Home Shop Flowers Bloomin' Blog Find Florists About FSN Contact FSN Florists Only!
Find Your Local Florist:
Home Shop Flowers Bloomin' Blog Find Florists About FSN Contact FSN Florists Only!

Miniature Flower Arrangements? Okay!

Miniature Flower Arrangement

Some of the first flowers of spring come from tiny grasses. As I walk my dog every day, I always notice new types of grass flowers that only get the chance to bloom between mowings. The tiny, yet beautiful flowers foreshadow all the colorful blooms of spring. As florists, it’s easy to overlook these little gems. They simply cannot be used in floral design… or can they? Above is my attempt at trying!

For the miniature flower arrangement above,  I used violets, Johnny jump-ups (as we call them in the South), Pepper weed (as my grandmother called them), and Popcorn weed (What I call it because the seeds pop out when you touch it). For the vase, I used the lid to a spray bottle, I think it was a spray hair conditioner bottle. To control the flower placement, I actually cut a piece of tape into strips and made a grid across the open top of the ‘vase’. I put a few dimes into the vase to keep it weighted. From the quarter next to it, it was only about 2 inches tall.

What could you do with a tiny flower arrangement like this? I have no idea! It is so small, it’s hard to notice as decoration. However, I sat it on my vanity near a tiny mirror so that I could enjoy it as I was getting ready in the mornings. I can’t help but love anything miniature, and this was just impossible not to attempt!

I’m sure our florists would have lots of ideas of how to use such a tiny floral design. Maybe they will take the challenge and try to make their own mini arrangement? *wink wink, nudge nudge* If so, I’ll add the pictures to this post!

The Importance of Your Local Florist

Importance of Local Florists

A florist is so much more than a person who delivers flowers. They are stewards of life’s celebrations and most important occasions. Betsy Hall of Hall’s Flower Shop & Garden Center in Stone Mountain GA really says it best in this clip from the 2012 Great Lakes Expo interview with FSN’s Brock Atwill. Truly a must-see!

[Read more…]

Florist Scammers At It Again

Scam AlertI didn’t have to go far to hear this scam was back; they actually sent it to MY email thinking I was a florist! I wanted to warn all florists to stay alert this spring and be aware of scammers who want to take advantage of your business.

You often hear this scam being done through hearing impaired phone service (ttd relay), but also can come via e-mail or any other messaging method. Here is the e-mail scam I received this morning:

Hello This Ben Bruce i will like to order for 8 big bouquets flowers for my UNCLE wedding and i want the price range of $200 per one Approximately 26″ W x 41″ H and the color should be in bright summer color, it will be pick up by a private courier on the 4th of April and want them arranged in vases so can i have the total cost that now so that i can pay with my card now and so can i have yr store address so i can forward it to the shipper agent and i will like you to do me a favor due to my physical disability…

Thanks
Ben

How do I know this is a scam?

1. The broken English. Many of these scams originate outside of the US and the message will be very choppy. The way they’ve typed UNCLE is like they are filling in the blank of some scamming copy template. While not all choppy messages are scams, they should be more carefully examined.

2. The shipper agent. This is the tell tale sign that it is a scam. Why are they paying an outside shipper instead of having you deliver them yourself? This is just too fishy.

If you are unsure if an email or other request is a scam, ask lots of questions! You might even reply back to this guy and explain your own delivery rates. More than likely, you’ll never hear from him again.

More scam alerts from the Flower Shop Network blog.

Please, if anyone else comes across this, or any other floral industry scams, let us know so we can warn others by emailing social@flowershopnetwork.com.

Florists on Facebook – Friday Recap

The first day of SPRING was this week, so of course florists are excited. We’ve been seeing lots of beautiful spring flowers show up on our Facebook from florists all across the US and Canada. So anyway, here are the beautiful pictures you’ve all been looking forward to. Each of them made by real local florists just like the ones in your town or city. If you like what you see here, give your local florist a call and order a big bouquet of blooms today! Don’t know your florist? Use FSN’s handy florist finder to find yours today!

Crossroads Florist - Mahwah NJ

By Crossroads Florist in Mahwah NJ, “‘Perfect Planets’ – Gorgeous Blue Vanda orchids are the only flowers used in these vegetative landscape arrangements, which are made inside large 20″ bubble bowls.”

Sherri's Floral Shopee - Sebastian FL

By Sherri’s Floral Shoppe in Sebastian FL, “Sometimes, it’s not about size, it’s the beauty of the colors that grab you in this arrangement inspired by the colors of the peacock feathers. This has become a very quick and popular seller at our shop. :)”

[Read more…]

Easter Flowers For Kids

Easter Time!

Let’s face it, little kids LOVE Easter and for good reasons: dying eggs and getting messy; hunting them outside in the sunshine; getting more candy than you know what to do with; AND there’s an Easter Bunny?? Sure, there’s more to Easter than that, but to a small kid, it’s all about the bunny!

This year, instead of a basket full of candy, why not fill it with other Easter and springtime favorites, such as flowers! I know what you’re thinking, “Flowers for kids? No way!” But really, flowers teach kids about spring and the changing seasons. Kids also learn about the different types of flowers and how to take delicate care of them.

It can’t be all flowers to excite kids though. Include little plastic eggs filled with candy, bunny stuffed animals and other kid favorites. Your child will grow up learning there is more to Easter than candy and hopefully be excited to learn more about the history of this significant holiday.

Check out these great Easter flower basket just for kids:

Easter Flowers For Kids Flowers For Kids on Easter Kids Easter Flowers for Spring

Easter is March 31st 2013. Don’t forget an Easter Card! Check out these great Easter Card Messages.

And remember, always always always use a real local florist when sending or ordering flowers. You’ll get the full value for your money and great results! Don’t know your local florist? Use Flower Shop Network’s handy florist finder.

Where To Plant Cockscomb in Arizona

Burgundy CockscombAsk The Plant Expert:

I am so excited I got cockscombs from Baker Creek Heirloom on the Internet, but don’t know where to plant them in AZ. It gets very hot here, so should I plant them in the shade? Thank you, Linda.

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Cockscomb (aka Celosia) will benefit from some shade in your area.  I suggest planting them in morning sun and afternoon shade.  Good luck and let me know how they do.


Just In Time For Prom: New Additions For MyFSN Websites

Just in time for prom season,
3 NEW Prom Flower pages to all FSN member florists’ websites!

New Prom Corsage Pages For Member Websites!

This FREE addition to your website will allow online customers to select from 3 different pages:

  • Corsages
  • Boutonnieres
  • Hairpieces & Handheld Bouquets

We know your customers will be so excited to see and shop for prom flower selections online!

Note: These items will not be priced (unless you have a website controls package). Instead, we encourage customers to call your shop for more details. For an example, click here

If you have a website controls package, you can choose to price the items and enable E-commerce on the page(s) so customers can order online. To add website controls to your FSN membership, give your rep a call at 1-800-858-9925.

If you want to remove these pages from your website (without website controls) give us a call 877-376-7363 or email: support@flowershopnetwork.com

BIG Congrats To Doug Bates, CF – MFA Designer of the Year

Rose & Tulip Arrangement - Great Lakes Floral Expo Photos Doug Bates - MFA Designer of the Year

We are so excited that one of our great member florists, Doug Bates, CF of Designs by Vogts in Sturgis, MI won this year’s coveted Michigan Florist Association’s Designer of the Year Award at the Great Lakes Floral Expo.

“In order to attain “MFA Designer of the Year” status, Mr. Bates had to enter all three professional division categories of the MFA Annual Design Contest. The five individuals with the highest cumulative points from all three design categories were selected as finalists to earn the chance to compete in a Spontaneous Surprise Package Competition.

Mr. Bates […]  received a $300.00 cash prize, recognition plaque and the coveted title of “MFA Designer of the Year.” His designs will also appear six times over the next year in the “Design Spotlight” section of the award wining MFA publication entitled “The Professional Florist.” He will also travel to the National Alliance of Floral Association’s (NAFA) annual convention this fall and represent the MFA in the NAFA National Design Competition. ” – From the GLFE’s Newsletter

All very exciting for Mr. Bates and all of the staff at Designs by Vogts! Doug is an excellent designer and full of talent. The first photo above is a gorgeous tulip and rose design enhanced with small loops of pink circles — so creative! It takes a lot of skill and experience to win these unique competitions. Once again, big congrats!

Florist Friday Recap 3/10 – 3/16: Floral Diversity

We get so many wonderful pictures submitted on our Facebook page every day, yet all we do is use one for the favorite arrangement of the week. Well, this week we are going to start something NEW! (And let us know what you think about it in the comments!) I am going to feature all the pictures that I think you guys would enjoy every week in our new Florists On Facebook – Friday Recap!

So without further adieu…

Tropical Flower Centerpiece - First Class Flowers, Calgary, AB,CA

Tropical Flower Centerpiece – shared by: First Class Flowers, Calgary, AB,CA

Platte Flower Shoppe - Platte SD Platte Flower Shoppe - Platte SD Platte Flower Shoppe - Platte SD

 Platte Flower Shoppe - Platte SD

All of the above designs were shared by the very talented, Platte Flower Shoppe in Platte SD.

[Read more…]

Picture Perfect Floral Designs

FSN President Loranne Atwill and floral artist Robbin Yelverton, AIFD, AAF, CF, PFCI, led a hands-on workshop at the Great Lakes Floral Expo earlier this March. This workshop was a little different than the ones you usually see at state floral shows because it dealt more with photography than design. Attendees learned techniques they could use to take better photos of their floral designs.

Flower Photography Tips

Class Description:

You have a Website… now you want to put your own custom designs on it. The arrangements look wonderful, but the pictures just don’t do them justice – sound familiar? Learn great tips to making Web-worthy designs and photos in this session! You will make an arrangement in class, then learn how to photograph it for quality pictures for the Web.

No matter what skill level or type of camera, Robbin gives actionable ideas for getting the most out of your flower photography attempts.

[Read more…]