Bloomfield Flower Shop News
Sweet smelling thank you goes to 100 for florist's centennial - Montclair Local
Wednesday, December 02, 2020So far, the Bartletts have bestowed the bouquets on a Montclair Park Street YMCA employee for her work with seniors; Jane Hanson, co-founder and recently retired executive director of Bloomfield-based Partners for Women and Justice, Inc., which helps those dealing with domestic violence and family law matters; The Bravitas Group CEO Bob Silver, for his work in support of cultural spaces to promote the Montclair Film Festival and Studio Montclair; and others.Hanson said she was extremely touched by the Bartlett family and noted that she received her bouquet in January.“They’ve been wonderful supporters of our organization and have helped us with flower arrangements at our benefit every year since 2003. They are lovely, talented people who make gorgeous floral arrangements,” she said.As of March 20, 21 of 100 bouquets had been delivered. There will be more coming, as Bartlett’s remains open due to its farm status and as such is an essential business. Nancy Bartlett said future recipients will be first responders and medical personnel. During National Food Pantry Month in September, local groups that feed the hungry will also be surprised by bouquets. https://www.montclairlocal.news/2020/04/11/sweet-smelling-thank-you-goes-to-100-for-florists-centennial/
Flower shop owner waits to get on with his life - Essex News Daily
Thursday, March 12, 2020Roxy Florist, on Saturday, Feb. 22. The building was destroyed by a fire on Tuesday, Jan. 21, his 89th birthday. Now he is waiting to see whether or not the building will be condemned.BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Nick Zois arrives at the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Washington Street six or seven times a week, just to pass the time in the sun or shade. At this corner is where he ran his business, Roxy Florist, and had eight tenants, until a fire destroyed everything on Tuesday, Jan. 21, his 89th birthday.“I come down and just look,” he said this past Saturday. “My son sometimes opens the door and we look in to see if anything can be salvaged. It’s been 65 years since I’ve been here improving the building.”Zois says he got to know the flower business at Forest Hill Florist, his father’s shop on Broad and Market streets in Newark.“When I was 9 or 10, my mother said I was a bad little boy,” he said. “I lived in Newark and, one day, I was walking on the top of a freight train car. A policeman caught me and, for punishment, I had to work in my father’s flower store. Everyday I had to go down to his shop to stay out of trouble. I hated the business when I had to do that.”After graduating from high school, Zois was drafted into the Army and spent three years, nine months and 15 days in military service as a medic. He was stationed at Fort... https://essexnewsdaily.com/headlne-news/87066
Better Than Roses - The Newtown Bee
Sunday, February 10, 2019Ms Collette, who is currently selling house plants.Around mid-January, Evelyn Lee of Butternut Gardens LLC of Southport shared a presentation in Bloomfield with local farmers on flower growing in Connecticut.“We’re trying to get Connecticut-grown flowers to become a thing in people’s minds,” said Ms Lee, adding that this time of the year is hard for local growers. “... I think for next year, there is a better opportunity.”Ms Lee shared information about the Slow Flowers Movement, which, according to a website for the movement, slowflowers.com, is “a response to the disconnect between humans and flowers in the modern era. It aspires to reclaim the act of flower growing, recognizing it as a relevant and respected branch of domestic agriculture. Slow Flowers connects consumers with the source of their flowers, putting a human face of the flower farmer and floral designer behind each bouquet or centerpiece. The value of local, seasonal, and sustainably grown flowers is heightened when there is transparent origin labeling of all botanicals sold to consumers and professional florists.” The website was created by author Debra Prinzing. Ms Lee recommended Ms Prinzing’s book The 50 Mile Bouquet: Seasonal, Local, and Sustainable Flowers and Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful, by Amy Stewart, for those who wish to know more about the flower industry and the positive impact of supporting local farms.Locally grown flowers stay fresh longer and have a smaller carbon footprint than those purchased from afar. As a result of her discussion with local farmers in mid-January, Ms Lee said she is working to build a stronger consortium of growers. She is also looking for partners in various towns in Connecticut to create flower pickup points for her flower subscription service, which is offered seasonally. Anyone interested in reaching Ms Lee can contact her through her website, butternutgardens.com.Since locally grown flowers are hard to come by at the moment, Ms Lee suggested Valentine’s Day gifters can purchase a flower subscription service for their loved ones or a subscription to a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. (Shortts Farm & Garden Center of Newtown, an organic fruit and vegetable farm, offers a CSA program. Questions about 2019’s CSA program can be e-mailed to farmerjim@shorttsfarmandgarden.com.)Farming 101, a certified organic farm in Newtown, offers more than 60 varieties of organic heirloom tomatoes, flowers, greens, carrots, beets and other seasonal products, according to its Facebook page, Farming 101. Jennifer Gaskins, who owns the farm with her husband, Trout Gaskins, said customers at local farmers markets have observed that locally grown flowers and vegetables last longer than those shipped in from farther away.For those who want an alternative to buying flower bouquets, some greeting cards are made with flower seeds inside them, ready to be planted. There is also a plethora of DIY directions online to create “seed bombs,” handy compact clusters that can be made with native seeds.C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street, also offers a seed bank in its Gathering Room. Take out a romantic book, select seeds, and make an activity of planting and watching love grow while reading to one another. https://www.newtownbee.com/better-roses/02102019
Petal Power: The 5 Best Florists In Pittsburgh - CBS Pittsburgh
Sunday, February 10, 2019Florist. Located at 2650 Penn Ave. in Strip District, the florist is the highest rated florist in Pittsburgh, boasting 4.5 stars out of 60 reviews on Yelp.2. 4121 MainPhoto: Eugina n./YelpNext up is Bloomfield’s 4121 Main, situated at 4121 Main St. With 4.5 stars out of 35 reviews on Yelp, the florist, which offers coffee and tea and more, has proven to be a local favorite.3. The Farmer’s Daughter FlowersPhoto: hannah z. /YelpEast Allegheny’s The Farmer’s Daughter Flowers, located at 431 E. Ohio St., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the florist 4.5 stars out of 34 reviews.4. Alex’s East End Floral ShoppePhoto: emmy f. /YelpAlex’s East End Floral Shoppe, a flor... https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2019/02/09/best-florists-pittsburgh-flower-shops/
Out of Flowers? Flour? Businesses Contend With Supply Crises - Memphis Daily News
Tuesday, May 01, 2018Pliska, owner of Planterra, a commercial florist and owner of a wedding venue where the decor is all about flowers and plants.Pliska, whose company is located in West Bloomfield, Michigan, could have substituted other flowers but wanted to deliver customers' first choices. So he and his employees tinted white roses by hand.Supply shortages can be the bane of a small company's existence. Severe weather and disasters can cause shortages, as can a manufacturer shutting down or stopping production of ingredients, components or raw materials. And shortages can force owners to be creative in finding substitutes or workarounds to mitigate damage to revenue and customer relationships.Shortages can hit companies of any size. Hundreds of KFC stores in Britain had to close in February when they were unable to get shipments of chicken and other supplies. The problem started when KFC switched to a different delivery company that couldn't handle the volume of food the company needs at its 900 British outlets.But small businesses can have an advantage over larger ones in a supply crisis, says Sunder Kekre, an operations management professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business. They don't have the bureaucracy of large companies, and that gives them more flexibility in coming up with a solution, he says.Small companies are also better able to stay in touch and negotiate with customers."You might convince them, 'You don't need it now, why not get it in two weeks,'" Kekre says.When Hurricane Irma forced...
Three Glamorous Gardens for Your Outdoor Wedding Celebration - Boston magazine
Wednesday, December 02, 2020Elizabeth Park. Located in West Hartford, Connecticut, the scenic space encompasses more than 100 acres of land. Stop and smell the roses (and get hitched while you’re at it) in the historical Rose Garden, planted more than 100 years ago. Not to worry about refreshments: The onsite Pond House Café restaurant serves up fresh fare using ingredients from its very own vegetable and herb plot. Dine in a window-lined space that offers ample views of the park, then retire to the terrace to watch the sun set over the pond with your beloved. And don’t forget about dessert: The Pond House team will prep a tiered cake so you and your guests can end the evening on a sweet note.GUEST DIGSGet the party started with complimentary champagne at check-in at Delamar, a stylish space in downtown West Hartford. Guests can unwind at the hotel’s spa or grab a bite to eat at Artisan, the onsite eatery where executive chef Frederic Kieffer whips up seasonal dishes with ingredients from the restaurant’s garden.Photo by Haven PhotographyGREENER PASTURESSkip the florist and go right to the source at the Greenhouse at Highland Farm in Scarborough, Maine. A multigenerational family business, the flower farm added “wedding venue” to its impressive resume after the couple that owns it decided to host their own nuptials on the property, inspiring them to open it up to others who want to do the same. Walk down the aisle in the greenhouse, complete with a translucent roof and retractable walls, or say “I do” on the verdant lawn, surrounded by wildflowers. Once the cake is cut, sneak off to Legacy Grove, where the farm permits couples to carve their initials into one of the trees—and live out their teenage dreams in the process. Not ready for the night to end? Cozy up to the fire pit: a surefire way to keep the party going without catching a chill.REHEARSAL DINNERPour a pint and toast your guests at Nonesuch River Brewing, the first (and only) craft brewery in Scarborough. While you sip on IPAs and ales, dine on beer-battered Maine haddock in the semi-private, post-and-beam mezzanine space, which connects to... https://www.bostonmagazine.com/weddings/2020/11/30/new-england-gardens/
Audrey Cleary Bailey, 76, advocated for military families - Port City Daily
Wednesday, December 02, 2020Cmdr. Navy Todd E. Bailey, and his wife, Anita, of Norman, Oklahoma, Deborah B. Stakelum, and her husband, Kevin, of Prospect, Kentucky, and Leigh Ann Cumberland, and her husband, Jeff, of Chaplin, Connecticut; and seven grandchildren, Ali, Tyler, T.J., Brigid, Molly, Eddie and Caelan. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, retired U.S. Navy Reserve Capt. Harry E. Bailey.At her direction, no local services will be held. A service and interment will be held in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Paws4People/Paws4Vets.Share online condolences with the family at Peacock-Newnam & White Funeral and Cremation Service. https://portcitydaily.com/obits/2020/11/30/audrey-cleary-bailey-76-advocated-for-military-families/
Flower shop among many businesses fighting to blossom - The Riverdale Press
Wednesday, July 29, 2020That has sent Columbia delivery drivers throughout New York City, as well as New Jersey, Westchester County and Connecticut. Those are some tall orders, especially since social distancing requirements limits the number of workers allowed in the small shop. “We cannot have many people working in the store, so it has been busier for us,” Dennis said. “Most of the time it has just been my sister, myself and one worker. I have even been taking deliveries out myself.”Sales have dipped, but so have supplies in some cases. In late March, as many were trying to adjust to the “new normal,” Columbia struggled to stock its flower inventory, both in quantity and variety. For example, one thing missing from the store’s offerings has been tulips. Fortunately, most flowers purchased from South America are still available, Dennis said. Pricing hasn’t changed much, but delivery costs have increased since the shop is going without its regular delivery staff.Flowers also are a crucial part of large events like weddings and baby showers. Yet, all events are now canceled or postponed. It’s unclear when they’ll return, but at least one customer found a creative way to repurpose her ordered flowers into a kind gesture.The woman had put together a sizable order for a baby shower, but ended up hospitalized with the virus that causes COVID-19. Fortunately, she recovered, Dennis said. She was so thankful for her recovery, in fact, she sent the flowers intended for her shower instead to the nurses who took care of her.Unfortunately, many small businesses aren’t having the same luck as Columbia, as the coronavirus shutdown languishes on. While many storefronts are shut because they’re deemed “non-essential,” those that can stay open operate at a reduced capacity. The big question is whether many of the now-shuttered businesses will be able to reopen once New York City is allowed to open its doors again. Some businesses — even essential ones — are choosing to stay closed with hopes of being around long-term, said Christopher Rizzo, a board member of the Riverdale Main Streets Association.“Some of these small businesses have such small profit margins to begin with,” Rizzo said. “So staying open when your revenues are cut in half does not make sense for a lot of businesses. They are choosing to stay closed so that they can stay open in the future.” Dennis says she’s thankful Columbia Florist can stay open in some capacity. She receives many calls from customers thanking her for the flower deliveries, especially to funerals, where a lot of people aren’t present. Says Dennis: “Having a flower there makes a big difference.” ... https://riverdalepress.com/stories/flower-shop-among-many-businesses-fighting-to-blossom,71820
‘Going to be insane:’ Mother’s Day flower delivery during a shutdown - CTPost
Friday, May 29, 2020Photo: Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 71 Caption Close Image 1 of 71 A customer shops for flowers at Filanowski Farms on Wheelers Farm Road in Milford, Conn. on Thursday, May 7, 2020. A customer shops for flowers at Filanowski Farms on Wheelers Farm Road in Milford, Conn. on Thursday, May 7, 2020. Photo: Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media ... https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Going-to-be-insane-Mother-s-Day-flower-15256607.php