Left Hand Valley Courier - All Local, All The Time

According to Susy Tallman, owner of Niwot's Juniper & Twine Floral and Gifts, "Flowers make people happy."

Tallman, who retired from a nearly 40-year career in event planning and catering, heard about the Niwot Florist business being for sale, and eventually took over the business in August 2019, with the help of her daughter Nina, and changed the name. Since then, the mother-daughter duo and their staff have been working to establish Juniper & Twine's presence in the community.

Tallman explained, "At the moment, we've been trying to figure out what the community wants. We've done flowers and gifts...we've tried to participate in the community." The company's community involvement has included the usual participation in holiday events, but they have even gone to Pioneer Elementary to help a kindergarten class make terrariums.

"We're constantly bringing in sample gifts, and we're really trying to define ourselves... . We've done a lot of community events, we're rebuilding the client base for the shop, and are also looking at expanding," she said.

Expansion for the shop seems likely, especially after its success with Historic Boulder's Holiday Home Tour contest. For the past 34 years, buildings deemed to have a historical significance to the city have the opportunity to volunteer to be decorated and then toured as a way to celebrate Boulder's heritage. According to Historic Boulder's website, "You'll be able [to] tour 6 one-of-a-kind homestead properties that have been decked out by local florists in competition with each other."

When Historic Boulder reached out to Tallman, she jumped at the opportunity to participate and was partnered with Tiffany and Steffan Myers. Their home was built in 1943 and was formerly a Greek Orthodox Church before it was turned into a residential home. Said Tallman, "They [the Myers] set us loose and had a great time doing it... It was just an amazing event."

Courtesy Photo

In regard to what Tallman likes most about running Juniper and Twine, she said, "The people, undoubtedly. Meeting the people, being at the store, it's fun. Everybody's always happy."

She described the house as inspirational and eclectic, saying that it was really easy to work with what the Myers already had. For example, the upstairs guest room, which is usually decorated in whites and blush colors, was embellished with white poinsettias. Tallman went on to say that because of her team's talent and diverse backgrounds, they were able to bring the creativity of their shop into the Myers' home.

"You kind of lose track that it was a competition," Tallman said. "After it was over we didn't think about it again." So it came as a pleasant surprise to find out that they had won the competition. Since the win, Juniper and Twine has been contacted to decorate other homes for the Christmas season and is planning to offer decorating services--such as pots and flower boxes--for the summer months. This will help prepare the owners for the Home Tour next year when they hope to defend their title.

Until then, their flowers and gifts can be found in the Niwot Market. "We really hope to continue to grow and grow in a constructive and meaningful way," Tallman said. "What we do, we hope, is meaningful and contributes to the community. We're really hoping to stay and further define our niche."