BloomsBlog

Spring Fever for Flowers!

Heidi — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:14:31 +0000

Many of us here in the Northeast long for spring, but the weather has not been very cooperative. We’ve had some serious snow lately, and more is predicted during the week. I guess this makes us all appreciate the warmer weather when it eventually arrives.

It seems like every March I start trying to make my own spring. Luckily, spring flowers are available SOMEWHERE, and can be brought to you with a little help from the Wholesale Flower Market. I just bought daffodils. In fact, I do this every year, and they look great with my green St. Patrick’s Day decorations. Did you know that daffodils are best in a vase by themselves? They secrete a sticky substance, which clogs the stems of other flowers and prevents them from absorbing water.

After my daffodils, I move on to Tulips and Hyacinths. Tulips are a great value and are wonderful not only in your home, but also as an easy centerpiece for a party or special occasion. They are always fun to watch, because they are the only flower that I know of that grows AFTER it has been cut! If you’re planning an arrangement with Tulips make sure you take that into consideration when you cut their stems.

Don’t be afraid of Hyacinths! They don’t just belong outside. These long-lasting flowers bring not only the beauty, but also the fragrance of spring indoors. And speaking of fragrance, practically nothing smells better than Freesia! If you have never ordered this lovely, cascading flower, wait no longer!

You may be surprised to know that the short-seasoned Lilac is also available right now.

You don’t have to wait until Mother’s Day. Get some now and then again for Mother’s Day!

Don’t suffer any longer from the winter blahs. Lovely spring flowers from the Wholesale Flower Market will give you that much-needed boost to get you through to the real Spring!

Having a Beautiful Birthday Party

Heidi — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:01:30 +0000

When our two daughters were little, as soon as the Holidays were over, I began planning birthday parties. With their birthdays in January and February, only three weeks apart, the task was sometimes overwhelming. How many things can you do with little girls in the winter? They had pretty much had it with Valentine’s Day themed parties!

We came up with the idea of a flower arranging party. We ended up with a “Springtime in January” tea and flower arranging party. Our oldest daughter loved the idea, but I wasn’t ready for the reaction from her friends. I can still remember the absolutely shocked and thrilled looks on their faces when they saw the flowers. “ Are we going to get to do something with THOSE?” they asked.

As “at home” birthday parties go, it wasn’t too difficult or messy. The flowers needed to be pre-cut and hydrated (this means letting them soak up water and can be done the day before). We worked at a table in our basement that was covered with a plastic sheet. When we finished, the plastic sheet and everything on it was picked up and thrown away.

The party also wasn’t very expensive. Wholesale flowers are a great value. For $100.00 you can buy A LOT of wholesale flowers that little girls love. We used plastic containers (the kind you buy at the grocery store for leftovers) filled with floral foam for the arrangements. They can be easily decorated with markers or stickers as an additional activity if you think you need one.

For a party of 10 girls, plan on buying the following:

10 plastic containers
Floral Foam (the green foam that florists use for arrangements, saturated with water) cut to the size of the containers. Flowers and Greens

The variety of flowers is almost endless, but consider inexpensive, seasonal flowers that are easy to work with. Roses with thorns may not be the best option, but Carnations, Chrysanthemums, Alstromeria, and Sunflowers are great. Filler flowers like Monte Casino Asters and Statice are also colorful and fun to arrange. Greens like leatherleaf fern are very inexpensive and are needed to compliment the flowers.

A sample of flowers and greens for 10 children would be as follows:

25 Pink Carnations
10 Red Alstromeria
2 bunches Yellow Pompon button mums (14 stems)
2 bunches Pompon Daisies (14 stems)
10 Sunflowers
2 bunches Purple Monte Casino Asters (20 stems)
2 bunches Leather Leaf fern

One of the best parts of the party was watching the girls show their Moms what they had made. Believe me, a lot of them looked, shall we say, “less than professional”, but the girls thought they were absolutely beautiful, and their Moms did too!

Our oldest daughter ended up with the reputation of having the best birthday parties in her school. All together, she had three flower arranging parties, in second, fourth, and fifth grades. ! Our youngest daughter had one too, with equally successful results.
In fact, I had several Moms suggest that I go into the birthday party business!

If you have a daughter that loves flowers, (and I know there are lots of them out there!) and you are a “Do It Yourselfer”, consider a party that will be new, different, loads of fun, and beautiful too!

Snow & Roses Don’t Mix

LF — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:07:43 +0000

Surely there is a good reason why Valentine’s Day is in February, but whoever decided the date clearly did not consider the shipping logistics involved with the month. As we head into the high holy (for the flower market anyway) V-Day weekend, once again a major snow storm is roaring across the country. This is going to wreak havoc on the millions of stems of fresh cut flowers that need to get where they are going this week! The timing of gifts, parties, and especially fundraising events for the holiday do not allow for airport and trucking delays, but this is once again going to be a factor. Flowers coming in from all over the world and especially from South America depend on airline freight carriers to the US. Once in the US, (often landing in Miami), they then need to be distributed to the thousands of wholesalers across the country via trucking and airline freight haulers and common carriers such as UPS and FedEx. Those wholesalers then must deliver the flowers via local or private trucking companies to the retail shops…. and there is simply no time for SNOW to slow things down. So everybody talks about the weather but no one does anything about it. We say move V-Day to a snow-free month!

Wholesale Roses for Two?

Measuring Up A Rose

LF — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:16:40 +0000

: Black Magic Rose

All roses are not created equal, but just exactly how does one measure the difference? The flower industry uses a measurement to gauge the size and value of a rose that at first glance may not appear to matter to you. All roses in the wholesale flower market are rated by the length of the stem after being cut from the rose plant. This length is expressed in centimeters and common lengths are 40, 50 and 60 cm. But the important fact to remember is that the longer the stem, the larger the flower head! For example a 60cm rose might have a flower head two times the size of a 40cm rose. So the length of the stem might be really important if you are creating large arrangements, or you might think you don’t need any stem at all for a corsage, but remember it’s the size of the flower head that matters most.

No related posts.

Fundraising with Flowers – Plan on it!

LF — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:15:27 +0000

While most are still recovering from the extended holiday and the new year, the wholesale flower world is gearing up for the biggest event of the year. Valentine’s Day is the high holy day for growers, wholesalers and of course flower retailers which can make or break the year. Rose growers have been working for months to optimize the production of red roses to peak the first 2 weeks of February.

But along with all the retailers, thousands of organizations take advantage of the huge V-Day demand for flowers by running fundraising flower sales. Everybody from the local fire department to the school PTO gets in the action because the demand is high and the profits can be substantial.

So how exactly do they go about it? There are 2 essential decisions to be made which determine the rest of the process.

Question 1.

Will we PRE-SELL flower arrangements in the months or weeks before V-Day or will we sell them on-the-fly during the week leading up to the big day?

If you have an existing customer base and can take orders in advance, you remove all the risk and speculation. You need to determine the options you will offer for flowers, determine your costs and selling prices, and then place an order with a wholesaler for exactly what you have sold. The only downside to this approach is that you must get this all planned out 4-6 weeks in advance and get your order in before your wholesaler’s deadline. Many wholesalers stop taking orders the third week of January!

Alternatively, if you plan to sell the flowers during the week before you will need to estimate your demand. This can be easy if you have a history of selling to rely on. Otherwise you will have to join the rest of the flower world and speculate on how much you will need. Keeping your offerings simple will reduce your exposure. If you intend to sell to younger people, consider selling carnations as they are much easier to handle and less expensive. If the traffic is higher up the economic scale, plan to offer higher priced red and rainbow color roses. Red roses by the way are the most expensive and in highest demand for Valentine’s Day.

Question 2.

Do we want to sell pre-assembled arrangements? or purchase bulk flowers that need to be arranged in advance by our organization? or will we sell loose flowers that our customers can arrange themselves?

If you have limited time and/or manpower, the simple way is to buy pre-arranged bouquets in bulk. These bouquets come in a variety of types including mixed flower bouquets, rainbow color roses, red roses, single and multi-color carnations. In addition they can be ordered in multiple sizes from a full dozen down to a single rose. Pre-made bouquets typically come with a green and filler, a food packet, and wrapped in a cello sleeve. You must buy these in box quantities only and the number in a box varies by the size of the bouquets. The huge advantage to pre-made bouquets is you need only open the box and hand them out!

If you have the time and manpower, you can make higher profits by purchasing the flowers, fillers, greens, and sleeves in bulk. Roses typically come in boxes of 100-200 depending on the size. Carnations often come in boxes of 350 and the greens and fillers can be bought by the bunch. You need to have the items arrive a day or two before you plan to sell them so they can be arranged. Also you will need to have buckets and a cool place to hydrate and store the flowers once they have been arranged. Most groups will assemble 2 or 3 different bouquet options to target several price points. These could range from a single red rose on up to a full dozen.

Finally, if you have the right venue that will allow on-the-fly sales a few days leading into V-Day, a fantastic option is to create a “build your own” flower market. The flowers of various types and colors are displayed in buckets and sold by the stem. A customer can then build a unique bouquet for the price they want. This works great in high traffic areas like malls and shopping centers. After the customer selects the flowers, the seller adds a stem of leather leaf fern, a stem of Gyp, and wraps them in a cello sleeve.

So which ever way you go start the planning for your fundraiser NOW!. With profit margins averaging 100 to 200 percent, the potential for success is real.

Last Minute Flowers

Heidi — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:13:01 +0000

For last minute holiday decorating ideas, Martha never lets us down. Look at this great winter arrangement with white amaryllis and a variety of greens. If you want a more “Christmasy” look, just substitute red amaryllis for the white. After the holidays are over, the white is again perfect for winter entertaining.

If trying to find white birch bark is a little “over the top” for you, don’t worry. With this arrangement, most containers you have will still look great.

For a low table centerpiece, this simple carnation arrangement idea from Lakeview Flowers will be sure to impress. Find a small square glass vase and cover the bottom with pebbles. Line the outside with a flat leaved evergreen. Cut and insert carnations and ornaments. Green or gold would be my preference with red carnations for a holiday party, but silver ornaments with white carnations would be great for the winter.

Happy Entertaining! Happy Holidays!

December Decorating

Heidi — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:00:40 +0000

Here in the Northeast, we had unusually warm weather this fall. My geraniums lasted longer than usual, and my potted chrysanthemums looked great. But now that Thanksgiving is over, and my mums are looking tired, it’s time to switch seasons and decorate for Christmas. With the variety of evergreens available in the wholesale flower market, the options for decorating the insides and outsides of our homes are more varied and beautiful than ever before.

A Christmas wreath, of course, is wonderful, but don’t put your window boxes and flowerpots away for the winter. Instead, fill them with holiday greens, ribbons, pinecones or ornaments to enhance and compliment that old favorite wreath. With simple cup hooks (that you will barely notice the rest of the year) you can frame your front door with lovely garland and bows. To add height and interest to your pots of evergreen, consider adding dead tree branches that have been painted white, silver, or gold.

Don’t forget your mailbox. With a little floral wire, it is so easy to tie evergreen boughs over the top. Cover the wire with a bow, and no one will ever notice it! Last year, after I had wrapped the post with leftover garland, I decorated the base of our mailbox with leftover evergreens and sprigs of holly. My mail carrier was very impressed (and she’s seen a lot of mailboxes!).

In Colonial Times, our forefathers brought evergreens into their homes to remind them that the long hard winters were temporary and that spring would always return. This works for us too! Adding garland to our mantles, stairs, and tables, brings the beauty of nature inside and helps bring “warmth” to our homes.

Enjoy this beautiful time of the year, and enjoy decorating your home inside and out. May these special moments of the season bring you joy and peace!

Kristy takes the DIY Flower Plunge

LF — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:49:34 +0000

An obviously well organized Bride-to-be takes matters into her own hands to prepare for creating her own wedding flowers. Read the whole story at: www.imgonnamarryyousomeday.blogspot.com

Create New Christmas Traditions with Fresh Flower Decorations

Joan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:00:50 +0000

Red and green are long-recognized symbols of the Christmas season, and white, of course, for its winter feel. There is no shortage of these colors in the flower world. Red and white carnations, fragrant red and white roses, and a wide variety of greens are all popular for traditional Christmas flower arrangements.

But there are so many more options! Try bringing in a little “white Christmas” with the gracefully arching, spiky plume of Lysimachia’s small, star-shaped flowers. Or create a lush bed of Myrtle, whose woody stems and rich green leaves are reminiscent of boxwood. Create depth and interest by including Winter Berry or Hypericum, or introducing the unique texture of White Kale. Add drama with the distinctive Star of Bethlehem or the elegant Amaryllis.

Top, L-R: White Amaryllis, Winter Berry, White Kale, Star of Bethlehem, Red Amaryllis. Bottom, L-R: Red Gerbera Daisy, Lysimachia, Red Hypericum, Myrtle

There are lots of options for containers for your Christmas flower arrangements. Inexpensive plastic metallics lend a festive shine in gold or silver, but you can also look to baskets, or get creative with faux “gift boxes”.

Celebrating Hanukkah with Fresh Flowers

Joan — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:00:40 +0000

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is an eight-night celebration marked by gatherings of family and friends to join in the lighting of the Menorah. The traditional color scheme for Hanukkah is blue, silver, and white. Even though there are not an abundance of blues and silvers in the flower spectrum, you still have many alternatives to bring the spirit of Hanukkah to your fresh flower arrangements!

For true blues, Delphiniums are bold in color and delicate in form, and come in lighter and deeper shades. The Iris is also a brilliant blue and offers a unique shape. Blue Limonium, a lovely filler flower, is also well in the blue family. Also think about reaching just outside to the lavenders – there are some stunning, fragrant lavender roses and other fresh flower varieties that you can combine with your base arrangement to enhance your Hanukkah theme.

Top, L-R: Variegated Pitt, Blue Delphinium, White Calla Lilly (closed), Coffee Foliage, Blue Iris
Bottom, L-R: Rose Cool Water, Italian Queen Anne Lace, Blue Limonium, White Garden Roses

Choosing a container for your Hanukkah flower arrangement is another opportunity to expand on your design. Containers in white or silver metallic are a great option. You can also consider using clear containers, incorporating decorative stones in blues and whites to introduce more color into your arrangement.