Melissa Matz comes from multiple generations of farmers and some of her fondest memories are from gardening with her grandmother Bettie. She was the one that planted the seed of love for growing things in Melissa. Using the gardening skills her grandmother taught her, Melissa had the confidence to start her own flower business in the fall of 2018. She named it Blooming Betties in her grandmother’s honor. This venture gave her the capacity to take a break from teaching, which freed up time that she could spend with her son.
Blooming Betties really started to take off right before the world shut down because of the pandemic. Like many people in the flower business, Melissa was unable to get flowers imported from Europe for her bouquets. She was forced to think outside of the box and decided to source as many of her bouquets and subscriptions from locally grown flowers as possible. To add to the adapting, she started to expand her business model to include bouquet arrangements.
“I grow my own flowers and pick them each morning so that they are as fresh as you can get,” Melissa says.
Blooming Betties provides flowers for a variety of occasions and events, including small weddings. However, most of the weddings that Melissa booked for 2020 were canceled or rescheduled. Now, 2021 is extra busy since it is essentially two wedding seasons in one!
Melissa’s affinity for teaching transcended beyond the classroom. Melissa dedicates herself to educating people that buying fresh flowers locally from businesses like hers expands the longevity of flowers so that they can be enjoyed longer. She now teaches people how to arrange flowers by conducting make-and-take workshops at a limited capacity at Loveland Aleworks. There are many new ideas on the horizon. Melissa is excited about opening up more pop-up shops to sell her fresh, locally grown flowers and bouquets.
“By early spring in Colorado, everybody is hungry to get their hands on something fresh,” Melissa says.
Because of this need, Blooming Betties offers May baskets that highlight the best of their first crop of tulips. Blooming Betties also offers flower subscriptions for tulips, dahlias, and arranged bouquets at prices that range from $150-$350. All information concerning Blooming Betties’ events, services, subscriptions, and prices are available on their website: www.bloomingbetties.com
