Flowers& - October 2016

Flowers& OCTOBER 2016 $6.50

www.MyTeleflora.com

Help for theHolidays Fun and fancy floral gifts, with a twist Pg 20 Elegant and festive dĂŠcor: mantels and more Pg 36

contents OCTOBER 2016

features 20

Gifts of Distinction

Seasonal designs with talk-about-it flair.

Floral design by Susan Ayala AIFD, PFCI Photography by Ron Derhacopian

36

All Through the House Themes & strategies for custom holiday de´cor.

Floral design by Darla Pawlak AIFD, PFCI Photography by Ron Derhacopian

50

Island Beautiful

The latest in cut flowers, foliage & plants from the Aloha State.

Text and photography by Bruce Wright

54

All Hawaiian, All Occasions

For every sales opportunity there’s a standout design with versatile, high-value tropicals.

Floral design by Hitomi Gilliam AIFD

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pg 34

on the cover Traditional holiday colors and materials take on a whole new high-spirited look with red flowers, evergreens, berries and pinecones placed in a Birch Folder, accented with wine corks, twinkling lights, and gilded boxwood. For more ideas for distinctive floral gifts by Susan Ayala AIFD, PFCI, turn to pages 20-34.

contents

departments 8

F ocus on Design

10

Leaf Art

A Contemporary Holiday Wreath

By Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI

Monstera-Leaf “Pods”

By Helen Miller AIFD

12

Inspired By...

Parallel Lines

By Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI

16

Fresh Focus

Ornamental Kale

By Bruce Wright

60

Shop Profile

Wasserman’s Flowers & Gifts, Muskegon, Michigan

By Marianne Cotter

64

Where to Buy

What’s 65

in Store

66

Industry Events

67

Advertiser Links

68

Wholesale Connection

pg 9

pg 14

Flowers& Volume 37, Number 10 (ISSN 0199-4751).

Published monthly by Teleflora, 11444 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064, 800-321-2665, fax 310-966-3610. Subscription rates: U.S., 1 year, $78.00.

Canada, 1 year, $102.00 (US currency only); Canadian GST registration number R127851293. Other foreign countries, 1 year, $149.88 (US currency only). Single issues, $6.50 each prepaid. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, Calif., and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Flowers&, PO Box 16029, North Hollywood, CA 91615-9871.

Copyright © 2016 by Teleflora. Printed in U.S.A.

4 OCTOBER 2016

pg 10

pg 16

Flowers& Publisher Editor Art Director

Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI rsalvaggio@teleflora.com Bruce Wright Tony Fox

National Advertising Director

Peter Lymbertos

U.S. Subscriptions

800-321-2665

Foreign Subscriptions

818-286-3128

Advertising

800-421-4921

On the Internet

www.MyTeleflora.com www.flowersandmagazine.com

A d v i s or y B oar d Teleflora Education Specialists Susan Ayala AIFD, PFCI, Riverside, Calif., Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI, Syndicate Sales, Fairfield, Ohio, Tim Farrell

AIFD, AAF, PFCI,

Farrell’s Florist, Drexel Hill, Penn., Jim Ganger

AIFD,

Kansas City, Mo., Hitomi Gilliam AIFD, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Bob Hampton AIFD, AAF, PFCI,

Dallas, Texas, John Hosek AIFD, PFCI, CF, CAFA, Surroundings Events and Floral, Verona,

Wisc., Alex Jackson AIFD, AAF, PFCI, Veldkamp’s Flowers, Lakewood, Colo., Vonda LaFever AIFD, PFCI,

Niceville, Fla., Joyce Mason-Monheim AIFD, AAF, PFCI, AzMF, Designer Destination,

Tucson, Ariz., Helen Miller AIFD, CF, CAFA, Flowers and Such, Adrian, Mich., Darla Pawlak AIFD, PFCI,

Essexville, Mich., Julie Poeltler

AIFD, PFCI, IMF, CAFA,

Julie’s Fountain of Flowers,

Lone Tree, Iowa, Jerome Raska AIFD, AAF, PFCI, CF, Blumz by JR Designs, Ferndale, Mich.,

Tom Simmons AIFD, CCF, Three Bunch Palms Productions, Palm Springs, Calif., Gerard Toh AIFD, CCF,

Garden Trade Services, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Cindy Tole AIFD, Botanica Flowers

& Gifts, Greensboro, N.C., Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, PFCI, CAFA, Mukwonago, Wisc.

E d i tor i al C o u n c i l Marie Ackerman AIFD, AAF, PFCI, Teleflora, Oklahoma City, Okla., Carol J. Caggiano AIFD, PFCI, A.

Caggiano, Inc., Jeffersonton, Va., Bert Ford AIFD, PFCI, Ford Flower Co., Salem, N.H.,

Wilton Hardy

AIFD, AAF, PFCI, FSMD,

JWH Design and Consultant, West Palm Beach, Fla.,

Elizabeth Seiji AIFD, Edelweiss Flower Boutique, Santa Monica, Calif.

Customer service: For service on your magazine subscription, including change of address, please write to Flowers&, P.O. Box 16029, No. Hollywood, CA 91615-9871, enclosing a recent address label. For faster service, call 818-286-3128; Teleflora members call 800-421-2815.

6 www.flowersandmagazine.com

focus on design

•j

•

Floral design by Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

A long-lasting wreath in mixed metallic tones is enhanced with replaceable fresh flowers.

Color-enhanced foliage and curly willow will last the entire holiday season; the combination of gold with rose gold lends variety and sophistication to the wreath. Fresh flowers in water tubes can be removed when they have faded, and the wreath still looks beautiful—or they can be easily replaced, either by you or by your customer.

1

2

3. To echo the mixed metallic tones of the foliage, take gold ornaments and spray some of them with rose gold spray.

Add ornaments in both metallic tones to the wreath with decorative wire.

1. When decorating a wreath, always position it the way it will be used—that is, horizontally for a table wreath, upright for a door wreath. This 24inch pine wreath comes with accents of White Mist foliage already added to it. Begin by further enhancing the wreath with bundles of curly willow tips in gold and rose gold, attached to the wreath with decorative wire.

2. Now, add gilded and rose-gold monstera leaves in clusters.

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3

4. Add watertubed white roses and red aranthera orchids to the wreath for a final touch of elegance.

s

•

For product information, see Where to Buy, page 64.

4

See this

how-to on at Flowers&or go to flowersandmagazine.com.

october 2016 9

leaf art

•j

Floral design by Helen Miller AIFD

•

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

• b

Foliage courtesy of Wm. F. Puckett

Fold monstera leaves into shapely “pods” with intriguing form.

You could apply this same technique with the shiny front of the leaves showing. The veiny backside looks even more exotic. The pods can be made in advance and offer a simple way to extend the volume of a design and add value at low cost.

1

2

3

4

1. Starting at the bottom of the leaf, place a UGlu Dash onto the first segment on one side.

2. Remove the backing on the UGlu Dash and fold the two bottom segments over in toward each other so that they overlap and the UGlu Dash holds them in place.

3. Continue on up the leaf in the same fashion.

4. When all the pairs are connected, you have a shape like a pod or, perhaps, a leprechaun slipper, that can be inserted into foam horizontally, vertically, or at any angle. b

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inspired by...

Parallel lines For a long time, and perhaps still today, the default in floral design has been to arrange stems in a radial fashion, with the lines converging at a real or imagined binding point as in a spiral hand-tied bouquet. The benefits are clear: when stems are arranged in this way, the flower heads are nicely spread out and facing in slightly different directions, so they can be seen from different angles, yet the stems can be conveniently supported within a relatively narrow vase opening. Many flowers also grow in clumps that seem to echo or prefigure this arrangement, which therefore seems perfectly natural.

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•j It took a bold step of the imagination, therefore, when floral designers first began to take inspiration from parallel lines. And it wasn’t until the early 1980s, when we had already been using floral foam for nearly three decades, that “parallel design” became the latest innovation, widely seen at design shows. That style relied, of course, on floral foam, placed in long, low containers, as the foundation for the parallel placement of stems.

As you might expect, the effect of using parallel lines in floral design is to accentu-

Floral design by Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI

•

in floral design.

ate line itself as an element of design. Some designers are inspired by the idea of parallel lines as a geometrical abstraction: lines that stretch to infinity, neither converging nor diverging. “Parallel design” spawned “parallel systems design,” a style that emphasized the space between the lines. Some would argue that perfectly parallel lines are not found in nature. Others have looked to the example of a bamboo forest, a field of wheat, or a long row of slender palm fronds to imagine how parallel lines can play out

There’s no doubt that parallel lines create drama—even more so when the lines are on the diagonal, as seen here in Tom’s design that relies on a pair of stands and cones that seem to be defying gravity in their boldly leaning stance. Strong line materials—liatris, bells of Ireland, and uluhe fern curls—extend and reinforce the strong diagonal lines, while other materials soften the look without distracting from the power of parallelism. b

• s

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Photography by Ron Derhacopian

For product information, see Where to Buy, page 64.

fresh focus

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Showy, earthy, comment-worthy, ornamental kale is trending—and now available yearround.

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By Bruce Wright

I

s it a flower or a vegetable? The ruffled, colorful rosettes of ornamental kale are every bit as beautiful as the cabbage roses that may have adorned your grandmother’s chintz. But they also bring that touch of unexpected texture into design that makes people sit up and take notice.

Your first thought about when and how to use ornamental kale—also marketed by the genus name, Brassica—might be for fall harvest designs or for the springtime.

Lavender and purple kale are much in demand for both seasons—especially now that purple has become such a strong ele-

BEAUTY MARKS A distinctive feature of ornamental kale is the variety of shadings and markings—stippling, striping, and venation—that lend fascinating texture to the leaves. Colors range from white, sometimes with a pinkish or pale green cast, through lavender to deep purple. Kale is typically sold in bunches of five stems; these pictures from Sun Valley Floral Farms show bunches and single heads. More can be seen on the website, www.thesunvalleygroup.com. ment in the harvest-season palette.

Perhaps surprisingly, however, “our biggest planting of kale during the year overall is white for Christmas,” says Bill

Prescott of Sun Valley Floral Farms. “We do grow white year-round, but we really ramp it up for the holidays. Other colors get more excitement at other times of the year.”

COOL COLORS Whatever color it is at harvest, including white, kale starts out green and gains in any other color as it matures. “People think of it as a winter crop,” says Bill, “because it needs a cold temperature to really color up. But at our farms in Humboldt County, the ocean breezes keep the temps quite low even in summer. Our average high temperature in July is a chilly 63 degrees Fahrenheit! So we’re able to grow truly beautiful, colorful kale year-round—which is good, because the demand is there.”

Sun Valley started growing kale, or brassica, in 2008. Right from the start, production was planned to alternate seasonally between the northern, Humboldt County farms in summer and the southernCalifornia, Oxnard farms in winter, when the weather in Humboldt County would be too chilly and foggy. In both locations, kale is grown in hoop houses—that is, outdoors, but under cover, which not only protects

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the young and tender plants from possible rain damage but keeps them a little warmer during the day. The warmth encourages the stems to grow long. Then, closer to harvest, the covers are removed, and the exposure to colder temps at night intensifies the color, whether purple, lavender or white.

DESIGN TIPS Stem lengths on brassica vary but can reach as long as two feet.

You might think stem length wouldn’t make much difference. Often kale is used low in a design, as a focal. And if they are left long, the thick stems could be unwieldy in foam.

But many designers also like to use kale in vase arrangements and bouquets, where a long, sturdy stem can serve as a support for other stems. Try inserting kale through a design grid of coated (nonrusting) chicken wire—or attach other, slighter stems to it with a rubber band or zip tie in a hand-tied bouquet. Kale goes beautifully with herbs like rosemary or oregano (now being sold as an ornamental), suggests Bill.

Heads can be a little bigger in winter and spring, smaller in summer and fall, but remain almost the same during the year, as well as from one variety to the next. If a

smaller-size head is required, it’s easy to get it just by pulling off some of the outer leaves.

While ornamental kale is much longerlasting in the vase than most cut flowers (12 days and more), it still benefits from the usual care-and-handling procedures: Re-cut the stems, place in cool water mixed with flower-food solution, keep the stems in the cooler until they are ready to be used in design, and change the water frequently.

And while ornamental kale may be closely related to a certain also-trendy edible, it is of course never a good idea to assume that crops grown as ornamentals are safe for consumption. If you are hungry, purchase kale from the greengrocer. Enjoy brassica for its robust and exotic beauty— food for the soul. b UNCOVERED At Sun Valley Floral Farms, ornamental kale, also called by the genus name Brassica, is grown in hoop houses.

The hoops are covered when the plants are young, which not only protects the young and tender plants from weather damage but also encourages longer stems. Closer to harvest time, the covers are removed, which exposes the plants to the cold night temperatures that bring on bright color.

Gifts of

DSeasonal istinction designs with talk-about-it flair.

Floral design by Susan Ayala AIFD, PFCI

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

UNCORKED Tulips, berry sprays and feathery pine branches seem to fizz in festive arcs from a Birch Folder. Their curving lines contrast with the up-anddown lines of the folder, while roses and gilded boxwood stems stand straight and tall. The fresh flowers and greens are placed in water-filled test tubes, which fit neatly inside the folder’s narrow openings. As a playful, optional enhancement, Susie has glued wine corks to the folder; the corks nicely echo the color, texture and shape of the birchbark folds. Among the curving stems are tiny, battery-powered lights embedded in copper wire—another attention-getting,

For product information,

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t

conversation-starting accent to the design.

see Where to Buy, page 64.

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OCTOBER 2016 21

Giftsof

Distinction

CIRCUS CIRCUS Here’s a totally different look for Christmas. The florals follow the lead of the three Circus Vases, with a whimsical, hand-crafted look. Roses, anthuriums and orchids in lavender, ivory and matte silver blend beautifully with pistachio, teal, and burnt orange. At near right, a curly willow ball balances like a circus prop for a trained elephant or seal. Lightly bound with green bullion, it offers stem support that also adds height to the short vase. On the opposite page, a peplum of Floral Mesh in copper color curls under to one side of the largest Circus Vase, bearing aloft millimeter balls in matte silver and bright blue.

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OCTOBER 2016 23

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Giftsof

Distinction THROUGH THE WOODS At left, sleigh bells and a wire hanger in rusty brown, decorated with braided jute cord and a simple silver snowflake, all add up to a Scandinavian country look, enlivened with red and white flowers. The Sonata Hanger comes with a clear glass cylinder sized to fit, here lined with variegated aspidistra leaves.

The faux paperwhites and red cranberry sprays mix beautifully with fresh red ranunculus, spray roses, and hypericum.

THREE’S COMPANY At right, three lime-green fuji mums make a statement both serene and sly, poised above a vase that resembles three stacked ball ornaments in red, silver and green.

A pine twig tipped with feathery needles provides a playful accent and completes the suggestion of an ikebana design rising from a Western-style holiday novelty container.

The floral and foliage stems emerge from single point, the opening in a cardboard circle wrapped with holiday ribbon. The stylish lime color is reinforced with a leafy accent of aspidistra foliage and glossy green “St. Augustine holly.”

OCTOBER 2016 25

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Giftsof

Distinction NEARLY A MIRROR At left, twin topiary-style clusters lift their heads above color-reversed cube containers—green filled with red Deco Pebbles and red filled with green—in an asymmetrical yet well-balanced composition. The Teleflora mirrored cubes are stuck together with UGlu between them and with packing tape on the bottom and around the base at the sides, where it is covered with polkadot ribbon. The twiggy, glittered-silver star, resting atop a silver cube filled with white spray mums, anchors the design.

FROM A TO Z Floral monograms are popular for weddings; why not for holiday gifts or decorations? Shallow trays shaped like letters are readily available in craft stores. The one at right came with convenient holes in the back for drainage, but you could also drill holes as needed.

Susie placed packing tape over the back of the tray to give her floral foam a secure footing; then she poked holes in the tape to make sure the foam could still drain. She glued slices of foam into the frame and filled it with succulents, button mums, millimeter balls, and gray lichen (ming moss), tucking reindeer moss into the last gaps.

OCTOBER 2016 27

Giftsof Distinction FOR SANTA’S HELPERS Fresh and fun and long-lasting, the wrapped, tasseled cone at left could make you think of an elf cap tipped with a jingle bell. It’s easy to make the cone: simply insert long cedar tips upright into foam and wrap them lightly with metallic wire. Once wrapped, the cone takes form and can be shaped as Susie has done here, adding a tassel of iridescent Mega Beaded Wire, plus a matte silver ball. The glittered stars at the base of the cone are made with aluminum wire and threads of glue from a hot glue gun. For more on how to make the star, visit the Flowers& website while the October issue is featured on the home page and scroll down to see this month’s “highlights,” at www. flowersandmagazine.com.

LANTERN BRIGHT With their iconic shape, lanterns seem to become more popular every year.

When equipped with glass panes on all side, they can provide a terrarium-like showcase for floral design, maximizing the impact of just a few flowers with the charm of an enclosed world.

At right, the lantern door swings invitingly open, and the driftwood, frosted foxtail fern, noble fir, and red spray roses are allowed to spill out of their enclosure like errant flames, cold and hot.

The organic texture of the driftwood, with its dark gray stripes, both contrasts and harmonizes with the shiny silver of the lantern.

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Gifts of Distinction SNOW AND FROST At left, a cascading spray of flocked faux cedar beautifully unites fresh white lilies and orchids with their tall, silvery container, the Bazaar Vase. The fresh and faux materials complement each other nicely: “When I’m creating holiday décor, I usually mix fresh with permanent,” Susie says. “There is no other way to get the same look.” On the left side, she gave the spray of phalaenopsis orchids a boost with a rolled aspidistra leaf, secured with UGlu and tucked under the stem at the top—a technique that adds decorative value on its own, but also gives the orchid spray an uplifted, billowing curve. A jeweled garland is swagged below the focal area. As part of her cascade, Susie also hung individual jewels from the garland on delicate strands of silver wire and apple-green bullion wire.

LOOK INSIDE At right, succulents are nestled in a bed of red and green Deco Pebbles. Along with a cascading topknot of berries and wired, braided jute cord, they turn the Round Hanging Terrarium into a living holiday ornament that will last all through the season and beyond with minimal care.

SOMETHING BLUE Going for a Christmas look in a whole different palette? Some customers might find that blue blends with their interiors much better than reds and greens. Jewish clients of an ecumenical bent may also appreciate this color scheme with reference to the traditional blue and white of Chanukah. Susie laid some slender brown nito vine over soaked foam in the Urban Wave Bowl, added stems of cedar, noble fir, and frosted boxwood, then filled in with copper lotus pods, Montana Spheres, blue stem-dyed roses, eryngium, and blue ornaments. Little bundles of silvery artificial grass, secured with wire and inserted into the front of the design, add so much with so little.

OCTOBER 2016 31

Giftsof

Distinction SILVER CLOUD You can’t do this with chicken wire!

The silver tones in this design are enhanced with a new product from Smithers-Oasis called Floral Mesh (seen also in the design on page 23). Available in shiny silver, gold and copper colors, it is more flexible than chicken wire and infinitely more decorative, so that it can also be used as a mechanical aid that doesn’t have to be covered up. Here it elevates a silver ball ornament within a sheltering veil, so that the ball hovers lightly over the mound of white flowers and faux magnolia leaves in beaded silver.

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OCTOBER 2016 33

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Giftsof Distinction FOREST TREASURE Here is another beautiful example (like “Uncorked� on pages 20-21) of the trend toward mixing rough-textured, woodsy materials with light touches of antique silver or gold. Susie filled the Birch Vase with foam, then added the collar of gilded magnolia leaves.

She mounded gypsophila in the middle and wove smooth tulip and ranunculus stems over it and gold artificial berries around it. Strands of gold bullion hold the stems in place. Spray roses, gilded pinecones and seeded eucalyptus add further touches of contrasting texture. b 24 january 2012

Get all our videos for FREE type Flowers& Magazine at youtube.com to go to our YouTube Channel Click on SUBSCRIBE to get new videos FREE each month

All g theThrou h House themes & strategies for custom holiday décor.

Floral design by Darla Pawlak AIFD, PFCI

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

For product information,

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CLASSIC CHRISTMAS For some customers, tradition is king at Christmastime—but there’s always a latest version of the look. This year, gold is in, but tends toward muted, gleaming, antique tones that blend easily with accents of champagne, platinum and silver. Décor needs to have impact from across the room, so Darla has worked freely with big blocks of color (which also mean fewer placements) while incorporating plenty of textural variety—supplied here with six-inch plastic mercury balls, scored ball ornaments in greenish gold, red velvet hydrangeas, glittered maple-leaf sprays, and four-inch Irene Satin ribbon in gold-embroidered burgundy. Fresh cedar, added to a faux pine wreath and (on the mantel) pine sprays, lends its drape and brighter green color to the ensemble. see Where to Buy, page 64.

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OCTOBER 2016 37

Mini trees are popular for tabletops but can also be placed on the floor, especially if, as Darla has done here, a small (four-foot) tree is elevated in a footed urn or similar container. A pair of trees like this one could be posted as sentries on either side of an entrance. Along with adding fresh cedar, Darla enhanced the faux mini pine tree with bunches of gilded salal leaves. Since this tree is fully wired, she was able to use the pine twigs themselves to wire the cedar and salal into the tree. If that were not the case, you could wire the fresh materials in using chenille stems that look like pine, available from wholesale florists and craft stores. Wiring rather than gluing allows you to re-use the faux pine tree another year. On the opposite page, a fresh centerpiece extends the look with hydrangea, hypericum, and ‘Hearts’ and ‘Charlotte’ roses.

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OCTOBER 2016 39

ALL IS CALM Neutral tones and natural textures combine with a soft glint of silver for a holiday palette that is pleasing and peaceful. On the mantel, pillar candles are protected inside one of the two Novo Lanterns. A good option here is to use LED candles, battery-powered and operated via remote control. The prelit garland is gracefully swagged, lower on one side than the other, combining with elements on the mantel for the sophisticated effect of asymmetrical balance. Willow vine adds dimension to the garland and mirrors the line of the Mt. Laurel branch perched on the lantern above. On this page, whitewashed Woodland Planters are filled with dry foam, then topped with a variety of decorative elements including a mercury glass vase for fresh flowers that can be easily exchanged and refreshed. The pure white English roses below the vases are not fresh but preserved.

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OCTOBER 2016 41

On this page, pheasant feathers (“Lady Amherst�) and gray-wash twig garland offer a simple way to add volume, depth and flair to a lovely mini pine tree, along with ornaments in four distinct yet harmonious styles. Opposite, a deer head dominates a lively door wreath, with loops of willow vine to lend movement and line value. The color scheme is unified around sandy and silvery hues mixed with white, including taupe lotus pods and cedar sprays in misty green.

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All g Throu h the ouse H ALL IS BRIGHT For a clean, contemporary look, Darla chose flowers and accessories in pure white, burnished gold, and fresh leafy green. To complement glittered white Styrofoam cones on the mantel, she inserted stems of fresh cedar into wet foam in gold mirrored cubes, then wrapped the cedar with gold bullion to make elegant coneshaped trees. The premade gilded-magnolia garland is secured to the mantel with Command brand wire hooks. The cutout paper snowflakes are designed as lanterns that fit around hanging light bulbs, but they can also serve as simple, playful accessories with the same high graphic impact as other elements in this scene.

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At left, the gold and white theme finds simple expression inside a pair of terrarium vases. The fresh flowers are added in water tubes, making them easy to remove and replace.

At right, a triple wreath is a very popular option among Darla’s holiday clients. Here the look is accommodated without the need for three separate hangers: stylish wide ribbon connects the wreaths to each other and to a hanger that fits over the top of the door. In the smaller sizes, these preserved square boxwood wreaths come with hidden hooks for hanging that can be pulled out or left tucked inside the foliage (in case you want to use them horizontally, on a table).

The particle-board letters, from a craft store, were sprayed with Design Master 14KT Gold Bright Metallic Finish.

OCTOBER 2016 47

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Paperwhite narcissus emerges upright from a horizontal bed of crisscrossed Fiber Sticks, gold lotus pods and bell cups, gilded salal leaves, pine branches, and fresh white roses. Here the paperwhites are faux; you could also use fresh cuts or plants. Bound with Bind Wire, the Fiber Sticks lend visual stability and breadth to the design. b

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H

ow does a plant sci-

also caters to a wide range of

entist and cut-flower

customers, from big-box stores

breeder—someone

to independent retail florists.

whose job it is to help

Like the breeders at the Univer-

develop the new varieties that

sity of Hawaii, many Hawaiian

will appear on the market in

growers say they are eager to

coming years—understand the

hear from florists and designers

needs and wants of florists?

about their needs and wants.

This past summer, Eric

“Work with us,” says Elton

Tanouye of Green Point Nurser-

Mow of Orchid Plantation, a

ies in Hawaii had an idea: why

grower who sits on the board

not offer that person the oppor-

of directors for the cut-flower

tunity to participate in a hands-

division of the Hawaii Floricul-

on design workshop? The

ture and Nursery Association.

participants were researchers

“Tell us what colors you want,

from the University of Hawaii,

what stem lengths. It might take

which has played a powerful

some time to produce it, but we

role over the past 40 years,

can grow whatever you want!”

helping Hawaiian horticulture

Direct communication

to develop into the dynamic

between growers and retailers

industry it is today.

makes more sense than ever in

“They were eager to do it

the case of Hawaiian tropicals,

because they really wanted to

Elton argues: “Many growers

get that perspective,” says Hi-

on Hawaii are rather small, so

tomi Gilliam AIFD, who ran the

we’re able and willing to deliver

workshop with Maui-based de-

smaller quantities to retailers.

signer and florist Lois Hiranaga

We can get you a variety box.

AIFD. “In the process of actually

And with airfreight service, you

creating designs, they would

can get product very quickly

say things like, ‘I wish this stem

from Hawaii, so it’s very fresh.”

were longer!’ They really got it.”

The workshop took place

Florists and designers do certainly benefit when they

just prior to the 2016 MIDPAC

get to know growers and their

Horticultural Conference, an

products. Visitors to the MIDPAC

annual event that celebrates the

conference had the opportunity

quality and diversity of Hawai-

for up-close conversations with

ian horticultural products. From

Hawaiian growers and export-

the low-lying coastal areas on

ers, along with visits to nurser-

up to the highest elevations,

ies and shipping locations.

and with dramatically differ-

These are just a few glimpses of

ing amounts of rainfall on the

the riches on offer.

leeward and windward sides of the islands, Hawaii is home to zones, conducive to a wide

For more about Hawaiiangrown flowers, foliages and plants, visit:

variety of crops.

www.hawaiisflowers.com

as many as 11 distinct climate

www.greenpointnursery.com MAKING CONNECTIONS The

www.hawaiiantropicals.com

Hawaiian horticulture industry

www.pacflor.com

50 www.flowersandmagazine.com

july 2010 10

Island Beautiful The latest in cut flowers, foliage & plants from the Aloha State

AWESOME ANTHURIUMS Hawaii’s signature cut-flower crop, anthuriums can represent the islands’ diversity all by themselves, since more than 100 varieties are available, from shell-pink tulip anthuriums to gigantic, wavy, bicolored obakes. As seen here in photos from Green Point Nurseries, one of the largest anthurium growers, most anthuriums are grown outdoors, under shade cloth, in “cinder”—the porous, organic material that results from Hawaii’s volcanic lava flows.

Once abundant and inexpensive, cinder is becoming scarce and more expensive, but it’s the perfect growing medium for many Hawaiian crops. At Green Point, slow-release synthetic fertilizer is added to the cinder.

Periodically, tissue analysis is performed on whole leaves to be sure the plant is getting the right amount of minerals for sturdy growth. As the plants grow, they send out roots that become exposed above the cinder; the roots are then tenderly covered with a little more cinder, which makes them stronger.

Flowers are left on the plant until they are relatively mature, which means they will last longer in the vase. The plants yield only six flowers a year, or perhaps four in the case of obakes—“so to us every flower is very precious,” says Green Point’s operations manager Neo Thong Teng. “We want them to be perfect.” At upper left on the opposite page, Neo holds up a box of mixed anthuriums in a single-layer pack. With this packing method, each stem is inserted individually into the pack for maximum security and protection during transit.

The older way to pack anthuriums for shipping (also used, as seen at center lower left) is with paper placed between the blooms to protect them.

Text and photography

by Bruce Wright october 2016 51

A VAST AND CHANGING MIX Neotropica, the Hawaii Tropical Flowers & Plant Guide, lists and pictures over 750 different cut flowers, leaves and plants supplied from Hawaii.

Many are available yearround, but some—like the fuzzy hanging heliconia seen at lower right on this page— flush only for a month or so, then vanish until next year.

“Almost every type of heliconia is like that,” says Grayson Inouye of Pacific Floral Exchange, a grower and shipper with a highly diverse export business, “but one or another type of heliconia is always in season. The fuzzy ones are very showy. You don’t know whether to look at them or pet them, eh?”

Pacific Floral Exchange, Grayson explains, operates “kind of like a co-op to market flowers grown by about 50 independent growers including 10 orchid growers, 20 tropical flower growers, and various growers of foliage. We do have strict quarantine rules.

We need to do a hot-water treatment on pretty much all of the tropicals.” The water is heated to 112 degrees, hot enough to kill insects, and flowers or foliage is immersed in the hot water for ten minutes, like the red ti leaves seen at right above. Then it is moved to a tank of cool water where it cools off very quickly.

Other flowers on view at Pacific Floral Exchange in July included pink and red gingers

(Alpinia purpurata, at near right, which are “pretty much perennials,” says Grayson, 52 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Island Beautiful ORCHID FANCIES “The selling point for orchids is novelty,” says Mike Hughes of Hawaiian Tropicals Direct, a nursery that grows both potted orchids and cut-flower orchids, though the focus is on the pots, which what Mike sees as the growth area. Demand is high for scented varieties and for orchids with unusual colors and distinctive markings. Prices for these types of orchids have remained high while they have fallen for the more standard varieties, like a white phalaenopsis orchids. You might think the specialty items would be selling through specialty outlets, where a knowledgeable sales person could promote them and give them an added-value presentation—but Mike says it’s the mass-market, big-box customers who are driving the demand for novelty, while traditional retail florists, he finds, mostly just want the white phales.

Mike specializes in dendrobiums and intergeneric orchids (IGOs), but about 10 percent of his production is devoted to specialty orchids like the white and purple wild cattleya at lower near left. Demand is so high that he doesn’t really need to market his flowers with just a slight increase of supply in summer and a decrease in winter) and beehive gingers (Zingiber

beyond exhibiting at a couple of trade shows every year. “Our

spectabile, upper left, opposite page), which tend to

campaign is called Hawaii,” he

come and go more quickly. Bright red Costus woodso-

says. “It’s about leveraging the

nii (top photo, above) is available year-round, as are

romance of the islands. Plus,

the fuzzy pods of achiote (Bixa orellana), also known

knowledgeable buyers know

as lipstick tree—used not only as an ornamental but

that Hawaii-grown orchids are

as a source of red dye and of the condiment, annatto.

the best.” october 2016 53

All Hawaiian, For every sales opportunity, there’s a standout design with versatile, high-value tropicals.

At left, red and white anthuriums are arranged with dendrobium and aranthera orchids using an eggshaped pillow made of chicken wire as a grid that sits on top of the clear glass vase.

The grid makes it easy to change the water by lifting the entire bouquet out as a unit and then replacing it in the vase.

VERY VALENTINE “What flower better represents Valentine’s Day than a red anthurium?” Hitomi asks. At right, she nestled a pair of heart-shaped anthuriums on top of another heart, made with one-inch flat wire. She used the wire shape as a cookie cutter on floral foam, then wrapped the back and sides of the foam with plastic and laid it into the heart.

The top is covered with florets of ‘Azima’ aranthera orchids, of a beautiful pure red color.

54 www.flowersandmagazine.com

july 2010 14

All occasions Long-lasting and distinctive, with all the prestige of premium product—what’s not to like about tropical flowers and foliage? Still, many florists are held back by a

stereotyped idea of what can be done with them. “Sometimes it takes a little extra creativity to get tropicals into the mix,” says Hitomi Gilliam AIFD. “But that’s what

keeps customers coming back.”

At this year’s MIDPAC Horticultural Conference, Hitomi showed how adaptable and multifaceted tropical flowers can be.

A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND At left and above, a single strand of Diamond Wrap lends glamour to a phalaenopsis orchid and an anthurium-andorchid bouquet. To give them more body, the diamonds can be secured to aluminum wire by wrapping the two together with bullion. The orchid is additionally accented with white midollino, bulked up with a wrapping of recycled plastic bags and then covered with wired white wool.

The wool repeats a texture found at the base of the orchid, where Hitomi has wrapped the root ball in moss-green yarn, which retains moisture beautifully and makes the orchid easy to water with a squeeze bottle.

Floral designs by Hitomi Gilliam AIFD

july 20102016 15 55 october

EASTER PARADE As an alternative to Easter lilies, pure white anthuriums lend their long-lasting elegance to a contemporary design (above left) that evokes both the crucifixion and the ascension, with a scaffolding of skewers tied with neatly clipped brown zip ties. Above right, oncidium orchids offer “Hawaii’s answer to forsythia.” Hitomi purchased a wood round at a home improvement store, drilled holes in it and inserted garden stakes, some with water tubes wired onto them. The holes and water tubes support a medley of the oncidiums along with beehive ginger, yellow pincushion proteas, and lichen branches, all wrapped with passionflower vines. In the design at right, color matching offers an effective strategy for taking something inexpensive and making it look like more. “The peach-colored container is plastic and cost $2.50—but I knew it would go perfectly with the peach anthuriums,” says Hitomi, a beautiful backdrop for orchids, little balls of pink yarn, and broken eggshells—as though the Easter chicks have just hatched.

Leafy vines and maidenhair ferns put the finishing touch on a delicate, transparent look that you might have thought wasn’t possible with tropicals.

56 www.flowersandmagazine.com

july 2010 16

All occasions FOR DAD, ADVENTURE Tropicals for men isn’t a new idea—but consider this: “When you go to shows for people who cultivate and collect orchids, or dahlias, or bonsais, most of them are men,” says Hitomi. “Which says to me that men do like flowers—but what they like best are intriguing botanical specimens.” The ensemble at left certainly fills the bill, dominated by kangaroo paws, beehive ginger, and a stalk of deep red miniature ti leaves (Cordilyne

fruticosa).

ORCHIDS FOR MOM Don’t call this a European garden or planted basket, Hitomi suggests: “Sell it as an orchid collection” that is presented with a fresh cut-flower component, designed in floral foam (including the green leucadendron).

Emphasize that when the fresh flowers fade, the plants can and should be taken out and placed all around the house, where they will get the individual attention they need and deserve, with different requirements for water and light. The green and purple leaves of the large vriesea (bromeliad) nicely complement the purples of the orchids.

july 20102016 17 57 october

All occasions WALL FLOWERS In the same way that a flower wall does, a column like the one at far left, with all the flowers facing outward, offers a way to get maximum visual value from your materials, Hitomi explains: “When you design on the vertical, each flower is seen full on.” She created the column by stacking bricks of foam on top of each other, each with plastic underneath it to keep the moisture from draining all the way to the bottom, and stabilized the structure with bamboo skewers taped together on the outside of the stack. She then covered the foam with yarn (which helps to retain moisture) all the way up.

SOFT AND DRIPPY Nothing cascades quite like dendrobium orchids. To elevate them, Hitomi began with an inexpensive lamp from a discount store: “The lines are clean, you just rip out the cord, and it makes a costeffective pedestal,” with the lantern part used as a receptacle for foam.

Green and white anthuriums jut from the center mass of the bouquet, lending depth and grace; ruffle fern brings in a feathery, delicate texture.

FOR THE BANQUET For the long “feasting table” that is trendy for weddings now, brides often want a scattering of bud vases, thinking that will be simple and inexpensive. For a different look, and a more convenient setup, Hitomi prefers to offer them something like this one-by-four plank, converted into a rentable and reusable prop with drilled holes and water tubes wired onto short stakes. Wax flowers are just now being tested as a potential new Hawaiian crop. Together with vines and ferns, they lend a lightness and softness to a collection of orchids, anthuriums and tillandsias. b

58 www.flowersandmagazine.com

july 2010 18

Location, Location, Location!!

This property is an investment on Historic Route 6A, in East Sandwich MA. It is time for the owners to retire after 32 years.

An excellent opportunity to own a very profitable “flower shop” The shop has earned a well-deserved reputation for unusual arrangements and quality of its floral designs. This Shop consists of three levels of space, with the entire lower level all refrigeration.

The owners will supply customer lists, vendors and inventory. turn-key operation. East Sandwich Flower Shop supplies all Upper Cape, Mid Cape, Funeral Homes, Clubs, Churches and Weddings. Buy the Shop, Business, Guest Cottage, owners dwelling (3 bedroom, 1.5 bath Ranch) all on 1.53 Acres, $925,000

Remember, if it’s unusual it’s a “Decoy House...”

Decoy Realty, Ltd. 356 Rte. 6A • Sandwich, MA 508-888-6545 Email: decoyrealty@verizon.net Web: decoyrealty.com

Whose magazine is this, anyway?

Are you reading someone else’s copy of Flowers&?

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Subscribe to Flowers&—in print (includes access to the digital edition) or online.

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october 2016 59

shop profile

•

By Marianne Cotter

A 135-year-old shop gets a makeover and a successful relaunch.

W

hen German immigrants Louis and Amelia Wasserman founded Wasserman’s Flower Shop in downtown Muskegon, Michigan, in 1880, they could hardly have imagined that five generations later their shop would still be thriving under the ownership of their great-great-grandchildren Troy Wasserman and his sister Angie Wasserman-Nelund.

Neither could they have pictured the celebratory street scene at the shop’s current lakeside location that took place in July 2015 as police cordoned off the block for a party commemorating the shop’s 135th anniversary. The tented festivities lasted late into the night with a catered dinner, a live band, and beautiful floral decorations as city officials, the Muskegon chamber of commerce and over 400 guests celebrated the shop’s success. Everyone was treated to the first taste of The Wasserman 1880, a farmhouse ale made with carnations and hibiscus that was created by local craft brewer Pigeon Hill Brewery to mark the occasion.

To Angie and Troy, the night was their way of honoring the customers and community that have supported the shop throughout the generations. “It was just a fantastic celebration that really brought the community together,” recalls Angie. “For The redesign for Wasserman's, as planned by brother-sister team Troy Wasserman and Angie Wasserman-Nelund and completed last year, includes a wraparound patio with tables and chairs where the shop sponsors free concerts on Tuesday evenings during the summer.

60 www.flowersandmagazine.com

•

Photography by Carleigh Courey

months afterward, people were asking if we were going to have another party like that next year.”

Wasserman’s Flowers & Gifts Muskegon, Michigan

A MAJOR REDESIGN The anniversary celebration also served as an important marketing event: the relaunch of the shop after a major remodeling project that Angie and Troy undertook the year after they bought the business from father Dennis Wasserman in 2013.

Becoming owners fulfilled a longplanned dream for the siblings, both of whom worked in the shop in high school and went on to complete the floral program in the horticulture department at Michigan State University. They were already established in their roles—Angie managing the design side, Troy doing the buying and supplying entrepreneurial vision—and were ready to take over. Looking forward, they knew certain issues needed to be addressed if the business was going to achieve positive forward momentum.

First, the building was tired and needed updating. Second, the customer base was aging, even as an untapped younger generation of flower and gift buyers waited in the wings. The redesign was intended to address both issues. The lakeside location offered intriguing untapped possibilities.

The shop’s original location was in downtown Muskegon, where it stayed until the 1970s when the push for urban renewal lead to the teardown of many of the city’s older buildings. At that point Dennis moved the shop to Lakeshore Drive, the street that eventually became the presentday location of the Muskegon Lake Ferry Station (which comes from Milwaukee).

The new shop had a true lakeside location.

“This neighborhood is so close to the lakefront that it’s desirable for locals and out-of-towners alike,” says Angie. “It has improved and grown over the years as we have grown.”

Located minutes away from the

Owners: Troy Wasserman and Angie Wasserman-Nelund Staff: 16 (3 full-time and the rest part-time) Square feet: 6,000 (showroom, 1,500) www.wassermansflowers.com

OCTOBER 2016 61

A living wall (above right), seasonally refreshed with blooming and foliage plants, forms another distinctive feature of the new building exterior, close to a poster that shows Wasserman's original 1880 location in downtown Muskegon. Inside, customers can find not only flowers and plants but gifts of many kinds including handicrafts created by local artisans. shoreline of Lake Michigan, the Muskegon area is dotted with small inland lakes: Bear Lake, Duck Lake, White Lake, Spring Lake, and Mona Lake, with Muskegon Lake being the largest. Spring through fall the ferry from Milwaukee docks nearby, bringing a steady stream of vacationers and cottage owners up the street and into the small business district where they can walk into Wasserman’s. Troy and Angie’s business strategy was to maximize the potential of those customers.

The finished design, which was completed at the end of summer 2015, resulted in a completely new identity for the shop rising from a color palette of light blues and greens, accented with nicely localized themes and products that appeal to the lake crowd. An office was converted into a sophisticated funeral and bridal consultation room, adding a new customer amenity. New flooring throughout the

62 www.flowersandmagazine.com

showroom plus a new entry door completed the interior look.

PATIO POTENTIAL The remodel included the introduction of a large wrap-around patio covered by a pergola that overlooks the lake with evening sunset views, an asset that the Wassermans have elevated into something of a community touch point. After fitting the patio with a water feature, two large swings, and three tables with chairs and umbrellas, the scene was set for a series of free weekly summer concerts on Tuesday evenings. Customers can buy dinner from gourmet food truck Bone End BBQ, bring a bottle of wine, and enjoy the music of a local acoustic singer and guitar player (several are featured over the course of the season). Sodas and locally produced Ice Box Brand artisan ice cream bars are available in the shop, which brings people inside to browse and buy. “People come for the music and circulate throughout the store,” says Angie. “I hear them say they had no idea we carried these gifts.”

The entryway from the parking lot was designed with two distinctive features including a visually brilliant living wall designed and constructed by LiveWall, a global company that builds self-watering living wall systems for clients worldwide.

The wall is updated every couple of

months with different seasonal plants that keep the wall alive year round. You might find Wave petunias and spider plants in the summer and cedar and greens to last through the cold months.

Next to the living wall, the shop’s historical legacy is preserved in a set of black and white vintage photos that depict the original downtown location dating back to the 1930s, one depicting the storefront and the other the old chain-driven delivery truck. Troy had them enlarged to five by ten feet with gold tints. After dark they are illuminated against the gray wall with spot lighting.

GIFTS FOR LAKE DWELLERS To add to and localize the shop’s gift mix, Troy sought out local artists who supplied a colorful collection of locally themed jewelry and decor items created by local artists.

“There is a local flavor to the jewelry—for example, charms with an anchor and a heart and the longitude and latitude of Muskegon,” says Troy. “We also carry hand-painted signs customized to whatever lake your cottage is located on: Life is good on Lake Michigan, Bear Lake, Mona Lake, etc.” Other gift items with local sayings include pillows, tea towels, stationery, beach bags, mugs, and bottle openers.

Two showroom coolers up front are stocked with fresh arrangements while a

variety of potted plants and terrariums are on display throughout the store.

Troy also expanded the line of outdoor items. For garden accents, customers can choose from wind chimes, birdcages, birdbaths, humming bird feeders, and decorative blown glass pieces. Another gift item that has really caught on is art poles.

These colorfully decorated vertical poles, which range from two to six feet in height, are displayed in an outside rock garden.

“The poles have poetic sayings about how your garden grows,” says Troy. “Customers place them near gates or in the garden beds. They’re beautiful and everyone loves them.”

DESIGN CLASS SUCCESS Another innovation Troy and Angie began when they took over the shop was to launch a series of design classes for the public. Angie credits event coordinator Skeeter Parkhouse, who brought the classes and many of the students from his previous position at another shop, with the enthusiastic response to the classes. One regularly scheduled class takes place each month supplemented with custom ladies-night-out classes scheduled as time permits. “We could do a class every night and it would sell out,” says Angie. “Unfortunately, Skeeter is too busy with weddings and events to expand the classes.”

FACEBOOK FOR FREE Facebook provides the store with a robust social media outlet that has produced surprising—and cost-effective—results. “Facebook is a free and powerful marketing tool; for us it’s just been huge,” says Angie. “I can’t believe how many people follow us—almost 6,000. We started doing Facebook contests giving away bouquets, and some people really got into that. We’ll also post photos of arrangements, events, past weddings and whatever little fun things are going on in the store.” Troy also uses the shop website to post class schedules and upcoming events along with testimonies and a selection of recommended vendors.

TV ads produce ongoing results, as do community outreach efforts. “We stay involved in our community by donating flowers and goodwill gifts to charities,” says Angie, “and that gets a great response.

The business community here really rallies around local fundraising.”

CELEBRATED FOR SERVICE This year Wasserman’s received the Celebrated Service Award, an honor bestowed upon a local business each year by Jack Loeks Theaters, a local movie theater chain.

“We were up against 12 other businesses in town,” Angie recalls. The nominations come from Loeks’ employees who visit different businesses throughout the year

noting customer service excellence. Then the community is asked to vote for the winner online.

The award included the production of a 30-second commercial that runs immediately before each screening in two multiplex theaters totaling 18 different screens. Angie reports huge response to the commercial with lots of people talking and posting on Facebook. The award also included $5,000 in cash, free movie tickets for a year, and the use of the theater for a private event or party. “We can choose a movie to screen with pizza and pop and popcorn, and invite 80 people,” says Troy. “We shared the $5,000 with our employees.”

“Winning the Celebrated Service Award was just amazing,” Angie adds. “It proved to me that our business was getting great community support and response.”

More awards followed in 2016. The Michigan Floral Association named Wasserman’s its 2016 Retailer of the Year and then the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce honored Wasserman’s with its 2016 Entrepreneur of Excellence award.

“We just try to be the best we can, treating the customers as well as we can, with the highest quality and products, and the best service,” says Angie. “And they keep coming back.” b

OCTOBER 2016 63

where to buy For more information on merchandise featured in Flowers&, contact the supplier directly. Direct links to most suppliers can be found on the Flowers& website, www.flowersandmagazine.com.

Use the links under “Advertisers in This Issue” or the link to our searchable, online Buyers’ Guide at the top of the Flowers& home page.

NEARLY A MIRROR,

FOREST TREASURE,

ALL IS BRIGHT,

Mirror-finish cubes, Teleflora.

Deco Silver Star made of glittered twigs, Burton + Burton.

Red and green Deco Pebbles, Accent Décor.

St. Augustine Holly (with artificial berries), Wm. F. Puckett.

Polka-dot ribbon, Berwick.

Birch Vase, Accent Décor.

Gilded magnolia leaves, Wm. F. Puckett.

Gold ilex berries, Sullivans.

Gilded magnolia garland and gilded salal leaves, Wm. F. Puckett.

Starbursts in matte gold, Snowflake Paper Lanterns, Ottawa Terrariums, square boxwood wreaths, Pierre Compote (white with gold interior), and white Fiber Sticks, Accent Décor.

Glittered white Styrofoam tree cones, Direct Export.

Gold mirrored cubes, Teleflora.

Gold millimeter-ball cluster, Plus One. Gold berry sprays and permanentbotanical paperwhite narcissus, Sullivans.

Gold bullion, Smithers-Oasis.

Gold pinecones, kiwi vine, bell cups and lotus pods, Knud Nielsen.

14KT Gold Bright Metallic Finish, Design Master.

Black and white Chain Link ribbon, Reliant Ribbon.

page 26

FOCUS ON DESIGN, pages 8-9

page 14

Kiera Stands and Kiera Cones, Accent Décor.

GIFTS OF DISTINCTION, pages 20-34

Fresh Christmas greens throughout, Oregon Roses.

UNCORKED,

pages 20-21

Birch Folder and test tubes, Accent Décor.

Gilded boxwood, Wm. F. Puckett.

CIRCUS CIRCUS, pages 22-23

Circus Vases, Accent Décor.

Floral Mesh in copper and bullion wire, Smithers-Oasis.

Frosted (silvered) boxwood, Wm. F. Puckett.

Curly willow ball, Knud Nielsen.

THROUGH THE WOODS, page 24

Bells in rust color, faux paperwhites and cranberry picks, Sullivans.

Sonata Hanger and Snowfall Ornament, Accent Décor.

Red and green wired, braided jute cord, Berwick.

THREE’S COMPANY, page 25

Ornament vase, Burton + Burton.

St. Augustine Holly (with artificial berries), Wm. F. Puckett.

64 www.flowersandmagazine.com

pages 36-48

Fresh Christmas greens throughout, Oregon Roses.

pages 36-39

Birch Folder and test tubes, Accent Décor.

Gilded boxwood, Wm. F. Puckett.

INSPIRED BY...,

ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE , CLASSIC CHRISTMAS,

ON THE COVER

Pine wreath accented with White Mist foliage, plus gilded and rose gold curly willow and monstera leaves, Wm. F. Puckett.

Ornaments in gold, Accent Décor.

Colour Regen spray in Rose Gold, Smithers-Oasis.

page 34

FROM A TO Z, page 27

pg 27

Shiny gold millimeter balls, Plus One.

FOR SANTA’S HELPERS, page 28

Six-inch snowflake pot cover, Burton + Burton.

Silver aluminum wire, metallic wire and iridescent Mega Beaded Wire, Smithers-Oasis.

LANTERN BRIGHT, page 29

Frosted (silvered) foxtail fern, Wm. F. Puckett.

SNOW AND FROST, page 30

Silver Bazaar Vase, Accent Décor.

Flocked cedar spray, Plus One.

LOOK INSIDE, page 31

Round Hanging Terrarium, Syndicate Sales.

Wired, braided jute cord, Berwick.

Red and green Deco Pebbles, Accent Décor.

SOMETHING BLUE, page 31

Urban Wave Bowl in slate, Syndicate Sales.

Montana Spheres, Accent Décor.

Copper lotus pods, Knud Nielsen.

Frosted (silvered) boxwood, Wm. F. Puckett.

SILVER CLOUD, pages 32-33

Floral Mesh in silver, Smithers-Oasis.

Clay Pebbles in silver and Sabina Bowl, Accent Décor.

Silver ball ornaments, UCI. Silver beaded metallic magnolia leaves, Plus One.

Wreath and mantel: Gold deer, pine wreath, pine sprays (with cones, red berries and variegated ivy), and glittered green maple-leaf sprays, Plus One. Six-inch gold plastic mercury balls, three-inch matte red balls, red eucalyptus pods, and red velvet hydrangeas, Sullivans.

Gold-green ornaments and red sedum balls (on mantel), Direct Export.

Irene Satin ribbon, Reliant Ribbon.

Mini tree and footed-bowl centerpiece: Mini (four-foot) permanent-botanical pine tree, pine sprays (on the table), nutcrackers, and beaded glittered votive holders in gold, Plus One. Skate ornaments, cranberry picks, sixinch gold plastic mercury balls, and red eucalyptus pods, Sullivans.

Gilded salal leaves, Wm. F. Puckett.

Footed bowl, Syndicate Sales.

Gold bell cups, Knud Nielsen.

Double Felt red ribbon, Reliant Ribbon.

ALL IS CALM, pages 40-43

Throughout: Novo Lanterns, Whitewashed Woodland Planter, and Birch Strips (on table with planter), Accent Décor.

Décor wood disks, Burton + Burton.

Old-nickel ball ornaments, Sullivans.

Faux (PVC) prelit pine garland, star mobiles, silver millimeter-ball clusters, and cedar sprays, Plus One. Mt. Laurel branch (birch with iced cones), bleached bell cups, frosted pinecones, taupe lotus pod, gray chico choke, and preserved pure white English and Akari roses, Knud Nielsen.

Willow vine, Direct Export.

Sandy Plaid ribbon, Reliant Ribbon.

Tree and wreath: Mini pine tree, Vineyard Bucket with handle (holding tree), metallic concretefinish round finial ornaments, carved snowflake votive holders (on table), and prelit wreath, Plus One. Gray-wash twig garland and snowy twig ball ornaments, Direct Export.

Gray-wash twine ornaments, Sullivans.

Lady Amherst feathers, Knud Nielsen.

Mounted Deer in Aluminum, Accent Décor.

pages 44-48

F e at u r e d Suppliers Accent Décor, Inc. Call 707-346-0707 or visit www.accentdecor.com.

Berwick Offray.

Call 800-327-0350 or visit www.berwickoffray.com.

Burton + Burton.

Call 800-241-2094 or visit www.burtonandburton.com.

Design Master Color Tool.

Call 800-525-2644 or visit www.dmcolor.com.

Direct Export Co. Call 888-881-0055 or visit www.directexp.com.

Knud Nielsen.

Call 800-633-1682 or visit www.knudnielsen.com.

Oregon Roses.

Call 503-648-8551 or visit www.oregonroses.com.

Plus One Imports/A Division of the Garcia Group.

Call 800-241-3733 or visit www.floramart.com.

Reliant Ribbon.

Call 800-886-2697 or visit www.reliantribbon.com.

Smithers-Oasis.

Call 800-321-8286 or visit www.oasisfloral.com.

Sullivans, Inc. Call 800-456-4568 or visit www.sullivangift.com.

Syndicate Sales.

Call 800-428-0515 or visit www.syndicatesales.com.

Teleflora.

Call 800-333-0205 or visit themarket.myteleflora.com.

UCI (Unlimited Containers, Inc.).

Call 888-880-8998 or visit www.unlimitedcontainers.com.

Wm. F. Puckett.

Call 800-426-3376 or visit www.puckettfern.com.

what’s in store

HE’S ALL EARS Santa listens to children’s holiday wishes under the peaked roof of a warmly lit gazebo in the scene that caps Thomas Kinkade’s Jolly Santa Bouquet. It’s the latest hand-sculpted, handpainted sculpture in the collectible series from the Painter of Light.

Call 800-333-0205 or visit themarket.myteleflora.com.

CLASSIC PLAID Holiday gift packaging gets a classic touch with Nashville Wraps’ 100% recycled Christmas Plaid Collection in traditional red and green. Fun snowflake cuffs mix perfectly with kraft bags and boxes. Made in the USA. Call 800-547-9727 or visit www.nashvillewraps.com.

THAT MAGIC GLOW What’s Christmas without Christmas lights? These energy-saving microLED string lights come in lengths from 3.25 feet on up to 7.5 feet, and from 10 to 30 lights—or 64 lights on a eight-string set. The ceramic trees, with their curly, glossy branches, come in three sizes, eight, 12 and 16 inches tall. Call Accent Décor at 770-346-0707 or visit www.accentdecor.com.

MISTLETOE, WITH A BOW Real mistletoe from Oregon, preserved to last through the season and beautifully packaged, is a sure-fire impulse item for holiday shoppers. Shipping starts in early November. The retail box measures three by seven by one inch. Call David at 401-486-0525 or email aboveallflowers@mac.com.

OCTOBER 2016 65

industry events For the most recent additions to Teleflora Unit Programs, go to www.MyTeleflora.com and click on Design Education to access the Floral Event Calendar in the Unit Program section.

National and International October 19-21, Miami, FL Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association Floral Distribution Conference, Miami Airport Convention Center. Call WF&FSA at 888-2893372 or visit www.wffsa.org.

November 2-4, Aalsmeer, The Netherlands FloraHolland Trade Fair Aalsmeer, FloraHolland.

Visit www.floraholland.com/tradefair.

November 2-4, Vijfhuizen, The Netherlands International Floriculture & Horticulture Trade Fair (IFTF), Expo Haarlemmermeer. Visit www.hpp.nl.

December 5-January 15, 2017, Atlanta, GA FloraMartÂŽ market dates for fall/Christmas 2017 merchandise (except 12/24-25 and 12/311/1/17), FloraMart. Visit www.floramart.com.

Central Region October 5, Dayton, OH Ohio Buckeye Unit, Holidays & Parties (with flowers-to-wear hands-on class) with Kevin Ylvisaker, Nordlies Dayton. Contact Liz Stocker at 330-987-5610 or lstocker144@gmail.com.

October 9, Omaha, NE Heartland Convention, program includes Principles and Elements of Design with Tom Simmons, Comfort Inn & Suites. Contact the Nebraska Florist Society at 402-731-5253 or thenebraskafloristssociety@gmail.com.

October 23, French Lick, IN Indiana Unit, Parties with Kevin Ylvisaker, Legend of French Lick. Contact Roger Wininger at 812-936-2640 or winin@bluemarble.net.

Northeast Region October 16, Pittsburgh, PA Western Pennsylvania Unit, Weddings & Events with John Hosek, Fleurametz/Vasesource.

Contact Patrick Devlin at 412-461-2503 or patrickdevlin496@yahoo.com.

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emporium October 26, Lansdale, PA Penn Jersey Unit, Holiday Designs with Tim Farrell, Younger & Sons Wholesale.

Contact Linda Bogarde at 215-547-4550 or flowersbyjennielynne@gmail.com.

South Central Region October 2, Fort Smith, AR Arkansas Unit, Wedding Designs with Gerard Toh, Barn by Two Brothers. Contact Bill Wilson at 479-783-3210s or bmw4agb@gmail.com or Kay Schlaefli at 479-459-8034 or kay@expressionsflowers.com.

October 15, Dallas, TX North Texas Unit, Holiday Designs with Bob Hampton, Dallas Design Supply. Contact Mary Ann DeBerry at 940-483-1800 or thefloristltd@hotmail.com.

b u s i ne s s f o r s a le

WASHINGTON DC FLOWER SHOP High end flower and gift shop for sale.

Located in affluent shopping area.

Great opportunity for someone interested in aprofitable, reputable business.

Prefer the owner be the hands-on operator with great customer service experience.

Internet experienced owner can develop a new website that could generate additional annual revenue.

Current sales (June 2015-May 2016) $714,268.00.

Owner takes six figure salary plus bonus & insurance.

4 full time employees (including owner).

5-part time employees.

Exact location will remain confidential until deemed appropriate to reveal. Owner is retiring and the business is listed by the owner.

No broker or broker fees.

Send email to dcflowershopowner@gmail.com

Southeast Region October 18, Louisville, KY Kentucky Derby Unit, Everyday/Holiday with Kevin Ylvisaker, Dreisbach Wholesale Florist.

Contact Brent Douglas at 715-831-0997 or brent@brentdouglas.biz.

Western Region October 14-16, Helena, MT Montana Florist Association Convention, program includes Celebrations with Alex Jackson, Radisson Colonial Hotel. Visit www. mtfloristassc.com or contact Debbie Snyder at 406-752-1313 or danddebs@montanasky.net.

Flower Shop for Sale!

Well established shop located in South Central PA in the heart of a busy, artsy city.

Flexible terms. Owner retiring.

Send inquiries to floralshop258@yahoo.

EMPLOYMENT Florasearch, Inc.

In our third decade of performing confidential key employee searches for the floriculture industry and allied trades worldwide. Retained basis only. Candi­date contact welcome, confidential, and always free.

1740 Lake Markham Rd., Sanford, FL 32771 Phone: (407) 320-8177 / Fax: (407) 320-8083 E-mail: search@florasearch.com Website: http://www.florasearch.com

October 16, Salem, OR Oregon-Southwest Washington Unit, Holiday Designs with Tom Bowling, Salem Wholesale.

Contact Kris Boley at 541-593-1300 or sunriverfloral@gmail.com.

October 23, Denver, CO SAF 1-Day Profit Blast, Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park. Call 800-336-4743 or visit www.safnow.org.

November 5-6, Los Angeles, CA Califlora 2016, including Top Ten Design Competition (11-16), Los Angeles Flower Market. Call the California State Floral Association at 916-448-5266 or visit www.calstatefloral.com.

Flowers& Subscribers!

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can read past and current issues online?

Find out how!

Go to the digital library link at www.flowersandmagazine.com

advertiser links e q u i pment Refrigerators For Flowers

Combo walkins, storage, reach-ins 800-729-5964 www.flotaire.com

s c h ool s

Advertisers’ websites are hyperlinked on the Flowers& website. Go to www.flowersandmagazine.com and click on “Advertisers in This Issue.”

Accent Décor, Inc. 800-385-5114 www.accentdecor.com

Candle Artisans back cover 800-241-3733 www.floramart.com/Factories/CandleArtisans/Cart_main.htm Danziger Flower Farm +972-3-960-2525 www.danziger.co.il

13

Decoy Realty 508-888-6545 www.decoyrealty.com

59

Design Master Color Tool 800-525-2644 www.dmcolor.com

15

Dollar Tree Direct 877-530-TREE (8733) www.dollartree.com/floral/559/index.cat

Portland, Oregon

weddings John Toomey Co

(800) 421-0052

Wedding Aisle Runners Rentals & Sales

UPS Shipments

White Cotton Runners

Advertise in

emporium For rates and info, call

Peter Lymbertos at 800-421-4921

5

inside back cover

Floradecora www.floradecora.de

59

Floral Deliver Ease 877-740-3273 www.floraldeliverease.com

35

Green Point Nurseries 800-717-4456 www.greenpointnursery.com

59

Kay Berry 800-426-1932 www.kayberry.com

49

Nashville Wraps, LLC 800-547-9727 www.nashvillewraps.com

49

Royal Flowers 800-977-4483 www.royalflowersecuador.com

1

Sandtastik Products 800-845-3845 www.floralsand.com

6

Seminole 800-638-3378 www.seminoleds.com

49

Smithers-Oasis 800-321-8286 www.oasisfloral.com

3

The Sun Valley Group 800-747-0396 www.tsvg.com Syndicate Sales 800-428-0515 www.syndicatesales.com Teleflora 800-333-0205 www.myteleflora.com

17

inside front cover

7, 19

Vase Valet 316-747-2579 www.vasevalet.com

35

Vasesource 718-752-0424 www.vasesource.com

11

OCTOBER 2016 67

wholesaler connection Flowers& magazine distributors

Attention

Arizona Phoenix The Roy Houff Company

Kansas wichita Valley Floral Company

OREGON PORTLAND Floral Design Institute

California Fresno Designer Flower Center Inglewood American Magazines & Books Oakland Piazza International Floral Sacramento Flora Fresh San Diego San Diego Florist Supplies Santa Rosa Sequoia Floral International

Kentucky Louisville The Roy Houff Company

PENNSYLVANIA Pittsburgh Keystone Ribbon & Floral Pittsburgh Cut Flower Company

Florida PENSACOLA American Floral Wholesale of Pensacola Carlstedt’s, LLC

Louisiana Lafayette Louisiana Wholesale Florists Massachusetts Boston Jacobson Floral Supply Michigan Warren Nordlie, Inc.

SOUTH DAKOTA SIOUX FALLS North American Wholesale Florist, Inc.

Floral Wholesalers

Reward without the Risk we promise!

Tennessee Nashville The Roy Houff Company

Minnesota Minneapolis Koehler and Dramm

Virginia Norfolk The Roy Houff Company Richmond The Roy Houff Company

Georgia omega Hornbuckle Wholesale Florist

missouri st louis LaSalle Wholesale Florist

Washington Tacoma Washington Floral Service

hawaii honolulu Flora-Dec Sales

New York Campbell Hall Alders Wholesale Florist

canada burnaby, bc United Floral Inc.

Illinois Chicago The Roy Houff Company Milan Bonnett Wholesale Florist Normal The Roy Houff Company Wheeling The Roy Houff Company

Ohio dayton Nordlie, Inc. North Canton Canton Wholesale Floral

malaysia selangor Worldwide Floral Services

Sell Flowers& in your store! for extra profits Select any quantity— no minimum Whatever you don’t sell we buy back!

Yes, it really is that simple.

Call 800-321-2665

singapore Worldwide Floral Services

Visit us online for a taste of Flowers& quality. flowersandmagazine.com

68 www.flowersandmagazine.com