The Woman In Front of the Flowers
An Interview With Ed Moore Owner Lydia Mary
By Erin Vanderberg
This is the 32nd year that Lydia Mary and her crew at Ed Moore Florist will be designing floral arrangements for the annual Park Hill Home Tour. Mary bought the florist shop at 6101 E. Colfax Ave. from Ed Moore – who also provided arrangements to the Home Tour for many years. The several decades of giving back to Park Hill with fabulous floral creations is a record of sorts – and Mary describes her support for the neightborhood in the following Q&A.
Greater Park Hill News: Who is Ed Moore and who is Lydia?
Lydia Mary: Ed Moore is whom I bought the business from. He and his wife owned and operated it for 25 years before me. When they bought it, it was called Jack Ball Florist. Jack Ball built the building in 1948, and ran the shop until Ed Moore bought it and changed the name. I worked for Ed and his wife Huldah for two and a half years before they offered the business to me. They wanted to retire and thought I was the perfect candidate.
GPHN: What brought you to the business of flower arrangement?
Lydia Mary: It was my first job in high school when I was 15. The flower shop was on the corner of my street. My mom was taking me around the neighborhood helping me look for an after-school job and he hired us both. She was hired as bookkeeper and I was hired as janitor.
Between picking up dog poop and cleaning toilets, I learned floral design.
GPHN: Do you see the homes the arrangements will be placed in before the Home Tour?
Lydia Mary: Yes we make an appointment with the homeowners and decide where the best places are to show off our flowers.
GPHN: Why the desire to be involved for so many years with the Park Hill Home Tour? Are there other events like this you’re involved with, or are we special?
Lydia Mary: We are the longest running florist in Park Hill, and we have fun being creative. I like to support the neighborhood. I have done other events here and there, but being the florist for the tour for 36 years is record breaking. The first couple years I was working for Ed Moore, we had competition – Harolds, Michael Jultak, City Floral, Newberry Brothers – we split the houses. They all dropped out after a few years, but we have stayed strong. We’ve done other tours, including the Parade of Homes, etc., but this one is in our ‘hood.
GPHN: Who all can we thank in your shop for their decades of support?
Lydia Mary: I am the Lone Ranger, and have had designers come and go. My sister has been my support for almost the whole time; she manages the shop and runs it like I do when I am away. She does everything, except floral design … she has a lot on her plate to take care of, but has no interest in design. I have sucked her in a few times, but really, only a few.