As real Vermonters know all too well, spring comes in two waves: First, “false spring,” tempting those who don’t know better than to put their winter clothes back in storage. But then — as we were reminded this past weekend — a few inches of snow extinguishes those hopes. During this waiting period before true spring arrives, it can be nice to make spring happen indoors. For almost 88 years, Cole’s Flowers has sought to do exactly that, selling bouquets and arrangements for an array of events in Middlebury year-round.
Since opening at 104 North Pleasant Street in 1937, Cole’s has moved locations a few times. Paula Cole has been a fourth-generation owner of the company, now located at 418 Creek Road, since 2005. With the business having traversed from the hands of her great-grandfather to her grandfather’s and then to her parents’, it seems that a love for selling florals runs in the family.
“When I was growing up, I didn’t want to be in this business,” Cole said in an interview with The Campus. “So I went off and did my own thing, and then as a young adult, I decided to try working for them to see if I liked it — and yeah, I loved it. I love the creativity, and learning about the flowers and different varieties.”
She so greatly enjoyed working at the business, that when her parents closed the store in the fall of 2005, she reopened it just two months later on MacIntyre Lane, where it stayed until moving to its current location just this past November. With the exception of major holidays like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, and the help of some year-round delivery drivers, Cole answers the phone, processes the flowers and designs every arrangement herself.
In making the store her own, Cole has had to adapt to an online world that her parents did not have to navigate. She estimates that half of her orders are now online rather than over the phone, and she is taking a class on social media advertising in order to best adapt to the technologically advancing business conditions of the time.
When Cole’s Flowers was founded, the flowers were grown in on-site greenhouses — but now, Paula orders from several different wholesalers in South America, California, Canada, Europe and, in the summer, a local grower. Although customers can order any of the pre-designed arrangements pictured on the website, it is also possible to order more personalized ensembles for any occasion.
“I find with funerals that customers want something specific even more, because they want something to represent the person that passed,” Paula said. “They’ll want to incorporate a personal item, or a favorite color or flower, and I have to figure out the mechanics.”
A more general request — like “something springy” — gives Paula some more room to experiment with types of flowers, foliage, and size, making spring in her own image.
Noor Khan '28 (she/her) is a Layout Editor and Contributing Writer.
Noor is majoring in history with a minor in French. Outside of The Campus, she works as a tour guide for Middlebury College Admissions. She is originally from London, England, and now lives in the Bay Area in California. Noor enjoys reading, hiking, and boba.
