"Everything we do is custom,”

  BY Jason Zasky

“I was cool before it was cool to work from home,” begins Cheryl Nesbit, talking about the origin story of Cheryl’s Flowers & Gifts, which she founded in her garage 35 years ago. “When I first started, people said, ‘Oh, you’re not a real florist, you don’t have a shop.’ I said, ‘No, I’m a real florist, I just don’t have a shop.’ 

Fast forward to today, and Nesbit still works out of a home studio in Franklin, with a strong stream of word-of-mouth business that includes corporate customers, the local music industry, and local funeral homes, not to mention countless individuals.

But it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that she would become a florist, even though she comes from a family that includes several gardeners and florists.

“In 1987, I was director of sales at the Sheraton Music City Hotel and decided to take some flower arranging courses,” she continues. “That led to doing the flower arranging for the hotel. Then I started doing flowers at night and selling them during the day, and when I had my first child in 1990, I left Sheraton and went from there.”

In the three-and-half decades since, Nesbit says she has answered every phone call that has come into the business and has a service area that includes Franklin, Leiper’s Fork, Arrington, Brentwood, Chapel Hill, and Nolensville.

"Everything we do is custom,” emphasizes Nesbit, who is called upon to make arrangements for everything from parties, grand openings, banquets, and meetings, not to mention rehearsal dinners, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, and every other type of special occasion.

“We do not pre-make anything; it must be ordered first,” she continues. “We don’t even pre-make a dozen roses for Valentine’s Day. They are ordered, and then they are done. If you make them and let them sit, they age, and we do not want them to age.” 

Nesbit has also made a commitment to being as environmentally friendly as possible. It’s an effort that includes using fluorescent light bulbs and Energy Star®-rated coolers in her studio.

“We also compost every stem and we recycle everything we can,” she says, referring to plastics, metal, glass and paper. 

That said, Nesbit also does gift baskets with food or pampering items—for anniversaries or birthdays and for people in the hospital. 

“Stuffed animals and balloons are popular, too, as are chocolates for Valentine’s Day,” she adds. 

Nesbit is also proud of retaining customers for decades on end, helping them celebrate momentous occasions as they move through life.  

"Having been in business for 35 years, we have done graduation flowers, first date flowers, wedding flowers, first baby flowers, and all the way up through funerals. We have been with many customers through their entire lives,” says Nesbit, before noting that she has already crossed off one of the items on her bucket list, having done flowers for Dolly Parton.

"Now I need a new bucket list item," she says with a laugh.

Meanwhile, she also anticipates bringing a new partner into the business sometime in the next five years. 

"That way, I can progress into my golden years, and my partner can eventually take over. I can’t continue to do this forever,” she says, even as she has maintained the same level of passion for her work as when she first started. 

“I love it, and if I didn’t love it, I’d get out,” she concludes. 

CONTACT

Cheryl's Flowers & Gifts

615-491-4710

https://cherylsflowersfranklin.com/