Tag: seasonal flowers

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!”

“On the Fun Side of Flowers” – April Fools

Hi there! I am Nic, Senior Partner at Starbright Floral Design.  Sometimes I scribe on this page as The Official Florist.  That name came as a short version of “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps” – a tag line that seems to have stuck pretty well over the years.

I have always been intrigued by the innocent fun that people have  with each other on April Fools Day.  I have followed the holiday with some interest over the years and I have been inspired by the fun that people and  companies have with each other on this one day when we invent the craziest things to say…

Why Google told us only a couple of days ago that they have developed an email program that works on hand signals.  Remember when Taco Bell convinced us that they bought the Liberty Bell (to help with the deficit) and they were renaming it? Or when Burger King told us all that they had created a Whopper specifically for the southpaw? The condiments were turned 180 degrees to accommodate left-handed people.  Sure.

We decided to have some fun this year and participate in the holiday (it is a holiday, right?).  A lot of planning went into what we were going to do.  Many nights of meetings, creative sessions and ideas were thrown around.  We were new at this “hoax thing” and we put a lot of man hours learning how to spoof.  Next year we think it will be easier.  We are Fool Experts now!

So “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps” issued a press release late at night on the 31st of March (as a decoy) that basically stated that we funded research that was led by Dr. Aprilia Anoitou (Greek translation for April Fool) in which we were able to genetically engineer a rose so that it would behave like an oyster and produce pearls.   We were endorsed by a non-existent Dutch society that promotes flower buying.  To top it off Poisson D’Avril (French for April Fool) from a fictional tourism board in New York City endorsed this high-end rose as a gift for someone who clearly has everything.

I got congratulatory calls and emails from far away places.  Flower growers from Holland and importers from South America reached out to express their good wishes (the experts were dumfounded!).  A New York City radio personality wanted an interview (I declined) and several on-line publications carried the story.  Friends were even google-ing “The Pearl Rose” because they wanted to be in-the-know.  The spoof was supported by our social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn)

Most marketers would call this a marketing success.  I suppose it was.  We set out to have some fun and did we ever!  The planning, the execution, the fooling, having to answer emails and queries.  It was all about The Pearl Rose.  On most holidays we work ourselves to the point where  work is tyranny.  We never get to celebrate Mother’s Day, Valentine’s, Christmas or anything else.  So finally we have found a holiday on a day that we are not so busy and we can enjoy a day of fun with the rest of the world.  This too will be ruined when some floral industry consultant decides to create a holiday around people sending one another Foolish Flowers! For now we are relaxed and looking forward to April Fools 2012.

The Pearl Rose is history for now.  Maybe someday someone will be able to cross-breed oysters and roses and pearls will be come from roses. Until then life is normal and we can all go back to being true romantics by wooing our honeys with vases and vases of the most gorgeous long-stemmed roses…

It really was The Fun Side of Flowers!

Starbright Floral Design is located in “The Heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District”.  We deliver the most amazing blooms and the coolest floral compositions imaginable to anyone, anywhere  and at any time (except in the overnight hours and to uninhabited places, war zones and to merchant marine vessels while sailing the high seas).

Give  us a call at 800-520-8999 or better yet visit our website at www.starflor.com or our e-commerce portal (where you can buy really great flowers) at www.starbrightnyc.com.  Stop by and  meet us, give us a call or drop us a line.  Tell us you want a dozen pearl roses and we will all smile!

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

 

 

 

March Birth Flower: Oh That Daffodil Itch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Passionately yours,

The Official Florist

Starbright Floral Design

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

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.

T. 800.520. 8999

Web: www. starflor.com

E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

The Peace Lilly – Simple Care / Ideal Plant

What’s in a Name

Being of Greek descent I like to relate everything back to the birthplace of civilization, Greece.  With most flowers/plants there is an interesting story rooted in Greek mythology or Greek history giving the plant its name.  The Peace Lily, I would expect, would be no different.  Perhaps its name derived from their use to adorn an Olympic event.  Or perhaps the plant was given as a gift of appreciation to the great Alexander as he heroically brought civilization to the lands of savages.    Sadly I was disappointed to find that its name is nothing more than a reflection of its appearance. The white spathe represents a raised white flag of surrender.  This plant’s name is not rooted in Greek history but that of the French.

Watering

The peace lily belongs to the Spathiphyllum family.  Its flowers may be white or yellow with long bright green leaves. This plant is at peace when it is watered regularly.  Typically two or three times a week is sufficient.  Check the soil and make sure its moist.  If its dry, or the leaves are wilting or browning its been too long between watering.  In addition to regular watering, this plant likes its leaves misted.  The misting helps prevent red spider mite infestation.  If you see tiny spider webs treat the leaves with alcohol and spray with an insecticidal soap.

CAUTION FOR NYC RESIDENTS and others with chlorinated water supplies.   This plant is very sensitive to chlorinated water.  Either water with distilled water (unlikely) or let the tap water sit overnight thereby dissipating the chlorine.

Sunlight

One reason why this plant is so well equipped for office life is that it is not a sunbather.  The plant prefers natural filtered light.  Exposing the plant to direct sunlight will brown the leaves and create problems.

Ancillary Care

The roots of a Peace Lily like to be tightly confined but will normally overfill their initial pot within 1 year.  However, they do not usually require a pot larger than 10 inches.  Although the plant is simple to care for, it still needs to be fertilized occasionally. However, be sure that the fertilizer is not too strong or the leaves will brown and the root hairs will be killed.  Err on the side of a milder mix to be safe.  Rule of a green thumb is a fertilizer mix of 20-20-20.

If your plant was beautiful and healthy when purchased and you’ve maintained it as discussed herein, but it doesn’t bloom or has deformed shaped leaves you need to show some patience.  It is possible it was purchased from a discount retailer who artificially induced the plant into bloom for sale.  Your plant is simply said a drug addict.  It is looking for a dose of the hormone gibberellic acid.  Don’t be an enabler.  Let it beat the habit with your love and care and eventually it will live out a normal cycle.  The lesson here is to purchase your plants from a respectable retailer such as Starbright.

We highly recommend the Peace Lily for a variety of uses:

It is a great plant to send someone as a gift (personal or corporate).

We use them to decorate venues for events (plant rental).

We offer weekly maintenance on plants for offices and we take care of many Peace Lilies throughout New York City.

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

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

The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design

“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”

t.800.520.8999

starflor.com

 

Amaryllis – Our Plant Care Series Continues

The Glorious Amaryllis
A bloom with ties to Greek Mythology...

Amaryllis-Beauty without the Beast of Burdensome Care

The Amaryllis, which features large, gorgeous trumpet-like flowers, is a popular gift come the wintertime.  Did you know the Greek mythological tale from which it gets its name?

Amaryllis was a shepherdess who loved a conceited shepherd. The shepherd, presumably a part-time botanist, said he would only love her if she created a flower.  Ingenuity being one of the many admirable qualities of Greeks, she stabbed herself in the heart in order to create a beautiful red blossom.

If you received an Amaryllis plant at any time this fall or winter,  its blooms have probably been open for a few weeks.  Generally they will bloom from 7-10 weeks.  To prolong the life of the bloom, keep the plant in a shaded cool room (65 F).   Keeping a blooming amaryllis in a bright room is not the best environment.  Sunlight and excessive warmth will cause the bloom to wither.  The plant loves moisture so keep the soil wet, but not over-watered.

With proper care, this gift is a gift that will keep on giving.  The bulb will flower again for years to come and each time it will bring a sense of excitement and accomplishment.  Regardless of the variety, from various shades of red, white, salmon, and pink, these flowers deserve the limited effort necessary to bring them back to bloom.  Of all flowering bulbs (tulips, hyacinth, etc), amaryllis is the easiest to bring to bloom over and over again.

After-Bloom Care

After the amaryllis has stopped flowering, unlike those box of chocolates, this gift can be brought back to enjoy again.  After flowering, cut the old flowers from the stem just in back of the bloom, removing the green ‘lump’ in back of the blossom, and the thin stem connecting the bloom to the main flower stem.  When the stem starts to sag and turn yellow, cut it back to the top of the bulb.

 
Continue to water and fertilize as with any plant all summer, or for at least 5-6 months, allowing the leaves to fully develop and grow. When the leaves begin to yellow, which normally occurs in the early fall, cut the leaves back to about 2 inches from the top of the bulb.

 
Put the potted amaryllis in a cool (55 degrees F), dimly-lit place such as a cellar for 6-8 weeks.   If storing in a refrigerator, do not store amaryllis with apples.  The apples give off ethylene gasses which will sterilize the bulbs and prevent future blooms.
After 6 weeks you should water the potted bulb ONCE thoroughly, from top and bottom of the pot and place in a normal indoor temperature.  Do not water regularly until new green growth appears at the top of the neck. If the soil dries out before that time, water no more than once per week.  Excessive watering will rot the bulb and prevent its bloom.   Typically the bulbs will re-bloom in 8 weeks.

Repeat these instructions and enjoy the amaryllis year after year…

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

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

The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design

“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”

t.800.520.8999

starflor.com

Carnations – The Comeback Flower of January

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Passionately yours,

The Official Florist

Starbright Floral Design

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

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.

T. 800.520. 8999

Web: www. starflor.com

E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

Flowers… The “Feel Good” Medicine

Bright Colors and Sunshine
Blooms make us all happy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hope you have a great day!

 

The Official Florist

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

Website: www.starflor.com

E-Commerce Portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

1.800.520.8999

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201

New York City

Having a Corporate Flower Policy

Flowers are great for business!
Flowers bring appreciation, create strong bonds and boost morale.

Are you in Human Resources?  Perhaps an Office Manager? Perhaps you are the owner of a small to medium-sized firm?

Does your company like to send gifts to clients and employees alike?  Is it a cost that is outside of your normal budgets and you cannot seem to get a handle on how much money is being spent on flowers and related gifts?  If so, read on!

Starbright Floral Design (www.starflor.com) has helped many companies organize their gift giving so that it is both fair and a controlled expense.  Our clients send the occasion-appropriate gift and they always do so with great savings.  Here  is what you need to do:

  1. Pick ONE florist to do all your business with.  We would like it to be Starbright, but even if it is not, you still want to use one source and become one florist’s good customer.  It makes no sense to go to the yellow pages or to the  internet and say “gee, I wonder which florist I will pick today”.  By having one vendor you know that this person will take care of you.  You are an important client to the florist and you will get a few extra flowers, an upgrade and even issues that arise are more likely to be resolved in your favor.
  2. Standardize your occasions (both for employees and clients).  Do you want  to send gifts for maternity? sympathy? promotion? anniversary? get well? birthday?  If you know in advance what occasions automatically call for a flower gift, then there is no thought involved (should we do it? should we not?).  It is a task that has been pre-decided, delegated and the vendor has been pre-selected.
  3. Do you classify your team?  Executives, front line employees, new hires, etc. Do you want to plan on a certain expense for floral gifts based on an employees title?
  4. What about budgets? Typically in a Flower Policy, you will see something like: Sympathy – $125, Births – $75, Get Well – $50 and so on.
  5. You may also want to consider other offerings besides flowers that your local florist may have like Fruit and Gourmet Baskets, Plants, Orchids, Stuffed Animals, Balloons, and so much more.  The greater the specificity in your policy the more standardize the procedure becomes and the greater the chances of success.

Flowers are a great way to boost employee morale and a Flower Policy will take the guess-work out of the equation.  Oh! There is one added benefit – EVERYONE gets treated equally!  Imagine if one assistant sends a $75 get-well arrangement and the next assistant a $40 one! Employees talk… Employees wonder… Flower Policies are great!

Now that you have decided that you need a flower policy all of us at Starbright will be thrilled to help you write one and to work with you so that your program becomes a success.  We have helped many small and large, local and international organizations benefit from our experience  in this area.  Whenever  you have a free moment, please feel free to visit our website at www.starflor.com or our gift-giving portal at www.starbrightnyc.com.  All of us at Starbright will be thrilled to have the opportunity to be of service to you.

With our warmest regards,

 

The Official Florist

NOTE: You can also find us on Facebook!

Starbright Floral Design is Back in the Blogosphere…

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

Hello Friends!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warm regards,

The  Official Florist.

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

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