Mandy Maxwell

Florist Friday Recap 6/23 – 6/29: Simply Beautiful

June 29, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

It’s Friday! Every Friday we post a recap of all the fabulous pictures florists post to our Facebook wall during the week. This week, it seems like florists everywhere are celebrating! Many wedding flowers in today’s lineup, and a special appearance by a unique design made especially for a BIG celebrity! Who? You’ll have to keep reading to find out!

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By Monday Morning Flowers, Princeton NJ

“Just thought I’d share Designer Normans smiling face with you there at Flower Shop Network!”

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Wedding centerpiece by Bentley Florist, Burton MI

“Garden wedding centerpiece made at Bentley Florist”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Floral Design Tagged With: Facebook Friday, Floral Design, Flower Pictures, Wedding Flowers

Have You Claimed Your Bing Listing?

June 28, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

It’s very important to make sure all of your information is correct and consistent across all web profiles and listings. If you have not claimed your Bing listing, what are you waiting for?

Claiming your Bing Local listing is another of the FREE services that you can use to make your shop’s presence known and control the information that search engines see about your flower shop. It’s as simple as that. Actually, FSN has made it even easier for florists. We have a Checklist for Claiming Your Bing Listing you can print out to keep the information you provide for your own records. We have also recently updated (just yesterday!) our Complete Guide to Claiming Your Bing Listing that will walk you through, as a florist, with examples and screen shots.

FSN is committed to helping florists promote themselves and their businesses, both on and off the web.

Filed Under: Florists Only, Marketing Tips Tagged With: Bing Local, Marketing Tips, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization

How Florists Keep Flowers Cool During The Heat

June 27, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell 1 Comment

Wooo! It’s a scorcher out there, and it’s only going to get worse! I don’t know about you, but I can barely keep my lawn alive during this heat, and flowers — forget about it! So how is it florists keep such beautiful flowers all year long, even Sun - Heating Things up for Florists on deliveries?! Here are some tips our florists shared with us yesterday.

Tips For Keeping Flowers Cool In The Heat

Make sure the A/C in your delivery vehicle is in good shape and prepared for summer.
Make sure the delivery vehicle is cooled off before loading. – via Lisa from West End Florist, Rome GA
Invest in a spare key so you can leave the car running while making other deliveries. – via Emily from The Enchanted Florist, Asheville NC
Check newly arrived flowers for improper temperatures.
Immediately prep and refrigerate newly arrived flowers.
Try not to move flowers in and out of the cooler while designing.
Make sure the temperature of your cooler is adjusted properly for your flowers.
Choose lighter colored delivery vehicles to help keep them cool.

Flowers and plants need to be kept at a certain temperature in order to breath and intake food properly. Keeping flowers at a consistent temperature is vital for reaching a it’s full vase-life potential. Low temperatures also slow down the growth of bacteria and other micro-organisms, which will extend the vase life for customers.

Before a flower arrives at your local flower shop, it has made a long journey. Starting with the growers, they are shipped in refrigerated planes or trucks to the wholesale level. Wholesalers keep these flowers in coolers until they are shipped to the florist, who also stores them inside a cooler. After all this refrigeration, you can see why flowers would get finicky once they are out of the cool. Florists do their best to maintain the right temperatures for their flowers.

Florists On Facebook – Friday Recap

June 22, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

TIGI FRIDAY! You know what that means — time for our weekly recap of pictures sent in to us from florists all across the nation. Each week we see just what florists have been up to. From weddings to holidays, your local florist is busy creating beautiful arrangements for all of life’s occasions, both happy and sad. This week it seems to be more towards the latter with quite a few funeral tributes in this week’s collection. Without further adieu, let’s get to the pictures!

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By Libby’s Flowers, Gifts & More, Elberton GA

“Flower arrangement for my Church. Borrowed my husband’s tool box & tie. We love to make it personable in celebration of all the wonderful fathers out there.”

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By Turner Flowers & Country Store, Ottawa KS

Doc “A horseshoe of yellow roses I did for the memorial service of a long-time veterinarian and quarter horse owner.”

Sneak Peek: The 2012 Summer Olympics Bouquet

June 21, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell 2 Comments

When it comes to the olympics, summer or winter, the entire world stops to take notice. Athletes dedicate their lives to perfection in their sport and compete to take home so much more than a medal. Their accomplishments in the olympics translate into well-deserved glory and honor in their home countries.

The London 2012 Summer Olympics are scheduled to take place in London from July 27th to August 12th. From archery to gymnastics, cycling to water polo — you can bet competition at these games will be fierce, which is why winners deserve so much respect.

In addition to the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, winners can also expect to receive a unique bouquet of flowers from the Jane Packer floral design studio. Some 4,400 floral “Victory Bouquets” will be presented to athletes along with medals during the Victory Ceremonies.

Story Behind the 2012 Olympics Bouquet

“The Victory Bouquet was designed by [Jane Packer’s] creative director, Susan Lapworth, to reflect the energy and vibrancy of the London 2012 Games. The bouquet is sectioned into boldly coloured quadrants to mirror the 2012 logo. These are separated by typical British food ingredients which also provide an eclectic fragrance.”

Make A Splash: Send Summer Flowers!

June 20, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

Today, June 20th, is the FIRST day of SUMMER! The summer season is just beginning and today is the time of year when the Sun is farthest north, aka the Summer Solstice or the longest day of the year.

How are you planning to celebrate? Summer is the time of year to get outside, have picnics, and go swimming. Who doesn’t enjoy lounging by the lake or beach? This summer, make a splash by bringing the colors of summer indoors with flowers. Use cheerful, sunny colors to really brighten up any home decor.

If you know someone who is unable to get out and enjoy the summer sun, sending flowers is the guaranteed way to put a smile on their face. No matter if they live down the street or across the country, your local florist can help you send them joy.

No matter what, take some time from your busy day to enjoy this long summer day while it lasts. The year will be over before you know it, take your time and savor summer.

Filed Under: Seasonal Flowers Tagged With: Sending Flowers, Summer Flowers

What Type of Flower Is My Princess Alexia Violet & Is It Safe For Cats?

June 20, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell

Ask The Plant Expert:

Is a Princess Alexia Violet a type of lily? I have cats and I know that lilies are poisonous to them. I was wondering if a Princess Alexia Violet is a type of lily. -Lorriane

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Lorriane,

The Princess Alexia violet is a type of Anthurium, specifically Anthurium andreanum. I am not personally familiar with this plant, but I am very familiar with Anthurium scherzeranum, also known as Flamingo flower which is toxic to cats and dogs. I assume the Anthurium andreanum would be as well.

For more information on Anthurium Care click here.

Hope this information is helpful.

Filed Under: Plant Care Questions, Plants & Pets Tagged With: Anthurium, Ask The Plant Expert, Cats & Plants

Introducing: NEW Sympathy Designs For Florists’ Websites

June 18, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

Very exciting news for all FSN member florists!

We’ve just added 46 NEW sympathy designs to our funeral flowers categories at no cost to you!

For those of you with an FSN website, you’re sympathy section has been expanded into 4 categories:

Funeral Flowers – This is the original Funeral Flowers page from your FSN website.
Standing Sprays – Category for standing sprays only.
Casket Flowers – All casket designs will appear here, including flowers for cremation urns.
Sympathy Arrangements – This category is for smaller, vase, urn or basket arrangements

46 All New Sympathy Designs

After an over-whelming request for new sympathy designs, they are finally here! These gorgeous arrangements and sprays give your customers more options when ordering flowers for a loved one’s funeral. New designs add new variety to your selection, including: flowers for cremation urns, more patriotic selection, standing sprays featuring crosses, wreaths and baskets, and much much more.

"Salute To A Service Member" Standing Spray Example "Sunflowers of Faith" Standing Spray Example

Standing Spray Examples

Florists on Facebook – Friday Recap

June 15, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

Friday Friday Friday — it’s finally here! Time for our weekly picture recap! Every week we ask real florists to send us their favorite arrangements. The biggest trend this week was definitely wedding flowers, of course. Wedding season is in full force right now. Now, let’s get on with the pictures!

Wedding flowers above by The Flower Shop, Pryor OK

“Wedding season here at The Flower Shop!”
Beautiful wedding flowers can really make a statement on the big day. The Flower Shop truly goes above and beyond in their floral artistry. The selection of flowers, the colors and textures, it all creates a stunning floral display — a dream for any bride.

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By Finest City Florist, El Cajun CA

“Hot pink and rhinestones were the theme in this modern wedding 6/9/2012.”

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[Read more…]

Filed Under: Floral Design, Florist Spotlights Tagged With: Facebook Friday, Floral Design, Flower Pictures

Local Florist Celebrates 65 Years

June 14, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

Flowers By Mary Lou in Springfield IL

Big congratulations to the team at Flowers By Mary Lou in Springfield IL who are celebrating their 65th anniversary! (That’s 5 years longer than the Queen’s recent Diamond Jubilee!)

Flowers by Mary Lou was founded in 1947, and just why have they lasted so long?

“Because we take care of our customers,” says Jennifer Veith, designer at Flowers by Mary Lou. “People appreciate that. They appreciate when you go above and beyond and try to get special things for them or give them the special touches or do the specific things they ask, whether it’s a casket spray for a funeral, a wedding or even a new baby. People appreciate that you take the time to take care of them and treat them like an actual person instead of somebody that’s faceless.”