California, PA Florists

California Flower Shop News

Small but mighty, a Washington florist battles back in the pandemic - Reuters

I really think they did a good job by not reopening too soon, because look at all the places that are having to close back down, like California, Texas,” Banks said. As the White House and Congress debate the next coronavirus relief bill, Banks said she would like more business funding and clarity on Paycheck Protection Program loans. The shop received a $75,000 loan under the program, allowing it to rehire furloughed staff. “They say it’s forgivable, but they haven’t come out with any clear-cut rules on how to make it forgivable,” Banks said. “I am on pins and needles.” Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Dan Burns and Richard ChangOur Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-smallbusiness/small-but-mighty-a-washington-florist-battles-back-in-the-pandemic-idUSKCN2511D6

Flower power: Business continues to bloom at Skyway Creations in Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs Gazette

The business has seen many changes, Don says, though there’s also a lot that hasn’t changed. “You’re still dealing with the trucks and the delivery and the product.”That product comes largely from California, with flowers bred in that state, and from Florida, a conduit for flowers from South America.“We’ve always bought from California and Florida,” Don says. But he’s also had to look to producers closer to home to fulfill a growing desire for more unusual flowers.“We need so many varieties of flowers now. We used to be able to order a big case of this and that. Now we need this special flower.”A desire for more variety isn’t the only change he has seen in consumer tastes. “They say the rose will never die, it will always be a contender,” he says, But, “the rose has finally faded a little bit in the public eye.” One increasingly popular flower, particularly with “the younger crowd,” is the Gerbera daisy.Those younger buyers have also spurred plant sales.“The millennials,” he says, “have caught on to plants again. In some ways, green plant sales died for a while, but millennials really like what we do here. The succulents are quite popular.”At the same time, though, the corporate world is embracing artificial greenery as a way to cut down on maintenance costs, Don says.“We’re doing more artificial than we’ve ever done, and that’s definitely the wave of the future.” He admires how far the artificial greenery has come — “some of the artificial these days will totally fool you” — but cautions that even artificial plants need care, specifically dusting. Colorado Springs workshop teaches ancient craft of blacksmithingWeddings continue to provide steady business. “We do as many as 100 weddings a year, so two a weekend.”Corporate customers, such as local hotels, also remain key to the business.“The hotels are still strong,” Don says. “We’re not doing the centerpiece work, the party work, that we used to get with the hotels.”He calls the 2008 economic crisis “the 25% recession.”“We lost about 25% of our customers, and the rest were asking for a 25% discount. If you can’t do it, somebody else will, so what do you do? You sharpen your pencil and go for it.”That was just one of many economic downturns the business has survived over a half-century.“We’ve always been lucky, we’ve never laid anybody off,” Don says. There have been times where he has gone to his staff and warned them that either someone would have to go or everyone would need to trim their hours, “and everyone has always been willing to do that. That says a lot for my crew.”Other flower shops have not fared as well; Don has seen several vanish over the years. He looks at Skyway and Platte Floral, which has been around for nearly 100 years, as “the two big guns on the block as far as full service.”“We’re so lucky to both still be here in the town,” Lori says.Big-box stores and grocery stores emerged as competition 20 or 30 years ago, and Don thinks that is finally taking its toll a bit. “You see an awful lot of people lined up at the supermarkets at holiday time.”But, he said, “we still get them with the quality,” and the customer service.“We spend the time with people,” he says. He u... https://gazette.com/business/flower-power-business-continues-to-bloom-at-skyway-creations-in-colorado-springs/article_d5c342b4-5821-11ea-b62d-7be600878467.html

Flower Power: Farm-to-Vase Movement Takes Root on Chicago's South and West Sides - WTTW News

U.S., is more often than not Colombia or possibly Ecuador. The small slice of the market not dominated by imports is, in turn, almost entirely monopolized by California growers. Before they reach Chicago, the blooms, most of which are cultivated in greenhouses, will have traveled thousands of miles via energy-guzzling refrigerated planes, cargo ships and trucks, passing from farmer to exporter to wholesaler to retailer. Plenty won’t survive. What you wind up holding in your hand is less a natural wonder than a marvel of logistics and the modern global supply chain. All of which serves as a prologue to the story of Eco House. Eco House founder Quilen Blackwell. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) Rain barrels are the sole source of water for the farm's irrigation system. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) Beehives at the farm. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) Lilies, biding their time before blooming. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) Southside Blooms' floral studio, in the basement of the Blackwells' home. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) What a Midwestern flower farm looks like, when spring bloomers are spent, and summer's are freshly planted. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) Southside Blooms seasonal spring bouquet. (Southside Blooms) Eco House upends pretty much everything we just told you about the flower industry. Here’s a farm with land located not in South America but the South and West sides of Chicago. Flowers are grown outdoors in the dirt on formerly vacant lots in E... https://news.wttw.com/2020/07/08/slow-flower-movement-chicago-eco-house

Our favorite houseplant stores in Los Angeles. - Los Angeles Times

Newsletter Get The Wild newsletter. The essential weekly guide to enjoying the outdoors in Southern California. Insider tips on the best of our beaches, trails, parks, deserts, forests and mountains. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Advertisement The Los Angeles retail plant community is a collegial group with a generous spirit that extends beyond its customers. At Folia Collective, owner Danae Horst recommends Leaf and Spine for rare plants. At Leaf and Spine, Ernestine Segura refers clients to Planta for larger containers. Potted’s Annette Gutierrez is a big fan of Jenkins of the Plant Provocateur, who in turn suggests Sunset Nursery for full-sun plants. Now that stores are beginning to reopen, we decided to list a few of our favorites. Have a preference of your own? Let us know. Because of the pandemic, not all of the businesses on our list will be open, some may have limited hours and some will be offering curbside pickup only. So call or check online before heading out. Deep Roots This South Bay garden center sells indoor and outdoor plants, natives and floral arrangements. 207 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach, (310) 379-3634. Advertisement Fig Earth SupplyOwner Conor Fitzpatrick stocks a wide variety of houseplants in addition to edibles and herbs including fiddleleaf figs, philodendron and calathea. Fitzpatrick also presents regular classes spanning houseplant basics to cannabis cultivation. And there’s always something lovely in the Domecil store. 3577 N. Figueroa, Highland Park, (323) 224-3938. Folia Collective in Eagle Rock. (Danae Horst) Folia Collective Every plant at Folia Collective, from Peperomia ferreyraeto to staghor... https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-06-15/la-hm-our-favorite-places-to-shop-for-houseplants

Around East County: Don’t forget area small businesses still open - East Bay Times

The business had even closed up shop for a few days before receiving a notice from the California Association of Flower Growers and Shippers, which sent out news that as agriculture-based businesses, florists could indeed keep operating hours with a few safety restrictions.“This was good news, as we wanted to find a way to help bring brightness to everyone’s day,” said Denise Grace, an employee for the small business. “Everyone has been supportive of us remaining open.”Part of the process of staying open means keeping up social distancing practices. While not allowing customers into the shop to see their assortment of flowers is a little difficult, much of Good Scents’ business can be done online or over the phone. They have an extensive website with pictures of available flower arrangements.“People usually order flowers through our website or phone in orders for deliveries to relatives and friends during regular circumstances,” Grace said. “When making deliveries we can call people in advance and see how they want the flowers delivered. Most of the time we can just leave them on the porch without seeing anyone.”Grace explained that they are even waiving local delivery fees to help. Good Scents Florist has reduced their current hours to Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon; call 925-625-5550 for details. Similar florists in Brentwood, Antioch and Pittsburg have also remained open. Information can be found on their websites for hours and services offered.Roni Gehlke can be reached at oakleynow@comcast.net. ... https://www.eastbaytimes.com/around-east-county-dont-forget-area-small-businesses-still-open

Parsons and Rich Mar Florist partner for Dover doubleheader - Speedway Digest

B.J. McLeod Motorsports (BJMM) announces today a two-race deal with Rich Mar Florist, a Pennsylvania-based organization, for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) doubleheader at Dover (Del.) International Speedway on the No. 99 Toyota Supra of Stefan Parsons. Jonathan Morrissey, vice president of Rich Mar Florist and fourth generation co-owner is no stranger to the NASCAR circuit. Rich Mar Florist debuted in the NASCAR world during the 2018 season when the organization partnered with Timmy Hill in the NASCAR Cup Series. Rich Mar Florist’s partnerships in NASCAR did not stop there. In 2019, Rich Mar Florist partnered with racers David Ragan, Josh Bilicki, and Garrett Smithley. Morrisey and Rich Mar Florist are excited to partner with Parsons and BJMM, due to the family legacy. “I’m most excited to brand out with Stefan. This is our first entry in the NXS and it is so exciting to get into the Series with someone who’s family has been racing for generations,” said Morrissey. “I can’t wait to welcome Rich Mar Florist on board our No. 99 B.J. McLeod Motorsports this weekend at Dove... https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/57999-parsons-and-rich-mar-florist-partner-for-dover-doubleheader

Downingtown’s Petals Please recycles wedding and funeral flowers into free bouquets for lonely seniors - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Doing research online, Adams found no national organization, let alone a template for putting together a sustainable, all-volunteer flower recovery and repurposing system. But a Northeastern Pennsylvania group was having great success with an approach similar to her idea. So she drove to Scranton, where the volunteers of Petals for Goodness Sake were “so generous and so helpful,” Adams said. “It was, OK, let’s do this.” She began networking from home, calling friends and neighbors. “Because I worked in hospice I knew all of the nursing homes and the assisted living places, and I knew a lot of staff there,” said Adams. “Unfortunately, I knew a lot of funeral directors.” In July 2018, a volunteer picked up the first donation and returned ”with so many flowers in her SUV you couldn’t even see her.” Petals Please has since shifted its arranging sessions from Adams’ dining-room table to a space at Downingtown United Methodist Church. Flowers and vases or other containers are donated, and everything gets recycled, including flower petals, which get taken to a chicken farm in Malvern. Amelia Wondrasch especially enjoys that task. A 15-year-old student at Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square whose family is close to the Adamses, she has been a volunteer pretty much from the beginning. “I’ve always been a big one for recycling and composting,” she said. “And I love the idea of being able to r... https://www.inquirer.com/life/petals-please-recycled-flowers-downingtown-20200720.html

Sales aren’t blooming: Florists adjust during pandemic - Midland Daily News

Ms. Bobola said she had to shut down the florist because wholesalers where Bobola Farms receives flowers from in New Jersey and Pennsylvania were closed. Bobola Farms will begin selling some produce in the upcoming weeks; first up are strawberries, which have started to bloom. Bobola Farms has been open since the late 1990s and Ms. Bobola said she never experienced anything like this. She hopes Mother’s Day can help bring back some normalcy but reminded that everything is limited. “It’s the longest we’ve ever been closed,” Ms. Bobola said. “You’ve got to get started somewhere, so we’re just going to do the best we can. I hope people will be patient. We’ll do everything we can to be as close to normal but there will be substitutions. I hope people understand this isn’t easy but we’ll work with them.” Florists are following all protocols recommend by the Centers for Disease Control to help limit the spread of COVID-19. This includes wiping down all vases, wearing gloves while handling flowers and disinfecting the store every night. It also includes contact-free delivery, where the driver will call the customer when the flowers are on the steps of their home. Mrs. Fries said Jen-Mor had to lay off part of its staff when the pandemic first began. She added it has been able to slowly bring back some of the staff. The loss of workers has made the busy weeks even more stressful. “It’s been exhausting,” Mrs. Fries said. “The few of us that are here are doing the work of more people. There’s only so much we can do with this staff so our inventory is smaller than usual.”... https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Sales-aren-t-blooming-Florists-adjust-during-15258683.php

Nunan Florist & Greenhouses giving away free bouquets - Garden Center Magazine

Garden Center talked to two IGCs to gain some insight on the process.At Stan’s Garden Center in Erie, Pennsylvania, Valerie Bloom, a retail associate, says the days gearing up to the IGC’s reopen date, May 1, have been busy. At Stan’s, management has modified many aspects of the customer shopping experience. Bloom says the main focus will be on social distancing practices, but they’ve also taken additional steps out of an abundance of caution. “The lavatories will be closed, and they are bringing in portable toilets for people. We are going to have the floors clearly marked six feet apart, and they're going to have to wear their face masks,” Bloom says. “We do have different hand sanitizers, plus a hand washing station available to the customers. And every checkout will have hand sanitizers at it for them.”On April 3, Gov. Tom Wolf strongly urged all Pennsylvanians to wear either homemade or cloth face masks in public, and many businesses are expected to heed the recommendation ahead of the state’s phased reopening. “We have at least 5 acres under glass, we carry thousands and thousands of plants. We have over a million dollars in plant material right now, just waiting to go out to the general public,” Bloom says.Stan’s offers a large variety of items, such as hanging baskets, vegetable plants, bare root items, edibles and year-round annuals. “We carry a ton of product between shrubberies, trees and fruit trees. We really do carry a lot of items, so the guys are just trying to get ... https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/nunan-florist-greenhouses-bouquet-giveaway/