Bridgeport, NE Florists

Bridgeport Flower Shop News

New business to plant roots in Grafton - Mountain Statesman

Sometimes something comes up and you need a gift fast, or maybe you just don’t feel like traveling to Bridgeport or Morgantown to find something for someone,” Sturm explained. “It has always been a complaint of mine that we are always forced to travel out of town, and while the other shops in town are great, I wanted to add something a little different for individuals to choose from.”That, in part, led Sturm to set out on the adventure of owning her very own shop, a florist/wine specialty shop.Sturm is no stranger to the floral industry, having worked at Bloomer’s Florist previously. She said that the ladies she worked with were wonderful teachers and trainers, and she is ready to put her skills to the test.“I have always loved flowers and when I worked at Bloomer’s, I loved it. I was the happiest working a job that I had ever been,” she said.She said that after the loss of two dear friends at an early age in life, four to five years ago, it hit her that her time on earth was not promised and that she truly needed to follow her dreams because life really is too short.“I decided I wanted to open this shop. I figured, let’s just do it, what is the worst that can happen,” Sturm added.Sturm revealed that the process has been quick, but she is ready to get started.“I approached my husband Tom with the idea in August, and he was immediately on board and supportive. In October, I left my full-time job and I’ve been down here working in the store ever since,” she said.The Flower Market will have so... https://mountainstatesman.com/article/new-business-to-plant-roots-in-grafton

Mum dreams: Chico florist paying mum-ories forward

It’s officially mum season as Wise County schools celebrate their annual homecomings. Decatur, Boyd and Paradise celebrated last week. This week is homecoming in Bridgeport. Next week, Alvord and Northwest are up.Chico’s homecoming is set for Oct. 26 and Burgess, the owner of Chico Florist and Gift Shop, is readying to once again pay forward the memory she holds so dear to the lives of others.Burgess has spent the past 25 years making mums in Chico. Her passion for flowers and arrangements has touched the lives of students for years, with mums hanging on walls and immortalized in photos and memories.“It’s special,” she said. “I’ve seen generations.”Burgess said the mum game has changed over the years.When she was growing up, it was all about the fresh flowers. Now, it’s about silk, ribbons and trinkets.Currently, she’s building mums with fiber optics and lights. Some prefer teddy bears, others rock Dragons on their mums and garters.Burgess routinely goes to seminars to learn about the latest trends.Just like the football game that accompanies them, mums are a big deal in Texas.“I have people that come from other states and ask, ‘what is this mum stuff?'” she said. “It’s a southern thing, a Texas thing I guess.”Mum culture is real, and it varies by region in Texas and Wise County.Burgess said in Chico, students prefer their mums short and sweet. In Bridgeport and Decatur, the style is long and robust.“It really changes by the city,” she said. “In Bridgeport and Decatur, they hit the ground.”Burgess was a teacher at Chico High School for 41 years and taught floral arrangements. “I’ve always picked wildflowers since I was a little girl,” she said. “And I always dreamed of becoming a florist one day.”When the florist in Chico at the time was selling her business, Burgess received a call. Her childhood dream became a reality.She took over the shop with her daught... https://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/news/mum-dreams-chico-florist-paying-mum-ories-forward/

Mum dreams: Chico florist paying it forward

It’s officially mum season as Wise County schools celebrate their annual homecomings. Decatur, Boyd and Paradise celebrated last week. This week is homecoming in Bridgeport. Next week, Alvord and Northwest are up.Chico’s homecoming is set for Oct. 26 and Burgess, the owner of Chico Florist and Gift Shop, is readying to once again pay forward the memory she holds so dear to the lives of others.Burgess has spent the past 25 years making mums in Chico. Her passion for flowers and arrangements has touched the lives of students for years, with mums hanging on walls and immortalized in photos and memories.“It’s special,” she said. “I’ve seen generations.”Burgess said the mum game has changed over the years.When she was growing up, it was all about the fresh flowers. Now, it’s about silk, ribbons and trinkets.Currently, she’s building mums with fiber optics and lights. Some prefer teddy bears, others rock Dragons on their mums and garters.Burgess routinely goes to seminars to learn about the latest trends.Just like the football game that accompanies them, mums are a big deal in Texas.“I have people that come from other states and ask, ‘what is this mum stuff?'” she said. “It’s a southern thing, a Texas thing I guess.”Mum culture is real, and it varies by region in Texas and Wise County.Burgess said in Chico, students prefer their mums short and sweet. In Bridgeport and Decatur, the style is long and robust.“It really changes by the city,” she said. “In Bridgeport and Decatur, they hit the ground.”Burgess was a teacher at Chico High School for 41 years and taught floral arrangements. “I’ve always picked wildflowers since I was a little girl,” she said. “And I always dreamed of becoming a florist one day.”When the florist in Chico at the time was selling her business, Burgess received a call. Her childhood dream became a reality.She took over the shop with her daught... https://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/news/mum-dreams-chico-florist-paying-mum-ories-forward/

Four Floral Businesses To Receive The Century Award In Palm Springs

Charles borrowed a horse and wagon and sold flowering plants and cut flowers at the entrance of St. Michaels cemetery in Stratford, eventually opening up a storefront in Bridgeport, which sat on the city line of Stratford, leading to the name, City Line Florist. In 1975, Charles' son Bob and his grandchildren, Susan and Carl, decided to move to a new location in Trumbull, where they turned an old horse barn into a charming new florist shop. Bob received the Connecticut Florist of the Year Award in 2005. City Line, located in a quaint New England town of 30,000 people,  has been voted "Best Florist in Fairfield County" for several consecutive years and won the 2018 Small Business Success Award in Trumbull. They're a top 100 member of Teleflora and have received the Connecticut Business & Industry Association Family Business Award. The business is very active in the local community with churches, schools and area organizations. They are dedicated participants in SAF's Petal It Forward campaign. Today, Nicole Palazzo represents the company's fouth generation, helping to run the shop alongside her mom and uncle, handling daily work and bringing the florist to a new level with marketing and social media. Nicole has been named to Florists' Review's "Top 35 under 35" list and she is on the board of the Connecticut Teleflora Unit, president-elect of the Connecticut Florists Association and a founding member of the SAF Next Gen Floral Pros Facebook group. Gould's Flowers Lockport, New York In 1878 John H. Gould left his career as an English Gardener to come to America and planted his first crop of vegetables in Middleport, New York. From veggies, he later tried his hands at flowers. Calla Lilies being his first floral crop. It was his Son, John B. Gould who opened the first of the family's flower shops in Middleport, Albion and Medina. Then came the first location in Lockport, on Locust near Main St. The shop relocated to 83 Locust St. where Gould's has been servicing customers since 1952. John B. & Barbara Gould have spent years making the shop a family tradition. Their four children spent many years in the shop. Janet Gould, the youngest of the fourth-generation time-honored tradition, manages day to day operations of the shop. She works alongside her Mother, Barbara, Niece, Kylee (Gould) Peters (who is a fifth generation Gould) and loyal staff. Janousek Florist & Greenhouse Inc. Omaha, Nebraska Now... http://www.perishablenews.com/index.php?article=0069973

City Line Florist, local hospital honored at business breakfast - CT Post

She and her daughter who also runs the business, Nicole Palazzo, found out about the award when they arrived at the breakfast and saw the program. Herbst presented the Corporate Success Award to Bridgeport Hospital-Yale New Haven Health, noting that he was a patient there six months ago for treatment of thyroid cancer. “The services to the people in the region are second to none,” Herbst said.Nominations were submitted by members of the town’s boards and commissions and the Chamber of Commerce. From that pool, the Economic Development Commission selected two recipients, Bakalar said.The event included a presentation by Jason Broadwater, author of “Old Town New World: Main Street and More in the New Economy.”Broadwater spoke about creating the kind of community two key groups — Baby Boomers and Millennials — would attract and retain.“Productive people have to choose your community for it to be successful,” Broadwater said.Broadwater said Millennials prioritize affordable rental options while Baby Boomers want to downsize and move where their children live.Bakalar said she invited Broadwater to spe... http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/City-Line-Florist-local-hospital-honored-at-12318213.php

Society of American Florists Past President Mel Schwanke Dies at 92 - Greenhouse Grower

Florists and a recipient of the SAF Floriculture Hall of Fame Honor, passed away at his home in Fremont, NE, on Dec. 17, 2018, at the age of 92.Schwanke served as the executive director of the Nebraska Florist Society for more than 50 years and was also the Executive Director of NeMoKan — the Nebraska Missouri and Kansas Florist Association Convention, held annually for many years. He served on numerous committees, including the Retail Florists Council for SAF, and helped to create the American Floral Endowment for research and education in the flower industry.AdvertisementMel and Joey, his surviving wife of 70 years, were known throughout the floral industry for many years for their passion and dedication. They were also known as the famous matching couple, having dressed in coordinating outfits at industry events and everyday in Joey’s family business, Greens Greenhouses Inc.Schwanke served as a Marine in World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart for his service. He is survived by his wife Joey, and children Jo Heinz, Cindy McKown, and J Schwanke, along with four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Ludvigsens Funeral Home in Fremont, NE, is in charge of the services. Visitation will be Thursday Dec. 20.Brian Sparks is senior editor of Green... https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/saf-past-president-mel-schwanke-dies-at-92/

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

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

Four Floral Businesses To Receive The Century Award In Palm Springs

The 2018 Century Award honorees are: City Line Florist in Trumbull, Connecticut; Gould's Flowers in Lockport, New York; Janousek Florist & Greenhouse, Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska; and Lake Forest Flowers in Lake Forest, Illinois. "Each year when we gather at the SAF convention, we interact with business owners who have determination, vision and grit," said SAF Awards Committee Chairman Marvin Miller, Ph.D., AAF, of the Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, Illinois. "But to sustain that for 100 years or more is truly an impressive feat." City Line Florist Trumbull, Connecticut City Line Florist has been owned and operated by the Roehrich/Palazzo family since 1918. When Charles Roehrich returned home from World War I, he already had a family history in the floral industry; his grandfather had grown plants in greenhouses in Stratford, Connecticut, in the late 1800s. Charles borrowed a horse and wagon and sold flowering plants and cut flowers at the entrance of St. Michaels cemetery in Stratford, eventually opening up a storefront in Bridgeport, which sat on the city line of Stratford, leading to the name, City Line Florist. In 1975, Charles' son Bob and his grandchildren, Susan and Carl, decided to move to a new location in Trumbull, where they turned an old horse barn into a charming new florist shop. Bob received the Connecticut Florist of the Year Award in 2005. City Line, located in a quaint New England town of 30,000 people,  has been voted "Best Florist in Fairfield County" for several consecutive years and won the 2018 Small Busi... http://www.perishablenews.com/index.php?article=0069973

How an Ecuadorian rose makes the journey to your American sweetheart for Valentine's Day - The Denver Post

Denver. Amato broke into the wholesale business in January 1974. (The company started as a carnation grower in 1958.) It ships flowers across Colorado, but also to Kansas, Wyoming and Nebraska.President and CEO Heather Weickum was born in that first year. She grew up roller skating on the warehouse’s concrete floors after hours. Her father was a co-founder and eventually became the sole owner of the business.“This place was my only sibling growing up,” she said.Now Weickum runs the company and employs 70 people. Amato projects it will sell 130,000 stems of flowers over the Valentine’s holiday, tallying up hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit. The most popular varieties of roses can cost a retailer more than $70 a bunch.Amato can stock several hundred varieties of flowers at a time in the warehouse, and more than half of those are roses. They come in a rainbow of hues and gaggle of names, many inspired by the flower breeder’s daughter, mother or lover. Some names, such as Hot Nina, Lola and Jessika, call to mind an old flame. Others read like perfume ads tucked in a magazine: Pearl Avalanche, Sweet Unique, Cool Water. And then there are the names that beckon to whom they’re selling: Sweetness, Engagement, Soulmate. Rose breeders trademark these names and can receive royalties from other plantations that grow their variety.Most roses are natives of Ecuador. The year-round sunshine and high-altitude soil in the country’s m...