Summit, NJ Florists

Summit Flower Shop News

Long-time Springfield Resident Joseph Pepe Jr. Passes Away - TAPinto.net

SUMMIT, NJ - Long-time Springfield resident Joseph Pepe Jr. has died.According to the obituary published by Bradley Funeral Home, Pepe passed away on Feb. 2 at age 84. His memorial service will be held at Bradley, Borough and Dangler Funeral Home on Feb. 9 at 10:00 a.m., with internment to follow at St. Teresa cemetery in Summit.Pepe was born and raised in Springfield, living in town for 65 years before he moved to Martinsville, NJ. He graduated from Jonathan Dayton High School in 1952, where he played football and baseball. After high school, he served in the United States Army and National Guard before working as a Warehouse Manager at Carpenter Technology in Union, NJ.Sign Up for E-NewsAfter the untimely passing of his son, Joe Pepe III in 2004, he retired from the position a year later and opened Varsity Jackets Plus, a company that provided letterman jackets to high school students. Pepe was a familiar presence in the halls of Jonathan Dayton High School, where... https://www.tapinto.net/towns/springfield/articles/long-time-springfield-resident-joseph-pepe-jr-passes-away

Dewar Nurseries Launches Family Owned Floral Retail Brand

We’re proud to deliver potted beauty that perfectly coordinates with every living space.”The Elizabeth & Alexandra brand will debut at the PMA Fresh Summit trade event in Orlando on Oct. 19-20, 2018.Founded in 1963, Dewar Nurseries began as a single nursery with a team of fewer than 10 people. Today the brand boasts a team of 350 employees.The Dewar brand, with a fleet of 55 trucks, distributes in major retailers spanning 20 states.Brian Sparks is senior editor of Greenhouse Grower and... https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/dewar-nurseries-launches-family-owned-floral-retail-brand/

Sang, Cuffe rule Bridge of Flowers

That’s when Chicopee’s Amos Sang came charging, however. Sang, the 2014 champion, closed the gap on the downhill portion following the summit, and eventually took the lead as he and Leibold turned onto the brief spell of Route 112 just before Mile 4. It was tight down the stretch, with the pair swapping spots twice, before Sang broke free late and crossed with his second Bridge of Flowers title in 25:13. Leibold settled for second place, nine seconds back in 25:22.“Today was more about conserving speed,” began Sang of the race. “After (Crittenden Hill), it’s a gradual downhill so I was able to pick up momentum and speed. I didn’t want to do anything crazy the first mile and a half. Just keep (Leibold) in sight and try and reel him in later in the race.”Leibold, who starred at Georgetown and was eventually an All-American at Stanford, said his strategy was to make a move on the uphill portion of the race. Growing up in Virginia, he said Crittenden Hill reminded him of jaunts through the Shenandoah Valley near his grandparents’ house.“(Crittenden) was longer and steeper though,” he said with a laugh. “I used it as a place to go for the win. I was trying to get away on the hill and keep pressing down the hill. I was able to get some momentum and open up the pack a bit. (Sang) kept the pressure on.”Indeed, Sang’s closing speed in the final mile-plus was the difference. The 29-year-old 2014 champion is part of the Western Mass. Distance Project, and he’s fresh off a New England 5-mile championship back in June.“I really made a point of having that closing speed,” explained Sang. “I was able to pick it up around Mile 3 and then that fifth mile, it was a sprint.”Framingham’s Benjamin Groleau finished third overall in 25:37, as he was in the lead pack for much of the first half of the race before Sang and Leibold separated themselves. Two-time champion Glarius Rop of Agawam was fourth in 26:03, followed in fifth place by Teague O’Connor of Burlington, Vt. (26:10). Shelburne Falls’ Dan Smith was the top local runner across the Iron Bridge, finishing ninth in 27:21.Cuffe and Leibold moved to Massachusetts just two weeks ago, as Leibold began medical school at UMass in Worcester last... https://www.recorder.com/Bridge-of-Flowers-19415790

Thorns and roses: Looking at the good, bad and ugly of the Philadelphia Flower Show - PW-Philadelphia Weekly

But to its credit, the Flower Show did host the first Philadelphia Water Summit where experts discussed water issues and realities here on Earth and the joy of finding it in Space – for $100 a ticket.As I gathered provided information on the designs behind each display, I realized some didn’t even have a word on the design and were rather about the companies, particularly landscaping companies, trying to market themselves. Even one of the gardens had the sponsor Subaru cars in it.“Come on!”But while much of the show was a fake as a plastic plant, through the thicket of over-commodified stands and pandering displays were the small designs by flower artists and enthusiasts as well as garden clubs with hopes of recognition and possibly a blue ribbon.TWITTER: @ANDREAJCANTOR ... http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news/thorns-and-roses-looking-at-the-good-bad-and-ugly/article_6da6f636-27ad-11e8-8d89-37fd47ffa0a9.html

Southern Alberta grows yellow as flowers add to landscape's beauty - Calgary Sun

Willow Creek valley to the east.In fact, it was more the view than the flowers that brought me up there.From the summit, you look down on a verdant valley, so green it almost hurts at this time of year. The wind hadn’t picked up yet and as I sat there looking through my lens, I could hear cattle mooing, a coyote singing, meadowlarks and robins chortling away. The valley to the east was shrouded in soft, blue mist.The aspen-covered hillsides were a bright yellow-green, patches of them fully-leafed while others were still nearly bare, marking where the clones of single trees had spread across the hillsides like a quilt of trees. Curious cattle stared at me from the hillside above as I crawled around in the grass.Buffalo beans — yellow beans, if you insist — were scatted everywhere in the pasture, their low, bright yellow flowers contrasting nicely with the blue sky. The first yellow flowers to come along, they brightened the grassland everywhere.Nearby were the last of the crocuses, their fuzzy, feathery seed heads starting to move in the freshening breeze. Backlit against the climbing sun, they glowed against the shadowy background of the rolling hillsides.It was cold up here, the warmth of the sun having a bit of a tough go against the effects of elevation, and crystals of frost decorated the grass in the shadows. Mist came off the south fork of Willow Creek as I stopped to photograph new poplar leaves transilluminated by the sun glinting off the water. A thin sheet of ice covered puddles in the ditches.Further up the creek, I found more buffalo beans and the start of the first yellow bells. Another week and they’ll be fully in bloom. It was a bit early to find flowers by the sloughs up there but as I turned to head back south, I found a swath of pink.Shooting stars kind of go against my season colour theory, but I love ’em anyway.Members of the primrose family, they spread out in colonies wherever they can keep their feet damp, so you’ll find them along the edges of the forest and beside creeks.Pretty little things, they spread their pointy blossoms like a blanket across the new green grass. I watched robins and song sorrows prospect for torpid insects among them before heading on down the road.I found the first of the balsamroot blossoms along West Sharples Creek ... http://www.calgarysun.com/2017/05/20/southern-alberta-grows-yellow-as-flowers-add-to-landscapes-beauty

Better Than Roses - The Newtown Bee

The 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

My 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

My 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

Vance 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