Sandy's Flowers & More Featured in the Glebe Report
- Sandy's Flowers & More
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Charming flower shop opens in the Glebe (Feb 06, 2026)
By Jessica Jagodics
Sandy’s Flowers & More has opened its doors in the Glebe, offering beautiful floral arrangements and bouquets. The flower shop is located at 675 Bronson Avenue, having recently relocated after the closure of Westgate Mall.
Tara Mahmud, owner of Sandy’s Flowers & More, built her business from the ground up, driven by her passion for flowers from a young age.
“I love nature, my mom had a big garden,” she said. “My grandfather had a big garden in the mountains where we grew up. My mom was always gardening.”
Mahmud came to Canada in December 2000 as a Kurdish refugee from Iraq, sponsored by a church group. The floral shop is named after her host mother, Sandy. When she arrived in Canada with her son, Mahmud was alone and unsure of how she was going to survive in the country without knowing anybody or the language.
Her host family is the reason she was able to build a life here and work towards her dream of owning her own floral shop.
“Sandy, she never gave up on me,” said Mahmud. “I was sick, she was there. I was alone, she was there. I was sad, she was there.
“I never say friend, she’s my Canadian mom. They are my Canadian family. Because of them I stayed here. Because of that family, only that family.”
As a single mother and a refugee, Mahmud overcame many challenges in the process of opening her store. Her dreams were once shattered after a business deal fell through, which forced her to start from square one. Now, she is the proud owner of her floral shop and brings many people joy with her flower arrangements.
“I feel very happy, very happy because in life, you go through a lot. I had a very stressful life, but if I just focused on that stressful time, I could never be me today.”
After the closure of her location in Westgate Mall, Mahmud is excited to grow her business in its new location and is glad her old customers are coming back.
“I just have to move forward, and I’m sure I’m going to make this business bigger, 100 per cent,” Mahmud said. “When you’re honest with customers, why wouldn’t I be successful?”
Roses, lilies and peonies are just some of flowers offered for purchase at the store. Delivery services are available, and customers can place orders over the phone, online or in store. Prices for floral arrangements and bouquets range from $40 to $500-plus. However, Mahmud is dedicated to working with each person’s budget to ensure they have an arrangement they can afford and enjoy.
She has already begun offering a wide variety of gift products like candles, napkins, plush toys, skincare products and more, focusing on Canadian and local brands.
Mahmud notes that she loves seeing the joy on people’s faces when they receive their floral arrangements.
“I love creating floral designs because number one, I meet beautiful people and number two it’s always fun when people come and say, ‘Oh it’s my wedding, it’s my anniversary, it’s my date.’ I just love to make them with my heart to make the customer happy.
“Every time I make flowers and anything for the customers, they are very happy. And when I see that, it makes me enjoy it more. When I see the smile of the customer.”
Mahmud has built lasting relationships with her customers, earning their trust to make good quality bouquets and arrangements for every occasion.
“I love all of them. Especially one guy who buys flowers for his girlfriend. It’s just so cute, he comes back all the time and it’s so nice. He keeps telling me, ‘I know you’ll make it beautiful, just make something, I trust you’,” Mahmud said.
For Mahmud, flowers are important because they are a way to uplift spirits and make people feel special.
“It’s good for your mental [health], it’s good for your home. It’s good for everything. Everybody needs flowers, some colour in their home. Especially when it’s something grown in the earth. That makes me so happy. Not something man-made.”
Jessica Jagodics is a second-year journalism student at Carleton University and a reporter for The Charlatan.
Full Glebe Newspaper for Feb 2026 (Download Below) PDF
Article Website Link: https://glebereport.ca/articles/charming-flower-shop-opens-in-the-glebe/
Explore & Order Now: www.sandysflowersandmore.com
