12 AUGUST 2025 CAMELBACK FLOWERSHOP camelbackflowershop.com If flowers offer a visual journey, few embody that spirit more than Teresa Wilson. The longtime Arcadia resident and owner of Camelback Flowershop blends her roots with a global mindset, sourcing blooms and accessories from Italy, the Netherlands, Sauvie Island, and Mexico City, where she often travels with her fiancé. “We go for the art, inspiration, and food,” she shared. One of Teresa’s greatest joys in running her business is traveling with intention. She meets growers and creators firsthand and brings that experience home to enrich her customers’ lives. Teresa trained at an immersive floral atelier in Paris, earning admission after honing her language skills by listening to tapes on her Walkman. She completed three months in the studio and three months apprenticing before returning to Phoenix to launch her business. Starting small, she hand-delivered arrangements and gradually built Camelback Flowershop into a thriving studio. “The way I run my business, the way I build relationships, is always based on how I would want to be treated, and how I’d want flowers in my own home,” she said. Supporting small growers, such as Whipstone Farms in Paulsen, Arizona, is her passion. “I did a massive four-year deep dive about 15 years ago because I didn’t want to buy flowers that had been sitting in someone else’s cooler. I wanted quality, direct from the farm to my customer,” she said. One of Teresa’s favorite arrangements combines metal, produce, and flowers, though she ultimately relies on instinct to guide her creative choices. “Art is a bridge to people. But once you cross that bridge, then what? It’s all about giving,” she said. “That’s the heart of everything we do: give, give, give. And flowers play a special role in that.” FLOWERS BY MEL flowersbymelarcadia.com While some arrangements seem almost untouchable in their grandeur, one florist has carved out a creative path from her home studio, offering stylish designs for life’s events, big or small. A dinner party shifted Melissa Heinrichs’ career from reading specialist to floral design, and now, Flowers by Mel has become a go-to for holidays, baby showers, celebrations, and everyday arrangements. “The whole idea began after I tablescaped a friend’s birthday dinner,” she explained. “His wife, a locally known photographer, tagged me in a couple of photos, and that’s where the idea took off.” Soon, people began asking for help with their holiday tables, and the word spread. She began juggling teaching part-time, raising her children, and floral work. Eventually, she leaped into a full-time design career. “It felt like a now-or-never situation,” she said, “and I haven’t looked back.” Melissa’s goal: to offer design-forward arrangements that were still attainable. She credits working from home for proving that a storefront isn’t essential. “For a long time, I thought I needed one to feel legit,” she said. “But my in-home studio gives me, as a small business owner and full-time mom of three, a great quality of life.” Describing her design style as emotional and bespoke, Melissa enjoys mixing high- and low-priced flowers to create arrangements that are both expressive and enduring. Most orders are “Designer’s Choice,” giving customers room to guide the look while trusting her instincts. Flowers by Mel also offers hands-on arranging classes that bring people together to create, connect, and celebrate everything from birthdays to baby showers. Melissa feels deeply rooted in her Arcadian community and in giving back. Her motto, “We do life together,” is a testament to the strength of that connection. NOVAPETAL FLOWER LAB floweraz.com If Camelback Flowershop is inspired by art and travel, Novapetal Flower Lab is its emotive, Instagrammable counterpart. The Biltmore-Arcadia studio, led by husband-and-wife team Olga and Anthony Sheppard, is renowned for its luxurious florals and special fondness for the peony. Starting from a dream and working in a garage studio, Olga and Anthony brought their European and American heritages together to create something new in the market that they felt was missing. “We started NovaPetal in a single apartment garage – just like Steve Jobs!” Olga said. “From those early days, we were committed to creating floral designs that feel like art: expressive, architectural, and emotionally resonant.” One of the studio’s signature techniques is the European spiral, a method of building arrangements that is carried across every design, imparting structure and flow. This method allows them to create lush, naturally balanced arrangements for daily orders and wedding florals to an upcoming subscription service. The peony, long a symbol of romance, prosperity, and even bashfulness, is at the heart of Novapetal’s aesthetic. These hearty plants, some of which are known to survive for as long as 100 years, have blooms ranging from white and cream to blush pink, rose, and deep red. Most florists source peonies in the spring and early summer; however, Novapetal’s strong relationships enable them to source globally and maintain a consistent supply. “Offering peonies year-round is part of our commitment to bringing beauty without seasonal limits,” Anthony said. “We’ve built partnerships with specialty growers across the globe – from Chile to New Zealand, Japan to Holland – depending on the season,” Olga added. The Sheppards’ combined strengths and creative team bring European artistry and American efficiency to deliver a truly deluxe experience. Bloomin’August Three area florists who help add some color to the desert By Sherry Sklar I n Phoenix, August brings peak heat fatigue and wilted gardens. Monsoon rains may or may not arrive, and residents seek ways to alleviate the most stifling of seasons. For those unable to escape to higher elevations or cooler climes, sanctuary can be found not just in air conditioning, but in the form, fragrance, and color of a bouquet. In Arcadia, the artistry of these floral designers brings something distinct to the table: elevated artistry and globally sourced accessories, luxury and symbolism through rare blooms, and approachable creativity shaped by an artist’s improvisational eye. FLOWERS BY MEL FLOWERS BY MEL of a bouquet. In Arcadia, the artistry of these floral designers brings something distinct to the table: improvisational eye.

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