Tag: seasonal flowers

Starbright’s Sparkling New Website!

Sometimes there’s news at Starbright Floral Design that we just have to share! With great anticipation, we’re thrilled to announce that after many late nights and months of work behind the scenes, we’ve fully refreshed and enhanced our website to enchant you. We realize that updates about websites in NYC may not be what you’ve come to our blog to read about, so let us explain just a little bit what this means for you and why we’re overjoyed!

One of the most frequent concerns we’ve heard from our beloved friends and clients is that ordering flowers online can be a nightmare. Between the layout of the websites to the ability to find just the right type of floral composition, we understood this angst and wanted to be a leader in our industry in New York City to right this wrong.

We are incredibly proud of our refreshed website!
We are incredibly proud of our refreshed website!

It wasn’t easy! But, with our incredible team at Starbright, we were able to create what we humbly think is a beautiful website, worthy of sighing over with delight. We are excited to invite you to visit our new site and see how indulgent ordering flowers can be. Our graphics were created to be as alluring as our bouquets and we hope that you revel in this as an immersive experience.

Everyone at Starbright wanted to make sure that the website was easy to use and that favorite flowers were a breeze to find. We crafted specialty sections throughout the site, like our Autumn Collection that features all of the luxury seasonal florals that are overflowing in our flower and plant emporium.

Our Occasions menu at the top of the site makes finding an impeccable stunning floral composition to send your thoughts and feelings as easy as a *click* 1-2-3. Our Designer Collections includes our Cut Orchid Boutique which enhances every setting, the Ikebana Designs that has endless admirers and our Succulent Collection which is as intriguing as it is whimsical. We believe you’ll be inspired by the incredible flower and plant offerings that you may end up wanting to send them all, and of course we at Starbright will be ready to answer the call!

Our Designer Collections feature stunning floral and plant compositions.
Our Designer Collections feature stunning floral and plant compositions.

Starbright’s freshened site also prominently features our Weekly Flowers subscription service, which is when we visit you each week with a new, breathtaking bouquet that utterly compliments your decor. Sought after by our corporate clients and adored in private residences throughout Manhattan, we are elated to bring this service to your attention and would relish meeting with you for an initial consultation on how to embellish your space with flower blooms.

We would love for our Weekly Flowers program to brighten your spaces!
We would love for our Weekly Flowers program to brighten your spaces!

To celebrate this milestone, we are delighted to extend a 15% coupon that can be used through the end of the year to send all the flowers your heart desires. Just use the code CC16 at checkout and the 15% will be applied to your order!

We would love to hear what you think about Starbright’s new look. As always, you can reach us through social media, our website, replying to this email or giving us a ring at 212.229.1610. Everyone at Starbright is looking forward to hearing from you and in the meantime, we hope you have a fabulous time perusing our new and improved site!

Starbright Floral Design is a full-service florist located in Midtown NYC that has been brightening New York City for over two decades with flowers, plants and more.

It is our distinct pleasure to be of service to you in creating stunning floral compositions that will make you smile.

We are delighted to be able to carefully deliver each creation through our fleet of dedicated floral concierges in Manhattan, all of New York City and beyond.

In NYC, where anything is possible, we offer same-day delivery for our friends and clients to ensure that when want to send your wishes with flowers, orchids, plants and so much more, we are there to answer the call.

We invite you to visit us online or in our store, which you will find is bursting with flowers and delight in being of service to you. We would be thrilled to make your floral dreams come true!

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

140 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001

212.229.1610

BOO-tiful Bouquets for Halloween!

If there’s one thing we know at Starbright Floral Design, it’s how to make a stunning statement with flowers and Halloween is no exception! We love getting into the Halloween spirit here in NYC and wanted to share some inspiration with you on how to use flowers, pumpkins and a few well-placed props to give your decor that pop that will make it look like it might go bump in the night…

Pumpkins and Halloween are perfect together. We strive to create an eerie elegance in our Halloween displays and pumpkins are a fantastic foil that allow us to do just that. Using them to enhance our floral compositions is one of our favorite ways to evoke that spooky spirit that everyone is searching for this time of year, in New York City and beyond.

The rich coloring of pumpkins provides a great background for flowers and greenery that we at Starbright relish. Lush succulents and king protea flowers brighten up this humble gourd and transform it into a festive Halloween centerpiece. We framed this pumpkin with harvest corn to evoke a nostalgic yet refined ambiance, wonderful for the autumn season.

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Twilight lavender calla lily flowers create a vivid exclamation point on our scary squash, while the draped succulents known as amaranthus give a creepy-crawly sensation as they ooze down the pumpkin’s side. A burst of color through the hypericum berries on the side evoke the orange of the pumpkin while making you wonder if they are poisoned or not.

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But not all pumpkins need to be scary! We carved one up to give it a friendly grin and added a mix of festive fall flowers including dahlias to give the jack o’lantern a perfect coif. Part of the elegance of this floral composition is hidden by the pumpkin itself, for a vase can be stored inside the pumpkin and filled with fresh water to keep your flowers looking fresher for much longer.

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At Starbright, we love to delight our clients with the unexpected and so we had a wonderful time building this luscious composition. We combined a traditional gourd with an eccentric one to highlight the unique attributes of the green squash. The fun sprays of verdant branches built heightened interest in this composition, with the succulents softening the entire look.

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One of our clients was looking for something to spook on sight and we had just the special visitor to liven up an otherwise friendly bouquet. A spray of mango toned calla lilies echoed the spiderwebs that wove their way through the flower composition of calla lilies and euphorbia. We’re sure that whoever received this bouquet was given quite a fright!

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Halloween is one of Starbright’s favorite times to feature whimsical components in our compositions to make a spooky statement. If you’ve carved your pumpkins and hung up the decorations but there’s still something missing, stop by our shop in Manhattan on Halloween. You’ll be able to find that missing floral masterpiece while seeing the staff of Starbright dressed up for the day. We’ll be giving away candy while we create chilling delights!

Starbright Floral Design at Harvest in the Square

Starbright Floral Design was thrilled to be an official sponsor of the 21st annual Harvest in the Square that took place in Manhattan on September 22, 2016. This year was, as in previous years, a huge success. Harvest in the Square is a fantastic evening when more than 45 food vendors and 12 wineries come together under a beautiful tent in Union Square to provide an unforgettable evening for attendees by giving them a taste of the best of what each of them have to offer.

hits1aStarbright Floral Design transformed Union Square Park with festive fall foliage.

In addition to showcasing the broad array of culinary masterpieces that Union Square offers, Harvest in the Square also raises funds for the Union Square Partnership. The Union Square Partnership is a community-based nonprofit that is a group of local businesses which have joined together in order to ensure that Union Square in NYC is a beautiful and welcoming space for all who visit. Harvest in the Square is the culminating event of the year and is considered by many to be the preeminent food and wine tasting event in New York City.

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A blend of sunflowers, chrysanthemums, wheat and barley moss created a rustic elegance atmosphere for soiree.

Starbright had the distinct honor of decorating the entire venue for Harvest in the Square. We crafted thousands of flowers into centerpieces and decor throughout Union Square Park while staying true to the Harvest theme.

We focused on incorporating sunflowers, wildflowers and other rustic touches to keep in step with the autumnal motif of the evening. Our centerpieces were showcased in wicker baskets and we used calla lilies to add a touch of whimsy and elegance. Starbright was able to incorporate one of our favorite flowers, the orchid, into the arrangements by sourcing incredibly beautiful and unusual orange orchids to make an incredible statement.

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Dramatic orange calla lilies were a stunning focal point in the centerpieces.

Starbright also crafted the floral displays for each table at Harvest in the Square. We blended deep violet Licianthus with wild clover and greens to create a subdued display. Our intention was to subtly evoke the theme while letting the attention stay focused on the delicious offerings.

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Starbright’s reserved table displays kept the focus on the culinary delights.

Harvest in the Square attracts a large crowd each year and 2016 was no exception. With over 1,200 attendees, we were excited to offer each one a signature Starbright bouquet. Composed of Roses, Gerbera Daisies and Solidago, the attendees were delighted with this unexpected memento from the event that a team of nine designers at the Starbright shop had composed, using over 5,000 fresh blooms.

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Julie McGonigle from Starbright oversaw the operations for the event.

The entire team at Starbright Floral Design was delighted to play a part in this year’s Harvest in the Square. Our three designers who were onsite for the event were crafting floral displays the entire day and the feedback we received was that the attendees thought the creations were spectacular.

Having raised over five million dollars since the event’s inception, we take great pride in knowing our contribution will help in maintaining and beautifying one of the great gems of New York City: Union Square Park. We’re already looking forward to next year!

This scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design. We are a full-service florist located in Midtown NYC. We deliver inspired floral compositions throughout Manhattan, all of New York City and everywhere beyond. 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 and would be delighted to make your floral dreams come true.

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

140 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001

212.229.1610

Sunflowers in NYC=Summertime in NYC

Sunflowers in NYC

Exciting Times in NYC
Dust off your favorite shorts and connect the air conditioners, Summer is here NYC!  Summertime in NYC means sunflowers in NYC.   Sunflowers have a way of brightening up any location.
What a difference a simple bouquet of sunflowers makes to the NYC’s Columbus Circle.
Columbus Circle Sunflowers
Columbus Circle Sunflowers
The beautification of NYC’s Washington Square park has been completed with the addition of Sunflowers.
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Washington Square Sunflowers

What would an East River view of downtown Brooklyn be without a bouquet of Sunflowers?

Downtown Manhattan Sunflowers
Sunflowers in Downtown Manhattan

Lady Liberty’s beauty is dwarfed by the natural beauty of Sunflowers.

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Hudson River/West Side NYC Sunflowers
New Yorkers don’t just rely on Sunflowers to beautify their outdoor spaces.  Sunflowers are brightening Event spaces throughout NYC.
Sunflowers for NYC Events
Sunflowers for NYC Events
Sunflowers come in a wide variety of yellow, red and golden hues. They might not look alike but they all  spread cheer to whomever they come across.  Let Starbright deliver a fresh bouquet of Sunflowers in NYC or wherever smiles need to be encouraged.

 

 

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

 

Roses, Roses, Roses: June’s Birth Flower

Roses in NYC are as plentiful as NYC birthdays.  Every year millions of roses are gifted in NYC for any number of occasions.  In June, the appropriate floral gift is the rose as it is June’s birth flower.  Rich in popularity as a symbol of love and romance it hasn’t always been so.   In fact, 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.

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Roses, Roses, Roses in NYC

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 scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design.  We are a full-service florist located in Midtown NYC..  We deliver inspired floral compositions throughout Manhattan, all of New York City and everywhere beyond.   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

140 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001

800.520.8999

www.starbrightnyc.com

 

Flower File : Crocosmia

Crocosmia
Crocosmia
Quick Notes /

A favorite flower in August, crocosmia is a common flower in the grasslands of southern and eastern Africa. In the United Staes, these lovely blooms are often referred to as Coppertips or Falling Stars. They grow as evergreens or as deciduous perennials and come back year after year to please the senses with their trumpet-like shapes and bright colors. 

The genus name is derived from the Greek words krokos, meaning “saffron”, and osme, meaning “odor” – from the fact that dried leaves of these plants emit a strong smell like that of saffron (a spice derived from Crocus – another genus belonging to the Iridaceae) – when immersed in hot water.

Visual Notes /

Crocosmia is distinctive for its colorful inflorescence in shocking orange and reds. The stems branch out and display a number of blooms along one side of each stem near the end and nod and sway gracefully above your flower beds or your late summer arrangements.  The Crocosmia leaves are long, pointy and have parallel veins along their length. They grow in clumps in bloom in a spectacular

 

Insider Information /

Crocosmia are great for attracting hummingbirds to your garden.

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Flower File : Echinacea

Echinacea cone
Echinacea cone
Quick Notes :

Echinacea is part of the daisy family. This flower is unique to the areas of eastern and central North America, where you can find it growing in large numbers in open wooded areas and prairies.

Visual Notes :

Echinacea comes from the Greek word “echino,” meaning sea urchin, and the flower is certainly reminiscent of this spiny creature. The center of the flower is a spiky, cone-shaped disk, which leads its other nickname: the coneflower. The purple petals that surround the spiky center are removed before the flower is sold, because the petals are very delicate and bruise easily. Their absence makes the sea urchin-like center of this flower all the more striking.

Flower History :

Echinacea has been used in folk medicine for centuries. Native Americans originally observed this flower being eaten by elks that were sick or wounded. They adopted the flower for their own use in medicinal practices, and called it elk root. It was used to treat a variety of ailments, including sore throats, headaches, and the common cold. Native Americans passed on their knowledge of echinacea to Europeans, and the plant became popular in European medicine in the 1930’s. Feeling under the weather? Echinacea is still used today to boost the immune system. It’s great as a tea, but don’t try to boil anything from an arrangement – these guys have been drinking flower food which makes them unsafe as human food. 

Insider Information :

Echinacea is a great choice if you’re looking for an ornamental or decorative flowers, thanks to its unique appearance. You can find it in bloom from early to late summer. The cone will dry exactly as it looks and is great for decorating. 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Flower File : Celosia

Paintbrush Celosia
Paintbrush Celosia

 

Quick Notes/

There are several types of celosia flowers, but this article will focus on the spicata variety. Celosias are resilient and will stay fresh for a long time after they are cut. They also make beautiful dried flowers, and are a popular choice for potpourri.

Visual Notes/

Celosia blooms in vibrant, citrus colors like pink, magenta, and violet. The flower grows in an elongated cone shape, similar to a wheat head, which is where it gets one of its several nicknames: the wheatstraw. It’s also commonly referred to as the paintbrush variety of celosia because of its shape. Its vibrant pink color has earned it yet another name: flamingo feather.

Flower Facts/

As celosias grow, their flowers bloom upwards and get taller. The petals near the top of the flower have bloomed most recently, while the petals near the bottom of the flower were the first to bloom. As the flowers grow larger, the vibrant pink color spreads upwards. The brightest colored petals can be found at the top of the flower, while the petals near the stem may lose their citrus shades and take on instead a silvery sheen.

Insider Information/

The name also comes from the Greek word “kelos,” which means burning, and describes the flame-like colors of the flowers. Silvery celosia takes color very well, and can be dyed a wide range of hues. Their strong stems make them especially resilient.

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

 

Flower File : Clematis

Clematis
Clematis

 

Quick Notes /

Sometimes refereed to as Queen-of-the-vines, clematis is a member of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family. It can be found in most countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Clematis grows naturally as a climbing vine / lianasand has been harvested by many cultures for it’s medicinal values. But be careful! Clematis are toxic if eaten.

 

Visual Notes /

With over 250 cultivars grown around the world, the clematis flower is visually varied. All varieties feature a number of leafy petals clustered around the center of the flower. The colors range widely, but blue-purple, white and pink are especially popular.

 

History /

Because it’s found everywhere, Clematis is one of the first flowers early botanists and genetic researchers really took note of. As a result, it was widely used in early genetic experiments. Many of the British cultivars are the result of this early groundwork in understanding genetics.

 

Clematis
Clematis


Insider Info /

– The name Clematis comes from the Greek word “klematis,” meaning vine.

– Clematis are scented, but their scent is rarely strong enough for perfume making.

– A few clematis varieties change color when between blooming.  This is caused by environmental factors, like sunlight.

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

A Hand Picked Romance

At Starbright Floral Design in New York City we’re inspired by the stories clients share with us. Roughly one out of every fifteen weddings we get to participate in decorating this season are for same-sex couples. Each one comes with a unique pair of individuals, with love in their eyes and a desire to give their family and friends an event to remember. We’re excited to share their experiences, and how those experiences have inspired us as we continue through the seasons.

As seen on The Edge, Boston 

Floral centerpieces
Centerpiece with late Summer garden flowers

 

A Hand-Picked Romance

“My partner and I have been dreaming about getting married for fifteen years. Being a same sex couple, I thought it would remain but a dream. When New York gave us the right to make it official we jumped at the chance. We booked a restaurant downtown for an intimate celebration with thirty or so friends. The floral designs were wildflower themed. I told Starbright I wanted it to look like I picked the flowers out of my garden. What they came up with from such limited direction was incredible. We got married in New York, with friends around us, with good food, surrounded by beautiful flowers. It was a dream come true. Starbright’s help in making this dream a reality can’t be overstated.”

– Shared by Jonathan V.

Jonathan and his partner’s earnestness inspired the Starbright team to craft arrangements that would imbue the atmosphere with the same sweet, everyday hopefulness that goes along with a bouquet of wildflowers.

Working With Wildflowers

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The trick to successfully using wildflowers for wedding decor is to know which varieties are in season. From early Spring to late Summer, new bloom varieties appear in the shop each week. Some of our favorites re-appear only briefly before they disappear again until next year. In Spring, blooms such as the lace-like aster, sweet smelling lilies of the valley, and the many petaled ranunculus are popular for weddings because they remind us of new beginnings and softer feelings. Late Summer wildflowers are a whole different ballgame. Be ready for bright colors, lots of texture and a trip to the wild side.

Late summer wildflowers tend to be wind-swept-and-wild. The colors, shapes, and textures are a great way to add a twist to standard floral fare. During this time of year, herbaceous florals begin to fill the Starbright Floral Design cooler; small, untraditional blooms stand out amongst twisted stems in shades of green. Great for adding dimension, texture, and scent, herbs first became popular in wedding arrangements during the Victorian era when they were used to also convey specific meanings. For the traditionalists, our favorite herbs to include are lavender for luck and devotion, rosemary to remember friends and family who cannot attend, and sage for a long life together. And for the bride or groom with stage fright, thyme or mint in the boutonnière is a must – the scents will help keep you calm and collected.

Unlike many popular wedding flowers, wildflower arrangements actually look better when they aren’t meant to be identical! The wild nature and shape of these flowers keeps them unified and also unique, just like the couple saying “I do.”

Today, weddings don’t have to mean what they used to. Mix it up! Define what’s right for you and then explore it. When it comes to the flowers, we’re here to help. From all of us at Starbright Floral Design, congratulations AND best wishes to all the happy couples!

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.