The stems that signal spring
The front windows at Flowers by Barrett are already shifting toward spring— pastel wreaths, bright arrangements, and hints of Easter tucked between greenery. Inside, manager Alicia Scott moves between the coolers and worktables with practiced ease. The pace is already picking up.
“ We always have funeral work,” Scott said.“ Funerals, weddings, daily deliveries, silks, prom, homecoming— we do all of it.”
Flowers by Barrett has been part of Moultrie’ s landscape for roughly 40 years, long enough that the shop’ s name has outlived its original owner. Ronnie Barrett sold the business to Annette Mc- Guffey, and current owner Keith Royal later purchased it from her. Scott has worked under both owners during her eight years there, watching the rhythm of each season repeat itself. Spring always brings movement.
“ People buy a lot of wreaths,” she said.“ We’ ve got a big variety of silk flowers for the home. A lot of people fix them up for their porch.”
Easter follows quickly, with decorations and baskets filling shelves. Color is one of the first noticeable changes.“ Brights. Pastels too,” Scott explained.“ People start moving away from the winter colors.”
Before spring fully settles in, though, Valentine’ s Day creates the first major rush.
“ We’ ll be busy,” she said.“ We’ ve got roses, flower arrangements, candy baskets, chocolate baskets, spa baskets, teddy bears— all of that.”
March brings another wave: prom.“ I’ ve already got some orders,” she said. Students come in looking for corsages and boutonnieres, but the trend has shifted.
“ Brights. Pastels too, people start moving away from the winter colors... Spring brings life back.”
“ People mostly want the handheld bouquets,” Scott noted.“ They still do wrist corsages, but not as many.”
Weddings follow soon after, and the shop’ s large walk-in cooler— a holdover from the building’ s former life as Mama D’ s Sweet Shop— becomes essential. During wedding season, space fills quickly.“ All our flowers go in the cooler,” she said with a laugh.“ Everything goes in there.”
Business increased sharply after the shop moved to the Square.“ It
Surrounded by early tulips, Alicia Scott readies the shop for the start of spring. She says the season always arrives in flowers first, one bucket of color at a time. A blue-andwhite display at Flowers by Barrett brings together fresh blooms and classic porcelain, one of the shop’ s signature spring vignettes.
was just immediate,” she said.“ Immediate booming business from day one.”
Plants are another steady favorite.“ We sell a lot of plants,” Scott said.“ A lot.”
As the Square fills with shoppers, students, and families preparing for events, she sees the seasonal shift clearly. When asked whether spring changes the energy in town, Scott didn’ t hesitate.“ I would agree,” she said.“ Spring brings life back.”
Whether it’ s Kent Hamilton watching the fields, Delano Jefferson matching thread to brighter fabrics, or Alicia Scott stocking coolers with fresh blooms, each of them sees spring coming long before most people realize it’ s here.
In Moultrie, the season doesn’ t just arrive.
It’ s prepared for.
14 MoultrieScene MARCH 2026