Final petals fall for Flowers by Yukie, who says it’s time to say goodbye after 40+ years

WILMINGTON — Flowers By Yukie, a perennial Delaware Today winner for Best Upstate Florist and a downtown institution for more than four decades, is quietly closing its doors.

The delivery and floral design business ended on Dec. 31, but the store will remain open through around Jan. 31 to sell off the remaining inventory.

Yukie Yamamoto, who opened the shop in 1983 in the Galleria Shoppes on Pennsylvania Avene and later move to the current location at 916 North Union Street in 1983, turned 79 last year and says it’s time to slow down.

“I’m not very happy,” she said. “I’m sad. I love what I do, but I’m getting old. I tried to do it as long as I could.

Yukie’s taking calls if you’re hiring

That said, she’s looking for work.

“I love to play with flowers,” she said. “I love to go to the shows; they’re good for the eye.”

She has that eye – or eyes – looking first at Winterthur or Longwood with a goal of working with her beloved bonsais and orchids.

Apple Logan, who’s been store manager for five years, said, “This business was iconic and set a high standard. There’s nothing comparable in Delaware – her distinct style, her palate, her design sense.”

An outpouring of affection for Yukie

Like this reporter, who stopped for flowers on many a Friday afternoon, Wilmington graphic designer Jeff Hughes met Yukie in the early 1990s when he was helping artist and photographer friends with their opening and business cards.

“I met her when I was picking out flowers for something and she said she liked my eye and might have a future in this business,” Hughes said. “That inspired me and gave me a jolt of confidence.

“I’d go there for inspiration. There’s just something about that place – so much cool stuff between the containers and florals. She’ll be missed.”

Count Jennifer Abramczyk of Wilmington as among the endless list of people who are sad to see the store close.

“We have been friends and I’ve used her talents for 20 years,” Abramczyk says. “Yukie always brought her dog to work and everyone was always greeted with a “lick and a wag’ when she was in the shop! It added such warmth to the shop, just like Yukie added to every arrangement that she worked on. Yukie’s flowers and her presence will be greatly missed in the neighborhood.”