There are times, perhaps rare, when an old interest from childhood returns and becomes a new love, then a vocation. That’s what happened in the life of Carmen Shirey Wood, owner of Wood Floral Design, a new business in Rome, Georgia. Initially, floristry was not her intended career; using her master’s degree, she taught special education at Model High School for ten years.
After she and her husband, Scott, a financial advisor, had their son, Huxley (the first of three boys), she left her teaching job and stayed home with him. But her love for floral design remained, waiting in the wings for her attention. Then, when the time was right, she was ready.
Just like grandmother did it
In the age-old tradition of learning a trade from a senior family member, Wood got her first exposure to floristry through her maternal grandmother, Gaynell Tucker. “For twenty-five years, my grandmother did floral design from a little shop at her house,” Wood says, “and she did a lot of weddings. I was fascinated with everything about it.” Tucker, who was trained and certified by the American Floral Society, also taught floral design at some of the local colleges, like Floyd College (now Georgia Highlands College) and Dalton State. Her granddaughter would go with her after school when she taught night classes. “That’s where I learned how to do this. She could do anything, and she was great teacher—still is!”
Before deciding to start her own business, Wood arranged the flowers for her own wedding. She enjoyed it so much, she did the same for her sister’s wedding. A third wedding finally did the trick: her babysitter’s. “After I did the flowers for our babysitter’s wedding, I realized how much I loved it, and that was it. I had to start this business.” So, in the summer of 2021, she launched Wood Floral Design.
Gaynell Tucker, who at 91 years old still takes a walk every day, no longer works in the industry but continues to be an ongoing help to Wood. She’s always available to give advice and encouragement. “For instance, when I first started this business,” Wood says, “the one thing I was still unsure of is how to make beautiful bows. Bows are a big part of what I do, so I had to get it right, so I went to my grandmother, and she taught me what I needed to know.”