Ask the Expert: lucky bamboo

Help my lucky bamboo’s stalks are turning yellow I change the water everyday and the water is spring water what am I doing wrong I do not want my plant to die it is inside out of direct lite ty for your help Lisa

Congratulations Taylor Made Florals! Joining the elite of Windham, New Hampshire florists, Raymond German and family recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of their flower shop. Along with the Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce, we at Flower Shop Network would like to extend our very proud compliments to Taylor Made Florals for a great first year and many to come!

Taylor Made Florals provides Windham with excellent quality fresh flower arrangements for a variety of occasions including weddings, birthdays, bereavement, just because and many more memorable times in our lives. Their wedding flowers brighten the heart. Birthday and anniversary arrangements from Taylor Made Florals elicit more smiles than a new puppy. Holidays and unique occasions are special to every person. Knowing this better than many, holiday and special occasion arrangements are created with the individual in mind for a kind of wonderful that “special” just can’t describe.

With so much negative coming from all sides these days, it’s truly a wonderful dose of pep and inspiration to see our friends in the floral industry thriving and being celebrated for quality work. Taylor Made Florals has brought smiles to countless faces over the past year. Enjoying the remarkable times, comforting through the troubled times, and spicing up bland workdays, Mr. German and the florists at Taylor Made Florals have shared in the emotional lives of their customers by creating floral designs that cheer, console, comfort and inspire all who gaze upon them. It is no wonder that so many wish to join in the celebration of one of their own memorable occasions.

Way to go, Taylor Made Florals!

Ever want to spend some quality time at the North Raleigh Hilton but feel guilty about missing work? Don’t! Join Raleigh, North Carolina florists this year for the 2008 North Carolina State Florists Association Convention. Blend the best of both worlds at this year’s NCSFA Convention.

Sometimes work just feels like work. Vacations either seem too short or you feel bad for taking time away from your flower shop. Not this year! The 2008 NCSFA Convention will be held this year from July 25-27, 2008 at the North Raleigh Hilton in beautiful Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s like a vacation, only here you’re able to blend what you love doing with a relaxing, enjoyable break from a bustling schedule.

North Carolina florists aren’t the only industry professionals taking advantage of the scenery at this year’s convention. Network with other florists and floral designers as you relax by the pool. Have dinner with a few new florist friends that you met in one of the many interesting and educational sessions. Learn from the creative professionals at the conference while having just enough time to enjoy the sights of Raleigh with your family. However you choose to plan it, you’ll have a great time at the 2008 NCSFA Convention!

Born July 23^rd through August 22^nd, Leos are powerful and confident people who are the “fearless leader” of the group. Sincere and trustworthy, Leos are the premier leadership choice of the zodiac sign. Providing this kind of reliable guidance can take it out of someone very quickly. Though they like to be the center of attention, Leos need positive interaction and feedback from others. When buying a birthday gift for this fiery sign, fill their hearts with the affirmation and attention they crave by sending a zodiac-inspired flower arrangement.

Even the flowers represented by the Leo astrological sign scream “power!” The Venus fly trap is a carnivorous plant. I’ve yet to see more powerful foliage. Cactus and red hot poker need no explanation. These unique plants compliment the feisty side of your Leo. Sometimes the most amazing people are the ones that throw us for a loop. For a Leo with a softer side, contact your local florist for a flower arrangement made of peony, carnations, hibiscus, or anthuriums. You know your sweetheart better than anyone else so visit your local flower shop today for a treat that your honey is sure to adore!

Powerful peonies flower arrangement for your Leo!

There are many awesome flowers that make great additions to summertime flower arrangements. When it comes to creating an exquisite display for my tables, centerpieces, gardens and other home décor uses, I look to these fabulous blooms for an extra splash of cool during the summer months.

Hydrangeas in full bloom are gorgeous additions to the home or garden. The blossoms of hydrangeas provide a very distinctive and soft scent that no nose can resist. Hydrangea Read the rest of Five Cool Flowers For Summer »

Ask The Expert: I need help identifying a new plant I got from a friend. The leaves are similar to oak leaves only sharp not rounded. The steps grow out in long trailing branches, like an ivy, and the leaves are dark green on top and eggplant purple on the bottom, and are a bit fuzzy. Leaves are appx 3 inches long. One stem has tiny flower heads on the very end of it. The ‘petals” are very tiny and feathery and are marigold orange in color. The kind of have an unpleasant odor. there is a cluster of 7 of them just on the end of that one step.
Help! I don’t want to kill this beautiful plant
Thanks
Elaine

Photo Provided by Cal’ Plant of The Week ideveloped by the University of Oklahoma Department of Botany & Microbiology, specifically Cal Lemke (OU’s Greenhouse Grower).

Representatives from Flower Shop Network attended the Texas State Florists Association Convention in League City Texas on July 11-13th.

Above: Network coordinators Amy Hall, Joe Hays and Rebecca Speer take a moment to pose for a picture in front of the Flower Shop Network booth. Over the course of the three day florists convention, they met with several interesting Texas florists including, Mary McCarthy at the Blooming Idea in The Woodlands, Texas.

Florists conventions are a fantastic place to meet associates face-to-face. In fact, Amy Hall was excited to finally meet Mary in person after years of communicating via the phone. According to Amy, Mary has a wonderful approach to designing flower bouquets. She creates many beautiful arrangements, but her specialty is a unique, European-style, hand-tied flowers-in-foil bouquet. In fact, creating a European flower market feel is the basic philosophy of the Blooming Idea and is the essence of their wedding flowers. Mary and Amy are pictured below.

Blooming Idea is one of many great florists serving The Woodlands, Texas. But, other areas of Texas also have wonderful florists like Connie from Plant It Earth in Webster, Texas. Connie is pictured below with Joe Hays and Rebecca Speer.

Laughter and good times radiated from the booth as Joe, Amy and Rebecca visited with several of our members and introduced new friends to the benefits of being a Flower Shop Network member. Joe (who loves to participate in florist conventions) is seen below explaining to a couple of new friends what Flower Shop Network does to help florists achieve success.

The convention wasn’t just about fun. Floral design, business and technology seminars got down to serious business for many of the Texas florists. Wedding flowers and sympathy flowers innovations were the focus of the floral design series. From the talk on the trade show floor these programs were very well received.

So, as my grandmother would say, “A good time was had by all.” If you missed this year’s convention mark your calendar to attend next year’s convention.

Of course a florists convention wouldn’t be complete without flowers. Amy snapped a few shots of the unique flower arrangements found at the convention.

Ask the Expert: do you know what this is? Lisa

Read the rest of You’re The Proud Parent Of A Bougainvillea »

It has only been a week since Flower Shop Network launched The Networker. Along with addressing issues important to the floral industry and highlighting FSN services, this publication encourages input from member florists on issues or announcements that concern them. So far, feedback from shops has been wonderful. Florists from all over have submitted excellent topic suggestions, honors, announcements, personal insights, and even a nice thank you like the one from Bay Bouquet Floral Studio in Tampa, Florida.

I was particular touched by what Tony Swick and J. Thomas had to say and excited about their announcement of a new staff member:

To Whom it may concern,

We wanted to take a minute to thank Flower Shop Network for being part of our new business. After 20 plus years in the industry, we started our new shop in 09/07 with Flower Shop Network as our source for sending orders. Our store is a custom floral studio made up of 252 sq. ft and a 6×8 cooler attached to the back.

Our store is located in a great area of Tampa called Hyde Park, near downtown with a great residential area. Our clients are not the run of the mill traditional floral purchasers. They have a higher average order and require a nice selection of flowers. We have chosen not to carry carnations, daisies, or baby’s breath. This has helped us stand out in the area. Our designs encompass new trends, unique appeal and the freshest flowers arriving daily!

Our website with Flower Shop Network has had some really great activity. Customers have made comments about how user friendly it is. We thank you for that! We are looking forward to much more success with Flower Shop Network. We are also looking forward to being able to easily add our own designs and prices.

We wanted to take a minute and announce the newest addition to our staff. Heather Lockwood from Adrian, Michigan of Flowers & Such. Heather brings a great freshness to her design and has won awards as well as enjoyed floral training from designers such as Helen Miller, AIFD and Hitomi Gilliam AIFD. We are excited to have her with us. Knowing that her talent will be a great asset to all floral designs from our store.

Thank you Flower Shop Network for working for the florists and working to make this ever changing industry a continued success.
Our Best Regards,

Tony Swick
J. Thomas

Between The Networker and the Bloomin’ Blog, we plan to address every suggestion, topic and announcement. So keep them coming… we love to hear from our member florists and readers! In fact, we are compiling information for future issues of The Networker that will feature some great marketing tips, as well as shop accolades. We also plan to blog about how to order flowers online with tips for consumers on how to find local florists and important information needed to make shopping and sending flowers a pleasant experience. If you have any suggestions for this blog, please send them to jadams@flowershopnetwork.com or Ask The Expert on the Bloomin’ Blog.

Get ready for a rocking good time at the Oklahoma State Florists Association Convention to be held July 18-21, 2008. Enjoy a grand stay at the Renaissance Hotel where you will meet fellow florists and industry professionals, enjoy learning new tips and tricks, and take a fun-filled vacation from the office while mastering the floral industry. Join Tulsa, Oklahoma florists at the 2008 OSFA Convention for a great time of networking, education and entertainment! Contact the Oklahoma State Florists Association for more information about this year’s convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma.