When owners Mary Delia Poynter and Anna Testa first met years ago, they connected immediately in their approach to flowers, gardens, and their desire to share their passions. Bonus…they enjoyed each other’s company, too! A collaboration has been in the back of their minds since then. Rooted in a love of gardens and flowers, Begonia brings together Mary Delia and Anna’s shared commitment to thoughtful design alongside their dedication to creating meaningful experiences for their clients.
Begonia in a nutshell is all things garden and flowers! A shop with fresh floral arrangements, well-curated garden and home gifts, seasonal decor, planters, garden relics, potted plants, and orchids. Outside the walls of the shop, we offer fine gardening (design, installation, and maintenance), floral occasions (parties, showers, events), and seasonal decor (Fall and Holiday).
Anna leads the Garden Division with a hands-on, detail-loving approach. The division offers perennial, herb, vegetable, and cut-flower garden design and installation; container composition and installation; and ongoing flower, vegetable, and container garden maintenance. Anna especially enjoys getting to know her clients and their gardens, making sure each one stays healthy, beautiful, and thoughtfully cared for through every season.
Similarly, Mary Delia offers the same dedication to her floral designs whether they are a little ‘pick me up’ arrangement for a friend or a grand soiree. Flowers are sourced locally and from across the world, bringing a unique, fresh approach to everyday flowers. ‘Pick me ups’ are available in- shop or you can call, visit, or go online to place a special order. The talented M. Delia Designs flower team is always there to listen and arrange the most beautiful arrangement for you…they are the best!
Begonia will also offer seasonal decor as it has for years as M. Delia Designs. In the Fall, Pumpkin Packages will adorn your stoop with heirloom pumpkins, gourds, mums, and assorted autumnal details. Not to be outdone, Holiday decor follows not far behind with offerings of an outdoor package and custom designs.
Mary Delia and Anna strive to mainstream all of the garden, flower, seasonal, and gifting needs so that there is no need to juggle multiple companies and aesthetics. We get to know your personal preferences and offer services to simplify seemingly overwhelming tasks in your life.
Our Team
Meet Mary Delia
Mary Delia's love of flowers began at a young age in the garden with her mother, working at garden shops in high school, and for her mother at Sea Island Company during summers in college. After graduating from the University of Georgia and a brief stint in advertising, she went back to her roots and started Container Gardening of Atlanta with her sister, Anne Bolling Rainer, in 2009 in which they provided seasonal container flowers and holiday decor for clients. Her career evolved as she started her family and began to dabble into the world of cut flowers. Freelancing with some of Atlanta's best floral event companies, she honed her craft and M. Delia Designs was born. In 2020, she partnered with Lucy's Market to expand their floral and seasonal offerings. Their partnership blossomed over 6 years; with well wishes and pride in what they built, they have parted ways. Mary Delia is thrilled to enter her next chapter with Anna Testa in their joint venture, Begonia.
At home, Mary Delia and her husband, John (avid vegetable gardener and forager), enjoy working in their garden and raising chickens alongside their children, Malcolm (13) and Mary Boone (10).
Meet Anna
Anna resides in historic Marietta Square with her husband and 3 sons. Gardening is in her genes. Some of her favorite childhood memories are in the garden with her mother, grandmother, and grandfather. Those early experiences sparked a love of plants and gardening that has stayed with her.
After graduating from The University of Georgia, Anna began her career in nursery management in Atlanta, where she discovered her true passion for the horticultural industry. Her career eventually led her into residential garden design and fine garden maintenance management. In 2016, she joined Carson McElheney Landscape Architecture, where she served in a variety of roles before becoming Director of Garden Design and Maintenance. During her time with the firm, she specialized in perennial garden and container design while overseeing garden installations, seasonal change-outs, maintenance programs, and detailed horticultural care for residential landscapes throughout the Atlanta area. Carson remains an ongoing source of inspiration in both aesthetic, commitment to quality, and customer experience.
In recent years, Anna has developed a particular passion for dahlias and has been devoted to learning as much as possible about growing them successfully in the Atlanta climate. Her interest in horticulture extends well beyond her professional work. When she’s not designing or caring for gardens, she can often be found tending to her own vegetable, cut-flower, perennial, and dahlia gardens at home. Anna is beyond excited to embark on this new venture with Mary Delia, bringing their shared garden and floral dreams to life with the creation of Begonia.