EUGENE — Behind the punch-colored door of 1229 West 7th, Tabitha “Taby” Phifer, a Springfield resident and founder and owner of Flowers by Taby at 1229 W. 7th Ave. in Eugene, is adorning bouquets in cellophane and ribbon.
Stamped across the front in pale blue script are the words, “I believe good things happen every day,” a motto Phifer embodies and hopes to pass along to Eugene and Springfield residents on the Society of American Florists’ Petal it Forward Day.
On Oct. 16, members of the floral industry will team up to distribute bouquets and singular flowers to passersby, hoping that one will be kept and the other will be passed on to someone else.
For nine years, thousands of participants have emerged from all 50 states, embodying the spirit of random acts of kindness.
Above, Tabitha ‘Taby’ Phifer, Eugene florist, and Chronicle reporter Lauren Englet demonstrate an act of “Petaling it Forward.” BOB WILLIAMS / CHRONICLE PHOTO
“There’s no strings, there’s no memberships. It’s just to be nice,” Phifer said. “Having a day where we can all try and pitch in to do that, especially now, to bring more joy into our Springfield-Eugene area, I want to get us on the map for positive and not negative. I want to start the spark, and hopefully, it will start igniting with businesses too.”
“I hope it just brings a little positivity,” Phifer said. “Even the recipients that get it will be like, ‘Oh my gosh, this person just gave me this thing of flowers.’ And it’ll hopefully be more of a chain reaction. We don’t have to be kind just on Petal it Forward. We can be kind 365 days a year, but this is just a starting point.”
Phifer’s passion for floral arrangements was sparked several years ago through a course at the Flower Market in Springfield. A garage workshop later led to a brick-and-mortar storefront last summer. The accountant-turned-full-time florist commemorated the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“My favorite part of my day-to-day routine is designing the floral arrangements. I do gift baskets too, so when I do the custom gift baskets for real estate agents, I get to get specialty items to put in there,” Phifer said. “I’m very detail-oriented and creative. I like to think outside of the box. My little logo is ‘No cookie cutter flowers here!’ because I don’t make cookie cutter arrangements.”
Additionally, Phifer hosts kokedama classes, teaching participants how to create a unique way to display growing plants through a centuries-old Japanese art technique.
As Petal it Forward nears, Phifer asks that participants and recipients utilize #PetalItForward on Instagram on Oct. 16, assisting the Society of American Florists in determining the total number of partakers nationwide.
“I love the Willamette Valley, and I think it’s just a great avenue to share love. And I love that I get to have my shop here now so that people can come and say hi,” Phifer said.
Residents interested in participating in the festivities can reach Phifer at her storefront or via phone at 541-285-2598. She is also accepting monetary donations before the 16th to offset the cost of purchasing materials for the event. Learn more about the Petal it Forward event at safnow.org/petalitforward
