It is a powerful reminder Jaguande said she hopes anyone who steps into her store feels, even if they are just browsing in the area or curious about the shop’s flower arrangements. After receiving medical treatment 10 years ago at Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center, Jaguande knows the importance of finding beauty in the small things life has to offer, whether it is the moment a flower starts to bloom or just being surrounded by those you love.
“I moved from my native country Peru to receive cancer treatment. Those six months taught me that I could get through anything as long as I was surrounded by warm and loving people. Houston has since become my home, where I’ve met my second family,” Jaguande said.
That life-changing moment was in 2013. Jaguande’s journey with Houston blossomed since then. In 2019, she graduated with her master’s, built the foundation for her business plan and eventually opened Isidora in September 2021.
Exploring the flower shop stimulates multiple senses: seeing the arrangements, smelling the daily flower bouquets, and touching the gifts that come from an array of local and international artisans.
What Jaguande said she brings to the Houston floral industry is a combination of her Peruvian culture, family influence and a passion for design. She comes from a family of artists on her mother’s side. On her father’s side, she said she witnessed qualities of good business traits, such as the importance of connecting with others.
But it is the time she spent as a child in Peru tagging along with her mom to buy plants that left an impression on her.
“When I was 3 years old, I would walk around the nursery, and it was like heaven for me,” Jaguande said.
Isidora offers a variety of options for those interested in purchasing flowers, whether in person, online or by delivery. Consultations on custom-made orders or recommendations can be provided by Jaguande or her staff in person, over the phone or through email.
Grab-and-go fresh bouquets are made daily when the shop opens and are intended for customers who just want to pick something that day. Those bouquets range from $35-$130 and vary by color palette and what flowers are in season.
Customers can also bring in their own vase or pick from one of the store’s options. Once the flowers are no longer in use, the Isidora vases are meant to be used as potting vases for plants at home.
Isidora also offers flower subscriptions that can be picked up or delivered, Jaguande said.
As a customer entered the store with a vase brought in from home, Jaguande’s instincts immediately went into action, and she directed her team on how to curate the flowers placed inside. Isidora becomes an extension of the places she calls home, like Peru and Houston; they are filled with inspiration, joy, colorful aesthetics and, most importantly, good vibes, Jaguande said.
“I feel that working with flowers has a lot of energy to it and, if you don’t also share that energy with your clients and share that positivity, really you’re not doing a full circle of what a flower shop should be,” she said. “It’s a happy place.”
Isidora Flower & Gift Shop
2509 Rice Blvd., Houston
713-393-7108
www.isidoraflowers.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., closed Sun.
