As you pull open the door at 312 Hay St., the noise of downtown Fayetteville fades away. A fresh, vegetative scent wafts towards you. Roses, carnations and peonies perfume the air.
A smiling woman greets you with a friendly “Hi! Welcome!”
You’ve just entered Floral Oasis, Fayetteville’s newest boutique flower shop, and the brainchild of local entrepreneur Savannah Nelson.
Since November 2024, Floral Oasis and its owner Savannah Nelson have been serving up bouquets of fresh flowers and bundles of dried florals to the Fayetteville community.
Floral Oasis sets itself apart with its interactive approach to floral design. The build-your-own bouquet method of the shop lets flower-seekers pick the perfect single stems to create their own personal arrangements.
The experience encourages people to slow down and think intentionally, one bloom at a time.
The shop, with its vibrant green and blue mural, selection of thrifted vases, and tables for arranging the perfect bouquet, feels more like a creative studio than a retail space. It offers a quirky, creative place that’s rooted in community connection.
From office to owner
After earning an undergraduate degree in criminology from Virginia Tech in 2020, Nelson found her way to the Washington, D.C., area, before ultimately landing in Fayetteville. She described the transition from the hustle of city life to the slower pace of Fayetteville as quite the adjustment, but she always loved the local downtown district.
By day, Nelson works a full-time office job, and she felt that she was lacking a creative outlet.
“I just felt like I really needed to add some color back in,” Nelson said.
She explained that she had always believed an interactive flower shop would work in Fayetteville, and that the local community deserved places that offer the chance to do something new.
With so much of the area being tailored to the military community, she decided to open up what she considers to be the antithesis of her criminology degree and government work: a vibrant and modern flower shop.
Inside her downtown shop, Nelson works on fulfilling orders. Credit: James Throssel / CityView
Floral Oasis invites customers to hand-pick their own flowers and create personalized arrangements. Credit: James Throssel / CityViewFlowers for all
Behind the dreamy flowers and sweet scents, Floral Oasis is also making some serious moves in the name of sustainability. Different from more traditional florists, who sometimes rely on chemically treated blooms, floral foam and other single-use products, Nelson is determined to keep her shop as green as the stems she sells.
Florists will often use bleach and other chemicals in their vases to prevent bacteria or algae growth around the base of flower stems and keep the water clear. In a world that is quickly becoming more intentional about the chemicals we keep around us, Floral Oasis offers a more natural alternative.
“We compost as much of the flower waste as we can,” she said. Flower waste can include things like cut stems, leaves, stray petals and flowers that have spoiled or wilted. Nelson explained that they try to be as foam-free as possible and she wants to keep the flowers themselves as natural as she can. She steers away from the use of chemicals in her arrangements whenever possible, and repurposes flowers she doesn’t feel good about selling by drying or pressing them.
The shop goes a step further, often sourcing thrifted vases to hold the carefully chosen bouquets. This practice cuts down on waste and overconsumption. Thrifting vases keeps glass and ceramics out of the landfills and gives them a new home, proudly displaying your stems at the kitchen table.
Nelson said that florists are everywhere, and they’re usually operated in a very traditional way. The sustainability practices at Floral Oasis are filling a gap in the local market, offering Fayetteville a new, more sustainable and more holistic way to enjoy their favorite seasonal flowers.
“I think we’re right at the cusp of a new floral era,” Nelson told CityView. “A more organic design and florists wanting to be more eco-friendly.”
Another big aim for Floral Oasis is making flowers an accessible treat for everyone. Floral Oasis is able to offer sweet-smelling arrangements to the community at reasonable rates by providing thrifted, reusable vases at affordable prices and by being mindful about the stock of flowers they keep. A luxury no more, these are flowers for all.
Tulips, tariffs and tough decisions
Recently, the floral industry, like many others, is facing challenges. Proposed federal tariffs on imported flowers could hit the industry and the affordability of certain varieties. Flowers like roses and carnations, for example, are often sourced from Latin and South American countries, according to The Washington Post.
Tariffs on Ecuador and Colombia, two of the largest floral exporters to the United States, are already raising concerns among florists nationwide. About 80% of the country’s cut flowers are grown outside the U.S., as reported by The Washington Post in mid February, and these tariffs would significantly hike the price and hinder accessibility.
Beyond the blooms, vases and other vessels that hold the freshly chosen bouquets could see a spike in price. In April, The New York Post reported that China leads glass production globally, and the U.S. imported about $2.98 billion in Chinese glassware in 2024, according to Trading Economics.
In early April, the Trump administration announced many countries that import goods into the U.S. would face a 10% “baseline” tariff , as well as a range of other higher tariffs imposed on about 60 countries in addition to this baseline rate, according to BBC. These tariff announcements spurred a number of countries, including China, to introduce retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., with American tariffs on Chinese goods reaching as high as 145%.
Just a few hours after his announcement, Trump announced that there would be a 90-day pause on these higher tariffs, but did not roll back the 10% rate.
Consumers could see prices skyrocket if foreign importers and the Trump administration fail to make a new deal before the end of the 90-day pause. With the cost of imports rising to unfathomable highs, those sweet bouquets and their vessels could get a whole lot more costly.
These potential impacts, though they would be felt by Floral Oasis and other floral shops in the area, could also change things in some interesting — and hyper-local — ways.
Alisha Ingram, the manager of Floral Oasis, wraps a bouquet, including flowers she grew herself. Credit: James Throssel / CityView
Alisha Ingram, manager of Floral Oasis and a flower farmer herself, told CityView that changes in the wholesale price of certain flowers and vessels could cause the industry to try to source more from local suppliers.
“If we see those changes being made, then we will pivot ourselves and go with more local flower farmers,” Ingram said. “There is a way for us to change things.”
She also explained that because flower farmers around the Fayetteville area grow in open fields, the variety of flowers that are available would become much more seasonal, as only certain varieties will successfully grow in open fields during their seasons.
“It’s awesome because you can get your flowers according to what’s actually growing,” she said.
In good times and bad
Events like gender reveals and weddings are popular moments for floral arrangements, but what surprised Nelson the most in her first six months?
Flowers for funerals.
“We opened not really knowing if we were going to get into the funeral space or not,” she said. “But that’s honestly, maybe, been the most meaningful thing.”
She said that crafting funeral arrangements feels like a beautiful way to help people in their time of need, and Ingram feels the same.
“To be a part of someone’s hard time, as well, has really been amazing,” Ingram said. “To be able to help honor a deceased loved one has been really impactful.”
Ingram noted that, whatever the occasion, the shop seems to have the perfect flowers. Happening to be stocked up with blue flowers on the day a customer needed a bouquet for a gender reveal, Ingram explained, felt like a moment that was meant to be.
Nelson believes in the impactful nature of flowers for all of life’s moments, whether they are decor for a desk or a meaningful gift to a loved one. She told CityView that she thinks consumers aren’t used to being creatively involved with their purchases. That’s part of what makes her shop stand out among the other options. From hand-selecting the stems to deciding on the perfect ribbon as a finishing touch, customers are involved from start to finish.
Ingram helps a customer create an arrangement to gift to their former coworker. Credit: James Throssel / CityView
Among the Hay Street storefronts, Floral Oasis distinguishes itself with a mission rooted in community and sustainability. Credit: James Throssel / CityView
“I think it’s so meaningful when people gift flowers to other people,” Nelson said. “They can say, ‘I actually built this for you, and thought of you when I picked out each one of these flowers.’”
The act of giving flowers is deeply personal, and by allowing customers creative freedom to find the perfect stems, Floral Oasis ensures it stays that way, in good times or bad.
A dream in bloom
Running a small business is never easy, especially in its first year, while battling an unpredictable economy.
“It’s been very scary because you just don’t know what is going to happen any given day,” Nelson admitted.
Regardless of fear, she keeps charging forward.
“The community response has been amazing,” Nelson said. She added that the connection to Fayetteville’s local community and the daily chats she gets to have with visitors to the shop have been some of the most rewarding parts of this new endeavor.
So, what’s next for Floral Oasis?
Nelson hopes to create more community relationships and collaboration, telling CityView that she would like to do events at places like nursing homes and anywhere she feels she can give back to the community more.
She aims to bring the color of life that she has found through the shop to Fayetteville and its people.
As downtown Fayetteville continues to evolve, Floral Oasis shows what’s possible when creativity meets collaboration. It’s a place where florals aren’t just pretty, they’re personal, sustainable and rooted in community.
So, next time you’re wandering downtown, follow your nose. There’s a little oasis waiting for you on Hay Street.
Read CityView Magazine’s “Downtown” June 2025 e-edition here.