Did you know???

Did you know that in the United States that Halloween purchases for decor and such actually rival that of Christmas? Yet here in Canada we don't really go all out as that and I don't understand why. It is my favourite time of year and for years, I have been decorating my house from top to bottom and inside and out. It is wonderful!
It is also a great time to get creative with floral design. To just let your hair down and not worry about it being perfect but more to be different and funky. Spooky even! I think that we forget that flowers can make any event a special event! We have so many people purchasing flowers for Christmas decor I think we need to get people to think about flowers for Halloween Decor!
It all starts with a little imagination and a lot of fun!

The thank you

I have to tell you all how great my staff are. I went through a lot this year. I got pregnant and pretty well bed rested for a lot of it, had Maxwell James on April 12 and did not recover very well at all. Than I got severe post partum depression which is now being controlled by medication. All in all it is worth it to have my little angel Max in our life but such a long journey. Sandy and Roselle took on a lot of the store. I really wasn't up to much even though I tried. I felt like giving up on the flower industry all together (that was the post partum talking). Now that I have all that under control I feel as though I have my life back. I still have hard moments almost daily but I can handle them quietly now.

So I wanted to say thank you to my gals for helping me and I racked my brain as to what I could do. So my husband and I talked about it and we decided to get them a beautiful coach purse each. I gave it to them last week and the looks on their faces were worth every penny. It might not be much but man alive a thank you goes such a long way.

Flowers can do the same trick but since I already give them flowers often, I figured that something different would be good. Just something for you to think about doing for someone you know today. It doesn't have to be with a purse but often just saying the words can do wonders for the soul. In the end, don't we all feel amazing when we know that we are appreciated?

Starting a new

I am in the middle of renovating my shop at the moment. There was nothing wrong with it before but it was just time to change 'er up. I actually feel like I have a do over. I feel like I am opening a brand new store and I must say, it has me completely excited! I have always loved being a florist. I love owning my own shop. But for some reason I feel re-energized. I didn't even realize that I needed to be re-energized. I was going along just fine until I saw my cooler start to come together. And now the painting is getting done. I have to go choose new flooring. I am gitty like a school girl. I think that even Roselle and Sandy (my staff) are getting excited seeing all the changes. I guess it just goes to show you that sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns and change something even if you think everything is just hunky dory! I think I will have to try this at home too! Everything is perfect there but I guess I could always make it better. In fact, it just dawned on me as I write this that I haven't brought flowers home in a while. I usually do all the time. I think I will start there. What a great place to start!

Weddings 101

Planning a wedding is a huge task. Anyone who has done it knows that already. Unfortunately, one thing that often doesn't get enough attention is the subject of wedding flowers. With all the tasks to complete to arrange the venue, clothing, music, catering and dozens more, sometimes the flowers just take a back seat. Late in the process, the bride and her helpers will sometimes just declare in frustration: "Oh, just get those!"

But it doesn't have to be that way.
Including the task of choosing wedding flowers early in the process helps. This is where Heather de Kok Floral Design comes in to help. Follows are some thoughts:

Consider the season. Just as not all food is available easily all year round, neither are all flower species. Besides, you want your flowers to fit in with your overall theme. If you're planning a winter wedding - and especially if you plan to have a theme that reflects that - you don't want summer roses, for example.

Consider your theme again. Beyond the season, you'll want a certain look for the tables, for the ceremony, for the reception and all other aspects of the wedding. The flowers you choose play a large role there.

For an outdoor ceremony, you might want something a little more 'wildflower' looking. A mixture of everything from Gerbera Daisies, Yarrow and Lavender to Roses or Irises can give the outdoor area a look that the flowers all just 'happened' to be present. But for an indoor ceremony, you might want to go with something more formal looking, like Orchids or Mini Calla Lilies
You should consider whether you want to go with a fairly uniform species or family for all the elements - tables, pews, chair backs and more. A single family - say Lilies or Orchids - can be used in multiple settings.

On the other hand, you can select a very different flower for each venue. Bird of Paradise make great reception table centerpieces. But that doesn't restrict you from using, say, Roses for the bouquet and Asters for the backs of chairs and Narcissus for the flower girl.

What ever you decide to do, talk to a professional Florist. They will be able to guide you best on what will suit your needs.

This Bouquet is a classic. It is elegant for any time of year. I used Escimo Roses framed with Italian Ruscus. To make it exciting for winter, you could add a few white feathers in it to give it a bit more motion.

Really? Retirement

How many times have I heard:
"When I retire, I am going to buy a flower shop!"? Well I will tell you, to many times. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE what I do but it is hard work, and long hours. Hardly what I would call retirement material. I know people think that we come to work and just play with all the pretty flowers but it is so much more than that. We have to know all the latest trends on colour, design, flower care, heck, flowers! What is new, what is coming up, what is going out! If anything my job is busy and wonderful.
Being in the flower business is extremely competitive too. With big box stores selling flowers just over cost, the florist has to work that much harder to compete. If anything it will eliminate the bad from the good but I really hope that it doesn't eliminate flower shops all together. We are to important to the community. Just think, where would people get custom work done for weddings and funerals. 2 of the most important emotional days in a persons life! There is something to be said for bringing flowers to someone who is grieving.
At the end of the day, yes, owning a flower shop is probably one of the biggest joys of my life. And I don't mind all the hard work. I do know that when I retire, it will be to just work in a flower shop or maybe, now this is crazy, just enjoy every day as it comes.
In the mean time, I am keeping up with all the trends. This blog will help me get the word out about what is going on in our industry! So keep reading!