Dirk Sure tried retirement, but after two years, his passion for creating with flowers took control and he told his husband, Denis Peters, he wanted to get back to work and open a new shop — his first since moving from Brussels to the Coachella Valley.
“I told Denis, I need my flowers,” said Sure, a German native and master florist. “It’s my passion” and has been since he was 14, living with his family in a small town about 13 miles east of Cologne, making deliveries for a neighboring florist.
The pandemic delayed Sure’s plan to open a shop locally for about a year, but the wait ended last month, when he opened European Flower Power Floral Design & Boutique in the heart of Palm Desert’s new city center.
Just outside the shop entrance, guests are met with one of Sure’s many concrete creations: this one with legs, seemingly of a man, seated on a coat-draped chair and a planter resting on its legs. Inside, customers will find a mix of potted plants, succulents, fresh flowers, and orchids — all flown in fresh from Ecuador — and more concrete planters of varying sizes, including a large one with a waterfall, all crafted by Sure.
In 2008, Sure sold his floral business and moved to Brussels to be with Peters. About three years ago, they both retired and relocated together to the United States — a lifelong dream of Sure's. “I love it here,” he said. “Now it’s my dream come true to have a flower store in the USA. I’m really proud,” he said.
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