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A New Leaf • Leander

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Written by Mandy Hobby Wednesday, 07 March 2007

Florist moves shop to downtown Leander

When Jackie Morris, owner of Leander’s only florist shop A New Leaf, stood at the crossroads between staying a small mom and pop store and expanding to a bigger florist, she opted for the former.

“I stayed small on purpose because of the service to the customers,” Morris said. “I like to take my time on projects and not just mass produce.”

Morris moved A New Leaf from Austin to Leander two months ago in order to be closer to her home in Liberty Hill and to also give the city a local florist.

Even though the shop just opened in Leander, Morris is not new to the business. She bought the store 16 years ago with money she inherited from her mother. She took a new direction in her profession by buying her own business after being a real estate broker for 10 years.

“I had always loved arts and crafts and doing things with my hands,” Morris said. “My mother had always loved flowers, and I knew it would be a creative undertaking.”

Morris’ shop, located in downtown Leander, is part of realtor Sharon Stegall’s building. Morris filled the space with antiques and flower arrangements that make the floral shop an inviting place to plan arrangements for weddings, parties and funerals. She can also special order custom silks.

“Leander is such a friendly place and small-business oriented,” Morris said. “I plan to be here for a while.”

Morris’ experience and custom arrangements are only a part of the service she provides. Any order made in the store can be sent anywhere in the U.S. without an extra fee. She is on the Teleflora board of directors, an organization that offers three to four education designing shows a year. The shows give florists hands-on experience and up to date trends. The March show is in Austin and will feature wedding arrangements.

“People always come in and ask if I am new to the industry because I just opened,” Morris said. “I want people to know that I have been doing this for years and am new to the area and not the business.”

The community will welcome Morris’ experience by hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party to celebrate the holiday and A New Leaf’s 25th birthday tomorrow. Stegall will host the party right outside the shop’s front door with Irish dancers and bagpipes.