As Norma Folkeard and Jeanne Verstegen bid farewell to their Petal Pushers flower shop on Stayner's Main Street, they wish to express their gratitude to the people of Stayner and surrounding area who've been their loyal customers for 15 years.

The two are easing into retirement to spend more time with their families as they gradually turn over the shop to Shannon (Cox) Greer.

The official take-over day for Greer was Oct. 15 but she has been working with Folkeard and Verstegen on and off over the summer and the two plan to assist Greer for a few weeks until she gets on her feet.

"I've always loved flowers." Greer said.

Once she got the notion to buy the flower shop, "I pestered them for two and a half years. It just worked out this year."

Greer had worked at Honda in Alliston for over 11 years before taking a buyout package from them in June.

Well known as an Energizer bunny type, Greer is a single parent of two young boys, Cameron, 4 and Brody, 2, and she's also a real estate agent.

Folkeard and Verstegen, both natives to the area, went to school in New Lowell. They later moved to Stayner and became friends as young mothers with children. When their children were in their teens, they began to think of going into business.

"We worked as volunteers and didn't get paid, so we started a business and still didn't know if we'd get paid," quipped Verstegen."

As for the name, Verstegen said, "we saw it somewhere and thought it was cool."

"We thought of other names but kept going back to it," said Folkeard. "It says what we do."

"And what we've been doing for 15 years now," Verstegen added.

The women took on quite a challenge as they were not taking over an existing floral shop. There was another one in town and there had been two at one time.

Verstegen had previous experience in a floral shop and Folkeard had worked in retail but not in the flower business.

Greer and the previous owners had all taken the Introduction to Floral Design at the University of Guelph, offered through Flowers Canada.

Petal Pushers opened in September 1994 and "we had a very successful Christmas," the local community being very supportive from the beginning.

"We always thought 10 years would be wonderful and it became 15" said Folkeard.

Of their notable experiences in the shop, Verstegen quipped, "we should write a book." Their recollections drew a picture of how flowers mark the occasions of life.

"We've seen a lot of little people grow up," Folkeard said. "We've done flowers for their Grade 8 graduation, the high school prom, their wedding and then for their children. We're with them in their sad and happy times, their best and worst times."

We've had young men who've given us too much information," Verstegen laughed, recalling a time when she was thinking, "I knew you as a little boy. I don't really want to know what you're planning to do with those rose petals."

One of their enclosure cards has a picture of a man in a doghouse, which, they said, is quite popular. One fellow felt he had earned a free bouquet since he has used that one quite frequently.

Knowing what flowers to order and how many is always a challenge. "A crystal ball would be a wonderful thing," Folkeard said, "but we have fresh flower deliveries almost daily and with a little notice, we can get almost anything anyone could want."

                         .