The Delivery

Twenty years of delivering and I have learned alot. Most obviously I have learned how to properly read the map using the house numbers for village vs. rural and I know every road in our county! With Valentine’s Day coming and the necessity to bring in people to help with deliveries, it is important to be somewhat strategic in our containers for this Holiday. Reason being no matter how hard you try, arrangement may shift a bit during delivery. The best way to minimize the odds of an arrangement tipping over or becoming unstable is to pick a container that has a flatter bottom and will be balanced in a way that it is not top heavy. Valentine’s Day is a holiday where a decent percentage of your yearly sales is delivered in 2-3 days. Normally I do run deliveries, so I know all the tricks. But for those that are kind enough to help me out, I want to make sure it is as easy and stress free as possible. No one wants to come back and tell us they spilled a delivery or one got disheveled … although I do encourage them to do this because the last thing you want is an unhappy customer, especially when you have worked so hard. This year’s selections are in route to us and they consist of containers that can be easily packed into a vehicle or pick-up by a customer. It is important that your customer can easily transport the arrangement too. We do offer vase boxes for such situations. During normal business we package all vases in boxes, but for Valentine’s Day when there is so much to go out the door and a small window of time, we rely on boxes that hold several vases for delivery purposes. A stable container is also easier to leave on a doorstep too if a recipient is not home. One year we did martini glass arrangements. They were clever and really pretty, but from a delivery stand point is was a bit challenging. Weather can also play a big role for February and windy days can place havoc on designs. So when you do not have the luxury to mess about with an unusually shaped container, flat bottomed and balanced containers are the best. Here is hoping for good weather this February 12-14 😉❤ Maybe you will get a special delivery.

The Holiday Rush

2020 is ending in a Holiday Rush. People unable to spend the Holidays with their loved ones has created a demand on Florists for Flower Deliveries. It started out busy and is ending with our Shop reaching capacity and our Suppliers as well. What were customers buying? Of course Holiday fresh arrangements, fresh wreaths, amaryllis, poinsettias, candy, fun mylars, dish gardens, fruit baskets and a few gifts thrown in. It has kept us on our toes for sure. The Grand Dame of our Holiday this year was the Holiday Elegance Bouquet. It is designed in a glass vase that is fanned out at the top, perfect for a flowing round, yet tall design. The top features gorgeous oriental lilies in white surrounded by red freedom roses nested in a bed of winter greens, mini gerbera, and green hydrangea. For a bit of sparkle and holiday feel we added a shiny glass ball, pine cone, shimmery ribbon, tiny pieces of silver curly ting, seeded eucalyptus and a little touch of babys breath. All together this vase is quite a large display and a sure eye catcher. And the lilies smell wonderful! This is a perfect design for someone who is a bit less traditional and likes florals that have flare. Merry Christmas to everyone and see you next year. As always, visit your local Florists for the latest in ideas and trends.

A Dollar Store Bouquet

At the last minute we need another Holiday Feature and it is too late to order containers for timely delivery. When you live in a small town there is but one option. Go to the local dollar store and find some creativity. It took a bit, but what we came up with was our 2020 Santa’s Sweet Treat Bouquet! We found a festive 10″ green basket with a black belt and gold buckle wrapped around it. Then we found some cute little candy bags with various Holiday images on them. Next isle down we grabbed up some chocolate coal candy and peppermint candies to put inside the little candy bags; something for the naughty and nice in all of us. At the store we had in stock some gold edged velvet ribbon that we created a nice big bow to attached the bag of candy to. To create, we first used assorted evergreens for our base and then added fresh florals in the colors of the season. Such as roses, peppermint mini carnations, green kermit poms, white cushion poms and babys breath. Add the bow/bag, white sprayed pine cone and little shinny balls. The result was a nice sized all around bouquet. Next time you need a creative floral display know that you don’t have to spend alot on the hardware. The prefect greenery, florals and accents are the key to creating magic for the Holidays and every day. Visit your local Florists we love the help with fun ideas! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Thankful 2020

It is that time of the year to reflect and see what there is to be thankful for this year. Many might say not much in 2020, however here at The Flower Shop it has been just the opposite. We have no complaints. Sure we had to close up for one month in the spring, but when we came back the community support has been amazing. The Flower Shop has been not only a refuge for me and my staff, but a place for those looking for some uplifting blossoms for themselves and the ones they love get through this year. Our first day back after shutdown we were flooded with orders from people wanting to support this little 85 year old shop and that continues until this day. I call The Shop my happy place because I work with wonderful ladies and each day we are honored to see all the smiles that not only delivering flowers brings, but helping those that want to send flowers! Next year will be a year of transition as The Shop looks for a new owner because we are moving to Tennessee. However my time here is ending full of love and warmth. May everyone have a blessed Thanksgiving and Holiday Season and may 2021 bring in new reasons to be Thankful. Below is one my favorite Thanksgiving traditions, the Cornucopia full of a mixture of colors and textures it encapsulates the spirit of the world.

Blooming Spiders

Halloween is upon us and what a fun way to celebrate then by making a creative floral arrangement. I was inspired by a couple of Sunflowers that had lost their petals. Those pods became head/body of a spider. In the drawer I found some googly eyes and black pipe cleaners. With some hot glue and a pic machine I created a face and some legs. The two spiders are in a bed of blossoms in Halloween colors of orange, greens of mums and kermit poms. To create some fall flare throughout is some thistle and fall leaves. To add a pop of purple I found some shimmery purple tulle in the drawer. But there was one thing missing…it was the prey for the spider. I incorporated a couple of lady bugs for fodder. All this was assembled in a basket of oasis and mixed greenery. This year as Halloween approaches look around and see what fun things you could incorporate into a floral bouquet for some fresh, fun decorations or gift! As your local Florist some help. Happy Halloween!

Red Rover

One of the happy things that happens in the Fall is the Red Rover. This Mum makes quite a statement and will pop out of any bouquet and is real eye catcher. It is on a single stem much like a rose is. The stem is very sturdy which makes it a perfect choice for oasis as well. The blossom itself is quite large and measures around 4″ in diameter. It is loaded with dark burnt reddish petals and the middle is bright yellow. This combination makes it stand out quite nicely in an arrangement. The particular design below feature the Red Rover with more delicate blossoms to offset it’s bold nature. Blossoms like yellow spray roses, lavender alstromeria, white mini carnations and purple stock. Add some greenery and it is a perfect frame for the Red Rover. Since purple and yellow are contrasting colors the bow is a lovely accent. The addition of the orange really brings out the Red in the “Rover”. I like that it is in a white basket because even though it is fall summer is still a bit in the air. Next time you are looking for a long lasting flower in the fall consider the Red Rover. Go see your Local Florist, they would love the help 😉

White Elegance

There is something about an all white bouquet of flowers that seems so pure and unspoiled. The way the blossoms are framed by only greenery and no other colors gives it a clean look. The below bouquet was created as a sympathy display but could easily be universal for any occasion. It is what we would call a Homestyle Sympathy piece because it is perfect for a memorial and the home. This particular bouquet features rose oriental lilies that are quite unique because they are shaped like a rose but have many petal within the blossoms like a rose. They are paired with white roses and accented with white hypericum berries. Flowing from the edges of the vase are eucalyptus leaves and bear grass. This give the bouquet a bit of an elegant flowing effect. Because this was for a service I include a mixed white bow of satin ribbon and sheer ribbon. It adds a bit more drama to the piece. Other options for an elegant bouquet could be white hydrangea, white snapdragons or even carnations. I chose not to add any filler like gyp because I wanted to keep it clean looking, however you could add some for a bit more texture. Visit your Florists and they can help with your design and floral selection!

Fall Transition

It is that time of year that we must start the transition into fall. Technically it will be fall in 5 days! Summer did go by quickly. Summer and Fall both create the brightest colors of flowers. Below is an example of how to hold onto summer while dipping your toe into fall. There is a nice mixture of daisys, roses, stock, status, hydrangea, mini carnations, sunflowers and status. The colors are summery with whites and pinks and yet the addition of the sunflowers and purple stock. The ferns also bring a lacy yet transitional bold feel to the design. This particular design was done in oasis in inside of a plum cube base. A touch of natural raffia would also look pretty in this bouquet. I love all the different textures as well. Soft petals and more broad leaf greenery. It is an all around design so it can be enjoyed from all sides. Visit your local Florists and they can help you select the perfect mixture of florals and greenery. Happy end of summer.

Creating Floral Personality

Bridal bouquets can be made fun with a little accent. Some accents have sentimental meanings life a scarf or a ring and some feature fun accents. Years back we did one with big peacock feathers that was paired well with the flowers in the bouquet which were deep purple and whites. Below is a fun little handheld bouquet we did where the bride brought in little cotton ball pics. What a unique and neat little idea. I particularly liked it because the cotton balls were surrounded by soft colors like light pinks and ivorys. Poking in and out around the bouquet was dusty miller which adds another dimension of fuzziness! A few white berry springs and this bouquet was both whimsical and playful. The textures together were like a little cloud of love on the horizon. Florals do not have to be all about the flowers, sometimes a little added element can bring a whole new personality to the event or gift. Next time you are trying to create a mood, ask your Florists from some help to create something memorable and unique.

Rose Lily

The Rose Lily has become one of my new favorites. It is an oriental lily that is loaded with petals as the blossoms open. I feel like it is a bonus flower because it has the scent of an oriental lily, the shape of an oriental lily and many petal within it like a rose – thus the Rose Lily. So far I have had these in the shop in white and hot pink/white. Both are truly beautiful. Nice thing about an oriental lily is that it is hardier and last longer than the similar asiatic lily. Now they do cost more money, but you get your moneys worth. They are very splashy for sympathy bouquets and elegant enough to use in an everyday arrangement. Paired with Roses, like below, they are an exquisite gift for your Sweetheart. This particular design is in a vase with seeded eucalyptus on the edges and calcinia tucked in between the stems. This display with the large mixed lace and satin bow ties this entire arrangement. Next time you want a beautiful bloom that makes a big statement, consider the Rose Lily! It has the sweetness of a gardenia and a powerful scent, but magnified.