With this feature series, The Cullman Tribune is highlighting everyday individuals all around Cullman County who make our community a great place. #IAmCullman
CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman Florist has been a go-to for all occasions since 1966. The business is owned by Terry and Annette McHan and managed by Carla Fussell, who always goes above and beyond to make sure everything is perfect for her customers. The Tribune stopped by the shop to learn more about Carla and her love for people and flowers.
Carla, who was born in Decatur, said, “We were a military family so we moved around and I moved back when I was about 23.”
Carla said she has always enjoyed being outside and spending time gardening in the yard, but the florist business would come later in life.
“I was a teacher for 12 years when I first moved back,” she said. “I switched and started working for the McHans, doing their office work for their businesses, and then I came over here to manage the florist for them.”
Carla taught Kindergarten through sixth grade at St. Paul’s.
“I taught P.E., library, history, all that,” she said.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in Nebraska before obtaining a master’s degree in history from the University of Alabama.
“With the master’s degree history,” she added, “it includes sixth grade, which is what I taught at St. Paul’s. I liked that age a lot.”
Carla said she taught the McHan children and established a friendship with the family.
“All of my friends left there (St. Paul’s) to teach other places. I left there and started working for the McHans. They needed an office manager,” she said.
When Carla became the manager of the florist, she began attending classes on floral arrangements.
“We take classes in Atlanta. We go to all kinds of educational opportunities in Nashville-anywhere close by. We’ve been to D.C. and Chicago and we just try to learn new things, new techniques and what’s current,” she smiled.
Carla said right now the hot things in floral arranging are hoop weddings and Bohemian style, explaining, “Wildflower-looking, more than the nice tight arrangement. People like airy right now and plants. Plants are hot.”
When asked about her favorite part of the job, the answer was easy.
“Meeting the people that come in,” she laughed. “We have a lot of regulars, people who come in every month. Many of the different people for the different occasions. We are there for the happy times and the sad times. My favorite part is funeral work or sympathy work. It’s the last tribute they can give to their loved one or that someone else can give to your loved one. We try to get their sentiment and try to put it into an arrangement or some type of design.”
Carla said some of the more unique sympathy arrangements have included a fedora, a guitar, an 18-wheeler and a baseball.
From Valentine’s Day through early June is the busiest time of the year for Carla and the staff at Cullman Florist. With prom season in full swing, she is busy getting everything ready for the many orders. Decoration, spring weddings, Mother’s Day and graduations will keep the orders rolling in, and Carla said she loves being a part of it though she doesn’t get to see the recipients of the flowers too often.
“I don’t do a whole lot of delivering,” she smiled, “but the delivery people come back with stories and things.”
Carla said she enjoys helping people who come in looking for a gift for their loved ones, smiling, “We have a gentleman who comes in every month to get his wife a white, pink and a red rose. The past, the present and the future. Every month on the 7th, we have that ready for him.”
I asked her, “What happens if your wife or mom works at the florist?”
She laughed, “You just have to get with other people at the shop. We have mothers that work here and they will slip their order into someone else here.”
Cullman Florist carries gift items other than flowers and plants.
“We have a lot of art poles that are becoming very popular,” said Carla. “Also, art pots and FarmHouse Fresh products. We try to carry gift items other places don’t have.”
To help spread the happiness flowers can bring to more people in the Cullman community, Cullman Florist participates in Make Someone Smile and Petal It Forward events. In July, Carla and the staff delivered plants in bright smiley face mugs to residents at Folsom Center as part of Make Someone Smile.
“Petal It Forward, we give out, we usually pick a location and make 30-40 arrangements. We give somebody two and they have to give one to somebody else. It is fun and we have had some great stories out of that. We gave one to a lady and she said that she was about to go see her friend, who is terminal. She was going to give it to her. That was neat. One time we gave it to someone and it was her birthday so that was fun!” she explained.
Carla is the president of the Alabama chapter of Teleflora, which has a program in Mobile.
“We invite other florists to come and learn from a nationally-known person,” she said. “We try to get people from all over the state for that. We are also members of the Tennessee State Florist Association.”
Carla and the ladies have been invited to participate in the Rose Festival Parade in Portland, Oregon and the Rose Bowl Parade, but they didn’t attend. Although they consider it an honor to be invited, being away from Cullman and the people they have built relationships with is something they worry about.
“That’s why we like to be here and not be gone very often. When people do call, we want to be here to help them,” Stephanie Cook, floral designer, said.
Carla’s favorite flowers are tulips and hydrangeas.
“I like the newer carnations that are really coming out with new colors and styles,” she said. “We’ve been getting antique carnations and they are just a different kind of look.”
At home, she enjoys her day lilies, house plants and ferns.
Carla loves being able to serve and help the Cullman community during all of their special moments.
“The happy times, the sad times, all of them,” she said.
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