April Birth Flower: The Daisy-The most commonly picked flower by slaves?

Welcome to the fourth month in the calendar… Another birth flower has arrived.  With springtime everywhere, we are introducing the flower of the month of April (and for those of you who have been following us, this is no April Fool’s joke) – The flower of the month is the common daisy.  Read on!

 

The Everyday Daisy - April's Flower of the Month

 

 

Daisies belong to the Asteraceae plant family.   The Asteraceae family dates back fifty million years and includes over twenty thousand varieties. The family name derives from the Greek Aster, meaning a star shape.  The name daisy derives from the phrase Day’s Eye.  It’s a reference to the English daisies routine of closing their petals at night and opening again at daylight.  The Daisy’s meaning is said to be purity and innocence.  However, to Roman soldiers it often meant the difference between life and death.  The English daisy was widely used by the Romans for its astringent properties. Roman armies would have their slaves pick daisies incessantly in order to extract the juice.  Bandages were soaked in this juice and would help bind battle wounds.  Today the phrase just out picking daisies is not in reference to some forced labor but rather to depict a relaxing free time experience.  The term pushing daisies refers to the wild flowers that would sprout in the mound of dirt covering a fresh grave and signifies death.

English daisies have white, off-white, or sometimes slightly pink star-spread petals and a yellow center, with green stems and leaves.  Many varieties of daisies are clearly identifiable members of the daisy family with the typical English daisy appearance, such as the Shasta Daisy or Chrysanthemum.   Others like the popular Gerbera daisy (African daisy) have some of the identifiable traits such as central florets.  You can find its flowers in yellow, orange, pink, peach and red; they are prized for their large heads, long outer petals and intense colors. Dahlias, however, have the star-shaped petals without central florets.   Other varieties of daisies aren’t even flowers but edible plants such as artichokes.

Just a few thoughts  and  words about our sponsor… Blooming Thoughts is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design.  We are located in New York City in the heart of Manhattan in the heart of the Historic Flower District.  The wholesale florists on our block open at about 5am.  Give us a call and if you are up early, we will be happy  to give  you a walking tour of the flower district.  It is a great place to catch the scents and colors of the season.  I always tell people to walk our block at least four times a year so that they can enjoy and appreciate the seasons.

If you are not up that early, you can find us online at www.starflor.com or by stopping by and visiting us anytime before 8PM (seven days).  We are located at 150 West 28th Street in Studio 201.  Or you can give us a call at 800.520.8999.  We would love to hear from you!

The Official Florist

Bromeliad Plants: Matricide is Natural?

A Classic Bromeliad by Starbright
Aechmea fasciata
A Bromeliad Classic by Starbright
Guzmania Rana

Bromeliads are members of a plant family containing over 3000 species.  The most well known bromeliad is the pineapple.  People have been using bromeliads for thousands of years for food, shelter and ceremonies by civilizations such as Incas, Maya and Aztecs.  Europeans were introduced to the pineapple when Spanish conquistadors returned with the pineapple.  The image of the pineapple became so popular that it was adapted into European art, sculpture, furniture and architecture.

The most popular office and house plant varieties are Aechmea fasciata (Silver-Vase, Urn Plant) and Guzmania Rana.

In general they are ideal indoor plants requiring very little care.  The mother plant will generally only produce one bloom in its lifetime.  Once it blooms it will produce new plantlets called “pups”. These pups will feed on the “mother” plant until they are large enough to set roots of their own and survive as a separate plant. The mother has done her job and will die off.  The green, leafy top of a pineapple is in fact a pup that may be removed and planted to start a new plant.

It can take a few years for the plant to reach mature blooming size. Once the plant reaches maturity you can force the plant to flower by placing the plant in a clear plastic bag and throw a ripe apple inside the bag for 7 to 10 days. The ripe apple will give off ethylene gas and will help force the plant to flower.

1)      Sunlight: bright indirect sun.  Ideally placed around windows with blinds.

2)      Water: Keep the soil evenly moist.  Watering once to twice a week is sufficient. DO NOT USE A METAL WATERING CAN.  THE METAL IS TOXIC TO BROMELIADS AND WILL KILL THEM.

3)      Temperature: Indoor temperatures are perfect for Bromeliads.

Replanting the Pups: Once a pup reaches one-third the size of the mother plant gently tug and separate the two plants.  If the pup doesn’t pull away easily cut it where it attaches to the mother plant. Before potting your new plant, let the cut area dry out by letting it sit for a day (not in the sun). Using a mixture of peat moss and prelate pot up the bromeliad cutting into a small pot (do not over pot) and follow the instructions above. If all the potting and work sounds too much to handle ask Star bright about our Plant Care Services or do nothing and enjoy the plant as is.

These tips are brought to you by The Official Florist.  The Official Florist is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design.  We are a full-service corporate and retail florist located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  We are at 150 West 28th Street (Studio 201).  To learn more about our organization and about the type of work that we do, please  visit our website at www.starflor.com.  You may also order a gift by visiting our e-portal at www.starbrightnyc.com. Starbright is open seven days a week and we deliver flowers and other gifts in Manhattan and worldwide.  We invite you to give us a call or visit our website.

Thank you for visiting our blog.  Always “at your service”,

The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design

“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”

t.800.520.8999

starflor.com

 

March Birth Flower: Oh That Daffodil Itch

Daffodil - Springtime is here!
The Daffodil Blooms as the First Flower of Spring

The Narcissus is synonymous to the Daffodil.  The Daffodil is simply the English name for the flower which derives its name from the Greek mythological figure called Narcissus.  Narcissus was a young man who was so obsessed with his own reflection in a pool of water that he fell into the water and drowned.  The Narcissus plant first sprang up at the location of his death and thus the birth of the Daffodil itch.  This Greek myth has led the Daffodil being a symbol of unrequited love.   China has a somewhat different view of the Daffodil.  It is revered and has become a symbol of Chinese New Year.  It is said if it blooms on Chinese New Years, you are in store for extra wealth and good fortune for the year.

In moderate climates Daffodils flower among the earliest blooms in spring. Daffodils often grow in large clusters and cover entire hillsides. Their rhythmic movements in the wind inspired the  famous poem Daffodils, by William Wordsworth.  “…And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.”  All  Daffodil species have a central trumpet surrounded by a ring of six floral leaves.  The traditional daffodil consisted of a yellow color all over.  Today both in the wild and due to breeding, blooms range in colors to include yellow, white, orange, pink, red and green.

The Daffodil itch is not a term of endearment referencing the excitement of spring’s approach.  Instead, it is a term used by florists describing the itchy skin condition caused by exposure to the sap of the Daffodil.  The Daffodil contains alkaloid chemicals throughout making it very bitter and toxic if ingested.  The toxicity is dangerous if confused for an onion and ingested.  However it makes the Daffodil the perfect plant for those of you whose property has been overrun by rodents.  Deer and all rodents will leave the Daffodil unmolested.

This scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”.  Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers.  Starbright delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.

Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.  Sometimes we deliver yellow carnations.

Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in!  We would love to meet you….

Passionately yours,

The Official Florist

Starbright Floral Design

Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.

T. 800.520. 8999

Web: www. starflor.com

E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

BLOOD, SWEAT and TEARS: A Neophyte Florist’s Timeline Diary of Valentine’s Day

We asked one of the members of our team that was with us for his first Valentine’s season in the flower business to chronicle his experiences through the week.  Filled with humor and an appropriate dose of sarcasm we learned more  about ourselves and what we do than we ever really expected to….  Step into our world for a behind the scenes look at the single craziest day of the year.  Accountants call it April 15th, farmers have harvest time, to the florist it is Valentine’s Day…. “Thank you for calling Starbright, can I help you?”

Our Design Team
St. Valentine was a martyr... May love and passion live forever!

-February 7th : One full week before Valentine ’s Day.  All I’ve heard since I began work here at Starbright Floral Design, was the nightmare that is Valentine’s Day.  I am a skeptic by nature and brimming with confidence that I can handle whatever challenges presented.  I dismiss my coworkers’ warnings as tall tales and nothing to fear.  Here we are 8:30 A.M. one full week before V-day and the sky is blue, the earth is still spinning on its axis, all is well. 9:00 A.M. I arrive to the scene of impending DOOM, Starbright Floral Design, 28th street, the flower district.  The store is abuzz.  Orders are coming in rapidly both telephonically and through the internet.  10:00 A.M. Staff meeting held discussing potential delivery problems.  Plans are in the works to start delivering to accepting businesses, such as hotels, at 4:00 A.M.  I spontaneously erupted in laughter.  My laughter was not reciprocated nor well received.  Is it possible this was not a joke?  Four A.M.?  The theme from the twilight zone is now deafening.  Day ends without further incident.  A busy day, but nothing too atypical.  Can’t wait for relaxing carefree night at home.

-February 10th : A few days have passed since my last entry.  Work has kept me busy.  Orders are now appearing on my desk magically.  The machine they call the Dove keeps printing what seems to be a copy of the Iliad.  A continuous flow of paper is fed into the machine printing order after order.  10:30 A.M.  Our purchasing department arguing over facts, figures and projections.   The consensus is that this is going to be a big one.   Fear and panic is abound.  Last minute orders are frantically placed to suppliers in Holland and other flower growers throughout the world.

-February 12th : 9:00 A.M. Fearful of poor customer service as a result of  taking orders beyond capacity has led to the decision to shut down the Dove.  I come from a business background.  The notion of turning away good and profitable orders was foreign to me.  When I questioned the move my coworkers’ glares were like weaponized lasers.  Management wasn’t as irritated by my inquiry.  It was explained that the floral industry is customer service driven.  Taking in orders that couldn’t be adequately serviced would result in unhappy customers.  Accordingly, the net effect on the business, long term, would be negative.  I understand the principle, but still believed it to be a  premature and perhaps  panic driven decision. 05:00 P.M.  My coworkers are looking increasingly weary and disheveled.  Some have clearly forgotten that personal hygiene is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle and healthy work environment.  Shaving appears to be a lost art to the men in the office (probably the women as well).

-February 13th:  8:00 A.M.  The place is a flurry of activity.  Hasn’t taken long to realize my Saturday night exploits were ill timed and will be regretted.  Word to the wise, don’t drink and floral design on Valentine’s day weekend.  I am unable to recover or catch my breath.  11:30A.M. Designers as far as the eye can see are preparing pre-Valentine’s day orders.  Nerves are frayed. Niceties such as “Good Morning” or “Hello” fall upon deaf ears or are responded to with a grumble.  Each designer appears to be genetically transforming into a snapping turtle. The phones are ringing incessantly with an ear piercing buzzing.  Never realized how annoying the phone ring was until now. 4:30 P.M. the order goes out for all available hands to start cleaning roses.  I had developed a case of laryngitis from the endless hours of phone calls rendering it painful to speak.  I need to conserve my voice for V-Day.  Accordingly I volunteer for the simple, mundane task involving a knife and thorny long stems.  6:15 P.M.  The monotonous task coupled with exhaustion has led to blood shed.  Several fingers have become victims of errant knife shavings.  Several other fingers suffered from thorn inflicted wounds rendering their use painful.  Luckily my middle digit was immune from injury and thus I was able to adequately express my feelings to my coworkers without the need for speech.    9:00 P.M. End of day staff meeting.    Nic Faitos, President of Starbright and our valiant leader begins a pep talk to the staff that would hopefully last through the following day –V-Day.  “Guys and gals, you are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. Your task will not be an easy one.  I have full confidence in your devotion to impeccable floral design and customer service. We will accept nothing less than the full satisfaction of our customers.  Let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.  Good Luck and I’ll see you at 5:00 A.M.”  I was inspired by his eloquent words and eager to meet the challenges of the following day.

-February 14th:  0500 hours V-Day.  Proper preparation has made the beginning of the day a time to strategize and ready ourselves for the coming battle.  I felt confident and prepared.  0530 hours –the first two delivery trucks are on the road.  With any luck we’ll have them back and reloading by 0900.    01000 hours, the phones are unleashing an endless barrage of sound blasts.  Oh the noise noise, noise!  Everyone is working at a fever pace.  There is no room for dilly or dally today.  01200 hours,  the lunch crowd is now filing in.  I think to myself, how much more can a person handle?  It is not long before I get my answer.  Several of the designers, both men and women, have been broken.  Tears are streaming down their faces.  I want to console them but don’t have the time, the energy or the empathy.  I have to commit all my energy to the common goal.  The flowers must be delivered and they must be beautiful!   01500 On a normal day I would be busy making dinner plans.  Today I have been recruited to insure that our all business deliveries are made before 01700.  The pressure is unrelenting.  I have broken into a cold flu like sweat and have trouble focusing.  The enormity of this logistics task quickly overwhelms me.  Near tears myself, I call for backup personnel.  01800 hours, the corporate deliveries have been made.  The second phase, home deliveries, is now well underway.   The last minute business crowd is now filing in.  I ponder if any of these last minute shoppers understood how challenging it was to give them that appreciative smile demanded of a Starbright employee.  02100 The day of days is coming to an end.  I have travelled through the valley of blood, sweat and tears and come out the other side smelling like roses.  I have a deep sense of accomplishment and pride.  I can’t believe I doubted the enormity of the task.  Twelve hundred deliveries in one day, made with grace, will not be forgotten soon.  I guess the day is best summed up by the immortal words of Davy Jones: “now I’m a believer.”

Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.  Sometimes we deliver yellow carnations.

Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in!  We would love to meet you….

Passionately yours,

The Official Florist

Starbright Floral Design

Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.

T. 800.520. 8999

Web: www. starflor.com

E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.co

Carnations – The Comeback Flower of January

Birth Flower of January
The flower of choice for January Babies!

Welcome to our new feature that will appear once every month… We will introduce you to the Birth-Flower-Of-The-Month.  Much like there is a Birthstone for every month, there is a Birth-Flower too!  January is the month of the Carnation.  Over the years this is a flower that has truly taken a bad rap.  “Too FTD”, “Too common”, “Grandma’s flower”, “No carnations please!”.  As florists we hear this all the time…  BUT with new breeds of carnations coming out, new hot colors (purple, green, fuscia, and more) and with the evolution of design styles, carnations have made a big comeback, not to mention that they are the “Official Flower of January Babies”!

We did a little research on the history of the carnation, its origins and how to care for them… Read on!  We hope you like the thoughts we have to share.

The birth flower for the month of January is the Carnation. Its scientific name, Dianthus Caryophyllus, is derived from the Greek-“dios” and “anthos”.  The literal translation being “The Flowers of God”.  Carnations have been around for about two thousand years longer than the person receiving them.  Carnations are known for their sweet clove like fragrance, their ruffled appearance, hardiness and wide array of colors.

Carnations will grow up to 3 feet high with green-gray foliage.  They bloom mainly during the cool times of year, particularly early winter.  The cut flowers have been known to last up to a month with proper care.

Carnations are utilized for festive occasions as well as somber ones.  You’ll find them at birthday parties, weddings, parades, festivals and funerals.   Accordingly, carnations are the top producing crop in the floriculture worldwide.

Thinking about sending someone carnations?  Don’t forget the significance of the color beyond its aesthetic value.  Carnations take on many meanings depending upon their color.  Pink Carnations signify a mother’s love.   Deep red carnations indicates love.  A white carnation indicates friendship.  However, be careful of the yellow carnation.  It signifies disappointment or disdain.

Six easy steps to keep your carnations looking fresh and bright:

1)  Clean out a vase with soap and water. Bacteria left in the vase from a previous floral arrangement may cause the carnation to wilt prematurely.

2) Pour 1/2 cap of bleach into the vase. This should kill any bacteria missed while cleaning.

3) Pour 1/2 can of lemon-lime soda into the vase. Fill the empty can with warm water and pour the water into the vase and soda. The combination of lemon-lime soda, bleach and water will act as a preservative.

4) Remove any leaves from the stem of the carnation that are below the water in the vase. Cut the leaves with scissors or pull them off.  Hold the stem of the carnation under the water in the vase. Cut 1 inch off the bottom of the stem with the scissors. If the vase is too narrow to cut the stem in, use a separate bowl of warm water to cut the stem.

5) Place the carnations in the prepared vase. Set the vase in a cool room away from bright sunlight for 24 hours. This encourages the carnations to take in as much water and preservative as possible, which helps the blooms last longer.

6) Replace the water and preservative every three to four days or if it becomes cloudy or dirty. Remove any dead leaves that fall into the water and remove and dispose of any flowers that begin to wilt.

Hey you receivers of yellow carnations just jump on Facebook and let us in on the reasons you generated such passion in a negative way.

Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.  Sometimes we deliver yellow carnations.

Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in!  We would love to meet you….

Passionately yours,

The Official Florist

Starbright Floral Design

Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.

T. 800.520. 8999

Web: www. starflor.com

E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS AND HOW TO KEEP THEM

Happy New Year!

It’s that time of year again.  Time for introspection and goal setting for self-improvement.  Time for our New Year’s resolutions destined to fail.  All of us at Starbright are here to help.  Here are a list of the Top 9 New Year’s resolutions and our guidance in successfully accomplishing them.  Think of it as public service announcement…

1. Lose Weight and Get in Better Physical Shape

Everyone knows the benefit of physical activity to one’s health.  A suggestion to help accomplish this very important, perhaps lifesaving, goal.  When ordering your flowers and/or gift baskets think about coming by in person rather than telephonically or via internet.  Centrally located in the flower district we are walking distance to Times Square.  For an added benefit try using the stairs as we are located on the second floor.

2. Find My Soul Mate

Romance is alive and well as more and more people are looking for that special someone, their soul mate who lights their fire, the ONE whom they love unequivocally and who shares their worldview.   This one is easy.  What’s better received by a romantic interest than a beautiful bouquet of flowers by Starbright (with an added benefit-zero calories)?

3. Find a Better Job

A new year provides a sense of getting a free do-over, so you can try again and get it right. Many people resolve to find better jobs or to take a new approach to the jobs they’ve already got.   What better way to help a friend take the leap of faith than with delivery of flowers and/or gift baskets with an encouraging message attached.  Disregard this resolution if your friend is a concierge at one of the many hotels who choose Starbright for their needs.

4. Stick to a Budget

Many people find it very difficult to stick to a budget. It does take hard work and a lot of self-discipline, at least in the beginning.   Again we are here to help with a helpful suggestion.  Come the New Year send yourself a regularly scheduled weekly arrangement with a motivational reminder on the message card such as “STICK TO YOUR BUDGET BUT DON’T FORGET TO STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES”.

5. Get Organized

Resolve this year to plan your days, reduce interruptions, and clean off your desk.   The benefits of getting more organized include being able to save time, as you no longer look for the same things over and over again or need to replace things you can’t find at all.  Starbright is here to motivate.   Just think how beautiful any of our wide array of floral arrangements would look on your freshly organized desk or clutter free home.

6. Enjoy More Quality Time with Family & Friends

Resolve to spend more quality time with family and friends this year.   This one is easy as well.  Starbright offers quick and courteous delivery with the purchase of any of our products allowing you to spend quality time with loved ones.

7.  Go Green

More and more people are resolving to “Go Green”.  Starbright is all over it.  As one of the largest retailers in NYC we have a large collection of green flowers.  Including Hydrangea, Jade Roses, Bells of Ireland, Spider Mums and Cymbidium Orchids.  However, our designers would urge you to accent these green flowers with others such as red/yellow/pink Roses, Tulips, Lilies, Carnations etc.

8.  Passion

Resolve to become more passionate.  No doubt an amiable goal in life is to attack every day with love and youthful enthusiasm.  What leisurely pursuit can be more rewarding than creating a thing of beauty such as a bouquet of flowersStarbright is open to the public seven days a week.  Come tour our facility and pick out the flowers that light that passionate fire within you.  Along the way our designers will happily give you suggestions and/or assistance as you need it.  Come choose from a multitude of roses, lilies, orchids, tulips, peonies.  Anything your passionate heart desires we have it.

9.  Decrease Stress

Resolve to lower your stress and the stress of the people around you.  It is impractical to send people you love fish tanks filled with fish.  According to a recent MSNBC article flowers are the new fish tank.  Fish have been shown to lower stress levels in people who don’t fear being confined in small places.  Getting lost in the beauty of colorful floral arrangement has been shown to lower the stress level in all.  Send more flowers to those you love and encourage them to send you flowers.  Your health depends upon it!  Starbright Floral Design (800) 520-8999 (the 911 for stress relief).

Just jump on Facebook and give us some of your New Year’s Resolutions and our team of floral designers (humanitarians) will endeavor to suggest ways on how Starbright can help.

 

Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and  we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.  Now we deliver on New Year’s resolutions too!

 

Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in!  We would love to meet you….

 

Passionately yours,

 

The Official Florist

 

Starbright Floral Design

 

Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.

T. 800.520. 8999

Web: www. starflor.com

E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

 

 

The Season of Cheer is Here!

Holliday Flowers of the Season - Brought to you by Starbright
May the season's joy be in your home every day of the year!

To all our friends and clients… The season has arrived where we all take a deep breath and take the time to appreciate the little things that mean so much.  We celebrate all those who are in our lives and help make the season special.

Throughout the year, you have all been a source of inspiration to us all.  All of us at Starbright Floral Design are getting ready to go to our families and raise a glass and we wanted to take a moment to thank you for all the opportunities that you have given us to be of service.

All the fresh flower arrangements, all the fruit baskets, and all the gifts that you have asked us to deliver big and small; all year long; we will be forever grateful for.  Thank you for all  that you have done to help put Starbright on the map and to make this year (our 15th year) a truly special one!

By visiting our website at www.starflor.com and our e-portal at www.starbrightnyc.com, you will be able to see all that the new year and  the seasons ahead have to offer.

It is now time to turn down the lights and go home…Let’s have a wonderful holiday season that is warm and joyous.  We should continue to make memories with our friends and family that will last a lifetime.   Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Greetings of the Season and Good Cheer to all…

Thank you for all you have done to support us –  May 2011 be the year of successful endeavors for us all….

My personal warmest regards and gratitude,

 

Nic Faitos, Senior Partner

Starbright Floral Design – The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps…

150 West 28th Street, New York City – We are located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.

To Contact Us: 800.520.8999

Web: www.starflor.com

E-Portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

 

 

 

Flowers… The “Feel Good” Medicine

Bright Colors and Sunshine
Blooms make us all happy!

Flowers make people happy and bring out smiles. Are you skeptical?  Try it! Go to a local florist (Starbright Floral Design), call one (800.520.8999) or visit a floral website (www.starflor.com) and send someone something small and stylish.  Sit back and wait for a reaction.

As I have stated in earlier columns, the best reason ever to send flowers is “just because”. Sure there are the standard occasions (birthdays maternity and the like) but those are almost expected (predictable I would say). It is the spontaneity of the moment that brightens a day.  Flowers pack thunder in the world of positive feelings and emotions.   Flowers on someone’s desk in the middle of the day (when it is a total surprise) is emotional firepower.

Think about this: You say to someone “have a good day” and more often than not they will say “thanks, I’ll try”. Then you think to yourself: “No I mean it! I want you to have a good day”. So off you are to your florist outlet and you send flowers. An hour later they arrive with an appropriately witty card. Question: how hard does that person have to try to have a good day after they see the bright colors, the vibrant varieties and the fragrance that brings them to life?  Chances are that you did not just cause that person to have a good day, but more like a great week!

For the next seven days (or so), the person sees your flowers first thing in the morning or a soon as they arrive in the office and all they do is think of you. They think of the great friend that gifted them a smile!  Imagine your friend ever so carefully changing the water every day, cutting the bottom of the stems and taking care of YOUR flowers!  Why do they do this?  They want the flowers to live longer, the feeling to last.

What’s more, you feel good too.  The real bonus is how it made you feel.  When we do something nice for someone else, we invariably feel good too.  It is impossible to receive a smile and not smile back. When someone flat-out says “you made my day” or “you sure turned this one around for me”, you will defy gravity.  You will walk on air. Your confidence will rise and you will feel like you can do anything.  You are a champ.

Practicing random acts of kindness is something we all like to do. Finding the right random act is always the challenge. So whether it is your mom, your lover, a friend, your work subordinate (or boss) or even a client; find the right words for the card and let the flowers do the rest.

These thoughts are brought to you by Starbright Floral Design. We are located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District and we specialize in turning average days into great ones! Yes, we are in the mood altering business. We send flowers everywhere and to everyone.

Starbright will deliver bright, happy and smile-bringing flowers anywhere in New York City, anywhere in the USA or even worldwide. We invite you to visit our website (www.starflor.com), give us a call (1.800.520.8999) or visit us at (150 West 28th Street). We would love to meet you and help shock someone special!

Hope you have a great day!

 

The Official Florist

Starbright Floral Design is the most reviewed and highest rated florist on Citysearch.com.

Website: www.starflor.com

E-Commerce Portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

1.800.520.8999

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201

New York City

Sending Flowers – How a Romantic Man Should…

Lavish her with flowers  of the season...
It is amazing how you will be remembered by the flowers you send!

Well this is the second time I am writing on this subject as the first article that was written and met an overwhelmingly positive response.  Ka-billions of folks read it.  So without trying to rewrite the same article over again, I wanted to offer up a different perspective.

GUYS – your interest in a woman should be shown on many different levels.  Women notice little things and they will catch not only your little mistakes but also the little things that you do right.  So make your flower purchases part of what you do right.  Blow her away with the unexpected!

Here are some ideas to think about (I called them “rules” and then changed to “ideas” because there really are no “rules”):

Don’t send flowers only on the typical flower holidays (birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s, etc.).  If you limit your flower sending to just those types of days, you look predictable.  You appear as though you only send flowers because you could not figure out what else to do.  I am not saying NOT to send flowers on those occasions, but mix it up.  “Just because” is the BEST reason to send flowers of all.  If you do not have the budget to send flowers on the special days and on the non-special ones, then skip the birthday (do something else) and send flowers on one beautiful August morning with a note that says “I love you” or “Cannot stop thinking of you”!  It will mean a lot more because it is so unexpected and who does not want to be surprised?

Secondly, FORGET the dozen roses!  Again, roses make you look predictable (“ah just send her a dozen roses, all women love roses”… yada, yada).  Be a flower connoisseur (or at least look like one).   What is her favorite color?  Purple?  Then make her a bouquet of “everything purple” and so on.  Spend time with your florist in person or on the phone.  If your florist is unwilling to educate you and won’t spend time with you to share his love of flowers, then find a different florist.  Certainly if you come to Starbright (www.starflor.com) we would love to share our passion with you and you will walk away with a Bachelor’s in Romance!  Learn the names of flowers, learn how long they last, what is in season, and so on.

You want to keep things interesting.  Imagine that if you send her peonies or hydrangea she will for the rest of her life remember only you when she sees this flower.  If you send roses (I hate to say this) but how many men do you think will come to mind?  Do you stand a chance of standing out?  Send interesting and unusual flowers!  There are enough varieties and colors for you to select from that you will never have to send the same flowers twice even if you send flowers ever week for an entire year.  Invest a little bit of time and your education will more than pay off.

Lastly, all these e-romance websites can claim all they want about having the best track record for bringing people together, making the most compatible matches and so on… While I cannot statistically prove this, I will claim that the following is true:

Send flowers to someone you love and the scent of the flowers will remind them of you for a very long time.  Flowers do keep romances alive, they make men sensitive and keep couples in love.  Make flowers your secret weapon and the special person in your life will be there forever.

Falling in love, Starbright Style is a truly unique experience.  We deliver fresh flowers daily anywhere in Manhattan or around the world.  Starbright is a full service florist and flower delivery service located on 28th Street in New York City in the heart of “New York City’s Historic Flower District.  Visit us at 150 West 28th Street (2nd floor), call us at 800.520.8999 or you can visit our website at www.starflor.com to gain a much broader perspective on the work that we do.

Starbright Floral Design is the most reviewed and highest rated florist in Manhattan (by Citysearch) and also was voted the Best Florist in our area for your wedding as voted by The Knot (dot com).

“The Official Florist of the City That Never Sleeps” is also “The Official Florist of Romance”.

With love,

The Official Florist

Starbright Floral Design

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

Telephone: 800.520.8999

WEB address: www.starflor.com

E-Commerce Portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

Starbright Floral Design is Back in the Blogosphere…

Visit Starbright for Bright Fall  Sunshine
There are many bright colors available year-round... These are just some of them!

Hello Friends!

After a long hiatus from our blog and as our scribes grew stale, we needed to jump-start our adventure all over again.  I wanted to title this entry “Starbright is Back” but that would not have been accurate as we never went away.  Our amazing flowers have been around all year-long and our decor has graced more venues than you can possibly imagine.  We have really had a fun year so far.

So much fun in fact that while we did not forget to blog, the truth is that we lost our stride.  Our fingers clamped up and the writing side of our brain stopped thinking (or writing what we thought!).  Anyways, here we are and  I almost would  like to take a moment to reintroduce ourselves, who we are and what we do….

Starbright Floral Design (www.starflor.com) was started in 1994 fifteen years ago as a premier floral provider to the special event and hospitality markets of New York City.  Since then we have grown to offer world-wide delivery of flowers, plants, orchids and gifts of all  sorts.  We have  won many awards and  accolades (both local and national), but what we are the most proud of is the reviews that you will see about Starbright online.

If you  go to Citysearch, Yelp or even Google, you will see that we are one of the most reviewed florists nationally and certainly the most reviewed in Manhattan.

Stay tuned for many great articles that are getting ready to come down the pike.  In the meantime, if you would  like to send someone amazing flowers give  us a call at 1-800-520-8999.  Or you can visit our website at www.starflor. com.  We would love to hear from you and help in every way that we can.

Many thanks to all our friends and  clients.  We will always look forward to being of service.

Warm regards,

The  Official Florist.

Starbright Floral Design – The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps

We are  located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  On 28th Street, in Chelsea – between 6th and 7th Avenue.