Local Flower Shop News
It's time to stop and smell the wildflowers - Kenai Peninsula Online
Tuesday, June 27, 2017It’s easy to find yourself among the wildflowers in Alaska.The approach of summer solstice brings peak wildflower season on the Kenai Peninsula. The roadways are already brightened by the deep purple of the lupine. It’s hard, though, to predict exactly when the bloom will reach its height.“The question will be when they peak this year,” Kenai Wildlife Refuge Park Ranger Leah Eskelin said. “I wouldn’t even be able to put my finger on it because it’s different throughout the peninsula.”Eskelin said she saw all the wild roses and Labrador tea flowers out by the Swanson River in full bloom Monday and she saw the same in the Skilak area this weekend.“Those flowers are all blooming and then, here, around town, nothing,” Eskelin said.But the wildflower wait will end soon, leading to a wide array of flowers that create a palette of color.Alaska’s state flower, the sky-blue forget-me-not, can be found in alpine meadows, or as written in the margin of the 1917 bill that approved the flower as the Alaska Territory’s official floral emblem — “a little flower blossoms forth on every hill and dale, the emblem of the Pioneers... http://peninsulaclarion.com/outdoors/local/2017-06-15/it-s-time-stop-and-smell-wildflowers
Seasonal advantage gives state peony market room to grow - Alaskajournal.com
Tuesday, March 14, 2017Lower 48 or in Holland but we haven’t accomplished this yet with our young farms in Alaska,” Williams said.Mike Williams of Alaska Peony Distributors said the company serves farms from the Kenai Peninsula to northern parts of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough with small planes chartered to fly flowers in to the pack house at Lake Hood.Single-engine planes typically carry a few hundred stems but larger, twin-engine aircraft can transport up to 6,000, Williams said.It takes about an hour to get the cut stems from the farm to the Lake Hood facility, where they are sorted for quality, chilled and packaged for shipment to the Lower 48 via Federal Express or cargo services of scheduled air carriers like Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines, Mike Williams said.Alaska Peony Distributors buys the cut stems from the farmers and ships out to Lower 48 and some international buyers, selling to wholesalers as well as hotels and direct to retail outlets like grocery chains and florists.Although the logistics network is complex and expensive, covering about 7,800 square miles, Meghan Williams said the area covers about a dozen micro-climates, which creates a variation in harvesting schedules (higher altitudes makes for a later harvest) and stretches out the shipping season from Alaska.An example of this is at Homer, Mike Williams said.“Some farms there are in a maritime climate but at an 800-foot to 1,500-foot elevation, which means they harvest later than the rest of us,” he said.Williams’ own EagleSong farm is nearing the last stage of its 2016 harvest, typical for most farms, but Homer peony farmers will be able to add supply for several weeks longer, he said. There are also peony farms in Interior Alaska that handle their own distribution.Meghan Williams said there are no firm estimates of how many commercial peony farms are now operating in the state but she believes there are about 65. Many are small “boutique” farms with just a few hundred roots and specializing in rare and unusual peony varieties, she said. However, a handful are larger, like EagleSong, with 12,000 roots now producing.Mike Williams said the market growth has great potential because of Alaska’s seasonal advantage in selling. The European market is huge, with flower distributors in Amsterdam moving 20 million peony stems in a matter of weeks in June. The market potential in Asia is unknown, but it is equally large, he said.Agriculture will always be a small, niche industry. Historically, Alaskans had to produce much of their own food and dairy products before the advent of fast container ships, an improved Alaska Highway and efficient air cargo service.Farming in Alaska continues, and sometimes even thrives, in small niche markets, said Arthur Keyes, the state agriculture director. The thriving weekend farmer’s markets in Anchorage and Fairbanks, where local growers sell fresh produce, testify to that.Keyes said resilient barley farmers near Delta, east of Fairbanks, who inherited problems of the state’s failed 1980s-era experiment in large state-sponsored barley farming, are developing new products, like a barley flour, and finding markets in the growing health food sector, though it is mainly within the state.Peony farming, a new industry, represents another niche, and perhaps ultimately a big one, he said. http://www.alaskajournal.com/2016-07-13/seasonal-advantage-gives-state-peony-market-room-grow
Clarksville florist heading to DC to decorate the White House for Christmas - NewsChannel5.com
Sunday, January 17, 2021CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Clarksville floral designer is taking her talents to the White House. Out of thousands of people who applied, Kassie Peterson was chosen as one of the florists to join the White House Christmas decorating crew."It was a humbling thing because I enjoy it so much and they always say find something you would do for free as a job," Peterson said.Peterson opened her floral shop "Kassie Kay Floral Designs" back in June on Franklin Street in downtown Clarksville during the midst of the pandemic. "It's been very challenging," said Peterson. "We had to dial back a lot of our workshops and in-person events."She says going to the White House for this opportunity was a dream come true."This year it was one of my reach goals for 2020," Peterson said. "I try to be a goal setter, it keeps me on task and this was one of my reach goals for 2020 so I was ecstatic when I heard the news."Peterson will leave for D.C. on Thanksgiving day. She will be assisting the first lady in preparing the White House for the holidays, spending three days, 11 hours each decorating."Super honoring and the idea that people come from all over the country and give time an... https://www.newschannel5.com/news/clarksville-florist-heading-to-d-c-to-decorate-the-white-house-for-christmas
It's Tulip and Daffodil Season—Here's Where to Order Flowers in Seattle - TheStranger.com
Sunday, January 17, 2021Seattle. Central Cafe and Juice BarThe eco-conscious cafe gets tulips and mixed bouquets delivered from Fall City florist Sweet Blissful Blooms every Tuesday and Saturday. Stop by in person to scoop up a bundle (and a pastry to go, while you're at it). CureFrom Wednesday-Saturday, you can add pastel-hued daffodils and tulips from local farmers to your charcuterie, sandwich, and/or cocktail kit order, either online or by phone. Note: These have limited availability, and they tend to go fast. Hill City Tap House & Bottle Shop Want something nice to look at while you drink beer from your Hill City growler? Text Sunshine by Tuesday at 916-396-2166 to reserve a $15 Cha New Life Garden bouquet for pickup on April 30, from 1:30-7:30 pm. Kubota GardenThe local Japanese garden will move its annual spring plant sale fundraiser online. Stock up on house plants and pick them up in your car on May 8-9. Order by 1 p.m. on May 7. Lantern BrewingOrder $15 bouquets from Pike Place vendors Blong's Garden and pick them up from the brewery on Thursday-Friday from 4-7 p.m. Left BankTo soothe your stuck-inside-during-springtime-blues, the South Park natural wine shop's standing Friday Night Wine pickup and delivery program now includes the option of adding a $30 bouquet from Bleedfoot Florals. London PlaneStarting on May 8 and continuing every Friday, the Melrose Market joint's flower shop will make springtime flower deliveries. If you're someone who likes to freshen your vase every week, opt for their four-week subscription, or consider their at-home floral arrangement class on May 15, which comes with flowers and a vase. They're also putting together special arrangements for Mother's Day, which will be delivered to moms on May 9. Neighborhood Farmers MarketsMany of the flower vendors you usually buy from at your neighborhood farmers market continue to offer their services while the majority of markets remain closed. The Neighborhood Farmers Markets Shopper Sourcing Guide contains everything you need to know about ordering from places like Alm Hill Gardens, Blong’s Garden, Chao Cheng, Choice Bulb, and others. Peony BakeryThe remote Peony Bakery (aka "just a teacher who likes to bake") has Pike Place flowers and DIY cookie kits available for a limited time. All proceeds from flower sales will ... https://www.thestranger.com/things-to-do/2020/04/28/43529672/its-tulip-and-daffodil-season-heres-where-to-order-flowers-in-seattle
A devoted florist gives each 9/11 victim a white birthday rose - The Gazette
Sunday, January 17, 2021NEW YORK — Every Sept. 11, Michael Collarone, a Brooklyn-bred florist who goes by Mikey Flowers, has the same routine. In the hours before 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane struck the World Trade Center 19 years ago, he parks his truck in downtown Manhattan and, bearing buckets of angelic white roses, walks to the site where he once helped scour for victims’ remains in the twin towers’ smoldering wreckage.There, the burly 62-year-old meets up with “my guys” from the Port Authority police. This year, he will be wearing a mask for the first time and, for social distancing reasons, the victims’ names will be played from recordings on a loudspeaker rather than read aloud from a stage, but little else will change for him. “I’m going to hug my friends,” he says. “I’m going to hug my guys.”Collarone’s steadfast devotion to honoring the victims of 9/11 isn’t a once-a-year kind of thing, though. He’s been the de facto volunteer florist to Ground Zero since it was known around the city as the Pile or the Pit. And that didn’t change when the novel coronav... https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/a-devoted-florist-gives-each-911-victim-a-white-birthday-rose-20200911
Include your florist in planning - Powell Tribune
Sunday, January 17, 2021Other holidays, too can impact the cost of the blooms; rose prices are often more volatile around Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.The second step, as important as the first, is finding your wedding florist. Communicating with your florist is paramount because when they understand what you want, it is far easier to accomplish the look you are seeking. To make a selection, check out previous work the business has done and read their reviews. Like most businesses, florists have specialities and a style all their own. “We like to have a month’s notice,” said Kerri Kolb, from Rayven’s Flowers and Gifts in Powell. She said some of the farms that sent flowers to her suppliers had stopped production during COVID lockdowns, so some particular species might need to be changed a bit.When you are researching everything else, take note of arrangements you like on wedding sites, Pintrest. Take photos of those to your florist while remaining flexible and allowing the florist to guide you. Try and be familiar with popular wedding flowers, and decide if you want them to be just beautiful or fragrant as well. Kolb said she really likes to see the photos brides have selected.“I always tell them to bring in the pictures, like if they use Pintrest. Then we work from that, within their budget,” Kolb said. Drawing on your wedding colors to develop the theme of your floral arrangements can help narrow down the overwhelming number of choices. Not all flowers come in all colors, eliminating some options.Remember the bride’s bouquet sets the tone for the other flower arrangements, and will appear in the photos. The attendants’ flowers should incorporate some of the same flowers, to create a pulled together look. Trends in th... https://www.powelltribune.com/stories/include-your-florist-in-planning,28880
RVC florist fills window displays with 'holiday pandemic' scenes - Newsday
Sunday, January 17, 2021People passing by Masters and Company Florist in Rockville Centre will see a holiday window display not unlike those found in New York City. Its decked-out windows are inspired by both the holiday season and the pandemic. "I feel like everything is so surreal and depressing, especially during the holidays," says owner Laurie Speziale, 60. "Why not create something a little whimsy?" The scenes created by the Woodmere resident include a Santa Claus sporting a face covering and a Christmas tree with medical masks mixed in among its ornaments. "I always do [the windows] up quite elaborate, for every season and holiday," Speziale says of her decorative handiwork. This year, COVID pulled the plug on the events that typically carry her business such as weddings, bar and bas mitzvahes and other parties, which gave Speziale some extra time to beef up her holiday display. "I really wanted... https://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/fashion-and-shopping/rockville-centre-masters-and-company-florist-1.50091128
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