As early as Ancient Greece, China, Rome, and Egypt, humans have been giving each other flowers to show gratitude, romance, friendship, and grief. And despite their fleeting nature, flowers continue to be an essential part of a warm, welcoming home. In a totally ideal world, we’d all have our own gardens (or a garden in our community) to pluck freshly bloomed flowers from for any occasion. But in the real world — or at least in major cities — we’re dependent on the trip to a deli or local florist to get our flower fix.
She Loves Me in Washington D.C. combines the best of both worlds. Founded in 2018, She Loves Me works with woman owned, local farms in the D.C. area to source beautiful stems and create stunning bouquets for any occasion or price range. Buying one of their seasonal bouquets can cheer up even the bleakest of apartments or greyest of D.C. days.
We caught up with their team about how to make the perfect bouquet, what they love about the D.C community, and their new shop in Eckington.
Can you tell us more about She Loves Me?
She Loves Me was founded by Holley Simmons, a self-taught florist who began teaching gardening classes on her dining room table while simultaneously working as a full-time food reporter for The Washington Post. In 2018, Holley left her job and founded She Loves Me where we offer fresh floral deliveries, workshops, event florals and much more. She Loves Me is in the process of opening two new locations in DC this year. You can review our flower, wedding services, and other offerings here.
She Loves Me has two locations, one in Capitol Hill and one that recently opened in Eckington. What do you love about being part of the Capitol Hill community, and what makes you excited about entering Eckington?
We are so excited to be a part of Capitol Hill’s amazing community of friends, residents, yummy restaurants, and other small businesses! Our Capitol Hill shop is perfect for home & garden gifts and grab and go flowers! We can’t wait to share our offerings with the Eckington neighborhood when we open in December! The Eckington shop will have lots of space to host flower workshops and other engaging experiences!
You regularly use your platform and connections to the community to give back. Can you tell us more about one of your favorite charities or organizations you’ve worked with, and why?
Following the Covid-19 outbreak, She Loves Me offered contactless deliveries of a petite bouquet made from locally grown flowers in support of our farms. Proceeds went to We Are Family, a local non-profit that provides meals and companionship to isolated seniors, a demographic hit particularly hard during the pandemic.
We also host Dahlia Day: Once a year we flood the shop with fresh-cut dahlias, sales of which support Ayuda. Ayuda is a local non-profit that provides free language and legal services to at-risk immigrants.
We are always looking to give back to our community! You can learn more on our website!
What should first-time bouquet buyers look for when picking out an arrangement or stems for their apartment?
We recommend looking for variety in flower, color and shape in your bouquet. The arrangement should pique your interest in a different way each time you look. It is also important to check for quality of the petals and stems.
What flowers would you buy for the perfect housewarming gift?
A bouquet of fresh, seasonal flowers of any kind would be a thoughtful housewarming gift for anyone. The best thing about flowers is the variety of color, vibrancy and texture you have to choose from. At She Loves Me, we offer small (She Likes Me), medium (She Really Likes Me) and Large (She Loves Me) bouquets that make for perfect gifts.
The official flower of D.C. is the American Beauty. If you could pick another flower to represent the city, what would it be?
DC is full of so much rich history! In many nations, poppies are a symbol of hope for peace. We think that the poppy flower is vibrant and full of life, just like DC. Poppy is also the name of our Holley’s adorable puppy!
Thanks She Loves Me! To learn more about their shops or order online, visit their website. You can also visit their stores in Capitol Hill and Eckington.
You deserve a fresh bouquet, too — and a happy home to display it in. Our coliving homes across Washington D.C and Arlington give you more for your rent (including fully-furnished spaces, WiFi, and utilities), so you can spend your time and money on what you actually love, like beautiful blooms. Explore our spaces in Union Market, Columbia Heights, National Landing and beyond — book a free tour today!
Photo credits
Header image and flower arranging: Megan Graham Photos
Shop and flower arrangement: Maddie Kaye Photography
In store flower arrangement: The Tangled Tomato