Baldwinsville, NY Florists

Baldwinsville Flower Shop News

Flower shop among many businesses fighting to blossom - The Riverdale Press

Dennis finds more customers want deliveries, rather than stopping by themselves to pick up orders. That has sent Columbia delivery drivers throughout New York City, as well as New Jersey, Westchester County and Connecticut. Those are some tall orders, especially since social distancing requirements limits the number of workers allowed in the small shop. “We cannot have many people working in the store, so it has been busier for us,” Dennis said. “Most of the time it has just been my sister, myself and one worker. I have even been taking deliveries out myself.”Sales have dipped, but so have supplies in some cases. In late March, as many were trying to adjust to the “new normal,”  Columbia struggled to stock its flower inventory, both in quantity and variety. For example, one thing missing from the store’s offerings has been tulips. Fortunately, most flowers purchased from South America are still available, Dennis said. Pricing hasn’t changed much, but delivery costs have increased since the shop is going without its regular delivery staff.Flowers also are a crucial part of large events like weddings and baby showers. Yet, all events are now canceled or postponed. It’s unclear when they’ll return, but at least one customer found a creative way to repurpose her ordered flowers into a kind gesture.The woman had put together a sizable order for a baby shower, but ended up hospitalized with the virus that causes COVID-19. Fortunately, she recovered, Dennis said. She was so thankful for her recovery, in fact, she sent the flowers intended for her shower instead to the nurses who took care of her.Unfortunately, many small businesses aren’t having the same luck as Columbia, as the coronavirus shutdown languishes on. While many storefronts are shut because they’re deemed “non-essential,” those that can stay open operate at a reduced capacity. The big question is whether many of the now-shuttered businesses will be able to reopen once New York City is allowed to open its doors again. Some businesses — even essential ones — are choosing to stay closed with hopes of being around long-term, said Christopher Rizzo, a board member of the Riverdale Main Streets Association.“Some of these small businesses have such small profit margins to begin with,” Rizzo said. “So staying open when your revenues are cut in half does not make sense for a lot of businesses. They are choosing to stay closed so that they can stay open in the future.” Dennis says she’s thankful Columbia Florist can stay open in some capacity. She receives many calls from customers thanking her for the flower deliveries, especially to funerals, where a lot of people aren’t present. Says Dennis: “Having a flower there makes a big difference.” ... https://riverdalepress.com/stories/flower-shop-among-many-businesses-fighting-to-blossom,71820

Port Washington Florist: Coronavirus Decimated Floral Industry - Port Washington, NY Patch

It absolutely nearly killed the floral industry," a tearful Otis-Cohen told Patch in a phone interview this week. When the crisis began unfolding in New York, countless truckloads of tulips, hydrangeas, roses and more were thrown out by large wholesalers and even airports, she said. "I'm talking about millions of stems of flowers," Otis-Cohen said. She added: "It brought tears to my eyes. That's how many flowers were thrown out from all over the country." To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts in Port Washington, click here. Before the coronavirus forced Gov. Andrew Cuomo to issue a statewide stay-at-home order for all nonessential workers, Port Washington Florist had three employees and sold flowers for all types of occasions. Birthdays. Parties. Weddings. "Get well" sentiments and sympathy arrangements. "That definitely has changed," she said. People simply aren't ordering flowers like they used to. Nursing homes paused their orders. Events were canceled or postponed. Gift arrangements remain unclaimed. "I have gifts. All my gifts are just sitting waiting for somebody to take, but nobody can come in," she said. Sales nosedived about 75 percent, forcing Otis-Cohen to lay off her workers, who are now filing for unemployment benefits. Now she works alone, picking up flowers — they're no longer delivered to her door — taking phone orders and making deliveries. She's turned off idle refrigerators that no longer hold flowers to keep fresh. "I'm just comin... https://patch.com/new-york/portwashington/port-washington-florist-coronavirus-decimated-floral-industry

Flower arrangements made simple with floral designer Cristina Lozito - Greeley Tribune

Brides Magazine for teaching her to “let flowers be flowers.” Based in Westchester, New York, she’s styled flowers for hundreds of weddings, bat mitzvahs, photo shoots, birthday parties and cocktail galas. We asked her for advice even the most hesitant botanist can bring home. Greeley Tribune: Your colors are so subdued and your arrangements look almost wild. What’s your overall philosophy regarding bouquets and floral pieces?Lozito: I tend to be drawn to softer colors, which inform a lot of my palettes. But even when I work with a brighter palette I incorporate gradations of color and a variety of shades. If a client wants an overall red or yellow scheme, I use shades of reds or yellows so things don’t look so fixed.Ialso use floral varieties that naturally fit the style I want to achieve. Ilook for blooms or foliage that fall gracefully. For example, I’ll always use agarden rose rather than a standard rose, since the stem is so much morenatural. I would never put something stiff or spiky in an organic bouquet. Idon’t ever try to force a flower to be something that it isn’t.Greeley Tribune: Where do you start when putting together an arrangement? Lozito: I always start with a color palette and what’s in season. I think about what’s happening in nature at that moment to find my inspiration. In spring that means flowering branches: the soft, tender greens that don’t exist at any other time of year. It’s my favorite season to arrange in because everything’s so fresh. But even in winter, I supp... https://www.greeleytribune.com/2019/09/01/flower-arrangements-made-simple-with-floral-designer-cristina-lozito/

Business is blooming at NYC Flower District staple thanks to outdoor dining - New York Post

Instead, the boxwoods and hydrangeas that once lined the sidewalks along Sixth Avenue were in storage, the latest victims of the coronavirus.Like the restaurants, barber shops and tailors forced by New York’s health officials to shut their doors for several months, Ashok Kumar’s Tropical Plants & Orchids Inc. also had to close because of the pandemic.When the shop was allowed to reopen its landscaping business in June, the first order Kumar received was from the United Nations, whose greenery he is in charge of refreshing every month. The UN’s campus had been without fresh flowers and plants for months and was looking to add splashes of color in this dark time.Then came the lobbies of hotels and apartment buildings across town, all ready to brighten up again. Kumar was able to open for retail on June 10, but many of his regular clients have yet to return after fleeing New York.“We have a lot of great customers, but they’re out of the city right now,” Kumar, who took over the shop from his father and uncle in 2003, told The Post. “They don’t want to come back, but they’re still in touch with us and they know we’re waiting for them.” The span of the lockdown was particularly painful for flower shop owners because it coincided with the all-important graduation sea... https://nypost.com/2020/07/29/tropical-plants-orchids-boosted-by-outdoor-dining-after-covid-19-closure/