Schlaffitzel Family Opens a New Antique, Plant and Gift Shop

Imagine an afternoon strolling through a charming antique shop with an array of beautiful plants in every corner. Sounds pretty dreamy, right? Well, you’re in luck, because Mike & Betsy Schaffitzel of Schaffitzel Flowers & Greenhouses have been working on a second shop where you can do all that and a bit more too. The new shop, located right next door to the greenhouse, is called Bernadine’s (2021 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield). It’s named after Mike’s grandmother, and starting this month it will sell an array of European antiques, plants and gifts. “We decided to call it Bernadine’s because we’re celebrating our 75th year this year, and we wanted to take it back to our roots,” says Betsy. Bernadine and her husband, Jerome Senior (Mike’s grandfather), opened the greenhouse and flower shop in 1949. Betsy says that Bernadine and Jerome met at another local greenhouse when they were in their teens, and they had a dream to open their own someday. 

The new shop’s location holds many memories for Mike and his brother Tony. “The building used to be an old gas station,” says Betsy. “Mike and Tony would play pitching pennies with the guys that worked at the gas station when they were little boys.” Mike remembers the older couple who owned the gas station and were always so nice to them. Mike and Tony would come through the back door and take snacks for fun, Betsy says. Then Bernadine would have to go over later and pay the bill. This is why Bernadine’s has snacks available for customers like chips, nuts, candy bars and refreshing drinks like Perrier, water or Sprite. “Anything in a green bottle,” says Betsy. 

The old building went through quite a transformation to become Bernadine’s. “The outside of the building has a stucco finish, which I love,” says Betsy. They painted the stucco white, painted the inside, put in new windows where the original window openings were and uncovered three windows that had been covered up by sheetrock. “It has amazing natural light coming in through all the windows now,” says Betsy. “The white background gives a nice look to showcase the European antiques and all of the green plants.” Persian red rugs line the stained concrete floors and add the European flair the Schaffitzels wanted. 

Along with antiques the Schaffitzels have sourced from England and France, Bernadine’s is also selling flavored olive oils and vinegar, old books, urns, statues and their new line of soy candles with names for scents like Schaffitzel, Flower Shop, Greenhouse and Bernadine’s.

Staying true to their greenhouse roots, plants are a big part of Bernadine’s as well. “We will have house plants all over, including my personal favorite maidenhair ferns, as well as our signature plant at Bernadine’s, which is topiaries,” says Betsy. She’s most excited about a new line of pottery from a company called Campo De’ Fiori. These pieces are made in Mexico and aged to look old. They are all hand-finished in Maine. 

The space will also serve as a place where children can perform on the shop’s piano. “We’re calling it Plants and Piano, and we will be hosting it once a month on Saturdays.” says Betsy. “My friend Teri Roy came up with the idea. We both have a love for music, and our children play piano classically. We thought it was a great idea to have a relaxed atmosphere to help the kids play piano in front of other people.” There are also plans for workshops and event rental opportunities in the future with the courtyard being a beautiful space for people to visit.