At Bloom Trust Co (our sister company), we’ve expanded our mission to Flower with Purpose by offering grants to community members who are actively working in their own communities to use flowers as a tool for change, support, encouragement, and educational advancement. We’re excited to introduce you to the Spring 2025 Flowering with Purpose Grant recipient — Janelle ‘Janie’ Gerestein, owner of Flowers by Janie! Here’s her story…in her words.

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In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when the majority of our weddings had been postponed or canceled, I decided to pivot and bring the beauty of flowers directly to people’s homes. I began offering online floral workshops, delivering flowers and vases to doors across Calgary and surrounding towns. While our business faced significant challenges, I knew there were others, especially charities, who were struggling even more. That realization led to the birth of Flowering With Purpose—a commitment to donating a portion of our workshop sales to both local and international charities that we support.

The Flowers by Janie Team (none of this would be possible without them!)

The move toward intentionally Flowering with Purpose remains a part of all we do today even as weddings, events, and workshops have moved back to in-person events post-Covid. We feel strongly about donating a portion of our workshop sales to local and international charities.

Fast forward to 2022, when Deane House, a beloved Calgary restaurant and event venue, invited me to provide flowers for their annual fundraising garden party, Rosé & Croquet. I was honoured to contribute to this beautiful event supporting YW Calgary, an organization dedicated to helping those experiencing domestic violence, advocating for mental health, and empowering women’s economic prosperity. YW Calgary provides housing and shelter to 100 women in transitional housing and 20 mothers and children in their shelter, making their work vital to the community.

Since 2022, we have proudly provided floral arrangements for the Rosé & Croquet event. Guests purchase centerpieces, with the proceeds directly benefiting YW Calgary. Additionally, after the event, guests are invited to take some of the installation florals home. This year’s event raised $260,000 for the important work YW Calgary is doing!

In 2024, we expanded our efforts by offering a special service to our full-service wedding clients. Those who hire us for takedown services can now opt to have their flowers donated to YW Calgary at no additional cost. Since we’re already on-site dismantling floral installations, this initiative allows us to repurpose beautiful blooms. The YW has provided bud vases for each woman, and when we deliver the flowers, the residents come down to select their favorite stems and arrange them in their own vases, creating a moment of connection and creativity.

Janelle Gerestein (Flowers by Janie) with her husband Oscar Lima (Castaño Films)

I am beyond grateful to Amy and Joel McGee, along with the team at Bloom Trust Co. and Botanical Brouhaha, for selecting me as their inaugural Flowering With Purpose Grant recipient for Spring 2025! With these generous funds, I was able to donate a private floral design workshop in partnership with Deane House, which was auctioned off at this year’s Rosé & Croquet event and added over $1600 to the final proceeds. The winning bidder will enjoy afternoon tea, flowers, and creativity with friends, with all proceeds supporting YW Calgary. This year’s fundraising efforts will directly benefit YW Calgary’s Women’s Economic Prosperity (WEP) programs, which help women turn business ideas into successful ventures, develop entrepreneurial skills, and scale their businesses.

In addition to the auctioned workshop, we are excited to use part of the grant money to expand our donation services for wedding clients who may not have the budget for takedown fees. Our team will now offer to collect and repurpose wedding flowers for YW Calgary, ensuring that more women and staff can experience the joy of fresh flowers.

Thank you, Amy and Joel, for your generosity and vision, and for helping us continue to Flower With Purpose. I hope our story inspires more florists to find ways to give back to their communities, however big or small. Together, we can spread joy—one bloom at a time.

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Thanks for helping us think outside the box to discover unique ways we can use our flower businesses to impact our communities, Janie. We’re grateful for you!

All images courtesy of Tara Whittaker Photography from Rosé & Croquet 2025

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If you’d like to hear more about the important work Flowers by Janie is doing in Calgary, listen to our full podcast interview with Janie!