Wildflowers celebrates 40 years in Glen Arbor

HBy Stephanie Purifoy

Sun contributor

Wildflowers owner, Donna Burgan, said her store would have never lasted 40 years without the devotion of the community when she first opened it.

Her sons had graduated high school and as a “totally dedicated mother” she began to look around for the next project she could dive into. Burgan said she’s the type of person who always needs to have projects to work on.

She decided to take the things she loved most, gardening and decorating her home, and make a company out of it. Wildflowers opened in 1980 when Glen Arbor was about half its current size.

At the time, Burgan said the businesses in Glen Arbor had to work together to keep each other open. She said they made sure not to sell products that would compete for buyers and the business owners were quick to refer customers to other stores but this mindset has faded with time. 

Despite that, she said that Wildflowers has still remained profitable, although it was never about the money for her. The store carries a wide variety of things from plants and gardening supplies to jewelry, artwork, and other decor.

“We’ve always tried to make wildflowers and destination and a shopping experience, not just a place to run in and grab something,” she said. 

For the first ten years of business, Burgan kept the shop open year around but would get the majority of her business in June and July. After that, she said her peak season started to push further back into September and October. This is because most of her clientele are those who live in town for the whole year and according to Burgan, they try to stay away from the downtown area during the busiest tourism weeks.  

As more people began to make Glen Arbor a tourist destination, Burgan was dismayed at the amount of land that was being developed. She wanted to keep as much of the natural beauty in the town as possible so she purchased an extra plot of land behind Wildflowers and has left most of it untouched. 

“The nature is what makes this place so perfect; there’s really nothing else like it around,” she said. “I’m honestly just so lucky to have all of this in Glen Arbor where the people have always been so lovely.”

She opened other Wildflowers stores over the years. One in Harbor Springs, one in Traverse City, and even one in Florida, but none of them lasted as long as the original location. Burgan said she liked the people and loved the work she was doing in the Glen Arbor shop. The fact that she lives right across the road from the Glen Arbor shop also impacted her decision to keep it open. 

But after 40 years, Burgan admits that it is finally time to close the chapter on Wildflowers and move on. The building has been for sale for over a year now and although many have been interested, none have made the leap to purchase it.

Carrie Giesler is the head garden manager at Wildflowers and has always loved working with plants. She has a botany degree from the University of Utah and came to work in Glen Arbor in 2016.

“I’m not sure why I like working with plants so much, I think we just get along,” Giesler said with a smile, gazing out over her expansive greenhouse. “When this place sells we’ll be losing all this peacefulness. It’s just good energy. It’s close to town but a bit isolated from it so you don’t get as much of the craziness. It gives people a place to relax for a bit, at least it does for me.”

She said the store has been successful for so many years because of Burgan’s unique style.

“She has a really good sense of style and she knows what people like. It’s eclectic but it’s different. She’s built such a community of people who come back year after year. They’d support her no matter what,” Giesler said.

Burgan said her favorite part about owning Wildflowers has been the people. She said there are countless connections she’s made over the decades but the work has just become too much for her to sustain the store. 

“It’s my 40th season here and I figured it’s time to be doing something else. I know that I will miss it immensely. It’s always been about doing the things I love and still is,” she said. “I certainly won’t retire; it’s not in my nature but I’m not sure what will come my way next.”