Alesha Palmer is
quite possibly the most cheerful person in Portland. Her faithful
customers know her as Ms. Blossom, Little Dynamo, Magnolia
Mistress and Goddess of Exuberance. Since 1995, she's spread
her joy to the multitudes from the Pioneer Flowers cart at
Southwest 5th Avenue and Morrison Street.
Willamette Week: What do the words "flower power"
mean to you?
Alesha Palmer: Well, flowers are really powerful just in
the sense that you can get a lot of reaction from them.
People's first reaction is surprise. When I'm walking through
buildings doing deliveries and stuff, I see women being
like, 'Gosh, I wonder if they're for me?' My mom was down
watching me once at the flower cart and she said she saw
people coming down the street and as soon as they saw all
those flowers, their face just exploded, so maybe that's
the flower power, you know?
Why are orchids so mysterious and desirable?
Maybe because orchids kind of look like tiny mystical monsters.
And they're pretty enchanting. I guess there is a lot of
mystery surrounding orchids. In movies, they're very mysterious,
and also very sexy.
What are some of the most popular flowers at your cart?
People get really into seasonal flowers. Like right now,
dahlias are in season. Seasonal flowers are so cool because
they're a treat. Like you only get them for a couple months
out of the year, and then once they're gone, they're gone.
And you have to wait a whole year, so it's like that sweet
savoriness of, 'Oh, I need it now, because it's my only
chance.'
Is there such a thing as a tulip person versus, say,
a dahlia person?
Yeah, I think there is. Tulip people, gosh, I think they're
more soft and elegant. And dahlia people, I think they're
a little more wild. They're more willing to step out on
a limb. Because if you look at dahlias, they're crazy. Some
of them look like sea anemones. Some of them are so rich
they make your mouth water. They're wild.
What do you think of the practice of naming humans after
flowers, such as Daisy?
Honestly? I love it. I have a cousin named Daisy. I think
when you first meet somebody it's nice to attach some sort
of picture, and, well, imagine if your name was Dahlia.
And so people make that beautiful association with you and
your face and your name and your being. I think it's a great
idea.
When you go on a date, does your date always expect
you to bring them flowers?
Oh my gosh! No. No. Nobody's ever expected me to bring
flowers. I guess I kind of do it instinctively. I guess
I don't bring somebody flowers right away, just as a given
thing. It's special, you know?
What's your feeling on the single-rose question?
Personally, I think the single rose is a cop-out. People
have been doing that for years. I like it when people get
something that will remind them of the person, when they
look around and they're like, 'Oh, this is just like her,'
or, 'This is just like him.'
Some dishes are prepared with flowers. Have you ever
eaten or cooked with flowers?
Yeah. I brought a tray of chocolate-dipped strawberries
with orchids to my dance teacher's going-away party, and
it was sooooo gorgeous.
Complete this sentence: the smell of dirt can be...
Like patchouli. That's just the first thing to pop into
my head.
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Willamette Week | originally
published October 6,
1999
|
