Art blossoms at Everett florist’s
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, June 15, 2006
In this quick, quick world, when we need to have a bouquet delivered, it’s easy to call an 800-number or go to a Web site and get the job done.
But for those who appreciate the special touch of a local florist, or enjoy a magical laugh, there’s Rene Munar at The Flower Studio at 1317 Hewitt Ave. in Everett.
A friend told me he was the best. Said I had to meet him. When a coworker was in the hospital, I got the job of ordering flowers. It was a short walk to The Flower Studio, and Munar was as kind as could be. He knew our reporter and delivered the flowers himself.
Munar is an immigrant who made good and sings the praises of his adopted land. Four of his seven siblings joined him when he came to the United States from the Philippines 30 years ago.
“Coming here, to a different culture, was a strange feeling,” Munar, 66, said. “I didn’t bring anything.”
He is much too modest. He packed light for America, he said, but brought along merchandising and sales expertise gleaned from owning a gift shop in his native city.
The fine arts student wanted to be an architect but hated math. He helped a friend who owned a flower shop to deliver arrangements to the Philippines’ former first lady, Imelda Marcos, famous for a vast shoe collection and her “Steel Butterfly” nickname.
“When she said something, everyone listened,” Munar said.
He listened when he trained to design gorgeous bouquets. Thanks to his expertise, customers remain loyal, he said. He did decorations for the second wedding of a 92-year-old friend.
Life for the single fellow sounds busy. Weekends he often works weddings and funerals. Sundays might find him arranging displays for a restaurant reception.
His specialty is tropical flowers.
Every Saturday, a fragrant order is shipped from Hawaii. Other flowers arrive from Canada and Ecuador each week. For the past nine years, he has been asked to display at the annual Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle.
Munar is enjoying a trend, decorating wedding cakes with real flowers. Gently arranging fresh roses, hand-studded with rhinestones, on frosting, is another way he spends many a Saturday afternoon.
Solie Funeral Home works with several local florists. Office manager Kathy Oberg said one time, a family brought in a homemade casket “blanket” of blooms and it fell apart. They frantically called Munar, and he arrived in the knick of time, fixed the blossoms and produced a professional-looking arrangement.
“He didn’t charge the family or us,” Oberg said. “We will never forget him for doing that.”
Oberg said she enjoys his quiet personality, accented by his cute laugh.
“He is wonderful,” she said. “He does the most beautiful work.”
After a great wedding, families sometimes send thank-you notes. After one ceremony in Kirkland, the customer brought him a piece of the cake.
Tributes such as that speak to his dedication. Except for a one-week trip to Reno, Nev., to visit a sister, he rarely closes shop. He has never journeyed back to the Philippines. His life is here, he said, with his family.
Regular customer Howie Bargreen of Everett said the community is lucky to have Munar’s talent in town.
“When we send flowers, people often take pictures (of the arrangements) and send them back to us,” Bargreen said. “They say ‘Thank you, thank you’ and say how beautiful the flowers are.”
It takes an artist’s hand to mix textures and colors.
“Tell me what you want,” Munar said, “but don’t tell me how to do it.”
When my friend recently got married, she asked Munar to do the bouquet, but never specified colors. It arrived at the ceremony accented with red roses. My friend coincidentally wore a red gown.
“People say to me, ‘Do your magic,’ ” Munar said.
Our community is richer for his talent.
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.
