Bloomin' Blog

20 Card Messages Perfect for Your Season’s Greetings!

December 19, 2013 by Juli Jackson Leave a Comment

Flowers are the perfect gift. They are beautiful and one-size-fits-all. They are fun to order and even better to receive. So we have put together some card messages to help you share the love for all kinds of reasons this season. Enjoy!

Seasonal Wishes
Warm greetings perfect for any celebration.

Snow may blow
ice may freeze
but I’ll never find better friends such as these!
Much love to you, my friends.
Joy to the World! And all happiness to you this season.
May peace find you this season and keep you year round.
Wishing you and yours all the magic of the season.
Here’s hoping this joyous season is full of many more surprises!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!
These are some romantic card messages that are sure to keep the home fires burning.

I trust in miracles this season because I found you, my love.
I couldn’t wait for Christmas to tell you how much I love you!
My best memories from this year have all been with you.
Thank you for being such a wonderful part of my life.
You make every day merry and bright.
Peace. Joy. Happiness. I have it all with you dear!

Auld Lang Syne
Here are some sayings to wish someone all the best this new year.

2014 is going to be YOUR year! Live it up!
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne. Happy New Year!
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.”
– T.S. Eliot
May your past inform your future this bright and shiny New Year.
We are wishing you all the very best for this New Year with health, wealth and happiness

For The Kwanzaa Celebration
A few phrases to help rejoice in your heritage and share the bounty of the year with loved ones.

Wishing you and yours a joyous Kwanzaa!
Sharing with you the bounty and blessings of the season. Heri za Kwanzaa!
As you observe the Nguza Saba this Kwanzaa, may these colors add to your celebration of past, present and bright future!
From our family to yours, we wish you the joy and light of a festive Kwanzaa.
“…dare to practice the ancient ethical obligation of serudj ta
— to heal, repair, remake and renew the world,
making it more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.”
– Dr. Maulana Karenga

Remember to always use a real local florist for the best flowers and service!

Filed Under: Card Messages Tagged With: Holiday Gift Ideas, Kwanzaa, New Years Flowers

Get Your Flowers for Kwanzaa

December 18, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

Kwanzaa celebrates African heritage in African-American culture and is based on the year-end harvest celebrations which have taken place throughout Africa for thousands of years. Decorations contain the traditional colors of red, black and green and hearken back to those African roots. If you want your decorations to focus on nature and all its wondrous bounty, there’s no better place to start than your local florist!

Creative Arrangements in Kwanzaa Colors

Contacting your local florist opens up a vast world of creative options. Flowers come in all shapes, sizes and colors, so there are few limitations to what can be done when someone talented is doing the designing. Do you have a specific idea you want to see brought to life, perhaps a theme you want the designer to illustrate? All this and more is possible when working with your local florist. They can create something unique and amazing made especially for you!

Preparing for the Feast

The Feast is the grand finale of Kwanzaa, a culmination of the seven day celebration and an opportunity to gather loved ones together for food, family, community and fun. Just as local florists decorate homes and businesses for Christmas, they can help decorate your gathering for the Kwanzaa Feast! Just let them know what you need, in advance of course, and they can create something gorgeous that perfectly illustrates the principles of Kwanzaa in dramatic fashion.

When you use your local florist, the options are unlimited! Joyous Kwanzaa!

Filed Under: Holiday Info Tagged With: Holiday Flowers

December Newsletter: Merry and Bright

December 17, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

November was a month dedicated to giving thanks, but the focus in December is purely on giving. It is a month for being generous, helping those in need and seeing the joy on loved ones’ faces as they receive gifts. Each of the holidays in December extol family, community and love. That’s why this is the favorite time of year for so many.

As you decorate for your holiday bash, or even if you’re attending someone else’s, don’t forget the flowers. From centerpieces to wreaths, flowers are a time-honored tradition!

We hope that you and yours experience the warmth of each other’s love this holiday season.

Happy Holidays!

Decorate, Don’t Procrastinate!

Now that Thanksgiving is in our rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead to Christmas!

Don’t Wait When Preparing for Christmas

No holiday is more important when it comes to early planning than Christmas Day. It has been estimated that over 95% of the US population celebrates Christmas. That means for every outside vendor you need to use in planning your Christmas party, you are competing with everyone in town for their business! It’s important to get started early and make sure you get your name on the list. There is no time or space for lollygagging. When it comes to your Christmas celebration, you want it done right!

Continue reading Decorate, Don’t Procrastinate!

Best reasons to Send Flowers in December!

There are so many reasons that flowers make a perfect gift. Through color, texture, shape and fragrance, your local florist can help you discover a genuine way to reach out to those important people in your life. So without delay, here are the best reasons to send flowers this December.

1. December Birthdays – This reason tops our list because those friends and family who have birthdays during the month of the December always have to compete with so many other festivities. A birthday should be the unique celebration of just one person. Make the day truly about your loved one by sending beautiful birthday blooms on their special day.

2.Winter Solstice – December 21st – In the Northern Hemisphere, this day is often referred to as the “longest night.” Each year, as the world spins, there comes a point where the lengthening of winter days reaches its apex and this has long been celebrated as the Winter Solstice. While sometimes the winter blues can get us down, you can brighten someone’s day with a cheery wintery mix of beautiful flowers. Smiles are sure to lighten up any dark day.

3. Christmas – December 25th – Flowers are a fantastic way to decorate for Christmas and make a wonderful gift for the entire household. Whether sending deep red roses with bright green stems, a fragrant holiday wreath or a breath-taking centerpiece that ties the dinner table together, you can show your warmest love from afar and be a presence in the home of those you hold near and dear.

Continue Reading Best Reasons to Send Flowers in December!

Facebook Friday: November Favorites

We provide a Friday recap of all the wonderful posts and pictures from active florists on our Facebook Page. It’s been so much fun seeing all the completely different designs every day. We hope you enjoy these favorites and continue through to see more from each Friday this month:

Hobby Hill Florist, Sebring, FL

A New Beginning, Moore, OK

Oran’s Flower Shop, Kingston, TN

Crossroads Florist, Mahwah, NJ

Inspirations, Lock Haven, PA

Monday Morning, Princeton, NJ

See all Facebook Recap pictures in these posts:

FSN Member Wins SAF’s Surprise Flowers VaseOff! Challenge!

Congratulations to Walter Fedyshyn of Phillip’s Flowers and Gifts in Chicago, IL for winning the SAF’s Surprise Flowers VaseOff! Challenge!

The VaseOff! Challenge

The VaseOff! Challenge is a competition put together to increase consumer awareness of the expertise of local florists and which showcases their ability to design specifically for an individual. Walter Fedyshyn was paired with a Chicago-based blogger named Melissa Williams who writes about DIY projects, design, home decor, travel and much more! He read her blog and perused her social media pages to learn as much as he could about her, and then created a design with those bits of knowledge in mind!

The resulting design beat out the other three competitors for first place! Good job, Walter!

3 Hot Holiday Florals!

The holidays are here and there’s no better way to celebrate than decorating your home with floral goodness. It doesn’t matter which holiday you’re celebrating, your local florist has everything needed to make something unique and beautiful. Here are three hot holiday florals to make your season bright!

Floral Centerpieces

One of the hot floral items any holiday season is floral centerpieces! These make the perfect decorations for placing on dinner tables, end tables or fireplace mantles. They make a great gift for the host or hostess of a holiday party, or they can be used to decorate those bare surfaces in your own home. If you are looking to spruce up your holiday decorations, floral centerpieces are the way to go!

Wreaths

What one item says, “Happy Holidays” more than a natural wreath? And when you buy from your local florist, you know the end result will be both creative and gorgeous. These round, holiday symbols can be hung on your door, on your wall or even along your front porch. And talk about gifts! Wreaths, like centerpieces, make excellent gifts for the host or hostess of any holiday party.

Floral Swags

In case you aren’t sure, this is a string of flowers and greenery that can be draped along the mantles of fireplaces, strung along the wall and even hung around your mailbox! These are the perfect complement to any holiday decor and can be designed by your florist to match the color scheme of your home. No holiday decorating job is complete without a few floral swags.

FLOWER CARE TIP Immediately remove dead or wilting leaves and stems from fresh flower arrangements. More Flower Care Tips

WE’RE SOCIAL!

Love flowers? Follow us on the above Social Networks! We are always sharing the latest articles from our Bloomin’ Blog, as well as the most fascinating news on the net!

The FSN Turkey Shoot: Having Fun and Meeting Goals The sales team here at Flower Shop Network, just like the sales people employed by your business, has sales goals. And also like you, we try to find new and interesting ways to motivate our sales team to not only meet but exceed those goals. Our last contest was so successful, we thought we’d share this fun, seasonal idea with all of you. It’s the FSN turkey shoot!

Enjoying a Thanksgiving Potluck with FSN! Flower Shop Network is going to be closed on Thanksgiving Day, so the FSN family chose to get together this Thursday for food and fellowship. We decided to go potluck style this year, and let me tell you, some of these folks can cook! Most of the food in these shots is homemade and it was all delicious. Enjoy the images, but let me tell you, the reality was fantastic!

Turn Holiday Frazzle Into Holi-dazzle! In the last few years Christmas style has changed dramatically. We’ve moved away from the traditional green and red to something completely unique. You now see Christmas trees in every color, holiday decorations in all sorts of styles, and so much more non-traditional decor than ever before.

Happy Kwanzaa! Make your Kwanzaa celebration beautiful and memorable this year with a special flower arrangement in the traditional Kwanzaa colors of red, green and black. Kwanzaa celebrations last 7 days; observed from December 26 to January 1 each year.

Help make Flower Shop Network‘s monthly newsletter even better! Got questions? Have an idea for a story? With your help, we can make the FSN newsletter just what you want and need. You can drop us a note in the comment section on the blog or email us at social@flowershopnetwork.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Filed Under: Newsletters Tagged With: Christmas Decorations, Christmas Flowers, Christmas Wreaths

All I Want For Christmas Is Flowers!

December 16, 2013 by Juli Jackson Leave a Comment

Holiday shopping is here and the countdown to Christmas is drawing ever closer for 2013. In this season of giving, you might be feeling all warm and fuzzy about the perfect gifts you have found for loved ones but that’s if you started your shopping blissfully early. While you are putting your feet up and nestling in to munch cookies and watch your favorite holiday movie, the rest of us are scrambling around in the cold trying to remember where we parked the car.

Holiday Gift Grind

If you are like me, you are starting to feel that stressful holiday buzz. There are a few people left on your list and heading to shopping centers can be a little hectic right now. Ok, maybe a lot hectic. And let’s be honest – the people whom you are still shopping for aren’t the kids who gave you a mile-long list or your mother-in-law who always wants the same perfume no matter what. The people without presents under the tree are probably all those delightful sorts that just insist they don’t need a gift from you. The nail-biting part of the equation is you know good and well that they have found an excellent, thoughtful gift for you (they started shopping in July, no doubt) and your psyche will never recover if you show up empty-handed to their holiday party.

Christmas Presents in the Bag!

You are in luck because there are unique, beautiful and highly personalize-able gifts to be found at your local florist! From luscious blooms in fantastic seasonal colors to gift baskets filled with goodies to wreaths that speak to the joy of the holiday, there is something that is a perfect fit for all those present naysayers out there.

Lovely flowers artfully arranged in attractive vases and baskets can be delivered right to a recipient’s door – always making it an extra special (and hassle-free!) gift. Order flowers to be delivered the day before her party and your hostess will be overjoyed to have some fresh cut wonderment to add to her decor. Arrange for flowers to be delivered to your friend’s work to show you are thinking about them and to help them get into the Christmas spirit even while on the clock.

Flower arrangements are the best gifts for those who claim they have everything they want. There is nothing to return, nothing is too small and nothing to store somewhere. Just the beauty and aroma of nature to enjoy. This is truly a one-size-fits-all gift that can be as unique as the person receiving them. A few minutes online or a quick call can put you in touch with a talented florist who is skilled at creating a bouquet that expresses the love and cheer you want to give to your family and friends this season.

Always Use A Read Local Florist

The sooner you reach out to your local florist, the sooner you can sit back and bask in the way you neatly wrapped up all your gift-giving this year. And when December rolls around again, all those “Oh you don’t have to” people will be saying, “All I want for Christmas is flowers!”

Filed Under: Holiday Info Tagged With: Holiday Gift Ideas

Friday Florist Recap 12/7 – 12/13: A Heaping of Holiday Happiness

December 13, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

This week’s recap is overflowing with unique and creative arrangements! We have a floral re-imagining of the common Christmas Tree, a creative use for basketballs and an amazing woodland memorial. So feel free to scroll down and mosey your way through these beautiful images.

Special Occasion Flowers

Bouquet for a winter wedding by Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Co. in Princeton, NJ

Creative and colorful arrangement from Mabel Flowers in Mabel, MN [Read more…]

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

Green Box Floral Visits FSN

December 11, 2013 by Ed Belly 2 Comments

Luke and Nathan Harwell, the owners of Greenbox Floral, paid a visit to Flower Shop Network headquarters this week. While they were here, we took the opportunity to learn about their upcoming product release.

From left to right: Loranne, Brock, Luke and Nathan.

Experience Before Technology

Luke Harwell chose to follow his father in the floral industry in 2002, attending the Benz School of Floral Design at Texas A&M and becoming a Texas Master Florist. He assumed the role of President of Baack’s Florists and Greenhouses in January of 2008. There is no doubt that he understands the floral industry and the challenges that retail florists face.

Greenbox floral believes in the local florist. They believe each local flower shop is unique and their success should be driven by their own creativity and quality. And they believe one of the key elements needed to grow an inarguably shrinking industry is an opportunity for each shop’s artists to showcase their impressive talents to the customer.

The Value of the Cooler

The Greenbox solution begins with your unique designs.

Luke and Nathan believe the cooler is prime marketing real-estate. It showcases your work, giving the customer who walks in your door the opportunity to see current examples of your unique designs. It also allows for immediate upselling.

A customer sees that perfect item in your cooler and knows she wants to make a purchase. And because she’s already seen it, she doesn’t have to wonder if the finished product will live up to her expectations.

Or perhaps she sees multiple examples of talent and creativity expressed in your unique designs. She is impressed, and now when she has need of a talented florist, she knows to come to you.

Making Online In-Person

They place cameras in your store which broadcast an ultra-low frame rate live stream. Using Greenbox’s proprietary software, the live stream is uploaded directly to your website. The result is a live feed, allowing customers who come to your site an opportunity to click on the designs in your live stream and purchase the exact item in real time, already made and ready to go.

With the proprietary software Greenbox has developed, you are able to price each item so customers can mouse over the arrangement and see a price pop up directly on their screen. Each individual arrangement is clickable so that customers can go straight to a purchasing screen for any floral arrangement they want.

Because online shopping is becoming more and more popular, many of your customers will never have a chance to see the inside of your shop. But due to the live, interactive display designed by Greenbox, the value of your cooler is translated to an online medium. The customer can see your creative designs, can be impressed with your individual work and can see exactly what she is purchasing when she purchases it. Brilliant!

We greatly enjoyed having Luke and Nathan stop by our offices this week. They not only gave us an opportunity to learn more about their product, they showed us the passion for the floral industry that fueled them to develop it. Click here if you would like more information on Greenbox Floral, or if you’d like to see the Greenbox Floral solution in action, visit Baack’s Florists and Greenhouses here.

Filed Under: Florists Only, FSN Announcements Tagged With: Floral Industry, Floral Industry News, Local Florists

Caring for a Six Trunk Norfolk Island Pine

December 9, 2013 by Jamie Jamison Adams

Ask The Plant Expert:Just bought a Norfolk Island Pine…actually six trunks…three feet high for Christmas. Read your YouTube article and wish to thank you. Would you mind telling me if I can or should separate the clump of six, or will they need to remain together? Can the plant(s) be safely re-potted as you usually re-pot plants, or is there something special I need to know? I live in Austin, Texas in an apartment with a nice patio where it should do well until summer, at which time it will need to come inside.

Thank you, Georgia Willis

Plant Expert Reply:

Georgia,

How very unusual. I haven’t seen one with six trunks. Whether you have three or six trunks, the recommendation would be the same, do not try to separate the trunks. If the plant seems happy in the current container leave it alone. However, you will need to make sure that the container allows for proper drainage. If you need to re-pot the plant, choose a container with a good drain hole that is 1 1/2 times larger than the current pot. Fill the pot with a general purpose houseplant potting soil so that the top of the current rootball is about 1/2″ to 3/4″ from the top of the new container. Do not add soil to the top of the rootball; simply fill in around the sides, then water thoroughly. For more care instruction, you can check out our Northfolk Island Pine page.

Hope this information was helpful.

Jamie Jamison Adams

Filed Under: Plant Care Questions Tagged With: Houseplants, Plant Care Questions

3 Hot Holiday Florals

December 9, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

Floral Centerpieces

Filed Under: Holiday Info Tagged With: Holiday Gift Ideas

Friday Florist Recap 11/30 – 12/6: A Seasonal Selection

December 6, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

This week we have a bounteous selection of beautiful options for you to peruse. We start with some seasonal fare invoking the coming winter, one of the pending holiday celebrations or both! After that we showcase the gorgeous work done for special occasions, be they weddings, funerals, or that creative arrangement designed for an important client. We have some breathtaking pieces for you to see, so scroll on down!

Seasonal Flowers

A gorgeous arrangement from Flowerama Minneapolis in Minneapolis, MN

Winter arrangement from Montgomery Florist in Montgomery, NY [Read more…]

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

Christmas Card Messages That’ll Have You Dancing Around The Tree

December 4, 2013 by Flower Shop Network 1 Comment

How do you celebrate Christmas? Is it around a fire with your sweetheart? Opening Christmas gifts around the tree with your children? Enjoying dinner with loved ones? Whatever your celebration, there is bound to be a Christmas gift involved.

The tradition in my household is to send flowers to the family members that are hard to shop for. It works well because flowers are beautiful, but finding the right card message is where we often go awry. In fact, a wry sense of humor is hard to match with some of the many Christmas card messages floating around. Instead of trying to come up with something witty for everyone’s card, I opted to figure out what other people are saying in their enclosure cards. After all, with as many wordsmiths as there are, someone has to have found a clever way to say what I feel.

Ever feel like the right Christmas message is on the tip of your tongue but you can’t seem to get it on the enclosure card? Local florists have the holiday spirit wrapped up. After seeing hundreds of Christmas card messages over the years, they have a pretty good handle on how to send the right message along with beautiful Christmas flowers. This is why the following list of Christmas enclosure card messages is the best of the best. Don’t stress this holiday season over finding the right message. Browse this list and enjoy peace of mind when sending Christmas gifts this year.

Celebrate This Year With The Top 20 Christmas Card Messages

1) Wishing you a very merry Christmas.

2) Wishing you the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of His love at Christmas and always.

3) May the miracle of Christmas fill your heart with warmth and love.

4) May this glorious day of our Savior’s birth resound with hope and peace on earth.

5) Wishing you the love, peace, and joy that the true meaning of Christmas brings.

6) Wishing your family peace and love at Christmas and always.

7) May you have the spirit of Christmas which is peace, the gladness of Christmas which is hope and the heart of Christmas which is love.

8) May the timeless message of Christmas fill your heart and home with joy today and throughout the coming year.

9) (Funny) ‘Tis the season to put mistletoe on the handle of your purse so you can kiss your money good-bye! Hope your holiday is well spent.

10) ‘Tis the season to be jolly – May your Christmas be filled with all the things that make you smile!

11) (Funny) A Christmas Query – If we turn back our clocks one hour every October, why can’t we turn back our scales 20 lbs. every December? Have a Light-Hearted Christmas

12) (Funny) A Christmas Reminder: Don’t try to borrow any money from elves – They’re always a little short! (Hope your Christmas joy lasts a long time!)

13) When I count my blessings, I count you twice. Merry Christmas.

14) Wishing you joy and love this holiday season. May your home and hearth be filled with warm and laughter. Merry Christmas.

15) A Special Christmas Wish – May peace, hope, and love be this season’s gift to you!

16) (Funny) A heartfelt Christmas Wish for you May all your Christmas lights come on the first time you plug them in! Have a Bright Christmas

17) As you wrap each gift with loving hands and decorate the tree, may the beauty of this season make a lovely memory. Merry Christmas.

18) At Christmas play and make good cheer for Christmas comes but once a year.

19) Blessings of the season to you and yours.

20) Celebrate the Season

That’s not all! View all enclosure card messages for Christmas. Brought to you by Flower Shop Network.

Filed Under: Card Messages Tagged With: Christmas Enclosure Card Messages, Christmas Flowers, Enclosure Card Messages, Holiday Gift Ideas, Local Florists

20 Card Messages Perfect for Your Season’s Greetings!