Local Flower Shop News
N.J. communities mourn those lost to COVID-19 with flowers and memories - NJ.com
Wednesday, March 31, 2021Passaic EMT.At each location, including a Passaic fire station and Anthony E. Russo Park in Union, family and friends eulogized their loved ones and laid a flower for them, said Amanda Elisca, the florist who coordinated the events across the state.The effort is part of the Floral Hearts Project, a nationwide initiative pushing for an official national day of morning for those lost to COVID-19, said Elisca. As of Tuesday morning, there were more than 100 hearts laid out across the country, she said.But for Elisca, the push to bring the memorial to New Jersey was more personal. Her father, Cesar Perez, an EMS supervisor in Passaic, was a mentor and longtime friend of Israel “Izzy” Tolentino, the Passaic firefighter who died last March from the coronavirus, and a friend of Kevin Levia, an EMT in Passaic who also died from the virus.The day of mourning was for those who were left behind, missing their loved ones and in need of a way to express their grief a year later, she said.“These people don’t have anyone to reach out to,” said Elisca. “Usually if you lost someone you can get a hug from a friend. And we can’t do that now. Even a year into the pandemic, it’s even more important for us to reach out to people and to do these types of things.”In Passaic, mourners gathered at the West Side Fire Station, remembering Tolentino and Levia. Both Perez and Tolentino’s wife, Maria Vazquez, were at the event, with Vazquez laying flowers for her husband and Perez in full uniform remembering his friend he’d call, “Nudge.”“It was very, very emotional at the firehouse,” said Perez. “There had to be 100-something people.”In Union, mourners gathered at Anthony E. Russo Park,... https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2021/03/nj-communities-mourn-those-lost-to-covid-19-with-flowers-and-memories.html
Grieving residents pour into Boulder flower shop to show support for victims - The Denver Channel
Wednesday, March 31, 2021BOULDER, Colo. — Flowers arrangements and roses are moving fast at Boulder Gardens Florist as people pay their respects for the lives lost in the King Soopers mass shooing in Boulder Monday.Joshua Dusk is a florist at Boulder Gardens Florist. He’s been there for about a year but has 22 years of experience. He moves quickly with each arrangement, but behind every perfectly placed flower, there is intention.“You know, you can’t take it [the pain] away, but I get to be in a position where I can help that healing process with creative energy,” Dusk said. “I like using different colors to heal.”Calls have been pouring into Boulder Gardens Florist for arrangements and deliveries to the police departments, the memorial and the families of the victims.Heidi Lunsford, an employee at the flower shop, says flowers help people showcase their support and cope with the tragic loss at a time when many feel helpless.Aaron Pilling dropped by the shop and picked up ten red roses — one for each victim — and two bouquets of flowers. He plans to attend a vigil with friends.“I think I fee... https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/grieving-residents-pour-into-boulder-flower-shop-to-show-support-for-victims
Here’s your guide to preserving and crafting with flowers straight from your garden - OregonLive
Wednesday, March 31, 2021Working from her home studio in Hillsboro, Eliades said having this business during the pandemic has helped her to push her creative boundaries.Anyone can craft with plants, however, and florist Jeremi Carroll and farmer John Peterson said a good place to start is just by looking around your garden.“See what you have. What aesthetic do you want? What are you trying to build?” Peterson said. “See what textures you might want to incorporate into whatever you’re making.”Owners of Pollinate Flowers in Newberg, Carroll and Peterson started a dry flower program at their shop last year. They create arrangements and wreaths made from flowers they grow and dry on their farm, and even sell wreath kits at their retail shop.Carroll said that you can dry anything, but some flowers are just naturally easier to work with than others. Roses, yarrow, statice, Gomphrena, amaranth, marigold, hydrangea, grass seed heads, feverfew, celosia and strawflower are all varieties that are considered dry when they’re alive, he said, so they will dry easily and hold their shape well.“They already have a crispy texture to petals, so when they dry they don’t change structure or color,” he explained.24Dried flower craftsThere are multiple ways to dry flowers, but the three most common methods are hanging upside down, using silica gel and pressing. Carroll said the traditional way is to bunch flowers together and hang them upside down in a dry and dark space. He recommended drying them in the house away from a window, where humidity is low.That method works for many flowers and grasses, but for daisy-like flowers, such as black-eyed Susans, drying works better with the petals and center of flower drying face-up, Carroll said. When they hang, the gravity will close up the petals around the center, so Carroll recommended dr... https://www.oregonlive.com/hg/2021/03/heres-your-guide-to-preserving-and-crafting-with-flowers-straight-from-your-garden.html
'HOOSIERS WE'VE LOST': Lifelong florist never hesitated to help those in need - The Republic
Wednesday, March 31, 2021The series appears daily at therepublic.com.Name: Dawn SheetsCity/Town: IndianapolisAge: 93Died: April 16Dawn Sheets never hesitated to help a friend in need.Sheets, a lifelong florist, had no formal medical training, but when her friend Maxine Hessong needed kidney dialysis treatment, Sheets taught herself how to operate a dialysis machine so Hessong’s husband Dale could continue working.For more than a year, Sheets made three to four trips a week to Methodist Hospital to care for her friend, offering support and companionship during Hessong’s procedures. Eventually Hessong came home, and Sheets continued to run her machine, even showing Dale the necessary steps in the process.“She cared about people,” daughter Lori Arment said. “She cared about people’s feelings and their well being.”“That’s one of the highlights of her life to be able to help in that way at that time,” daughter Cathy Hiatt said.Helping others, faith and family were the pillars of Sheets’ life. Her compassion was matched by her late husband Ken’s, who became her primary caretaker as she dealt with dementia until he died in December.In early April, Dawn Sheets developed a cough and began running a temperature. She had a COVID-19 test on April 10. On April 13 the test came back positive for COVID-19. She died April 16 at a memory care facility in Hendricks County.“When people think of Mom, they always think of Dad, too,” daughter Dianne Boyd said. “It was always Ken and Dawn, and Daw... http://www.therepublic.com/2021/03/30/hoosiers-weve-lost-lifelong-florist-never-hesitated-to-help-those-in-need/
Okanagan florists busy during pandemic, some busier than ever | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source - iNFOnews
Wednesday, March 31, 2021COVID-19 pandemic has brought hard times onto some local businesses, Okanagan flower shops are busy — some say even busier than ever. The period around Easter and Mother’s Day is typically busy for florists, and despite current circumstances, this year is no exception. At Burnett’s Florist in Kelowna, business has been steady. “Our Easter was more busy than it usually is, and we’re hoping Mother’s Day is the same," florist Galena Clancy said. Kelowna’s Funky Petals, Harris Flower Shop in Vernon and Newell Flower Shop in Kamloops are all busy during the pandemic as well. "I think it's mostly because people are kind of communicating from a distance with flowers," Clancy said. Harris Flower Shop's Brenda Gedaschke says that many of her customers want to send flowers for birthdays, or just to cheer people up. Florists have shifted to accommodate current public health orders, offering online ordering and contactless delivery. Harris Flower Shop has even installed an honour bar outside their store, where customers can pick up arrangements and leave money in a locked collection box. “(The honour bar) has been spectacularly well received,” said Gedaschke, adding that there has only been one customer who didn’t leave enough money for their bouquet. The real challenge during the pandemic has been getting flowers from suppliers, Gedaschke said. "At this point everything is limited,” she said. “A lot of the import stuff, up until recently,... https://infotel.ca/newsitem/okanagan-florists-busy-during-pandemic-some-busier-than-ever/it72772
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