When Rian Rosado took a college marketing class a dozen years ago, she had an assignment to build a marketing campaign for a business.
She chose a flower shop and completed the project. Little did she know, the idea she planted with that homework assignment for her class at the University of California at Santa Barbara had already rooted in the back of her mind. She’d grown up in the Sonoran desert in Arizona and had never gardened, but she dreamed of growing flowers and becoming a florist.
“That became my back pocket dream,” she said.
After college, she had a 15-year career in marketing for big accounts, helping to promote and sell other people’s passions.
The idea grew slowly, when she moved back to Phoenix and planted her own flower garden there, and later moved to Denver. Then she met her partner, Kyle, who lived in Telluride, and they moved to Log Hill Mesa and had their daughter, Bella, who is now 2.
It continued to grow when Kyle excavated a garden space for her, where she planted perennials and learned to grow beautiful flowers at 8,000 feet. They’ve already expanded the garden twice to make room for more blooms.
When she heard the greenhouse at The Old Firehouse in Ridgway was available to rent, she saw it as a sign from the universe that it was time. She started San Juan Blooms, opening it in the upstairs space in late August, and her longtime plan became real.
“This definitely was a passion project turned into a full-fledged career,” she said.
Rian Rosado opened San Juan Blooms in the greenhouse space upstairs at the Old Firehouse in Ridgway.
Erin McIntyre – Ouray County Plaindealer
Now, Rosado is a 36-year-old entrepreneur growing her business into the greenhouse space, where she not only designs and sells flower arrangements but also offers houseplants and beautiful accessories.
The greenhouse has been transformed into a transparent oasis, with flowers cascading down hydroponic towers. Inside, it’s verdant and lush, ripe with possibility for future bouquets.
In the summer, she sources flowers from farms in the region, including Fowler Flower Farm and Down Valley Flowers. But in the winter, she relies on her own grow towers in the greenhouse to add a local touch to bouquets.
Just as the flowers outdoors are drooping from frost, she’s growing trailing amaranth, bright and cheery calendula, fragrant sweet peas and vibrant zinnias in the greenhouse. She plans to keep the flowers growing in the hydroponic towers through the winter, while starting seeds for other flowers planned for upcoming weddings and other events.
She describes her style as “wild and whimsical” but can design custom arrangements for all kinds of occasions — from farmhouse bouquets to traditional roses and elegant calla lilies for weddings.
But her favorite is when customers choose a price point and trust her to create an arrangement, calling it “designer’s choice.” This option gives Rosado the best chance to show off her creative flair and use the freshest and most beautiful flowers she has available that day.
Not only does she have fresh flowers available year-round, Rosado also has a unique and welcoming space to host events.
San Juan Blooms will also use its greenhouse space to host holiday pop-up events and creative workshops, including a “meet the maker” series for local businesses, as well as yoga.
The shop is located upstairs at 185 N.
Lena St., and it’s open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday. San Juan Blooms is only open for deliveries on Wednesdays, including flower subscription pickups. The greenhouse space is not open for tours, but anyone picking up an order or making a purchase is welcome to look around.
Customers can place orders by calling 970-814-0708 through the sanjuanblooms. com website, with same-day delivery for Ridgway and Ouray addresses for orders placed before 2 p.m. and next-day delivery for Telluride. Details on flower subscriptions are available at sanjuanblooms.com.
