Dean's Flowers has the unique pleasure of working with a talented European floral designer Yuliya Ursatiy. Yuliya, along with husband Igor and son Arthur, comes to us from Ukraine, where she achieved a Bachelor's Degree in Artistic Design and Decoration at the Art Institute in Odessa, followed by study at the international floral school NIcole, in Moscow, Russia. 

Yuliya's floral design experience is vast,  Her hand-tied bouquets are extraordinary, and her design flare is self evident.  Whether she is designing a massive arrangement for a hotel lobby or a tiny corsage, she adds a special touch of just a little something both unexpected and truly wonderful.  At Dean's Flowers we have all benefited greatly from seeing things through Yuliya's design point of view, and we continue to learn from her daily.

In this photograph, Yuliya is holding one of the official bouquets that she designed for Queen Elizabeth II when the Queen recently visited Halifax.

Owner, Manager, Designer and Entrepreneur Holly Winchester basically came out of the womb designing...something. Having lived all over the world as a child of a military family, Holly and her husband Peter Palmer settled in Halifax in the late '80's, where they have made a happy home for their two children, Kiara and John Liam, their cats Jazzee and Daisee, and their rambunctious beagle Tucker.

Enroute to owning the oldest flower shop in Halifax, Holly obtained a BA in Sociology and History at University of New Brunswick, and then a Certificate in Costume Studies in Theatre at Dalhousie University.  Holly worked in theatre and fashion for many years before turning her attention to landscape design which led to a love of flowers that could not be tamed.  Holly's approach to floral design is very free and organic, and to each arrangement like it is a garden of her making.  She is also our resident Garden Designer, and along with husband Peter she designs and maintains outdoor planters and garden beds for some of the largest hotels and property management companies in Halifax., the esthetics of which are outstanding and original. Her "Holly Winchester Designs" gemstone jewellery is featured in the shop and online, as are her flower paintings and custom furniture.  The most exciting thing of all for Holly is her new Dean's Flowers Garden Centre in the back yard of the Stanley Street shop, where Holly and her team have grown all of their own plants from root cuttings.  For Holly,each and every one of  these pursuits bring her great joy, and they are truly labours of love.    

E is for Efficiency, and also for Elaine, and the two go hand in hand. Our Administrator Elaine Meredith keeps us creative types on the straight and narrow with her natural ability to keep order. Elaine is the voice on the phone that provides such exceptional customer service and problem solving, and she keeps things running smoothly from the first ring of the phone in the morning until the last customer leaves at the end of the day.

Elaine was born and raised in Halifax, and she has already had a career in Real Estate that spanned several years. In fact, Elaine initially came to us as a favour to help out with the Christmas rush a few years back, but she was so terrific we knew we had to keep her, and since she felt the same way, a match was made.

Elaine is definitely a pinnacle at Dean's Flowers, and we appreciate all of her efforts.

Our Social Media/Customer Relations Coordinator is Kiara Palmer.  Kiara is Holly and Peter's daughter, so she has grown up at Dean's Flowers and Goody Baskets, and she share's her mother's entrepreneurial spirit. Kiara is a talented photographer, videographer, and designer, and her special talents have broadened our horizons and set us on a more current path. 

Soon, Kiara will be off on an adventure that will take her backpacking around Southern Europe, before returning to pursue an education in Film Making. 

Maria Terrio is our Floral Apprentice/Gourmet Basket Designer/Jewellery Designer extraordinaire.  Maria is originally from China, and she came to Canada when she was thirteen years old - first to Amherst Nova Scotia, and then to Halifax.  Maria's attention to detail and high standard of quality are her strengths. Her positive attitude and her sense of humour make Maria a pleasure to work with.