Port Townsend’s Lexi Koch can confirm there are more local florists still in business than many folks might think. They simply don’t have brick-and-mortar storefronts for the public to visit.

Koch’s virtual storefront can be found at Leximara.com online, where she’s already accepting orders for Valentine’s Day. She was happy to discuss the winding road that led to her current trade, which began with her studying under healers in Zimbabwe, Africa.

Koch came to appreciate plants for their medicinal healing power and natural beauty, the latter of which she touted for its emotional healing power.

Although Koch began her floral business in Twisp, a small town in north central Washington, she was drawn to Jefferson County due to its better air quality, as the mother of a son with cystic fibrosis, a disease that damages the lungs and other organs.

“There were more wildfires and smoke over there,” Koch said. “I studied air quality maps throughout the state, and I already knew a lot of people here.”

Koch started providing floral arrangements for weddings while in Twisp, and since moving to Port Townsend, she’s seen “a lot of people from Seattle” among her wedding customers.

For someone who provides a vital decor element for any number of already elegant venues, Koch is happiest when she’s working in her home garden, “following the cycle of the seasons,” and making what she sees as a meaningful difference with her toil in the field.

“If you’re buying flowers from, say, the grocery store, in most cases, they’ve been shipped all the way from Central or South America, and sprayed with pesticides whose chemical toxins are bad for the planet,” Koch said. “I believe in the power of beauty, and part of that is giving gifts to the health of the planet so that it, and we, can last longer.”

Koch also takes pride in showcasing her own talents through her floral arrangements.

“I love roses, ranunculus (buttercups), tulips and Icelandic poppies,” she said. “I grow flowers for the color palette they provide, and for wholesalers who appreciate their different textures. Some flowers can serve as the focal points of their arrangements, while others offer accents that pop out, and help our eyes find their place within those arrangements.”

Koch’s love of roses is offset by reservations regarding the red rose, which she pointed out is mostly sourced from Colombia, raising her previously expressed environmental concerns.

“I’m about telling stories through flowers, without seeming artificial or staged,” said Koch, who emphasized that she delivers her wares all across Port Townsend. “Even if I don’t have a shop per se anymore, I still love to create, and so do a lot of other florists in the area.”

Koch’s Lexi Mara site not only provides information about the variety of her floral services, but also affords further details and access to contact her about her work as a life coach.