Ritter's Inc

Local Flower Shop News

Burlington lovers procrastinate for Valentines gifts - Burlington Hawk Eye

Most of their orders for the year aren’t in yet. She expects Zaiser’s floral designers will work late the next two days to accommodate the late-comers.At Ritter’s Inc. in West Burlington, a similar story is playing out.Ritter’s focuses its fresh flower efforts only on roses for Valentine’s, with few lilies and daisies on hand. On Sunday afternoon, Lynn Ritter was busy making arrangements with the flowers.Getting those flowers ready takes a bit more time than the last-minute, rushing shoppers understand, she said. She cuts each rose under water, so air bubbles can’t get inside the stem. After soaking up enough water, she de-thorns each with a knife, then puts them in a cooler to harden.Steve Ritter, her husband, tries to stay out of the way, he said.Steve said focusing on roses has helped them prepare for the day. They can have more flowers delivered every day, and it lets them sell for cheaper. A dozen roses is $20 cheaper than it was two years ago, he said.It means they will be ready for ringing phones all day on Valentine’s Day.“We will probably sell at least half of our Valentine’s sales on Monday and Tuesday,” Steve said. “Most people will wait until Monday.”Both shops have other plants on hand for gift-givers looking for an alternative to traditional flowers. For instance, they have plenty of home-grown succulent plants at Zaiser’s.Ritter’s opens at 8:30 a.m., and Zaiser’s opens at 8 a.m. They expect to be open later than their regular hours Monday and Tuesday, which means between 6 and 7 p.m. Contact Ritter’s at (319) 752-3679 and Zaiser’s at (319) 752-6871.Don’t wait too long, they warn, because colors and options will run out. Zaiser said they will stop seeing the steady stream of customers later Tuesday afternoon.“If you don’t have something by then, you might be in trouble,” Zaiser said. http://www.thehawkeye.com/news/local/burlington-lovers-procrastinate-for-valentines-gifts/article_f019eaa7-a278-5b13-ac62-68a1ab951e11.html

Flowers by Mike in Oceanside, East Rockaway donates arrangements to seniors, hospitals and strangers amid coronavirus - liherald

COVID-19 concerns, so Graham said he was happy to do something to make them smile.Graham opened Flowers by Mike in his native Oceanside in January 2019. Last month, he took over the East Rockaway Florist. He had just launched the new operation when he had to shut down. Since opening, Graham has been active in both communities, and each Valentine's Day he donates roses to MSSN so that the staff can give them to patients along with their meals.“That was my whole goal all along was to be a part of the community,” Graham said, “to help in any way that I can, and just give to the community. It's making people smile. It's making people happy, whatever I can do, I'll do it.”Graham said closing his shops has had a devastating financial impact, including having to be dormant for Easter and Passover, two holidays where he generates a lot of business. He added that he was worried that he may be closed for Mother's Day in May, which is usually a booming day for business.Graham noted that he has not laid anyone off, and that the staff is working to get through the global crisis as a team. He said he wishes his customers, community members and fellow business owners well, and expressed optimism that things will turn around eventually.“Everyone will get through this together,” he said, “and the positive in the end is we'll get back and support our local businesses.” ... https://www.liherald.com/stories/flowers-by-mike-in-oceanside-east-rockaway-donates-arrangements-to-seniors-hospitals-and,123706

Get Your Floral Fix and Help Sustain the Rhode Island Flower Economy - Providence Media

Recently, WCFF started an initiative called #ShareCheer where participants are encouraged to make a bouquet from a local florist or farm and post it to Instagram with the dedicated tag. Sounds like we could all use some of that.Give Blooms a BoostWith restrictions changing quickly, we are offering a partial list of flower related businesses and advise visiting their websites and social media accounts for updates. Also, visit RI.gov for the latest guidance and information during COVID-19. For an expanded list of flower farms, visit FarmFreshRI.org. BlithewoldBlooming Blossoms Blue Moon Farm PerennialsBlue Skys FarmCarlone’s Florist Cherryhill FlowersCity Gardens Flower ShopDahlia ShedFairest Flowers FarmFarm and Flora CollectiveFarmer’s Daughter Forget-Me-Not FlowersFrey Florist & GreenhousesGreenery, TheGreenwood Flower and GardenImondi and Sons FloristsJephry Floral Studio Little State Flower FarmMad Florist, TheMoonrose FarmPetals Farm RIRobin Hollow Farm RoseBud Florist Inc.Studio 539 Flowers Sweet Berry FarmTowne House Flowers Inc.Valley Falls Flower ShopWeatherlow Farms What Cheer Flower FarmWicked Tulips ... http://providenceonline.com/stories/ri-flower-farms-covid19,35379?

South Bay History: Torrance flower producer once supplied gardenias and orchids nationwide - The Daily Breeze

The paved vacant lot has only an empty restaurant building and lots of chain link fencing, and doesn’t look much like it did when Thomas H. Wright operated his greenhouses there.Wright owned Wright’s Florist Shop in Los Angeles in the early 1900s. An ambitious businessman, he was known and respected among his peers, so much so that he was elected as the first president of the Florists’ Association in the city when its formation was announced in 1904.The association of local florists presaged the formation of the familiar national network, Florists’ Transworld Delivery, or FTD. FTD started in 1910 as Florists’ Telegraph Delivery in Detroit, later moving to Downers Grove, Illinois, and growing into a global enterprise.Wright already was a master flower grower, and frequent winner at the Southern California Horticultural Association’s annual garden show for his roses.But he had a vision that went beyond his flower shop’s walls. He decided to specialize in producing two types of flowers, gardenias and orchids. He wanted to grow them in bulk and set up a network to distribute them nationwide.Gardenias grow in a greenhouse at Wright’s Greenhouses orchid and gardenia farm in Torrance, on May 27, 1937. (Credit: Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection)Neither plant naturally thrives in the South Bay’s cool and dry... https://www.dailybreeze.com/south-bay-history-torrance-flower-producer-once-supplied-gardenias-and-orchids-nationwide

Love in the time of coronavirus: Weddings postponed - The Advocate

As couples with weddings in May and June weigh whether to immediately postpone or wait as long as possible in hope of things improving by then, they’re juggling caterers, florists, venues and guests. “As I’m talking to clients, they feel awful because they know their vendors are sole proprietors and don’t want them going out of business,” Antonecchia said. And as more events need to be canceled or rescheduled, every business involved in putting those big days on has felt the ripple. “Caterers are letting go their staff because no events are coming up, and florists and bakeries have to let people go, because they are trying to protect their businesses as long as possible,” she said. Even though caterers and venues may employ a lot of people, they’re often run by one or two people and are susceptible to closing if they suffer one bad season, she said. Hope Looney, owner of JCakes bakery in North Branford, had to let her 10 employees go just to help preserve the business. “We were pushed into a corner in the blink of an eye,” she said. JCakes has been around nearly 30 years and in her 13 years running the business, she’s never had to consider layoffs. She’s had to cancel 40 orders that were scheduled for the next few weeks, but she’s just waiting for more to come, she said. Without large events happening, florists are another domino on the line taking a fall. “The floral industry isn’t in a good place right now — growers to retail, grocery and mass market is taking a hit,” said Nicole Palazzo of City Line Florist in Trumbull. Palazzo said the business has been slowing down, with fewer trucks making deliveries and the demand for flowers overall having decreased. With those canceled orders, if businesses can’t find another way to sell or re-purpose their products, they just have to eat the cost of it, she said. Palazzo said it’s crucial for businesses to examine their contracts to help ensure they’re not wiped out by cancellations. With so much uncertainty about how long these cautionary measures will last, businesses such as JCakes and City Line Florist are doing what they can to adapt. Both are offering no-contact pickups and delivery and trying to find new ways to market themselves. Looney said she shipped her first “quarantine cake” that says “wash your hands” to her friend, and she’s hoping she can do more of them. Antonecchia bought a JCakes sheet cake to get delivered to Yale New Haven Hospital to say “thank you” to the staff. Palazzo is encouraging customers to remember flower shops can help bring relief to some symptoms of social distancing and quarantine. “Right now, people don’t usually think of flowers, but there’s so many studies that sh... https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Love-in-the-time-of-coronavirus-Weddings-15152335.php

Florists in The Woodlands area adapt to a changing market amid event cancellations - Community Impact Newspaper

Area florists are offering delivery or pickup options for their flower, plant and gift options. (Courtesy Sprout Fine Floral Concepts) Florists are among the many local establishments that have been affected by concerns surrounding the new coronavirus outbreak and related guidelines surrounding business and social gatherings.In The Woodlands, some flower shops remain open to service smaller events and are offering delivery options to avoid face-to-face interactions. Florists said current disruptions and future concerns associated with COVID-19 have effectively ended their event services while forcing them to adjust some of their store operations.“A lot of our business is weddings and galas, and unfortunately a lot of those have been postponed,” said Cullen Handfelt, owner of Piney Rose Flowers & Decor. “It’s tough on our customers to have to postpone the weddings. It’s very sad. ... It’s going to be a busy fall once things get back.”Mary McCarthy, owner of The Blooming Idea, said the... https://communityimpact.com/houston/the-woodlands/business/2020/03/20/florists-in-the-woodlands-area-adapt-to-a-changing-market-amid-event-cancellations/

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