BlB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 8,1983
BY KIMBERLY HERR
WILLOW STREET - Starting a
new business is no easy task, but
for Sandy Eidemiller Mylin
everything seemed to fall into
place.
Sandy began growing flowers for
drying at her home at 18 Pine
Lane, Willow Street, which she
shares with her husband, Don. But
then, her interest grew and her
yard did not. So, she needed a new
place to grow the flowers. Her in
laws, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mylin,
offered the use ot the garden on
their dairy farm.
Then she needed a place to hang
all those flowers for drying, and
there was the washhouse ceiling.
Then, with the encouragement of
friends, she decided to open a shop.
There was the faithful, old
washhouse waiting to be redone.
But all was not finished, as now
Sandy needed something to display
her arrangements on. Once again,
the farm came in handy. There
was the old tobacco press, old
crates and antique crocks just
waiting for a new purpose.
“Most of the things I just found
at the farm,’ ’ Sandy explained.
So today, thanks to donations
from the Mylin’s 80-Beth Farm,
Route 272, Willow Street, Sandy is
celebrating the grand opening of
her new shop, which features dried
flower arrangements, dried
flowers, wreaths and pot pourri.
Sandy’s interest in flowers began
Sandy Eidemiller Mylin’s new dried flower shop, features
flower arrangements, wreaths and pot pourri. It is located in
the warehouse of her in-law’s farm.
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Hanging from the rafters of the washhouse are many bunches of dried flowers in
almost every color imaginable. Some are from Sandy's garden, and some are uniden
tified wild flowers.
Washhouse Finds New
growing when she took a flower
arranging course at the Willow
Street Vo-Tech School, after
graduation from Lampeter-
Strasburg High School. After that,
she worked for more than a year at
Erma Kreider’s flower shop in
Quarryville.
Then Don decided to go to Penn
State University for a two-year
course in horticulture. Sandy
decided to do the same, and today
they both own their own
businesses. Her’s is Millwood
Country Flowers. Don’s is
Millwood Landscape Gardens.
They both chose the name
Millwood because their home is
located in Millwood Village, and
they wanted the names of their
businesses to be similar.
“We wanted people to be able to
identify us together,” Sandy ex
plained. “I added country because
I wanted to keep it with a country
atmosphere.”
And country it is. Two collies
greet visitors to the shop. A large,
open hearth fireplace stands ready
to warm occupants on-cold winter
days, and cows can be seen
gracing peacefully from the shop
windows.
Simulated kerosene lamps light
the shop, and cheery red and white
curtains frame the windows.
Everything is put together and
ready for business, after much
hard work on Sandy’s part.
She planted most of the flowers
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Sandy's workshop is located right next door to her shop. “I practically live here." she
said. Sandy grows most of the flowers she sells.
on sale from seed in early spring
and spent most of the summer
tending and drying them. In early
August, she began work on the
washhouse, which had previously
been used as a woodworking shop
for her brother-in-law. She, with
much help from her mother-in-law,
Mary, painted the walls, stripped
the linoleum off the floor to bare
the original boards and removed
the plaster from the fireplace.
Wien September rolled around,
the washhouse was ready to go,
and Sandy began concentrating on
making the many arrangements
now on sale at her shop.
“Now is the big time for fall
flowers,” Sandy said.
Many of her arrangements now
feature the fall colors, and some of
them are arranged in ceramic
pumpkins in preparation for the
upcoming Halloween holiday.
Sandy explained that it takes her
about half an hour to complete an
arrangement.
Her workshop is located right
next door to her shop in a less
finished part of the washhouse.
“I practically live here," Sandy
laughed.
To have her own shop, Sandy has
had to give up some of her duties as
Don’s secretary, although she still
tries to do both.
How does Don feel about that?
“He’s all for it,” Sandy said.
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Role os Flower Shop
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came from the farm. Even the truck that holds the sign and
the corn husks were home grown bn the Mylin’s farm.
“He’s the one that really got me
started."
Sandy and Don have been
married for three years and both
have opened their own businesses.
“We’re proud of that,” said
Sandy, age 23.
Sandy’s shop will be open from
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11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday tbrougn
Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday. The shop will be dosed
Sundays and Mondays. During the
holiday season, Sandy will be
extending the hours into the
evening.