By Jill Nagy
Florist Samantha Nass—known as Sam—is enjoying the change from an appointment-only studio to a storefront in downtown Saratoga Springs.
She opened Samantha Nass Floral Design at 61 Lawrence St. at the end of January.
She said she considered Valentine’s Day as “a test” for the new venture and, “Now that we’re through Valentine’s Day, spring is knocking on our door.”
So are a lot of people who walk by and walk in. “A lot of people have been very curious about us,” she said and she is pleased to have them come in and look around.
So far, Nass said, business is “going great . . . a steady flow . . . nothing crazy yet.”
Potted plants, terrariums, and terra cotta planters are selling especially well. She also offers “lots of beautiful orchids” as well as a variety of cut flowers. At last count, she had 46 terrariums planted and ready to go.
Nass’ previous business concentrated on weddings and other special events. It was housed in the old Elks Club building, a building “with an old kind of Victorian Saratoga feel,” she said. It worked well as an appointment-only enterprise, but did not lend itself to a retail business.
Nass still decorates for weddings and special events and the stock of the Lawrence Street shop offers items that can serve as gifts for members of the wedding party or favors for guests, along with candy, candles, water bottles and travel mugs.
Everything they sell is wrapped, Nass said, and they offer free delivery in Saratoga Springs. Currently, five people work at Samantha Nass Floral Design.
Come spring, Nass will offer classes in such topics as orchid maintenance, flower arranging, and terrarium creation.
The florist grew up in Italy and England and worked in banking in New York City. She got married in Saratoga to a man from Niskayuna and, in 2014, they moved to Saratoga with their two children, now 12 and 10 years old. She quit her banking job and, in July 2014, started a business of her own.
The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. They are closed Sunday.
A website is under construction. The telephone number is 518 886-9461.