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 Flower Shop Network 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 Read the rest of Do I Have A Chilean Visitor? Is This A Chilean Bellflower? »

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 Read the rest of Hydrating A Hydrangea Bouquet For A Wedding »

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 network with others from across the state.

Florists from Michigan can attend the Michigan Florists’ Association Spring Conference and Great lakes Floral Expo February 29th – March 3rd in Grand Rapids Michigan. Florists will have the opportunity to enjoy many activities all revolving around the “Visionary Concepts For A Bright Future” theme

Florists from Illinois can attend the Illinois State Florists Association Conference March 6th-9th in Springfield Illinois. Florists will have the opportunity to attend workshops, competitions and other useful programs.

Although many florists are exhausted from the Valentine’s Day holiday, they can’t pass up the excellent opportunity to network and learn the latest floral trends. So for all of you attending these great conferences, remember its not all work at the conventions - you get to play quite a bit, too.  For those of you attending the Northeast Floral Expo our network coordinators look forward to seeing you. In fact if you stop by the Flower Shop Network  trade show booth, we have a great totes bag to give you.

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 normal blooming time of hydrangeas; so for a while, I would treat it as a houseplant. In fact, when this type of hydrangea is young it is often grown as houseplant. If the potted hydrangea came wrapped with a bow and foil, remove the pot from the foil. The foil, ok for a little while, will not let it drain properly. I usually drop the pot into a slightly larger decorative pot until I find a permanent home for it. Keep the plant moist but not soggy and place in a room with a fair amount of light. If you want to plant it in a new pot select one that is 1 1/2 times larger than the existing one. Use a humus-rich potting soil (your local garden center will have this type of soil). When you re-pot make sure that the hydrangea is planted at the same level as it was in the original pot.

Hydrangeas prefer to be grown in moist but well-drained, humus rich soil in sun or part-shade. The hardiness zone for hydrangeas is zone 6-9. I believe Acreage Florida is hardiness zone 10-11 and your soil stays a bit on the soggy side. Neither of these conditions is good for a hydrangea. You could amend the soil, so that it drains better. Zone 10 is a problem because the temperature doesn’t get cold enough for hydrangeas.

Despite these issues, hydrangeas have survived in zone 5 and zone 10. These are exceptions and not the rule. You have a few options; pot it and keep it in the cool area of a sunroom; pot it and place it outside on a patio with some shade; plant it in a partly shady spot in the garden. With all of the options, use a soil or amend the soil so that it is humus rich and drains well. To keep the hydrangea pink you will need to keep the soil slightly alkaline (use a small amount of hydrated lime to achieve an alkaline soil). I would probably plant the hydrangea in a pot and place it on the patio.

Hydrangea macrophylla should be trimmed shortly after the blooms are spent. Normally hydrangea bloom mid to late summer, so trim no later than mid fall.

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 the other Valentine’s Day flowers received by other FSN staff member, reminds me of the real reason for sending flowers – to express our feelings and create memories.

After all, isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is all about; letting those we love know how much we love and appreciate them. Whether it is a grand gesture like Luke’s or the simple gesture of purple tulips in a silver vase, sending flowers to someone on Valentine’s Day is a magnificent way to express your love and create a lasting memory.

For all you florists who are exhausted, frustrated and pondering the big question “why am I in this business”, remember the world needs florists to do their magic with flowers; so, we can create memories, express our affection and look like heroes to our loved ones. So, from the bottom of mine and Flower Shop Network’s heart, to all of the florists and their staffs who have work so diligently to make everyone’s Valentine’s Day dreams comes true — THANKS.

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 Valentines Gift all Week long.” It is evident that he was actually listening to me; I usually don’t get flowers before Valentine’s Day.

Putting a unique spin on a Valentine’s gift is sometimes difficult; both of these florists have an innovative, yet simple way to make those Valentine’s Day flowers extra special. One of the guys I work with takes this concept a little further. He is sending his wife flowers everyday this week. I feel a little sorry for the husbands of his wife’s co-workers; they have a lot to live up to. Of course, any Valentine’s gift that comes from the heart is special and unique. Luckily, my gift came not only from his heart but from his ears as well.

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 Flower Shop Network 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 Bonny Doon. But, giving customers, who normally don’t think about the eco-friendly concept, an introduction to eco-friendly products is a great way to engage them in the eco-friendly dialogue. Creating beautiful flowers arrangements and selling gorgeous flowers by the stem maybe the ultimate goal of Bonny Doon Garden Co., but their effort to connect the customer with the environment is admirable. It is nice to see a florist balance their need to provide a product and service with the need of being a good steward for the whole world.

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 Florida? If so, you have an infestation of scale (an insect) and will need to use an insecticide to get rid of it. You may want to propagate your lucky bamboo and create new plants in an effort to remove some of the damage plant. Our Caring for Lucky Bamboo page has all the information you need to do this.