Ames, IA Florists

Ames Flower Shop News

Marietta Square florist asks for help after brazen midday theft - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Florist K. Mike Whittle’s shop sits just off the Marietta Square, beside First Baptist Church, across the street from St. James Episcopal Church and down the block from First Presbyterian Church. Someone who came into the shop on Monday apparently missed the bit about thou shalt not steal. Whittle told police that he walked out of his office into the shop’s main area and discovered a man behind the counter about 12:25 p.m. The man told Whittle several times “I didn’t take nothing,” then rushed out. Whittle was able to take several photos as the man exited the building, then discovered cash missing from the register. “I think he had scoped the place out,” Whittle said Tuesday afternoon, just as Loud Security Systems was completing a major upgrade. The man appeared to be keeping an eye on a staircase, and was surprised when Whittle emerged from an office to the side of the main lobby.“I said, ‘Excuse me, what are you doing?’” Whittle said. “I don’t worry about me as much as I do my employees. It’s crazy the world has come to this for absolutely no reason.” He asks... https://www.ajc.com/news/marietta-square-florist-asks-for-help-after-brazen-midday-theft/jcV2sbS2Rx0K6sDYUwMLrM/

No Brunch, No Worries: This Melbourne Florist Is Delivering Blooms and Local Treats for Mother’s Day - Broadsheet

Cremorne-based florist Superbloom has the next best thing, though: a chic bouquet – plus some locally sourced treats – delivered to your mum.Superbloom’s new gift packs – which have names such as “Shhh … Do Not Disturb”, “Quaranqueen” and “There in Spirit” – include bright, bold floral arrangements, plus chocolate, candles, booze and even hand sanitiser produced by Melbourne-based companies. Each set comes with a quirky, colour-blocked greeting card. (Choose from seven slogans, including “Thanks for putting up with me Mum”, “Sending you hugs” and “There’s no one I’d rather be isolated with”.)The “Sweet Tooth” ($150) includes a potted orchid, a block of Hey Tiger chocolate and a stack of Hunted & Gathered choc-chip cookies. The “Stiff Drink” ($295) is a solid option for mums moonlighting as homeschool teachers: there’s a lush bouquet of flowers, a block of limited-edition Hey Tiger chocolate and a bottle of Four Pillars gin (choose from four varieties, including in the popular Bloody Shiraz). Go all out with “Sending Hugs (and Treats)” ($525), which includes an extravagant flower arrangement, a fancy vegan Fazeek soap, Four Pillars gin, Hey Tiger chocolate, Hunted & Gathered cookies, Grown Alchemist hand sanitiser and a Damselfly candle.Just after a s... https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/art-and-design/article/no-brunch-no-worries-melbourne-flower-shop-delivering-blooms-and-local-treats-mothers-day

The second-best flower shop in Naperville, Ill., is struggling to survive. Along with the American Dream. - The Washington Post

Then again, five decades ago, Trader Joe’s was also a small business.For years, the city magazine tapped Celidan — a mash-up of the three original employees’ ­middle names — as Naperville’s second-best florist, tied with another. Did this bother Jacobs? Not at all. “That was something she was so proud of with so many florists in town!” Latham wrote in her mother’s death notice. Being crowned the best became a goal.“Karin’s death hit everyone so hard. It’s like losing a member of the family,” says Carol Gallagher, a customer of 25 years who hired Celidan for her three daughters’ weddings.Moe Zoyarifor The Washington Post Inside the shop, there’s no tape to keep customers six feet apart because, Latham says, “frankly, we’re not that busy.”Latham says she didn’t qualify for a Paycheck Protection Program loan because her mother is still listed as president of the corporation. Though she’s the named beneficiary of the business, Latham doesn’t yet hold enough of a stake to secure the funds. To keep the business open, she decided to seek $15,000 through GoFundMe. “You worry what people will think because it seems a site for nonprofits,” she says. These days, Celidan is hardly profitable. “I have made so many personal calls to let people know of her passing while the virus has paused our business,” Latham wrote in her solicitation. “We are trying to navigate the rules of small businesses opening in the next months as well as grieve the loss of Karin.”In just over a month, she has raised less than a seventh of her goal. Larger, more established florists are also hurting. Chuck Knoll is part of the fifth generation to run Walter Knoll Florist, an institution since the 1880s, with six locations in the St. Louis area. He’s working with half of his regular staff of 100, a fifth of them family, including the sixth generation.Revenue has been more than halved. In the beginning of the pandemic, a quarter of the income came from funerals. “Florists are very entrepreneurial people. They have to reinvent themselves. It took 2½ years to get back after 9/11,” he says. “But I don’t see us recovering in the near future.”Moe Zoyarifor The Washington Post Celidan was open for Mother’s Day but took in only $20,000, half of last year’s bounty.With the lifting of restrictions, Celidan opened its doors in time for Mother’s Day, when almost a third of U.S. residents purchase flowers, according to the Society for American Florists. The holiday represents a quarter of all annual florist sales. Latham, 50, a mother of three and married to a postal worker, labored from 7 a.m. to midnight Friday and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday with a reduced staff of three designers, including herself. She was forced to turn away orders. “As busy as we seemed,” Latham says, and her voice trails off. The shop took in $20,000, half of last year’s bounty. There’s hand sanitizer on the counter. There’s no tape to keep customers six feet apart because, she says, “frankly, we’re not that busy.” Latham increased the store’s presence online, where she sells garden gnomes and other statuary. “As her daughter and employee throughout, it is a big goal to come back strong,” Latham wrote of her mom in her GoFundMe plea. “If we find the economy has bounced back and we are doing better, we will donate any extra money in the fund to a charity in Karin’s name. Thank you so much for the support. We enjoy being your local florist.”Gallagher, her loyal customer, says, “I hope they weather the storm because it would really be tough to lose your mother and the business she built.” Her son made sure to purchase her Mother’s Day arrangement from Celidan, of purple liatris, pink lilies, yellow tulips, gerbera daisies and daisy poms.Read more:The recov... https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/florist-ppp-small-business-naperville-illinois/2020/05/26/65cec788-9a09-11ea-ac72-3841fcc9b35f_story.html

Flower growers see sales wither as planting season launches - CBC.ca

Ontario and New York has cut off critical points of sale, threatening to leave growers high and dry. "This is when we sell. We're on the cusp of a critical period," said James Farrar, director of the Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance. Trees, bushes and bedding plants are usually planted between May 1 and June 15, he said, with customers ranging from backyard gardeners to municipalities. In Ontario, flower producers discarded about 40 per cent of their Easter crop, according to Flowers Canada Growers. The province has designated garden centres as a non-essential service — a painful exclusion for the industry, since nearly two-thirds of Canadian production stems from Ontario. Neighbouring New York and Ohio have also forced garden centres to lock their doors, while Michigan and Vermont have banned retailers from selling non-essential products, including home gardening items. "If they don't open, the damage is going to be astronomical," said trade group head Andi Kuyvenhoven, noting garden centres' crucial role for bedding plants in particular. British Columbia — the second-biggest flower and plant producer — Alberta and Manitoba and have allowed garden centres to keep running, while Quebec deemed them essential along with nurseries as of April 15, though not in time for Easter. Kuyvenhoven, who with his wife co-owns a $2.5-million business selling potted Chrysanthemums and indoor calla lilies — largely to U.S. distributors — on a pair of farms west of Toronto, says clogged supply chains south of the border remain a problem. 'I haven't slept in five weeks' "U.S. customers for a time closed their distribution systems to floral and so the main grocery chains were not purchasing plants," he said, which was hard on growers of cut flowers such as roses and tulips. "If a truck can take 24 skids and four skids were flowers, the flowers came off the trucks and they put more food on the truck — which we completely understand. The only challenge is, when you're growing flowers as we do, they also have a shelf life," said Kuyvenhoven, who bought his business from his parents in 1990. "Now we're now facing liquidity issues...I haven't slept in five weeks." Flowers Canada Growers says exports to the U.S. make up about one-third of greenhouse flower and plant sales, which hit $1.6 billion in 2018, according to Statistics Canada. Nursery sales topped $500 million. While garden centres can c... https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/flower-growers-hamilton-1.5546023

Florist remains open to serve funeral needs - Troy Daily News

Those who do will be entered into a raffle to win an Easter basket filled with games, pre-filled Easter eggs, and other goodies. A winner will be picked next Thursday, April 9..neFileBlock { margin-bottom: 20px;}.neFileBlock p { margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;}.neFileBlock .neFile { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 10px;}.neFileBlock .neCaption { font-size: 85%;} Reach the writer at ahancock@aimmediamidwest.com. © 2020 Miami Valley Today, all rights reserved. Load comments ... https://www.tdn-net.com/news/81912/florist-remains-open-to-serve-funeral-needs

Some people using gardening as therapy during the Coronavirus Pandemic - KCRG

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Some people across Eastern Iowa are getting a green thumb during the Coronavirus pandemic. Workers at Pierson’s Flower Shop in Cedar Rapids say they have been getting calls about people wanting to start their gardens. Experts say getting some fresh air is a good way to take care of your mental health during the pandemic. Workers at Pierson's say gardening is a good way to be outside while social distancing. They say working with soil can be a form of connecting with nature. While seeing something bloom is a sign of life during these tough times. Workers say people are still ordering flowers to send to loved ones or coworkers. They say it's a way to let people know that they are appreciated. "I think it's very important to stay in touch,” said Al Pierson, owner of Pierson’s Flower Shop. “You can't get out... https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Some-people-using-gardening-as-therapy-during-the-Coronavirus-Pandemic-569918081.html

Benos Flowers and Gifts wants to bring fun, happiness - The Gazette

By Deborah Neyens, correspondent Long Para:0 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- IOWA CITY — A new Iowa City business aims to spread happiness.Long Para:1 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- Benito Ocampo Campos opened Beno’s Flowers and Gifts on Nov. 15 in downtown Iowa City, realizing a longtime goal to own his own flower shop. Long Para:2 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- “Flowers bring happiness, with their smell and their colors, when people receive them,” Ocampo said. “Everyone loves flowers.”Long Para:2 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- Ocampo, who grew up in Mexico, opened his first business in that country at the age of 19.Long Para:3 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- “It was a small gift shop — only about 300 square feet,” he recalled. “I did decorations with balloons for parties and a few weddings with flowers but not much. I had no experience.”Long Para:4 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- A year or two later, Ocampo moved to... https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/iowa-city-benos-flowers-floral-shop-florist-flower-20190121

Benos Flowers and Gifts wants to bring fun, happiness - The Gazette

By Deborah Neyens, correspondent Long Para:0 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- IOWA CITY — A new Iowa City business aims to spread happiness.Long Para:1 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- Benito Ocampo Campos opened Beno’s Flowers and Gifts on Nov. 15 in downtown Iowa City, realizing a longtime goal to own his own flower shop. Long Para:2 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- “Flowers bring happiness, with their smell and their colors, when people receive them,” Ocampo said. “Everyone loves flowers.”Long Para:2 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- Ocampo, who grew up in Mexico, opened his first business in that country at the age of 19.Long Para:3 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- “It was a small gift shop — only about 300 square feet,” he recalled. “I did decorations with balloons for parties and a few weddings with flowers but not much. I had no experience.”Long Para:4 Long Pra Total: 11 Total Para Total: 25-- A year or two later, Ocampo moved to... https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/iowa-city-benos-flowers-floral-shop-florist-flower-20190121

Citizen of the Year: Catlins fantastic florist - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

She also worked at J.C. Penney in Danville, where she met her husband, Tim, then a manager trainee.She and Tim married in May 1987. That October, Tim's job with the department store took them to Iowa and then Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming and Minnesota. In Nebraska, Welsh — who continued to work as a florist out west — directed community theater, served on the Miss Nebraska Pageant board of directors and directed the pageant for three years. In Wyoming, she was involved with the Cheyenne Frontier Days, billed as the world's largest outdoor rodeo and western celebration.In 2004, the couple and their young son, Tanner, moved back to Catlin to be near family. A couple of years later, Welsh opened Floral-n-Flair, a flower shop and event-planning business, in the same downtown building she started out in. She and business partner Kay Smoot also own and operate a gift boutique called Pauline's Attic.Welsh was working one evening when Stutsman popped in."Who got it, and how are we going to decorate?" she asked, thinking he'd stopped by to discuss the Citizen of the Year banquet at the Methodist Church, which she decorates.She was floored by his answer."It still hasn't sunk in," she said, the day before the banquet.While honored, Welsh was quick to acknowledge her "crew," including local high school students and residents who help her set up for community events, weddings and parties — and family. Tanner, who turns 21 this month, has autism, and Tim is his full-time caregiver and still finds time to help out at work."I wouldn't be able to do any of this without him," she said."It's always been a team effort," she continued, adding she learned that from her dad who helped out in many ways at the shop and home before he passed away a couple of years ago.Welsh recalled sitting at the family table years ago after her brother became a 1,000-yard rusher on his high school football team."My dad pointed to his picture on the front of the sports page and said, 'He wouldn't have done that without his line that blocked for him.' I've always remembered that. You can't do it alone. You have to surround yourself with good people and work as a team."... http://www.news-gazette.com/noelle-mcgee/2018-11-01/citizen-the-year-catlins-fantastic-florist.html