The Florister

Sending flowers, if you think about it, how often do you go to the florist to pick up flowers?  Could you say hardly ever?  More likely than not that is a true statement.  Unless it is a corsage for a special date or the boutonnière for the prom; we rarely pick up the flowers we order, we send them.  Most of the time we need to send them rather than pick them up ourselves.  When you order flowers for a funeral, you really don’t want to pick them up, and deliver them to the funeral home.  If you did, somebody somewhere would most likely think you had lost your mind - it’s just not done.

On Valentine’s Day, there are many wives whose husbands would be in BIG TROUBLE, if their wives do not see a bouquet of a dozen red roses coming through the door of their office with their name on them.  If you work in an office with a lot of women, the door to that office needs to be a revolving door for all the flower deliveries on Valentines Day!

Sending flowers has become a good habit for us.  Mother’s Day is a popular time to send flowers.   By sending flowers, you have just bridged the gap of numerous miles.  It doesn’t matter how far away you are; those flowers made those miles seem so shorter when you sent Mom those flowers. Remember when you send flowers you are really sending more than flowers - you are sending a little piece of you: a smile, a hug, an “I’m thinking of you.”

Sending flowers is usually one of the best ways to brighten someone’s day, and for some unknown reason having the flowers sent is so much better than delivering them to the door yourself.  So the next time you need to send something that says you care.  Send flowers.  Maybe Grandma’s next birthday, or your wife who is having a rough day.  Flowers remind them of how much you really do care.

A few days ago we published a Father’s Day Flowers article - we hope you liked it. Some folks emailed us asking if we have an “Easy Print” option, well you are in luck - we do.

Our production team took the article and made it into a one-page ‘easy print’ PDF newsletter. To download your own copy simply click here or on the image to enjoy!

Happy Father’s Day… and if you like the newsletter, why not email it to your friends. Once downloaded, click the link in the bottom right hand corner of the PDF newsletter and you’ll see what other great Father’s Day ideas you can choose from…

But hurry, time is running out!

– The Color Meaning of Roses

Different color roses symbolize different things and the meaning of different color roses is show here:

1. Red: love, used to say “I love you,” but also stands for courage and respect.
2. Red & White Together or White Roses with Red Edges signify unity and togetherness.
3. Pink: symbolizes grace, sophistication and elegance. Also symbolizes gentle feelings of love and friendship.
4. Dark Pink: Gratefulness and appreciation.
5. Light Pink: Admiration, sympathy
6. White: Innocence, purity, secrecy, friendship, reverence and humility.
7. Yellow: Often akin to joy and deep friendship or platonic love. In German speaking countries, however, they can mean jealousy and infidelity.
8. Yellow with red tips: Symbolizes a gesture of falling in love.
9. Orange or Coral symbolizes enthusiasm and desire
10. Burgundy: Beauty
11. Blue: Mystery
12. Green: Calm
13. Black: used to signify death (black being the color of death) often of old habits. In a positive light it signifies rebirth after death. Also, slavish devotion (as a true black rose is impossible to produce).
14. Purple: protection (paternal/maternal love)

– Rose Types Also Convey Meanings Too

1. Rose (thornless) - Love at first sight
2. Rose (single, full bloom) - I love you; I still love you
3. Rose bud - Beauty and youth; a heart innocent of love
4. Rose bud (red) - Pure and lovely
5. Rose bud (white) - Girlhood
6. Rosebud (moss) - Confessions of love
7. Roses (bouquet of full bloom) - Gratitude
8. Roses (garland or crown of) - Beware of virtue; reward of merit; crown ; symbol of superior merit
9. Roses (musk cluster) - Charming
10. Rose (tea) - I’ll always remember
11. Rose (cabbage) - Ambassador of love
12. Rose (Christmas) - Tranquilize my anxiety or anxiety
13. Rose (damask) - Brilliant complexion
14. Rose (dark crimson) - Mourning
15. Rose (hibiscus) - Delicate beauty
16. Rose leaf - You may hope

The meaning of a yellow rose signifies strong feelings of pure joy, gladness, happiness and platonic friendship, in Germanic countries the meaning of a a yellow rose is different - they’re used to convey jealousy.

Friendship is the main meaning of the yellow rose but it also signifies familiar love and domestic happiness. Yellow roses also symbolize fun and freedom.

Today, the yellow rose is used to embrace a new beginning, apologize or express sympathy, and to say, “remember me” , “I am sorry’, or “I care.” Yellow roses are appropriate for marking the beginning of a new life together or for starting all over again.

– The Language of Flowers

The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, was a Victorian-era method of communication. Floriograpghy, in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowed individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. The meaning of the color of flowers was most commonly communicated through Tussie-Mussies (floral arrangements), a creative art form which continues today.

Though most popular in the Victorian period, the symbolic use of flowers dates back to antiquity. In Medieval and Renaissance culture flowers were often given moral meanings. This is most apparent in art in which saints are often depicted with flowers, symbolic of their virtues. Liana DeGirolami Cheney notes that “some of the Christian symbols for Virginity or Chastity are the white rose, the myrtle, a vessel or vase, the lily, and the unicorn”

Father’s Day occurs on the third Sunday in June and it’s a great time to celebrate your Father. Fathers Day has been officially recognized since 1972 and if you were wondering “When is Father’s day?” well it’s on Sunday June 15th in 2008, June 21st 2009 and June 20th in 2010.

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Unless buying your Dad another tie is a running family joke, consider something different this Father’s Day. Ideas for great gifts are plentiful, and this Father’s Day go ahead and get Dad flowers. Flowers are a wonderful gift of nature. Everyone likes receiving them - including your Father - because flowers represent love, happiness, joy and all the other positive emotions.

And contrary to popular myth flowers are not just for women - many men enjoy the gift of flowers too. Flowers - specially well structured and strong looking varieties - appeal to mens masculine nature. Bold, bright colourful flowers are also popular with men and tropical or exotic varieties are a good choice that fits this description.

Traditional Father’s Day Flowers

Traditionalists might select a bold rose arrangement for their Father because the red rose is the official Fathers Day Flower. A white rose is worn or given to commemorate Fathers who are deceased. Other Father’s Day ideas may include humorous arrangements like the ever popular bright yellow “Be Happy Mug” flower arrangement and of course the cactus collection (draw your own conclusions from this gift!)

All joking aside, men do have a softer side - admitted or not. Gardening or getting fresh flowers for the home are common male past-times. The next time you are at the local garden centre, pay attention to what men want and you’ll see that they’re not always shopping for their wives!

If you must continue the Father’s Day gift idea of a tie (or some other item like a baseball cap, or socks) at least speak with your local florist about incorporating these Father’s Day ideas into a Father Day flower arrangement he will likely never forget.

Father’s Day History

Father’s Day is a celebration introduced in the early twentieth century to complement Mothers’ Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting, and to honor and commemorate fathers and forefathers. Father’s Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving to fathers and family-oriented activities.

The history of Father’s Day dates back to the turn of the century, however President Calvin Coolidge recommended Father’s Day as a national holiday in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made Father’s Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June however the holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon

It’s that time of year when holiday test order stories appear. This one is about Mother’s Day Flowers. . One such television news story that was shown in the Washington, D.C. market gives a strong thumbs up for real local florists.

NBC affiliate consumer reporter Liz Crenshaw put spring bouquets to the test to determine if they’re (in her words) “beautiful buds or duds.” The reporter purchased five spring bouquets from ProFlowers, 1-800-Flowers.com, Organic Bouquet, F T D and one randomly picked real local florist, Greenworks.

She ran the flower test at Ballston Common Mall in Arlington, VA., where shoppers were asked to choose their favorite arrangement (they were labeled only by “a” through “e”). A total of 35 shoppers judged the five designs on two factors:  which one they liked most and which they would send to their mothers.

“The bouquet with the most appeal, the clear crowd-pleaser,” Crenshaw says, was the Washington, D.C.-based florist’s $58 arrangement. The bouquet received 19 votes, and the shoppers liked the Greenworks creation because it was the most colorful and because of its simplicity and shape.

F T D’s $56 bouquet followed with less than half at eight votes, then 1-800-Flowers’ $47 bouquet with 5 votes, Organic Bouquet’s $66 bouquet with 2 votes and ProFlowers’ $54 bouquet received one vote. The sum total of the order brokers/gatherers did not even equal the votes cast for the real florist….18 to 16 for all of the bad guys combined.

During the past few years, there have been many “test order” reports during flower holidays where reporters pose as consumers ordering flowers and do a story picturing the flowers they received, along with details on price and how their order was handled (attitude of salespeople, accuracy of message card, timeliness of delivery, etc.).  Real florists always show up much better than the companies with web sites and an office but no inventory of flowers.

But the real question is why?   Real florists stock real flowers, employ really skilled designers who make real bouquets,  and they make real deliveries of flowers and gifts.  The huge order gatherers like 1800, Teleflora and F T D offer none of these features. They all have an automatic web site and call centers that pass the order to a third party (a totally different company) for fulfilment immediately with no human intervention.  For this, they charge a service fee of $12.95 to $14.95 and retain about 30% of the order value.  The party filling the order gets the remaining 70%.

This means that the big office guys are totally uneccesary and contribute zero to the process. In fact they gouge the public so they actually add a big minus to the equation.  What a money machine………no inventory of any kind and make about $30 plus per order.  Talk about a license to steal!

But when will the public catch on?   When will they learn not order on the big boys web sites? When will they learn not to succumb to their slick advertising?    False and misleading advertising because most of the public think they actually deliver the goods!!

Even a fifth grader would know how to find a real local florist in less than 10 seconds! Just Google one! Type ” Florist City State/Prov”   So simple………..Add country if you like.  Google will save you money and you will get a much better bouquet.  Why deal with a third party broker who has no flowers, no designers, and no delivery vans?  Deal direct with a real local florist………you will be glad you did now that you know the truth.

   It was recently announced that F T D has been sold again. U nited On Line has made an offer that is expected to close in the third quater.  U nited has several business units but it is best known as an internet service provider. Many analysts wonder about the connnection.

   F T D operates a huge online consumer divison acting as an order broker for many other products and firms.  They have zero inventory of any product and hence can make a lot of money as a middle man.

   They also charge member florists substantial fees to belong to their network which average about 3% per order for most florists.

   Customers are generally charged a service fee of $14.98 plus they keep 27% of each order and the above 3%. On a $50 order placed on their web site, they make about $30……….$15 service fee and 30% commission which is $15 for a total of $30.00.

  The florist gets paid about $35………70% of the orginal $50. order.

 There is something very wrong with that equation. 

  Why do consumers not see the gouging here?  The guy with no inventory gets almost as much as the guy who has to buy the flowers from a grower or wholesaler, design the flowers and deliver to the recipient.

  No wonder flowers at the florist shop are expensive. No wonder the florist has to cut the amount of flowers going into an order from an order broker. No wonder an increasing number of real florsits refuse to fili orders from order gatherers.

  But the public does not catch on!   How hard is it to find a local florist with Google? A fifth grader could do it in 10 seconds.

   This is the 3rd time, F T D has been sold in the last 15 years. The last two sales made a bundle of money for the buyers as they took the company private and then back public in each case.  Both made a profit of over 4 times their original investment in less than 5 years.

  I guess this is the American way……………..the rich get richer and the public gets sucked in by slick advertising.

Share the following inspirational quotes with your Mother. Send her a beautiful Mother’s Day bouquet or basket of flowers, candy and of course a special card with your chosen message. Contact a professional florist today and don’t leave Mother’s Day to chance.

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~ Rajneesh

All mothers are working mothers. ~ Author Unknown

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love. ~ Mildred B. Vermont

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~ Tenneva Jordan

A man’s work is from sun to sun, but a mother’s work is never done. ~ Author Unknown

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. ~ Irish Proverb

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~ Jewish Proverb

Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother. ~ Oprah Winfrey

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~ Graycie Harmon

Anna Marie Jarvis (May 1, 1864, Webster, West Virginia — November 24, 1948, West Chester, Pennsylvania) is recognized as the founder of the Mother’s Day holiday in the United States of America

Anna Jarvis was born in the tiny town of Webster in Taylor County, West Virginia. She was the daughter of Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. The family moved to nearby Grafton, West Virginia in her childhood.

On May 12, 1907, two years after her mother’s death, she held a private memorial to her mother and thereafter embarked upon a campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday. She succeeded in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson made the second Sunday in May a nationally recognized occasion celebrating Mother’s. The International Mother’s Day Shrine was established in Grafton to commemorate her accomplishment.

Anna Jarvis incorporated herself as the Mother’s Day International Association and claimed copyright on the second Sunday of May. Ms Jarvis had very strong opinions regarding how Mother’s Day should be celebrated and this included appropriate gifts, handwritten notes, candies and flowers - of which she chose the white carnation as the official flower of Mother’s Day.

Don’t leave Mother’s Day to chance - Use a professional florist…

In the Spring 1908, three years after the death of her Mother Ann Jarvis, Anna Jarvis celebrated the first public Mother’s Day memorial. This open celebration of her Mother’s life and works was held at Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton West Virginia, where Anna’s Mother had worked for twenty years as a Sunday School teacher.

The celebration and memorial was inspired the previous year at a private memorial when Anna had invited friends to her home to celebrate her Mother’s life. During that occasion Anna announced her intentions to create a national celebration day commemorating all Mothers.

Anna established the white carnation as the symbol of the celebration and developed other text and visual tools in honor of the event. It was Anna who coined the term, “Mother’s Day Association”, used during the period she was developing her concept of what Mother’s Day should be.

Since 1908, a celebration for mothers has taken place at the Andrews Methodist Church, now known as the International Mother’s Day Shrine, in the town of Grafton, West Virginia. This historic building has been designated a national historic Landmark and is the focal point in the town’s preparation for a centennial celebration of the first Mother’s Day in May, 2008.

• Order your Mother’s Day Flowers from Brant Florist