A Client From London Shares His Thoughts About a Starbright Experience…

I woke up this morning and decided to stay home – It is a holiday weekend and there are rarely any opportunities to recharge the gas tank with a little rest and relaxation.  As I often do even when I stay home, I was checking my email and got this really cool note from a client in London.  Just thought I would take a moment to share his words with the whole wide world… Dale really made my day and the day of our entire team…

Featuring a vase of mokara orchids, miniature calla lilies, grasses and bells of Ireland.

“You must email every new customer, so please believe me when I tell you that I planned to write to you in any case.

Today I panicked. I intended to send a pre-wedding gift to a colleague at work who is everso important to me, professionally and personally. But due to vacations and some problems at work, time caught up with me, and I needed to find a gift she would appreciate.

As I live in the UK, I took a risk with your firm. I panicked further when I realised it was a holiday weekend, and people would be leaving work early! But I am very happy I did take a risk. When I telephoned after realising how tight the timing was, you were curteous and helpful. The flowers I ordered were delivered just a couple of hours later, and my colleagues who saw them said they were wonderful.  Thank you for your professionalism, creativity and efficiency. I appreciate it very much, and I could tell it made my friend’s day.

I don’t know if you use testimonials, please feel free to use this one. Thanks again, and have a great holiday weekend,

Dale”

For all of us at Starbright Floral Design, delivering flowers and  “making someone’s day” is a real passion of ours.  When we hear from someone far away (Like Dale from London) that we did great work and that they “loved our flowers” we are just as happy as our clients are!  To everyone that has placed their trust and confidence in Starbright for all their flower and gift-giving requests we are truly grateful.  Thank you to everyone that has helped to put our florist on the map!

Starbright is located in New York City in the heart of the historic flower district.  We deliver fresh flowers, smiles, and passion every day of the week all year long!  You can find us online at http://www.starflor.com/ or you can call us at 800.520.8999.  Either way, we will always be thrilled to hear from you and to help in every way that we can.  “You will always have a friend in the flower business!

Warm Regards,

Your friends at Starbright

Overwhelming “Thank You’s”

From time to time we get notes of thanks from our clients where they express their appreciation for the flowers that we deliver for them to their loved ones, their coworkers or to their business associates… Today I got a few more than usual and  I wanted to write about them just because the notes themselves were really cool and they mean so much to all of us.  Here is a sampling of what I received today:

So Bridgette writes:

Thanks Nic, I really appreciate it. I heard everyone thought the flowers were amazing. Thanks for the doing great work and making me look good. Have a great day, Bridgette

and then  there was this note to George from J. Peters.  Now granted it is a little over-the-top with enthusiasm:

Thank You so much George!!  You are such a great person to talk with…so informative, detailed,  and most importantly warm.    (just like the beautiful flowers you have delivered to people so they can smile).  I am so glad you were the one that picked up the phone!  You are the Best!!  will definitely pass it on about your amazing kindness and Starbright flowers!!! 🙂    I hope you have an amazing day!!!   THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!  🙂

All along the way whenever we hear from our clients it makes the work that we do, the arrangements that we create all the more worthwhile.  It is nice to know that we spend our days doing things that touch people’s hearts in such a meaningful way.  I truly believe that just as much as receiving flowers brings joy, the experience is duplicated when the recipient gets an enthusiastic “OMG, I cannot believe you did this for meeeee! Thank you soooooooooo much! I love the flowers!”  That is the business we are in and we love what we do!

A little bit about Starbright:  We are a retail flower shop that is located in Chelsea (a Manhattan neighborhood) in the center of the historic flower district.  You can visit our website at www.starflor.com or you can call us at 1.800.520.8999.  We are open and deliver flowers the same day that you order them anywhere in New York City or the rest of America seven days a week. 

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Starbright Floral Design – “The Official Florist of The City That Never Sleeps”

http://www.starbrightnyc.com/

 

Celebrating the Cymbidium Orchid…

Green Cymbidium Orchids floating atop polished river stones.

From time to time a flower variety comes around that earns the top spot at Starbright Floral Design as the gold-standard in most of our floral compositions.  Orchids have earned their rightful place in the sun at Starbright and you can expect to see one of the many varieties of orchids in pretty much every flower display that we create.  There are more varieties of orchids in our world than one can even imagine.  The cymbidium orchid is prominently featured throughout the year in many of our flower centerpieces for event and in floral arrangements that are sent as gifts. This orchid rightly deserves its position in the forefront of floral design, for it is beautiful, versatile and comes in a wide array of colors.

Cymbidiums grow from a large plant with enough long, slender leaves that it often looks bushy. A single stem will show anywhere from seven to fifteen flowers. On its own, a single stem makes quite a statement, especially when used in a very simple arrangement. For some clients, we will occasionally place polished river stones at the base of the vase, maybe a swirl of lily grass atop those, and then the cymbidium fills the rest of the vase. Outside of the vase, a cymbidium will hold its own when placed simply with some curly willow branches or a broad tropical leaf.  Entire stems of cymbidium can also be used in taller arrangements, usually of the scale and type that would be appropriate for a corporate event or large celebration.  In these instances, cymbidiums ramp up the sumptuousness of the arrangement.

Additionally, the individual blooms of a cymbidium can be cut from the main stem and put in water tubes, to then be used in a medium or short arrangement, or even in bouquets. Often Starbright has used white, cream or green cymbidiums in traditional bridal bouquets. Cymbidium blooms are a favorite for corsages and boutonnieres, for they are simultaneously delicate and bold enough to make a statement. Using cymbidiums for personal flowers-to-wear has an extra benefit, as cymbidium have one of the most delicious, clean scents of any flower. The individual blooms can also be used for a simple, quick accent decor which we loosely refer to as a “floaty.” This involves a small, short vase, probably no more than four or five inches in diameter and four inches tall, with a half-inch of water at the bottom in which the cymbidium rests. Stones, gems, sand and a variety of other materials can be placed under the cymbidium for additional color or texture.

A full cymbidium orchid stem inside a vase with polished river stones and willow branches as an accent.

Cymbidium orchids are a flower which has been prized for a long time. In ancient Greece, they were a symbol of beauty and strength. It was believed that if a man ate large cymbidium tubers, he would have a boy, and if he ate small shoots, he and his wife would have a girl. In Victorian times, cymbidiums came to symbolize luxury. The star-shaped flower, whether used as a whole stem or an individual bloom, certainly adds elegance to any arrangement.

We are located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District and we are open and delivering amazing flowers and gifts seven days a week.  You can reach us by telephone from anywhere at 800.520.8999 or you can visit our websites… To send someone a Starbright Gift you can go to our e-commerce portal at http://www.starbrightnyc.com/ or you can visit our main site at http://starflor.com

You have a friend in the flower business!

 

November Birth Flower: Chrysanthemums, flower with an identity crisis…

Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb in the 15th Century BC.  The flower was brought to Japan in the 8th Century and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal.  The flower was brought to Europe in the 17th Century and named from the Greek for “Gold Flower”, a reflection of its original color.

The Chrysanthemum - November Flower....

These days the flowers come in various forms and can be daisy-like, decorative pompons, or buttons.  In addition to the traditional yellow, other colors are available such as white, purple and red.

In the United States, Chrysanthemums are identified as cheerful holiday flowers.  Fall arrangements and Thanksgiving Day Flowers in NYC and throughout the country incorporate Chrysanthemums in their decor.  However, many European countries (France, Italy, Spain, Hungary and Croatia) have identified Chrysanthemums with death.  Accordingly, their use in floral arrangements is limited to funerals or on graves.

Other Uses:

Be sure to bring Chrysanthemums with you when taking a walk in the jungle.  The flower is considered a natural source as an insect repellent.  The Pyrethins when extracted and applied on the skin in an oil suspension or as a powder can be lethal to insects such as mosquitoes.  The Chinese have used the flower for its antiseptic and antibiotic qualities for centuries.

Starbright Floral Design is located  in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  We are in a second floor loft space from where our customer’s orders get dispatched.  To learn more about our organization and the work that we do, we would like to invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com or you may call us at 800.520.8999.  Either way, we would be thrilled to hear from you and to be of service.

Starbright deliverers flowers in Manhattan (our home city) as well as world-wide.  In addition to flowers and plants, fruit and gourmet baskets, balloon and the like; we are also the go-to florist for events (both corporate and personal).  Flowers, Festivals & Celebrations…. It is what we do!

Wishing you a wonderful day!

 

Starbright Floral Design

“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”

website: starflor.com

to order flowers: www.starbrightnyc.com

by phone: 800.520.8999

In a Day’s Work

All in a day’s work at our flower emporium… We hope you like the photos!

The shoes were the centerpieces at this event!
Tropical Flowers Galore!
Bouquets of early autumn...

From time to time we keep a camera at our design table to bring you the latest photos of our work.  These are actual pictures of compositions as they come off our design table and we post them to give  you inspiration for the next gift you send, the next event you host or even for your wedding day.

Please feel free to visit our website at www.starflor.com where you will gain a bit of a broader perspective on our work at Starbright Floral Design.

Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  We are in a second floor loft space from where our customer’s orders get dispatched.  To learn more about our organization and the work that we do, we would like to invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com or you may call us at 800.520.8999.  Either way, we will be thrilled to hear from you and to be of service.

Starbright delivers flowers in Manhattan (our home city) as well as world-wide.  In addition to flowers, plants, fruit and gourmet baskets, balloons and the like we are also a go-to florist for events both corporate and personal.  Flowers, Festivals & Celebrations…. It is what we do!

Wishing you a wonderful  day!

Starbright Floral Design

The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps.

website: starflor.com

to order flowers: starbrightnyc.com

by phone: 800.520.8999

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201, New York City –

 

At Finovate: A Starbright Demo

Exciting times at Starbright Floral Design!  We have been honored to be a part of the Finovate Conference at Pier 92 on Wednesday the 21st of September.  Our Senior Partner (Nic Faitos) will be available to the press during the conference.  We are excited  to be a part of this program and to be involved in new and creative ways to bring our services in front of millions of loyal customers across a variety of platforms.   Read on for some thoughts and ideas of what lies ahead!

We’re excited to announce that Starbright will be featured in a live demonstration in front of nearly 1,000 top banking executives at a conference called Finovate (meaning innovation in financial services).  Why would a florist be shown in a demonstration to bankers?  Because we just began a new marketing program designed to reward our best customers with offers linked to the debit or credit cards from their banks or card issuers.  It’s called a card-linked offer.  The company we partner with to create card-linked offers is Cartera Commerce, who is demonstrating its solution at Finovate, and asked Starbright to participate.

So what exactly is a card-linked offer?  Well, it’s very similar to another type of offer most consumers are familiar with: the Daily Deal.  Every day, many of us get emails from companies like Groupon or Living Social with discounts on products and services from local merchants.  While Daily Deals can help a local merchant get a lot of publicity and drive one-time sales, they aren’t very good at helping merchants reward their best, most loyal customers for their patronage.  That’s where card-linked offers come in.

As a business that focuses on building lasting relationships with our customers, Starbright sees value in programs that “thank” our loyal customers for shopping with us.  Card-linked offers are the latest and most innovative way to do that.  Why?  Because the offers are linked to the cards consumers already have and value.  So instead of having to pay up front for a Daily Deal and print out a voucher that may expire, card-linked offers reward our customers after they buy flowers in a currency they value – whether it’s cash back, points or frequent flier miles – right back on the card they used!

For example, American Airlines customers can now register a credit card, use it when they purchase flowers from Starbright, and earn frequent flier miles.  Imagine that – buying flowers to fly!   Our offer is also available to Priority Club™ rewards cardholders from Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), who can register a credit card, use it with Starbright, and earn bonus rewards points to use for free stays at a Holiday Inn or Crown Plaza Hotel.

Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  We are in a second floor loft space from where our customer’s orders get dispatched.  To learn more about our organization and the work that we do, we would like to invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com or you may call us at 800.520.8999.  Either way, we will be thrilled to hear from you and to be of service.

Starbright delivers flowers in Manhattan (our home city) as well as world-wide.  In addition to flowers, plants, fruit and gourmet baskets, balloons and the like we are also a go-to florist for events both corporate and personal.  Flowers, Festivals & Celebrations…. It is what we do!

Wishing you a wonderful  day!

Starbright Floral Design

The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps.

website: starflor.com

to order flowers: starbrightnyc.com

by phone: 800.520.8999

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201, New York City –

September Birth Flower: The Aster, Beware!

The Matsumoto Aster

The September flower is the Aster which in the language of flowers means love, faith and wisdom.  However, since 1918 the Aster worn on your lapel signifies something entirely different and could lead to unforeseen consequences.  An Aster on the lapel signifies your unity and membership in the insurrection.   Its revolutionary symbolism originated from the Hungarian revolution of 1918 dubbed the “Aster Revolution”.

Revolutionaries in Hungary wore it as sign of solidarity with the rebels of the revolution.  The revolution was short lived but the Aster’s symbolism has lived on.   Rumor has it, an Aster worn on your lapel today will generate and FBI probe and possibly a trip to Guantanamo (note to those with no sense of humor: this is a joke!)  The Aster is known as a hardy flower but surely does not do well under water boarding conditions.

Certain varieties of the flower have been used medicinally for their pain relieving qualities.  According to ancient lore the burning of the Aster leaves protects against snake attacks.  Perhaps the use of the Aster by revolutionaries was not a random act but a calculated survival tool.

Regardless of its meaning, Aster flowers provide a beautiful addition to a fall flower garden. When so many other flowers are at the end of their growing season, the hardy asters continue to thrive.  Their brilliant colors and scent brighten up any landscape or floral arrangement.

Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  We are in a second floor loft space from where our customer’s orders get dispatched.  To learn more about our organization and the work that we do, we would like to invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com or you may call us at 800.520.8999.  Either way, we will be thrilled to hear from you and to be of service.

Starbright delivers flowers in Manhattan (our home city) as well as world-wide.  In addition to flowers, plants, fruit and gourmet baskets, balloons and the like we are also a go-to florist for events both corporate and personal.  Flowers, Festivals & Celebrations…. It is what we do!

Wishing you a wonderful  day!

Starbright Floral Design

The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps.

website: starflor.com

to order flowers: starbrightnyc.com

by phone: 800.520.8999

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201, New York City –

Starbright Floral Design: Our Press Kit

Hot off the press this is our updated Press Kit.  It will be distributed to all our friends, corporate clients and to all who consider us as  their florist in the years to come.  To share with our readers and to give everyone an idea of what the Starbright brand stands for, the accomplishments of our team and to let everyone know what we have been up to, we are posting our corporate resume on Blooming Thoughts…. Thank you to everyone for a wonderful seventeen years!

We raise our glass to everyone that helped us get here and contributed so much along the way.  Our clients, the concierges at the hotels we serve, the venues, the event planners, our corporate clients, those who have trusted us with sending flowers to your loved ones… AND of course the entire Starbright Team.  Everyone who has passed through our doors has left their mark.  Thank you for all you  taught us and the footprint you left behind.  Here is to a bright future to everyone we know… Thank you!

Nic Faitos, Senior Partner – Starbright Floral Design

“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”

“Located in the Heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District”

Flowers, Festivals & Celebrations… It is what we do!

 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF STARBRIGHT FLORAL DESIGN

Starbright was founded in 1994 as a corporate and institutional florist in New York City with a mission to serve the non-walk-in and non-retail trades.  The focus has always been to serve the corporate floral and decorating needs of our clients.

We occupy production and administration space in a loft on 28th street in the center of the wholesale flower market.  Starbright is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.

In the past sixteen plus years we have had the opportunity to develop relationships and execute events at the most known venues throughout Manhattan including most hoteliers and restaurateurs.  In excess of two-hundred of the city’s top concierges at the leading hotels of Manhattan use us as their go-to florist.

Today Starbright is positioned to execute its plans for growth into the future with exemplary customer service and a quality product at a fair price.  Protecting the standard of quality and service that we have set over the years is our priority.  We will always be known as a supplier that offers a customer experience that earns five stars at every level; from the first encounter on the telephone to the execution of our client requests.

‘’When the history books write the Starbright Story, we will be judged kindly if we remembered to always do our best, give everyone we meet a smile and lead our industry with innovation, creativity, quality and service.’’

Statement of Mission, Starbright Floral Design, 14 September 1994.

 

 

 

 

 

CAPABILITIES AND SERVICES

Sending Flowers Anywhere – Through our private network of florists we are able to send exquisite floral gifts (as well as gourmet baskets and plants) anywhere around the world.  From our own store we can deliver anywhere in Manhattan even if the order comes in late in the afternoon.  With about three or four hours notice we can send flowers anywhere in the USA during local business hours.

Weekly Flowers – Seasonal flower varieties in a vase that will alter in style from time to time. The floral varieties will vary with the season and in no two weeks will either the flowers or the design be identical.  The designs will be sculpted to blend seamlessly and complement your décor and replenished weekly.

Event Décor – No event is too big or too small to receive the personalized service and expertise of an experience Starbright representative.  From holiday parties, client hospitality events as well as events at any venue in New York City (or beyond) we can provide consulting services and decorations at any level. Most of the recognized venues in New York City are familiar with Starbright Floral Design as we have decorated at most places on multiple occasions (Ellis Island, Madison Square Garden, The Plaza Hotel, and many others). We welcome you to review a sampling of our work at www.starflor.com

Human Resources and Client Gifting – We are fully capable of delivering a gift of flowers, plant or fruit and gourmet baskets anywhere in the United States on a same day basis and with 48 hours notice worldwide. At any budget that you may have, we will be happy to provide gift flora at anytime and anywhere. As part of our commitment to HR we can either help implement or follow existing flower policies set by our clients.

Plant Maintenance – To many of our clients we provide lush phalaenopsis orchid plants for a pre-set monthly fee and we arrive at the office once weekly to take care of all the orchid plants. When the orchids are fully bloomed and start to drop their flowers we replace the plants with new ones (once about every six weeks) at no additional cost to our client.

Employee Discounts – We offer our services at a discounted rate to the employees of all the companies that we work with. Once our relationship is established, employee who calls upon us and identifies his/her affiliation will receive a discount on any floral (or related) gift that they send at anytime, anywhere to anyone. This is a benefit that they can use repeatedly and has virtually no limitations beyond a low minimum of $35.

We are also involved with many clients and PR firms to create a variety of Co-Branding, Continuity and Cross-Promotional Programs.

 

STORE HOURS

  • We are open and delivering seven days per week.
  • Our Monday to Saturday hours are 8AM to 8PM.
  • Sunday we are open from 9AM to 6PM.

 

CREDENTIALS

Starbright Floral Design is a member of the following professional organizations:

  • NYC & Company – the tourism marketing arm of New York City. We have donated for all their events (including Annual Meetings, Galas, POW WOW, etc) since 1994.
  • Society of American Florists – This is the lobbying body for all florists and cut flower growers in Washington DC. Nic Faitos (our Senior Partner) has been an invited speaker on a variety of subjects with the organization’s conferences, annual meetings, etc.  Additionally, Starbright is regularly quoted in SAF’s industry magazine, Floral Management.
  • HSMAI – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.
  • Chamber of Commerce – New York City
  • Teleflora – a recognized leader in flower-by-wire services throughout the world. Starbright Floral Design ranks in the top 50 members in an organization of over 20,000 members worldwide.

 

Recognitions and Awards:

  • The highest rated and most reviewed florist based on user reviews online (five stars across the board) on sites such as Citysearch, Google, Yelp and the like.
  • Was awarded “Best of” by Citysearch users.
  • Selected as “best florist” for weddings by The Knot.

 

CLIENT ROSTER SAMPLING

  • The New York Marriott Marquis
  • All W properties in New York City
  • Gramercy Park Hotel
  • British Airways
  • Ernst & Young
  • BBVA
  • NYU Dental School
  • Baruch College of Business
  • Columbia University Teacher’s College
  • The Kitano New York
  • Open Hospitality
  • Axel Johnson
  • Edelman PR
  • Quintessentially
  • NYC & Company
  • Oscar de la Renta
  • The NBA
  • Jimmy Choo
  • Benjamin Steakhouse
  • Spirit Cruises
  • American Eagle Outfitters
  • World Yacht
  • VISA USA

 

NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE SUPPORT

  • The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
  • Big Brothers / Big Sisters of New York City
  • Jumpstart
  • Coalition for the Homeless
  • The Ronald McDonald House
  • Fashion Fights Cancer

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION….

Our website:

www.starflor.com

Our e-commerce portal:

www.starbrightnyc.com

Our Web Log:

Starbrightfloral.wordpress.com

Social Media:

www.facebook.com/StarbrightFloralDesign

www.twitter.com/#!/starbrightFD

LinkedIn Profiles:

www.linkedin.com/ (search: Starbright Floral Design and Nic Faitos)

150 West 28th Street – Studio 201 – New York City – 10001

800.520.8999

Remembering: Our Grandparents

“To forget one’s ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root.” Chinese Proverb.

National Grandparents Day is a national holiday celebrated the first Sunday of September after Labor Day of each year.  This year the holiday falls on September 11.

The holiday was created by former President Jimmy Carter by proclamation in 1978 (believed by many to be his greatest; some would say only; accomplishment as president). The statute cites the day’s purpose as: “…to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer”.

Grandparents are a family’s greatest treasure.  They are the defenders of our family traditions.  They are the foundation upon which a strong family structure is built.  They provide a special kind of love that sets them apart.   Grandparents have the ability convey knowledge while providing a seeming endless supply of cookies.  However, despite their wisdom, some answers still elude them.  For example, my mother told me that one of life’s greatest mysteries was how the girl who wasn’t good enough to marry her wonderful son (my wife) can be the mother of the smartest grandchild (my son) in the world.  I guess my gene pool won out.

The official flower of the U.S. National Grandparents Day is the forget-me-not.  Interestingly, forget about giving the official flower as a gift on Grandparents day, it blooms in the spring and is not available.  Accordingly, seasonal flowers are typically given in appreciation to grandparents.

Happy Grandparents Day to all!

This scribe is brought to you by all of us at Starbright Floral Design.  The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps.  Flowers, Festivals and  Celebrations… It is what we do!

To visit our website: http://starflor.com/

Our E-Commerce Portal: http://www.starbrightnyc.com/ (to send flowers in New York City or worldwide)

Our number is 800.520.8999 – we look forward to hearing from you and maybe meeting you one day soon!

August Birth Flower: Gladiolus (U.S.) or Poppy (U.K.)

Gladiolus

Gladiolus has been dubbed the flower of the Gladiators.   It represents strength of character, sincerity, generosity.  In the Victorian age with its secret language of flowers it was said to represent “love at first sight”. Gladiolus derives its name from the latin word for sword and is sometimes called the sword lily.  As a member of the iris family it contains about 260 species.   Only about 10 are native to Europe the rest are native to southern Africa.  The species vary from very small to the spectacular giant flower spikes you see in floral designs. The flower stalk of the Gladiolus contains an extended row of trumpet-shaped, fragrant flowers, all of which face in one direction. Their colors include pink to reddish or light purple with white, contrasting markings, or white to cream or orange to red.

 

Poppy

All species of poppies are attractive and most are cultivated as ornamental plants.   In Europe the poppy is a common weed and found in many locales including Flanders, the setting for the famous poem by the Canadian surgeon and soldier John McCrae “In Flanders Fields”.  However, A few species are cultivated as sources of drugs and foods. The opium poppy is so widely used, for both drugs and food, that its worldwide production is monitored by international agencies. It produces opium, opiates, poppy seeds and poppy seed oil.

Poppies have long been used as a symbol of both sleep and death.  Sleep because of the opium extracted from them, and death because of the common blood-red color of the red poppy.  In Greek and Roman myths, poppies were used as offerings to the dead.  Poppies used as emblems on tombstones symbolize eternal sleep.

In the United Kingdom poppies are traditionally worn on lapels each November in remembrance of those who died serving their country (symbol coming from Flanders Field).  In November 2010 the U.K.’s prime minister and his aides wore the poppies on their lapels during a visit to China nearly causing an international incident and damaging relations between the two countries.  The Chinese took offense because the poppy reminds the Chinese of the many Chinese who died at the hands of the English during the Opium wars fought in the 1800’s.  The Chinese insisted the Poppies be removed.  The Prime Minister informed the Chinese that poppies meant a great deal to them and the English people and refused to remove them.

Artificial poppies (called “Buddy Poppies”) are used by the Veterans of Foreign Wars as a source of financial assistance to disabled veterans who assemble them.  VFW conducted its first poppy distribution before Memorial Day in 1922, becoming the first veterans’ organization to organize a nationwide distribution. The poppy soon was adopted as the official memorial flower of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. Today, VFW Buddy Poppies are still assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA Hospitals.   The minimal cost of Buddy Poppies to VFW units provides compensation to the veterans who assemble the poppies, provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans’ rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home for orphans and widows of our nation’s veterans.

This scribe is brought to you by your friends at Starbright Floral Design… We are an enthusiastic bunch that spends our day making really cool compositions of flowers. Bright colors,  great designs and  amazing service to our clients is what we are all about.  Starbright is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District in a second floor loft space.  We spend our days making flower arrangements that we send as gifts on behalf of our clients.  People call us for a bunch of reasons (1 800 520 8999)… Sometimes to say “sorry”, other times to wish someone well during an illness or to congratulate on one of life’s major milestones.  Sometimes people call us because the caught the romantic influenza and they think someone is super sexy! We even get some really shy customers that don’t know what to say on  the card and need lots of help!

For world-wide delivery of flowers, be sure  to visit our website at www.starflor.com.  We would love to hear from you!

To place  an order for amazing flowers online go to:  www.starbrightnyc.com

Our warmest regards,

 

The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps

Starbright Floral Design, 150 West 28th Street, New York City.

We are on the SECOND floor!

1 800 520  8999

www.starflor.com