonsville and Patch, but there needs to be more partnership and more community sense among the businesses here.

Patch:  What's the best piece of advice that someone has given you when it comes to running a business? 

Glascock: The best advice came from another florist, who told me the only way this was going to work was if I did my own thing and made it my business: my customers, my designs, my flower selections, my shop.