Every so often we introduce a new composition on our e-commerce portal. When we do, we ask our followers on Facebook to participate by naming our newest arrangement. It is always loads of fun and the creativity that is unleashed is beyond imagination.
Our floral gifts have gotten names like “Corona“, “Relaxing Calla“, “Purpleberry Lady“, “Orchid Alleycat” , “Red Dawn“, “Apple Lime Ice“, and so many more. These are all names that have been given to our gift collection by our fans, our friends and our clients. I am not sure if it is more fun being a florist and coming up with the next item on our catalog, or if the process by which our arrangements are named.
It is really cool to put it out there and let everyone contribute to the naming process. We create something and we have no idea what we are going to call it! We just let the ideas pour in… It is really a lot of fun!
Lately we have been on a love and romance scribe-a-thon. We have added a few articles on how men should send flowers, why women should surprise their buds with blooms, and so on… To bring the conversation full circle we wanted to create something clean and modern that overflows with passion, devotion, love and to some even temptation. The orchid stem in the bud vase conveys just that. It is our interpretation of all things love. Love of the moment, love of the person and love of eternity.
The names that have poured in so far on our Facebook page run the extreme spectrum of all things love. I can’t wait to see what we are finally going to call this composition. Baptize this beauty and we invite you to become part of our growing Facebook Family.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and we deliver flowers, love, passion and all emotions everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide. 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
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.
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”.
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.
On any team, in any company or in any organization people join in every now and then that you “just know” are going to be around for a very long time and will contribute in a super meaningful way… Barbara is just such a person. Last year we were short-handed for what was the largest wedding production that our organization had ever been involved with. It took our entire team, plus a freelance group (that Barbara was a part of) to basically decorate the Brooklyn Museum. That is when we met Barbara and have not let go since…
Flowers, Festivals and Romance
In her own words, life in the wonderful world of flowers –
At ten years, the floral design industry is one of my two longest-lasting relationships, (the other is my husband, who’s been my partner for seven.) Following are a series of brief descriptors of the business.
In a cash and carry shop I worked at, customers were constantly walking in and saying how wonderful the store smelled. I’d smile and agree, and even lead them to the fragrant flowers if they asked, although I’d been in the store long enough that I couldn’t actually smell them anymore. A favored expression in this business is, “hurry up and wait,” meaning that work is not a steady flow; rather, everyone rushes to meet a deadline, or prep to begin work on an event…and then we just hang around for go time. The florally-related holidays, such as Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, Easter, and so on, do produce weeks’ worth of intense work. Sometimes, if a store is lucky, there is more work than even the best-equipped store can handle. Those times generally wear on everyone’s nerves- frazzling coworkers to the point that they want to strangle each other. The hours become long and the amount of work slavish. These periods are counter balanced by the quiet periods, such as January or midsummer, when customers are traveling, or the calendar is empty of a special occasion which calls for flowers. Since flowers are generally short-lived, a commodity rather than a necessity, customers also frequently haggle about the price, or the fact that, yes, there is tax on flowers.
How does the floral business sound after the above descriptions? If the job had been described as such, I probably would’ve looked for a job elsewhere before walking into my first interview with a shop. The truth is, however, that I am, and always have been, hopelessly addicted to flowers. My interest was piqued at an early age by my grandmother, who was a landscape architect. But familial dedication isn’t really enough to explain why I’ve returned again and again to the floral business over a decade. Flowers, if you can stop to take a deep breath and appreciate them, are beautiful in themselves. But let’s face it… how many people can stop to smell the roses? This work is worthwhile to me for the good moments, to be found in every day. When an arrangement comes together, it gives a sense of satisfaction that is immediate and complete. When coworkers also find beauty in something you’ve made, it’s an additional bonus. The maximum gratification comes when a customer’s eyes light up at seeing what you’ve made for them. I’ve also been fortunate to work with many excellent people, not least among them the crew at Starbright. (Especially Brian!!!) There are always laughs to be shared, as well as the sense of accomplishment when a large job is completed, at having contributed to a significant moment or event in someone’s life. If I’m waxing too poetic, sometimes there’s satisfaction at simply having gotten through another day, and having managed to create something in the meantime.
A little bit about Starbright…. Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district. Our studio is centrally located in Manhattan. We offer local and worldwide delivery of flowers, plants and gifts of all types. In addition, we are a premier provider of decor in Manhattan for corporate and social special events. To gain a bit of a broader perspective on our organization and on the work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com or reach out to us by phone at 800.520.8999. We are located in Studio 201 at 150 West 28th Street. We hope to see you soon!
Sunday May the 9th is Mother’s Day. While we stand ready to serve your every request and to send amazing flowers and gifts to every mom in Manhattan and the world over, we want to remind you to send your love and your gratitude in your own special way. This Sunday, let the phones ring, the “I love you’s” flow, the embraces warm and plenty and the flowers bloom! Every mom is special, every Mom is an MVP and we love them all.
For amazing flowers, designs that leave moms all over gasping for air… Give us a call (800-520-8999) or visit our website at www.starflor.com. Starbright Floral Design is the most reviewed florist on the web and we even have a streak of over 65 five star reviews! Worldwide delivery, based in Manhattan with our own store and incredible flowers. We promise to make mom smile!
It is the peak of the season for hydrangea! We have selected a few of the very interesting varieties and colors that are coming to us from Holland to showcase… Starbright Floral Design is showcasing these varieties of flowers for delivery anywhere in New York City over the course of the springtime. To order these amazing blooms, you may need to pre-order and keep in mind that they are in short supply and very high demand. For this reason we ask for your flexibility in delivery date, etc. For more great ideas, please visit our website at www.starflor.com or give us a call at 800-520-8999. Flower delivery worldwide. Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District (on 28th Street in Manhattan).
Scroll down and enjoy the hydrangea!
The Emerald Classic Hydrangea By Starbright Floral Design"Expression" a Springtime Favorite Hydrangea Variety - By Starbright Floral DesignThe Harlekijn Hydrangea - Dutch by name, Starbright by DesignVerena Rose - a hydrangea variety like no other. Delicate and Soft... Brought to you by Starbright Floral DesignThe Bela Hydrangea By Starbright Floral Design
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!
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:
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!
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!
Blooming Thoughts 