West Side Stories: Country Florist

Kristine Yoder, owner. Jena Stopczynski / ABC57

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Situated on the corner of Sample Street and Mayflower Road, just off the west end of the bypass, is Country Florist, a hidden gem of the west side that offers a year-round oasis of flowers, plants and friendly faces.

Originally home to Flowers by Don, the store became Country Florist under the leadership of the current owner, Kristine Yoder’s mom, who purchased the building in 2005.

Yoder bought the building from her mom in 2020 after years of working under her leadership. For her, inheriting the shop just made sense.

"The more I worked here, the more I loved it,” Yoder said. “It just kind of fell into place, and I’m so happy I did it because it’s a wonderful, wonderful business.”

Since then, Country Florist has been, quite literally, in bloom. 

The business is a jack of all trades in the floral world, lending their services to weddings and events and offering build-your-own bouquets and team-crafted arrangements at their brick-and-mortar store. Yoder and her team have a little bit of everything for amateurs and connoisseurs alike, keeping up with the trends without losing the core of their vision. 

“As the trends change, so does your style,” Yoder said. “But ours has always been very organic. So it's just, it’s kind of like a timeless kind of thing. So we’re very non-traditional.”

In the age of social media and do-it-yourself projects, the world of floral arrangements has shifted in response. Structured bouquets and predictable colors have given way to unexpected blooms and ornate forms.

Country Florist leans into this new look, highlighting organic shapes and textures that give arrangements that fresh-cut feel previously only found in roadside bouquets.

“We don’t want all of these formed, perfect things, we want to feel like the imperfections are what make it unusual and unique,” Yoder said.

The store caters to that too, opting for light wood and crisp white walls that allow the product to take center stage, no matter the season or style.

I told Yoder that with this shift in trends, I’ve seen an increase in younger people becoming interested in flowers. She agrees, and believes the shop bodes well with that crowd, especially those who want an experience, not just a bouquet.

"Bringing in the more young, youthful vibes has definitely brought in a whole other generation for us, another generation of buyers, and people who just want to come and look and sit and enjoy the space.”

Country Florist sources much of their fresh product from local farmers, and the types of flowers they get depend on what’s in season.

Of course, Michiana winters aren’t ideal for successful crops, so the team also buys from other countries whose climates are more sustainable for a wider variety of plants.

Another way the team keeps the store stocked in the colder months is by incorporating evergreen plants into the mix, like boxwood, white pine and spruce. The constant rotation of in-season flowers keeps the store new and fresh.

Right now, the store offers private workshops to make your own bouquet and frequently switches out its inventory of pots and décor depending on the time of year. The shop’s flower camper also hits the road during warmer months, bringing blooms to customers across Michiana.

Over the next few months, Yoder hopes to bring more foot traffic into the store and to the west side overall. Customers can soon expect more build-your-own bouquet opportunities and grab-and-go, pre-arranged options available each day at the store.

Despite those changes, Country Florist is still available for weddings, events and private parties, whether in-store or at a customers’ home.

When it comes down to it, Yoder hopes customers who stop in can sip a coffee, stroll around and enjoy the environment Country Florist provides, one that feels worlds different from the day-to-day hustle of traffic, meetings and time commitments.

“You come in here and it’s like you're somewhere completely different, we’re in a different city right now. That’s us.”

Click here to learn more about Country Florist and the services they offer.

And click here to read all our West Side Stories.