Bay, AR Florists

Bay Flower Shop News

Florists reopen ahead of Mother’s Day, planting seed for non-essential businesses’ comeback - Boston Herald

About 50% of our business is social: going over to somebody’s house for dinner or a baby shower. It’s very significant,” he said.But this week will give Bay Staters at least a glimpse of normalcy — a bouquet for mom. https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/05/05/florists-reopen-ahead-of-mothers-day-planting-seed-for-non-essential-businesses-comeback/

After 125 years, Manatee company delivering fresh flowers differently - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Palma Sola Bay. It's at 11703 40th Ave W, Bradenton, just off Cortez Road before the bridge to Anna Maria Island.The greenhouses are a wonderland of blossoms. Turn one way and you might find yourself hedged in by rows of tulips. Stumble backward and you could suddenly be staring into a purple sea of peonies and bougainvillea.The company ships to a variety of retail chains and independent garden centers. You can find Manatee Farms products at more than 150 retail florists throughout Florida, 50-plus independent garden centers from Naples to Central Florida, and at supermarkets, such as Albertson’s and Safeway, as well as wholesalers and brokers nationwide.Flowers and feelingsThough the business depends on executing the logistics of delivering fresh products, Preston is equally comfortable talking about the value of what Manatee Fruit Co. brings to its customers.“Flowers are a business of feelings," he said. "There’s a saying that flowers are the language of love, and they really are. When you think about the unspoken word, the word you can never really say, you can say that with flowers.“Flowers fulfill that moment when no one really knows what to say, and we’ll always need that.”That's the message of the company's latest transformation.Hurricane Irma slowed the rollout of the company's re-branding effort last year, damaging several buildings, including greenhouses and a packing house that was built in 1926. But by April the new Manatee Farms brand was fully formed and public with a new look, feel and focus as well as  name.Cortez Floral and Manatee Floral, two companies under the umbrella company Manatee Fruit Co., were consolidated.Beyond fresh, sustainably grownManatee Farms now is offering “choices that matter” to consumers that care about how the products they buy are produced. The goal is to attract, engage and inform consumers and to be as transparent as possible about where and how their flowers are produced.Robert McLaughlin, chief sustainability and marketing officer for Manatee Farms, has largely spearheaded the re-branding.“This is the decade of responsible choices, and that resonates with consumers,” McLaughlin said. “We focus on eco-friendly flowers and plants, ensuring that they are certified so that we can ensure that every flower is held to certain standards.”According to Manatee Farms, its eco-friendly flowers also are good for the people who work on the farms that grow them and means that “every purchase helps improve the lives of farmworkers by providing fair wages, health care benefits, education programs and employment of women.”The company requires that farms they work with have sustainability certifications, such as USDA Organic, Rainforest Alliance or Fresh from Florida. According to the company, certified farms employ 60 percent women and are far more likely to offer higher wages and produce higher standards of living for their workers.Many of these farms also use integrated pest management as opposed to heavy pesticides, meaning that more common-sense, long-term practices are used to achieve the same results. Examples are vacuuming pests out of plants and using organisms like spiders to eat harmful pests, such as thrips, which puncture and damage plants.Getting the word outIn an effort to create a more direct link between customers and its product, the company is placing interactive digital kiosks in some stores that can help educate consumers about where their flowers come from.“We want to create a source for the consumers so that we’re reaching out in different ways and allowing access to all this information right in the retailer,” McLaughlin said.The ultimate goal is to attract customers, engage them, inform them and send them to the retailers that carry the Manatee Farms brand.For McLaughlin, part o... https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20180611/after-125-years-manatee-company-delivering-fresh-flowers-differently

Local florist offering virtual floral design classes - 47abc - WMDT

May 15, 2020 DELAWARE – A florist is taking his services virtual. Friendly Flowers and Bayberry Flowers owner Joshua Fredo says he’s had to change his business model since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Business has changed a lot. We’re used to a lot of walk in clients and weddings. Due to COVID, we’ve actually lost most of our summer weddings because people are too afraid to actually have them,” said Fredo.Fredo says that he used to offer floral design classes in person. He decided to take those classes to Zoom in order to give people a safe and fun activity to do at home. Fredo says that the classes can accommodate up to 45 people. “We can generally accommodate about 25-40 people during those classes, but being that we’re not allowed to gather, I kind of thought about everybody’s doing these Zoom happy hours and things like that, so why not do a Zoom floral design class?” said Fredo.The floral designer says that he’s going to offer a variety of different classes, so that everyone can join in on the fun, depending on what they’re interested in. “What we’re going t... https://www.wmdt.com/2020/05/local-florist-offering-virtual-floral-design-classes/

Local florists find ways to adapt, overcome as pandemic stretches busiest season - The Independent

She points to the early days of shutdowns as the hardest as many of the region’s top suppliers – like Fall River Florist, Bay State Florist Supply Inc., RJ Carbone Wholesale Floral Distributors, Twigs & branches Floral and East Coast Wholesale Flowers – were low on inventory or incapable of crossing state border’s due to travel restrictions.“For two weeks I had to close because we had to figure things out,” she said. “No one had flowers … so it wasn’t really worth it for us to be open. But then Easter came and I thought ‘You know, I’m going to try this.’ and it was very, very busy.”“That’s the issue that we’re having,” Shea said. “It’s like the food industry: it’s the supply chain. The flowers are there but they don’t have the employees as the people can’t come back to work yet to harvest them and pick them and if they do, they have to keep social distance. So there’s not as many flowers available as normal and what is available, the prices are a little bit higher just because of everything that’s going on.”Both Shea and Rich have leaned heavily on contact-less pickup and their online ordering systems to attract or maintain customersBut even that has its challenges.“All of our flowers are wrapped, dry packaged and shipped in cardboard and a lot of people don’t want to touch the cardboard,” Shea said, explaining all of her employees wear gloves and masks when they’re in her office and there is plenty of hand sanitizer available on every counter.Even routine aspects of the floral industry have come with increased precautions and concerns.“We had people calling from out of state saying ‘I can’t be with my love ones, will you deliver something for us?,” Rich said. “So I brought a girl in who does my deliveries and I said ‘How do you feel about wearing a mask, wearing some gloves? You call the people and you leave their flowers at their doorstep’ and she said ‘Yeah, let’s go for it’ and it’s been working.”Short-term success, long term uncertaintyIf you contacted Shea, Rich or any of the nearly one dozen florists in Southern Rhode Island this week, chances are you wouldn’t notice much of a difference.With Mother’s Day set for this Sunday and families and friends who can’t currently meet in person sending flowers as a way to show they’re thinking of one another, business is booming … for now.But May is just the start of the busiest time of year for the local floral community and most of the biggest events for the businesses have already been canceled for the rest of the year.“All of my weddings for May have either postponed to the fall or to next year,” Shea said. “Obviously, there’s no proms, there’s no first communions, there’s no dance recitals. May is our big make it or break it month so it’s really hit our industry hard. It’s pretty much survival of the fittest. If you’re creative and you have a good product, you’ll survive but there are people out there who do nothing but events and that has really hurt them.”“We’ve been pretty busy but after Mother’s Day, there’s no weddings, there’s no proms, there’s no graduation bouquets, nothing,” Rich said. “So I don’t really know if we’re going to stay open. I don’t know. We’re going to see how it goes.”Weddings in particular are a costly challenge for florists to lose.Most brides and grooms book months, or even over a year, in advance and have larger-than-typical orders, whether it’s for elaborate bridal bouquets, bridesm... https://www.independentri.com/arts_and_living/article_83d8d81a-9007-11ea-9059-d38083c995f3.html

Flowers: Make a joyful arrangement - San Francisco Chronicle

Bay Area gardens and sidewalks, along anonymous fence lines and around undiscovered bends. Five steps to the perfect arrangement Guidance and musings fromRebekah Northway of the Petaler. 1. Showcase a specimen: When creating a home arrangement, the aim is pure: Bring nature indoors. “The simplicity of a single found flower, cloaked by a sprig of greenery, is enough to celebrate the beauty of outdoors and bring it inside,” says Northway. “Slipped into nothing more than a glass pitcher or bud vase, that becomes perfection.” 2. Think gin and tonic: Beyond that simple intention, Northway offers the cocktail theory of flower design. Think of an arrangement as a gin and tonic: The base of the composition (gin) is greenery that’s leafy, strong and sometimes flowering — in the Bay Area, rhododendron, azalea or Philadelphus (mock orange) would naturally fit the bill. The next element (tonic), softens the greenery and lends more shape to the arrangement — honeysuckle, rose and flowering herbs like lavender or thyme work well to achieve a sculptural quality. The garnish (lime) at the end would be any delicate blooms like Iceland poppy, with its wide, paper-thin petals and sunny, open face; or snowdrops, with their dainty, dangling white flowers. 3. Color theory: Don’t make the mistake so many grocery store arrangements make and include blooms in too many varied colors. “That look always strikes me as clown-like,” says Northway. In her work, she prefers a monochromatic palette for its simplicity and harmony, plus its inherent focus on texture — velvety lavender garden roses with shaggy honeysuckle and ripening blackberries on a prickly vine, for instance. On the other hand, Northway also admires a dramatic, high-contrast pairing like plum ranunculus and peach rose. ... https://www.sfchronicle.com/culture/article/Flowers-Make-a-joyful-arrangement-15270753.php

Contactless flower delivery ensuring Mother's Day smiles despite outbreak - The Courier

Geneva Curren. Curren has a past with flower shops in Washington D.C., New York City, and operating three shops across Arkansas and Chicago. Her knowledge of flowers stems from her childhood in visiting her family in the South where she would spend hours and hours picking wildflowers.While the company’s main objective of creating designs that inspire and bring joy to the recipients, the employees are trained to help with selecting the best flowers for you. Under this circumstance, Curren said, “Working as a florist has been wonderful, challenging, exhausting, inspiring, hectic, fun, maddening, and fantastic!” Orders as of right now are piling in for Curren and her staff, causing everyone to feel overwhelmed. As it is described as part of the job as a florist, understanding customers mean well and only want to stay local. With a minimum of $75 for fresh arrangements and $40 for plant deliveries, Halsted Flowers plans to make multiple rounds a day for their customers. Even though hours of operation are limited each day, the employees are finding themselves working around the clock in order to finish their customer’s requests. Delivery drivers are out until late in the night and up early in the morning to make their rounds and to clear out the shop to make room for more orders. Saville Flowers: https://savilleflowers.com/ Phone: (847)864-0632Halsted Flowers: https://halstedflowers.com/ Phone: (773)883-8600... https://codcourier.org/13169/features/contactless-flower-delivery-ensuring-smiles/

Flowering trees in full bloom - Westside Eagle Observer

DECATUR -- Spring has accelerated over the past two weeks, with several varieties of flowering trees in full bloom across Northwest Arkansas.At Crystal Lake, and throughout the wooded areas of Decatur, Gentry, Gravette and beyond, white dogwood trees are beginning to dot the hillsides with their beautiful white blossoms. Close cousins, the pink dogwoods are also beginning their blooming cycle.Different varieties of flowering trees, including the Japanese pear, with its white petals, will soon begin to bear fruit. The Asian or Japanese pear is a cross between pear and apple trees. The fruit looks more like an apple than a pear.Also scattered around Northwest Arkansas is an assortment of different types of apple and cherry trees, in full bloom with white and pink flowers showing off nature's beauty.Another tree with colorful blooms is the eastern redbud, the state tree of Oklahoma, with its reddish-violet flowers, showcased in downtown Decatur around the depot and log cabin area, as well as in many places in Gravette, Gentry and the surrounding area.Take a little time with the family to explore the beauty that spring... https://www.eagleobserver.com/news/2020/apr/01/flowering-trees-in-full-bloom-20200401/

Maker Space: Eden Garrett's idea blossomed - NWAOnline

There's no minimum or maximum -- it's whatever they happen to have in their pocket."After graduation, Garrett spent about a year in Springfield running the truck before deciding to move to Northwest Arkansas."I love Northwest Arkansas," she says. "There are so many opportunities for growth here. And because I work out of a truck, I can go from Fayetteville to Rogers to Springdale to Bentonville and all of those towns in between -- so I catch more people than just being in the middle of Springfield."Garrett says part of the process of becoming a successful business person was learning how to be flexible when business was in a slow period."I'm just motivated every day to push forward and make the sales higher each day -- even if it's really slow, even if, that day, no one wants flowers," she says. "I'll think, 'OK, what else can I do? Can I do deliveries? Can I announce on social media that all bouquets are $5 or that delivery is free on this particular day?' Each day, I'm going to make as much money as I can and provide an excellent product."She's also available for parties and weddings; one popular option for celebrations are the custom flower crowns partygoers can make inside the truck.Garrett says she's wanted to own a business since she was a child. Her first business idea -- a boutique that would serve as both a makeup salon as well as an event space, so you could get ready for a party right there at the site -- came to her when she was just 10 years old."My mom owned her own business, and I was just super fascinated by it," she says. "I've always known I didn't want to have a 9-to-5 job where I sit behind a desk all day -- that's just not who I am. I've always wanted to own my own business."It's clear that her youth isn't holding her back. Eden's Flower Truck was recognized at the 2019 Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Business Awards Ceremony, and she's opening up her first brick and mortar store called Eden's Botanicals this month. She says opening a storefront was in her five-year plan but, when she found a perfect location on North Steele Boulevard, her business instincts told her it was the right time to make a move."The storefront will mostly be for workshops and parties -- more of an event space," says Garrett, who adds that the mobile truck will still be used for floral sales. "We'll also sell flower gifts [in the store]. I'm super excited."Garrett is already looking towards the future and making plans -- big plans."I want to own some land, hopefully around the Fayetteville area, and have a mini-Magnolia Market, similar to [Fixer Upper stars] Chip and Joanna Gaines' business," she says. "I want there to be a few cottages, like an Airbnb, and then also have a spot to grow my own flowers so I don't have to buy them wholesale any more. And I would sell gifts and flowers and other merchandise and have it all be in one giant property, a destination that people from all over come to."If what she's accomplished so far is any indication, the goals of her 10-year plan may just be closer than she thinks..inline_item { float: left; display: inline; }div class="inline__bloc... https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2020/feb/13/maker-space-eden-garrett-s-idea-blossom/

HER | Local decorator helps get homes ready for holidays - Texarkana Gazette

We get to do a lot of natural decor in them," she said.For natural decor such as twigs, moss and dried flowers, Marie has a 35-year relationship with "The Nature Lady" in Mena, Arkansas. It is one of few suppliers she uses outside of the Dallas market.Marie Barfoot has lots of little friends around to brighten up the holidays. (PHOTO BY KATE STOW)Farmer's Bank in Texarkana is just one of the businesses Marie decorates this time of year. Others can be seen in Broken Bow, Idabel, Valiant and Hochatown."I've decorated several businesses in Southeast Oklahoma," Marie said, "including four banks, a phone company, some cell phone businesses and lodges at Beaver's Bend."But Oklahoma isn't as far as she is willing to go. "Every July I go to Dauphin Island, Alabama, where I have several clients. They get decor 'refreshers' each summer," she said. "When I go down there I also go deep-sea fishing for Red Snapper, so it's an annual vacation for me."When she isn't decorating for others, she and her husband Jerry reside on the Louisiana side of Caddo Lake where they enjoy entertaining. They are also very active at Trees Baptist Church. They have four children: Tony Campbell of Queen City, Dee Dee Wells and Misty Lutton of Atlanta, and Damon Donnell of Athens, Texas.Marie says she has never gotten too busy to take on more clients."I never turn anyone down," she said. "I just hire more people to do the work. We will do what it takes to make people happy." n... https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/her/story/2019/dec/03/her-local-decorator-helps-get-homes-ready-holidays/806564/