Butte Flower Shop News
New Hampshire florists see demand bloom despite event cancellations - New Hampshire Business Review
Wednesday, December 02, 2020However, the continued postponement of large gatherings for funerals and nuptials is not hardy news for florists powering through less than ideal conditions. “Weddings are our bread and butter for the summer,” Cote said.Floral shops, like other retailers, are adjusting their operations to address customers’ hesitancy to browse in their aisles. In addition to offering delivery and curbside pickup, Hewson encourages people to visit her open-air greenhouse where she transferred many of her ancillary gift items. She also posted that same inventory on a revamped website.“We’re still using that [the greenhouse and the website] for people who don’t feel comfortable coming into the store,” she said. “Being inventive is what got us through.”Catalysts for compassion‘We have been crazy, crazy, crazy’ busy, says Shirley Wrenn of Shirley’s Flowers and Sweets in Nashua, who recently added a third vehicle to keep up with demand for flowers. (Photo by Sheryl Rich-Kern)Community well-wishers also helped merchants withstand the pandemic’s aftermath. One customer started what Hewson calls a “flower chain.”In April, Maryanne Jackson of North Conway purchased 20 table-sized bouquets of friezes, roses and greenery from Hewson with a note wishing people “joy and color,” asking them to support small businesses and consider paying forward the gift. Many of the recipients heeded the suggestion and called Hewson’s shop for more orders.“It was a real Easter bunny, Christmas elf, tooth fairy kind of opportunity for us,” said Jackson.That investment of kindness restored the dreariness of March, generating enough revenues to maintain Hewson’s cash flow.With the Mother’s Day rush behind them, florists are mixed on what the future will hold.Pandemics don’t have silver linings, but they’re catalysts for compassion. Aimee Godbout of the family-owned Jacques Flowers in Manchester, said she expects sales to drop off during summer, but she’s seen an uptick in customers placing orders outside of special occasions.“There’s the everyday ‘I miss you,’” as people choose flowers for parents they’re unable to visit, a neighbor who can’t get out of the house or the local nursing staff, she said.“Right now there’s a lot of ugliness happening in the world,” said Godbout. Working at a flower shop provides contrast. “Every time you pick up the phone, it’s someone calling to be nice.”Wrenn, of Shirley’s Flowers, has noticed that requests are grander and more intricate. Instead of ordering simple bouquets to honor birthdays, customers want floral cakes dotted with lavender blooms and candles. Or they request novelties: flower arrangements designed to resemble mermaids, unicorns or cats.Meanwhile, proms and graduations are canceled. Godbout said her company normally sets up the stages to honor these milestones, but “all that business is gone.”Offsetting a potential summer slump is Godbout’s garden shop. Springtime has pollinated a kinship for plants and with people spending more time at home, even those without a green thumb are taking up the horticulture hobby to cultivate a backyard escape.In the last week or so, Godbout has arranged phone or video consulta... https://www.nhbr.com/new-hampshire-florists-see-demand-bloom-despite-event-cancelations/
10 things do in Northern Colorado this holiday season - Coloradoan
Wednesday, December 02, 2020Set to run from 4:15-9 p.m. nightly from Dec. 4-30 (excluding Christmas Day), the annual holiday display will feature nearly a half mile of perennial flower beds, sculptural flowers, grapevines, butterflies, a holiday village and garden creatures constructed entirely out of holiday lights. General admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 5-11 years old, and free for children 4 and younger. Tickets must be purchased in advance at fcgov.com/gardens and will not be available at the door to minimize contact during the COVID-19 pandemic.Downtown holiday lightsWanting to check out some holiday lights, but looking for a more self-guided, sans-ticket experience? Grab a thermos of hot cocoa and head to Old Town Fort Collins, where block after block is illuminated nightly with thousands of LED holiday lights. While the lights didn't get flipped on during their traditional lighting ceremony (thanks, pandemic), they will be turned on nightly from dusk until dawn through Feb. 14. Bonus: With holiday shopping here, you can also use it as a chance to peruse local shop displays.As COVID-19 surges, Larimer County begs: Don't gather in person for Thanksgiving this yearSanta in the Square (kind of)Given that we'll be celebrating the first mid-COVID-19 Christmas this year, Santa Claus is making alternate plans to keep up with the times. Children will be able to visit Santa at his North Pole workshop virtually this year. His Old Town Square satellite workshop will announce a scheduling process for these visits soon. Visiting Santa virtually will be free and will start Nov. 25. For more information, visit downtownfortcollins.com.Socially-distant SantaWhile Santa will be hosting virtual visits from his North Pole workshop, he'll also use some Christmas magic to be at the Museum of Art Fort Collins, 201 S. College Ave., for some socially-distant photos this month. Visit Santa on the north steps of the museum and get some masked photos taken with the jolly ole guy from six feet apart from 12-5 p.m. Dec. 5 and 12. Photos with Santa are $12 for non-members of the museum, $10 for museum members and free for those who renew their MoA Family membership through Dec. 12. You can reserve your time slot here.Catch a glimpse of the NightLights treeLike in years past, local nonprofit Realities for Children will be illuminating a giant "tree" of blue lights as part of its annual NightLights fundraising push to raise money for our area's at-risk children. The tree — located at First Presbyterian Church, 531 S. College Ave. — will be illuminated via a live broadcast from 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1. It will light up each December night after and features a light show every 30 minutes from 7 to 10 p.m. For inf... https://www.coloradoan.com/story/life/2020/11/20/christmas-and-covid-19-10-holiday-things-do-northern-colorado/6229571002/
Kirkwood-based Cott Studio offers buttercream cakes and flowers for delivery - St. Louis Magazine
Wednesday, December 02, 2020Bakery and flower studio Cott has just opened, offering buttercream cakes and flowers for delivery within a 12 mile-radius of its Kirkwood base.
Owner Nakyung "Naky" Lee describes Cott as an “online gift shop hoping to help daily lives bloom.”
Lee creates stunning cakes, both full size and cupcakes, intricately decorated with buttercream icing flowers. She also specializes in flower arrangements, including for small weddings and corporate events. If you want to make giving flowers a habit, sign up for a subscription with deliveries spread out across several weeks, months, or a year. Delivery is free on all items, and deliveries are currently made Tuesdays through Thursdays.
Lee graduated with an art degree from Seoul’s Institute of the Arts, before working in TV production and copywriting. She moved toward baking and floral arrangements after leaving South Korea for the United States in 2018.
“It was hard for me to continue my field because copywriting focuses, obviously, on language and culture,” Lee said. “But I still wanted to u... https://www.stlmag.com/dining/cott-studio-offers-buttercream-cakes-and-flowers/
Sugar Flower owner creates intricate cake designs in backyard of her Cedar Rapids home - The Gazette
Wednesday, December 02, 2020The recipe can be adjusted to make a consistency like stiff clay or a thick liquid.“It’s kind of like a sugar dough, and it covers the cake,” Smith said. “There’s usually butter cream underneath, and it keeps it insulated and moist. “The edible flowers are made from another type of sugar dough. They just dry harder, so they’re a little bit brittle. “They need to dry a little bit harder because the petal will not have any stability, otherwise.” Finished cakes are often transported in tiers to the reception site where final assembly happens. Loughton lends a hand on some jobs.“If there’s some decorating, I will decorate there as well,” Smith said. “If there’s intricate decorating on the cake, it’s usually done here and transported and then finishing details (are added) at the location.”Smith also creates cakes for birthdays and other occasions. And many weddings call for more than one cake as groom’s cakes have become popular.“I’ve got one this month, and it’s going to have an edible violin and books and trees, just a whole bunch of stuff,” Smith said. “Those are a lot of fun because it usually is just what the groom really likes, and it’s normally meant as a gift from the bride to the groom.”Sugar Flower was gaining momentum when the coronavirus pandemic hit Iowa. Smith’s work-from-home model proved an unexpected advantage.“I was just getting started out to begin with, and having a low overhead I didn’t have any employees to furlough,” she said. “It was disappointing, but I tried to work with my customers. I don’t have to worry about rent and electric and things like that. So it has worked in my favor, which sounds kind of funny.”Smith’s home and studio escaped serious damage in the Aug. 10 derecho, which brought its own wave of cancellations. She hopes for a return to something like normal next year.“I really hope people start planning big weddings and they’re celebrating,” she said. “I hope that’s where the future lies.”Know a small business in the Corridor that might make for an interesting “My Biz” feature? Let us know via michaelchevy.castanova@thegazette.com.AT A GLANCE• Owner: Jennifer Smith • Business: Sugar Flower Cake Design• Address: 248 Drinkward St. NW, Cedar Rapids• Phone: (319) 491-1938• Website: sugarflowercakedesign.com... https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/sugar-flower-cakes-cedar-rapids-jennifer-smith-20201113
New Rochester dessert shop infuses artisan creativity with flowers - The Times
Wednesday, October 28, 2020So she enrolled in pastry school instead, graduating in 2017."After that, I worked at Beaver Bagel, La Gourmandine, Herban Touch, and was the head baker at the Butterwood Bake Consortium in Lawrenceville. I have experience in production kitchens, working as a line cook, and leading a small team of bakers at a dessert cafe."When she became pregnant with daughter Violette, "I decided to take the leap and go out on my own."Baby Violette has been nearby as Rice and Vernon have prepared last-minute touches to their storefront. You can sample Flower and Fin goodies ahead of time when they do another pop-up from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday... https://www.timesonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2020/10/28/flower-and-fin-new-dessert-shop-opens-rochester/5990553002/
Citizen of the Year: Catlins fantastic florist - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
Tuesday, January 08, 2019J.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
Society of American Florists Past President Mel Schwanke Dies at 92 - Greenhouse Grower
Tuesday, January 08, 2019Florists 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/
Four Floral Businesses To Receive The Century Award In Palm Springs
Tuesday, August 28, 2018The 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
What does the one you love really want for Valentine's Day; how much do most people spend? - WYFF Greenville
Sunday, February 11, 2018Kansas: RosesKentucky: RosesLouisiana: RosesMaine: RosesMaryland: ChocolatesMassachusetts: RosesMichigan: ChocolatesMinnesota: RosesMississippi: ChocolatesMissouri: RosesMontana: Box of chocolatesNebraska: RosesNevada: Box of chocolatesNew Hampshire : Diamond braceletNew Jersey: Box of chocolatesNew Mexico: Bouquet of rosesNew York: RosesNorth Carolina: Flower bouquetNorth Dakota: Flower bouquetOhio: Wedding bouquetOklahoma: Teddy bearOregon Flower: BouquetPennsylvania: Bouquet of rosesRhode Island: Aquamarine ringsSouth Carolina: Chocolate trufflesSouth Dakota: Gold stud earringsTennessee: Bouquet of rosesTexas: Flower BouquetUtah: RosesVermont: Men’s ringsVirginia: Flower bouquetWashington: Box of chocolatesWest Virginia: SunglassesWisconsin: Bouquet of rosesWyoming: PerfumePro Flowers... http://www.wyff4.com/article/what-does-the-one-you-love-really-want-for-valentines-day-how-much-do-most-people-spend/16573899