How we got here…
Alex and Samantha, originally from St. Ignace, Michigan, lived in Asheville, North Carolina, for nearly five years. In the spring and summer of 2013, Samantha and Alex began praying about moving home. Not even one year later, their prayers were answered and they purchased St. Ignace Greenhouse & Florist.
As high school students, both Alex and Samantha had experience in the floral/landscaping industries. Alex worked for a local landscaping company, Cedars of Mackinac, and Samantha actually worked at St. Ignace Greenhouse & Florist!
Alex and Samantha love raising their family – Margot, Marion, Marley and Gideon – in this small business because of the people they get to interact and work with on a daily basis.
Providing customers with a great experience no matter what their floral or plant needs is a top priority!
Samantha Belonga
owner
Samantha graduated from Grand Valley State University with a B. A. in Hospitality and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Event Planning. She worked as an Event Coordinator at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and then as the Manager of Volunteer Resources at a non-profit in Asheville, North Carolina. Samantha mainly works in the floral department with cut flowers and wedding floral. Her experience in the event industry gives her a unique ability to work with weddings and special event floral. In 2018 after taking many classes in floral design and studying the industry inside and out, Samantha passed her boards to become a Certified Florist. Also in 2018, Samantha was nominated for (and won!) Young Person of the Year from the Michigan Floral Association.
Alex Belonga
owner
Alex has held a variety of jobs, including working on freighters in the Great Lakes and lift boats in the Gulf of Mexico, before returning to work in the soil. Alex focuses his energy on working in the greenhouse with bedding plants, vegetables, shrubs, perennials and his very favorite, hanging baskets. Alex’s love for life-long learning has helped him to develop into a wonderful grower and care-taker of his plants. Alex enjoys playing with new combinations for planters and hanging baskets and he especially loves using blooming vines in his designs. In addition to using his creativity with plant combinations, he enjoys tying custom flies for fly fishing.
Berlioz
Berlioz is our big, friendly, short haired black cat. He loves treats, climbing, visiting the State Park for hot dogs, and kids.
Bailey
Bailey is Jessica’s dog and she can be seen regularly at the shop or out on deliveries. She loves B.C. Pizza breadsticks and scraps that might fall from lunches. She appreciates long naps on her little shop pad and doesn’t mind being petted.
Ivy
Ivy is our high energy, fun loving, adventuring shop dog. She makes friends quickly, loves kids and other dogs and enjoys playing with (aka terrorizing) the shop cats. She loves to greet our customers and going on deliveries is one of her favorite things!
