Eco-conscious Flower Shop Opens in Metuchen: Gardenias Floral

Last week we paid a visit to Gardenias Floral, the new flower shop that opened on the corner of Main Street and Amboy Avenue in Metuchen. Samantha Monday, the owner, is not your run-of-the-mill florist. The moment you step inside her shop, you feel like you’ve been transported to a lovely and serene oasis — the walls and tile floors are a creamy ecru, the flowers are displayed in galvanized tin buckets with small, handwritten blackboard signs, and a clawfoot tub converted into a koi pond greets you at the door.

Samantha and her partner/fiance, Adam, designed the space and did most of the renovation work themselves. “We met in Hawaii,” Adam explained. “I am a landscape designer and was working as the caretaker for a private estate. Samantha was visiting the island on vacation. We were both from New Jersey, and we hit it off. I followed her back home!”

The store’s fresh, clean interior space and burbling koi pond convey a restful atmosphere that has more than a touch of Hawaii in it. After working for other florists for many years, Samantha developed very clear ideas of how she wanted to run her own business.

We were impressed by the comprehensive way that Samantha has structured Gardenias Floral to be as environmentally conscious as possible. Here’s just a partial list:

•  composting all flowers and organic waste
• recycling everything possible, including all the packaging used in delivering the flowers
• offering vases made from recycled glass
• using flowers from local farms as much as possible, including tulips, viburnum, lilac, orchids, lily of the valley, and hydrangea grown in New Jersey and New York
• constructing display furniture from reclaimed wood
• using rags instead of paper towels
• purchasing a high-efficiency delivery vehicle with excellent gas mileage

Samantha also showed us information about Veriflora, a certification program for the floriculture industry. Farms that are Veriflora-certified must follow standards that help build soil, conserve water, maintain healthy eco-systems, and support an equitable workplace. She tries to buy as much of her product from Veriflora-certified farms as possible.

We asked Samantha how she chose the name for her shop, and she smiled and looked at Adam. “The estate where I was working in Hawaii had a drive lined with gardenias,” he said. “They are an incredibly fragrant flower. Samantha told me later that they were her favorite flower. So when we decided to open the shop, we knew right away how we wanted to name it.”

Samantha creates gorgeous, organic flower arrangements for the full gamut of occasions: birthdays, holidays, sympathy and memorial services, restaurant and office displays, graduations, baby and wedding showers, gifts, congratulations, and, of course, weddings. She is incredibly creative — believe it or not, she even has some masculine floral concepts for Father’s Day. Stop by her shop (or become a fan on Facebook) to find out more!