After more than two decades and countless celebrations, Dania de Wit still does a jolly jive every time she gets to work her floral magic.
It all started with a plastic ice cream tub doubling as a cash register on a steel table under an umbrella.
As the town’s beloved flower girl, Dania spills the petals on how her passion for flowers grew from humble beginnings. Dania de Wit was only 12 years old when her dad (aka superhero) opened a retail nursery… later called Colour Country Nursery.
“The nursery was opened on our farm in Krugersdorp. So, I just remember the whole fam constantly looking out the house windows to see if we had a customer. It wasn’t long before the nursery became successful and soon enough got nicknamed the R1 Nursery because that’s what my dad sold a lot of the plants for.
“I was very involved with the nursery from the get-go. As children, we were never allowed to ‘do nothing’. So, on Sundays after church, my dad used to host flower-arranging competitions for the family. We had to use flowers from the garden and my dad would be the judge. He also got us planting all kinds of seeds after dinners, and he always made it so much fun for us.”
Needless to say, the seed was planted, and Dania pretty much lived in the nursery during her teen years. So, when the owner of the nursery’s flower shop (which was separate at the time) closed its doors within months of opening, 19-year-old Dania, who had just become a single mom, saw it as the perfect opportunity to step up and take on the challenge. And boy did she own it … winning Sanlam’s Business Achiever of the Year award barely five years in.
Since then, Dania’s flower shop has been her main gig, pride and joy … but she’s also hustled on the side. She’s been her dad’s rental agent, lent a hand at his production farm and nursery, and even started her own wedding décor company, and guesthouse – which snagged LekkeSlaap’s award for the Top Place to Stay in Joburg back in 2016, by the way!
As a mom of two, Dania had a lot to juggle… but what goes up, must come down, right? In 2018 she had a mini-stroke. So, she scaled down… sold the nursery and let go of the guesthouse to focus on the flower shop. Then came Covid.
“Although life stood still in other industries, it went on in the flower business. I knew I had to find a way to provide for my family. And so I plucked flowers from my garden (and later even the neighbour’s garden) to be able to make flower arrangements for funerals. I just couldn’t let my customers down.”
And, it’s exactly this kind of can-do attitude that helped Colour Country Flora through its most challenging times. But, unfortunately, life’s garden wasn’t all roses from there. Even though Dania’s flower shop managed to weather the storm of the pandemic, her parents, sadly, didn’t make it. It was hands down the toughest time in her life. Luckily, anyone who knows Dania, knows that when life knocks her down seven times, she’ll get back up eight.
Today, she just loves pouring herself into her new flower shop… going to flower markets, maintaining personal relationships with customers and making sure everything runs smoothly. She also prides herself in knowing her customers.
“Over the past 25 years, I have come to learn exactly which flowers someone would like based on the colour of their hair, their haircut and the way they dress and speak.
“I always try to reflect someone’s personality and style in their flower arrangements. I see flowers as God’s art and he gave us so much to choose from. And so each person can find a piece of themselves in His creation.”
Behind the petals and stems, Dania is a self-confessed neat freak. When she’s not at the shop, you’ll most probably find her at home, rearranging her cupboards and decluttering as much as she can. Because a clear space equals a clear mind, right?
She also loves spending time with her children, grandchild, family and friends. And, perhaps even surprising them with a special culinary delight here and there. In fact, her hidden talents bloom like a well-tended garden too… from baking cakes (but only for her granddaughter, Lia) to offering sage advice to those in need.
For Dania, success isn’t measured in wealth, but in the happiness of her children, the warmth of family, and the beauty of a life lived passionately.
Details: Follow @Colour Country Flora and @Wedding Décor Designs on Facebook
Seven things a flower wholesaler wants you to know
• Cut-flower prices change daily. They are bought by flower agents (like me) at an electronic auction every morning. The price depends on the availability of the specific flower and demand thereof that specific day or week.
About 400 flower agents across the country go to the Multiflora flower auction which starts at 7am each morning. We sit in an auditorium room with four electronic clocks in front of us. Trolleys filled with flowers from around 600 growers from all around the county are then pushed through the auction room for us to see and (very quickly) bid on. All we have is a small computer, a buy button and earphones. There’s no time to send customers prices of flowers and everything is sold very quickly. So, if you’ve missed something, you’ve missed it. Around one million stems of cut flowers are sold daily on this flower auction.
• Flower prices are never the same. It all depends on whether the flower is in season or not. If you get a price for a specific flower from one supplier in January and another price from a different supplier in June, the difference might vary greatly. The best approach is to compare supplier prices within the same week.
• This makes it very difficult for us to quote in advance. That’s why florists will only be able to give you estimated prices in advance, and the actual price on the day. One tip I’d give to customers is to never give the same big order of a scarce flower to more than one supplier. This will increase your price as two flower agents will be bidding on your order.
• The cut flower that has the most unpredictable price and on which we can never give you a guesstimate would be the Gypsophila (Baby’s breath) which is very popular at the moment. Some weeks it will be R45 and other weeks R200.
• Brides just love their King Proteas, which are in season during September. You will then find lots of King proteas everywhere and they can cost you as little as R35 each. But if you buy the same King protea in March it can cost you about R 200 a stem. Most other proteas are in full season in April.
• Customers always want to put flowers in ice water. This is a myth. Luke warm water is much better for your flowers and will make them absorb water much easier than ice water. • Always cut at least 2cm to 5cm off the ends before you place your flowers in water. Oh, and don’t forget to keep the water clean.
Text: ALANICKA LOTRIET. • Photographer: Silvermount Studios – Photography and Videography • Make-up & hair: Polished Makeup & Hair Artist • Venue: Cradle Valley Guesthouse.
