Florist Review tip of the week

Jul 10, 2017  Out of the Doghouse The third Monday in July, which is July 17 this year, is "National Get Out of the Doghouse Day," making it a great time to promote your flowers as the best way to say, “I’m sorry.” Use signage, emails, and social media and blog posts to encourage those in trouble to ask for forgiveness.  Florists at Eden Florist & Gift Baskets in Miramar, Fla., say they “specialize in doghouse repairs” and have made the shop a go-to resource for expressions of remorse. Of course, every day is a good day to get out of the doghouse, so don’t limit your doghouse marketing efforts to just one day. Remind your customers from time to time that your flowers can help them get back in the good graces of their loved ones at any time of the year. Have an idea for Tip of the Week? Submit your idea and be included in a drawing for a FREE book from Florists' Review! Click here

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Stem Counter News

Hey Christina, As an established floral shop owner, you know there are many reasons why a client might be a poor fit for you. They may have too small or too big of an event for you to reasonably take on considering finances and commitments to other clients. They may have a vision that is completely different from your style. They may be too needy (we've all had that bride), or too bossy (can you say bridezilla?), or their personality simply doesn't mesh with your own. Whatever the reason, what can you do when a client simply isn't a good fit for you? What To Do When A Floral Client Is Not The Right Fit -Ryan Need to know a client's details before your consultation? Here's a proven questionnaire that we’ve built as we’ve grown our business.

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Pantone ~ Bright Shades

These brights are high speed and symbols of POW! View in web browser. GRAPHICS | FASHION, HOME + INTERIORS | PLASTICS See all of our color tools at pantone.com

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Floral Design 101 Flower Crowns

Are You Designing This Hot Trend? View this email in your browser

Floral Design 101 Flower Crowns Flower crowns are the biggest trend right now and at this point, it’s safe to say they are not going away! Although flower crowns are hugely sought after for weddings and special events now, they are actually a floral trend of the past. Click Here To Design Flower Crowns Today

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Fusion Flowers ~ story of Aloe

Website | Marketplace | Magazine | Weddings | Contact Us  14th July 2017 The wonderful story of Aloe Very tough, strong shapes and easy to live with: Aloe (officially known as: Aloe vera) has thick blue-green leaves which reach a length of 40-50cm and grow up in spikes from a rosette up to a maximum of 100cm. It’s classified as a succulent.  The leaves are greyish green and have serrated edges. Aloe is an exceptionally resilient plant which stores moisture and nutrients in the leaves in order to get through dry periods. The plant blooms in the summer, and helps keep the air in your home clean. The name derives from the Arabic word ‘Alloeh’, which means ‘shiny bitter fluid’. This refers to the cooling, gel-like liquid in the leaves. For example, if a leaf is damaged the ‘wound’ will immediately be sealed with coagulating sap in order to retain as much moisture as possible, just as with humans. The active ingredients in Aloe have also been found to have healing properties for humans. The ancient Egyptians called it ‘the immortality plant’.  What to look for when buying Aloe  When buying Aloe, look at the pot size and the size of the rosette. Sometimes there are already small rosettes on the plant that lend greater volume to Aloe and make it a bit more appealing. It’s important to know whether the plant is being purchased as a foliage plant or as a flowering plant. For a flowering plant, you should also look at the stage of flowering.    The succulent properties of the leaves mean that Aloe is not particularly prone to diseases. However, there can sometimes be mealybug between the leaf rosettes. Because this is very difficult to tackle with Aloe, it’s a good idea to avoid buying such a plant.    If the plant has been given too much water, the leaf rosettes can start to rot. It’s better for the soil to be a little too dry than much too wet.    If the plant spends too long in a spot with insufficient light at the point of sale, this will detract from the quality. The plants can then start to stretch, or the colour can fade.   The recommended storage and shipping temperature is 12°C.  Care tips for consumers Aloe is very easy to care for, thanks to its succulent properties: the plant stores moisture in the thick leaf rosettes to get it through dry periods.  Water once a fortnight. The pot soil can be left to dry out between waterings. Aloe likes a light and sunny spot. The plant can also be placed outdoors on the patio or balcony in the summer months. Feed once a month during the growth season.  Aloe flowers after a short rest period in the winter, during which the plant should have little water and no food. The plant develops when the days start getting longer again, at which point you should give it some more water and food.

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Mayesh Design Star: Garden Style Bridal Bouquet

Christina Burton-Fox AIFDfloral artist & instructor

Pantone Color Story

The movie Psycho and its main protagonist Norman Bates hold a special place in our pop culture. A contemporary prequel to Psycho, Bates Motel is a portrayal of how Norman Bates' psyche unravels through his teenage years, and how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma, truly is. Pantone Color Institute and A&E Network came together to create an official new PANTONE Color, a unique neon metallic shade in celebration of Norman referred to as Bates Motel Blue. The collaboration between Pantone and A&E networks was a joining of like-minded creatives who wanted to come together to create a distinctive shade in a unique medium in honor of this world renown pop culture icon

The world’s most universally loved color, blue, represents constancy and credibility. Associated with the continuity of yet another day, dependable and hopeful blue is consoling and brings a sense of peace and tranquility. It's therefore ironic that the Bates Motel sign, painted (as Norma tells viewers in the very first episode) in Norman's "favorite color", an exhilarating blue that instantly engages. Norma’s decision to employ this radiantly intense blue in the Bates Motel sign proves itself an excellent misdirect, as any fan of the series will recognize. Perhaps equally interesting is that a color family representing "truth," includes Norman's favorite color, when so much mystery and deceit lies under the surface of his fragile psyche.

Preserving the iconic hue that has surrounded the show, from marketing materials to social media, with blue neon tubing winding in and out of all creative, Norman and the Bates Motel's blue is now preserved forever in a distinct, vibrant blue that pulses with a dark energy and the Pantone Color Institute's incomparable color signature.

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

StemCounter Newsletter

Hey Christina, Check out these two fantastic articles! How to get a Florist Review: I thought that testimonials would magically appear the next day after the wedding or immediately after sending a request. Wrong... So I sat down and developed a 5 step system that educates my couples from the get-go to not only understand the value of a testimonial, but to also make it a priority and privilege for them to provide me with one. Florist Branding and Social Media: In our last blog post, we talked about how to choose your floral focus and "startegy" and discussed the how your floral focus should be determined by the opportunities available, your passion, and willingness to overcome any challenges you may face within that floral focus. This post discusses the keys to florist branding and how to begin creating a start-to-end experience that will leave customers raving about how great you are. Hope these articles help your business blossom! Ryan O'Neil PS What other types of articles would be most helpful to you?

Wondering what should be on your wedding florist contract? We have a free template for you to use!

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Pantone Color Mix

Harvesting Waste –
A Contrasting Color Mix of Brights and Softer Hues Celebrates a New Design Aesthetic

LAURIE PRESSMAN

Pantone Color Institute
June 20, 2017

 
 
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Appreciating the finite nature of our global resources, consumers and designers alike are growing increasingly aware of our personal impact and demonstrating new values around consumption. Acknowledging that mass production leads to mass waste, we are rethinking our relationship with the natural world. In a backlash against excessive consumerism and throw away culture, innovative designers and producers are reassessing today’s redundant products as tomorrow’s raw materials for a new design aesthetic. 

VIEWPOINT COLOUR - Issue 01 – Harvesting Waste, pages 54 -55.

Shifting the focus from polished, elitist design to more ad hoc crafts this new design approach celebrates repair, reappropriation and reclamation. Newly created post production and post-life waste streams are springing to life. With a backbone of sustainability and conscience, individual consumers, local communities, independent designers and global brands are all working to adopt more circular consumption models and second life, third-life and even fourth-life products are being embraced.

Color Palette, VIEWPOINT COLOUR - Issue 01 – Harvesting Waste.

Creativity is buzzing as new life is given to discarded products, and parts and materials diverted from landfills are being used to create affordable and desirable alternatives to buying new. Value is added to waste by hacking, fixing and creating hybrid, ad hoc assemblages that bear the traces of materials’ past lives. Artificial, bright shades including Spectra Yellow and Brilliant Blue contrasting against the quieter Cradle Pink and Heirloom Lilac celebrate the potential of this new design aesthetic and color story.

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Excerpted with permission from VIEWPOINT COLOUR - Issue 01 – Harvesting Waste
To find out more or purchase your copy, please visit: www.pantone.com/viewpoint-colour-magazine-issue-01

Laurie Pressman is the Vice-President of the Pantone Color Institute and has 20 years experience in the world of color and trend. She loves traveling the world looking for what is new and next and sees color as the story of life.

Origin Matters ~ California Grown Flowers

Will the Tour Stop At Your Farm? We're Seeking Applications for the 2018 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour Over the past three years, the Certified American Grown campaign has been hosting sold-out dinner events on some of America's most beautiful flower farms. Let's put your farm on the map! Halfway through the third season, we're beginning to look at the opportunities for next year's tour. A number of farms have contacted us to see what it takes to be on the tour (Read more here.) Sharing the 'Origin Matters' Message With the First Lady By Diana Roy, CCFC Chair Just before the Congressional Club's First Lady's Luncheon in Washington, D.C., on May 4, I had the opportunity to meet first lady Melania Trump at a reception. It was an opportunity I wanted to make the most of. After all, it's not every day you meet the first lady of the United States; and her husband's position on "buy American" initiatives meant this could be the chance of a lifetime to share the "origin matters" message on behalf of America's flower farmers. Once she had finished taking photos with prior guests, I approached the first lady, reached for her hand and introduced myself: "Hello, I'm Diana Roy, a flower farmer from California." (Read more here.) Staying On Mission The CCFC Is Unique Organization With A Unique Mission This weekend, one of our farmers reached out to me asking me to send him, "one sentence to describe the mission of the CCFC." He was preparing to give a presentation and wanted to be able to clearly articulate the purpose of the CCFC to his audience. Helping to keep your organization focused on your mission, your message and the people you serve is why a mission statement is so important. The good news is that the CCFC's mission is only once sentence: "To provide a unified effort by farmers to enhance the performance of the California cut flower and foliage industry."  (Read more here.) Celebrating California Grown Flowers Month at Arroyo Seco Weekend with Mud Barron Flowers On Your Head Is a CA Grown Hit! Festivalgoers gravitated to the all California Grown Flowers "Flowers On Your Head" tent during this weekend's Arroyo Seco Weekend. California Grown Flowers were a beautiful addition to this weekend's festivities at Arroyo Seco Weekend. The CCFC collaborated with Mud Barron of Muir Ranch to provide fresh California Grown Flowers for his crowd favorite "Flowers On Your Head," activation. The crowd loved it. (Read more here.) Celebrating American Grown at Destiny Hill Farm A Beautiful Evening On the Flower Farm In Western Pennsylvania  Photo by Farm Chick Photography Our Field to Vase Dinner at Destiny Hill Farm in Western Pennsylvania will go down as our miracle dinner. Just twenty-four hours before our dinner began, Washington, Pennsylvania was under a tornado warning as a severe storm ripped through the area.  (Read more here.) The Incredible Francoise Weeks! Francoise Shares Her Passion On the F2V Tour There is only one Francoise Weeks and she joined us at Destiny Hill Farm as our featured designer. Photo by Farm Chick Photography. I have a vivid memory of speaking with Francoise during our Field to Vase Dinner in Detroit in 2015 and hearing her passion for sourcing and designing with American Grown Flowers. She was committed to the idea of sourcing local long before it became "a thing." Sourcing from what grew around her is who she is and she is one of those rare designers who doesn't have a problem telling a bride "no," when something they're requesting isn't in season. An incredible talent, Francoise Weeks makes beautiful arrangements from plants that other people would consider weeds. Photo by Farm Chick Photography. Our conversation in Detroit touched on her desire to teach from flower farms and it was there we began discussing how to one day have her be a part of a future American Grown Field to Vase Dinner. (Read more here.) Kasey Cronquist, IOM                                                CEO & Ambassador New!                                                               916.468.4246 New! 1415 "L" Street, Suite 460 Sacramento, CA 95814  Note: CCFC's mailing address remains PO Box 90225, Santa Barbara, CA 93190 STAY CONNECTED

California Cut Flower Commission, PO Box 90225, Santa Barbara, CA 93190-0225

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor