Bowen Blooms With Queensland's Best Florist

Lily with her mother Alison behind the counter at Fiorella Florals at 28 George Street, Bowen. Photo source: Fiorella Florals

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A Bowen florist has blossomed onto the statewide stage after being crowned Queensland's Best Florist in the Queensland Day 2026 All the Best Awards.

Queenslanders were invited to support their favourite local businesses through the awards, casting a record-breaking 74,630 votes across 15 categories in the lead-up to Queensland Day.

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The win places Fiorella Florals among a select group of businesses recognised as the best in the state, with owner Lily describing the achievement as both unexpected and deeply rewarding.

"It was a such a surreal feeling," she said.

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"I was just happy that we even made it onto the leaderboard let alone winning. I am super proud of us, and so grateful to have such an amazing community backing us. This award makes the years of training, dedication, stress and all that comes with running a business all worth it."

Lily founded Fiorella Florals in 2022 after spending more than a decade building her skills in the industry. Beginning her floristry journey at just 13 years old, she went on to complete Certificates III and IV in Floristry, work as a floral designer on Hayman Island, gain experience at the Toowoomba Flower Market and attend international floral seminars in Croatia.

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After returning home to Bowen in 2020, she turned her dream of owning a florist into reality, creating a business focused on helping people celebrate milestones and navigate life's difficult moments through flowers.

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Lily believes the award reflects the strong support of the local community that has followed her journey from the beginning.

"Winning this award really reflects the trust and support from our beautiful customers," she said.

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"Bowen is a small rural town and we don't have a huge amount of services that some people are used to in the bigger cities. We pride ourselves in always being kind, down to earth and we really get to know our customers.

"I'm a Bowen gal, which means a lot of my customers have actually watched me grow up, from when I first started my career in floristry at 13 years old to opening my own store at 23 years old, and I think that is pretty special."

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Since opening, Fiorella Florals has grown from a market stall and shared retail space into its own storefront at 28 George Street, now offering flowers, gifts, coffee and ice cream alongside its floral designs.

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Reflecting on the journey, Lily said building the business had been both challenging and rewarding.

"Running my own store has always been a dream but I never thought I would actually be able to pull it off," she said.

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"Entering the world of small business has had its challenges and there is no 'how to' manual. It is stressful, exhausting, and probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to teach myself. At the end of the day, it is so rewarding. I am incredibly passionate and love what I do.

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"I love being able to bring comfort to those in the form of flowers, through all of life's special moments."

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