CHESAPEAKE — Flowers can be used to express a variety of emotion: Love, joy, a smile and comfort in a time of sorrow. Sometimes the gift of flowers can speak volumes.

For 19 years, Paul and Lynn Drake, owners of Memorial Park Florist in Chesapeake, have been helping their customers express their feelings through floral arrangements and gifts.

“We have wonderful customers,” Lynn Drake said Wednesday as she prepared floral arrangements for an upcoming winter wedding.

Drake, a self-taught designer, said she had designed out of their home for many years before they purchased the business. She and her daughter designed and painted the interior of the shop themselves.

“My husband was a minister, and we were going to have to move,” she said. “The business came up for sale and I bought it.”

Memorial Park Florist is a full service florist with silks and fresh flowers, she also makes special orders. The shop also has many gift items to choose from including a selection of wood crafts, throws, home d/cor, pictures, flags, candles, Longaberger purses, totes and baskets.

“Just a little bit of everything,” Drake said as she smiled.

Among the other holiday wreaths and seasonal pieces are pieces of wooden furniture that Drake has found and refurbished. Some pieces have been painted and decorated. One of the pieces catches the eye of a customer from West Virginia who was later loading it into her car.

“All of our furniture pieces are just things we have picked up somewhere and I have redone,” Drake said as she points out a dresser that has been overlaid with touches of gold paint.

The Drakes have recently built an addition to the shop,

which serves as a showroom to showcase holiday items. It is currently filled with holiday items for Christmas.

Memorial Park Florist is located at 413 Third Ave., in Chesapeake. They are open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday for Holiday hours.

The phone number is (740) 867-8668.