Flowers. We've all sent or received them at some point in our lives. They are the go-to gift for any occasion, whether it be a birthday, new baby, anniversary or, well, just because.
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But this customary gesture goes beyond simply spreading the love – that's something that Vanessa Conlin discovered last year when she embarked on her new business venture, online florist Posies by Ness.
"When I started Posies by Ness I found that, for the most part, women were sending other women flowers just to say 'You're a great person', 'You're doing a really good job' or 'Thinking of you' – not for a milestone or anything but just to empower each other," she says.
"We are telling other women that they're awesome and it just makes me so unbelievably happy to be able to share something like this."
Each weekday morning, Ness creates a limited number of beautiful posies from the freshest flowers available and delivers them throughout Canberra and Queanbeyan for just $28 each. No two posies are the same and at a click of a button you can send a surprise arrangement to a loved one.
Ness has no formal floristry training, just a passion for delivering joy. In fact, she spent 10 years at university trying to figure out what her calling was before starting Posies by Ness. Nutritionist, biologist, science teacher, pharmacist – you name it, she's tried it.
"One of my passions is actually stand up comedy. I love making people happy, and I think that's why I love delivering flowers to people, because it brings so much happiness," she says.
On any given day you can catch Ness zipping around the city, delivering bundles of colour to homes and workplaces throughout the city.
"Canberra has a reputation for having such a sterile environment and what I love is that a lot of my posies are going into government buildings, brightening up the day of public servants," she says.
Each flower arrangement is handpicked every day, and wrapped in the business' signature craft paper and hessian fabric. Ness then adds the finishing touches with a hand-written tag and Posies by Ness stamp.
"I really love taking the time to write the tags. I never want to lose that personal touch," she says.
"It's not about a grand box of flowers. What I do is inexpensive, and that's a plus for sure, but that's not what matters – it's about the thought.
"I don't always remember the details of each tag but I remember the feeling, and I think that in itself is a very powerful message."
