A little while back, a customer purchased cut hydrangeas from one of our stores. A brunch was being held in honor of her mother-in-law, and the customer was making hydrangea centerpieces for the occasion.
We placed a special order for the South America-grown flowers, so we knew they were as fresh as could be. Yet the customer was back in our store within 24 hours, her hydrangeas having wilted.
We replaced them so that her needs were met, but in the meantime we recut the original flowers and put them in water with cut-flower food. Within hours, they looked gorgeous again.
The moral to this story? If you’re going to work with cut hydrangeas – lots and lots of consumers are these days, and with good reasons – then don’t skimp on flower food.
Garden feel
Hydrangea flowers have big heads – a single one can be 4 to 8 inches wide – and make a bold statement with great ease. Just plop them in any kind of water-holding container (canning jars are popular) and they look terrific, bringing a garden feel indoors.
Clearly, hydrangeas are popular these days: You’ll find lots of evidence on Pinterest, the online bulletin board. In fact, we incorporated them into a number of our arrangements and deliver loose hydrangeas to our stores a couple of times each week.
Once you get the flowers home, make certain that they have plenty of water that has been mixed with flower food. You can purchase packets of food from your local florist; mix one packet per quart of water.
Hydrangeas represent a great value because you don’t need many of them to make a big impression and, with proper care, they last a long time.
Category: Flowers
Mums the word year-round
Many of us decorate porches and patios with hardy mums in the fall. But a little bit of loving and some attention to the calendar can help you get the most out of your mums and even keep them blooming in a garden for years to come.
If you planted mums in the ground back in the fall, then the summer months are important in their growth cycle.
Feeding: From spring through July, nourish your mums twice a month with an all-purpose garden fertilizer mixed in water. Stop feeding in August.
Pinching: By July 15, you should pinch the top growth back 1 to 2 inches. This will ensure that your mums bloom in the fall rather than during the summer.
Controlling pests: Aphids are the most common pests that afflict garden mums. These are small soft-bodied insects about the size of a pinhead. They range in color from green to yellow to black. They make their livings by sucking the sap out of tender new growth. To control them, spray an all-purpose insecticide or insecticidal soap on the plants once a week for a couple of weeks. Take care not to spray plants in direct sun or when the temperature is above 90 degrees.
Now, if you are thinking about planting your potted mum for the first time, here are some steps to take:
• Be sure to water your potted mums daily as warm days will make them thirsty. At the same time, too much water can damage the roots; provide drainage in decorative pots or baskets.
• It’s best to plant the mums in October so their roots have time to grow before cold weather sets in.
• Once the mums are planted, water them thoroughly a couple of times each week through mid-November. This will encourage the roots to grow deeply. The deeper the roots, the stronger the plants will be.
• In late spring, cut the plants down 6 to 8 inches above the ground. This will give you bushy, compact plants with lots of flowers. As spring gives way to summer, follow the instructions above relative to feeding and pinching.
Making arrangements: public design class
You don’t have to be a professional designer in order to make a beautiful floral arrangement. Not when you have a professional designer from Connells Maple Lee on hand to guide you.
Our Jill Elmore led nine participants (including one from as far away as Chillicothe) in our April 27 public design class. The three-hour class was held in Connells Maple Lee’s central design department in Grove City.
Jill taught her students how to create a festive springtime arrangement.
We typically offer design classes three times per year, including a two-part class in early November. If you are interested in attending a future class, please contact Jill at jill.elmore@usretailflowers.com.
We’ll handle your long-distance Mother’s Day order
Flowers are a time-honored way of letting mom know just how much you love her. But sending flowers long distance can be confusing and sometimes disappointing, especially if you are not familiar with the process and some of the pitfalls.
The Internet has given rise to thousands of flower-delivery options. But how do you know you’re really getting a good price and high-quality service? And will the flowers arrive on time?
That great price might not be so great
Many websites touting great prices show you a gorgeous arrangement – only to deliver a bunch of flowers in a box that mom still has to put in a vase. In many cases, what is delivered is similar to what you’ll find in a grocery store or at a street vendor. It might be a nice bouquet but not arranged in a container; often, the container costs extra.
After adding extra charges such as service and delivery fees, the great price that first got your attention might not be any better than what a local florist would charge.
Beware of unscrupulous companies
Perhaps you know of a florist where mom lives. But be careful if you use a search engine to find contact information for that florist. Many unscrupulous companies make themselves appear to be local florists – maybe the one that you’re familiar with – by using a similar name or even a local phone number (that ultimately rings to another state).
These companies tend to charge high service and delivery fees, only to hand off the delivery to someone else. They charge you fees that they didn’t earn, and you don’t get what you paid for.
Call early – and call Connells Maple Lee
You can avoid these hassles and ensure the best results by placing your order early – and by calling us when you do.
We’re proud to be your local florist, but we also are one of the largest senders of long-distance orders in the country. Other florists want to keep us happy because they want to continue receiving our business. We also foster our relationships with them through our regular participation in national florist meetings.
In short, we can resolve the rare problem when it occurs. What’s more, we have strong ties to FTD and Teleflora, the two largest wire services that florists use to transmit their orders, and they will step in if necessary to make sure that problems are addressed to our customers’ satisfaction.
Sending flowers long distance can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. Just call us, and we’ll make the process easy. We’ll handle your out-of-town order with the same care and attention it would receive if we were delivering it ourselves.
Getting the most out of your Valentine’s roses
Valentine’s season can last well beyond Feb. 14. In fact, by following some simple steps, your roses should provide you with a week or more of enjoyment.
All Royer’s arrangements arrive in vases that contain a mixture of water and flower food (FloraLife, in our case). You just need to make sure that there is enough water over time as roses are surprisingly thirsty.
Other tips for getting the most out of your roses:
For roses that arrive in a vase:
• If your roses don’t begin to open within a few days, remove them from the vase, re-cut their stems and return them to the vase. Although not necessary, cut the stems under water if possible.
• Keep the flowers cool: the cooler they are, the less water they will lose through their stems and petals.
• Add water in a sink so that any spillage will not damage a table or other furniture that the roses are sitting on.
For roses that arrive in a box or loose:
• Put water in the vase and add the packet of flower food that came with your delivery.
• Cut approximately one inch off the bottom of the rose to create a fresh pathway for water to work its way up the stem.
• Remove any foliage or thorns that may get stuck when the stems are placed in the vase.
• If you add any greens, make sure that any foliage is above the water. Foliage under water promotes unwanted bacterial growth.
By following those steps, you’re ready for the final, most important step of all: enjoy your roses!
Local florist bests big delivery sites in Yahoo! ‘Savvy Spender’ comparison
Yahoo!’s “Savvy Spender” set out to review four of the top floral delivery sites: 1800Flowers.com, ProFlowers.com, Teleflora and FTD.
But at the end of the day — or approximately 2:40 of this video clip — it was a local florist that outshone the big online retailers.
“To see how a local florist compares to the online experience, we ordered a dozen roses from our neighborhood florist,” said Savvy Spender host Vera Gibbons. “It was by far the most impressive arrangement with the longest stems, the most vibrant roses, and beautiful accents.
“Remember, roses travel all the way from South America, and it takes a professional florist to rehydrate them properly.”
From South America with love
Come mid-winter in mid-Ohio, the thought of soaking up the sun’s rays and 70-degree temperatures in South America sounds like a great vacation.
But for Tom Royer, traveling to Bogota, Colombia, is work.
Tom is senior vice president and chief operating officer for Connells Maple Lee Flowers. For the past 30 years, Tom has been making regular visits to flower farms near Bogota.
One of those trips comes every year in advance of Valentine’s Day, which is the floral equivalent of the Super Bowl. Tom visits South America in order to check on the quality of the product that will wind up in our customers’ homes and workplaces.
“It’s a product of the way we do things,” Tom said. “We’re very detailed about a lot of things we do. Flower-buying is just one of them.”
Bogota sits on a plateau, giving it year-round fall temperatures that are ideal for growing flowers.
Back in the early days, Tom remembers, construction of a bridge was cause for celebration in Bogota. Roads leading to the flower farms would wash out. Today, much to Tom’s delight, Bogota is a modern city.
Then as now, the purpose for going to Bogota is simple.
“We want the best possible flowers we can find,” Tom said.
By visiting the farms, Tom can inspect the latest crop in the field. He makes sure that the farms cut the flowers at the right maturity. He always carries his measuring tool to ensure that he’s getting the right length and head sizes for the flowers that Connells Maple Lee buys.
Tom’s work doesn’t end in Colombia. After several days on the farms, he then flies to Miami, where the flowers will arrive via cargo plane from Bogota. Until the flowers clear customs, they will be stored in refrigerated warehouses. Tom will inspect the flowers again to make sure that they fared well on the flight.
Finally, the flowers will be loaded on a refrigerated tractor-trailer destined for Connells Maple Lee’s distribution center in Grove City, which will receive some 60,000 roses and carnations, among other flowers, just for Valentine’s Day.
With so much fragile product involved, Connells Maple Lee has its schedule down to a science. Flowers can’t arrive too early, lest they wilt before the holiday. They can’t arrive too late or Connells Maple Lee won’t have enough time to create all of the arrangements that will be needed.
When the tractor-trailer arrives from Miami, it will be unloaded immediately, the flowers cut under water to maximize their moisture intake. The Connells Maple Lee team will be geared up to make thousands of arrangements.
“The goal is trying to eliminate any product issues when the flowers arrive in Grove City, because we cut the schedule tight,” Tom said. “We have it very well orchestrated.”
It’s that tight schedule – and Connells Maple Lee’s control of it from farm field all the way to consumers – that ensures the best quality possible.
The big online retailers can’t say the same thing. They don’t actually make their arrangements, instead contracting out that work. The result is much longer lead times – and a commensurate variation in quality – when compared with Connells Maple Lee.
“And from a competitive standpoint, we have to do that better,” Tom said. “That’s the way I look at it, is that we have to be better than anyone else. We have to have fresher stuff. It has to be much nicer.”
Tom Royer regularly visits South American farms to check on the flowers that are grown specifically for Connells Maple Lee.
Learn How You Can Get The Most Out Of Your Freshly Cut Flowers
Having flowers in your home enhances your décor and livens up your space. Learn about caring for flowers and plants by reading through these resources. Visit us at Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts for the freshest, most beautiful floral arrangements, plants, and gifts in town. If you’d like to know more, give us a call at (614) 539-4000.
- Learn simple ways to prolong the life of freshly cut flowers in this article.
- This article discusses the benefits plants can have on your indoor air quality.
- Find out your birth flower and what it signifies on this helpful webpage.
- Get an idea of the best indoor plants for a child to care for on this helpful website.
- Better Homes and Gardens provides this handy list of the easiest houseplants to care for.
3 Tips for Choosing Flowers She Will Love
There are many ways to show the special lady in your life that you care, but none is so simple and classic than giving her a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The trick is to pick the perfect kind to make her feel special. Here are a few tips that can help you in your quest:
Choose Her Birth Flower
Add an extra bit of thoughtfulness to your gift by choosing her birth flower. If you’re not familiar with the concept, birth flowers are similar to birthstones—each month has its own special flower. If she was born in April, bring her a gorgeous bunch of sweet peas. If she was born in July, she’ll love the beautiful larkspurs you bring her. If she’s an October girl, you can’t go wrong with a vibrant marigold.
Pick a Flower in Her Favorite Color
If you’re stuck, find out what color she loves most and pick a flower based on that. For instance, if she likes blue, she’ll love the beautiful blue hydrangeas you bring her. If she’s a fan of yellow, pick out some chrysanthemums or gladiolas to brighten up her day. She’ll appreciate the thought you put in to choosing something especially for her.
Go for a Classic
If you’re stumped, go for an old favorite; for example, red roses will let her know you care. Calla lilies are an elegant choice that she is bound to love. For a fun gift, give her a bouquet of sunflowers and tell her how much she brightens up your life.
For help picking out the perfect floral arrangement for the special woman in your life, come to Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts. Our friendly floral experts will guide you through our amazing selection of flowers, plants, and gifts. If you have any questions, give us a call at (614) 539-4000.
How to Make a Stunning Late Summer Floral Arrangement
Even though summer is almost over, you can still make beautiful floral arrangements to brighten up your home. Learn from the experts by watching this instructional video.
For an incredible late summer floral arrangement, you can’t go wrong with sunflowers. Choose a few different kinds of sunflowers, and arrange them with dark, attractive grasses and colorful dried leaves.
For the freshest, most beautiful flowers, come to Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts. Our helpful staff members will help you find the perfect floral arrangement for any occasion, including weddings and holidays. If you have questions, call us today at (614) 808-1693.