April Wood, owner of Grace Lakes Florist in Naples, FL:

It's hard to believe that almost 30 years have passed since I moved to Naples to purchase a flower shop of my own. Having grown up in my parent's flower shop, some of my fondest memories are those surrounded by hydrangea, protea, and family as a girl.
It was tempting to call my new business, April's Flowers - for obvious reasons - however, after learning the significant history of the shop I was purchasing, I opted to keep the name, Grace Lakes Florist. Established in 1949, Grace Lakes Florist is the oldest florist in all of Naples, as well as one of the oldest businesses in the area.
When I'm not in Naples, I love to spend time with my daughter, Jamie, in San Francisco and my sister in New York City. We spend hours nosing around the cities' large wholesale flower markets early in the morning, enjoying the array of floral possibilities.
Flowers are my passion and I'm thrilled to have clients who are consistently challenging me to think out of the box. Attending event trade shows and exhibits in Boston and Chicago, my staff and I keep up with the latest trends and love every minute of it!