Military is 'Corps' for Semper Fi Florist

By: SHANNON WINGARD - For the North County Times | Friday, March 9, 2007 9:30 PM PST ∞

OCEANSIDE ---- Like most flower shops, Semper Fi Florist does big business on Mother's Day and Valentine's Day.

Because it caters to the military, however, occasions such as welcome-home celebrations, the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, promotions, retirements and change-of-command ceremonies rival requests for traditional holidays. About 75 percent of its customers are related to the military, owner Ali Dastgerdi said.

Semper Fi Florist, near Camp Pendleton 's San Luis Rey gate, advertises a discount in military publications and has a window display with a mannequin wearing authentic Marine Corps dress blues. It also sells Marine cake toppers, welcome-home banners and teddy bears wearing dress blues.

Founder Thelma Garcia, whose husband wore the featured dress blues for their wedding 47 years ago, said that the business has always had a strong connection to the Marine Corps.

She said she opened Semper Fi Florist in 1990 in Oceanside, moved it by the Main Exchange on Camp Pendleton for about seven years, then two years ago moved back to Oceanside to its current location, 521 Vandegrift Blvd.

Garcia, who sold Semper Fi Florist to Dastgerdi of Oceanside seven years ago but still works as manager and a designer, said that she has developed quite a reputation at Camp Pendleton.

"When I see Marines at the base, I don't have my name ---- I am Semper Fi,"she said.

Garcia, of Fallbrook, said that she has worked hard to gain the reputation of a quality florist. When her husband was deployed in a North African location, she studied European floral design and has been practicing the art ever since. In fact, Garcia and the other designer, Lois Rice, create all the arrangements, frequently on a same-day basis.

In addition, customers can request that their floral arrangements include American or Marine Corps flags, as well as colored ribbons specific to the military branch.

The shop serves military deployed in Iraq, either by phone or online at www.semperfiflorist.com.

With all the joy Dastgerdi gets from working with military families, he said there are some somber moments.

With tears in his eyes, Dastgerdi recalled a story of one woman buying flowers for another who had just delivered a baby without her deployed husband by her side. In another, he spoke softly about how he had to cancel a series of prearranged deliveries to the wife of a Marine because he was killed in combat in Iraq.

Dastgerdi's wife, Shahin Hodjat, summed it up well: "We just enjoy dealing with military. We love them like family, and we're always happy to see them."

Contact freelance writer Shannon Wingard at scwing711@gmail.com.

Name: Semper Fi Florist

Owner: Ali Dastgerdi

Address: 521 Vandegrift Blvd. in Oceanside

Phone: (760) 754-0271

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Web site: www.semperfiflorist.com

Established: 1990

Services: Sells floral arrangements, balloons, banners and military memorabilia

Number of employees: Four

Estimated sales for 2007: $280,000

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