On the last Tuesday of February, 11 Black women gather at Blossoms Florist in Reading for the early spring session of Blossoms Floral Academy.
Ranging from late 20s to middle age, they include a health equity consultant; a director of a recreation center; a schoolteacher; a marketing and advertising specialist; and others. Some have experience with wedding and event planning. One is allergic to flowers.
“You’re not here just to make flowers for yourself,” the instructor, Carol Ruffin, tells the class. Her fervent wish is that these women will take the skills they’ll learn into the community.
The weekly hands-on classes are held at Carol’s business, Blossoms Florist, one of only three Black-owned floral shops in Greater Cincinnati. As she nears retirement, Carol wants to see more Black people in her profession. She applied for and received Black Empowerment Works grants from United Way of Greater Cincinnati so she could share her knowledge with people who might one day become florists.
This day, class members will create tropical floral arrangements using bird-of-paradise, Fuji mums, anthurium, roses and greenery. They learn how to quickly strip thorns from the roses, then they practice techniques to open the petals. Carol also demonstrates how to run a fingernail along the edge of a bird-of-paradise to open the flower fully.
“Those look so nice, ladies,” Carol says as the arrangements near completion.
But it’s a different story the following week when the theme is boutonnieres and wrist corsages. Carol begins by demonstrating how to make a bow for a corsage. She forms a loop with ribbon, pinches it with her fingers, twists it, makes another loop. Within seconds, she has a perfect bow.
“Ms. Carol would have made 17 of these in the time it takes me to make one,” says Nadine Greenslade. The 37-year-old schoolteacher has known Carol for years, helped her with the BEW grant application, and often assists with class set-up. “My fingers hurt, and I still don’t have a bow.”
The class moves on to wrist corsages. They must not flop around or slide up or down a wrist, Carol insists. Unfortunately, when the class finishes their corsages, there’s plenty of flopping and sliding.
“I struggled,” Nadine says as the class ends. She’s not the only one.
“I want you to get it right,” Carol tells the class. “I don’t want to pretend something is good when it’s not.” And so the next week, they again practice making bows and corsages.
If they need motivation, they can glance at signs sprinkled around the shop: It always seems impossible until it’s done, one says. If you can dream it, you can do it, says another.
For 29-year-old Tyra Elton, who works in marketing and advertising, making a bow is a slow, deliberate process. When Carol points out that a florist might make dozens of bows for one job, Tyra lets out a sigh. “Oh,” she says.
Once the corsages are finished, the women fasten them to their wrists. Then with Carol observing closely, they wave their arms around. Every corsage stays firmly in place.
“I’m very pleased with this week’s progress,” she says.
But there’s much more to learn.
This story is part of a five-part series by United Way of Greater Cincinnati about Carol Ruffin, the owner of Blossoms Florist.
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This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 10, 2024.