Green thumb discovery blooms into business

Green thumb discovery blooms into business

Written by Michelle Davis Tuesday, 07 February 2006

Snapdragon Flowers

There is a flower to fit every occasion. Shirley Inman, owner of Snapdragon Flowers and Such, believes that flowers are about feelings.

“One day you may go in and prepare a wedding and everyone is so festive and happy, and all of a sudden, a different family comes in and they’ve lost someone they love and it’s just so hard to handle,” Inman said. “Then, of course, you have the guy that comes in celebrating a new baby girl or the guy who says ‘I stayed out too late last night and my wife is ready to throw me out.’”

Wayne Young, 20-year customer, has bought flowers for his wife and two daughters for Valentine’s Day, birthdays and other holidays. He enjoyed Snapdragon so much that after retirement, he began delivering flowers for them in 2000.

“When I came in to order flowers for only the second time, Shirley remembered my first name and I was just shocked that I had meant that much to her as a customer,” Young said. “The personal service is unique here.”

Inman says she has always loved flowers, but never believed she had a green thumb until a neighbor gave her a plant for her garden. After planting it, she began planting hanging baskets.

“Before long I had 75-100 hanging baskets,” Inman said. “I would keep them for a while and then give them to friends. This led to silk flower arrangements for her house and for friends.”

She took a fresh flowers course with her sister at Austin Community College in 1976; then some silk flower arrangement classes the following year before deciding to open her own shop.

The business opened in 1983 off RM 620 across from Round Rock High School.

“At the time it was the only high school in the area,” Inman said. “The name is a play on the flower Snapdragon and, also, the high school’s mascot.”

They moved locations in 1986 to her husband’s relative’s old house built in 1904. The Inmans were in a bidding war for the house even though they had family ties to the house.

“The other bidders just wanted to tear the house down,” Inman said. “The reason we got the house was because we wanted to preserve it.”

To honor their heritage, her husband’s Great Aunt Ellen and Uncle John’s 50th wedding anniversary picture is displayed when you first walk into the store.

“We just want to honor them and their house,” Inman said. “To me they were very good people and pioneers of Round Rock who strongly believed in the city.”

Snapdragon Flowers, 210 Round Rock Ave., Round Rock, TX 78664, 512-255-6158