Petals With Purpose: Third-Generation Montville florist focuses on flexibility, family and finding community needs

Connecticut florist thrives by building on family and community relationships

by Citizens Staff

Montville Florist is built on close multigenerational family bonds and a connection with its community that is both broad and deep. John and Josephine McDonald opened the flower shop in 1983, and since then two generations of family members have dedicated their lives to ensuring its legacy and its ongoing contribution to the community.

Multigenerational family involvement in the Uncasville, Connecticut-based landscape and flower business first began when John needed surgery and their daughter Leah Van Ness took a semester off from college to help out.

Leah loved the flower industry so much she stayed and eventually took over the business. While the move was supposed to be temporary, she says it ultimately makes sense that things evolved this way.

"I grew up here, so my roots run deep in the business, and our roots run deep in the community," says Leah, whose sister Lynne and daughter Darcy have also been involved. "We take care of our community, and in turn our community takes care of us."

Montville Florist is one of the 2025 Citizens Small Business Community Champion Award winners. The award recognizes Citizens business account customers striving to improve their communities and provides them with a $10,000 prize.

Leah and Darcy Van Ness recently spoke about the importance of flexibility, close customer relationships, and multigenerational commitment to community and the future of the company.

Tip: Stay adaptable.

Part of running a florist business is working around the unpredictable nature of flower availability. Years of experience have taught Montville Florist's six-person team how to adjust to what is available and make beautiful arrangements that keep customers happy.

A short Connecticut growing season means that many of Montville's flowers aren't grown locally. Roses for Valentine's Day, for example, are sourced from Ecuador, Colombia and Chile. Since fresh flowers are perishable, florists can't stock up in advance, making it impossible to plan exactly what flowers will be available for arrangement.

"It's out of our control," says Leah. "We buy flowers locally when we can, but otherwise, we just have to wait and see."

Leah has learned that transparency with customers about the reality of the flower supply chain helps them to be adaptable too. This is particularly true when arrangements will be delivered a long time after Montville first speaks with a customer.

"Planning for events like weddings often starts a year in advance, and we can't know what next spring is going to look like for the availability of flowers," she says. "We focus on the inspiration for their bouquet and arrangements and then get as close to it — to the shape, vibe and color — as possible, since the exact café au lait dahlias they saw on Pinterest might not be available."

Leah and Darcy have applied a flexible approach to company operations and finances, too. For example, they regularly hold team meetings to identify where the team can make adjustments to its business practices. "We just did a post-mortem about Mother's Day, one of our biggest times of the year," says Leah. "We wanted to identify what worked really well, and where we can improve."

To stay financially flexible and prepared for opportunities and challenges, Montville Florist keeps separate business banking accounts for everyday expenses, emergencies, and projects that have been prepaid.

"This means that when we have a specific need, the money will be there," says Darcy, who is currently taking accounting classes to increase her financial management skills. As a Citizens Small Business Community Champion Award winner, she now also has access to mentoring, education and networking opportunities through a Luminary Fellowship membership.

Like many business owners, Leah and Darcy are concerned about the impact of tariffs, since many of the vases, flower bases, ribbons, enclosure cards and other items Montville uses come from China.

"Thankfully, we are both theater kids, so we know how to improvise and can pivot based on knowledge gained from experience," says Leah, who also formerly served as president of the Connecticut Florists Association. "We also talk regularly with other florists all over the country to share tips about how we're all handling challenges."

Bottom line: Partnering and planning can help a company stay adaptable in every dimension of a business. Remain adaptable and stay transparent to encourage customer flexibility and satisfaction. Foster an adaptable team attitude by routinely reviewing business operations to identify improvement opportunities. Prepare for financial opportunities and challenges by planning ahead and building financial management skills.

Tip: Keep close to customers.

One of Montville Florist's biggest customers is near Mohegan Sun Casino. Montville is the resort's preferred florist, supplying flowers for conventions and other events, as well as for visiting performers and important guests. Mohegan Sun is owned and operated by the Mohegan Tribe, and Montville has deep connections in that community.

"Many of the tribe's members are from the local Uncasville community and have been long-time customers," says Leah. "When the casino opened in 1996, they appreciated not only our floral designs, but our consistency and reliability."

Montville's team continually builds on that good relationship by paying close attention to the needs and preferences of the many different people they work with throughout the resort. For example, room service will call when an important customer is coming in, and Montville will turn around an arrangement with the VIP's favorite blooms within hours. Likewise, the resort's performance venue relies on Leah and her team to create designs that the visiting musicians and comedians will appreciate. For example, orchids are a favorite of superstar performer Cher.

"We check in regularly with our contacts — we've been working with them for so long, they're like extended family," says Leah. "This includes everyone from the top executives to the concierge to the valet parkers, who help us out when we have to deliver an order."

The close relationship with the resort also provides opportunities for the Montville team to handle events that are special to them. One particular honor for the team is providing flowers for the Mohegan Tribe's baby expo, an event that honors new and expectant parents. "All the flowers are chosen because they have a meaningful history with the tribe," says Leah. "We love that we get to help individuals connect with their culture. It's a gift to be part of this celebration."

Bottom line: Build strong business relationships by understanding the unique needs of each customer and what matters most to them. Regular, personalized engagement with all stakeholders — from executives to support staff — builds your knowledge of how to provide the best possible service.

Tip: Give back.

Having a finger on the pulse of the community helps Montville Florist know when the community needs its support. For example, last year, a customer happened to mention to the Montville team that many students in town were faced with significant school lunch debt, with the implications that go with it.

"It can be stigmatizing for kids of all ages," says Darcy. "Those who owe money only get a peanut butter sandwich and a cup of water for lunch, while high school seniors who have debt can't walk at graduation. We had to do something."

News of this hardship prompted the Montville team to design a special bouquet and devise a plan to support students with lunch debt. The arrangement is called "Nourish & Bloom," and 20% of the proceeds from each Nourish & Bloom Bouquet sale is applied toward erasing student school lunch debt. The program to address rising lunch debt at the school raised $1,000 in a month and is still ongoing.

"We have to keep going," says Darcy, noting that the SBCC award from Citizens will help them purchase a new truck, enabling Montville to expand its delivery area and the school lunch initiative.

The florists take any opportunity they can to engage in the community. Darcy and Leah support the Montville Rotary Club and regularly run workshops on community gardening, corsage making and other educational topics.

"Just yesterday, a high school student came in to buy flowers to make her own prom corsage, because we taught her how," says Darcy. "We were so proud. Education is so important, especially in a state like Connecticut that has deep agricultural roots."

Bottom line: Close community connections help to identify opportunities to address specific needs and to share what you know with the people around you. Genuine community involvement builds goodwill, deepens relationships, and strengthens the environment in which a business operates.

Tip: Nurture legacy.

The multigenerational family devotion to Montville Florist is the bedrock of the company's success to date and how it will continue to flourish in the future. From the founding of the business by John and Josephine McDonald, to the running of the business by Leah Van Ness and her sister Lynne Gaffney until Lynne retired in 2021, family commitment has enabled the business to grow. Now the mother-and-daughter team of Leah and Darcy is poised to continue the family legacy. (Darcy decided to join the team full time in 2022, after a career in the nonprofit world.)

The close working relationship between multiple generations in Montville Florist may also be important to its success as members of the family step back from day-to-day operations. Each generation has devoted itself to ensuring that important operational knowledge, the commitment to customer satisfaction and a connection to the community are carried forward.

"I love having the chance to collaborate and work so closely with Darcy," says Leah. "Eventually, I'd like to step back from the business a bit, and I'm confident she'll be more than ready to take over when the time comes."

For any business, it may also be prudent to have a clear succession plan in place that specifies how a business will be smoothly transitioned. This may be true even if, as with Leah, a business is handed off to a trusted family member. Succession plans can contribute to continuity by ensuring that every aspect of smoothly running business operations is planned for. This is achieved through an assessment of company capabilities and the creation of a road map for how a business, its previous owners, and the new team will remain on solid footing once it is handed off.

Two key success factors for succession planning are starting far in advance (at least 18-24 months before signing anything) and finding expert support. For example, a business banking partner can support you in securing financing and connect you with professionals to discuss your succession's legal, tax and wealth implications and offer guidance on retirement and financial planning.

Bottom line: Multigenerational family devotion to a company contributes to the maintenance of high operational and service standards that contribute to success. A succession plan and expert support when a business is being handed off can help to ensure that the rewards from hard work and commitment are preserved for generations to come.

Montville Florist's mother-daughter team shows no signs of stopping in their commitment to building relationships, connecting with their community, and continuing the family legacy of serving customers. Even after a long day in the shop, Darcy and Leah still enjoy spending time together; for Mother's Day, Darcy gave Leah some books to help plan an upcoming girls' trip — and, yes, a bud vase.

"Flowers are always the perfect gift," says Leah with a laugh. "After all these years, I'm still an unabashed flower nerd. Flowers are still very special to me and our entire family."

Do you need guidance on your small business journey? Schedule an appointment with Citizens to receive personalized assistance for your business.

Start Your Business Journey