"We just love doing it" - friends' passion for flowers sows the seeds for Lottie's Florist ltd which opens in Paulsgrove this weekend

Nicky Timberlake and Shannon Mitchison met when working together at Forever Together Funeral Care, which is owned by Nicky’s mum. Despite neither of them initially working on the flower arrangement side of the business, they both gravitated towards it sparking a passion that has now turned into a new business.

Lottie’s Florist Ltd will be opening its doors on Saturday, January 24 at 12pm on Allaway Avenue with the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Portsmouth in attendance to mark the start of the new venture.

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The decision to start their on business was suggested by Nicky’s mum. Nicky said: “I was working in the mortuary and Shannon was a funeral arranger but I started taking interest in the flowers and did it on my own. Then Shannon started helping and we both fell in love with it and just love doing it.

“My mum suggested we open our own shop and do it ourselves and here we are.”

While they have a lot of experience of doing arrangements for funerals, the new store will cater to a number of needs including tributes, weddings and bouquets. Having had the keys since the start of December, it has been a family effort to get the store ready in time.

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Nicky said: “I owe a big thank you to my mum for helping us get where we are, my dad has done all the work and Shannon’s dad did the sign.”

Shannon added: “We have had a lot of family support and we wouldn't be where we are now without their help and support.”

With the opening now a matter of days away, the two can’t wait to get going. Shannon said: “We are so excited. It is a lot of work but we are getting there and it is going to be good once it is open.”