Tag: floral design

Marriage Equality: (More) Cause for Celebration!

I know exactly what I want my wedding flowers to look like.  Considering that I have met with and executed the flowers for at least a hundred brides during my career as a floral designer, I’ve definitely had the opportunity to formulate my own ideas about my big day.  It was only until a couple of weeks ago that the fantasy was granted the chance to become a reality.  The New York State Assembly voted to extend the right to marry to same-sex couples, thus allowing the dreams of countless loving couples to finally come true.   No, I haven’t recently become engaged.  I will still have to be content with making other people’s boutonnières and centerpieces.  However, now my pool of potential brides and grooms will include a lot more grooms and grooms and brides and brides!  Talk about a reason to celebrate!

Many times I am asked what the differences are between a same-sex wedding and the standard wedding we have been accustomed to.  Truthfully, there isn’t a difference.  Of course, if two men are getting married, it is likely I will not need to make a bridal bouquet.  Other than that, the differences are hard to find.  The emotions, politics, logistics, and ultimately the flowers are practically the same.  Color schemes are agonized over, seating charts are adjusted and the merits of orchids and roses are debated by couples no matter their gender or sexual orientation.

It’s important as a wedding vendor to keep compassion and equanimity in mind when dealing with gay and lesbian couples.  This new marriage equality should inspire equal treatment and consideration across the board.  Most couples will be looking forward to meeting and speaking with a vendor who is as excited about the big day as the couple themselves.  Florists would be wise to be inspired by the joy and new sense of validation and empowerment that their same-sex couples will exhibit while planning their wedding ceremony and reception.  What a beautiful gift our care and enthusiasm will be for these formally disenfranchised pairs.

Of course I am totally biased on this subject.  Growing up, I would have never thought that gay marriage would be a reality.  That certainly never stopped me from contemplating what color peonies I would match with purple Dutch hydrangea for my centerpieces.  I’ve also been blessed with a loving boyfriend who I know wouldn’t judge me for wanting to hold a bridal bouquet if we were to ever get married one day.  (Do you know how many bridal bouquets I’ve made???!!!  I get to have one of my own!!!)  I’m lucky that I’ll never have to risk meeting with a vendor who would try to talk me out of what I want and what I’ve dreamed about for my wedding day.  I hope and pray that the same will be true for all the other gay and lesbian couples who wish to celebrate their union with their friends and families.  Best wishes, Mazel Tov and congratulations to us all.

This scribe is brought to you by Tom Sebenius.  Tom is Starbright Floral Design’s Creative Director and has a part of the Starbright team for most of the modern history of our company. Tom has made countless brides happy and has created some truly magical Starbright moments.  Tom is our most published contributor to floral industry publications and probably the most reviewed floral stylist on all the major online review sites.  We consistently earn five-star reviews on the likes of Citysearch mainly through Tom’s insistence on quality and attention to detail.  A proud member of our team and  a true artist.  Everyone  at Starbright is thrilled that we will one day witness Tom’s ceremony and cannot wait to see  what his creativity brings out on THAT special day! Stay tuned….

Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district in a second floor loft at 150 West 28th Street.  Our services include local, national and worldwide flower delivery as well as consultation and execution of social and corporate events.  To learn more about us and the type of work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com.  You may also go directly to our online portal for ordering gifts at www.starbrightnyc.com or to our Event Gallery to see thousands of photographs from our recent work. You may also call us at 1.800.520.8999.  We are always thrilled to hear from you and to be of service in every way possible….

Our warmest regards,

The Official Florist of the City That Never Sleeps

Starbright Floral Design

 

Our Work: Our Latest in Floral Compositions

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Check out the photos in this album they are the latest additions to our website in our Event Gallery.  We invite you to visit our site at www.starflor.com where you can click on  the EVENT link to see our entire portfolio of over 2000 photos of our actual work.

By clicking on the GIFTS link you will go to our e-commerce portal where you can select from a wide array of gifts to send to your friends and loved ones.  Some of the flower selections that are in our gift section  are available for delivery on a national level, while others (Starbright Exclusives – Modern and Starbright Exclusives – Traditional) are available in our own delivery area of Manhattan.  Looking for something but cannot decide what flowers to send?  Designer’s Choice is a great alternative!  Here is a link to a past blog entry that talks about why Designer’s Choice is your best selection and why this is where you get the best value in flora.

About Us: Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  We are located at 150 West 28th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues in an amazing loft space – Studio 201).  We have been serving the corporate, special event and hospitality industries since 1994.

To gain a broader perspective on who we are and the work we do, we invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com.

See you soon!

Nic and the entire Starbright Team…

June’s Birth Flower: The Rose its history and secret language decoded

The Rose of June - Brought to you by Starbright Floral Design
The Birth Flower of June

The rose, June’s birth flower is rich in symbolism and myth.  Its image has been utilized  throughout history on such diverse topics as love, war, politics and beauty.

 

The Myths

The first rose of record is said to be in ancient Greece.  The Gods had a tendency to find beauty in tragedy.  It was one of these tragic moments that created the rose.   Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, created the rose when her tears mixed with the blood of Adonis, her lover.  The Romans, not fearful of copying the Greeks like a Xerox machine, created their own legend of the rose’s creation.  According to Roman legend, there was an incredibly beautiful maiden named Rhodanthe.  She was relentlessly pursued by suitors. Exhausted by their pursuit, Rhodanthe sought refuge in the temple of Diana.  Diana was jealous of Rhodanthe and when the suitors broke down her temple gates to get near Rhodanthe, she became furious. Diana’s rage led her to turn Rhodanthe into a rose and her suitors into thorns.    The rose’s appeal was farther reaching then just the west.  The Persians had their own tale of creation.  The Persian legend explains the creation of the red rose as well as the origin of the nightingale’s beautiful voice.  According to legend all roses were originally white and nightingales were ordinary birds who can only chirp.  One day the nightingale met a beautiful white rose and fell in love.   The nightingale’s love was so intense and his need to express his love so great that he was inspired to sing for the first time.  When the nightingale made his moves on the rose and pressed himself up against it the thorns pierced his heart, coloring the rose red.  If you are like me (Greek), clearly the Greek mythological tale is more appealing.  However, fossil evidence suggests that roses existed 35 million years ago, well before any of these myths suggest.

Symbolism

The rose’s symbolic value is not exclusive to England but was most widely used and popularized there.   The rose was first looked upon as a symbol of war.  A civil war that raged on from 1455-1487 between the House of York and the House of Lancaster.   The House of York adopted a white rose, the House of Lancaster was represented by a red rose. The war has been dubbed “The War of the Roses”.  The winner of this war, Tudor Henry VII (The Tudors), merged his Lancastrian rose with the rose of his York bride and thus the creation of the Tudor Rose, the Rose of England.

In later years the rose evolved into a form of language creating a secret means of communication between lovers.   In the mid 18th century the wife of the British ambassador in Constantinople described this language in her letters.  Largely due to the publication of her letters after her death, we have the code necessary to decipher the intricate language of roses.  For example if you want to ask your love interest “will you love me?”, send an open white rose.    Want to ask  “Don’t you love me any more?” , send an open yellow rose.      Want to say “I respect and look up to you” then send a bouquet of white roses.   Red roses signify  “forever I Love You”.  However a bouquet of red and white roses state “Together we are one and united”.  Want to declare your attraction to someone but don’t want to go as far as declaring your undying love, then purple roses are the way to go.  Colors alone aren’t enough to deliver the complex messages of love.  In combination with the colors, the number and degree of bloom of the roses have also been assigned meaning.  A dozen roses says  “Be Mine”.   Thirteen roses tells someone we’ll be friends forever.  Three dozen roses expresses “I’m head over heels in love!”.  Six dozen roses or more says “my love for you is limitless”.  In addition to its Victorian assigned message, this last one says “I’m a Starbright Gold club member”.

Regardless of its diverse assigned meanings, the one constant is the rose’s undeniable beauty.  The recipient of a beautiful arrangement of roses is always appreciative.

This and most scribes on this web log is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design.  We are a full-service florist located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  We deliver inspired floral compositions throughout Manhattan, all of New York City and everywhere beyond.  We invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com.  Here you will be able to gain a broader perspective on our organization and on the work that we do.  You may CLICK HERE to visit our e-portal where  you may place an order for designer-inspired flower vases and arrangements, our orchids, plants and so much more.  We offer  same-day delivery to most parts of the United States.

We will be honored to be of service to you now and for a long time to come… Warm regards from all of us at Starbright, “The Official Florist of the City That  Never Sleeps”.

Flowers, Festivals and Celebrations – It is what we do!

Starbright Floral Design

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

800.520.8999

www.starflor.com

 

Tulips: The First Money Bubble!

Investors beware! Tulip bulbs crash!
A tulip, known as "the Viceroy", displayed in a 1637 Dutch catalog. Its bulb cost between 3000 and 4200 florins depending on size. A skilled craftsman at the time earned about 300 florins a year.

Do you know a stockbroker or financial professional that has suffered losses recently?  Cheer him up with some tulips! Here is the story and why things no matter how bad they seem can always be worse…

As we celebrate the end of tulip season for yet another magnificent year… I share with you a story about this amazing flower that is sure to surprise you.  The financial bubble that came about was caused by tulip bulbs.  It took place way before the bubble in the stock market, the housing market or any other bubble and subsequent bubble that you may know of.

It was tulip mania or tulpomanie to the Dutch.  This was a period in the Dutch Golden Age during which contract prices for bulbs of the recently introduced tulip reached extraordinarily high levels and then suddenly collapsed. At the peak of tulip mania, in February 1637, some single tulip bulbs sold for more than 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman. It is generally considered the first recorded speculative bubble (or economic bubble).

The term “tulip mania” is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to any large economic bubble.

The event was popularized in 1841 by the book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, written by British journalist Charles Mackay. According to Mackay, at one point 12 acres (5 ha) of land were offered for a Semper augustus bulb. Mackay claims that many such investors were ruined by the fall in prices, and Dutch commerce suffered a severe shock. Mackay’s book is a classic that is widely reprinted today, his account is contested.

Research on the tulip mania is difficult because of the limited data from the 1630s—much of which comes from biased and anti-speculative sources. Although these explanations are not generally accepted, some modern economists have proposed rational explanations, rather than a speculative mania, for the rise and fall in prices. For example, other flowers, such as the hyacinth, also had high prices on the flower’s introduction, which then fell dramatically. The high prices may also have been driven by expectations of a parliamentary decree that contracts could be voided for a small cost—thus lowering the risk to buyers.

All we want is tulips in a vase to enjoy them all season long!  They still grow in Holland.  Today tulips are a harmless flower that brings much joy and  is considered by many the first sign of springtime.  They are commercially available as cut flowers from September to May.  In the off-months you can get them, but the quality is not great and they are pricier than at their peak season (March, April and May).

All of us at Starbright love tulips…

This post is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design (www.starflor.com).  Sometimes we like to bring out “the fun side of flowers” by injecting some humor into our scribes.  We truly hope you enjoy our reads and get to see flowers from a little bit of a different perspective.  We sure do.

When you have some time, please visit our website and tell us what you think of the work that we do.  If you would like to order a gift for someone, you can visit our e-commerce portal we always recommend Designer’s Choice as a great option to take the guess work out of ordering flowers for a friend, a loved one or a parent. We deliver flowers on a same day basis (open seven days a week) in the United States.  Worldwide delivery is available  (except war zones, jungles, desserts and merchant marine vessels in the open sea) within 48 hours.

We would love to hear from you!  An alternative to our website is to call us (800.520.8999) or you may visit us at 150 West 28th Street (Second Floor).  We are in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  Pop on in! We would love to meet you!

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

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

Lily of the Valley: The May birth flower and possibly Robert Plant’s inspiration to the 70’s song “Stairway to Heaven”.

The lily of the valley is a low-growing perennial plant that usually has two large oblong leaves and small fragrant nodding bell-shaped flowers that grow evenly up the stalk forming what appear to be steps.   Perhaps Mr. Plant, observed the Lily of the Valley’s configuration and penned the song “Stairway to Heaven” (probably not).  However, medieval monks having lots of time on their hands and keen observation skills, viewed the flowers configuration and labeled the flower the “ladder to heaven”.  The flower was considered a symbol for the steps to heaven.

The Victorian era, with its strict rules of etiquette regarding verbalizing feelings of affection, was the golden age of the language of flowers.  When the lily of the valley was given as a gift to a love interest its meaning was said to be “you made my life complete”.  Today its meaning is said to be happiness, humility, purity and sweetness.

Through the years the flower has gained popularity in wedding bouquets.  The reason for this is open to debate.  Some would say it’s the flower’s fragrance and beauty.  Opponents offer that many flowers equal its beauty and fragrance.  The marriage cynics amongst us, point to the flowers’ herbal use as a poison antidote as the reason for its wedding bouquet popularity.   Statisticians claim that polls of brides are flawed.  Many brides are embarrassed to admit fear of poisoning by their groom as the driving force behind the choice of the flower.  Perhaps we’ll never know.

Similarly the origins of Lily of the Valley is open to debate.  One Christian bible story has it that the flower first grew where Mary’s tears fell at the foot of the cross.   Another has the flower first sprouting from Eve’s tears after she was kicked out of the Garden of Eden.  Whatever its origins, the flower provides a beautiful fragrant and visual accent to any floral display.

This post is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design (www.starflor.com).  Sometimes we like to bring out “the fun side of flowers” by injecting some humor into our scribes.  We truly hope you enjoy our reads and get to see flowers from a little bit of a different perspective.  We sure do.

When you have some time, please visit our website and tell us what you think of the work that we do.  If you would like to order a gift for someone, you can visit our e-commerce portal we always recommend Designer’s Choice as a great option to take the guess work out of ordering flowers for a friend, a loved one or a parent. We deliver flowers on a same day basis (open seven days a week) in the United States.  Worldwide delivery is available  (except war zones, jungles, desserts and merchant marine vessels in the open sea) within 48 hours.

We would love to hear from you!  An alternative to our website is to call us (800.520.8999) or you may visit us at 150 West 28th Street (Second Floor).  We are in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  Pop on in! We would love to meet you!

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

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

Administrative Professionals Day (Secretaries Day): The law of unintended consequences strikes again.

Simple, clean and modern designs for Secretaries Week

Administrative Professionals Day (Secretaries Day) is the day executives recognize the work of secretaries, and other administrative support professionals.  However, these are precisely the people who often are given the task of organizing and keeping the executive’s schedule updated.  Every year at this time, as a by-product of the holiday, these individuals are put in an unenviable predicament.  Marking the calendar can possibly be viewed as a self-serving act.  Not marking the calendar can lead to their bosses’ embarrassment. In an effort to help our administrative professional friends and our executives, Starbright has launched an awareness campaign.  This blog as well as our other cyber communication means at our disposal are being applied to ease the burden placed on administrative professionals.

Administrative Professionals Day (Secretaries Day) is observed on the Wednesday of the last full week of April, this year the day is April 27.  National Secretaries Week was created in 1952 through the efforts of Harry F. Klemfuss, a New York publicist and honorary member of the Florist hall of fame (second part- kidding).  In 1955, the observance date of National Secretaries Week was moved to the last full week of April. The name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981, and became Administrative Professionals Week in 2000.  In the U.S. the holiday is often celebrated by taking the staff out to lunch or a gift of a beautiful floral arrangement enjoyed by all.

The secret language of flowers was created in Victorian times when etiquette was prohibitive of voicing one’s emotions.  Accordingly flowers were given hidden meanings.  Floral gifts given to administrative professionals on April 27 contain no hidden meaning.  The message is clear and for all the office to see: “Thank You!”

It is that time of the year to celebrate and express our appreciation to those who do so much all year-long to keep the wheels of commerce  moving.  Assistants of all stripes have saved companies, increased revenue, prevented recessions and even kept those that they report looking great and making sure  that personal and department performance is at it is peak.  All of us at Starbright Floral Design are standing ready all week to help you express the appreciation that is so well deserved.

Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District in New York City and we deliver beautiful flowers, bouquets in amazing designs and so much more throughout Manhattan and beyond.

We can be reached by phone at 800.520.8999 or on the web at www.starflor.com.  Our e-commerce portal is located at www.starbrightnyc.com.  Call us, visit us, or go on-line.  We would love to meet you and have the opportunity to be of service.

Our warmest regards,

The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps

Starbright Floral Design – Flowers, Festivals and Celebrations.  It is what we do!

Starbright and the Community: Women Mean Business

Every now and again we have the opportunity to work with a partner to sponsor an organization whose contribution to the community is exceptional and where  the great work done is desperately needed.  Here is just such an opportunity.  This Tuesday the 12th of April we are proudly sponsoring the floral decor for the 17th Annual Women Mean Business Luncheon which is to benefit the Coalition for the Homeless.  The event will take place  this Tuesday  at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.  We asked the program chair to pass along some information about the event to our audience…

Women Mean Business

Please join us at the Coalition for the Homeless’ 17th annual Women Mean Business Luncheon on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.  All proceeds from the Women Mean Business Luncheon support the Coalition’s First Step Job Training Program.

First Step is a 14-week career readiness program for homeless and low-income women that emphasizes computer, literacy, and communication skills required for today’s tough job market.  We place our students in internships with major corporations or nonprofit organizations, provide them with mentors and job coaches, and help our graduates find and retain full-time, living wage employment. Since the majority of our students have faced domestic violence or incarceration, we also provide comprehensive social services to help them with emotional and personal issues outside of the classroom.

As chronic joblessness and the lack of affordable housing push families with children out of their homes and into the public shelter system, First Step is more vital than ever.  Nearly 10,000 families in New York City – the majority headed by single mothers – have no place to call home tonight. But graduates of First Step have the tools, confidence and greater self-esteem to become financially independent and break the cycle of homelessness.

We are very pleased to announce that this year’s floral arrangements have been donated by Starbright Floral Design, a new and exciting partner of the Coalition for the Homeless. Their support has helped ensure the success of the Women Mean Business Luncheon and the First Step Job Training Program. Thank you Starbright Floral!

Tickets for this year’s luncheon can be purchased online at www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/wmbl.

Hope to see you there!

Designer’s Choice – Making a case for the ONLY choice in flowers!

Sending someone flowers?  Having a hard time selecting from all the choices on all the websites?  Too many pictures? Confused?  We sure are!

Uninformed consumers constantly are placing orders for flowers from pictures online and then complain that the flowers do not “look like the picture”.  They never will and it is an unrealistic expectation to think that they should.  Here is why:  Flowers are natural living blossoms that are not all made from a mold.  The pictures were taken in a studio under the perfect conditions and designed to entice you to place an order by screaming “me! me! buy me!”.  Some websites are so dishonest that they will “photoshop”  adding colors and emphasis to the flowers so as you will buy something that really is impossible to recreate.

Florists are artisans.  They are artists, they design, they have attitudes (like a chef in a kitchen cooking with a dose of imagination).  Floral designers learn to imagine, create and combine colors and textures to make something bespoke (unique, custom) just for you.  Florists are trained to make compositions that are one of a kind (not from a mold) and are made once  and never to be made the same again.  It goes against the grain of a true designer to ask him to copy a picture.

Can you ask a designer to copy the flavor and design style of a photograph? – Yes… all day long.  To copy and recreate with exactness?  hardly ever and with ZERO job satisfaction.  Do you really want flowers for your loved one made  by someone who hates what they do? Pictures to be copied (especially the ones in the silly little containers with smiley faces) take away the art, the creativity and the spontaneity that the designer has trained an entire lifetime for.

Starbright Floral Design, like every other florist these days, has a million photographs on our e-commerce portal for you to choose from and “yes” we will always do our best to recreate the photo (always adding some spunk, spontaneity and our own style) .  It was a business decision that we had to make and we have offered flowers in the photo-catalog format displaying options for the past ten years… BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU that we did not become the highest rated (by Citysearch and others) florist in Manhattan by being the best at copying photos!  Rather, in the crowded and highly stylized island that we live on where there is a new “in style” every afternoon, we committed ourselves to impeccable  customer service and amazing styles with fresh blooms.

Designer’s Choice goes viral online!!!!

We are now offering that very creativity to our online clients with a twist… We are  taking the leap to ask you to trust us.  Let the inspiration of the moment dictate the flowers that your bouquet will have.  Don’t stress over the decision of “do I like the Sunset Blooms or the Pretty Paradise?”.   What really matters is  that your special someone receives flowers that are fresh, last a long-long time are stylized but not contrived.  They should remind the person of you and your great taste.  It is like having your own personal chef in the kitchen cooking just for you .  You never know what he will come up with, but you know it will be good!

Designer’s Choice Modern and Designer’s Choice Traditional are two new categories on our website that are designed to intrigue, surprise and give  you our very best.  Even if Starbright Floral Design (that is us) is not your florist, if you know someone who has built a name and has a reputation for flair, then PLEASE do not cripple their creativity with a picture.  Just tell them:  “Whip me up something great! She loves pink and green flowers!”

Designer’s Choice is a matter of trust and trust has to be earned.  We invite you  to give us a call and take a leap of faith!

Starbright Floral Design was started in 1994 and is  the most reviewed florist on-line by all the major review sites.  We deliver amazing flowers all over the place and at times that you would not think it is possible to get flowers on a same-day basis.  Give us a call, visit our online event gallery or pop on by!  We would love to meet you!

Cheers,

 

The Official Florist

 

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

News Press Release

Starbright Floral Design Kicks Off the “Pearl Rose”.   The Most Significant Product Launch since the advent of air travel and genetic engineered plants.

NEW YORK — March 31, 2011 — At a press conference at Starbright headquarters in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district,  Nic Faitos , Starbright’s Managing Partner,  in association with the Dutch Flower Marketing Association (an industry group whose mission is to promote flower buying throughout the world), announced the availability of the “Pearl Rose”.  A new rose varietal conceived by creative minds and designed through many years of collaboration between the finest botanists in the world with Dr. Aprilia Anoitou as the lead scientist.

Today’s announcement that the “Pearl Rose” is available to retail customers of Starbright and volume licensing customers marks the beginning of the most significant product launch in our company’s history and perhaps since Barbara McClintock’s discovery of “Jumping Genes”.  The “Pearl Rose” will be available to retail customers effective immediately.  Availability to NYC organizations with volume license agreements will begin shortly as well.  However, initial supplies are limited to retail customers.  Volume customers will be supplied for orders FOB New York City for delivery before Mother’s Day and beyond.

Through chromosome engineering and radiation mutation, more fully discussed in the science section herein, Greece’s premier botanist Dr. Aprilia Anoitou was able to develop a rose with mollusk traits.  The result is the growth of a white pearl within the pedals of a red rose.  Different varieties of roses have yielded different levels of pearl quality.  Currently the Pearl Rose is limited to the Darling Flame variety of rose.  Accordingly, the price of the Pearl Rose is for upscale clientele.

Customer feedback through Starbright’s web site, starflor.com , guided product development.  “This is a game changing product,” Faitos said.  “It’s an incredible step forward in the floral industry with ramifications that are yet unknown but undoubtedly far reaching.  Accordingly, in a press release under separate cover, we’ve announced the formation of a joint venture between Starbright and The Dutch Flower Marketing Association to fully explore the wide ranging uses of this exciting innovation.” Said Faitos.

First Users See Clear Business Value

Joining Faitos at Starbright’s headquarters was Poisson D’Avril, the president of the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Greater New York.

“In the highly competitive and fast-moving hospitality industry, our advantage comes first from our people and second from everything NYC has to offer.  You can add the Pearl Rose to the list of incomparable NYC attractions.” Said D’Avril.  “Nic has allowed several of our higher end venues offer the Pearl Rose prior to its official release.  The response has been extraordinary.  Finally, something to give to that person who has everything!”

Original Science

“The ovules of a rose are megasporangia and typically develop into female gametophytes.  These gametophytes give rise to egg cells which, in a typical rose holds the pollen.”  Said Dr. Aprilia Anoitou.  “In the transgenic rose, called the Pearl Rose, through chromosome engineering and radiation mutation, our team was able to develop a rose that behaves like a typical mollusk.  The mature egg cells are split through chemical mutagens. The mature egg cells from radiated mollusks are combined with rose egg mutations through protoplast fusion.  The genetic recombination leads the rose to secrete nacre similar to that emitted by mollusks.  “  Dr. Aprilia Anoitou said.  Transcripts of Dr. Anoitou’s full procedures are available by request to Pearlrosepress@starflor.com.

On the Road to the Future

“During the last decade, Starbright has built an impeccable reputation in the floral industry with unsurpassed customer service.” Faitos said. “Although we have been at the forefront of technology, the new product announced today is the most innovative product we’ve ever been involved with, and I believe it signals the beginning of a new wave of innovation that will have a profound impact during the next decade.” Said Nic Faitos, President of Starbright Floral Design.

Located in the heart of NYC’s flower district and founded in 1994, Starbright Floral Design has established the gold standard for customer service within the floral industry.  The Company has grown steadily every year since its inception.  The Pearl Rose and other innovative products being worked on currently, has Starbright on the threshold of exponential growth for the coming years.

Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance or information, journalists and analysts may contact pearlrosepress@starflor.com.  To become a volume licensee, kindly contact pearlrosedealers@starflor.com.  Visit us on the web at starflor.com.