Many Graces Flower Shop opening at Thorne’s Marketplace in Northampton, all products grown on Hadley farms

Many Graces, a flower shop that grows its products on Hadley farmland, is opening on the first floor of Thornes Marketplace.

The shop will host a soft opening from Feb. 1 to Feb. 14 and a grand opening on March 1.

“We can grow so many things that you could never find in traditional retail stores,” Rebecca Maillet, who founded the shop in 2018 said. “I’m looking forward to letting people see the real wealth of beauty that is possible to generate from our landscape.”

Many Graces will offer a year-round flower subscriptions, botanical décor, cut flowers, houseplants, dried flowers, centerpieces, dahlia tubers that can be planted by local gardeners and dried-flower terrariums. They also do wedding and event design consultation.

“We are looking forward to connecting to the community in a way that we have yet to have the opportunity to do. We’re looking forward to having a daily face in the community and being able to talk to people about what is involved in our work and showcase how abundant our products are,” Kel Komenda, managing director for Many Graces said.

The shop, which previously only operated as an online store, offers over 250 varieties of specialty cut flowers.

“We planted 12,000 specialty tulips in the fall, so people should be getting excited about that,” Komenda said. “I didn’t really think a tulip was an interesting flower, but the kind that Rebecca grows are mind-blowing and can get to three feet tall.

Products are grown on eight and a half acres of land in Hadley. The owner prides the store on farming according to organic certification practices. This means they rotate where they plant on different fields to restore them before they plant again.

Maillet’s love for flowers also a personal connection.

When she was a child, Maillet and her mother ventured into the woods to find unique plants, crafting them into centerpieces. This passion continued while she was serving as the primary caregiver for a friend with cancer.

“Flowers really were a balm to the difficulties of that time,” Maillet said. “They were the little beings that gave us beauty and hope and joy in what was an inherently difficult time. After Ruth passed away, I found myself gravitating toward flowers to stay close to her.”

Maillet expects to employ a team of 10-12 staff members this season for jobs including farming, retail and events like weddings. Komenda specifically noted they hope to communicate what it means to be a small business with young staff and continue to support the local economy. Those interested in employment can learn more on their website.

“Our success so far is reflective of all the hearts — mine and Kel’s and our staff members’ — and also, perhaps most importantly, the enthusiasm and support of the community,” Maillet said. “We’re really excited to be in Thornes because we’ll get more facetime with the community that has already lifted us up so much in the last four years. We’re excited to be more present.”