In the hectic week before Mother’s Day, a glance at the day in the life of a florist seemed to be an appropriate topic for this month’s newsletter. Georgianne Vinicombe of Monday Morning Flower & Balloon Co. details the ups, downs and wonders of a day in the life of a florist.

I’ve noticed that what I love most about my job is something that an average person usually hates. What is that, you wonder? It’s diversity, change, constant evolution and sometimes even chaos. The day in the life of a florist is anything but boring or mundane.

Georgianne Owner of Monday Morning Flowers

I’ll bet if you asked someone what they thought it would be like to be a florist for the day, most would answer with cliché. The most common one I’ve heard over the years is “It must be fun to play with flowers all day”. Play? Who said anything about playing. Last time I looked it was my job to be a florist, not my hobby.

Another personal favorite is “It must be so calm and relaxing being surrounded by all the flowers”. Ok, anyone that says this has not been standing knee deep in floral debris with a pile of orders in front of them to be designed, with a delivery driver rushing you to hurry up, and all 6 of the phone lines are ringing at once. Ah… stress is holding me together! What would I do without it?

Is it always that hectic at a flower shop? Of course not, but the truth is that most people never experience that side of our industry. The day in the life of a florist is much more complex that anyone would imagine. There are flowers and supplies to be ordered, windows and coolers to be cleaned, balloons to be inflated, flowers to be prepped and arranged, plants to be watered, payroll, bills and taxes to be paid not to mention invoicing along with credit and collections. Orders and customers don’t just fall in our lap. There are marketing and advertising dollars to be spent wisely, websites to be updated, bridal consultations and proposals to be typed, phones to be answered and the list goes on.

Prepping Flowers At Monday Morning Flowers

Now, down to basics. There are certain tasks that get done day in and day out at a flower shop. First thing in the morning the flowers arrive, fresh from the wholesaler. That’s when the floral fun begins. Boxes and boxes of fresh flowers from all over the world are delivered to our door. Lots of buckets of fresh water are lined up as flowers are unpacked and inspected. A quick cut on the chopper and the flowers are placed into water for hydrating. I love this part seeing all the flowers lined up waiting to take their place in the cooler!!

Processing of fresh flowers happens everyday at my shop and it’s a revolving door of flowers in and out. Now we get to the fun part - flowers are artfully arranged in pretty containers of all shapes and sizes. Foliage, accent and focal flowers combined in various ways and then very carefully loaded onto one of delivery vans for a quick trip directly to the recipient! There’s nothing like receiving flowers, hand delivered by a uniformed driver. I don’t get to do it often but I still love delivering flowers. It’s fun to see peoples reaction!

“Why send flowers?” you may wonder. Flowers create memories. They attack all the senses at once. Color, fragrance and sentiment on a card. I’ve been in the business so long that sometimes it’s hard to think like a consumer or even a recipient of flowers. But when I do, in an instant, I am 5 years old again. It was my first dance recital and my mom had given me a sweet little nosegay of carnations and babies breath, tied with a pink bow. If I close my eyes, I can still smell those flowers and I feel instantly happy at the memory.

Monday Morning Flowers Staff

It’s finally my wedding day. The smell of the flowers, the carnations, the roses, the stephanotis… It’s funny on that day they remind me of what it felt like to be a little girl because the smell transported me back. Now, almost 24 years after my wedding day, the smell of carnations, roses and stephanotis reminds me the day that I truly became a woman. How did that happen, when did I grow up? Even though I didn’t know it then, I was born to be a florist.

Back at the shop, the fun continues as the designer hands are flying, support staff sweep up and the sales staff assist customers who need floral advice. Flowers in and out, phones ringing, computers spitting out orders and brooms constantly moving. Ah, the signs of successful flower shop!

What I love most about my days in the flower shop are the things that most people probably would avoid. No two days are ever the same. I never know what the day will hold. Maybe an old friend from high school will walk through my doors and ask me to do her wedding flowers or maybe the White House or a Celebrity will call with a flower order. Sound crazy? Those things have happened to me within the last six months. It’s what I love, the diversity of each day! The Life of a Florist - it’s not always a bed of roses but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Georgianne Vinicombe is the owner of Monday Morning Flower & Balloon CO. in Princeton NJ and Yardley PA.  Not only is she an accomplished florist, Georgianne is a avid blogger as well.  On her blog Georgianne’s “Smile Blog”, she shares the challenges, inspiration and sheer joy of being a florist.

If you enjoyed learning about a day in the life of a florist, read Florists and the Wonderful Things They Do.

Want to learn more about how flowers create memories? Read Flower Memories.

Thinking of Mom this week.  Great ideas for Mother’s Day are found in Flowers Spell Mother

My brothers are hilarious. If you’ve ever seen the hit comedy series Frasier, picture Niles and Frasier at 25 and 23.  Aaron (who turned 25 on the 4th of April) is finicky about his appearance, his preferences, his likes and dislikes. He plays the “big brother” role very well. Mark (my surrogate brother who is 8 days my senior) is also finicky but in very different ways. He’s a “go green” enthusiast, avid vegetarian, and soon-to-be father. Their byplay is priceless and merited a very fun belated birthday gift for Aaron.

Mark forgot Aaron’s birthday this year. Not sure how but it slipped his mind until the following Monday. My sister (22 on the 14th of April) was also forgotten briefly. Feeling horrible for forgetting Aaron’s birthday, Mark brought over the coolest gift ever. I couldn’t  help but laugh. I only wish I’d taken a picture!

Aaron and Mark enjoy gardening. In lieu of some elaborate reparations, Mark brought over a packet of forget-me-not seeds and a small garden shovel. It was too cool! Ok, maybe it’s my warped sense of humor that made me laugh so much when I heard about this belated birthday gift. Something like this is always fun. If you have an equally wry sense of humor and just so happen to forget a birthday, call your local florist. I’m sure they can hook you up with some forget-me-nots for the occasion. Let’s hope you never need this belated birthday tip!

Pulmonaria

Ask the Expert: What is this plant - it is a perennial flowers on the same plant are pink and then blue, leaves have whitish spots and are about 1″ long. It’s a very small, compact plant. Nadya

Reply:
What you have is Pulmonaria sometimes called Lungwort. Depending on the exact species within this genus, the plants can be perennial in zones 2-8. Most species are perennial in zones 5-8. Just a guess - but I think you have Pulmonaria saccharata which is hardy in zone 4-8. This plant likes shade or partial shade conditions with humus rich, moist but well-drained soil. It is often the first perennial to bloom in late winter or in the spring.

Ask the Expert: How do I make my Lucky Bamboo grow more leaves? These are new plants to me and I love them but they seem to only have 1 or 2 leaves on them. How do I get them to grow 2 or 3 more? Thanks a bunch for your help.
Judy

Reply:
With lucky bamboo (Draceana sanderiana), I would recommend a light solution of water soluble fertilizer about once a month until winter to encourage leaf production. I would also recommend misting the lucky bamboo every couple of days. If you have it in extremely low light, give it a little more light. All of these things should encourage leaf growth from the top of the plant.

Ask the Expert: mature magnolia tree in northeast looks dead mature tree has been blooming beautifully. last year I got only leaves, this year it looks dead. the only thing I did different was to put yard leaves around base of tree last fall. Tracy

Reply:
I don’t recommend piling leaves up around the base of any tree. If you want to use leaves as a way to mulch your tree, create a saucer of leaves that are not stacked against the truck of the tree. Think of a cup and saucer. The saucer is higher at the edges than it is when the cup sets.

However, I don’t think the leaves necessarily are the contributing factor for the decline in the magnolia. How long has the magnolia been planted and do you know what kind of magnolia it is? Have you noticed any funny growth on the tree? There are a few diseases that could be causing this problem. If you can send me photos of the tree, I might be able to tell if a disease is the problem. Get photos from different angles and different parts of the tree.

In the mean-time, take your fingernail and scrape a few branches and the trunk. If you see any signs of green the magnolia may still be alive.

Whether a budget-oriented bride or not, being able to use wedding decorations in many areas is always a big perk. Many florists are starting to use bouquets (bridesmaids or bridal) as centerpieces on the main table at the wedding. This is a way to keep the bridesmaids bouquets and wedding bouquets fresh before and after the ceremony. Plus, the bridesmaids are able to just snatch the bouquets out of the water and take them home as a wedding favor!

Using unique vases and containers takes this technique to the next level. Showcase the floral bouquets just a little better with a beautiful vase. Creative containers simultaneously keep the flowers fresh and bring to life all of the effort put into creating the beautiful bouquets.

This idea also works for parties such as bachelorette parties. These bouquets liven up the party decorations and also make great party favors! It’s a win-win for hostesses and guests.

This design technique has become a very popular trend in wedding flowers and is seeing an increase at parties. Florists are happy to showcase their prized creations for a little longer. Brides and hostesses are glad to save a few bucks but still have an elegant, beautiful wedding or party. If you’re looking for a quick centerpiece idea, try this trendy new design technique!

Bouquet Centerpieces from The Flower Patch in Gypsum, CO

Short Vase Bouquet Centerpieces from The Flower Patch in Gypsum, CO

Ask The Expert: I rec’d a beautiful azalea looking like the 1 in your photo. It remained so for 2 weeks but now…not only has it lost most of it’s blooms, the leaves have fallen off also. What did I do wrong??? Carol Anne

Reply:
Normally azaleas bloom only for a four to six week period. From the time they open an azalea bloom is on its way to death. This is a normal process, so blooms drying and falling off isn’t a problem. However, the leaves falling off indicate the azalea is in stress. Water is usually the culprit for this stress. Most florist azalea come to your house wrapped in beautiful paper with a bow. Which is great for presentations but should be removed as soon as possible for the health of the plant. The wrapping does not allow the plant to drain properly. You want to keep your azalea moist but not soggy and in bright light to keep it healthy. So check your soil and make sure excess water is draining away from the plant. Keep the plant evenly moist and it should start to recover. Good luck and keep me posted.

"Lavender Love" Mother's Day Bouquet

Ever tried to express lavender love? I would guess not. Red is the color usually associated with passionate love, but that’s not what I want to show my mom for Mother’s Day. My mom deserves something else. Something better. Something more representative of the sweet and nurturing nature of a mother and her child. That’s why I chose the “Lavender Love” bouquet as this month’s featured flower arrangement.

Since we don’t live in caves we all know that Mother’s Day is just around the corner. It’s time to start looking for the best gift for mom this year. The “Lavender Love” Mother’s Day bouquet jumped out at me when I was peering through the fresh flower photo gallery. It’s gorgeous! It has height, style, depth, color, softness, personality–it’s everything I would say about my mother. Well, I’m taller than my mom and I only stand 5′4″ but the rest is true.

Chances are that your mother is totally different than mine. That’s fine! That’s great, in fact, because it provides a dozen new reasons why someone else will like the “Lavender Love” bouquet for Mother’s Day. It’s unique in that it appeals to so many different types of people.

• Does your mom love Spring? Pastel spring colors and a few vibrant, bold ones pop up in this arrangement.
• Is your mom the leader of the household? Soften her up a bit with a sweet flower bouquet like this one.
• Does your mom a real social butterfly who loves hosting parties and get-togethers for the ladies? Give them something to look at during their Mothers Day teas by sending flowers like this gift to your mom’s home. Impressing her friends is a happy side effect of this.

No matter what your mom is like, she’s a great woman who deserves a gift. Right? If you’re in the mood for some Mother’s Day gift ideas, stop here. Take a peek at the “Lavender Love” fresh flowers bouquet and see what you think. Even better, think about what your mom will say when it is handed to her by a local florist with a sweet Mother’s Day card message attached.  Happy Mother’s Day!

Did you send this bouquet for another holiday? Getting ready to send it for Mother’s Day? Let us hear your stories! We want to know what your mother or friend thought of the “Lavender Love” bouquet!

Here’s someone who really deserves to bask in the glow of the limelight for a bit. Suzanne Calloway Fammartino at Love At First Sight Floral & Design in Carmel, IN really shines in the areas of customer service and design. I can easily say that I was shocked to see the stack of testimonials from Suzanne’s customers. I’ve seen novellas with fewer words. What’s really important is that these customers are glowing about Suzanne’s designs and her attention to customer needs. It’s incredible!

I was speaking with Joe Hays, Suzanne’s Flower Shop Network representative, and was very impressed by his stories of the amazing things that happen in her shop. It seems that inspirational things happen all the time to Suzanne just because she values her customers. I asked him to get me more information so he contacted Suzanne who sent over this story.

Suzanne Calloway Fammartino from Love At First Sight Floral & Design

My name is Suzanne Calloway Fammartino, I own Love at First Sight Floral and I have been a florist for over 19 years.  I was a fashion designer before I was a floral designer so floral design came naturally to me, I love creating unique designs. Every day is a blessed day for me if I can make someone else’s day special with my floral designs.  I love creating my designs specifically for each customer that calls me, connecting with their needs so that it’s customized with them in mind when it is created. It never seems like a job, it feels more like a calling. I always try and add special accents and pay close attention to detail in every design because the little things really do matter.  After I have finished with an arrangement I always look at it through the eyes of the receiver and that’s when  I know  I’ve done my best.

I have always been very intuitive and on countless occasions I have been able to connect with my customers instinctively by choosing just the right flowers’ containers and designs and later find that what I had created had a special connection for them.  There is no greater fulfillment for me as when I receive a thank you call or letter.  That is what it’s all about for me in my floral business. Several months ago when I was doing my floral buying I saw a beautiful wooden dump truck and something told me that I needed to buy it.  At the time I had no idea why.  I had a few opportunities to use this truck in children birthday arrangements that were ordered but something told me to hold on to it. I knew why when I received a call from a young lady who told me of a tragic death of a young man in his 40’s that worked for her company.

This company had never called me before and there were other floral company’s closer that she could have picked to call. I told her I could do anything she would like for the funeral arrangement and I asked her to tell me something about him to try and personalize it. She then said “Well you wouldn’t happen to have a dump truck would you?”  My heart jumped as I said, “as a matter a fact I do”! Then she told me he had been a dump truck driver for their gravel company for years.  The young lady and I were amazed at this moment of connection for this man. As I finished designing a beautiful floral arrangement in the bed of the truck I stepped back and looked at it through his eyes and knew he would be pleased.  I felt so blessed to be able to create this arrangement that I knew would touch the hearts of all who attended.  I can’t tell you how many times I have made similar connections in the years that I have been doing floral design and those connections make me truly love what I do!  We all are given gifts…we just need to be sure to share them with others.

Suzanne- Love at First Sight Floral & Design

I still get goosebumps reading this story. I am so glad to know that someone cares about her customers more than herself. Her reward comes from making them happy. Her rewards also come in strange, pleasant ways like this one. Suzanne, like so many others, deserves a big nod for her dedication to her customers. Way to go, Suzanne!

Ask the Expert: What fertilizer is used for non-flowering Hydrangea
What fertilizer is used for non-flowering Hydrangea? Jen

Reply:
The primary nutrient for bloom production is phosphorous. You can apply super phosphate 0-18-0 or triple phosphate 0-45-0 a few months prior to blooming. However, lack of nutrients may not be the reason your hydrangeas are not blooming.

There are three main causes that can contribute to lack of hydrangea blooms.

1. Too Much Shade. If hydrangeas do not get enough sunlight, they will not produce blooms. The foliage will be healthy and beautiful but the blooms won’t appear. Although they like a little shade from intense heat, they will need at least half a day sun to produce blooms.

2. Improper Pruning. In the winter, you can remove about a third of the old stems to create a fuller and healthier plant in all hydrangea types. However, the proper time for height control and deadheading will differ based on the type of hydrangea and how it blooms. Big leaf and Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on last year’s growth. In this instance, the hydrangea must be pruned shortly after they have finished blooming - usually within a month. Pruning anytime after that will essential destroy the next year’s blooms. Panicle and smooth hydrangeas bloom on new growth and should be pruned in the spring before they put on their new leaves.

3. Unfavorable Weather. If at anytime the hydrangeas break dormancy and then the temperatures drop, the blooms will be damaged. This usually occurs in place where the weather see-saws from cold to warm and then to cold again.

To ensure that your hydrangea blooms next year try the following:
1. Prune it correctly.
2. Make sure it gets enough light.
3. Fertilize it with triple phosphate, super phosphate or a balanced fertilizer that is high in phosphorous like Fertilome’s Azalea, Camellia, Rhododendron Food 9-15-13.