Park Avenue Florists overflowing with flowers ahead of Mother’s Day

Former Office Choice building filled to the brim with flowers ahead of florist’s busiest days of the year.

Jeanette Clewett, manager of Park Avenue Florist. The business has taken over the former Office Choice store on Gordon St, Coffs Harbour due to the high demand in the lead up to Mother's Day. Photo: Tim Jarrett

From the outside it looks like a disused office building, but upon entry you’re instantly transported to Coffs Harbour’s very own secret garden – if only for a few days of the year.

Such is the demand for flowers ahead of Mother‘s Day, each year Park Avenue florist finds an empty building to prepare the huge volume of delightful arrangements ready to make Coffs Coast mums’ day.

Manager Jeanette Clewett says they have been lucky to use the former Office Choice building on Gordon Street for the last three years, just a short walk away from their store on Park Avenue.

“We outgrew our shop basically, there is just not enough space to store the amount of flowers we need,” she said.

“Other times we have had to work from people’s houses or garages. The closer to the shop the better.”

There is an explosion of colour at Park Avenue Florist’s overflow workspace in Coffs Harbour. Photo: Tim Jarrett

Ms Clewett said the next few days would be the busiest time of the year for the business her mother Robyn began 23 years ago.

While they try and source as much local stock as possible, a lot comes from markets in Sydney and Brisbane meaning there is plenty of unpacking and preparation to do.

“Of course everything is handmade which takes time so we do work long days, everybody has a mother not a lover as we say so it is bigger than Valentines Day,” she said.

“We probably would fulfil about 600 orders. That’s a lot of flowers.”

And without spoiling the surprise for Coffs Coast mums, Ms Clewett explains there are a few flowers which are proving a little more popular this year.

“Of course the traditional Mother's Day flower is a chrysanthemum and I am partial to natives but this years trend is definitely dried arrangements.”