Matthew Moore worked his first shift as a bag boy at Petitti Garden Center before he learned how to drive a car.
There, he absorbed everything he could, and discovered a passion for the way cut flowers and plants could help craft an entire experience – sparking memory, emotion and evoking the senses.
Petitti’s founder and namesake, Angelo Petitti, recognized his talent and took Moore under his wing.
After 12 years working as a florist and designer for Petitti, Moore struck out on his own in 2016.
Now the owner of Leaf Home and Blooms – a lifestyle plant and floral boutique in the heart of Akron’s West Hill neighborhood – Moore has been growing queer joy for more than two decades.
Moore designed Leaf’s space with true care and intention, teeming with lush plant material, cut flowers, gifts and homemade soaps and candles.
“I want people to come and have an experience here that’s far beyond flowers and far beyond plants,” Moore said. “It doesn’t have to be a wedding or a big event to create this experience. The store itself is designed to give people calmness in a hectic world.”
Crafting an experience
On an otherwise ordinary day at work, Moore put together a display of potted plant material in the entryway of one of Petitti’s Garden Center’s Northeast Ohio’s locations.
Unbeknownst to Moore, Petitti’s namesake, Angelo Petitti, was watching from the wings.
“He came up to me after I was done and complimented the arrangement and said ‘You belong at one of the big stores with the designers,’” Moore said. “I was starstruck.”
Quickly, Moore moved to Petitti’s’s Oakwood Village corporate location, where he shadowed the head landscape architect and the head floral designer.
“I would work at different stores depending on different needs at different times and different projects,” Moore said. “I also was Angelo’s special project person, so I did his home and all of his friends’ homes for Christmas and outdoor landscaping, parties.”
From flowerbeds to opulent parties with immersive floral and plant design, Moore learned everything he could.
When Petitti’s daughter got married, Moore provided floral work for the wedding ceremony.
That sparked a more specific passion.
“I just fell in love with wedding design and creating experiences that go beyond just plant material and cut flowers, curating events that really stimulate the senses and different emotions.” he said. “That was really the catalyst that propelled me further.”
Branching out
After 12 years, Petitti shuttered the floral design department to focus on selling plants and flowers.
“I still really wanted to work with cut flowers in addition to all the other stuff,” Moore said. “I got so much experience. I managed annual and tropical departments. I worked at the growing facilities. I had a great experience managing the Bainbridge and Strongsville stores.”
Moore knew he wanted to continue in the industry on his own terms.
“I asked his blessing to move on and pursue a career,” he said – which Petitti gave without hesitation.
Moore had a larger and more unique vision for his own legacy in the floral industry.
First, he took over Akron floral vendor Every Blooming Thing, opening a brick-and-mortar location on West Exchange Street in 2016.
In 2019, he purchased Leaf’s current home on West Market Street. Leaf Home and Blooms officially opened for business in 2020, after completing extensive renovations that transformed the space.
“When I started Leaf I wanted to create a very open, safe space for queer individuals and a welcoming space for everyone,” Moore said.
“Petitti’s is incredible, but they’re very traditional in a lot of ways,” he added. “I wanted to be quite a bit different in offering urban-inspired relics and gifts in addition to all the plant material.”
Letting the light in
When Moore was growing up in Northeast Ohio, his architect father took special care to teach him building, design and home improvement skills from patching drywall to changing electrical outlets.
“I always grew up sketching out plans and designing things,” Moore said. “With our building, I really wanted to do most of the renovations myself.”
While designing the space, Moore conceived of a massive, raised central skylight – one of the only elements he hired outside contractors to help bring to life.
“I think that surprises a lot of people, unfortunately, because of stereotypes,” Moore said. “They see this guy that is a part of the [LGBTQ+] community but who is also very handy and is going to town with building and designing. I love to break the mold.”
“Unfortunately, small business retail has been decreasing for some time now due to the box stores and online shopping,” Moore said. “What I’ve found is that pivoting into more experiential things has really benefited us and helped spread word-of-mouth that we are queer-owned business.”
“This is a space that just instantly relaxes people. You can see it in their body language and then you can see it once you actually start talking to them and then the excitement starts exuding from them,” Moore said. “That is my favorite part.”
“We make all of our own candles and soap, so we always have a candle going,” he added. “Lighting is really important to me, so I spend a lot of time doing lighting through the store and the visuals and touch are really important.”
“We love and respect everybody and want everyone to have a place to feel comfortable to come walk through,” Moore said. “Even if you’re not purchasing anything.”
Where queer joy grows
For Moore, creating experiences like baby showers, birthday celebrations and weddings with and for other LGBTQ+ Ohioans has been personally nourishing.
“There’s a really beautiful level of trust between us that goes without saying,” Moore said. “We just know that we’re going to take extra care of each other.”
“It’s been incredible to hear people’s stories. It’s been incredible developing friendships, because you’re together for essentially a year planning a very intimate event,” Moore said. “Then after that, it’s anniversaries, Christmas parties, birthdays.”
Moore’s relationships with LGBTQ+ clients often last decades – his work in floral and plant design appearing throughout their lives to mark celebrations and milestones along the way.
“It’s really one of the most powerful things I’ve had the opportunity to experience and feel,” Moore said. “That’s why I’m still doing this.”
“Sometimes running a small business can present challenges,” he added. “But having an experience like that – building those relationships – it reminds me that I’m supposed to be doing this.” 🔥
Ignite Action
- To learn more about Leaf Home and Blooms, click here.
- To learn more about Plexus: Ohio’s LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, click here.
- If you are a young LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact the Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
- If you are an transgender adult in need of immediate help, contact the National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
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