Nevada florists blooming with joy after inaugural

Benjamin Grove

Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 | 10 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Constructing a 10-foot topiary out of 10,000 red roses takes a toll on a florist's hands, Nevada florist Laurie Acton said. She has band-aids on four of her sorest fingers after helping design flower arrangements for each of the nine Inaugural Balls.

But she said the paper cuts and thorn pricks were well worth it to be among 100 of the nation's top floral designers invited to assemble elaborate displays for the balls. Acton and sister Peggy Sue Thornton, both of Reno, were the only florists from Nevada.

The two are also big Bush supporters who urged customers to vote for him during the campaign.

"When you own your own business you have a forum," Acton, 52, said.

After a hectic last few days, she watched Bush's inauguration speech Thursday from the warmth of a Washington hotel bar.

"I bawled my eyes out," she said. "I'm patriotic."

Acton and Thornton, 48, spent a week in nation's capital toiling on complex floral designs, including one with 120,000 pink roses for a reception at the ornate Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium.

Acton noted with amusement that flowers shipped by growers from California were mailed in boxes marked with elaborate, official-looking Inauguration seals. Flowers from Ecuador had a simple green sticker: "For the Prez."

Acton said she herself wore no flowers to the Constitution Ball on Thursday night -- not even a corsage.

"We're done with flowers right now," she said with a laugh.

Thornton, who works at Acton's shop, St. Ives Floral Inc., in Reno, said flowers were an important part of the galas that are a traditional part of Inauguration celebrations.

The sisters were planning to distribute roses from the arrangements to people after the ball.

"When you think about celebrations," Thornton said, "you think about balloons, flowers and happiness." Thornton added that when 100 florists get together, their conversation doesn't stray too far from the job at hand.

"None of us talk politics at all," Thornton said.