Floral Designer a Little Wild at Heart

When Kathy (DeSisto) Luther was a teen, she had a curfew. And like some teens, she found herself in the occasional position of being about to break curfew.

One summer night, almost 30 years ago,  she was hurrying to make it home before curfew. Her haste led her to zip through both a red light and a stop sign, which soon led her to be horrified to see a blue flashing lights behind her as she pulled up in front of her parents' home on Anoka Avenue.

Carl Luther stepped out of his squad car, and was promptly told by Kathy to "turn the lights off, or you'll give my dad a heart attack!"

Carl knew Kathy's dad, who was a gym teacher at Barrington High School, where they'd both gone to school. He let her go with a stern warning.

Barely a week later, he saw Kathy again. This time she was parked at the beach with some of her girlfriends in a 'No Parking' zone. Kathy argued with Carl that they weren't actually parking, as the car engine was still turned on, but Carl told her she needed to move. Kathy was not impressed.

A few months later, Kathy went to a Halloween party with her older sister, and there was Carl. After a less than friendly beginning, the two got to talking about their families and growing up in Barrington, and realized they both had a lot in common.

Kathy and Carl Luther have been married for 27 years now, and their daughter, Amanda, followed in her dad's footsteps. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in psychology, after obtaining a degree in criminal justice from Bristol Community College in Fall River.

That early propensity for not doing as she was told led Kathy Luther to make a life-changing decision pretty early on in her marriage.

After years of working in retail management, she realized, "I didn't enjoy doing what others told me to do," and decided she needed to do something to fulfill her "artsy" side.

Many people in Luther's large family (she has eight siblings and loads of aunts, uncles and cousins) were involved in various aspects of garden design and growing, and she went to work for her dad's cousin at Prince's Hill Nursery.

Two years later, he closed the business, and Luther set up her own shop on Sowams Road. The business "took off," so 18 years ago, Luther took up her parents' offer of moving to their back yard. Her dad, brother-in-law and husband built her new store at 233 Waseca Ave.

Wild Flower Florists is truly a feast for the senses. Entering the front door, you are greeted by the "Flower Fairy," whose floral garments change with the seasons. There is a comfortable seating area for bridal consultations, and a greenhouse runs along one side of the building.

Luther's mom passed on last year and, on many days, her father can be found in the store helping out. Luther's daughter and friends also help out during busy times, but she joked that husband Carl doesn't, and "that's why we're still married."

For Luther, even decades later, it's still a joy to work in her own business.

"There are no restrictions, that's the beauty of working for yourself," she said. "I love being able to put my heart into creating something beautiful for someone."

For this wild-at-heart florist, owning Wild Flower Florists makes every day beautiful.