Tag: floral design

Write a Card and only THEN Send Flowers!

A vase of mixed spring flowers with the right message, says it all...

It is impossible to count the number of calls we get where someone asks us to prepare a bouquet for a business associate, a loved one, a  friend in need of a cheer and everything goes as planned, EXCEPT when we ask “and what would you like the card to say?”!

Dumbfounded by the thought of writing a card, our client will say something like: “I don’t know… Love, your husband Mark” (like the recipient is likely to have two husbands and the clarification by name will eliminate the confusion!  Or we get – “You do this all the time, write something for me!!”.   There are countless scenarios to the above vignettes that we encounter daily.

Dear Client:  It is the message on the card your inscription that makes the gift all the more memorable.  Even IF you are a terrible writer (I submit there is no such thing), you can still think of something clever to say.  The problem is that we don’t plan the card.  Flowers are a spur of the moment purchase or a MUST DO like Valentine’s or Mother’s Day and we place our order without putting thought into the card.  Yes the flowers will perish; but a well said card, a clever card, will be saved forever.  A well thought card will make the scent and the colors of your flowers last a lot longer in the person’s mind.  Years from now, you will get one of these: “Honey, I remember back about five years ago when you sent me those really special flowers when I was feeling down…”  She does not remember the flowers as much as she remembers your words that remind her of the flowers and the way they made her feel.

Your card can be something as simple as a date from the past that leaves the person wondering of the significance… until you tell them.  It can be cleaver humor like “I love you but I am going to beat you!” sent the day before a competitive tennis date.  Or if you are a hopeless romantic – go ahead and spill the beans.  Let your card say what spoken words cannot.

It is far better to send a small token gift of flowers with a meaningful and memorable card than it is to send a big “over the top” bouquet signed “your husband”!  So take some time think about your special moments, think about what is cleaver to say and then say it!  A card without flowers does not say as much.  Flowers with a mediocre card, will keep you out of the doghouse.  Flowers with a really special message that is in words that are yours, will tidy up the whole package in a really nice bow and make the occasion super special!  It is the stuff that heroes are made of.

All of us at Starbright will always stand ready to help you with your gift selection and even to help you write the card.  The more information you give us about what you want to say and the more thought you have put into the occasion, the more can help.  It is all about how enthusiastic the WOW or the Thank You are after the flowers get there and how long the mood lasts!

A bit about Starbright: We are a full service florist and floral delivery service.  We occupy a loft space in the wholesale flower district on 28th Street in Manhattan.  Within our own delivery area we create all our own arrangements by our master designers.  In other locales throughout the US, we have partnered with selected florists that stand by the same code that we have.  It has taken us fifteen years to build our list of partners and we stand by each and every one.  This gives us the ability to bring you custom made floral creations in Manhattan and beyond.  We can be reached at 800.520.8999 or on the web at www.starflor.com.

Citysearch selected us as the #1 florist in Manhattan for 2009 and The Knot recommends us as the top selected shop to have for your wedding in New York City.  What makes us particularly proud of these accolades is that we live and work in a town that has many really-really good florists!  Of course, our work is only as good as the next bouquet we send for YOU!  We hope to hear from you soon and we will help you write the card!).

Plant Care Series – Your Yucca Plant

Here we are again, this time we will talk about a great houseplant.  The yucca.  It is a lush green plant that generally grows on a bark.  It is found outdoors in the Southern California type of climates but is also a great houseplant pretty much in any climate or environment.

The Yucca is a very easy plant to take care of and you should give it with confidence even to those that do not have much of a green thumb.  It will thrive in almost any office environment, home or apartment.  Here are a few simple tips that you should know about the plant you have or that you are thinking of buying:

It loves the sun!  A yucca will thrive in direct sunlight. The sun promotes the growth of the plant.  By its very nature the Yucca is a slow growing plant.  In a not-well-lit area the plant will remain green and it will not lose it lushness.  However, it will not grow much at all.  If you want to see your plant grow, give it sun!

If you can, take your plant out of doors in the summertime.  Leave it in a back porch, a balcony or even a fire escape.  If you cannot do this, the plant will be fine.  But it does love basking in the sun.  By the same token, because the Yucca recognizes the seasons, if at all possible, give it a chillier than room temperature environment in the wintertime.  By no means am I talking about freezing!

Most people kill their houseplants by over-watering!  Do not bother your plant every five  minutes with water and nutrients!  The top layer of the soil must be completely dry before you add water.

When you do water the plant, pour the water slowly so that it does not drain straight through the pot.  You want the moisture to seep into the soil and become very moist.  So watering your Yucca is a slow process.  Stop watering when your plant’s soil cannot absorb any more water and drops of water start coming out the bottom drain of your pot.

When you have watered your plant, leave it alone until the top half inch is granular.  How long this will take and with what frequency your plant will need to be watered depends on your environment.  In dry/warm rooms the plant will need to be watered more often.

Transplanting your Yucca (from the greenhouse or florist’s plastic pot) into a decorative pot.  Because the Yucca tends to be top-heavy (do to its leaf structure), you need to maintain a low center of gravity so that the plant does not tip over.  To accomplish this, you will need to select a heavy clay pot or a ceramic pot.

Next, make sure  your pot has good drainage.  The bottom layer of the pot should be either broken clay fragments or about two inches of gravel.  This will permit the excess water to run through.  It is also a good practice to put a screen above the gravel and below the  soil.  This will ensure that the  soil and the stones do not become one (and potentially a cement mixture!).

That’s about it for your Yucca!  Sit back and enjoy!

A Word About Starbright Floral Design: Starbright is a full-service florist and floral delivery service.  We are located on 28th Street in Manhattan (between 6th and 7th Avenues).  Our studio is on the Second Floor at 150 West 28th Street.  Besides offering worldwide delivery of flowers, plants and all types of related gifts; we are also a premiere florist for events, corporate accounts and weekly flowers.  Users of CitySearch.com voted Starbright the Best Florist in Manhattan for 2009 and The Knot selected us as the Wedding Florist in Manhattan too!  To learn more about us, the type of work that we do and investigate your inspirations, we invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com.  See you there!

Springtime, the season for flowers…

Pink Peonies from North Carolina

Every season has its flowers.  There are flowers  in wide varieties all year long.  But springtime is really  special.  Sure with greenhouses and  with easy air transport from countries that are  in seasons opposite our own, flowers in all varieties are available virtually year round…

BUT, let me draw an analogy – Have you ever tasted the difference between a vine ripped tomato and one that came from halfway across the world?  Fruits and veggies are most enjoyable when the come from small local growers and when we enjoy them when they are really in season!  Strawberries and watermelon don’t really make much sense in December.  Do they?

Flowers are the same.  NOW is the time to indulge and to really enjoy your  flowers.  For the next three months there are so many varieties that are in season, so much to enjoy and such a plethora of colors and scents that you will overdose all of your senses in an elixir of life!

Window shop any florist, take an early morning stroll on 28th Street and take it all in at the NYC Flower District (should be a historic landmark) or better yet stop by our studio at 150 West 28th Street (www.starflor.com); and this is some of what you will see…

Tulipalooza is here!

Tulips in just about every imaginable color… They will  be around until early May.  If the springtime is unusually brisk, then they will last a little longer.

Flowering branches.  YES flowers growing on real branches!  Dogwood, Cherry Blossom, Quince, Forsythia, Plum and so much more.  These trees first bloom a flower and  then a leaf.  Natures gift to our homes is this timeless beauty that is enjoyed in every design style that truly transcends time.   Again, they are weather dependent, but flowering branches should be around  for about another two to three weeks…

Peonies are  about to make their grand entrance into our homes!  In their peak, the season will last about six weeks and they are so fragrant!  The local varieties are available in light and magenta pink, deep burgundy and white.  Catch them while they are around.  The best peonies are grown in the North and South Carolina and we are about to get our first shipment.  No need to reserve, there will be plenty to go around; but don’t blink!  The season IS short!

Lilac (grown on a bush) will show up and make a grand entrance in the late springtime too.  This is an extremely fragrant flower that everyone loves.  The most popular color for lilac is lavenderish-purple.  They do also come in white.

Anemones, sweet pea, mini calla lilies, roses (in amazing pastel tones) and so much more are coming too!  We hope you enjoy them all.  They are the protagonists of the season.  The first sign to put away the Winter Blues!  These are the flowers that will make us all smile and let the sun shine upon us.

For me?  After the lilacs bloom, it is motorcycle season!  It may be the beach, the jet ski or a hiking trip in the Shenandoah Valley that you have to look forward to.  But unless the peonies come and go, your summer fun is on pause.  Open your heart and let the spring shine in!  My favorite time of the year…

A few words about us: Starbright Floral Design is a premiere florist located in New York City.  We are in the Historic Flower District on Manhattan’s 28th Street in a second floor loft.  Most of the work that we do involves sending flowers and gifts delivered in Manhattan or anywhere else! Visit our gift-giving catalog to see what you can send.   We  are also experts at executing corporate and social events.  A peak at our event portfolio and you will be able to gain a broader perspective on the depth of our organization and they type of work that we do.  Whenever we could be of service, whenever we could answer a question, or if you would like to simply take in the colors and scents, we would love to hear from you.  We can also be reached by phone at 800.520.8999.  Happy Springtime!

Areca Palm – How to Take Care of your Areca Palm

Welcome to the first entry of our new series on  taking care of your plants.  So often we want to have  some live greenery in our homes and all to often we are intimidated by the care requirements that a plant may have.  How many times have we said to ourselves, I can’t have it because around me it will die? Or the classic: “I don’t have a green thumb”!  Some people (I am sure you have heard) play classical music to their plants, others talk to them!  While I will never dispute the benefits of talking to a plant, I can assure you that making sure that your plant is in an environment that it is comfortable in, is far more important than conversation or musical genre!

In this and all entries that follow, we will offer simple no-nonsense easy to understand instructions.  We should not be scared of the care that plants require  and in fact, they don’t require that much care.   Today we introduce you to the Areca Palm!

This Areca Palm plant is about seven feet tall - Brought to you by Starbright Floral Design

Areca palms can live indoors quite comfortably.  They are tropical plants and they would thrive in that type of climate.  Generally in a bright, sunny airy room that you are comfortable in (room temperature, with no extremes) they become well acclimated.  Here are some basic care instructions for your plant:

  • Select a sunny location.   It is best to have the plant near a Southern or Western facing window.
  • Water the plant about once every ten to fifteen days.  If the soil feels dry and granular on the top layer it is time to water your plant.
  • When you water your plant, pour the water in slowly so  that the moisture is absorbed by the soil, rather  than running through the plant.
  • Do not water your plant too often or too much.  Most plants do not like living in a moisture  infested swamp.
  • Too much standing water attracts bugs!
  • Feed about every one or two months with your choice of manufacturer’s indoor plant food.  Follow instructions on the bottle / box.
  • Avoid extreme temperature fluctuations.  Do not expose the plant to drafts by doors that open and close to the freezing cold or scorching heat.
  • Keep the plant away from  the direct influence of a radiator (it will dry the soil and make the foliage crisp).

Areca palms can be purchased from small table top plants (12 inches tall) to really tall floor plants that are over nine feet in height.  The average is between four and six feet.  If you have any questions on how to take care of your plant or on which plant is best for you, please feel free to reach out to me at nic@starflor.com.  You may also visit our website at www.starflor.com.  You can also email us a photo of your Areca for more thoughts on how to take care of your plant and correct a certain situation.

Lastly, don’t forget that Areca Palms make great gifts for a home or an office.  In the right space it will live forever and you will be remembered every time the person receiving your gift looks at its luscious green fronds!

About Starbright Floral Design: Starbright is a full service florist located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district on 28th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues.  We service all hotels, event venues in the city as well as assisting with sending floral and plant gifts worldwide.  We can be reached at www.starflor.com, by email at cs@starflor.com or by phone at 1-800-520-8999.

A Poetry Reading and Support for a Women’s Network

On Monday, March 8, 2010, Starbright Floral Design is proudly sponsoring  with Step Up Women’s Network the Teen Programs which is holding the annual Spoken Word Teen Poetry Performance.  The event will showcase the poetry and performance skills of the high school teens who have participated in the after school program. We will celebrate our young poets with a Slam Poetry performance at the Nuyorican Poets Café. We expect over 100 guests to attend, including members of the Step Up community, parents and staff from participating Step Up schools.  This promises to be an amazing event.  Don’t miss it!  Everyone in attendance will receive a bright Orange Tulip in honor of these amazing New York City teens.   As an added “thank you”, everyone will receive a lifetime discount certificate from Starbright, good for $10 off every order  – forever!

Step Up Women’s Network is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to connecting and advancing women and girls. By bridging communities of professional women and underserved teen girls through mentorship, networking and advancement, we ensure women and girls have the opportunities they need to create a better future.

Be there! It promises to be a lot of fun!

ABOUT STARBRIGHT FLORAL DESIGN: We are a premiere New York City florist located on 28th Street, in the heart of the Historic Flower District.  To learn more about our organization and the work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com.  We offer same day delivery of amazing gifts, plants and the freshest stylized florals imaginable.  You may call us at 1.800.520.8999 to learn more about us and so that we may answer any questions that you may have.  We will always look forward to hearing from you!

Step-by-Step Flower Arranging…

So you went to the local bodega or your supermarket and bought some flowers!  Designing a vase of flowers that you can enjoy at home for over  a week is both rewarding and great therapy…  It can become a fun hobby and it is not that expensive!  In the photographs below you will be able to follow some simple steps to make your first flower arrangement.  Have fun!

Step One: Take a long and broad leaf and insert it on the interior wall of your vase. This will prevent the murkiness of the water from showing through to the outside of the vase. Add water to your vase. Fill to about an inch from the top. Round cylindrical vases work best for starters. Your vase can be short or tall. After a little bit of practice you can experiment with different shapes of vases.
STEP TWO: Make a grid on the top of your vase using adhesive clear tape. You will notice that there is a ring of tape on the outer rim of the vase. This is there to get the tape to stick to the sides of the vase. This grid is kind of like "cheating" as this is where you will be placing your flowers in a later step!
Step Three: Get different forms of greenery that you like (fern, lemon, pittosporum are all good for practice) and place your greens in the vase first. You are going to completely fill the vase (using the taped grids as your guide) to create a bed of greenery. This will be the base onto which your flowers will be placed in the next step.
Step Four: Constantly rotatae your vase and place the flowers you selected in equal distance and in symmetry to each other. As you do this, cut your stems to the height that you would want them (one by one). Remember that you can always cut more stem off! BUT you can never add stem back. Dont cut your flowers too much. The length of stem that you need is trial and error. Cut a little and then cut a little more!
Step Five: Find your empty spaces and fill them. As you rotate your vase (like a Lazy Suzan at a Chinese Restaurant!) you will find spots that you missed! Take the flowers or berries or stems that are not directly around the missing spot and fill with those in order to keep everyhting symmetrical.
Step Six: Enjoy! Voila!!!

To learn more about Starbright Floral Design and the work we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com or call us at 800-520-8999.  You can also become a Starbright Fan on Facebook.  We would love to hear from you!

The Making of an Enchanted Forest…

We were asked by an exhibitor at the Restaurant Show at Jacob Javits Center to transform their oversized exhibit area into an enchanted forest.  The materials we used included bamboo, willow branches, moss (by the ton), all kinds of ivies, sod, and anything else you can imagine that fit the genre.  Take special note of the glass table with the Snake Plant inside the base!   The photos below are of our work in progress… We hope you enjoy!

Starbright Floral Design is a full spectrum floral and decorating organization.  We deliver gifts all through Manhattan and beyond as well as plan and execute events of all types and sizes.  To visit our website, you can go to www.starflor.com and you can also call us at 800-520-8999.  We hope to hear from you soon!

For the Orchid Enthusiast…

A double stemmed purple phaleonopsis orchid

Orchids give us so much majesty and beauty that they sometimes are intimidating and we feel that we cannot take proper care of them, or that we do not have a “green enough thumb” to be able to care for an orchid.  We shy away from the most majestic flowering plant simply because we do not feel competent or capable of caring for it.   Well for all the glory that orchids give, they do not ask for very much in return.  Here is a primer on orchids to help you over the initial fear…

FIRST – Come to Starbright (or any other reputable florist in your area) and purchase a Phaleonopsis orchid plant.  They come in a variety of colors but the most basic white or pink will do.  Remember that you are not buying this orchid as an expert or as a connoisseur, but rather as a novice trying to learn and to gain confidence that the plant can actually survive around YOU!

When you go home, place your orchid plant in a brightly lit room, but away from direct sunlight.  The orchid loves to bask in the sun but the more sun you give it the faster the blooms will open and eventually lose their petals.  You want a room that has sunlight but where the rays of the sun never hit directly on the plant.  Room temperature is fine.  In most cases if you are comfortable so is your plant.  This holds true for ANY plant (for the most part).   Also try to keep you plant away from sudden drafts.  A burst of cold air or hot air will certainly not help the orchid at all.

So far it is pretty simple, right?

Now make sure (at least for your first orchid) that you have a pot with good drainage.  Most orchids (phaleonopsis for certain) do not live in a swamp and if the water sits in the pot and does not drain, you are killing your plant.   So make sure that your pot allows excess moisture to escape.

Lastly – do not bother your plant.  The less you do for your orchid the more it will give back.  This is because there is not much that you can really do to care for the plant and in reality the plant requires very little care.  Water is about the only thing that it needs.

My advice to folks is instead of water; give your orchid ice cubes.  That is right – ICE CUBES.  Why?  Well for one, because when ice melts it becomes water.  It is a slow watering process because the ice melts slowly and it allows for the roots of the orchid to drink the water as opposed to the water running through the plant.  You also do not run the risk of the water ever building that swamp I mentioned earlier at the bottom of the pot.  So your orchid will get the water it needs and it will never be too much.  In most cases if the environment is not too hot or too dry, a handful of ice cubes a week will do.

Eventually the blooms on the plant will begin to wilt.  As they do, clip them off because they are unsightly.  As time goes on all the blooms will have opened and they will all have wilted. Eventually there will be nothing left but a bare stem.  Depending on what stage you had purchased your orchid in (how many blooms were open already, etc), this process should take no less than three weeks and in many cases an orchid will last over two months.

At the end of that period you should feel confident that orchids can in fact survive around you!  Hopefully you found enjoyment in caring for a live plant that gave beauty every day.  Now it is time to experiment!  No time to lose…

What do I do with that long stem that is bare and just sticking out of my pot?

Can I get my orchid to re-bloom?

What other orchid varieties are there?

What colors can I get?

Where do orchids come from?

There is a whole new world out there ready for you to explore!  It is a lot of fun and you can delve into it as much or as little as you want to.  Short of being a professional “orchidologist”, there are orchid clubs you can join, websites and books you can read from and there are even artists and photographers who have become known around the world simply because of their love for this magnificent plant.

You can go as far as you want to, or you can stay close to home.  Either way, it is a relaxing and enjoyable journey or hobby – depending on how you define it.

Here are two orchid websites that you should consider visiting:

The Orchid Board

American Orchid Society

I have found them to be informative and worthy of your interest.

Do you have a question? Send me a note at nic@starflor.com.  I will always be happy to hear from you and share some thoughts.  You can even visit our website (www.starflor.com) or call us at our store at 800-520-8999.  Reach out to us any way you would like to.  We will always be happy to hear from you and to help however we can.

A little bit about Starbright Floral Design – We are a full service florist located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District (on 28th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues).  We are open every day and most evenings till 8PM (Sunday until 6PM).  We deliver all over the world and can help you in selecting your gift to fit any taste design or budget.

Starbright was voted on Citysearch.com as the Best Florist of New York City in 2009.  We are the most reviewed and highest rated florist in New York.

TheKnot.com has also rated us as The Best Florist in New York City to partner with for wedding and bridal Florals.

We thank you for your support and look forward to hearing from you!

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A Valentine Tradition

Just one of our red roses...

St. Valentine’s Day is only three days away.   The red rose invokes the passion of the season and as I was walking in the store today,  I took a random photo of one of the 8,000 roses that were in the background.  I hope you like it and I hope it and all the other red roses in our store make every Valentine a Happy Valentine!

About Starbright Floral Design… We are a full service florist located in Chelsea.  We are in the middle of Manhattan’s Wholesale Flower District and we deliver flowers in our city and all over the world.  Give us a call at 800.520.8999 or visit our website at www.starflor.com – We will be thrilled to hear from you and happy to be of service!

http://starflor.com/

An Event Planner’s Prespective on the Weekend..

Over  the years I have  had the honor to know and work with one of the true professionals in the Event Planning and Destination Management industry.   Anthony Napoli of Briggs NYC is a pro’s pro.  He is the go-to person for “everything Manhattan” and “everything beyond”.  His clients are in for a New York City experience like no other!  For more years than I can count on one hand we have had the privilege to be the florist for the events that are organized by Briggs.   Because of Tony and this amazing organization we have decorated at the United Nations, at Ellis Island, at Gotham Hall and countless other landmarks.

Tony has a unique perspective on this weekend and when I received Tony’s February newsletter, I asked him for permission to reprint it on our blog…  (thankfully he said “yes”!) – Apropos of Valentine’s Day, here is Tony’s perspective on what to do this weekend – enjoy!

“The stars have lined up for a multiple holiday weekend this February 12th to the 15th.  The festivities start off on Friday, February 12th the traditional date for celebrating Lincoln’s Birthday (before Congress passed the Monday Holiday Act – of course they left the Fourth of July alone!).  And that evening you can toast Honest Abe while watching the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Saturday is a major day to celebrate Mardi Gras or as we call it in NYC, Carnevale! Sunday is a double header: Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year’s – the Year of the Tiger! We can all rest up on Monday, Presidents Day! Happy Birthday George! So get out your patriotic songs, beads and doubloons, fortune cookies and dancing shoes cause it’s all “ashes ashes all fall down” for 40 days of Lent!. What a weekend!”

To learn more about Anthony Napoli and  his amazing team, please visit their website at www.briggsnyc.com.

About Starbright Floral Design: We are a full service florist located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district.  We are  known as “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps” but this week Cupid took over and we are “The Official Florist of Romance”!  Give us a call at 800.520.8999 or visit our website at www.starflor.com.  We are open and delivering flowers all the time!