Each week, florists share pictures of their favorite arrangements they’ve made on our Facebook, and this is our way to share them with you!

Another great week with beautiful weather for much of the country. With Easter behind us, there was no real theme to the favorite arrangements shared this week, other than gorgeous fresh flowers!  Now on to the pictures!

By Monday Morning Flowers, Princeton NJ

“I love this photo taken by the recipient. She was so happy with her flowers, she posted photos all over the place.”

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By Mary’s Flowers in Saint Peter MN

“Our ‘Bling Buffet’ is up and running and getting a lot of mileage!”

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By Swannanoa Flower Shop, Swannanoa NC

“Sympathy Flowers”

Click Here To See More Pictures!

There’s a new florist in town, Bryant Arkansas that is.

As of April 1st, Flowers & Home of Bryant have opened their doors as their community’s premiere home decorating showroom. This isn’t your typical flower shop. With it’s tall, black ceilings, stained floors, vivid color scheme and cozy lighting, it’s easy to see what makes it so different. Monroe Cranford, owner and high-end floral designer, has spent years mastering his craft and is now ready to show the city of Bryant just what’s possible in the world of floral design.

Monroe Cranford began his career as an Arkansas Master Florist (AMF), then was inducted into the prestigious American Institute of Floral Design (AIFD). He has also branched out and obtained the ranks of Professional Floral Design (PFD) and Certified Floral Designer (CFD).

“In our industry, you really can’t get a degree, you get credentials. And I have the credentials to back up the fact that they don’t just hand these things to you. You actually have to earn them,” Says Cranford. Continue reading “New Flower Shop Brings More Than Flowers” »

Easter is THIS WEEKEND! You can really tell from the photos shared with us this week that florists are really getting a HOP on this holiday! We loved all the pastel-icious pictures of Easter flowers! Check them out:

By Devine Designs in Fulton, NY.

“You’ve heard of Chocolate Smidgens, right?…and how you can’t just have them for yourself, you have to share them… Well…This is one of our Plant Smidgens… They’re small and you can’t just have one…you have to share the holiday with everyone!!! LOL!!! This is one of our most popular cash and carry specials!”

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Platte Flower Shoppe, Platte SD.

Continue reading “Florists on Facebook – Friday Recap” »

This Florist Story was shared with us by Angelique, The FlowerGurl of Cottage Flowers & Gifts in Pasadena TX.

“It all started when I was a sophomore in high school. My Aunt used to run a floral shop in town. Back in the day, the shops use to close at 10:00 pm. My Parents use to make me go after school to the floral shop to keep my Aunt company so that she would not be there by herself. I would walk to the floral shop after school and listen to the radio and or TV, while at the same time doing my homework, and spending time with my Aunt. I would finish my homework and sit there just watching my Aunt do these amazing things with flowers. I would ask her, how in the heck can you come out with something like that from all that? I was intrigued by it all.

Puttin’ On The Ritz

I knew nothing about flowers. I liked them, I loved receiving them, but what she could do out of nothing at all was beyond me. So needless to say I spent a lot of time with my Aunt and watched her do all these beautiful designs that I just had to try it one day. Well from just watching and observing all that time, I surprised myself. I could not believe, nor did my Aunt, I could actually wrap some flowers in pretty paper and make them look so pretty. Well from there I moved on to bigger things like dressing plants and greening her vases. I figured if having the concept of greening a vase was so easy, then I can take the next step of puttin on the ritz.

Well she walked me through it, and to my amazement, I did it again. I could actually design flowers in a manner that it sold within an hour. I was so pleased that it just made me want to try harder. My Aunt said that I had it in me all the time. Who knows, maybe I did? Her Boss liked what I did and hired me to start work the next day.

The First Day & All of It’s Surprises

I was so excited cause I got to run the shop all by myself. I had an interesting visitor that night. This hippie-looking guy walks in and wants to buy all the red roses we had on-hand. I called my Aunt right away and told her what the guy wanted. She told me to go ahead and give him a good price and let him buy what he wanted. He bought all 4 bunches (100) we had on hand. Before he left he handed me two tickets to the Rolling Stones concert that was taking place that same night. Oh to my surprise, he was one of the members of the band!

Memories I’ll Never Forget

So sad I was unable to attend the concert, but I still have the tickets as a souvenir. My Aunt has moved on, and so have I. She is and will always be my mentor. I am the owner/designer of my own Floral Shop and I have my Aunt to thank for showing me the knowledge. She is now retired and we call her the Retired Floral Critic. That she is, because every time I send her flowers through a wire service (she lives out of town) yep, she sure does call me, to let me know, yea or nea.

I have been in business for over 15 years, and still love it like I did the first time I laid my eyes on those beautiful blooms.”

- Angelique The FlowerGurl

Whether you are a florist or someone who just loves flowers, we want to hear your story. Use our Share Your Story page to submit yours today!

Florists were all about bright and cheery spring colors this week on Facebook this week. For those who don’t know, Flower Shop Network is THE place to be on Facebook for florists. Florists from all across the nation posts pictures of their favorite arrangements created every single week. We love them so much, we started posting them in a recap a few weeks ago. Well, let’s get to the pictures!

By Crossroads Florist in Mahwah, NJ. “Tropic Dreams Bamboo frames outline each arrangement. Green cymbidium orchids perched above are visually connected to the base by strands of steel grass. This florascape would be great as a focal point on a buffet table at a poolside party. Where else could a arrangement like this be used?”

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By Sassy Flowers in Rexburg, ID. “Wanted to share this fun piece we did for a bridal shower over the weekend!”

Click Here To See More Pictures!

A florist is so much more than a person who delivers flowers. They are stewards of life’s celebrations and most important occasions. Betsy Hall of Hall’s Flower Shop & Garden Center in Stone Mountain GA really says it best in this clip from the 2012 Great Lakes Expo interview with FSN’s Brock Atwill. Truly a must-see!

Continue reading “The Importance of Your Local Florist” »

Designer Sharon Cargill (left) and owner Bobbi Mewhinney (right)

It’s always a great honor to win an award, especially given by your community. Flowers by Bobbi in Florence, OR. was recently honored by the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce for their amazing customer service.

It’s not easy to win a customer service award. Bobbi and her team have to really know their stuff when it comes to helping customers in their flower shop and even on deliveries. It’s not just about arranging pretty flowers, it’s about going the extra mile to make something truly special. Just take a look at some of their reviews and see for yourself:
Continue reading “Florist Spotlight: Flowers By Bobbi Wins Big For Customer Service” »

Last week, while our team members were at the Florida State Florists’ Association Design Summit, they took a detour to visit one of our great member florist, Tim Ryan of Botaniq in Santa Rosa Beach Florida. Tim was in the middle of teaching a Butterfly Garden Workshop right there at his flower shop! You might be surprised at all the things local florists are doing these days to bring back the love of flowers in their community.

This isn’t Tim’s first workshop, he’s done: fresh cut flower arranging, orchid gardens, terrariums and more! Guests get together and learn what it takes to create a beautiful floral designs and gardens, as well as the techniques it takes to take care of them all. For the butterfly garden, guests will put together a beautiful planter filled with tasty plants for butterflies. Tim shows his workshop guests how to take their planter to the next level by adding river cane as a trellis. A simple technique that adds big impact!

So, watch Tim in action as he hosts his workshop in the video below!
Continue reading “Creating A Butterfly Garden With Your Local Florist” »

If you haven’t taken the time to stop by your florist this season, what are you waiting for?? In addition to great holiday flowers and centerpieces, your local flower shop will also have unique holiday decor, the best poinsettias, gifts and most importantly, TONS of holiday inspiration!

The photo above is the inside of Trig’s Floral & Home in Minocqua, WI. You could walk around this store for days and still not see everything worth seeing! Here you can find the best in holiday gifts and decor, why would you need to go anywhere else?? This florist is a one-stop-shop for the season!

Need gift ideas? Check out this florist’s shop in McFarland, WI. The Petal Patch truly has something for everyone! Whether you need something for your niece, brother, or that friend who has everything, they’ve got your covered!

Continue reading “The Holiday HotSpot: Your Local Flower Shop” »

I have to admit, probably my favorite part of this job is looking at all of the beautiful pictures of flower arrangements posted on our Facebook wall every day. I am always astounded at the creative and out-of-the-box methods florists use to create incredibly unique holiday arrangements every year. No two are ever alike! The way florists keep it fresh every year stems from their creative abilities. I love these beautiful holiday flowers, and I know you will too…

The three pictures above are all from the talented Tom of Crossroads Florist in Mahwah, NJ. Tom decorates the lobby of the same hotel every week, and it always looks outstanding! These three are the holiday designs he’s created this year, and we LOVE how creative and unique they are! Instead of going with the traditional red and green, Tom has chosen small details of the season to highlight. The white and silver for winter; the cranberry and popcorn as hints of Christmas tree garland traditions, and the green tree ornaments mixed with mesh and star-like orchids. Fabulous work, Crossroads!

We can’t leave off this beautiful BLUE Christmas tree also shared with us by Tom at Crossroads Florist. Done for a large corporate lobby, this uniquely hued tree is sure to catch everyone’s attention! The blue used is so vibrant and vivid; we love it!

We love these festive, holiday centerpieces created by the talented designers at The Enchanted Florist in Asheville, NC. These designs feature the elegance of sleek, curved Calla lilies, mixed with the traditional Christmas cedar and a various of red ornaments. Janet, owner of The Enchanted Florist says, “Christmas Centerpiece doesn’t always have to be the same ole thing.” And she’s definitely right! These were for a corporate Christmas party in her city.

Click to see LOTS more pictures from “Creative Flower Shops And Their Latest Christmas Floral Designs”