"Everybody's into working with computers, but you can't see flowers inside a computer."

That's Patricia Lanao of Patricia's Flowers, located at 517 Columbus Ave. near Washington Square park. The flower shop is a mainstay in North Beach, and it's truly a family affair.

Although the shop (devoid of any fancy technology) in fact is named after Patricia, it was actually her mother, Rene Lanao, who opened their family's business back in 1992 with the direct assistance of Patricia's sister Pilar. Shortly thereafter Patricia, her sister Mercedes and her brother Perseo all pitched in to make the arrangements that have been spilling out into the sidewalk since the early 1990s.

Nowadays, Patricia runs the shop, having taken over the business in 2009, but she tells us that her mother is still very active and helps with bouquets and corsages when needed. At 83, Renee also makes jewelry, crafts, and paints in her spare time. "If you stop someone from doing something when they're older, you kill them," Patricia tells us. These days, everyone is still very much a part of the business, including Patricia's daughter, Athena. 

The store was named after Patricia not because she was the favorite daughter, but because Rene believed that the name Patricia would be good for business, given the North Beach locale. "I used to live in Italy and my mother named it after me while I was there," Patricia told us. "She called me and told me she was going to open a flower shop and name it after me, since she thought Patricia would be a popular name in an Italian neighborhood. Patricia comes from 'patria' which means the place you're from, the country you love."

The Lanaos are originally from Peru, but most of them had been living in the United States for a few years before opening the store, which they took over from an existing flower shop in the same space. Patricia came over in 1993 after having lived in Italy for several years. Originally landing in the Sunset, Patricia has been a North Beach resident for years and loves the area. "I love everything about it. The neighborhood, the view, the friends, the art, the music, everything," she said

All of the flowers at the shop are bought from the San Francisco Wholesale Flower Mart down on Brannan Street, which Martha Stewart Living has dubbed "the best flower market in the country". Patricia chooses the flowers she buys according to what's in season, and says that her selection varies throughout the year. All of her prices vary, and she's more than happy to fill any sort of custom order. "If a person wants a bouquet for five dollars, I can make it. If someone wants something for twenty dollars, I can make that, too. It all depends," she said.

Patricia is enamored with the beauty of flowers, their ability to bring us closer to nature and their ability to speak in their own language. "Sometimes people have a bad day, or someone needs something for someone who just lost their job, or just to tell someone you love them. That's when people buy flowers, it's the language of the flowers," she told us. "You don't need to say 'my sympathy', or anything, you just bring them flowers. We need to be close to nature, we need to relax. It's beauty, no?"

For now, Patricia is happy to be running her business and adding color to the neighborhood, and didn't wish to speculate on how far in the distant future she'd be in the flower business. "While I'm here, I can do it. I love flowers and I'm happy," she said. "I'd like to keep it in the family, it's a tradition."

"It gives beauty to the block," she added. "Sometimes people stop by and take pictures, and then come back later and buy some flowers for their girlfriend. It brings you back to nature. You cannot bring the park to your house, but you can bring home a little flower."

So, if you're in need of flowers, and would like to support a low-tech, old-fashioned business, swing by Patricia's and tell her what you need. She's open seven days a week from 11am to 9pm.