As Bangor Families Combine, A Business Of Blossoms Is Born

When two gals from Bangor got together recently, through the blending of two families, a new business began to blossom from their shared love of plants.

Jennifer Crane, who teaches Chemistry and Biology at Job Corps, and Emilia Rave, a 12-year-old 6th grader from Bangor met a few years ago when Emilia's dad and Crane started dating.

As the families grew together, the two learned that they had something unique in common; a shared love of plants.

Crane says that the interest for the both of them started at a young age, and was influenced by family.

"Emilia and I both got our love for plants at a young age.  Emilia gained her interest in plants from her dad and her grandmother, who also share a love for plants. My interest started at a young age when my mom started her large outdoor garden. She would recruit my siblings and I to help her weed, mulch, prune, and plant. My mom passed away last year and before I knew it, my classroom was full of plants. As I gained success with not only keeping plants alive but thriving, I was hooked."

When Crane and Emilia's dad decided to combine families, she says the two ladies decided to combine their shared green thumbs and cultivate some plants together.

"One day, early in 2024, we were checking our plants and propagations (cuttings of plants growing roots) and realized we had been successful with propagation. I mentioned to Emilia that we should start a business and sell some of these propagations.  And just like that, Blossom Boutique Maine was born."

After attending their first craft fair this past March, Crane says the two realized that with as many plants as they were working on, they needed a space to set them up and eventually sell them.

"We quickly started running out of space in our home (our dining room is FULL of plants) and realized that we needed a space.  Space to grow and/or sell our plants. A friend tagged me on a post that Peacock Consignment had made on their Facebook page requesting someone to fill their closed-in sunroom during the summer, with plants. We reached out and met with them that day and our relationship with Peacock Consignment was established!"

"The next weekend we had our Grand Opening!  It was a great opening weekend!"

Rave says it was pretty cool to see all the people's responses to their Blossom Boutique of Maine plants.

"Whenever I see other people interested in the world of plants, it sparks a whole new level of excitement. Seeing the smiles on the people's faces as they pick up a plant that makes them happy makes me so much happier. I want the plants we sell at any location, to give people something to look forward to."

Crane says the duo will have their plants for sale at the Boutique (located just inside the Peacock Consignment Shop on South Main St. in Brewer)for several months to come.

"We will be there through the summer with new plants being added weekly. Our plants are available during Peacock Consignment’s hours (Monday- closed, Tuesday-Friday 10-6, Saturday and Sunday 10-3)."

"Many of our plants are propagated from our personal collection of plants, others are purchased from big box stores and split to make them more manageable for individuals, some are rescued and brought back to health and sold."

Crane and Rave say that along with their Boutique, they will have plants for sale at the Brewer River Walk Festival and a sidewalk festival in Bangor this summer. As an extension of their business, the pair also provides plants in need with a little TLC, Crane says.

"We also offer a service to help your plants that maybe aren’t doing so well.  We can take them off your hands or bring them through our recovery process (evaluating the needs of the plant like watering frequency, light requirements, size of the pot, condition of roots, signs of pests, etc) and then return them to you."

Rave says it's not just the plants that get a lot out of that process. She's been learning a lot, too.

"I love learning how to care for all of the plants that come into my home. Dealing with the different varieties helps me cope with all of the ups and downs that come along the way. From new leaves to insects and pests, everything is part of the process."

You can check out Blossom Boutique at their Brewer location, and follow their Facebook Page, by clicking here.