Manasquan Flower Shop News
Mueller's Flowers & Gifts reopens in Spring Lake Heights after devastating fire - Asbury Park Press
Tuesday, December 12, 2017CLOSE A fire destroyed Mueller's Flowers & Gifts store in Manasquan. Now the owners have reopened in Spring Lake Heights. DAVID P. WILLISMueller's Flowers & Gifts has reopened in Spring Lake Heights after a fire destroyed its landmark store in Manasquan.(Photo: David P. Willis)SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS - Mueller's Flowers & Gifts has a new temporary home after a fire tore through the Manasquan shop in August.Earlier this fall, Nanci Marta and Caleb Mauro moved into a small storefront on Route 71 in Spring Lake Heights. "We looked at a few places," Marta said. "To be able to open this fast was really a miracle."More: Mueller's Flowers in Manasquan vows to reopen after fireMore: Fire destroys Manasquan floral shop, a 'staple' of the communityMueller's Flowers & Gifts was a landmark on Route 71 in Manasquan, in business for nearly 90 years. It was discovered in flames on Sunday evening this past August. The fire resulted in "significant damage" to the building, including the shop's greenhouse.After the fire, another... http://www.app.com/story/money/business/main-street/2017/12/07/muellers-flowers-gifts-reopens-spring-lake-heights-fire-manasquan/927592001/
Flower Power's owner still going strong in Middletown - Asbury Park Press
Tuesday, November 28, 2017I how to raise orchids and we all had our own sections of the family greenhouse.”More: Red Bank florist builds her business anewMore: Mueller's Flowers in Manasquan vows to reopen after fireReturning to her family’s hometown of Middletown and attending high school there, she worked at a flower shop her father bought as well as at a number of different florists in the area, all of whom quickly recognized her ability and often let her run their shops alone.Encouraged by her bosses’ confidence in both her floral and managerial skills, Patterson was inspired to spread her wings.“I thought, ‘Why not open my own store?'” she said, and with that, the then 20-year-old rented space for $200 a month in a Belford storefront formerly occupied by Middletown Pharmacy and opened her own venture, Flower Power Florist and Gifts, in 1977.Though she ultimately moved the store to a more updated space just across the street in the late 1990s, Flower Power Florist has been going strong for 40 years and continues to bloom.More: Howell flower farmer finds joy in her jobMore: Brighten your home with indoor winter plantsShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext SlideQuality products, personalized serviceAt the cozy shop, “we offer a broad range of flowers, including lots of seasonal Jersey wildflowers in the summer like sunflowers, gladiolas, dahlias and larkspur as well as eight different varieties and colors of roses,” Patterson said.“Our flowers are extremely high quality and will literally last for weeks because of the way we cut and preserve them,” added Patterson, who shared that the trick to extending the life of floral arrangements at home is to cut the stems and change the water every couple of days.“We also offer plants, dish gardens, pie and Yankee candles, an... http://www.app.com/story/money/business/main-street/2017/11/16/flower-power-florist-belford-middletown/822661001/
Mueller's Flowers in Manasquan vows to reopen after fire - Asbury Park Press
Tuesday, November 07, 2017CLOSE Mueller's Florist and Gifts, a long-time business in Manasquan, burned Sunday night. Amanda OglesbyBuy PhotoThe burned out frame of Mueller’s on Route 71 in Manasquan is shown Monday, August 7, 2017. The floral shop was gutted by a fire Sunday.(Photo: Thomas P. Costello)Buy PhotoMANASQUAN - The owners of Mueller's Flowers & Gifts are looking for a temporary location after a fast-moving fire destroyed their Route 71 shop on Sunday night.Nanci Marta and Caleb Mauro vowed to rebuild. Meanwhile, they are working out of Flowers by Rhonda in Brielle to fulfill all existing orders, they said in a statement on Wednesday. "We are extremely thankful for Rhonda's generosity and compassion during this difficult time."More: Fire destroys Manasquan floral shop, a 'staple' of the communityMore: Manasquan Bank takes leap with Ocean Twp. branchMueller's Flowers & Gifts is a landmark on Route 71, in business for nearly 90 years. It was discovered in flames on Sunday evening.The fire resulted in "significant damage" to the building, includ... http://www.app.com/story/money/business/main-street/2017/08/09/muellers-flowers-manasquan-reopen-fire/552983001/
Fire engulfs Mueller's Flowers & Gifts in Manasquan - NJ.com
Tuesday, August 29, 2017MANASQUAN -- One firefighter suffered minor injuries battling a blaze that engulfed a local flower shop Sunday night, the borough's fire chief said.Manasquan Fire Chief Dave Kircher said in text messages to NJ Advance Media that a police officer was waved into Mueller's Flowers & Gifts by two civilians at 7:20 p.m, and two alarms were struck after the firefighters encountered heavy flames.Brielle, Sea Girt and Wall Township fire departments also responded to the scene, along with the Monmouth County rehab unit and a rapid-intervention team from Asbury Park, Kircher said.The fire chief said the blaze declared under control at 9:03 p.m., and one firefighter was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment of minor injuries. State Highway 71 was reopened to traffic at 10:15 p.m.Kircher said the Monmouth County Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire.Video courtesy of Stephanie Hardvig. Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvan... http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2017/08/fire_engulfs_muellers_flowers_gifts_in_manasquan.html
Fire destroys Manasquan floral shop, a 'staple' of the community - Asbury Park Press
Tuesday, August 15, 2017CLOSE Mueller's Florist and Gifts, a long-time business in Manasquan, burned Sunday night. Amanda OglesbyFirefighters surround Mueller's Florist and Gifts on Sunday at Route 71 in Manasquan.(Photo: Amanda Oglesby)MANASQUAN – A fire destroyed what Manasquan residents described as a legacy in this tight-knit community.Mueller's Florist and Gifts, which has operated here since at least the 1930s, burned Sunday night in what neighbors called a fast-moving blaze. See firefighters at the scene in the video above."It's been a staple in town," said Debbie Petrilli, 60, of Manasquan, who has shopped at the florist numerous times.The fire first was reported around 7:30 p.m. Fire departments from Manasquan, Sea Girt and Brielle responded and closed Route 71 to extinguish the flames.Buy PhotoThe burned out frame of Mueller’s on Route 71 in Manasquan is shown Monday, August 7, 2017. The floral shop was gutted by a fire Sunday. (Photo: Thomas P. Costello)"It's horrible," said 33-year-old Cae Allgor, who, with her sister Patty, watched firefighters climb... http://www.app.com/story/news/local/emergencies/2017/08/06/fire-destroys-manasquan-floral-shop-staple-community/544004001/
Better Than Roses - The Newtown Bee
Sunday, February 10, 2019The Sunshine Bouquet Company began in New Jersey before branching out to Florida and Columbia, which allowed “Sunshine to provide efficient, rapid delivery to the United States.”Ms Brisch said Big Y also offers flower bouquets and potted plants from local farms, like Cavicchio Greenhouse in Sudbury, Mass. Since Big Y is headquartered in Springfield, Mass., its local farms are located in Massachusetts or Connecticut. Newtown Big Y Store Director Angelo Soto shared a list of all of its local farms, and those include Casertano’s Greenhouse in Cheshire, Connecticut Valley Flower in Hamden, Geremia Greenhouse in Wallingford, and Grower Direct in Somers.“There are so many local things to chose from,” said Ms Brisch.From choosing to support a conscientious company to finding ways to support local farms there is more to consider than just the color of a bouquet’s assorted flowers.Off-Season OptionsConnecticut-grown flowers can be hard to find in the winter.Natalie Collette of The Gardenist of Norwalk offers floral arrangements and designs, along with garden design support and maintenance, according to her Facebook page, The Gardenist. She mostly sells her flowers to local florists and people who contact her directly. A farmer florist, Ms Collette said she has private properties where she plants seasonal flowers, all organically. She harvests and creates bouquets along with maintaining a dahlia farm in New Haven. Growers in Connecticut, unless they have a greenhouse, do not grow flowers out of season, she observed. This makes it harder for local shops to maintain locally grown flowers in the winter months.When asked for ideas for alternative Valentine’s Day presents, Ms Collette recommended gifting a living flower arrangement or foraging for a bouquet of seasonal elements. Potted plants from a nursery also provide year-long enjoyment.“If it is a perennial, you can enjoy the plant from when you purchase it [until you] plant it in the spring,” said Ms Collette, who is currently selling hous... https://www.newtownbee.com/better-roses/02102019
Third-generation owner seeks to turn retail plant shop into lifestyle brand - Crains New York Business
Sunday, February 10, 2019My family owns the West 96th Street building and has considered selling it, but we want to keep a retail presence there. PlantShed needs more space for production, though. We might move offices to New Jersey—where we recently got a warehouse—Long Island City or further uptown. There are stresses on the business, but we're making it work. When I took over, I realized we could not just be a retail flower store. The numbers wouldn't support it. That's why we pursued the idea of putting cafés in our shops. Retail stores also need to be a lifestyle brand.Our goal is to spread our love of plants and flowers to people around the city and beyond. I've hired employees to facilitate partnerships and make our stores young and hip. Through the cafés, we have created a way for people to gather and be surrounded by nature. Those who come in every morning for a cup of coffee think of us when they need to buy a bouquet of flowers. We want to foster community and build a local attachment to our brand.I'm a partner in Haven, a boutique hotel in Montauk, which is a separate business from PlantShed. In the past few years, we have blown Haven out with plants, putting custom-made hanging baskets in the walkways and tropical houseplants in the hotel rooms. Guests love it. Now I am working on a hotel concept. I'm trying to find a location for a farmstead, greenhouse and inn in the Hudson Valley or the Catskills. PlantShed would own it, and it would be something really unique, bridging biophilia and hospitality.It's definitely something we could bring to New York City or another city down the line. We have found that incorporating plant life in an urban setting is appealing to people. We assume these travelers want a city vibe, rather than a country or tropical feel. So it would be a matter of incorporating plants and flowers in a way that accentuates the look and feel of a city. https://www.crainsnewyork.com/asked-answered/third-generation-owner-seeks-turn-retail-plant-shop-lifestyle-brand
Third-generation owner seeks to turn retail plant shop into lifestyle brand
Tuesday, February 05, 2019My family owns the West 96th Street building and has considered selling it, but we want to keep a retail presence there. PlantShed needs more space for production, though. We might move offices to New Jersey—where we recently got a warehouse—Long Island City or further uptown. There are stresses on the business, but we're making it work. When I took over, I realized we could not just be a retail flower store. The numbers wouldn't support it. That's why we pursued the idea of putting cafés in our shops. Retail stores also need to be a lifestyle brand.Our goal is to spread our love of plants and flowers to people around the city and beyond. I've hired employees to facilitate partnerships and make our stores young and hip. Through the cafés, we have created a way for people to gather and be surrounded by nature. Those who come in every morning for a cup of coffee think of us when they need to buy a bouquet of flowers. We want to foster community and build a local attachment to our brand.I'm a partner in Haven, a boutique hotel in Montauk, which is a separate business from PlantShed. In the past few years, we have blown Haven out with plants, putting custom-made hanging baskets in the walkways and tropical houseplants in the hotel rooms. Guests love it. Now I am working on a hotel concept. I'm trying to find a location for a farmstead, greenhouse and inn in the Hudson Valley or the Catskills. PlantShed would own it, and it would be something really unique, bridging biophilia and hospitality.It's definitely something we could bring to New York City or another city down the line. We have found that incorporating plant life in an urban setting is appealing to people. We assume these travelers want a city vibe, rather than a country or tropical feel. So it would be a matter of incorporating plants and flowers in a way that accentuates the look and feel of a city. https://www.crainsnewyork.com/asked-answered/third-generation-owner-seeks-turn-retail-plant-shop-lifestyle-brand
N.Y. man who buried the man he murdered behind a N.J. florist shop found guilty - NJ.com
Tuesday, January 22, 2019Vance said in a release. "He was murdered in cold blood in a crime of unconscionable violence, his body mutilated, thrown from a fourth-story window, and abandoned behind a florist's shop in New Jersey."Comunale was stabbed 15 times on Nov. 13 at Rackover's East 59th Street apartment following a party also attended by Lawrence Dilione, 28, of Jersey City and Max Gemma, 30, of Oceanport, authorities said.Both men are also facing charges related to the incident, including a second-degree murder charge for Dilione.At about 9:45 p.m. that night, Rackover and Dilione drove Comunale's body, which had been burned, to a field behind a florist on Monmouth Boulevard in Oceanport and buried it, investigators have said. A court motion filed on behalf of Gemma, who is the son of former Oceanport Mayor Gordon Gemma in January claimed Dilione, a former Oceanport resident, admitted to investigators that he knocked Comunale unconscious after an argument over cigarettes, the New York Post reported.Dilione told investigators that Rackover then viciously kicked and beat the defenseless Comunale. After realizing Comunale was severely injured and afraid of being arrested, the motion says, Rackover said: "We have to kill him," according to the report.Rackover is expected to be sentenced on Dec. 5, a release from the district attorney's office said.The charges against Dilione and Gemma were still pending Friday, Vance said.Dilione was charged with second-degree murder, hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and three counts of concealment of a human corpse. Gemma was charged with hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence.Dilione was scheduled to stand trial on Jan. 14 and Gemma's court da... https://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2018/11/ny_man_who_buried_the_man_he_murdered_behind_a_nj_florist_shop_found_guilty.html