Stephanie Spear Tucked away in a Chantilly office park is a portal to another world. It’s not Narnia but it’s close – Metro Flower Market is an explosion of colors and textures. Located at 4151 Lafayette Center Drive in Chantilly, this floral wholesaler is open to the public to purchase florals, greenery, and items such as vases. The team offers floral arranging classes with a different theme every month. Read on for more about Metro Flower Market, a hidden gem in Chantilly.
About Metro Flower Market
The market is a wholesaler, which means it sources flowers, plants, greenery and more from growers and greenhouses. Metro Flower Market imports blooms from around the world in addition to locally grown items. While the main customer base is florists and event designers, members of the general public can shop there too.
The market was founded by Margaret Fleegal as a way to expand her floral business’s opportunities. The store started in the Twinbrook Shopping Center on Guinea Road in Fairfax in 1994 and was called Twinbrook Floral Design. As the business grew, it changed spaces within the shopping center until there was nothing that would really work for the business’s expanding needs. Over time, the events portion of the business had grown, meaning that inventory for weddings, parties, corporate events, and other special orders was now taking up space in the shop. And, with a larger volume of florals and other equipment being moved in and out of the shop constantly, the physical dynamics of the business were changing as well.
By now, Margaret was running the business with her daughters Tricia and Amy. They explored the idea of becoming a wholesaler, which would mean more immediate access to wholesale supplies, a bigger network of suppliers, and the ability to purchase supplies directly. In 2018, the team took the plunge, moving into its current space in Chantilly and formally establishing the three businesses: Metro Flower Market, Twinbrook Floral Design, and Twinbrook Weddings and Events.
The Chantilly warehouse is a hive of activity: even though three independent businesses exist under the same roof, all of the staff work together and collaborate on ideas. At the heart of it all is the enormous refrigerated storage space for the flowers, which arrive daily from all over the world.
Metro Flower Market sells hard goods such as vases, candles, planters, and other decorative accents making it a one-stop-shop for a truly incredible floral design. The team frequently mixes up the store displays to reflect the changing seasons, and it’s always inspiring to see what they come up with. For example, in springtime, several of the displays featured mini bird nests with artificial eggs.
Twinbrook Floral Design is a full-service florist: arrangements for holidays and other special occasions can be ordered. The team can provide floral arrangements for weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies.
Flower Arranging Classes
Each month, the team offers a flower arranging class around a different theme. Themes have ranged from a color (blues), to music (disco-inspired), to a single flower (dahlia). Other themes have been around Mother’s Day and holiday wreath-making, which are two that are quick to sell out.
The classes are set up on the long workbenches in the market, and each student arrives at a workstation stocked with all of the materials needed to make the arrangement. Florals, any wire or tape, greenery, a vessel, and any accessories will be provided. Students need to bring their own clippers or purchase them on-site before the class.
A designer leads the class through the assembly of the arrangement, sharing floral design knowledge along the way. At the end of the class, which ranges from 60 to 90 minutes, each student goes home with his or her own pro-level arrangement.
Metro Flower Market is open Monday through Friday from 7AM to 4PM, and Saturdays from 7AM to 2PM.
https://www.facebook.com/metroflowermarket/
https://www.instagram.com/metroflowermarket/
