Braham, MN Florists

Braham Flower Shop News

Canceled fundraisers leave surplus of poinsettias as Fairfield, Manchester florists seek new markets - Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel

Harlan Benner of Sunset Flowerland and Greenhouses as he walks through the business Wednesday in Fairfield. The family owned and run business has a surplus of 1,000 poinsettia plants. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo Longfellow’s has a few dozen varieties of poinsettias. In 2019, they sold between 5,000 and 6,000 in retail and more than 20,000 for the whole company. Longfellow isn’t sure how many they’ll sell this year.“Our retail sales have stayed strong, and we’re going to try to push some of our wholesale sales into our retail division,” Longfellow said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how we do.”Like Sunset, Longfellow’s is also considering charitable fundraisers at the store and are meeting with Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce to brainstorm.Until now, the pandemic hasn’t been so bad for Sunset.“We’ve had our best spring season ever,” Benner said. “We’ve had one of our best fall seasons ever. We’ve been lucky until this point.”Ellis expected little business during the pandemic, but instead business boomed. Sunset closed for a couple weeks in the spring at the outset of the pandemic, but then the business thrived.“When we did open up, it was just crazy,” Ellis said. “We became essential.”Customers clamored for seeds and seedlings as at-home gardening took hold. “That was a tremendous boost,” Ellis said.Benner, whose mother and uncle own the company, has worked at Sunset “his whole life.” Of the 11 employees, all but one are family members. There are 20 greenhouses with about an acre and a quarter under cover.Sunset wholesales to other florists, but many of them are not having the same business.A variety of poinsettia plants Wednesday at Sunset Flowerland and Greenhouses in Fairfield. The family owned and run business has a surplus of 1,000 poinsettia plants after recent orders were canceled due to fall out from the pandemic. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo “It’s kind of a snowball effect,” Benner said.Sunset grows a variety of colors of poinsettias. They grow four shades of red, two different pinks, a few white shades and a variety of novelties, which are mixed colors.Typically, poinsettia plants are used for fundraisers. The flowers are planted at the greenhouse in July, and in a normal year, they sell 4,000 or 5,000. This year, they’re hoping to sell all of them, but the business has to get creative. Up to 80% of the poinsettia plants grown yearly go to fundraisers.Overall, sales are up for the year, but the owners are concerned there may be a ne... https://www.centralmaine.com/2020/11/26/canceled-fundraisers-leave-surplus-of-poinsettias-as-fairfield-manchester-florists-seek-new-markets/

The Gardeners Who Planted for US Presidents - Prescott eNews

A lifelong scholar, Ousley often taught our presidents the botanical names of the plants used.John Watt (Served 1852–1862, under Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln) hailing from Scotland, Watt and his wife, Jane Masterson Watt, were both employed at the White House, he as head gardener, she as its first female usher. In 1857 he was the chairman of the Washington Horticultural Society. He bought palms from greenhouses in New Jersey. He ordered a giant water lily for the White House conservatory from Philadelphia in 1858.George R. McLeod (Served 1862–1865, under Abraham Lincoln) The second of three in a series of Scottish head gardeners at the White House, he stayed only a short time. McLeod resigned to open a garden center located on "the road leading from Shaw's Meeting House to the Baltimore-Washington Turnpike," what is now Montgomery Road in Beltsville, Maryland.Alexander McKerichar (Served 1865–1875, under Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and Ulysses Grant) Born in Perthshire, Scotland, he learned the trade as an apprentice in the gardens of the Duke of Atholl, near Dunkeld. In 1856 McKerichar was hired as a foreman under John Watt, taking on the role of head gardener nine years later. Known for his hothouse grapes, he also raised off-season Caledonian cucumbers for President Grant. Like the gardeners before him, he resigned from the White House to open a garden center in Alexandria, Virginia.George Field (Served 1875–1877, under Ulysses Grant.) The first English gardener at the White House, Field's floral fame came after he left the White House. He opened a garden center on Georgia Avenue NW with his brother Thomas. Field was responsible for naming and promoting the 'American Beauty' rose, originally selected on historian George Bancroft's estate as 'La Madame Ferdinande Jamin.' Field supplied the cattleya orchids for Alice Roosevelt Longworth's bridal bouquet in 1906. The Washington Post described him as an orchid specialist. He was an active member of the Florist Club of Washington. In 1916, he sold his stock of orchid plants for $15,000.Henry Pfister (Served 1877–1902, under Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt.) A native of Zurich, Switzerland, Pfister trained in the conservatories of a Swiss banker and at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. He made his way to Cincinnati and then to Washington, where he wa... https://www.prescottenews.com/index.php/features/columnists/mountain-gardener/item/34856-the-gardeners-who-planted-for-u-s-presidents

Deaths for the week of June 14, 2019 - The Jewish News of Northern California

Becker, sister Susan (John) Klein, daughter Julie (Ryan) Colby, son Joshua Becker, stepson Jonathan (Jenny Gheith) Levy, stepdaughter Beth (David) Sacks, grandchildren Sajun, Lowell, Malachi, DarbyAbraham, LouAlexander, Shmuli, Rina, Shaya, Hudi, Moshe and Rivki.Born Dec. 22, 1943 in San Francisco, Stephen practiced law in New Jersey and California and served proudly in the Army and then as a Colonel in the CSMR. Stephen also served on several nonprofit boards, including Sinai Memorial Chapel, Hebrew Free Loan Association and the San Jose Jewish Film Festival. His passions were prolific, and his reverence for film and history was admired by all who enjoyed his company. However, he will be best remembered for his quiet wisdom and total commitment to the people he loved. He will be missed dearly by all who loved him. In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos, Beth Israel Judea in San Francisco or Sinai Memorial Chapel.(Sinai Redwood City)Ruth MansbachJune 6, 1927– May 26, 2019Ruth MansbachRuth Mansbach passed away peacefully on May 26, 2019, just days short of her 92nd birthday. Married for over 60 years to Julius, she is the mother of Larry (Bette) of Marin County and Bob (Jody) of New York. She has four grandchildren: Arthur, Liza, Allison and Jonathan.Born in Frankfurt, Germany, she enjoyed a happy early childhood as the youngest of three sisters. But the tragic events afflicting European Jews of that ... https://www.jweekly.com/2019/06/14/deaths-for-the-week-of-june-14-2019/

Floral-Filled Spring Joslyn Art Museum Wedding - Omaha World-Herald

Yoo, Ready or Knot {Wedding Chic}MEN’S ATTIRE Jerry Ryan custom tux for groom; Men’s Wearhouse RINGS Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry, Borsheims FLORIST Creative FleursCAKE Grainolia BakeryCATERER Abraham CateringRENTALS United Rent-All, Blooms and BouquetsMUSIC Ceremony, Mahr Quartet, soloists Karly Jurgensen and Rob Cheshire; DJ, All-Star ProductionsTRANSPORTATION Emerald LimousineINVITATIONS/PROGRAMS Lovestruck Events, Empress Stationery, Miranda Writes Calligraphy GUEST ACCOMMODATIONS Hotel DecoWEDDING COORDINATOR/EVENT PLANNER Lovestruck EventsHONEYMOON Jamaica... http://www.omaha.com/weddingessentials/floral-filled-spring-joslyn-art-museum-wedding/article_ed75a632-aced-5d95-ba14-36ed1bbb794c.html

Russian ambassador to US lays flowers to tombs of Russian sailors in Norfolk - TASS

US side for respect to the memory of Russian sailors.""In the years of the American Civil War, Russia unconditionally supported the Abraham Lincoln government as the only legitimate authority on the American land," Antonov noted. "The fate of Russian sailors who died during the Russian Navy voyage to the United States during the American Civil War and in the following years shows that our great powers have many in common in their history."Russia’s Military History Society jointly with the foreign and defense ministries identified the names of the Russian sailors and restored the memorial stone at their burial place.The 40-gun screw frigate Svetlana was built in France’s Bordeaux in 1856. She made several round-the globe voyages and continued her service with the Russian Navy practically till the end of the 19th century.{{item.group_date}}Show moreIn other media... http://tass.com/society/990508

Upended by COVID-19, a Wayzata florist landed a federal loan. And then the wait started. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Mattingly started her business nine years ago, and it was coming off its best year — posting $500,000 in sales — when COVID-19 reached Minnesota. Though her shop was allowed to remain open, Mattingly said her event business plummeted as couples postponed weddings and restaurants closed across the state. She applied for a PPP loan in April. “We’ve lost about 50% of our income because of weddings,” said Mattingly, whose shop usually does $150,000 in wedding arrangements each summer. “People aren’t canceling on us, but they are rescheduling, and a lot of that work won’t happen until 2021.” Mattingly’s small shop has just two full-time employees, and she sent them home in late March, shortly after the governor issued his first stay-home order. Flower shops were allowed to remain open for delivery business because they were deemed “critical” to the economy. She expected her retail business to collapse, but the shop stayed surprisingly busy. Mattingly said her online sales tripled as customers called in large orders for birthdays and anniversaries as a substitute for taking a loved one to dinner. But with her employees at home, Mattingly, who is pregnant, and her husband, Julian, had to do all the work. “It’s been a really crazy two months,” said Mattingly, who is due to deliver her first baby in July. “We have been working 12- and 14-hour days every week.” Mattingly wanted to rehire her workers shortly after Mother’s Day, but her PPP application was put on hold when the program ran out of money in mid-April. On April 25, after Congress agreed to make another $310 billion available to small-business owners, Wells Fargo sent her an e-mail telling her the bank would soon submit her paperwork. “These are truly unprecedented times that we know are impacting both you and your business, and we will continue to partner and communicate with you throughout this crisis,” Wells Fargo said in the e-mail. ... https://www.startribune.com/upended-by-covid-19-a-wayzata-florist-landed-a-federal-loan-and-then-the-wait-started/571366132/

Ham Lake couple trust God as they grow family flower farm business - The Catholic Spirit

And I had so much energy with thinking of doing really hard stuff to make it happen.”She and Jonah took Benzakein’s online course on flower farming, and dove into researching what would grow well in Minnesota’s climate. “Before we knew it, we’re like, we’re really doing it,” she said.Jonah gives Kristen all the credit for the flower focus. “I never thought I would be a flower farmer — I don’t think many men do think of that,” Jonah said, sitting near the field. He agreed to the online course, “and I was just sort of open with the Lord; ‘Wherever you lead us.’”“Ever since leaving school, I wanted to do something in nature. I love working outside. I’ve been praying along the way” for God’s guidance, he said. “Basically, I want to come home and I want to work from home.”The Carlstroms don’t know any other young farmers, but they’re not alone among Catholic millennials. Jim Ennis, executive director of St. Paul-based Catholic Rural Life, said there are like-minded young Catholics across the United States who are exploring and adopting a rural lifestyle, including small-scale farming. Many are drawn to a slower, family-focused pace of life away from the demands of city living and corporate work.Like the Carlstroms, many don’t have farming backgrounds, Ennis said, and it’s hard work without the guarantee of financial sustainability. But it’s rewarding, he said. Farming is creative work, where people can work in nature, with their hands, alongside family members, for the benefit of their own tables and their community. And even young children can see, understand and participate in their parents’ work, he said.“There’s something very innate in many people’s DNA to connect with God’s creation in a closer way,” he said, “and I think that’s very Catholic and very Christian.”Kristen admits that sometimes she’s thought the idea of turning stay-at-home mom to cut-flower florist is “crazy.” But, “there was a lot of discouragement that came whenever I tried to let it (the idea) go, and a lot of joy that was there when we kept pursuing it,” she said, so they forged ahead.The field is easily accessible from the Carlstroms’ house through a path in the woods. Kristen spends patches of time throughout the day tending its 20, 100-foot rows as she learns to orchestrate timing their harvesting with flowers’ longevity onc... https://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/ham-lake-couple-trust-god-as-they-grow-family-flower-farm-business/

Getting married? Designers make case for 'unusual and beautiful' Minnesota-grown flowers - Minneapolis Star Tribune

And that doesn’t have to mean settling for common garden-variety blooms picked in someone’s backyard. Minnesota flower farmers are growing increasingly varied and distinctive options for bouquets, boutonnieres and centerpieces. “I make the case for local with every bride, and I include local product in every wedding I do,” said Ashley Fox, Ashley Fox Designs, Woodbury. “As a designer and somebody who cares about the planet, it just feels good to do this.” There’s a misperception that local means rustic, she said. “We want brides to know that local flowers can look modern and innovative — not just a Mason jar full of daisies. We want to show people these flowers are cool.” It’s a message that Debra Prinzing, the Seattle-based author and founder of the “slow flowers” movement, has been spreading for more than a decade. Her books, “Slow Flowers” and “The 50-Mile Bouquet,” celebrate small flower farmers who are struggling to compete as big chain stores buy in bulk from growers all over the globe, driving prices down. ... https://www.startribune.com/getting-married-designers-make-case-for-unusual-and-beautiful-minnesota-grown-flowers/561464922/

Rosemary-Duff Florist: a landmark business - times-advocate.com

South Broadway and was sold to Bob Socin in 1956.Mr. Socin sold Duff Gardens to Pete, Dolly and Rosemary in 1976. Pete & Dolly Santrach and their two children moved from Minnesota to California in 1956. Pete was a Marine at Camp Lejeune until sent to Camp Pendleton. Pete left the service and over the years worked as an administrator for the Escondido school districts, for groups of doctors and for Baker Enterprises. Pete & Dolly had six more children in California. Four boys and four girls and now 16 grandchildren and one great grandchild.Dolly’s sister Rosemary Gornick learned the techniques of the floral business from a school in Cleveland, Ohio and opened her floral business in her hometown of Chisholm, Minnesota. In 1957 she moved to California (following her sister) and worked for Casa De Las Florist in Del Mar for many years and for Bob Socin and Duff Gardens before starting Rosemary’s Floral on Grand Avenue in downtown Escondido in 1974.Duff Gardens and Rosemary’s Floral merged in 1982 and built the Spanish style building where the business resides today.Aunt Rosemary passed away in 2015. Dolly Santrach passed in 2018.Today the business has four partners: Mary Ann Santrach, Rozanne Reguly, Luanne Csonka and Joanne Santrach. The sisters/nieces bought the business from their parents, Pete and Dolly and aunt, Rosemary in 1988.Mary Ann’s specialty is floral design. She says planning is important. “Ordering for a holiday like Valentine’s Day requires placing an order for roses by mid-January if not earlier to reserve the product desired. That can be up to 2,500 red roses alone!” she said.Rozanne Reguly is the primary decorator for the window displays and a floral designer.The interior of Rosemary-Duff Florist.Luanne Csonka is the managing partner. She says, “It has been said that floral arrangements were the only gift item besides pizza that you could have made and delivered – all in the same day!  Our business is unique, sending floral gifts to express one’s emotions from happy occasions like birthdays to condolences for the loss of loved ones.”The sisters credit much of their success to Aunt Rosemary for sharing with them the techniques she leaned from floral school and her years of experience.  Remember Bob Socin? I can think of no greater testimony than praise from the former business owner. Mary Ann says that nearly every day Bob will stop by the shop to say hello. Rosemary Duff Florist has designed florals for many weddings, events and special occasions throughout San Diego and designed florals for celebrities Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Streisand and Martha Stewart. “But we most appreciate our lon... https://www.times-advocate.com/articles/rosemary-duff-florist-a-landmark-business/