Motherhood in Full Bloom: Virginia Floral Design Business a Labor of Love

“How many people are fortunate enough to get to have lunch with their daughter and granddaughter every day?”  

It’s a question florist and business owner Margaret Fleegal says she never thought she’d be asking herself when she was starting out her career 30 years ago. But today, it’s something she’s grateful for every morning as she clicks on the lights in her bustling family business, Twinbrook Floral Design — a member of the 1-800-Flowers.com floral network — which she proudly operates with her daughter and business partner, Tricia Smith, and Tricia’s daughter, Morgan.  

Together, the trio has cultivated something even more beautiful and enduring than the countless bouquets they’ve arranged: a family legacy built on respect, resilience, and the art of bringing wonder and love into their customers’ lives, one delicate flower at a time.  

A family rooted in floral design

Both Margaret and Tricia started their careers working with flowers — the former in the floral department at a local supermarket, the latter in the garden center at a big box chain. But they knew they wanted more.  

One day in 1994, an opportunity unexpectedly presented itself.  

“I was looking in the newspaper and saw a flower shop for sale, so we started talking,” Margaret says. “Tricia didn’t want to buy the shop at first, but I saw something special in it. I knew we could make it work.”

“I remember saying, ‘Oh no way,’” Tricia chuckles. “It was way too scary. But Mom's kind of a visionary, so in the end, we went for it. And we’ve been running Twinbrook Floral Design ever since.” 

The beauty — and challenges — of motherhood and business 

From those humble beginnings, Margaret and Tricia worked tirelessly to transform their store into one of Virginia’s most popular floral enterprises. Twinbrook is an 18,000-square-foot facility that offers artisanal, handmade arrangements and extensive floral classes, along with wholesale product, wedding, and live event service. In addition, its ecommerce business handles hundreds of orders and purchases each day.  

Becoming a 1-800-Flowers.com franchise in 1997 also greatly helped to drive that growth, Margaret says. In the almost three decades since, Twinbrook has expanded from a small shop with three employees to a thriving operation with 45 employees and 15 drivers. 

“We’ve learned so much from our relationship with 1-800-Flowers.com: how to operate more efficiently, streamline processes, and stay ahead of challenges,” Margaret says. “It's really been a true friendship and a true partnership — and it's bettered our life and our relationship with all our employees.  

“It pushes us to think outside the box and always be improving," she continues. “There’s a real sense of community, and support — both from the brand itself and the other franchisees — that has been a key part of our success.”  

Twinbrook joined the BloomNet florist network in 2002, and due to its elevated status within the industry, it has volunteered for several initiatives to help build BloomNet’s relationship with florists. Margaret and Tricia have served on BloomNet’s Knowledge Council, providing feedback on how the organization can improve its products and services, and exploring new opportunities to help florists grow their businesses. Twinbrook has also served as a test shop for new services, such as digital marketing or content creation for florist websites. 

"I love that I can come into work every day, see my family, and just enjoy those little moments."

Margaret Fleegal

Most recently, the owners were invited to participate in the 2023 Techonomy Conference in Orlando, where they provided invaluable insight on how AI may benefit the floral business.  

“Margaret and Tricia are well-known, respected members of the florist community, and have become true confidants among many on the BloomNet team,” says Renato Sogueco, VP, digital strategy and education at BloomNet. “Over the years, they have reliably shared an honest perspective as a business partner to 1-800-Flowers.com.” 

Today, Twinbrook is consistently ranked among 1-800-Flower.com’s top-performing franchise locations — something the family and whole team is very proud of.  

“We’re so happy for our success, but there’s been a lot of hard work involved over the years,” Tricia says. “When Morgan was little, there were a lot of moments where I felt guilty — like when I was working on Christmas Eve and couldn’t be home with her,” Tricia remembers. “But at the end of the day, no matter how tough things got, we always made it work.”  

That same dedication and work ethic have not gone unnoticed by Morgan, who has spent her life studying how her mother and grandmother balance business with family.  

“I grew up watching both of them make tough decisions, but they always did things for the right reasons,” Morgan says. “My mom is such a great leader. She works harder than anyone I know, yet she always makes time for the people she cares about. It’s incredible to watch.”  

To her credit, Tricia says she learned to be a nurturing, patient, and understanding mother from her mom. 

"My goal has always been to ensure that my daughter feels comfort, support, and security within her family, as my mom has always given to me.” 

As for Margaret, she now focuses much of her time on being the best grandparent she can be to her 13 grandchildren. 

“Being a grandmother is so rewarding," she says. “As a mother, we shape our children’s lives by example and teaching them how to be wonderful human beings. As a grandmother, we can focus on making memories, sharing traditions, and offering emotional support without the exhaustion of full-time parenting.” 

Mother’s Day at Twinbrook Floral

For any flower shop, Mother's Day can be the ultimate source of both chaos and excitement.  

“May is the busiest month of our entire year,” Margaret says. “Between Mother’s Day orders and all the other popular springtime events, the days can feel insane.”  

“It’s like controlled chaos,” Tricia agrees. “The orders are coming in non-stop, the phone is ringing off the hook, and we have customers lining up at the counter. It’s a full-on sprint to the finish.”  

Even with countless orders being placed online, Morgan still often can’t believe how busy the store gets.  “You’ve got lines of people coming out the door, people trying to pull bunches of flowers that aren’t for them,” she laughs. “It’s like adult babysitting.”  

Yet, despite the pandemonium, all three women say they still truly appreciate the sentiment that fuels the day.  

“Even though it’s chaotic, I love the energy in the shop on Mother’s Day,” Margaret says. “Seeing so many people coming in to celebrate their moms — it makes all the hard work worth it.”  

“By the end of the day, we’ve seen everything — tears, laughter, stressed-out dads, overly excited kids,” Morgan adds. "But at the heart of it, it’s all about love.”  

Their own special celebration 

With the madness of Mother’s Day surrounding them, all three women admit that celebrating the day like they would really like to is often all but impossible. 

“I have a drawer full of blank Mother’s Day cards,” Tricia sighs. “Every year, I buy one ahead of time thinking I’ll be prepared, but then the holiday just consumes us. The sentiment is always there, even if the card never gets written.”   

“During those weeks, I always just try to reassure my mom and grandma. ‘We're almost at the finish line. We’ve got this. We’ve done this for 30 years. What’s another year?’” Morgan says. “Then, at the end of the day, we hug each other and say, ‘Great job. We did it again!’”  

Seeing her daughter and granddaughter connect so powerfully, and the bond the shop has brought them — and being part of it herself — Margaret says she couldn’t be happier with the life and business they’ve built together.  

“I love that I can come into work every day, see my family, and just enjoy those little moments,” she concludes. “Even if we don’t celebrate Mother’s Day the ‘traditional’ way, I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything.”