Twigs celebrates 35 years of fresh florals, silk stems, and home decor
Ashley Casselman-Johnston came on board as general manager of Twigs in 2021 and then bought the business in 2022. “The previous owner approached me and said she felt like I was meant to be the next mother of Twigs,” Casselman-Johnston says. “I had such a heart for the business, as soon as the opportunity came up, I knew I had to make it happen.”
She works to maintain the qualities that have been the hallmarks of the business for 35 years while also keeping up with the latest trends in floral design, silk flowers, and home goods. She often attends industry markets a year in advance so she and her team can stock the 7,500-square-foot space with the latest items. As the new seasonal displays were being arranged, we checked in with her on what’s in store for spring.
Q&A with Twigs GM Ashley Casselman-Johnston
You do fresh floral plus home items. What makes up the bulk of your business?
Fresh floral is about 50 percent and home is 50 percent. Home includes silk arrangements and items people use to decorate their homes, including tablescapes and seasonal products. In fresh floral, we do lots of everyday arrangements plus special occasions: birthdays, celebrations of life, weddings. We participate in so many aspects of our customers’ lives.
What do you expect people to be looking for in fresh arrangements this spring?
It really varies depending on the occasion. We see trends come and go. For spring, there are a lot of softer color palettes, and then in summer, there is lots of color. We definitely see a lean toward monochromatic looks for tablescapes and arrangements. A lot more people want to repeat the same flower, maybe just hydrangea instead of a mix of hydrangea, rose and snapdragon.
Do people consult with you on home designs?
We are here to offer opinions. A lot of customers look to us for advice, but others have a specific vision, and they can play around at our stem bar. Everyone on our team has extensive training and can help envision an end design.
Any wedding trends you’ve spotted?
For weddings, we’ve seen floral lapels, which is new. The groom’s flowers go all the way down the lapel. Many brides want blush shades, but we also see some rich color palettes.
What about the growing sector of silk flowers?
The silk industry is doing very well. Silk arrangements are great for decorating mantels, and even with Christmas trees, people have been working silk stems in. The silk wreaths are just phenomenal: magnolia, pittosporum, or ivy leaf wreaths, and we can accent it with stems and bows.
What are some top sellers for you on the home side?
Paper placemats are always good sellers for us, and ribbons. We do a lot of sales in bows. We make the bows, and we just charge for the ribbon. Customers can really update their curb appeal without a huge investment. So if they have a beautiful silk wreath they bought here, that might last 10 years, and they can update it each season with a simple bow. It can give the exterior of their house new life.
When do you see the biggest surge in fresh flower orders?
Valentine’s Day is the biggest, and Mother’s Day is just after. We can do a quick turnaround—we get a lot of bailouts (last-minute orders), and we are happy to do them with same-day delivery. We never use third-party order gatherers. All of the phone calls are taken by us; it’s always a team member.
