A new flower shop has opened in Sarasota with a provocative name.
The Naked Florist, at 425
Central Ave., is owned by Roger Capote, a transplant from Miami.
"I love the art here," says Capote. Sarasota lends
itself to artwork. The florists in town are very traditional and I'm
not at all. I'm a pretty provocative guy. I like to stir the pot. I use
only organic flowers, and I thought, organic, naked: The Naked Florist."
Capote says he uses a very selective array of
organic flowers. He became committed to organics after learning what
pesticides do to the flower farmers who grow them for the floral
industry.
"When farmers in other countries farm
these flowers, the pesticides they use are harmful to them. If they
were to pick the flowers without these special gloves they wear, the
chemicals would actually burn the skin right off their hands.
"It's all about being environmentally conscious,"
Capote continues. "I compost all the trimmings from my designs. All the
glass is recycled glass, the candles I sell are organic. My store is 95
percent organic."
Aside from his commitment to
organic living, Capote loves what he does. "I don't like to call myself a
florist," he says. "I play and work with flowers. I have too much fun
doing what I do. It's innovative design. They're unique. I like to tell
people, 'It's everything you've ever wanted but nothing you've ever seen
before.' ''
"I was born and raised in Miami, and
it's all about the 'wow' factor there. I wanted to bring a little bit of
that to Sarasota."
Writer:
Missy KavanaughSource:
Roger Capote, The Naked Florist
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