Couple's greenhouse is in full bloom

Oh, the smell.

As you walk into Flowers for 3 outside of Johnstown, the rush of blooms hits the olfactories like a thick puff of air freshener.

Then the smile. That's Vickie Dennis, who co-owns this greenhouse with her husband, Kevin Dennis.

Next comes the fun, the container garden party, where patrons can pick and choose their flowers and pot them on site, along with a little conversation, a little wine and crackers and cheese to make a night of it.

"It's just so fun," said Stephanie Keith of Milliken, who recently attended her third garden party at the nursery, 41/2 miles east of Interstate 25 on Colo. 402. "I can bring a new pot every time and I can try different things before I plant and set them in there to see if I like it. And the quality of the flowers is just fantastic."

The Dennises sort of fell into this idea of a garden party, which began at the beginning of May. It really came out of necessity for their small, yet growing business.

"We were short-handed and a lot of people were coming and wanted us to do pots for them," said Vickie Dennis. "But they also had a lot of questions and they were short on time, too. So we thought if we had the container garden party, we could give them the one-on-one attention they need, and they can get their hands dirty and feel a sense of accomplishment with their creations."

Word has quickly spread. Last Tuesday, their third party quickly swelled with 20 people ready to make their own baskets full of flowers, many repeat planters.

Vickie Dennis chats intermittently with all her garden partyers, prompting them to choose flowers that fit their pot and educating them about color and texture, what flowers will work here or there.

"I love the colors you're picking out with that pot!" Dennis exclaims to Keith as she appears with another flower to try in her pot. "You've really got a good eye."

The parties, you could say, are a culmination of a doubling of their business since 2003, when they began at the fledgling nursery, which had closed months before under a different owner.

They bought the place just before Christmas 2003, quadrupling their monthly debt load.

"It's going to be a struggle for a couple of years to get on our feet, but we we're lucky because we found employees who are dedicated, and they are overworked and underpaid," Dennis said. "We promised them, if the business takes off, you will succeed, too."

The Dennises started their flower business selling their blooms at farmers markets across the Front Range, a venture that still contributes a third of their receipts. They gained wholesale accounts from the many farmers markets where they display their baskets, and word has spread about their dinner-plate sized hibiscus blooms, which come in six colors.

"We'll take them to farmers markets, a huge truckload of them and they'll be gone in two hours," Dennis said. "They're gorgeous and stunning."

The Dennises grow all of their flowers and plants, expanding last year with two greenhouses on their 7-acre site. Rather, Kevin Dennis, does the growing after more than 20 years in the business.

"We try to grow a lot of unique stuff too. It's an art, and we love doing it," said Vickie, who runs the retail side of the business.

That being said, they also recognize their customers are asking for fruits and vegetables, which they'll begin shipping in July from the Western Slope. They've got six colors of poinsettias ready to plant for the Christmas season, and they'll also sell some Christmas trees.

With wholesale accounts ranging from Wyoming to Utah down to Castle Rock and Parker, plus attending farmers markets seven days a week and their retail sales, business at Flowers for 3 has grown about 40 percent in the last year, Dennis said.

"When you're a small business owner, you don't have space, money or time to grow a ton of product, so what we carry has to look superb if we want customers to come back because there really are garden centers all over," she said. "We joke that if you can find an ugly basket, we'll discount it. It's important to me that when people come in, they see top quality."

Flowers for 3 is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Doors are open for the container garden party from 6-8 p.m. every Tuesday through the summer, where patrons can bring their own pot and get 20 percent off of all flowers and purchases. The dirt is free. Call 587-9903.