The Barbados native came to the United States with her family in the 80s, and by 1999 found herself in the Bronx - single, with a new baby and a tough road ahead.
"As a single mom with a new baby I was going through some difficult times," Grimes-Jenkins told Daily Voice. "We were in the Bronx, and I needed to keep a roof over our heads."
She had an idea - to start her own flower business, so she took the $300 dollars she had, got some good business advice from an uncle, and dove in.
Eighteen years later, she still hasn't looked back. Grimes-Jenkins has kept her business - EMY Flowers (Exclusively Mine & Yours) - alive, and after moving to Mahopac in 2006, she moved her business to her new hometown in 2010, doing all of her work out of her home.
EMY Flowers specializes in weddings, events and whatever her clients may need, and last year Grimes-Jenkins found some success with a pop-up shop approach.
Her first pop-up was at the Mahopac Deli, and she had another last Monther's Day, which also went well. EMY Flowers' latest pop-up will be at Taconic Wine & Liquor - Sunday from 1-5 p.m. and on Tuesday, Valentine's Day, from 10-6 p.m.
"The pop-up shop brings the business to the public," she said. "It also allows us to brings our flowers and arrangements to the clients.
"So far people seem to be embracing it," she added. "The owners have great products, and our products merge well with them."
Of course Grimes-Jenkins would love to get her business into a shop of her own, but for now, that remains a dream. She's still enjoying her work and the relationships she's built.
"I like it a lot," she said. "Hopefully in the future, I will be in brick and mortar. But now I think it's a cool way to go. People say they like our quality, they like the products they see."
Grimes-Jenkins likes to bring a flavor of her homeland, a Caribbean flair, to her work.
"I do a more contemporary style of arrangements," she explained. "I try to incorporate a tropical look, a farm-to-table look... like it's coming right out of the garden."
Grimes-Jenkins is especially proud of her training at New York's Botanical Gardens. "I studied there, and I still do," she said. "That place is so very dear to my heart."
For more info on EMY Flowers, check out their website here, or find them on Facebook.
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