Amid the bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to lose touch with moments of beauty, our heads down simply trying to get through the day. Yet sometimes a flash of colour can reawaken the senses and remind us of the splendour that still surrounds us. For many, that reminder can arrive in the form of a carefully crafted bouquet of flowers, such as those created by Jennifer Reeves from Potts Point favourite, Wild About Flowers.

Nestled in a tiny shop on the corner of Llankelly Place and Orwell St, this floral haven packs a surprising punch as a beloved local business. Buckets of vibrant blooms spill onto the pavement while owner Jennifer greets the steady stream of passers-by with unmistakable warmth, a familiar presence in a neighbourhood she knows intimately.

“I’ve been here on this corner for almost four years,” Jennifer says, explaining the shop followed an earlier venture in Elizabeth Bay. “That space was a bit too big for me, but when this place became available, I jumped straight in. It’s the perfect spot.”

And it’s not hard to see why. Positioned beside the lively laneway of Llankelly Place, now one of Potts Point’s most vibrant dining pockets, the shop sits in the path of a constant parade of locals and visitors.

“There are always people walking past,” Jennifer says with a smile. “I know everyone here. I know what time they walk by and what they’re doing. I feel really connected to the neighbourhood. I more or less live here!”

That connection, she says, is central to running a small business in Potts Point. “Most of my clients are local, and around here it’s really about trust. People know me and they know what they’re going to get. It’s all about integrity and looking after the community.”

Jennifer’s own path to floristry was anything but conventional. Born in Taiwan before moving to Perth as a young woman – making her, as she laughs, “a sandgroper” – she spent many years working in corporate administration before realising the office life wasn’t for her.

“I used to work in a corporate job but can you imagine me doing that?” she says with a laugh. “I realised I wanted something creative and something of my own.”

While living in Cairns she came across a florist for sale and, almost on impulse, stepped into a new career. After completing training at TAFE, she opened a shop there specialising in tropical flowers – an influence that still shapes her work today.

“We specialise in tropical flowers and natives,” Jennifer says. “Natives are really our babies, people around here love them. But mostly I choose whatever flowers are the best quality at the markets at that time.”

Floristry, she adds, is as much about care as craft. “We do our job with love. You can’t just go through the motions. You really have to care about what you’re doing. People can feel that.”

The location itself has become part of the magic. Llankelly Place has grown into one of Potts Point’s liveliest focal points, drawing diners and visitors throughout the day and evening. “This laneway has become incredibly vibrant,” Jennifer says. “Especially in the mornings and at night. When the lights come on and the restaurants are full, it’s such a beautiful atmosphere. It feels a bit like Paris.”

That energy flows straight into her shop. “People might be waiting for a table somewhere and they pop in to buy flowers. I’m in the perfect position for that.”

When she isn’t arranging bouquets, Jennifer enjoys exploring the neighbourhood on foot. One of her favourite routines is simply walking into the city. “I love heading down William St into town,” she says. “I’ll stop for coffee, go to David Jones, go to my favourite noodle place. That’s the beauty of living here. You don’t need a car; you can just walk everywhere.”

And perhaps that’s the quiet charm of a flower shop like this. Amid the pace of city life, a burst of colour and fragrance can momentarily slow the day down, reconnecting people with something simple and beautiful. Sometimes it only takes a bunch of flowers to lift a mood, brighten a room, or remind us that nature, and beauty, are never very far away.

By Adam Gibson 

Photo by Simone McAullay

www.wildaboutflowers.net.au

Phone: 0477 277 435