I love my job. I get to see many things before they occur on our site. Newsletters are one of them. I’m so excited about next weeks FSN newsletter - Florists and the Wonderful Things They Do - that I can hardly keep it to myself. Amy Stewart (Dirt blogger and author of Flower Confidential) gives great insight to the wonderful things florists do all over the world and shares them in this newsletter.

Florists are enthusiastically dedicated hardworking individuals who use their talents to help enjoy the beauty of flowers and create memories. It is nice to see someone recognizing all that florists do. After all it’s not just their livelihood but also their way of life.

Ask the Expert: What is this plant in my backyard? I have a plant growing in my backyard that has grown out of nowhere. It stands about 6 feet tall and has bright pinkish-red berries. My dog has access to this plant and he has a tendency to eat random things. I would like to know what it is and if it is dangerous. J petry

I think you might have a Lapageria rosea or Chilean Bellflower. Your description sounds (more…)

Ask the Expert: How do I hydrate a hydrangea bouquet for a wedding

Should I just leave them in the water before the wedding starts? We are combining 2-3 stems for a bouquet and wrapping them with a ribbon. I’m worried about the hydration.

Lara,

When you get the hydrangea be sure to submerge the heads under water for up to 4 minutes this encourages hydration. Then gently shake dry, at this pint you can re-cut the (more…)

Although Valentine’s Day 2008 is over, the next two weeks is a busy time for many florists. Several florists’ conventions are taking place February 29th through March 9th.

The Northeast Floral Expo will be celebrating its 75th year, February 29th –March 2nd in Hartford Connecticut. Florists attending have the opportunity to attend workshops, programs and a trade fair. Some of the Flower Shop Network staff have their bags packed and are ready to go.

Florists from Georgia attending the Georgia State Florists Association Convention February 29th – March 2nd in Atlanta Georgia. Florists will have the opportunity to (more…)

Hello, I just received a pink Hydrangea plant for valentine’s day. I wanted to plant it so it could grow bigger but where I live doesn’t have the best soil (the live in the acreage in Florida). I wanted to know if I could plant it in a pot? If so what size pot do you suggest? Also, what soil should I use for it? And my final question is do I have to trim it ? Please let me know. It’s a beautiful plant I don’t want to die. Thank you and have a great day. Danielle Adams

Danielle,

There are many types of hydrangea. Florists typically use Hydrangea macrophylla; a big-leaf type of hydrangea with blue, pink or white flowers. Valentine’s day is not the (more…)

Like most people in the floral industry, Valentine’s week is a busy time for the Flower Shop Network staff. We work long hours and are only passing blurs at home. Luckily, we all have wonderful families who understand and support us. Family members drop-by to check on us and there is an abundance of snacks to keep us going when exhaustion hits.

Yesterday afternoon, Loranne Atwill (Flower Shop Network owner) received a beautiful Valentine’s Day flower arrangement from her nine-year-old son, Luke - I’m sure his dad probably helped. English Garden florist in Paragould Arkansas delivered the flower arrangement with Luke’s hand written message. Basically the note said, although his mom was working late every night this week, she was still his number one Valentine. This delivery, as well as some of (more…)

Valentine’s Day came early to the Adams residence. Last night my husband presented me with a silver vase filled with purple tulips. It was a sweet and loving gesture. After all, tulips are one of my favorite flowers. The truly amazing thing, in this whole early Valentine’s Day gift, is that I realized my husband does listen to me. At lunch yesterday, I told my husband about a couple of wonderful blog posts I read that morning. Oak Hill Florist in Scarborough Me had a post called “Tell them you can’t wait”. In her blog post, Jenny explained that sending Valentine’s flowers before the actual day will make your sweetheart feel extra special. Then in their blog, Everyday Flowers - a florist in Tustin CA had a fantastic idea “…have your order delivered earlier. So that your loved one can enjoy their

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Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching. In an effort to make your holiday less stressful, we are sending a Valentine’s Day Tips sheet for your new or part-time employees. Hopefully these tips will equip your employees with the information they need for efficient customer service while eliminating potential problems with order delivery.

Valentine’s Day Tips

Place orders early, orders placed after 5:00PM CST Tuesday cannot be guaranteed for delivery before Valentine’s Day.

Please provide complete delivery information for recipients. We must have street address and telephone number, and a cell phone if possible.

Minimum Order for Valentine’s Day is $40 with an average delivery fee of $8 to $10 except in metro areas where delivery could be as much as $15.

Always provide a 2nd choice option for each order.

Please inform your staff that FSN Headquarters may be calling with florist to florist orders during this holiday. These checks will be sent the week following the delivery date of the order and will be paid at 80%.

The FSN relay team is committed to making your holiday go smoothly.

Kudos to Santa Cruz florist Teresa Sabankaya and her flower shop Bonny Doon Garden Co. for their unique eco-friendly flower sales approach. This Valentine’s Day, their sales pitch is more than romance and red hearts. In fact, with their “green” approach you might think it was St. Paddy’s Day. Bonny Doon Garden Co lets customers know the “green” status of the flowers they sell by labeling flowers organic, certified or locally grown. According to the New York Times article “… A bucket held red and fuchsia anemones that were ‘organic’. Ecudorean roses the size of baseballs were ‘certified’. Roses from a nearby farm were ‘locally grown’.” Customers who want organic flowers can easily find them at

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Ask the Expert: Lucky Bamboo Dying

I have had it for 6 years. It has been great until the past week. The leaves and turning yellow and are “falling over” and there are some green crystals forming. I have not made any changes to sunlight or watering. What are the crystals? What can I do? Jen

Jen,

Do the green crystals look like the green scale in this picture from the University of

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