Gerry Rogers shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Gerry, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
In the history of my company, two proud moments stand out for me. When starting the company, my former business partner and I started with an experiment. We committed to doing this for a year, full time, and if at the end of that year, we didn’t make at least X amount of money, we would quit, because this was not intended as a hobby. After that first year, my business partner was faced with a divorce, and because we had made the commitment to profit, she was able to weather that divorce, keep her house, and keep working. For a small business, and a new one at that, that kind of personal financial stress has the potential to fell other endeavors. My other proud moment was that we managed to sustain four, paid 13-week maternity leaves. Again, so many small businesses have little to not maternity leave when someone adds to their family.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Gerry Rogers, owner and creative director of Petal’s Edge Floral & Event Design. We’re a boutique floral studio based in Alexandria, Virginia, specializing in luxury weddings and events throughout the Washington, DC area. With a background in art museums and a deep love for color, texture, and form, I bring a curator’s eye to floral design, always aiming to create something that feels intentional, sculptural, and emotionally resonant.
At Petal’s Edge, we’re known for pushing beyond the expected. Whether it’s an ethereal suspended installation or a deceptively simple bouquet with rare seasonal blooms, we believe great floral design should feel effortless but never generic. We also run a small retail arm, Shop Petal’s Edge, offering daily deliveries, grab-and-go bouquets, and creative floral classes that help people connect with flowers in a more personal way.
Right now, we’re focused on deepening our client experience, positioning ourselves more as creative partners than vendors. That means a more collaborative design process, educational content that demystifies pricing and floral choices, and stronger boundaries that protect our time and expertise. It’s about elevating both the work and the industry.
Above all, I want people to feel like they’ve felt something when they see our flowers because beauty should never be passive.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
When I started my business, I remember going back to a former boss to share that I had done so. She said, “Duh, Gerry. What took you so long?” I remember being struck by her seeing my ability in that way.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
There is this feeling, especially in an era of social media that suggests so much sharing, that you still aren’t really being truly seen. That we’re all some kind of actor with a facade, as much artifice as art. It’s missing that feeling of being seen not just for what I create or accomplish, but for who I am beneath it all. There’s a quiet kind of grief in always being the one who holds things together, who shows up beautifully and professionally, while longing for someone else to say, “I see how hard this is. I see you.” I miss the version of me that existed before I felt like I had to constantly prove my worth to clients, to employees, to an industry that doesn’t always value the work behind the beauty.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Some of the biggest lies our industry tells itself? Buckle up:
“It’s just flowers.”
As if this is a casual little side hustle that anyone can pick up with a Pinterest board and a pair of clippers. It’s art, logistics, labor, emotional labor, and risk management all wrapped in one, and it requires real expertise.
“Clients are always right.”
No, they’re not. Clients are often misinformed by unrealistic expectations shaped by styled shoots, Instagram, or planners who haven’t actually designed a floral install in their lives. Part of our job is to guide them kindly but firmly.
“You have to say yes to everything to grow.”
Actually, you grow when you protect your time, your values, and your creative boundaries. Saying yes to the wrong things is how you burn out or build a business you quietly resent.
“You can’t charge for proposals.”
We spend hours on design proposals, including pulling references, calculating costs, building recipes. In any other creative industry, that kind of intellectual property would be protected and paid for. While I understand there’s an element of what you provide to a prospective client so they can understand the service you provide, endless free proposals aren’t service. They are self-sabotage.
“Luxury means lush.”
Luxury isn’t about the most flowers, the biggest install, or the most expensive stem. It’s about thoughtfulness, intentionality, and refinement. Not everyone with a big budget knows what luxury feels like.
“The client is our boss.”
No. We are collaborators, not order-takers. We are the experts, the creatives, and the ones making magic possible. A real partnership requires mutual respect.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say: She didn’t just make beautiful things. She made people feel something. That my work wasn’t just seen, it was remembered. That I took beauty seriously, not as fluff, but as a form of meaning, of connection, of care.
I hope they say I showed up with integrity. That I said the hard thing when it needed to be said, that I didn’t cave to what was popular just to fit in, and that I protected the people and things I believed in, fiercely.
That I gave generously – to clients, to collaborators, to my team – but didn’t let myself get erased in the process. That I left behind better boundaries, more honesty, and a few people who dared to take their creative work more seriously because they saw me do it first.
And I hope someone says: She was the real deal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://petalsedge.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petalsedgedc/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/petalsedge
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petalsedge
Image Credits
Photos by Abby Grace Photography, Carl Elixir Photography, Erin Kelleher Photography and HAK Weddings.
