T’Anna Johnson turns a dream into beautiful floral arrangements
Published:Monday | February 17, 2025 | 9:27 AMAinsworth Morris/Staff Reporter
Starting a floral arrangement business was T’Anna Johnson’s way of honouring a dream her mother, Lola Claire, never achieved, one she now passionately pursues through her business, Luxe Creations, with no regrets.
“My mom actually has a passion for floral arrangements and she did start a business, but she didn’t end up following through with it all the way. So [you could say] I got a bit of her passion,” the 27-year-old proud young business-owner told Saturday Living.
“I believe she’s very proud of me. She’s always there with me, every step of the way. She helps me to make the product sometimes and sometimes she helps me to deliver them, because I do work a nine-to-five, so she helps me out where she can,” she said.
Although employed in a nine-to-five job, Johnson told Lifestyle that the idea of starting a floral arrangement business first came to her during the pandemic, before she returned to Jamaica in 2020 after studying abroad at Howard University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in business administration.
“I actually lived abroad where I got familiarised with the whole eternal roses and stuff, and I just always liked the idea of the eternal roses, so in 2020, [the pandemic] continued and I said to myself, ‘I should find something to do’,” Johnson explained.
“I came back [to Jamaica] in 2020 and I finished up my final classes [online]. And, the idea was always in the back of my mind. And, funny enough, I rented a place that I lived in while I was going to school, and I got back my security deposit, and the money was just sitting in my account; so I was like, ‘I probably should make use of this money’, and that money is what I used to purchase my first set of stock for the business.”
She then devised a plan to make her products stand out by presenting them in unique boxes and launching an Instagram page, @luxecreations.co.
“[At first], I was scared, but I decided that, you know, nothing tried, nothing done, and it actually has been a pretty good business. So [I’ve received] a lot of support from people, and last year, I branched out into selling the usual fresh-cut flowers,” Johnson said.
Though she recognised that eternal roses were more popular in the US, Johnson believed the Jamaican market should have the opportunity to experience them too.
“Eternal roses are basically roses that last up to two to three years. They are real roses, but they go through a preservation process so they’re able to last and they don’t require much maintenance. You can purchase them and put them in your house as decoration and you don’t really have to maintain them that much. I thought the Jamaican market needed something like that, because, you know, we have the typical fresh-cut flowers, but nobody was selling eternal roses so I decided that I would do that,” she said.
After posting on Instagram for promotion, Johnson was surprised by the quick response from social media users placing orders. With Valentine’s Day approaching, orders continue to come in, and she welcomes more, as she is passionate about spreading love and strengthening connections between couples.
“For this Valentine’s Day, I still have my usual eternal roses that I started out with. I do [also] have the fresh flower bouquets, so I have roses with baby’s breath [flowers] or just regular rose bouquets. I also use the roses in the boxes that I use for the eternal roses, so you could get them as a bouquet or you could get them in a box. Plus, I have my rose bears,” Johnson said.
In addition to her love day offerings, the Luxe Creations owner recently unveiled a new product offering, a standing heart rose bouquet.
“So a typical rose bouquet cannot really stand [and] I found a way to make a bouquet that stands on its own and it’s in the shape of a heart. And, it’s really cute!” she happily shared.
For Valentine’s Day, Johnson will also be creating free-range bouquets, expanding beyond just roses. Lovers can choose from a variety of flowers and colour schemes, and for those working with a specific theme, Johnson is happy to source roses to match.