Bloomin' Blog

Friday Florist Recap 10/19 – 10/25: Fun with Fall Florals!

October 25, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

Fall is a wonderful time of year. The temperature dips. The leaves turn, finally releasing their grip, floating to the ground and covering the world with color. Such natural, matchless elegance can only be celebrated, and we have convincing evidence that florists are experts at at it! Scroll down and behold the amazing fruits of some admittedly hard labors.

Stunning Wedding Flowers

Beautiful bouquet designed by Tammi Cribbs of Oran’s Flower Shop in Kingston, TN

Gorgeous bridal bouquet from Lulu McCabe Florist & Events in St. Louis, MO

“Bridal bouquet with White O’Hara, Mythos, Sahara, Talea and Vendela roses.”

Fall wedding bouquet by Robyn at Flowers and More of Fresno in Fresno, CA

Wedding design from Lulu McCabe Florist & Events in St. Louis, MO

“This trumpet vase design was for one of our October weddings last weekend, the whole feel of the night was vintage Hollywood!”

A fall bridal bouquet from Design House Floral in Clarkesville, GA

Elegant bridal bouquet from The Yellow Rose Florist in Olive Branch, MS

Beautiful centerpiece from Floral Design in Post Falls, ID

“Centerpiece for styled wedding shoot.”

Everyday Flowers

Undead corsage and boutonneire from MaryJane’s Flowers in Berlin, NJ

“This was a corsage and boutonniere we did for a zombie ball.”

An office arrangement from Argyle Flowers & Design Studio in London, Ontario, Canada

“Fall Arrangement for an Office I created, Bamboo, Orchids, Freesia, Stone, Wire, Pheasant Feathers, Hydrangea, over 7 ft tall.”

A combination arrangement from A-1 Flowers & More in Cottonwood, ID

Gorgeous arrangement from The Yellow Rose Florist in Olive Branch, MS

A Boss’s Day arrangement from Hearts and Flowers in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

A firetruck from Wilma’s Flowers in Jasper, AL

Sunflowers from Just Judy’s Flowers in Pensacola, FL

Homecoming corsage from Blooming Art Floral Design in San Diego, CA

Breast cancer awareness arrangement from Stockton Floral & Gifts in Stockton, IL

Arrangement for a fund-raiser from Blumen Garten Florist in Columbus, OH

A lovely arrangement from Stockton Floral & Gifts in Stockton, IL

Autumn’s Zen from Sassy Flowers in Rexburg, ID

An excellent arrangement from Scentsations Flowers & Gifts in Bristol, VT

“My version of FSN’s Harvest Moon arrangement as featured on the October page of the calendar.”

Sympathy Flowers

Gorgeous standing spray from The Yellow Rose Florist in Olive Branch, MS

A memorial from Always Something Special Florist in Bayville, NJ

Beautiful standing spray from The Yellow Rose Florist in Olive Branch, MS

Fall standing spray from Design House Floral in Clarkesville, GA

What will next week bring? Who knows! Be sure to like us on Facebook for even more beautiful floral designs. If you’re a florist, we want to feature YOUR favorite design of the week right here on Facebook Friday Recap!

Learn how to submit! | See past recap posts!

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

Ask the Plant Expert: Can You Name This One?

October 24, 2013 by Ed Belly 22 Comments

Ask The Expert:

Thanks for comprehensive reply! Wanna tell me name of this one?

Donald Burk

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Plant Expert Reply:

Wow that is an interesting one. I am presently out of the country and away from my ref books. If you are in no hurry, I’ll try to Id it when I return.

Thanks,

Jamie Jamison Adams

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Ask The Expert:

No hurry – beauty still without ID here in my file – I call her BMP for Burk Mountain Beauty though I send it as a .jpg!

I lean toward crassula or tacitus …
Thanks!

Donald

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Plant Expert Reply:

I believe this is a type of Jovibarba globifera from the Crassulaceae family. It thrives in hot, arid environments where it grows in full sun.

Thanks,

Jamie Jamison Adams

Filed Under: Plant Identification Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert

Treat Ghosts & Goblins on Halloween.. and Their Parents!

October 24, 2013 by Juli Jackson Leave a Comment

With Halloween coming up, the streets will be full of masked marauders and fairy princesses. On Halloween and even the weekend before, parents will be dressing their kids up in scary, funny, cute or just plain weird costumes to celebrate the holiday kids love most! Consider opening your flower shop up to the Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating. Not only can it be a lot of fun to see kids in their costumes but sharing your business with the community means that parents will take notice.

Let Traditions Be A Way To Reach Out

Build up foot traffic by offering some sweets for the kiddos and simple carnations tied with black and orange ribbon for adults. A small gesture can make a big impression on potential customers. Put a few mums and pumpkins outside (let’s be honest, they are probably out anyway.) and put “Trick-or-Treat With Us!” on your sign. That’s all it takes to have a steady flow of costumed kids and adults dropping in on their way to spooky fun activities.

Encourage your employees to dress up for the day. This adds to the fun atmosphere of your shop. Be sure to take a group photo!

Up The Candy Ante

Put your social media outlets to work. Announce a costume contest online where the winner gets a free arrangement. Ask customers to enter your giveaway by posting this year’s costumes to your shop’s Facebook timeline or create your own unique hashtag for multiple platforms like Twitter and Instagram. When you announce, be sure to include a start and end time for submissions.

Then share share share to get the word out. Post signs in your shop and tell your customers how they can participate. Hosting a fun holiday activity creates buzz for your shop and will always bring more awareness for your business.

After your deadline rolls around, have your employees vote for their favorite or pick a winner based on your shop’s style. If you find yourself with a huge variety of submissions, try breaking the entries into categories. This will let you make multiple “Honorable Mention” announcements like which costume was “Cutest,” “Scariest,” and “Funniest.” All of these posts and picture shares will boost your page’s involvement. And finally you can announce the “Best Costume” award as your top prize winner.

Enjoy this brisk autumn holiday tradition and use it as a chance to connect one-on-one with your community. With very little planning you can make this Halloween be a stand out day for your flower shop! Bring on the ghosts and goblins!

Filed Under: Florists Only Tagged With: Florists Only

Ask the Plant Expert: Loosing Leaves and a Soft Stem

October 23, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

Ask The Expert:

The plant has intertwining stems that look like a tree with leaves like a palm tree. The trunk became soft inside and the leaves are falling off. I water it once a week and keep it by the sliding glass door.

Thanks,

Regina

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Plant Expert Reply:

Regina,

Very perplexing.

I would first check my drainage. If the pot doesn’t allow the excess water to drain, you might be developing root rot or stem rot. To remedy the problem, repot the plant into a container that allows for good drainage. Then make sure the soil is moist but never soggy. Good luck and keep me posted!

The plant is a type of dracaena.

Thanks,

Jamie Jamison Adams

Filed Under: Plant Identification Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert

Documenting Your Work – Photo Tips for Florists

October 23, 2013 by Juli Jackson 3 Comments

As a florist you are creating beauty everyday for others to enjoy and to help celebrate moments in their lives. But how often do you get to enjoy and celebrate your own work? Rarely, right? Between filling orders, making last minute rush deliveries, and trying to promote your shop, you are busy trying to run a business. But a passion for beauty got you into this industry so don’t let a hectic workday stop you from documenting your hard work.

Pictures tell your story, record your work, and become the strongest calling card you can have for new business. Photographing your arrangements is hands down the best way to promote your shop. Here is a guide to help you make the most of every arrangement by photographing your orders on the go.

Cameras for Flower Photography

You’ll be surprised to learn that you don’t have to have the best and most expensive camera to take good photos of your flowers. The easiest and most beneficial place to share your photos is online so the images don’t have to be huge. Newer smartphones like the iPhone and many Android devices have excellent built-in cameras and photo aps available. This is a camera is always in your pocket so use it!

Any general digital camera that takes at least a 5MB picture can meet your needs as well. These cameras are often called “point and shoot” cameras because they offer very basic auto settings and are usually under $100. These cameras do not have a detachable lens or manual settings.

If you are ready to step up your game and have more control, a basic DSLR with lens is around $200 and up. These cameras have various auto settings as well as fully manual settings so you can adjust your focus and exposure yourself.

Consider This…

The goal of taking flower photos yourself is to take images of your work often, so a camera that you will keep with you and can use with ease is key. Think about what you are likely to use most often with the least hassle and start there. Familiarize yourself with whatever camera you decide to use. Actually spend a few minutes thumbing through your manual. Learn how to focus, use the auto settings and turn on/off the flash and date stamp. Mastering these basic tasks will immediately give you results you can see.

Tips For Photographing Flower Arrangements

Clean Composition – The easiest way to make your photos look more professional is to pay attention to your composition. Make sure the table and background is free of clutter or distractions. You might even create a special table in the corner of your work room where you can quickly set an arrangement and snap a few shots. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Florists Only, Marketing Tips, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Floral Photography, Flower Pictures

FSN Member wins Second Annual Buckwald Scholarship!

October 22, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

We would like to congratulate Lavender Hill Florals of Jeffersonville, IN for winning the second annual Buckwald scholarship! Way to go, ladies!

About the Buckwald Scholarship

The Gary Buckwald Scholarship for Excellence in Floral Sales and Service consists of $10,000 worth of training, coaching and mentoring over the course of a year for a florist and her staff. This scholarship, the result of a collaboration between the Society of American Florists and Floral Strategies, has an application process open to any retailer who has been in business for at least 18 months. Tim Huckabee, president of Floral Strategies, says that they attempt to discover a retailer who “genuinely wants and needs the training, and is willing to put what they learn into practice.”

It is a recent award, but its lack of age is no knock on its incredible value. The tremendous benefit of having the opportunity to receive top-notch personal training from Tim Huckabee cannot be overstated. Tim will be making several trips out to Lavender Hill Florist over the next year to work with the staff on their sales and customer service skills.

Congratulations Lavender Hill Florals

This is both a great honor and great opportunity for FSN member, Lavender Hill Florals. We are excited for them and know that Tim will lead them down a path toward even greater success!

Filed Under: Floral Industry News, Florist Spotlights, Florists Only, FSN Announcements Tagged With: Floral Awards, Florist Spotlights, Florists Achievements, Indiana Florists, Society of American Florists

Ask the Plant Expert: This Can’t Be Marijuana, Can It?

October 22, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

Ask The Expert:

I recieved a plant that looks like marijuana at first glance but I know it’s not because it was a gift from the city. It’s stems are thick and hard like bamboo and it produces white flowers that look similar to hibiscus.

Thanks,

Hannah Thornhill

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Plant Expert Reply:

Hannah,

From the look of the bloom, it appears to be some type of hibiscus, possibly a Hibiscus coccineus. Some varieties of hibiscus, such as the coccineus, will have narrow leaves and thick stalks and are sometimes confused with Cannabis sativa. Most of the time the blooms are red, but there are also varieties with white blooms. The white variety is known as white Texas star or lone star hibiscus.

Thanks,

Jamie Jamison Adams

Filed Under: Flower Identification

FSN and Rick Rivers at the Ozark Florist Association Convention

October 21, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

The Ozark Florist Association held their annual convention on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of September. FSN was there to take part in the festivities and cheer on Rick Rivers as he gave his presentation titled “Marketing in Today’s Climate”. Here are a few photos of what we saw!

Here is Rick Rivers posing in front of the Flower Shop Network standee with Stacie from Springfield, MO.

Here is the top slide from Rick’s slide show. The two images to either side of the Flower Shop Network photo are the covers of the two books that Rick has written on these subjects, Blooming at the Top and No Fishing in My Pond!

Rick talking to the crowd.

A beautiful arrangement designed for the FSN booth! A big thanks to Kay Schlaefli with Expressions Flowers in Fort Smith, AR! Great job!

If you didn’t make the Ozark Florist Association Convention this year, you can always start planning for next! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the photos!

Filed Under: Floral Conventions & Flower Shows Tagged With: Floral Conventions, Flower Shop Network, Rick Rivers

Common Name of Two Plants

October 21, 2013 by Kelly Curtis 2 Comments

Ask The Expert: “One you will laugh I need a spelling lesson. sheffeleria? even the spell check cannot help me. the other is what is the common name for phothos? and spelling for both.” – Patricia

Plant Expert Reply:

Patricia,

Schefflera is commonly referred to as octopus plant or umbrella plant. Pothos is the common name for Epipremnum aurem (syn Scindaspus Aureus). Hope this information helps.

Filed Under: Plant Care Questions Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert

Ask the Expert: What Type of Plant is This and How Do I Care for It?

October 19, 2013 by Kelly Curtis 1 Comment

Ask the Expert: I got this from a funeral and no type of description or care instructions were included I would like to know how to care for it. Thank you.

Plant Expert Reply:

Lora,

The plant is one of the members of the genus Anthurium and is commonly called Flamingo Flowers. I am not sure which species of Anthurium it is. These make wonderful houseplants because they can tolerate low light levels. However, they do need a humid environment. So, misting them everyday with lukewarm water is a must.

You can find more information about Anthurium Water & Fertilizer Requirements on the Bloomin Blog. If you are interested learning what issues others have had with Anthurium, we have several posts on the blog that might be helpful.

Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Jamie

Filed Under: Plant Identification Tagged With: Anthurium, Plant Identification

Friday Florist Recap 10/19 – 10/25: Fun with Fall Florals!

Stunning Wedding Flowers

Everyday Flowers

Sympathy Flowers

Ask the Plant Expert: Can You Name This One?

Treat Ghosts & Goblins on Halloween.. and Their Parents!

Ask the Plant Expert: Loosing Leaves and a Soft Stem

Documenting Your Work – Photo Tips for Florists

Cameras for Flower Photography

Tips For Photographing Flower Arrangements

FSN Member wins Second Annual Buckwald Scholarship!

About the Buckwald Scholarship

Congratulations Lavender Hill Florals

Ask the Plant Expert: This Can’t Be Marijuana, Can It?

FSN and Rick Rivers at the Ozark Florist Association Convention

Common Name of Two Plants

Ask the Expert: What Type of Plant is This and How Do I Care for It?

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