We want to send a big giant hug out to all our fantastic customers, who made Valentine’s Day so fun and busy. We appreciate and love you all!
Our shop, full of Friday’s Valentine’s Day deliveries.
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Ever feel like you need a bit of inspiration when you’re writing a note to attach to flowers? These handwritten cards from men to their ladies are sure to remind you why Valentine’s Day is so special! (Names have been Photoshopped out to protect the privacy of the senders.)
A lovely note from a man to the woman he loves.
And then there’s this gem:
A love note from a husband to a wife.
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Our deliveries are increasing rapidly today. It’s Wednesday afternoon, and it’s funny how we get more orders in during Valentine’s week for birthdays, funerals and other occasions. I guess thanks to the season, everyone has flowers on the brain, and it’s the first thing they think of when it’s time for a gift or remembrance. Still, the overwhelming majority of our orders this week are for Valentine’s Day.
The most challenging and crucial part of our process is delivery. We want the arrangements to get where they’re going on time. We want them to look great and have no broken flowers. We accomplish this by doing a few things:
1. We hire trustworthy delivery people who know the area well and have experience making deliveries.
2. We wrap our larger arrangements, such as roses, with tissue paper to gather the flowers in and therefore minimize the chance that a flowers tem will brush up against something and break.
3. We use a system that fixes our vases in place inside the delivery van, so the flower arrangements aren’t moving around as we navigate Orlando’s busy roads.
Taking these extra precautions costs us more time than typical deliveries, but we’re glad to do it because of the results. We think our customers and their loved ones appreciate the difference, too.
Paying attention to the details extends to everything we do in all aspects of our business. That’s why our flowers last longer, our shop is cleaner, our designs are more beautiful, our plants are healthier, our service is better and our customers are more loyal.
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Everybody wants a good view. People choose their driving route, vacation destination and real estate based on the views. Here at the flower shop, we always have a great view. On this fine Tuesday afternoon, I’m looking out at the front area of our shop where thousands of blooms stand in buckets, waiting for their turn to star in the role of a lifetime. Each flower will be a part of someone’s special Valentine’s Day bouquet. Every blossom will be loved and appreciated, later by all kinds of people, and for now, by me.
Among these, my favorites are the hydrangeas, especially the fluffy white ones that look like an exploding milkshake (in a good way). I also love the deep blue iris, which remind me of spring in upstate New York. The waxflower, a filler, is also beautiful. I like it by itself in a tall glass vase–there’s some on my dresser right now.
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While we do make the bulk of our deliveries for the holiday on Thursday and Friday, some of our customers like their orders to go out earlier. Just now, we loaded up the delivery van with rose arrangements to be taken throughout Dr. Phillips and Windermere. Why, you might wonder, would anyone want such an early delivery? There are a few good reasons. One is that not everyone will be home on Friday. One sweet guy wanted to make sure that his lady would get her flowers and enjoy them through the week, since she has meetings all day Friday and would barely have a minute to look at them that day. Another customer called from out of town to have flowers delivered to his wife today since she will be here on business the whole week. My husband will get his roses early because he is in and out of the office so much that the sonner they’re sent, the more likely it is he’ll get them.
What about your Valentine? Would he or she like flowers a few days early? Call today and we’ll deliver: 407-226-7122.
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As of this Tuesday morning, we have no knife wounds yet, and for this we are thankful. As many roses as we cut each day leading up to Valentine’s, it’s a wonder that there aren’t more accidents. Seriously, when I was in my early 20’s I cut my thumb to the bone and had to get a few stitches–and this was right before the holiday. I still have a little battle scar after all these years.
Fingers aren’t the only places florists accidentally cut themselves. There’s the occasional slippery-handed knife drop where the blade points foot ward and does its unfortunate worst. And rose thorns are serious adversaries to all florists: as they say, no pain, no gain. There are other bothersome mishaps that are annoying more than painful. Blow up a balloon in a rush and you might overfill it. Then POP–right in your face.
Most of our customers comment on what a peaceful place the flower shop is, and from their vantage point I can see why. It smells good, there’s classical music playing, buckets of nature’s glory crowd the floor and coolers. Pretty vases and stuffed animals line the shelves.
The phone rings incessantly, designers trample each other on the way to get water or flowers, plant debris piles up quickly on the design floor until you’re three inches taller than you were just this morning. The flower shop is an interesting dichotomy of beauty and beast.
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Monday afternoon has arrived and we’re stocking our shelves with the “extras” that many of our customers like to add to their orders. We’re talking about mini-mylar balloons, chocolate and teddy bears.
We even have some small red and black zebras, which are way too cute for words. Around the shop you’ll find a selection of Valentine vases for those who prefer something more unique than clear glass. (Note that my personal preference is the always-classy and sophisticated clear glass vase. Although that doesn’t matter too terribly much since you aren’t ordering for me. Hopefully my husband is reading this.)
We do not keep an unlimited supply of chocolates here. We order in enough for our customers who want to take a box with them. Wish we could deliver them with orders, but because of Florida’s warmth we are hesitant to take chocolates out on delivery. So if you want ’em, you are welcome to come by and pick up your order instead of having it delivered.
Another item we have in the shop–a special treat for those who place their orders in person–are amazing, huge orchid plants. We have several color, and we recommend these beauties as Valentine gifts because they are so long-lasting. If you happen to be on Sand Lake Road in Orlando this week, stop by and take a look for yourself.
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We’ve greened up lots of vases with locally-grown leather leaf fern.
It’s Monday morning, the calm before the storm. Valentine’s Day is at the end of the week and we’re getting ready for our busiest day of the year. We’re greening up vases and prepping newly-arrived fresh flowers. Greening up vases ahead of time is smart because leather leaf fern (a prolific, locally-grown plant) lasts for weeks and is just as happy in a vase of water as it is in an air-conditioned cooler. That said, there are tables of greened up vases all around the shop. Before long, each vase will be on its way to someone’s home or office, full of roses and our other gorgeous blooms.
We’ve cultivated great relationships with a handful of select farms that grow premium long-stem roses. Throughout the year, we scrutinize our options and narrow down to the most consistent performers. We look at the way the bloom opens, how long it lasts, how rich its color is, and the way people respond to it. Every rose variety elicits a different reaction, and we pay attention! ‘Her Majesty’ is our rose of choice again this year. Stay tuned and we’ll post pictures of our rose arrangements this week.
