Flower Lady & Friends Celebrate 65

Sporting a headband lined with felt candles, New Haven ​“Flower Lady” Annette Walton celebrated turning 65 in style on Thursday along with friends she makes vending on York Street — including one who gave her a glimpse of China.

A New Haven celebrity, Walton has been selling flowers on the city’s sidewalks for nearly 34 years. Most often, she can be found on York Street, sitting near the entrance of Common Grounds coffee shop.

“I love to sell flowers to meet people. I like people. I’m just a people person,” Walton said. ​“I get to talk to different people from around the world, because I don’t have that kind of money to travel around,” she said.

One day, however, Walton hopes to visit ​“all of those beautiful palaces” in China.

Without her even having to blow out a candle, her birthday wish came true for a brief moment.

A Yale Summer Session student, who wished to remain anonymous, ran over to Walton toting a folded Paper Source bag.

“Yay, happy birthday!” she cheered, pumping her fists as Walton opened the present and produced a folded paper fan detailed with Chinese calligraphy.

“It’s from my family’s home in China,” the student explained. ​“I know it’s hot out here, so now you can stay cool.”

Taking Walton’s hand in her own, she demonstrated how to swiftly splay the fan with a flick of the wrist.

“I’m going to be using this today,” Walton smiled, pulling the student in for a hug. ​“I was just saying that I want to visit China!”

The gifts continued throughout the afternoon, including a flowery pen — ​“Because I know you like flowers!” — and a slice of chocolate cake. Walton could barely get a few words out without passersby wishing her a happy birthday.

“People tell me that I’m a famous lady out here,” said Walton, who has lived in New Haven for most of her life. ​“This city has changed a whole lot. The buildings — the whole downtown changed.” Gesturing up York Street, Walton reminisced about the past. ​“We used to have caramel corn — used to be right there on the corner.”

Looking down, she stomped her foot.

“This sidewalk wasn’t always brick. It used to be concrete, like that,” she said, pointing across the street towards the walkway outside Yale’s Trumbull College.

“You don’t even see the pigeons no more on the Green!”

It wasn’t long before Aerin O’Brien, another student in Yale’s Summer Session pre-college program, stopped by to share a mini-vanilla cupcake with her new friend. Since moving onto campus in late June, O’Brien has often passed Walton on her daily walk to class.

“Yesterday was my birthday, so my friends actually bought flowers for me and I have them in my room,” O’Brien shared as she picked two bouquets from Walton’s flower cart.

“It was your birthday? Happy birthday!” Walton wished the 17-year-old. ​“Go ahead, take another one.” This was quite the gift, seeing that Walton sources the flowers from Milford via public bus and often stays up past 1 a.m. arranging the bouquets, which usually sell for $10.

When asked if she had any advice to share with O’Brien, Walton waved her hand and said: ​“She’s also a Leo, she already knows everything.” 

When she first met Walton, O’Brien ​“could sense her Leo aura and amazing personality” and knew instantly that they would be fast friends. The flowers from their first meeting are still thriving, according to O’Brien.

Erin Sommers, a residential college fellow for this summer’s Yale Young Global Scholars program, said it was ​“wonderful” to be celebrating with Walton as the pair snapped a selfie.

Although she’s reached retirement age, Walton said she has no plans of stepping back from selling flowers any time soon.

“It’s not that tiring, and I love talking to people. I believe if I stopped selling flowers, people wouldn’t know where I’m at and people would be worried.”

“They might hire a lawyer if I stopped coming down here,” she chuckled. ​“But I’m not worried about that right now. 65 — I made it!”