Kelci McIntosh and Chris DiOrio have planted a seedling from their nine-year old Island Time Farm with the launch of a brick-and-mortar shop ready to bear fruit on May 8, Mother’s Day weekend; Shelter Island Flowers (59 N. Ferry Road, 631-749-5420.) The couple has been growing flowers together since their first years on Shelter Island, but with the retirement of much-loved florist Becky Smith, the Island’s only florist for 45 years, McIntosh and DiOrio are hopeful that Island flower-lovers will turn to them for exquisitely designed bouquets, fragrant arrangements and local blooms for special events.
When McIntosh, who grew up in a small coastal town called Mukilteo, 25 miles north of Seattle, met DiOrio, who grew up on Shelter Island, they turned out to have a lot in common beyond ferries and small-town, coastal life. They were both living in New Orleans when they met at a house show — a concert in someone’s home —and Kelci, eavesdropping on a conversation Chris was having, heard the word ‘garden’ and interrupted, “You have a garden? Can I come help you in your garden?”
By the time they moved to Shelter Island together in 2017, Kelci had been such a help in the garden that she and Chris were partners in farming and life. In the fall of 2017, they started Island Time Farm and are now going into their ninth season.
Island Time grows and sells from the land and farmstand at Card’s Cabins at 62 S. Ferry Road. It began as a diversified vegetable and flower farm that featured the Island’s first flower CSA, and slowly moved to producing mainly flowers and tomatoes, and launching a home garden business.
“We think about every single element that goes into an arrangement, from the vase, to where we source the flowers, how we handle the flowers,” says McIntosh. (Photo credit: Kelci McIntosh)
With their new venture, Shelter Island Flowers, they add a walk-in floral retail shop that does weddings, events and celebrations. “If you need a birthday or a friendship bouquet,” McIntosh says, “we can do that for you, using the flowers from our farm.”
The florist business is a natural extension of their farming activity, which centers locally grown produce. And like tomatoes, the ones grown nearby are always the best. “Local flowers are much higher quality,” says McIntosh.
McIntosh has been imagining the Mother’s Day bouquets she will be arranging for the big day. “I’m seeing bleeding hearts, peonies, flowering sour cherry, lilacs, and tulips; voluptuous and colorful.”
Shelter Island Flowers does every bouquet by hand. “We think about every single element that goes into an arrangement, from the vase, to where we source the flowers, how we handle the flowers. I’m really obsessed with flowers being at that peak freshness,” she says. “I love colors. I love high quality, beautiful, elegant design.”
Alongside Kelci, local artist Lora Lomuscio continues to bring her eye for beauty to the task of arranging flowers for the business, as she has for years.
They will open Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and 9 a.m. to noon on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10. You can pre-order through the website or at 631-749-5240. Starting Memorial Day weekend, they’ll be open Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Once Mother’s Day is in the books, they’ll have flowers for the many other events of this blooming year, including birthdays, graduations, parties and nuptials. “We have booked nine weddings for this year,” said Kelci. “We’re really excited to be designing for those events.”
