Adding a touch of baby’s breath to the bright mix of carnations and chrysanthemums, owner of Eau Gallie Florist Alexis Johnsten looks over a fresh floral arrangement created at her store to be delivered for the latest occasion. Johnsten has owned the family-operated business for nearly fifty years, providing floral gifts to the Melbourne community for anniversaries, weddings, and other events.
“Eau Gallie Florist was initially in the building next door,” Johnsten said. “In the 50s, the people that originally opened it lived in [the house next to the store]. It was a tiny little business. We bought their business, Eau Gallie Florist, in 1976; it was already a flower shop. Then when this building became empty, we bought it and have been in this building since ‘88.”
Johnsten said that the idea for buying Eau Gallie Florist stemmed from her husband, Link Johnsten.
“My husband and I started it and he passed away nine years ago, but this was his vision,” Johnsten said. “He wanted to have a flower shop that had cool things in it and art and the garden. So all of that was his plan and I’ve kind of just moved it forward since he passed away. We had actually a huge argument over it because I was like ‘We can’t afford that. We have little kids, a mortgage and cars, etc.’ He just kept on it until finally I caved and said ‘fine, do it.’ And it was a good idea because after all these years it’s appreciated pretty well and stood the test of time.”
Johnsten said that the florist shop building has been reliable but has become outdated over time.
“It’s a solid building and made it through hurricanes and all kinds of stuff, but it is 100 years old, so it’s constant repair,” Johnsten said. “Nothing in it is up-to-date, electricity and all. It’s a lot of work to keep the store going.”
Johnsten was born and raised in Eau Gallie. She says she has watched the area develop since she was young, and she has especially seen changes to the area in recent years.
“In the 70s it was pretty empty down here,” Johnsten said. “The Eau Gallie Arts District wasn’t formed until 2000. Everything, all of the new stuff that you see, is relatively new. I’d say the past five years, we’ve seen a lot of activity.”
