Alamo Plants and Petals
Keeping 78209 Bedecked in Florals since 1978
By Elizabeth Bobbitt | Photography by Lynn Yao
Walking through the double doors of Alamo Plants & Petals, festooned with wreaths of yellow ribbons and pink roses, customers are met with a riot of creamy orchid blooms, lemon trees, blue hydrangeas, and desert succulents.
For owner AnnMarie Dylla, the store is a testament to her family’s legacy in 78209.
“I grew up in the flower shop. On sick days as a little kid, I would lay on a mat behind my Mom’s desk, and on Valentine’s Day, my brother and I delivered flowers door-to-door. At Christmas time, we would sit for hours and hours looking for burnt-out bulbs in our Christmas trees,” AnnMarie says.
When AnnMarie’s mother, longtime owner Sue Paciocco, decided to retire and sell the shop, AnnMarie made the midlife decision to transition from her career as a nursing-home manager to learn the flower business. In 2017, AnnMarie officially bought the store from her mother.
“There is nobody in San Antonio that provides full-service like we do, from the showroom to the custom silk flowers, the weddings, the daily arrangements, and the corporate events. I absolutely love my work here. We are involved in some of the most important days of our customers’ lives, whether it’s a wedding, a new baby, or a funeral. Our job is to make sure those important days are beautiful and memorable for our clients,” AnnMarie says.
While Alamo Plants & Petals boasts an award-winning design team nationally recognized by the American Institute of Floral Designers, it is the long-standing relationships between AnnMarie and her customers that ensure the store’s reputation for providing floral arrangements and gift services as unique as each client.
“When we go to market, we shop for specific customers. I know the particular type of Thai orchid that our regulars like, and we keep track of clients’ special occasions in case they forget to put in their orders. If it’s Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or an anniversary, we’ve got them covered. We even know which customers are allergic to lilies and who dislikes red roses,” AnnMarie says.
“We have designed arrangements for brides in the past, who now bring their daughters and granddaughters to us when they get married. It makes us feel like we are an ongoing part of these families’ celebrations,” manager Chelsea Seevers says.
According to AnnMarie, the secret to the shop’s dedicated clientele lies in maintaining the services and values that her mother established at Alamo Plants & Petals almost fifty years ago.
“Why fix something that isn’t broken?” AnnMarie says. “We focus on providing personalized customer service and an excellent quality of plants and flowers.”
Approaching 50 Years at Alamo Plants & Petals
Since its founding, Alamo Plants & Petals has been a mainstay of 78209’s community of neighborhood businesses.
“We are starting to outgrow our current location, but we will not move out of the ’09 area. All of our clients are here. They have been so loyal to us, and we will stay loyal to them,” AnnMarie says.
“We have a house style, and we don’t want to grow so big that we become a mass-produced flower shop. We know our clients, and they know us, and that is really a result of being a part of the neighborhood for so long,” Chelsea says.
The shop’s dedication to staying local is reflected in the staying power of their employees.
“Our Head Designer, Manuel Heredia, trained under my mother, and he has stayed with us for 32 years. We are a family here, ” AnnMarie says.
Apart from their signature designs for weddings and corporate events, the shop offers a range of services of which even the most dedicated of customers may be unaware. In-home, holiday design services (including Fiesta decorations) are available, from fresh-flower or silk arrangements to festive wreaths. As the shop gears up for the fall season, gift baskets, candy bouquets, pumpkin scapes, and Halloween trees are available or currently on display in the showroom.
“We carry everything from birds of paradise to peonies. Tell us your vision, and we will bring it to life,” AnnMarie says.
To learn more about Alamo Plants & Petals visit Instagram: @alamoplantspetals
