Jerry Kintzler has been Riverton, Wyoming’s go-to florist for 55 years, and has even used his knowledge to save a life or two.
A customer at his downtown Riverton boutique, Jerry’s Flowers and Things, recently called with a flower complaint.
He told Kintzler that a rose bouquet had shriveled and died within only a short time of purchase.
Kintzler promptly went to their home, retrieved the roses and replaced them.
After seeing that the entire bouquet had died at once, Kintzler instantly knew something was wrong. A bouquet would only die like that if it had run out of water or had been frozen, which was not the case for these roses.
“I said to him, ‘I want you to have the gas company come check your house,’” Kintzler said. “We had this happen once before. We sent a gas company out and they had a gas leak. It saved them from being seriously hurt or killed.”
Fortunately, this customer also took Kintzler’s advice.
Just as the flower expert predicted, they had a gas leak which could have been disastrous. The roses had just saved their lives.
“They were most appreciative,” Kintzler said modestly, before launching into another discussion about his favorite topic, flowers.
The Flower Career
Kintzler has been selling flowers since 1975 and designing arrangements since college. Being an experienced florist was not his life goal, however. He had been an art teacher for 12 years and loved teaching his junior high students.
It was when Kintzler and his wife, Lori, were preparing to adopt their second child, that he had to change careers. They were told he was not making enough on his teaching salary to be able to adopt. That was all the prompting they needed to open their own business.
Through a series of false starts and discarding several business plans that their bank disproved of, the couple finally decided to open a flower shop.
Kintzler had previously learned the fine art of flower arrangements while working his way through college and had fine-tuned his craft working for another Riverton florist.
They quickly opened their business within a month of getting their bank loan and immediately learned how fickle the flower business could be.
The first big order they had was for a golden anniversary. To the couple’s dismay, the freight company had lost part of the cooler, so they had no flowers. Thinking quick, Kintzler convinced their new customers that artificial straw flowers would be an excellent choice for the anniversary arrangement.
“It was in the fall, and they loved the idea so it worked out fine,” he said.
Their next order was for a convention and once again, they had to use artificial flowers.
“That got the door open, and we just never had any doubt about what we could do it,” Kintzler said.
They would work from early in the morning until late at night as they learned how to manage their business. Another opportunity soon presented itself when Kintzler was asked to make a flower demonstration at a convention in Idaho. They had only been in business for a month but his style had apparently caught the attention of the leaders in the industry.
It was the Idaho Utah Floral Convention and the new florist would be expected to design an arrangement in front of a couple hundred people. Kintzler accepted the challenge and was given five to seven minutes to create a design from scratch.
“You arrive not knowing what they have in mind,” he said. “They'll tell you what they want you to do, such as a bouquet in red. That's all you could use is colored shades of red.”
Ever since that first demonstration, Kintzler has continued to help others create their own masterpieces. He has also made designs for online flower shops such as FTD and 1-800 Flowers.
Jerry Kintzler has 55 years of experience designing flower displays and is celebrating 50 years of selling these bouquets in Riverton, Wyoming through his shop, Jerry’s Flowers and Things. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
Jerry Kintzler has chairs set up throughout his store, Jerry’s Flowers and Things, located in downtown Riverton, Wyoming. This is so people can take time to visit and relax while they are browsing and enjoying the displays he changes daily. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
One of the changes that Jerry Kintzler has witnessed in over 50 years of the flower business is that the flowers no longer have the once powerful scents that they use to have decades before. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
When Jerry Kintzler first moved his store into the old JC Penney store downtown Riverton, Wyoming, the cooler was the only addition he put in. He has been selling flowers arrangements and unique gifts for 50 years after changing careers as a middle school art teacher. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
Jerry Kintzler and his assistant, David Black, discuss flower arrangements and future plans for the store, Jerry’s Flowers and Things, in downtown Riverton, Wyoming. Kintzler has been selling flowers and unique gifts for 50 years in his childhood town. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
Jerry Kintzler began selling clothing when he realized that the women in Riverton wanted a place to shop for higher end clothing. He has also hosted fun fashion shows as free public events. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
Jerry Kintzler uses his art degree to make more than just bouquets. He also helps with interior design and sells a line of home décor. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
From chocolates to jewelry to home décor, Jerry Kintzler is constantly gauging the needs and desires of his local customers. The knickknacks he originally sold 50 years ago are no longer popular. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
Artificial flowers are still popular with Jerry Kintzler’s customers, especially for decorating their family graves. He personally decorates cemetery plots for family’s that no longer live in the area and want to honor their loved ones. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
Even though Jerry’s Flowers and Things offers more than just bouquets, flowers remain Jerry Kintzler’s highest selling item in his store. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily)
The Display
Kintzler firmly believes that flowers help heal, especially when displayed at funerals.
“It’s real personalized,” he said. “You design for the person so the family will know you're thinking of them. Remember, these flowers are for the living.”
With this in mind, Kintzler designs his unique flower arrangements to reflect the person they are for. At a recent funeral for a beekeeper, his team designed a bouquet with bees and placed the flowers on a beehive.
Another bouquet featured rope and leather pieces that represented the deceased’s business.
“For a cowboy, I made a complete saddle out of roses,” he said. “That's why we say when words don't say enough, send flowers. It's really true in all occasions, if there's been a happy time or a tragedy.”
Changes Over 50 Years
Kintzler has seen many changes in the past 50 years in the flower business. When he first started, most of the arrangements were stylized and sparse.
“They were high style,” he explained. “They were minimal and you could use more elegant flowers.”
Today, Kintzler and his assistant, David Black, design their bouquets to be fuller so that wherever direction you set them, you can appreciate the flowers.
Roses and lilies are now their top sellers when carnations, which last longer, use to hold that position of number one flower.
Another change is that most of the flowers today lack the strong fragrances they once had in the past.
“They have over-pollinated and forested them so much that they don't have the fragrance,” Kintzler said. “But then for the person who has the allergies, they won’t bother them.”
Kintzler buys his flowers from all over the world and notes that even the ones from Central America don’t have the same fragrance like they used to.
“The carnations always used to smell like cloves or cinnamon or vanilla or lemon,” he said. “Freesia used to just blow you away. I don't know what they've done.”
The other changes are what people buy. They no longer are interested in corsages but will buy jewelry and the gourmet chocolate he now sells. Instead of knickknacks, he sells home décor and helps with interior design.
He also began selling higher-end clothing and even hosted a few fashion shows. He continues to watch trends and changes his displays on a daily basis.
“Everyone's dressing more casual,” he said. “Young people don't collect things or even register for wedding gifts.”
“We've had the business 50 years and it's been exciting,” he concluded. “I still like people, and I still like what we do.”
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
