Alliance, OH Florists

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Alaska Rally Supports Gay Couple Denied Service by Florist - SouthFloridaGayNews.com

Residents show off their signs at the Ketchikan rally. (Photo courtesy Tacoma Kathryn Coronel, shared to Ketchikan Pride Alliance’s Facebook) (WM) Residents rallied in a small Alaska city to support LGBT rights after a florist declined to sell flowers for a same-sex wedding. Tommy Varela said Heavenly Creations in Ketchikan told his mother the business would not provide flowers for his wedding ceremony after learning there were two grooms, The Juneau Empire reported.Between 100 and 200 people attended the June 5 demonstration, lining the street and holding signs expressing support for the LGBT community.Kathleen Varela said she phoned the same florist her son used to get a boutonniere for his prom when she was seeking flowers for the nuptials in August.“I said, ‘It’s a wedding for two grooms, are you comfortable with that?’ And there was a long and awkward silence and then ‘No, I’m not comfortable with that,'” Kathleen Varela said.There was no exchange of names and she is not sure who was on the phone, but the florist has not previously expressed antipathy toward the LG... https://southfloridagaynews.com/National/alaska-rally-supports-gay-couple-denied-service-by-florist.html

After 125 years, Manatee company delivering fresh flowers differently - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

The company requires that farms they work with have sustainability certifications, such as USDA Organic, Rainforest Alliance or Fresh from Florida. According to the company, certified farms employ 60 percent women and are far more likely to offer higher wages and produce higher standards of living for their workers.Many of these farms also use integrated pest management as opposed to heavy pesticides, meaning that more common-sense, long-term practices are used to achieve the same results. Examples are vacuuming pests out of plants and using organisms like spiders to eat harmful pests, such as thrips, which puncture and damage plants.Getting the word outIn an effort to create a more direct link between customers and its product, the company is placing interactive digital kiosks in some stores that can help educate consumers about where their flowers come from.“We want to create a source for the consumers so that we’re reaching out in different ways and allowing access to all this information right in the retailer,” McLaughlin said.The ultimate goal is to attract customers, engage them, inform them and send them to the retailers that carry the Manatee Farms brand.For McLaughlin, part of the re-branding is taking into account a balanced three-pillar approach when talking about environmental sustainability: environmental, economic and social.“There tends to be a lot of misinformation. You can have something be organic, but that has nothing to do with whether or not you have chemical runoff,” McLaughlin said. “It’s about more than just having certifications or seals on a product.”Preston has seen a lot of change at the family company over the years, and someday there will be others in the family making the decisions right there beside him, he said, and maybe after him, too.But if Preston has his way, one thing will remain constant: the business will continue to serve the community and people will continue to feel good about the brand.“Branding is... https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20180611/after-125-years-manatee-company-delivering-fresh-flowers-differently

Flower growers see sales wither as planting season launches - CBC.ca

This is when we sell. We're on the cusp of a critical period," said James Farrar, director of the Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance. Trees, bushes and bedding plants are usually planted between May 1 and June 15, he said, with customers ranging from backyard gardeners to municipalities. In Ontario, flower producers discarded about 40 per cent of their Easter crop, according to Flowers Canada Growers. The province has designated garden centres as a non-essential service — a painful exclusion for the industry, since nearly two-thirds of Canadian production stems from Ontario. Neighbouring New York and Ohio have also forced garden centres to lock their doors, while Michigan and Vermont have banned retailers from selling non-essential products, including home gardening items. "If they don't open, the damage is going to be astronomical," said trade group head Andi Kuyvenhoven, noting garden centres' crucial role for bedding plants in particular. British Columbia — the second-biggest flower and plant producer — Alberta and Manitoba and have allowed garden centres to keep running, while Quebec deemed them essential along with nurseries as of April 15, though not in time for Easter. Kuyvenhoven, who with his wife co-owns a $2.5-million business selling potted Chrysanthemums and indoor calla lilies — largely to U.S. distributors — on a pair of farms west of Toronto, says clogged supply chains south of the border remain a problem. 'I haven't slept in five weeks' "U.S. customers for a time closed their distribution systems to floral and so the main grocery chains were not purchasing plants," he said, which was hard on growers of cut flowers such as roses and tulips. "If a truck can take 24 skids and four skids were flowers, the flowers came off the trucks and they put more food on the truck — which we completely understand. The only challenge is, when you're growing flowers as we do, they also have a shelf life," said Kuyvenhoven, who bought his business from his parents in 1990. "Now we're now facing liquidity issues...I haven't slept in five weeks." Flowers Canada Growers says exports to the U.S. make up about one-third of greenhouse flower and plant sales, which hit $1.6 billion in 2018, according to Statistics Canada. Nursery sales topped $500 million. While garden centres can continue to operate across much of the continent, growers wonder whether bouquets and flower pots will remain on the shopping... https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/flower-growers-hamilton-1.5546023

11 Flower-Delivery Services for Mother’s Day That Are Clever-Approved - Architectural Digest

BloomsyboxIf you are going to go the rose route, we’d suggest you try the over-the-top, magenta-hued, Rainforest Alliance–certified sustainably farmed roses of Bloomsybox. With more than 15 varieties to choose from, as well as mixed bouquets and recurring flower subscription deliveries, you’ll definitely find what you’re looking for to mark this special occasion.a tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true" class="external-link product-embed__image-link" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLink","outgoingURL":"https://cna.st/p/2hc5hQAHwjxFuVsKxVuxbTFca3ioGo2j14UtmkmDxziDY4sCL... https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/clever-approved-flower-delivery-services-for-mothers-day

Flower shop owner waits to get on with his life - Essex News Daily

I haven’t heard from her since. I guess they took off.”Zois has served as the president of the Suburban Chamber of Commerce and has been active with the Bloomfield Center Alliance.“I bought 35 bulletproof vests for the Bloomfield police when they first came out,” he said. “And I put up wreaths for Veterans Day. A lot of little things I don’t even remember.”He said Felicia Leo was his bookkeeper and kept a record of what he did. She died four years ago.“I devoted my time to Bloomfield because I like Bloomfield,” he said. “It was a good place for me.”Zois he is waiting to hear from the insurance company to tell him what he can do. He thinks the building will be condemned.“If it is condemned, I am going to build a nice new modern building — with a flower shop in it,” he said. “If I were rebuilding, I’d make it harmonize with the newer buildings in the center. It would have three floors: retail, offices and apartments. It’s a nice piece of property.”Standing on the sidewalk in the bright sun, taking careful steps because of water on the knee that he intends to get remedied, Zois points to the side door of his “baby.”“For 65 years, I’ve been opening and closing that door,” he said. “It hurts. My son won’t even let me in there with everything falling down. At my age, what can I do? I love the flower business. I’m not going to twiddle my thumbs.”  Nick Zois, Roxy Florist... https://essexnewsdaily.com/headlne-news/87066

Local florist offering delivery specials to nursing homes - 13abc Action News

SYLVANIA, Ohio (WTVG) - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered the closure of all dine-in restaurants, bars, theaters, and gyms, making it an uneasy and sure time to own a small business or to be planning large events. However, one Sylvania florist is trying to make the best of an awful situation. Jen Linehan owns the flower shop Beautiful Blooms by Jen in Sylvania, which has already seen its fair share in wedding cancellations. "Brides are all calling to apologize, and I tell them it's not your fault, we'll do the best we can to reschedule," says Linehan. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing homes are also closed to visitors. That's when Jen had the idea for "Blooms for the Blues" -- a special delivery rate to send a bud vase with some fresh blooms to lift the spirits of nursing home residents. ... https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Local-florist-making-smiles-bloom-568863591.html

Business owners tell state lawmakers they are ready to reopen - Dayton Daily News

A local florist was one of several business owners from across Ohio who told state lawmakers Monday that the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has brutalized their businesses and they are eager to reopen with safety precautions in place. “All my employees are furloughed and filed for unemployment and have yet to get unemployment,” Tom Hamilton, owner of Beavercreek Florist, told the Ohio House of Representatives’ 2020 Economic Recovery Task Force. “My business is struggling since there is no income,” Hamilton said. Coronavirus: Complete coverage from the Dayton Daily NewsClosed by government decree since March 24, he said they missed out on proms, secretaries week and Easter and look forward to reopening at the beginning of May in time for Mothers Day. “Who was it who first taught you how to wash your hands? Mom,” he said. But he and other people in his industry are concerned that if they are forced to stay closed they will lose employees to other companies that were allowed to stay open. And if... https://www.daytondailynews.com/business/business-owners-tell-state-lawmakers-they-are-ready-reopen/pl8zPjPLw8ZGBR5C7GwHRN/

Family Over Flowers - The New York Times

You find out what’s most important when you start removing things from your wedding day,” said Ms Fagan, who received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master of Education from Fordham.“I came to learn, more than anyone, that the things that are most important are your family,” she said. “Like the flowers and the other stuff, you don’t need that, you just need family.”Mr. Bogle, 44, who teaches fourth graders at John B. Russwurm School (P.S. 197) in Harlem, said his wedding to Ms. Fagan provided a lesson for him as well.“It’s all about commitment,” said Mr. Bogle, the son of Lucena Jackson of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and the late Raymond Bogle.“Unless you are uncertain about marrying someone, you need to get what you have got to get done, done,” said Mr. Bogle, who received both a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of the West Indies and an Master of Education from the City College of New York.Despite the silver linings, the couple, who met in 2017 through mutual friends at the Carmel Hill Foundation’s party for Harlem District 5 teachers, admitted that they were both a bit disappointed as to how the coronavirus reshaped their wedding.“I could seriously say I was disappointed, but what can you do in that situation,” said Ms. Fagan, whom Mr. Bogle surprised with an engagement ring in April 2019 at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.“You just have to hope that everyone else is safe and OK,” she said. “You just have to hope for the best, and just count your blessings.”... https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/25/fashion/weddings/family-over-flowers.html

Flower growers see sales wither as planting season launches - CBC.ca

Canadian production stems from Ontario. Neighbouring New York and Ohio have also forced garden centres to lock their doors, while Michigan and Vermont have banned retailers from selling non-essential products, including home gardening items. "If they don't open, the damage is going to be astronomical," said trade group head Andi Kuyvenhoven, noting garden centres' crucial role for bedding plants in particular. British Columbia — the second-biggest flower and plant producer — Alberta and Manitoba and have allowed garden centres to keep running, while Quebec deemed them essential along with nurseries as of April 15, though not in time for Easter. Kuyvenhoven, who with his wife co-owns a $2.5-million business selling potted Chrysanthemums and indoor calla lilies — largely to U.S. distributors — on a pair of farms west of Toronto, says clogged supply chains south of the border remain a problem. 'I haven't slept in five weeks' "U.S. customers for a time closed their distribution systems to floral and so the main grocery chains were not purchasing plants," he said, which was hard on growers of cut flowers such as roses and tulips. "If a truck can take 24 skids and four skids were flowers, the flowers came off the trucks and they put more food on the truck — which we completely understand. The only challenge is, when you're growing flowers as we do, they also have a shelf life," said Kuyvenhoven, who bought his business from his parents in 1990. "Now we're now facing liquidity issues...I haven't slept in five weeks." Flowers Canada Growers says exports to the U.S. make up about one-third of greenhouse flower and plant sales, which hit $1.6 billion in 2018, according to Statistics Canada. Nursery sales topped $500 million. While garden centres can continue to operate across much of the continent, growers wonder whether bouquets and flower pots will remain on the shopping list of consumers struggling to make rent amid soaring unemployment numbers and a looming recession. Kuyvenhoven is hoping that families confined to their homes for most of the day will choose to spend what they've saved from unpurchased vacations and lattes on plants for their vases and flower beds. "That's part of what's carried us through downturns in the past," he said. Growers associations are in talks with federal and provincial governments over potential financial relief, with Flowers Canada Growers asking for a "cash injection" as well as extended debt repayment plans secured in part by Ottawa, Kuyvenhoven said. So far, the federal government has extended a stay of default for eligible farmers until Oct. 31, giving flower and potted plant producers an extra six months to pay off federal loans that would have been due at the end of April. Ottawa has also granted exemptions on air travel restrictions to temporary foreign workers and invested $50 mi... https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/flower-growers-hamilton-1.5546023