Petals Flower Trike
Summer in Bloom: Meet Jami Shirey of Petals Flower Trike
It was one of those extra warm and sunny early May days. I was walking around the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of downtown Lancaster when I first saw Petals Flower Trike—a small, colorfully painted cart with a bicycle attachment, overflowing with more fresh flowers than you can imagine. The flowers were wild, bright, and abundant. It felt as if I had stumbled upon this great moment of joy.
After speaking with Jami Shirey, the owner of Petals Flower Trike, for just a few minutes, you feel as if you’ve known her for a long time. Shirey bikes around Lancaster with her flower-filled cart, selling pre-arranged bouquets, loose stems, and (sometimes) truly stunning flower crowns. We knew that FLL readers could use a burst of happiness right now—and so we couldn’t wait to introduce you to Shirey and Petals Flower Trike.
Fine Living Lancaster (FLL): When did you start Petals Flower Trike?
Jami Shirey (JS): The last week of May 2020. So Summer 2021 is Petals Season Two.
FLL: How did you come up with the idea for Petals Flower Trike?
JS: I was living in a quaint little beach town, a block from the beach in the most special beach bungalow. A little oasis surrounded by trees and flowers and friends with surfboards. Two of those friends decided to get married at the beach, so I volunteered to help out with the flowers. This was about the 7th summer that I had lived at the beach. Through all of my comings and goings in and around all of the beach towns, to and from Philadelphia—and then later Lancaster—I knew of some special roadside stands and farmers markets where we could get plenty of wonderful flowers for a sweet price.
One day, post-wedding, we were all sitting around, and I said that I should really do something with all of these flower outlets I have now. Everyone chimed in with various ideas—bikes- trikes-baskets-carts-stands, and so on.
Then, onto names. What could it be called? Out of all the ideas floating around that day, the name for this imagined venture is what stuck. Petals with a T! (Knowing it was going to somehow involve a bike.) I give all the credit here to my partner. He could have a side business just coming up with punny names for businesses. He also found the trike itself; it was custom built and painted in Philadelphia.
Petals is one of those thousands of ideas you come up with sitting around on a sunny deck with your friends just after you've spent the day surfing. It’s one of those ideas you decide you're going to actually do. Because why not? There was nothing to lose. Only joy to be spread.
FLL: How can people find you when they're in need of flowers?
JS: I love how you phrased this question. Yes, we NEED flowers in our lives.
For now, I can be found by chance (which, by the way, are the dearest interactions to me). When someone happens to see me, knowing nothing of me or my trike, and then there we are with all of our special flowers—it makes their day and then, most likely, someone else's, too. Not to mention how my heart is filled up. Pure JOY!
People can also find me on Instagram — I post where I'm going to be.
FLL: What's your favorite part of selling flowers from a flower trike?
JS: I love when people get it. When they connect to the simplicity and joy. I have only had cheerful, heartfelt experiences and I am so grateful.
FLL: Do you run Petals Flower Trike full-time?
JS: Petals is seasonal. Personally, I wanted to become more in sync with the seasons, as well as support local flower farmers. So for now, I wait for blooms in the spring and am growing to cherish dahlia season, which is one of the flowers that signals the season is coming to a close. What a way to bow out. So humbled. Then, I shift into winter helping at Lemon Street Market in downtown Lancaster. (I keep some part-time hours during the summer, as well.) It's been a really nice balance.
FLL: I was so charmed by the small, hand-painted watercolors you attach to each of your pre-arranged bouquets. Would you tell me a bit about where that idea came from?
JS: The watercolors are a hit and it makes me so happy because I love making them. I'm not particularly good at painting. I just love to. I picked up a traveling set a few years ago and started making simple objects. Always inspired by the ocean, I started painting waves. I must have painted thousands of waves. It became a meditative watercoloring ritual.
Then it all fell into place. What shall I do with all of these? Oh yes, they can be part of Petals somehow, I thought. I painted for two summers while the trike was being custom built and painted.
Simply—it's something that I love to do. Sheepishly, I didn't care if folks liked it or not. Eventually you just start doing what you want to and like to, and hope someone else likes it, too. So, onto the bouquets they went. Each customer can pick out which watercolor they’d like; I keep them in an old card box. People love it!
FLL: The big question: Why do you do what you do?
JS: To spark joy. It is that simple. Kind of like that children’s book, The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. In my case, the flowers are the sparkly scales shared throughout Lancaster. Practice, as well. I say that Petals is a practice. A vehicle from which I get to face fears and learn lessons I have yet to learn. She has already been a great teacher!
By Madison Pontz
