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More Than Just Members

Laughter and smiles filled the Flower Shop Network order transfer room Friday afternoon when a dozen delicious cupcakes, a large box of cookies and candies, and a mouth-watering cake was delivered. The unexpected afternoon treats touched hearts and showed our FSN family once again how amazing our local florists are.

 Skip and Esther Vergers are the proud owners of Lighthouse Point Flowers in Florida. Their flower shop has been in business for decades and they have been a part of the Flower Shop Network family for seven years.

Our FSN Order Transfer Department and Sales Representatives have helped Skip and Esther over the years and have developed strong relationships with the couple. A few weeks ago during a phone conversation, they learned that Skip was finishing his chemotherapy treatments in two weeks and was preparing for surgery. The department sent Skip and Esther a card along with an email to let them know that they are loved and cared for by their FSN family.

A Sweet Surprise

Much to everyone’s surprise, the next week a huge delivery of sweets arrived at the office. A note was taped to the top of the box that said, “Special thanks for all of your concern and best wishes! It means so much to us! Love y’all! – Skip and Esther.”

The entire office was absolutely blown away by the Vergers’ kindness and generosity. It is a day at the office that won’t be forgotten. To everyone that has spoken to this sweet couple, they are more than just members of FSN. They are dear friends, and one simple card of well wishes touched their hearts.

This type of relationship is what we are striving for at Flower Shop Network. Our goal is to be a true partner for local florists. Helping florists across the country with their needs and providing solutions to their problems without taking over their business.

Our vision is to see local flower shops across the country thriving. Stories like this encourage us and give us the motivation to continue making strides towards our goal.


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Flower Spotlight: Kangaroo Paw

The Kangaroo Paw may not be exactly what you’d expect to find in your flower arrangement, but this unique bloom can add a truly spectacular look to your bouquets.  Find out more about this unusual flower and where it gets its name.

Origin & Symbolism

As you can imagine with a name like Kangaroo Paw, this flower originates from western Australia.  Its genus name is Anigozanthos and is derived from the Greek words ‘anises’ meaning unequal, or oblique and ‘anthos’ meaning flower.  The symbolism behind its name literally means unequal, which is how this flower appears.  The flower is comprised of six uneven parts which gives it the characteristics of an outstretched Kangaroo paw.  This is how it received the nickname Kangaroo Paw, and is also sometimes called Catspaw or Money Paw, depending on the shape of the flower.  

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12 Decades Strong

We are excited to recognize Flowers By Emslie & Company for serving the Barre, Vermont area for almost 120 years! This local flower shop opened in 1897 and has been thriving ever since.

Two cousins originally opened the flower shop and grew their own vegetables and flowers. The cousins used a wooden sleigh pulled by horses to deliver their goods to customers. A coal burning stove was used during the winter time to keep everything warm.  The sleigh remains in the shop today and is still used as a beautiful display shelf.

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Local Florists Do It Better

Take a second to think about what the most important thing to you is as a customer? LinkedIn conducted an interesting study investigating the top five things customers see as important. Out of the survey respondents, 48 percent cited value for money, cost, price or competitiveness as one of their three most important things.

The LinkedIn article states that, “47 percent of survey respondents stated that customer service was one of their three most important things. The ability of organizations to help consumers at every stage of the journey is critical here, including the ability and willingness to sort out issues as they arise.”

Real local florists are experts in these two categories and blow online wire services out of the water.

What is an online wire service?

When someone orders flowers from an online wire service they order a stock photo of a bouquet and then the order gets sent to a real florist. The problem though is that the wire service will take a large percentage of the order to profit for themselves, some even up to 50 percent. This leaves florists with a hard time making any money. There are also third parties, known as order gatherers, that have set up websites to look like flower shops but are not. Order gatherers set up gateway pages and use Google keywords to make them appear to be local. Order gatherers also take a large chunk of the profits again leaving florist at a loss.

It is impossible for these middle men to provide the same type of value and service that a local florist can provide, which is why at FSN we always send orders directly to real local florists without taking a percentage of the total. Only at a local florist can you trust that your money is going directly towards a high-quality arrangement. Here is a short list of the important qualities that you can only find in a local florist.

-Customized designs
-Personal attention and connection
-On-time delivery
– Years of experience
-High-quality arrangements
-Exceptional customer service from start to finish

Spread the word
Many people are unaware of these wire services and order gatherers that are hurting the floral industry. Take a stand with us and encourage your family and friends to always buy from a trusted local florist.

At Flower Shop Network we are a community committed to supporting local florists. We connect customers to florists in our network directly and NEVER take a percentage of the order. We also ensure that each florist in our network is a true, local business.

Don’t let order gatherers and wire services take chunks of your money.

Support local florists. Spread the word.


Visit My Local Florist

Local Florist Receives High Honor

Congratulations to florist designer, Cathy Hock for winning an award for, “Excellence in the Workplace” from the Rotary Club of Merrimack, NH. This award is a high honor given to an individual that has displayed outstanding performance in their job.

“Cathy is awesome!  She approaches every arrangement, from a single flower bud vase to a $200.00 wedding bouquet, with creativity and finesse.  She loves looking outside the box.  Because of that thinking and her creativeness, she is a national award winner and it shows in every single arrangement she creates.  She is a great boss and coworker, always placing the needs of others before her own,” said Stephanie, an employee.

Cathy also recently won a nationwide annual design contest. She came up with a design using two champagne glasses, one with a rhinestone bracelet signifying the woman and one with crystals in it to represent the man, then united them with flowers.

Dan and Cathy Hock are the owners of Merrimack Flower Shop & Greenhouse in Merrimack, NH. The business has been family owned and operated for 47 years! They are known for their high-quality floral arrangements and gifts, backed by friendly and prompt service. Every bouquet from their shop is carefully arranged with the freshest flowers in Merrimack and is hand-delivered to your recipient’s door. FSN is grateful to be partners with Cathy and Merrimack Flower Shop & Greenhouse for 11 years now.

Thank you for your dedication to the floral industry and to providing your customers with excellent arrangements and service!

Flower Spotlight: Lilies

Let’s start the summer off by learning about the fourth most popular flower in the world, lilies. Lilies are popular for their large trumpet-shaped petals and strong scent. This flower comes in a variety of different shapes, sizes and colors. With over 100 genuses in the Liliaceae family there is much to learn!

Origins and Symbolism
Lilies are native to the Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe and North America. In the Victorian Era lilies earned the meaning “majesty,” due to their unique shape and long-time association with the Virgin Mary. People during this era would wear lilies in their hair and pinned to evening gowns.

The lily symbolizes purity and refined beauty. Each color of the lily though represents a different meaning. White lilies symbolize purity and modesty, orange lilies symbolize passion, and pink lilies symbolize wealth and prosperity.

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FSN Shop Earns High Acclaim

Launched in the fall of 2008 out of Gwyneth Paltrow’s kitchen, Goop was originally conceived as a weekly e-mail newsletter. Now it has transformed into a popular website where readers can find suggestions about where to shop, eat, and stay from a trusted friend—not from an anonymous, crowd-sourced recommendation engine.

Goop publishes articles about the best florists across the country and even overseas. Lotus Designs, a FSN member, made their list of the top six florists in Boston, MA.  Goop praised this flower shop for their inherent talent in floral design.

Visit Goop’s website to see the full article.

Lotus Designs is a neighborhood shop located in Boston’s South End. They welcome walk-ins and deliver all over town (about a 20-mile radius from the store) provided your flower order is a minimum of $60-plus. And you can place orders online, too. Their cut-off for same-day delivery is 3pm. Lotus Designs carries a little bit of everything but they specialize in fresh cut flowers and orchids. They also do weddings and events.

David, a dedicated and loyal Lotus Designs customer spoke highly about his experiences saying, “I always order my flowers from your shop. My wife is always completely thrilled with the beauty of your arrangements and she is a pretty avid gardener. The quality of the arrangements is outstanding.”

At Flower Shop Network we love to see our florists recognized for their dedication to superior design and quality. Congratulations and keep up the hard work!

 

Flower Spotlight: Tulips

Tulips are so unique because they come in a variety of colors, shapes, and flower forms. These flowers range from early, mid, to late season blooms so you can enjoy their beauty from March to May. Here are some fun facts and a brief history about this elegant bloom.

Origins & Symbolism
The tulip is a member of the lily family which is made up of 100 species. Tulips grow over a great territory in Asia Minor through Siberia to China. Turkish growers first cultivated tulips around 1,000 A.D. Tulips symbolize imagination, fame, and perfect love.

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60 Years of Flowers and Friendships

We are excited to congratulate Elizabeth Ann Florist and Gift Shop on 60 years in the floral business, making it the longest operating retail business in Oconee County. This shop took the celebration to the next level with many fun and creative festivities for their friends and customers!

To kick off the anniversary the family was featured in the Watkinsville Christmas Parade. Right after the parade they celebrated with a, “60 years of Flowers and Friendships” birthday party. The Mayor, Charles Ivie, read and presented the flower shop with a Proclamation from the City of Watkinsville. Family, friends, and customers all attended along with their minister, Dr. Rev. Teresa Angle-Young who blessed the business.

The shop also hosted social media campaign throughout the 59 days leading up to the official birthday. During the campaign they gave away prizes, made donations to programs in their local community, and highlighted old newspaper articles and memorabilia.

One Facebook post included a picture of a special birthday card the shop received on their 35th anniversary from President and Mrs. Reagan!

Elizabeth Ann Yarbrough started the business in her home in 1955. She attended floral design school in Atlanta, GA and the shop is now operated by her son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Lynne Yarbrough and their son, Paul. It is located on North Main Street in historic Downtown Watkinsville, GA.

Thank you for your dedication to superior quality and professional service throughout the years!

Visit Elizabeth Ann Florist and Gift Shop to find beautiful arrangements from this local florist!

Frey Florist and Greenhouse

This month we are excited to congratulate Frey Florist and Greenhouse on 105 years in business, making it the longest continuous running business in Providence, RI. Frey Florist opened in the early 1900s and continues to be a leader in the community. This shop has decided to celebrate their milestone anniversary in a very unique way.

Richard Espeut opened Frey Florist’s recent location in 1973 and it has become a local landmark in Providence. Every floral arrangement is created by professional floral designers with over 20 years of experience.

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