The effects of the horrible floods that have recently affected Iowa are being felt nationwide. Iowa florists, though exhibiting a tenacious resilience, are facing a major challenge as many flower shops are under as much as ten feet of water.

According to a recent online article from the Society of American Florists, Flower Shop Network member Todd Krieger is among the florists in Iowa who were struck by the recent floods and storms. Krieger’s Greenhouses & Floral in Mason City spent more than (more…)

I’m one of those people who plays the lottery and hoping to be a winner. What makes me a little different is that even if I don’t win, I am truly excited for the person who does. So every time a Flower Shop Network’s member wins an award or is recognized for their work, I get as excited as the flower shop owner and their staff.

Of course we really are not surprised when one of our members receives recognition. We know what dedicated and skilled professionals they are and the quality of their work. Our network coordinators really try to get to know our members (which are real local flower shops and florists) on a personal level.

In fact Shelly one of our network coordinators said shortly after David Johnson at East Sandwich Flower Shop joined our network that his flower shop had the golden touch. And (more…)

Brock and Loranne Atwill owners of Flower Shop Network recently attended the SMX Advanced Expo in Seattle, Washington, hosted by Danny Sullivan, an expert in the SEO field.
While attending the conference, they attended seminars concerning search engine optimization techniques, strategies and technology. In addition to seminars and training, they networked with many SEO industry peers. Highlights of the conference were sessions with Google’s Matt Cutts as well as panel discussions with industry leaders from Yahoo, Microsoft, SEOmoz and Netconcepts as well as many others. Brock and Loranne feel it is important to stay abreast of the ever changing climate in which we must compete (more…)

According to a recent article in SAF’s Wednesday E-Brief, U.S. Floriculture inspectors in Santa Barbara County, California confiscated and destroyed a box of cut mums from Holland. This was done as part of the ongoing effort to protect U.S. Chrysanthemum growing operations from white rust. An introduction of white rust to U.S. Chrysanthemum growing operations could cause extensive losses to the U.S. Chrysanthemum industry.

White rust is caused by the Puccinia horiana fungus which can spread quickly causing (more…)

It’s not surprising that the growing popularity of multicultural and ethnic weddings leaves florists with the often daunting challenge of “thinking outside the box” for their nuptial flower arrangements. Cultural heritage affects nearly every facet of the wedding ceremony, stemming into the floral arrangements more often than expected. Brides, couples, and ethnic wedding planners are now enlisting the aid of florists to help give the bridal couple a memorable ceremony with a somewhat different meaning to the word ‘traditional.’

It is important in this ethnic wedding boom for florists to sculpt ceremonial floral arrangements and decorations around a cultural wedding (more…)

I spend a good majority of my time telling people about the benefits of using a real local florist; about the power of flowers and what a great gift they make; how to take care of the flowers they receive; and what flowers are appropriate for whatever occasion. Of course, I always picture people popping into their local florist to place their order or to pick up some flowers. But last Friday while I was thinking of blog ideas for this week, I made a note to discuss how to order flowers online. I thought this would be a timely blog topic since the Mothers Day holiday was fast approaching.

So Sunday when I was reading USA Weekend, there staring me in the face were the very tips I was going to discuss with all of you this week. Of course they had beaten me to the punch and done it quite well, especially since USA Weekend and Amy Stewart recognized FlowerShopNetwork.com as a authoritative place to find real local florists online.

So instead of reinventing the wheel I though I’d republish the tips written by USA Weekend on Sunday May 4th, 2008 –:
Buying flowers online

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The English Garden Florist introduces TEGWeddings.com - a new website that showcases the shop’s Wedding and Event flower business.

Flower Shop Network member, The English Garden Florist of Raleigh, North Carolina has just launched TEGWeddings.com, a new online resource for couples in search of a wedding florist in the Raleigh/Durham Triangle, North Carolina area. The new wedding site offers prospective brides and grooms the ability to learn more about The English Garden Florist and their capabilities through an online gallery and testimonials from past customers.

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A’Dair & Company florist and gifts in Liberty, TX (an FSN member) won the 2008 Rising Star Award at the Monument Awards for Small Business ceremony held last month. A locally-owned retail flower shop, A’Dair & Company was cited for their focus on teamwork and working hard to stay on top of the latest trends in floral design without compromising price. Another FSN member, Liberty Hometown Florist & Gifts located in Liberty, Texas was last year’s overall winner in the retail/wholesale category and also received a (more…)

Today’s Garden Center recently named Hillermann Nursery & Florist in Washington, MO the winner of the 2008 Revolutionary Retailer Award. The award ceremony took place during the Revolutionary 100 Roundtable, February 27-29, 2008 in Atlanta, GA. The Revolutionary 100 Garden Centers is an elite group of the country’s most innovative retail garden center operations – big and small – that have been recognized for their commitment to creating a customer experience that sets their operation apart from the rest and doing so in a way that helps them to be profitable businesses.

According to the editors of Today’s Garden Center magazine, “This company has (more…)

Being a member of Flower Shop Network is like being part of a great big family. When someone in your family perseveres through hardships to make their dreams come true you can’t wait to tell everyone. Nick (one of our FSN network coordinators) has always told me that Justin and Heather at BiZi Bee Floral and Gifts; (one of our Seattle WA florists) were amazing people. Until I read Justin’s blog last Friday, I didn’t really (more…)