Hi There!

I am Jennifer, owner of Gatsby’s Florist. I started working with floral while studying Scultpure at ASU after graduating from FHHS in 1999.

My family moved back to Fountain Hills, AZ in July 2020 and to my surprise I found out that FH no longer had a flower shop. Having extensive retail business management and floral experience, I decided to open my own establishment for the residents in town and the surrounding area.

My experience in the floral industry is extensive:

  • I’ve been a Floral Designer for shops in Scottsdale & Penn State.

  • I spent 3 years working for Native Floral Group, a flower wholesaler who provided Costco’s flower program nationally. I was their Regional Sales Manager for AZ, CO, TX, and the Mid-Atlantic and later their Operations Manager here in Phoenix.

  • My time at Native Floral granted unparalleled industry knowledge, more than most floral designers or shop owners could ever hope experience. I gained a thorough understanding of how commercial flowers are grown, transported into the country, purchased, big box mass bouquet production, business, vendor relations, logistics, P&L, etc. I have also been fortunate to visit flower farms in California to get first hand knowledge of how flowers are grown and processed for mass distribution.

  • Before opening Gatsby’s I was a manager at Trader Joe’s for 8 years, and naturally the flower department was always placed under my supervision.

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby

Brief History of Gatsby’s

  • 1996: Reese Hanifin (by popular demand) decides to start a Wedding & Event Floral business called Gatsby’s Creative Floral Design and opens a studio on 5th Ave in Old Town Scottsdale.

  • 1999: I answer a “Help Wanted” ad in ASU’s State Press for an entry level position at Gatsby’s and spend the next six months learning all there is to know about flower arranging from Reese.

  • 2000: Reese sells the business to Tammy Wright, who renamed it Gatsby’s Fine Florist, and expands on the business - earning contracts with the Phoenix Open, Fiesta Bowl, and AZ Diamondbacks. I am the only original employee that stayed through the transition.

  • 2003: I graduate from Arizona State University and leave Gatsby’s to pursue other endeavors.

  • 2012: I decide to start doing Wedding floral freelance and check on what had become of Gatsby’s Fine Florist. I discover the business sold and the “Gatsby’s” name was available. I pursued it for about a year and decided it wasn’t the right fit.

  • 2020: Armed with more business management and floral experience than I could ever imagine, I decide it’s time to open my own business and pursue being a florist full-time. And I’ve been extremely fortunate in this endeavor and thank the support of my family, friends, and community.