I've been working on a project off and on with my friend Madison @madisonbickerton which is a map on all the suggestions everyone has basically given me on THEIR favorite hangout spots, THEIR places to be with their friends, and just about anything they wanted to share. I had these polls randomly on my Instagram story and I've taken note of every location. What's funny to me is that one day I just said "fuck it" and Elijah @elijahnoriega and I woke up at 7AM and drove from Palmview to Brownsville to record/see some of these places that were suggested. One of the suggested places was Bequita's Blooms & Botanicals and I've never been there until well recently. I loved just seeing the COWS when I pulled up! Seeing her store in the back along with the garden bed on the side. It was just so welcoming especially when Rebecca aka Bequita said "we also have homemade biscuits and coffee" and a biscuit was perfect after all that driving that day. This is also this week's feature @bequitas_blooms
We start by asking Bequita how long has she been here, running her store and how it's been for her as she says "I've been growing the flowers for 2 years and I've opened up this shop in July of 2022. It's been pretty cool especially getting people out here from Mcallen, Brownsville, and Edinburg. It's pretty neat to know that so many people are getting to experience this, not just Harlingen. It's cool." Elijah and I came from Palmview before stopping at 8 other places before Harlingen. Before this we were at Books N Things along with Carla Hughes Art Studio. We followed the directions and saw the sign. The COWS just pulled on my heart strings! Stepping foot inside Bequita's shop as music softly played and being surrounded by her crafts and flowers was just so nice. I want to go again.
What made Bequita want to open up a shop and why?
"I was living in Connecticut for a little while. I worked at a florist over there. There was a bunch of flower farms around and I just got inspired. I really didn't like the flower industry and just learning where flowers come from and how they are grown. It's just not good. Well I ended up losing my job and decided to come back home and start making flowers. What's funny is that this wasn't exactly the plan! I was just going to have this be my design studio for my flowers and then I thought about it being my shop! I wanted to have other local artisans have their items here too, from honey, and pottery for example. I thought to myself to just try it out and see how it goes." I really like the wall of cards and the flower bouquets inside the bottles (If Bequita needs beer bottles I will gladly help lol). It's always the unexpected, huh? You end up wanting to do one thing and next thing you know it's something else. A project is never the same from once you started it. I'm glad this change of plans turned this way for Bequita. It's quite lovely.
How would Bequita say her experience was before to now working with flowers?
"Oh! I have a connection with them now. I appreciate them a lot more and how they are grown, it's difficult. Especially trying to grow them organically because if a bug comes I'll spray them with water and soap. That's all about what I can really do, if the bugs gets them, they get em and y'know that's done for that crop. I have a lot of an appreciation for flowers, it's fun seeing all the insects on the flowers, the butterflies, the bees. It's just a part of the valley as well. It keeps the ecosystem growing." I actually don't know about the flower industry and that's something that we should be aware about. What exactly is ethical and not when it comes to flowers? As Bequita brought this up it really got me thinking. We know about the benefits of recyling, cleaning up, and second hand clothing, but flowers? That's interesting to know that the "flower industry" is well not good in the way flowers are "made". So places like Bequita's Blooms & Botanicals allow for a home grown bouquet that are loved just as much as the little bugs and the butterflies who live amongst them.
With her shop and just doing what she enjoys what could be said about her mission statement as she says "I'd like to have people just connect with the flowers again. To see how they are grown. We've lost that and I think it's important to know about seasonal flowers. Seasonal flowers and seasonal fruits, it's the same thing and we should appreciate them." I continue by asking what would would be a suggestion for people to connect with flowers as continues by "I'd say just go outside and start with wild flowers. Stop and see what's going around them. My next suggestion would be to buy some seeds and just plant them!" Recently, well last year I got given flowers for the first time from my friend C and it felt really nice. I'm so used to being the one giving flowers, but receiving them it's something different. It just hits DIFFERENT. I started seeing flowers differently. I started just stopping and looking at wild flowers. The colors and the different types have begun to fascinate me. I may not have a green thumb, but I do have a garden in Animal Crossing.
P.S "Every Saturday my mom bakes biscuits!"
Any final comments?
"Feel free to stop by!"
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