Floral brands’ collaboration is flowering

Floral brands The Roaming Petal and Arms of Persephone Floral Design are now sharing a single unit together at the Hillside Center (1506 54th Ave. N.). The location, which soft-opened last week, will have a grand opening Nov. 4. 

The collaboration was born out of a multi-year friendship. 

Erica Holland, who founded The Roaming Petal in 2021, hosts floral and nature-based workshops at public and private events. 

During Holland’s first workshop, she met Regan Smith, who was trying to establish her Arms of Persephone company in the area. A floral designer, Smith creates arrangements for weddings,

The Roaming Petal and Arms of Persephone @ Hillside Center. Photo by Jim Blackmon.

parties and special occasions. 

Holland and Smith decided to exchange numbers after realizing that they share a passion for the industry.  

The two businesswomen met for a coffee months later and discussed their career ambitions. Deciding to support one another, Holland and Smith gave customers referrals to each other’s businesses. 

“We formed a very nice relationship because we do different things in the flower world,” Holland explained. 

Eventually, they collaborated on a wreath-making booth at the 2022 Enchant St. Petersburg holiday event. This deepened their friendship. Holland would even start to host workshops at Smith’s Pinellas Park store. 

The idea to share a unit came after Smith realized her lease was going to expire. Looking to relocate to a bigger space, she decided to propose the idea to Holland. 

“We had the experience of going through the whole process of running a satellite store together,” Smith said. “So, once we transitioned into this, it felt kind of natural.” 

For Holland, opening a central location to host her workshops was appealing.

Since establishing The Roaming Petal, Holland has traveled to breweries, restaurants and other locations to lead her classes. With the new space, Holland plans to offer a weekly “consistent calendar” of workshops while continuing to host mobile events. 

Location was key, Holland added. Both women live in St. Petersburg and have clients in the area. 

Holland and Smith will share a retail shop at the 2,200-square-foot space. 

One of the most unique aspects of the new location is that it has a drive-through. “This now means boyfriends have no excuse,” Smith joked. 

More importantly, the drive-through is a way to engage with customers who need quick service or are immunocompromised. 

Customers can pick up pre-ordered arrangements or select “drive-through items,” similar to a fast food restaurant, Holland said. Some options will rotate based on the season. 

Holland and Smith believe that the partnership will strengthen both of their businesses. 

“It’s really given us the opportunity to continue to focus on the things that we’re really good at,” Smith said, “but also give people an opportunity to connect with flowers in a different way that we exclusively might not be able to provide.”