Take a Peek Inside the Burnt-Out Flower Shop

The large trash bin in the back was filled with leaves. Inside, once-luscious full bouquets drooped sadly, mostly blackened.

A tray full of succulents seemed to survive with only a coat of ash, but the large centerpieces that once dominated the shop were wilted beyond repair.

Mark's Garden was devastated by a fire over the weekend, and the workers are slowly picking through the rubble. A few pieces were saved and taken out, but it was very little.

Two representatives from Topline Builders were doing emergency work on the building, making sure that the ceiling wouldn’t leak in the event of rain that is forecast for later in the week, and covering the front windows with wood. 

Martine, from Mark’s, said the owners, including Mark Held, are slowly sorting through the mess of the famed flower shop. “They will be here tomorrow,” he said.

There is hope. Mary Baldwin, a Patch reader, said on a blog: "My friend had ordered flowers on Saturday to be delivered to her client on Monday morning as a gift for their escrow closing this past Friday. She assumed she would have to use another florist and called Mark's Garden just to see if they were even open. They answered the phone and told her, yes, they had filled their orders today! Now that's service! That's why I always try to support local small businesses in Sherman Oaks."

The Los Angeles Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the blaze at 13838 Ventura Blvd., which erupted at about 8:38 p.m. Sunday.

Fire department spokesman Brian Humphrey said 71 firefighters brought the blaze under control in 27 minutes. No one was injured.

But the shop and the greenery were destroyed. Only a few glimmers of color peeked through the blackened ash and soot.

The workers locked the back door for the night as it got dark, but there wasn't much left inside.