PHOTO BY JON BUSDEKER
Hearlie’s Flower Box, a local floral shop that has been part of Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood for some 60 years, has quietly closed its doors at 323 S. Parramore Avenue [GMap].
Founded by Hearlie Mae Donaldson in the early 1970s, the store became a community fixture, nestled in the historic Hankins Building, which once housed the office of Councilman “Pappy” Kennedy, the Orange County NAACP, and more. Over the decades, Hearlie’s became celebrated not only for its beautiful arrangements, but also as a living thread woven through Parramore’s cultural and civic history.
Miss Donaldson closed the shop due to her failing health and went into retirement back in May of this year. The windows of her old shop are currently papered up. We’re not sure if anything is planning to move in at this time.
Thankfully, “The Orlando Shine Show” co-host Jon Busdeker interviewed Miss Donaldson back in 2018 and you can watch that video below.
