By Quinta Goines

As a young boy Gerald Dix was surrounded by flowers and nature through his dad being a sharecropper, the yard behind his house being filled with rows of roses and his mom, who was known for her green thumb that could change a weed into a flower. Now, he is the owner of Brandi’s Flowers and Events.

Brandi’s Flowers and Events opened on June 25 in Downtown Troy to provide a need to the city and keep Dix in an environment that he loves.

“I have been around flowers my whole life, so I decided to open the store because the other flower shop downtown closed,” Dix said. “And I have a plant and interiorscaping background so it was the perfect fit,” Dix said.

Dix dedicates his start in the flower business to Bobbi Croswell the owner of the Floral Boutique.

“My mom and Ms. Croswell were good friends and nurses together, and I started working with her 35 years ago dealing with flowers and plants,” Dix said.

Dix has also worked in Atlanta at Total Plants as an event coordinator and in plant maintenance. That involvement has served as an inspiration for the store.

Dix wants to use the sense of community and progressiveness Troy has to offer paired with the upscale environments that he has worked in together to cater to the needs of those looking for flowers or wanting to put on a nice event.

The inspiration behind the name of Brandi’s Flowers and Events came from Dix’s great niece.

“Brandi has been my little friend since she was 3 years old,” Dix said. “And growing up she has just been a good kid. All through school she has done an excellent job and she received a full scholarship to Ohio State University. This is my way of congratulating her and letting her know I am proud of her.”

Dix wants shoppers and residents of the community to know that Brandi’s Flowers and Events is just not a place to spend money.

“My mission here is to provide a relaxing environment to anybody that comes through the doors,” he said. “We have enough space here for 49 people, so if someone wants to have a book club meeting or have some type of event we can meet their needs.”

Dix said it is important for people to know that live flowers are great for healing and rejuvenation in addition to beautification. “So my goal through this business is to spread love through flowers.”

Nix did a complete renovation on the inside of the building in eight weeks to prepare for the open house event that took place June 25.

“I came in, redid the floors, painted and did a full transformation of this place in time for my church bishop to come in and bless it when he was passing through Troy.”

Brandi’s Flowers is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Downtown Troy.