Apopka, FL Florists

Apopka Flower Shop News

Meet Ocoee's Famous Felines: The Flower Shop Boys - West Orange Times

However, circumstances could have been drastically different for the two cats, who were both rescues.Six years ago, Lucy, a former delivery driver, found BJ at Marvin C. Zanders Funeral Home in Apopka. Lucy, Tomyn said, was delivering flowers to the funeral home when she came across a feeble kitten in danger of being eaten by two dogs. So Lucy ran over and picked BJ up by the scruff of his neck, effectively plucking him out of a situation he might not have survived.Lucy then took the rescued kitten to the flower shop, and he’s been there ever since.“Everybody went crazy over him, and he just became a part of our shop at that point,” Tomyn said. “Even though the last thing we needed was a cat.” BJ pretends he has no idea who made that mess. Boo, on the other hand, was in Tomyn’s backyard. She found him a year after losing a white cat. Boo, she said, looked just like her lost cat, so she ran after him and spent four days looki... http://www.orangeobserver.com/article/meet-ocoee's-famous-felines-the-flower-shop-boys

Incubator 'graduate' Details Flowers set to accelerate growth, founder says - Daytona Beach News-Journal

As a child, she sold flowers at farmers markets that were grown at Bill Brown's Greenhouses, her family's Apopka nursery.</p><p>She and her husband Gregory started a business of their own 13 years ago, Boutique Floral &amp; Photography Studio.</p><p>The business which began in a storefront on Seabreeze Boulevard in Daytona Beach is now run from the couple's Ormond Beach home. It provides floral arrangements, photography and planning services for weddings and special events.</p><p>Over the years, Heck said she came to the realization that there was a need for a software program that could specifically help florists and special event planners keep track of clients' orders and requests as well as monitor inventory and the status of deliveries.</p><p>Not knowing of an existing software program that could do all that, she decided to create one herself.</p><p>She launched Details Flowers in 2014 to focus on developing that software.</p><p>That same year she also applied and got accepted as a client of the Volusia County-funded UCF Business Incubator at Daytona Beac... http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20160528/NEWS/160529516

The orchid connections: Aspects of a floral business - Miami Herald

While these Florida orchid growers can be found on both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts and numerous towns in between, concentrations can be found in the Miami/Homestead and Apopka/Orlando areas.USDA figures indicate the number of commercial orchid growers in Florida increased by 7 percent in 2014, resulting in an increase in potted orchid sales by nearly 12 percent. Florida farmers sold nearly a million more potted orchids, 8.86 million, up from 7.95 million in 2013. The sales increased by nearly $8 million, with $70 million in sales, up from $62.6 million the year before. Nationwide sales of potted orchids increased from 31.7 million to 32.7 million and revenues from $251.6 million to $266.4 million during that same period.Cut orchids are not faring as well. According to the Association of Floral Importers of Florida, 2012 showed a high of 56.1 million stems imported. In 2014, that figure had dropped by more than a quarter to 41.1 million stems, or a loss of 15 million. Christine Boldt, the association’s executive vice president, attributes the decline to reduced consumer interest and increased importation costs.To best illustrate the market, we take a look at four companies that focus on aspects of the orchid market in South Florida, including those that specialize in arrangements, provide potted plants or cut flowers, or sell on the retail or wholesale market.It should also be noted that South Florida, which featured prominently in Susan Orlean’s bestseller, The Orchid Thief, still contends with individuals who go to extremes to own orchids. When local Customs officials stop orchid smugglers at the airport or seaport, they try to save the plants. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service steps in to find a good home for the plants. Zoo Miami is a designated Plant Rescue Center. Since 1988, the zoo has accepted 18,664 rescued orchids, says Zoo Registrar and Records Coordinator Rachél Watkins Rogers. A plaque at the zoo credits the Eastern Airlines Orchid Club with helping to maintain the orchids.Fortunately, the smuggling only takes place intermittently, says Michael Hitchcock, the zoo’s horticultural manager. The last time he was called regarding orchids was in October 2014. Someone was caught with three Cattleya orchids, he says.“We haven’t had any in a while,” Hitchcock says. “Most of the time it’s from the seaport. They try to hide them i... http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/biz-monday/article39667323.html

Florists face Mother's Day coronavirus quarantine challenges - Yahoo Finance

I don’t think it’s going to compare to orders from past years because of the selection,” she added, noting that they can only get basic flowers like daisies, carnations and lilies from wholesalers in Florida and California at the moment.31 percent of Americans&nbsp;reported buying flowers for the occasion." data-reactid="23" Beck's is just one of many local florists throughout the country dealing with supply chain issues during a time of year when many are ordering flowers. Last year, 31 percent of Americans reported buying flowers for the occasion.sluggish demand." data-reactid="24" And down south, some florists have been able to reopen, but they're also facing supply challenges and sluggish demand.HOUSE PLANTS BLOSSOM INTO BIG BUSINESS FOR STARTUPS" data-reactid="25" HOUSE PLANTS BLOSSOM INTO BIG BUSINESS FOR STARTUPSDespite industry-wide challenges, digital flower space seems to be blooming. New York-based 1-800 Flowers, which delivers fresh stems and gifts nationwide, on Thursday reported a total revenue increase of 12.2 percent for the first quarter.p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)--sm Mt(0.8em)--sm" type=... https://finance.yahoo.com/news/florists-face-mothers-day-coronavirus-195151555.html

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

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 of the re-branding is taking into account a balanced three-pillar approach when talking about environmental sustainability: environmental, economic and social.“There tends to be a lot of misinformation. You can have something be organic, but that has nothing to do with whether or not you have chemical runoff,” McLaughlin said. “It’s about more than just having certifications or seals on a product.”Preston has seen a lot of change at the family company over the years, and someday there will be others in the family making the decisions right there beside him, he said, and maybe after him, too.But if Preston has his way, one thing will remain constant: the business will continue to serve the community and people will continue to feel good about the brand.“Branding is... https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20180611/after-125-years-manatee-company-delivering-fresh-flowers-differently

Mother's Day Flowers a Challenge Due to Coronavirus, So Order Early - TMZ

The good news ... some retailers were able to have a decent haul over the Easter holiday, and people like Christine Boldt, Exec. VP of the Association of Floral Importers of Florida, and Dave Pruitt, CEO of the California Cut Flower Commission, believe there could be a major bounce-back for Mother's Day. Boldt predicts the flower biz will do 70 percent of its normal volume this year, while other officials expect it to be even higher due to increased delivery orders ... especially because many families are unable to celebrate in person due to stay-at-home orders. The consensus -- place your flower orders early. That way, there's plenty of time to determine how to get flowers from point A to the all-important point B ... Mom. https://www.tmz.com/2020/04/27/mothers-day-flowers-coronavirus-problems-demand-order-early/

Toilet paper over tulips: How the floral industry is being affected by COVID - UNF Spinnaker

Center for Disease Control. St. John’s Flower Market in Jacksonville, Florida transitioned to an outdoor shop, where customers can pull up and decide what they’d like from the safety of their cars. They also implemented free non-contact delivery to drive sales. However, Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry ordered all non-essential businesses to close, which includes St. John’s Flower Market. General manager Katrina Thiesen is already thinking about the long-term impacts this closure could have. “I’m worried it will continue through Mother’s Day, which is what carries us through summer,” Thiesen says. Sign outside St. John’s Flower Market, Photographed by Markus ThiesenStill, other floral designers derive their income solely through events. As of March 15, the CDC recommended canceling or postponing events with more than 50 people to prevent the further spread of the virus. This dashed the hopes of many spring brides as well as the incomes of their chosen florists.Freelance florists have also experienced a blow to their income with event cancellations. To combat this, New York City florist Kathryn Hinish, known as Flowerwitch, organized a Go Fund Me. New York freelance florists can apply for funding that’s made possible by donations. “I will be focusing on the NYC area to start, as this is the area that has fostered my growth as a florist and I want to support this community as best I can,” Hinish says on the GoFundMe page. The floral industry has experienced its ups and downs with events in the past. Shepard cites 9/11 as one example of a hit to the industry when flower availability was shaken as flights were grounded. However, an event of this global scale is unprecedented for the industry and the future effects of this pandemic are an unsettling unknown for farmers, wholesalers, and florists worldwide. Despite these hardships, the overall attitude of the floral community is one of kindness and support towards each other. Social media has become a place for florists of all different nationalities and backgrounds to come together and learn from each other. Facebook groups for florists are booming every day with floral industry professionals sharing their experiences, strategies, and resources. People on Instagram are using hashtags such as #onebloom created by florist Holly Chapple to view flowers as a symbol of hope. Rachael Ann Lunghi, owner of Siren Floral Co in Southern California, is bringing florists together and sharing her skills by hosting bouquet and centerpiece classes on Instagram live videos. “Let’s keep flowering together even though we are distancing,” Lunghi said in a recent Instagram post. These videos gather hundreds of florists per session who interact with each other through comments, sharing tips, and support. Many florists have even recognized the public’s need for beauty and given away flowers once intended for high-budget weddings or events. Ann Evans of Cypress Floral Design in Downtown Jacksonville donated centerpieces that were originally made for an event to small businesses around the city. Shepard also shares this hope for the floral community. Recently, his podcast interviews have been focused on providing much-needed advice and encouragement for listeners. Above all, Shepard believes that floral designers, wholesalers, and customers need to communicate and show each other grace during this time. “We just need to be a little more gentle and a little more caring and not quite so cold,” he says. https://unfspinnaker.com/83395/latest-stories/toilet-paper-over-tulips-how-the-floral-industry-is-being-affected-by-covid/