Nature appears to look lifeless now as winter drags on, but there is at least one spot in downtown La Salle that is very, very green.

A young business owner recently moved into a storefront in downtown La Salle.

Peyton Lamps, 20, of La Salle moved into the former Last Muffler and Brake Shop at 552 First St., La Salle.

She rents the space for her business Petals by Peyton, which sells fresh flowers, plants and gifts. She also does floral arrangements for events such as weddings, sympathy work, birthdays, and she does deliver too. Lamps graduated from La Salle-Peru Township High School in 2017.

She makes floral/plant arrangements using distinctive containers such as vintage pots, modern pottery pieces and even small planters for succulents and other house plants.

She answered some questions for the NewsTribune.

How did you get started with this business ?

Lamps: Barb (Hochstatter), she was my boss at a local green house in Mendota. I worked there since I was in eighth grade. I used to go water plants for her. This past summer was my last summer there. I worked there for seven total years. She comes here and helps me out. That’s kind of how my passion of plants sparked. Then I really got into the more interior side of things. so I really like the house plants and floral design. I started selling little succulent planters on the garage sale site on Facebook, and people really seemed to like them. Then I made an Instagram, a Facebook page, and that’s how my business took off.

How difficult was it to get a storefront?

Once I really started to realize I didn’t want to be in my garage any longer, I just looked.

I had looked at this about six months ago, and I don’t think the timing was right. I really started to outgrow my garage. I came back, and they started to talk about building the wall to separate this. I don’t need something that large. As soon as I signed the lease, they built the wall, and I moved in.

What’s the best part of your job?

I get to come to work and do what I love every, single day. I’m fortunate I’m only 20 and I know what I want to do. Even my friends, they’re going to school and don’t know. I’m very fortunate I have found my passion at this age.

What makes your business unique?

I really plant my things in unique containers. There’s something here that appeals to everybody. I have little quirky little containers, little elephants, cows, and I really have modern pieces.

Do you have advice for other business professionals?

Just go for it. It’s a lot of work, but don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. If you’re motivated enough and passionate enough, you’ll be fine, and you will succeed.

What’s your background?

I graduated from Kishwaukee College with a degree in horticulture and floral design. I also got a green house management certificate. The program was awesome. I absolutely loved it. It was very hands on. We got to on trips. I went to Las Vegas and Washington, D.C. for a floral competition and competed with other schools across the country. I just graduated there this past spring.

What does your future look like?

I foresee myself doing this hopefully for the rest of my life. I think it would be cool to have multiple locations, but that’s way into the future. I’m definitely looking into booking more weddings, because everyone knew me as the plant lady because when I did my shows I only sold plants — no one knows I do the floral designs.

Ali Braboy can be reached at (815) 220-6931 and abraboy@shawmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @NT_LaSalle.