This is the first story in Capital B Gary’s Community Spotlight series. We’re shining a light on the people, places, and businesses working to bring joy to and uplift Gary. To nominate a deserving spotlight, reach out to Gary Editor Javonte Anderson at javonte.anderson@capitalbnews.org.
Rhythmic tunes flow through his AirPods — Ella Fitzgerald scatting broken notes gracefully over horns and piano keys.
His head bops. His shoulders bounce. The music inspires, but in the rear of Gary’s newest flower shop, Jonathan Portis’ artistry takes center stage.
First, he places painted feathers, half dipped in black and half in gold, into the arrangement. Then come ivory roses, nestled amid specks of baby’s breath. He steps back to assess the craftsmanship, his body moving in rhythm with the music.
Next, a black hand — palm up, fingers curled, adorned with pearls — emerges from the middle of the arrangement. Portis steps back again, scrutinizing every detail. This intricate dance continues for hours until the floral display is just right.
His mission was both clear and layered: to create a centerpiece for a landmark 80th birthday that captured the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance.
“The family told me to go crazy with it,” he said. “I said, ‘Say less.’”
The wake-up call
Portis, a 33-year-old Gary native, opened the city’s newest floral shop earlier this year. His journey to being a young business owner in Gary was as intricate as his floral arrangements. Since Portis was a little boy, he always wanted to be a funeral director. As a child, he once orchestrated a funeral for his goldfish.
“I even had my family marching in the living room,” he said.
After working in social services early in his career, Portis spent several years as a funeral home administrator before he took a job as deputy coroner at the Lake County Coroner’s office in 2018. But his experience there, particularly during the onset of the 2020 pandemic, forced him to confront grimmer realities of death.
As the world halted, first responders and essential workers, including coroners, remained active. Portis spent days retrieving bodies from hospitals, nursing homes, and residences — all victims of COVID-19.
“It started to take its toll,” Portis said. “I knew mentally it was only so much I could take. You’re coming into work every day knowing you’re going to see death.”
Portis sought a new direction. He asked God to show him a vision; he wanted to do something that would put a smile on faces. That vision came one day when he caught a glimpse of a bouquet while working part time at a funeral home.
“That’s it,” he thought.
A fresh start
After a week at floral design school and with his mother’s support, Portis began his journey into the world of flowers, using the back of her home as his first workspace.
“Immediately, it took off,” Portis said.
He would labor into the wee hours, crafting arrangements, pruning roses, tailoring ribbons, and managing a growing number of orders. As his business outgrew the confines of his mother’s residence, she suggested finding a dedicated storefront.
Three years later, The House of Elegant Florals opened its doors at 1978 Grant St., directly down the street from his birth hospital. Staying in Gary was a conscious choice for Portis. He could have opened his shop in a nearby suburb like Merrillville, but his allegiance lay firmly with his roots.
“I got love for my city,” Portis said. “And I still have hope for it; that’s why I kept it here.”
On a recent October morning, Portis settled into a recliner in his office. His commitment shined through every corner of the space: A verdant ivy-clad wall greeted customers. A neon sign proudly displayed the shop’s name, and soothing strains of smooth jazz set the ambiance. With two new hires on board, he was upbeat about the growth of his business. Brimming with enthusiasm, Portis shifted the discussion toward the joys of the creative process.
“I don’t see it as flowers,” he said. “I used to. Now, I see it as art. And I love when a client gives an artist the freedom to express themselves.”
With every creation, he aspires to curate an arrangement that commemorates an occasion and illustrates a narrative. From bouquets that celebrate anniversaries to solemn funeral casket sprays, Portis draws inspiration from the individual stories of his clients.
“What does this person like?” he asked. “Did they like football? Let’s add a football to this casket spray. Let’s add details that truly tell the story of this person.”
Over the course of a three-hour conversation, Portis kept circling back to his affection for his hometown.
“I’m a true Gary product,” he said. “I truly believe there’s some good that can still come out the hood,” he said, his eyes as convincing as his voice.
Taking a moment, Portis sifted through his mind to retrieve a cherished quote. Soon, John F. Kennedy’s words came to him: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
That perspective resonates deeply with Portis’ outlook on Gary.
“That’s how I view my city,” he said. “We complain, we complain, we complain, but what are we doing to make the change?”