On the corner of South College Street and South Donahue Drive stands a place where residents can get fresh produce, a bouquet of flowers, delicious crepes and even hang out with a couple of roosters.
Blooming Colors and the Crepe Myrtle Cafe have been staples in Auburn, but still manage to seem like one of the best-kept secrets of the community.
Stepping-stones lead to the entrance of the Blooming Colors storefront, where Donna Dallas, an employee, will greet and help with all flower needs. The store overflows with locally made knick-knacks, organic scrubs and plants. Local paintings are featured on the walls and hand-painted planters are plentiful.
"I've been here for about eight years, and nothing is better than being able to work outside and talk to people," Dallas said. "I wouldn't like to be stuck in an office all day."
The store keeps an assortment of seasonal flowers and plants in its large greenhouse and along the grounds in the back of the store.
Roosters join the plants outside and serve as natural pesticides.
Visitors can choose to sit on the benches shaded by Blooming Colors' multiple trees or inside The Market at Blooming Colors.
Inside, The Market offers seasonal fruits, vegetables, spices and jams.
"We're all one big entity here, [and] all the stores are connected," Ginger Purvis, who works in the produce section at The Market, said. "The Market and Cafe opened in 2009, but Blooming Colors has been open for 22 years."
Purvis spends her days running The Market and gathering produce for baskets that they deliver to customers. Its "basket program" allows a customer to purchase a weekly or monthly basket of produce in a variety of sizes.
Avery Werner has been working at Blooming Colors for almost two years. She has worked in the nursery, The Market and the Cafe and learned each aspect of the business.
"As a small business in a town with such an emphasis on agriculture, we like to take advantage of all the local produce and feature it in the store," Werner said. "We even base our daily menu off of the specific produce we will have in the store that day."
The Crepe Myrtle Cafe serves just what is expected--crepes. It offers a variety of crepes in almost any flavor imaginable. Vegetarian, breakfast, steak, dessert, Greek, buffalo and fajita steak, just to name a few of the options.
"We like making southern food, but also putting a twist on it," Werner said.
The daily special includes a different soup, salad and panini. The Cafe also has a baker who comes in to make fresh cupcakes, mousse and other desserts during the week.
Werner said she appreciates interacting with people who are passionate about local and sustainable business methods and getting to know local farmers and learn from them.
Blooming Colors even had a hand in Auburn's new Recreation and Wellness Center. It has created the flowerbeds surrounding the facility and has a contract to do the flowers for the Jules Collins Art Museum.
"I feel blessed to be a part of this business, community and Auburn University," Werner said.
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