POCATELLO — Being able to stop and smell the roses on a regular basis is a perk florist L.D. Wolfley lives for.

    The entrepreneur is in the middle of celebrating 25 years in business. He is hosting a holiday open house at his shop, Flowers By L.D., this Friday from 5-9 p.m. and the following day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 715 N. Main St.

    “The open house is a tradition I started the first year we opened. It’s a chance to see what the new trends and styles are for the upcoming holiday season,” Wolfley explains. “I look forward to it each year. It’s a chance for me to see all of my friends and family.”

    Wolfley first started building bouquets when he was 12-years-old.

    “We had a death in the family. That’s how I was initially exposed to the industry,” Wolfley says. “Not too long after that, I started working at a local shop.”

    In 1987, Wolfley bought a florist shop located at 822 N. Main St. and changed the name to Flowers By L.D. The move to his current location occurred in 1999.

    Currently, ten people are on staff, and additional employees are hired during the holiday season.

    “I work with such a great staff. I couldn’t do all of this without them. We are like family,” Wolfley comments. “A couple of my employees have been with me for over a decade.”

    Flower shipments arrive at the shop 3-4 times a week, on average.

    “I still get excited over flowers,” Wolfley states. “Roses and lilies are most popular. But, with the advent of the Internet, we can order any type of flower all 12 months out of the year.”

    Valentine’s Day is the florist shop’s busiest day of the year, followed by the month of December, according to Wolfley.

    “We are not a ‘cookie cutter’ florist,” Wolfley says. “We take stock of what is the freshest, and what we have that’s in season. Custom designs are really what we’re known for. No two bouquets are the same.”

    The 57-year-old also sells plants and decorative gifts at his shop. For a fee, he also decorates businesses and houses for all occasions.

    “I feel very blessed to have this talent and to have been able to use it all these years,” Wolfley concludes. “Some of my fondest memories here have to do with customer interactions. You are there for them when it comes to their special wedding day. And, in some cases, are there for them again when a loved one passes on.”

    For more information visit www.flowersbyld.net or dial (208) 232-5476.