Flowers& - December 2015

Flowers& DECEMBER 2015 $5.50

www.MyTeleflora.com

ave R oses RStandout

designs with top-selling varieties Pg 30

A gallery of Valentines from sweet to sizzling Pg 42

A visit to one of California’s top flower farms Pg 18

contents DECEMBER 2015

features 16

Hydrangeas Now “made in Ecuador.”

18

Grower Profile: Green Valley Floral This small family farm ranks among the nation’s top producers of roses, gerberas, and lilies.

Text & photography by Bruce Wright

30 pg 36

Rose Heaven Romantic designs that make the most of six best-selling varieties.

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

42

Something for Everyone Giftable Valentines from elegant to easygoing, passionate to “just friends.”

Floral design by Alex Jackson AIFD, AAF, PFCI Photography by Ron Derhacopian

2 DECEMBER 2015

ON THE COVER To set off the distinctive, glowing lavender hue of Moody Blues roses, Darla Pawlak AIFD, PFCI paired them with richly tinted tulips, fragrant fresh lavender, and loops of flat cane, all in a textured, glazed ceramic pot. For more on this design, see page 34; for more designs featuring top-selling rose varieties, see pages 30-41.

contents

departments 8

Focus on Design A Long-Lasting, Do-Ahead Valentine

By Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI

10

Flower Tales Roses

By Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI

10

Design Tech Preparing Foam for a Trellis

By Cindy Tole

14

AIFD Moments All About Line

By Bruce Wright

56

pg 9

Shop Profile Rebel Hill Florist, Nashville, Tenn.

By Marianne Cotter

62

Index to Flowers& 2015

64

Where to Buy

65

What’s in Store

66

Industry Events

67

Advertiser Links

68

Wholesale Connection

pg 26

Flowers& Volume 36, Number 12 (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, $66.00.

Canada, 1 year, $90.00 (US currency only); Canadian GST registration number R127851293. Other foreign countries, 1 year, $102.00 (US currency only). Single issues, $5.50 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 © 2015 by Teleflora. Printed in U.S.A.

4 DECEMBER 2015

pg10

pg 14

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

ADVISORY BOARD 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, Botanica Flowers &

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

EDITORIAL COUNCIL 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

•M

Floral design by Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI

•

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

Cymbidium sprays, short roses, and a foliage frame make a long-lasting, do-ahead Valentine design.

The bed of myrtle, Glitter Stems, and foxtail fern can be created well in advance of the holiday. Cymbidium sprays are likewise long lasting and create high visual impact with a few swift insertions. Pink roses add the final Valentine touch.

1

1. Fill the Teleflora red bamboo tray with foam that rises slightly above the rim, shaving the top front of the foam at an angle, the better to add roses. Fanned myrtle and Glitter Stems can be added as much as a week ahead of the holiday.

2. Add cymbidium sprays and, on the sides, foxtail fern, which nicely frames the composition.

3. Insert roses with stems cut short (which means they will last longer in the foam) and, for a final touch of red sparkle, Glitter Stems that you have fashioned into coils by winding the wired stems around a narrow cylinder. b

8 www.flowersandmagazine.com

2

See this

▲

•

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

HOW-TO on

Click Here

3

DECEMBER 2015 9

f lower tales

Stories and fun facts to share with customers about their favorite flowers

•M

Floral design by Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI

•

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

roses

Ah, the rose! Of all the flowers in the garden or greenhouse, the most storied and symbolic of them all. So many legends and meanings attach to roses of all kinds and colors that you could write a book about them—and in fact, it has been done (Jennifer Potter’s The Rose, a botanical and cultural history).

Pre-eminently in the minds of most customers, roses mean love—and red roses, especially, mean passionate, romantic love.

Do most customers also know that white roses signify humility and innocence? Yellow, friendship and joy? Pink, gratitude and admiration? Probably not—despite the proliferation of internet sites that convey this information. They may,

10 www.flowersandmagazine.com

however, feel more comfortable in giving

varied bouquets, may be comforted to know

to invoke a world of associations. She chose

or sending “color” roses (as non-reds are

that three roses, alone or accompanied by

the perfect flower to make her point.

sometimes called in the industry) to anyone

other flowers, are said to represent the three-

who is not an object of desire.

word phrase, “I love you.”

As a clever counterpoint to the rich variety of roses in the medley above—from velvety

Conversely, roses of any color may be

How much do we make of the rich lore

Black Baccara to blush pink Keira to porce-

regarded as an expressive and well-chosen

that surrounds roses and other flowers?

lain-pink Majolika spray roses—Tom has

romantic gift, with overtones that will vary

Some have taken Gertrude Stein’s much-

blended several ribbon roses into the mix,

depending on context. Some have attributed

quoted sentence, “Rose is a rose is a rose is

with their contrasting yet harmonizing texture

meanings to the number of stems in a bou-

a rose” to mean, “A rose is simply what it is,

and hue. The bouquet is beautifully accented

quet. While a dozen roses is the traditional

nothing more.” On the contrary, as the poet

with stripped seeded eucalyptus and varie-

number to say, “Be mine,” lovers with small-

herself later explained, the rose is so redolent

gated ivy, weaving touches of fresh green

er budgets, or simply with a taste for more

with meaning that simply to say the word is

into the tinted tapestry. b

12 www.flowersandmagazine.com

design tech

•M

Basic design techniques from Cindy Tole

•

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

How to prepare foam for a trellis It’s always a good idea to carve foam so that it fits firmly and tightly in the container or liner— this makes all of your stem placements more secure. But it’s especially important if you are building a trellis (like the one at left) that will rely on branches inserted into the foam around the outside of the design. To begin, you want to use as few pieces of whole foam as possible. In this case, the container (Teleflora’s Noble Heritage jardiniere) is deep and wide, so you will need to stack some foam on the bottom first, then use two bricks of foam on top. Hold the dry bricks of foam up to the container and cut them just a little bigger than the container opening; then soak them, wedge them into place, and strap them together with anchor tape. In one of the two blocks of foam, cut a V where water can be added to the arrangement without spilling out. (Be sure to show the customer or recipient where the V is in the finished design!) To further secure the tall branches, you can also dip the bottoms in pan glue or Stem Lock. Here, the trellis supports tall stems of snapdragons. It also contributes height, volume, and woodsy texture to the design. b

14 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Even with a product that can take years to bring to market, cut-flower growers can be surprisingly swift in responding to demand. Hydrangeas are a case in point: as their popularity has boomed, production has increased and diversified. Dozens of varieties are now available, from California, Holland, and— especially during the winter months, when Dutch and California production slows to a trickle—from Colombia.

Now Royal Flowers has announced a new and promising production initiative out of Ecuador.

Known especially for growing premium Ecuadorian roses, Royal recently began to experiment with hydrangeas on a farm close to the airport in Quito.

“We were so impressed with the success of that crop that we decided to purchase another farm and go bigger,” says Tom Biondo, Royal Flowers’ creative director.

“We took the best-known strains in three of the most popular colors—blue, light pink, and hot pink—and then selected the cultivars that were

Hydrangeas: Now “Made in Ecuador”

16 www.flowersandmagazine.com

adapted to the local climate and environment. The best part is that they will be available year-round.”

Hydrangea aficionados know that the color of the petals, pink or blue, is influenced not only by the variety but also by the alkalinity of the soil: soil with a low pH produces shades of blue or lavender,

while a high pH influences the petals to turn pink.

Gardeners sometimes add lime or aluminum sulfate to the soil around the roots of their hydrangea plants to make it more acid or alkaline, depending on what color they prefer.

While most South American hydrangeas are field-grown, in soil, a portion of the new Royal Flowers crop will be grown hydroponically, in shade houses. The hydroponic method means growers can regulate the pH of the water as well as the supply of nutrients that reaches the plants, for better control of color as well as quality. The shade house environment is ideal for developing long stems with large heads and vibrant color.

The three new varieties are the first of 13 that are already planned. Given the success that Royal has already had with hydrangea varieties like Pink Lemonade and Spring Green, it’s likely that hydrangea diversity will continue to sizzle. b New hydrangea varieties grown in Ecuador by Royal Flowers have been dubbed with catchy brand names: Ba-Da-Bing (blue), Ooh-La-La (light pink), and Va-Va-Voom (hot pink). These new cultivars are selected to thrive year-round at somewhat lower elevations than those reserved for the very best Ecuadorian roses. More new varieties are on the way and may potentially be provided as young plants

by Royal, acting as propagator, to other growers as well. Below, a wide range of hydrangeas including many different hues in jumbo sizes is cultivated under shade at a farm in Tababela, Ecuador, adjacent to the airport in Quito.

Grower Profile:

GreenValley Floral

This small family farm ranks among the nation’s top producers of roses, gerberas, and lilies.

Text & photography by Bruce Wright

14 18 www.flowersandmagazine.com

A LOT OF THINGS HAVE changed in the floral industry since 1973, when Janet Louie’s parents built 10 acres of wooden greenhouses and planted them with roses in Salinas, California. At the time, the outlook for growing roses in this area would have seemed optimistic. Demand was high and supply was limited. And with sunny days and cool nights, the central coast of California offers a climate conducive to high quality.

Then imports from South America began to ramp up. Energy costs rose. Today those same factors remain as challenges for the half-dozen or so surviving rose farmers in California—along with shortages of labor, land, and water that affect flower growers worldwide.

Juliet roses, a David Austin variety, wait on a conveyor belt to be graded—typically the only time between harvest and delivery that they are briefly out of water.

grower profile Nonetheless, at Green Valley Floral Janet and her husband Curtis run an operation famous for the reliable quality of its artisan and garden-style roses. They’ve added six more acres, for a total of 16 that includes six acres of gerberas and two of Oriental and hybrid lilies.

Eight years ago they began a partnership with David Austin, the world-renowned breeder of rose varieties that offer the romantic look and fragrance of an English garden rose, yet meet the performance requirements of commercial cut flowers. Green Valley is one of only five rose farms worldwide that grow these roses for the U.S. market, and the only one in the U.S. itself.

HOW DO THEY DO IT? Risk taking. Technical innovation. And an emphasis on what Curtis Louie calls “seamless postharvest care,” in which harvested flowers are placed immediately in water, graded and processed using the highest standards and the latest techniques, and, whenever possible, shipped in water all the way from farm to shop, in refrigerated trucks. During this process, the stems stay vertical at all times.

When Janet and Curtis came into the business, in the late 1980s, they introduced two important innovations. One was changing over to hydroponic growing, which other California rose growers were already doing.

Hydroponics (growing without soil) means the supply of nutrients can be precisely controlled. It allows growers to grow more and better-quality flowers in less space, using less water.

Along with that shift, the Louies began to turn away from an emphasis on “pinching” the rose bushes to produce a bumper crop for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, and to focus more on providing a year-round supply of premium-quality roses for the wedding and luxury market.

HOW-TO CAN-DO The first thing Janet and Curtis had to do was to shore up the greenhouses. “A wood greenhouse is unusual today,” Janet tells. “Ours were leaning over from the wind, and people said we should just tear them down and start over.” Instead, Curtis Louie figured out a way to rebuild them from the inside out, repositioning and stabilizing the support posts. It was an early 20 16 www.flowersandmagazine.com www.flowersandmagazine.com

GARDEN STYLE About eight years ago, Janet Louie and her husband Curtis began a partnership with David Austin Roses.

Today they are the exclusive North American grower of David Austin varieties, along with other premium garden-style roses. A part of one greenhouse is devoted to testing new varieties (like the one Janet holds below) that could eventually become David Austin cut roses. The garden style also extends to Green Valley’s selection of spray roses, like coral-colored Madame Butterfly and buttery Quatre Coeurs.

grower profile

FROM THE BOTTOM UP Rather than relying on an outside propagator to provide young rose plants, at Green Valley Janet and Curtis have brought this function in-house. At top left, cuttings of a desired rose variety have been joined and secured with plastic clips to segments of stem cut from rootstock—in this case, Natal Briar, a variety that serves well to provide the roots and lower stem of the future rosebush, while the distinctive color and form of the flower and foliage derives from the leafy twig on top. The baby plants are nurtured in a special, carefully protected and controlled part of the greenhouse until they are ready to move out.

Workers at Green Valley propagate a thousand plants a week. It’s a very unusual step for a small grower, but the practice saves money and assures a regular, quality-controlled supply of young plants.

example of creative thinking to save costs and conserve resources.

Most of these original greenhouses are now devoted to gerberas (new ones have been built for the roses). They rely on fanpads to cool and moisten the air. “A fanpad is like a swamp cooler,” Janet explains. “It

22 www.flowersandmagazine.com

is kind of rare to find in a cut-flower greenhouse.” Water drips down a vertical sheet of spongy mesh at the side of the greenhouse, while fans suck air into the greenhouse through it. “Roses and gerberas prefer 60% humidity,” says Janet. “Lower than that, they start to shut down. They also need coolness. You don’t want too much sun and warmth, just enough. Actually it’s

the cool nights in this valley that give us the quality we need, the long stems.”

Roses do also require heating. But “gerberas take less heat than roses, which was one of the good reasons to diversify and add that crop,” says Janet. “And garden roses don’t need to be heated so much in the winter. Some varieties actually shut down in the winter, so we produce those varieties only in the summer—and that’s when we want them anyway. In the winter, we can rest the plants.”

HIGH-TECH SUSTAINABILITY A few miles down the road from the old wooden ranges, most of Green Valley Floral’s roses are grown in new, high-tech greenhouses that rely on a modern positive-pressure system for cooling. “We invested about $100,000 per acre to install this system; we had to move a gas line to do it,” says Janet. “But it’s MAKING THE GRADE At many lily farms, what allows us to grow the lilies are graded in the greenhouse and particular roses that we do transported dry to a packing area. At Green grow. It’s prevalent in some Valley, when lilies are cut, they are placed vegetable growing, but I don’t immediately into a custom-built cart that know of any other rose grower holds water and supports them upright. that uses it.”

They are then transported in water from the Similar in some ways to greenhouse to the grading area—which is fanpad cooling, the positivepressure system not only close to the sales office, so the lily grader cools and humidifies effican confer with the sales people if necessary ciently, it brings with it an imto get it just right. “Out in the field, it’s about, portant side benefit: air passes ‘Is it ready?’ In here,” says Janet, “it’s, ‘How through a cooling pad that virmany buds does it have, and how big are they? How long and strong is the stem?’ ”

grower profile

THE CUTTING EDGE Curtis and Janet had the insight to begin growing garden-style cut roses before they became as popular as they are today. “The rose varieties we’ve chosen to grow take longer to produce,” says Janet.

“They’re not bred for high production, and that’s why many growers don’t take them on. They take lower temperatures and longer cycles that don’t fit the way some growers are used to doing things. You have to think outside the box.”

Garden-style roses also require special care in harvesting and processing. Some garden roses need to be cut more open than traditional hybrid teas—but it very much depends on the variety. “We’ve got 73 rose varieties now, including some hybrid teas and spray roses,” says Janet. “We don’t like to cut a rose before its time; otherwise you don’t get what you paid for. But a variety like, say, Phoebe—we know it opens fast and has to be cut tighter than other garden roses.” Roses that are cut more open are of course more vulnerable to bruising—especially white varieties, like the David Austin rose, Patience.

“We feel that keeping them upright in water is critical,” says Janet. “We try not to put them on their sides except for on the

tually eliminates the entry of unwanted insects into the greenhouse. “That’s important because it means we can minimize spraying of pesticides, which is critical,” says Janet.

“You can’t totally avoid it, because the products we grow have to be aesthetically perfect. But apart from the environmental impact, spraying is not good for the plants; it stunts their growth.”

Green Valley is certified by Veriflora, a label that guarantees flowers have been produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. These days, high tech, high quality, and sustainability all go together more than ever. It takes energy to grow high-quality roses—but fortunately California gets plenty of sun, and so Green Valley has also invested in solar power. “Our energy bill is projected to reduce by 20 percent in the first year,” Janet reports.

Likewise, and in common with other forward-looking California growers, water recycling is well established at Green Valley and saves both water and fertilizer. Runoff from the hydroponic beds is recaptured, filtered and treated with UV light to remove any harmful organisms.

“The recycling is expensive, but UP AND ON THEIR WAY Immediately upon we use 40% less water than five harvest (below right), gerberas are placed years ago, before we started,” says into a water trough. The troughs, on a rolling Janet. “Recouping that 40% fertilizer means significant savings over cart, support the stems and move the flowers time.” smoothly into the grading and packing area, where they are cupped and bunched, or sorted into a tray that keeps the flower heads separated but allows the stem ends to drink.

24 www.flowersandmagazine.com

conveyor belt that we use when they are graded by hand. Once they finish on the conveyor belt they go right back into buckets filled with a low-sugar, low-pH holding solution that insures hydration but won’t promote development of the rose while it is shipped.

We probably sell 65 percent of our roses shipped upright in water. We don’t want to put it on its side in a box.

“We’ve selected garden-rose varieties that give at least a seven- to ten-day vase life, and we think every garden rose should perform that way.”

TRENDY CLASSICS In a commercial cutflower greenhouse, the life of a rose bush is five to seven years before it has to be replaced—unless that variety falls completely out of favor. Fortunately for Green Valley, David Austin varieties and others they have selected are pretty much perennial favorites.

“Right now everyone wants Keira and Juliet, blush pink and blush peach,” says Janet.

“We also have Carey, which is medium or bubblegum pink,” a newer variety.

“We have three new varieties this year of spray roses”—another up-and-coming trend, says Janet. “We have both the traditional upright sprays and then the garden sprays, where we save the center, and the side shoots are the accents. Spray roses are a bit more efficient for us, in the sense that we can cut them just once a day. Other roses we have to cut twice a day to make sure that we don’t miss the perfect cut point for that rose, but the spray roses mature a

grower profile little more slowly.” They have to be sold in “grower bunches” of fewer than ten stems because the sprays are so full: “You can’t even imagine ten stems of these spray roses as a bunch,” says Janet. As with garden roses and hybrid teas, light pinks and peaches are popular, but the most popular color for spray roses is white.

STRAIGHT UP “We call this the happy flower,” says Janet of Green Valley’s six acres of gerberas—another demanding, but also in-demand, cut-flower crop. Green Valley gerberas include Gerrondos, a type of gerbera with extra petals that give it a rounded shape, a bit like a cushion mum or zinnia, in clear, sophisticated colors. Like Green Valley roses, the gerberas are placed immediately into water upon harvesting; then they go to be graded. “We look for a minimum length and also a certain straightness to the stem, among other things,” says Janet. A box full of discards in the grading room testifies to the high standards that are applied.

As gerberas are graded the harvest is entered into a smart-pad inventory system that records the numbers, not just by color, but also by variety. “We have 14 colors and 100 varieties,” says Janet. “The system lets a salesperson show the customer exactly what we have.”

Likewise, each day that Oriental and hybrid lilies are harvested (four days a week), the computer inventory is updated by the grader. Grading Oriental lilies can be tricky, and Janet regards it as essential to get it right. “A 3-5 is definitely a three-bud stem or more,” she says. “We emphasize that when we sell.” Grading is not only about the bud count; it’s also about the stem quality: “If some varieties are planted at the wrong time of the year, you can get a lot of arching branches. For example, to me Siberia should be produced only in the summer, because in the winter the stems get weaker. So we have other white lilies that we emphasize for the winter, Crystal Blanca being one, or Helvetia.”

WATER WISE The baby gerberas at left are just starting their life at Green Valley—where roses, gerberas and lilies are all grown hydroponically in a soilless medium of coco fiber that allows for perfect control over the nutrients that flow to each plant. As water flows through the system it is recaptured, filtered and recycled. This means that any fertilizer, too, that’s not taken up by the plant can be saved and reapplied (and won’t escape to pollute the environment). Above, a walkway next to gerbera greenhouses is smoothly paved—not for the sake of the people walking on it, but so the flowers that roll along in wheeled carts will be jostled as little as possible. “Less bumps, less damage,” says Janet. On the right side is a fanpad, a spongy mesh that acts like a swamp cooler.

Water drips down it, and fans inside the greenhouse pull air through it, cooling and humidifying the interior.

BRANCHING OUT Walk into the grading and packing area at Green Valley and you’ll see plenty of flowers besides roses, gerberas and lilies—flowers that are not grown on the premises but come from other nearby farms, always arriving in water. These flowers—everything from sunflowers, hydrangeas, and celosia to bupleurum and explosion grass— are graded and treated at Green Valley and help to fill the trucks that leave every day.

“It all meets at one place in front of our sales office,” says Janet, “so we get to see all the product that comes through, including anything that we’ve purchased from

outside.” This is a relatively new program for Green Valley, but one that is working out well. “It complements us,” she continues. “It gives an opportunity to the growers nearby who are even smaller than us and who don’t ship. And it means we can get product to our customers that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to provide. And we see and grade everything, so we know the quality is outstanding.”

In the end, it’s that emphasis on quality that keeps Green Valley going, and changing with the times. b

HIGH-TECH MAGIC A few miles down the road from the original wooden ranges are six acres of new greenhouses, equipped with high-tech, computer-guided environmental controls. Sensors tell the curtains under the roof when to open and close.

They also control the positive-pressure system that delivers cooled and humidified air based on readings of temperature, humidity, and sunlight. “They perform all the magic,” says Janet.

26 www.flowersandmagazine.com

AIFD moments

Ideas and inspiration from the annual AIFD Symposiumt

“Line is the vital visual path that directs eye movement through a composition.”

That definition, from The AIFD Guide to Floral Design, guided an early-morning, hands-on workshop at last summer’s AIFD Symposium, taught by Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD.

Beautiful use of line can make or break a floral design.

I

n the design planning process, you want to think about line early on. Know what you can do—what’s possible with the materials and techniques at your disposal.”

So says Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, PFCI, CAFA, who delivered a hands-on workshop on the subject at this year’s AIFD (American Institute of Floral Designers) Symposium. The workshop was one of several offered as early-

“

28 www.flowersandmagazine.com

morning sessions—among the abundant “extras” available to those who attend, super sidebars to the main event.

“Different design styles rely on line in different ways,” Kevin pointed out. Traditional design most often uses radiating lines that converge towards a growing point. Using rivercane, he demonstrated variations on this concept, as seen in the top photo above. In classic design, the lines converge at the rim of the container (as though at the binding point of a spiral hand-tied bouquet). This gives the widest angle. Working with floral foam, however, you can also visualize the lines converging farther down—at the bottom of the container, or even at the floor— for a tighter angle. These options result in a slightly taller design at the same stem length,

and give the feeling of even greater height, since they create the illusion of a growth point farther down.

Parallel design gives a more modern, but no less natural feeling, imitating the lines of stems that grow up and down, side by side. In the design directly above, the straight parallel lines of liatris and carnations are softened with curly willow, which adds a weaving, dynamic line. As seen at the base of the design, even pavéd materials can have line value, arranged in a way that leads the eye through the design—the essential function of line.

Winding, curving lines like the graceful stems of French tulips and curly willow above right (page 29) create a lively sense of movement. But with lines like these, it’s

more important than ever to make sure the stems are well controlled at the base, placed with a clear intentionality, radial or parallel.

Along the way, demonstrating these and other kinds of lines, Kevin gave tips on how to improve test scores if you’re testing for AIFD, or if you simply want to achieve that professional level of design artistry that will set your work apart. If, for example, you use equisetum and cut the tips at an angle, make sure all the angles are perfectly parallel in the design.

Participants had the chance to put all of these lessons to work right away, creating designs in containers from Accent Décor, which sponsored the workshop.

For more information on AIFD and its annual Symposium, visit www.aifd.org. b

BIG IDEAS every single month, along with flower news & business advice

A digital subscription is only $19.95 for a full year.

Visit: www.flowersandmagazine.com & click on the “subscribe” tab.

DECEMBER 2015 29

30 www.flowersandmagazine.com

FREEDOM Widely regarded as the “perfect” red rose, Freedom is a worldwide favorite. At left, you can see why red and white make a classic combination: Bach white Asiatic lilies contrast beautifully with the roses, each supported with harmonizing accent materials (calathea leaves, flax leaves, and Antique Green jumbo hydrangeas). The foliage and hydrangea provide a base for lacing in the long stems of the roses and lilies.

At right, a single bunch of lily grass, simply folded in half and thrust into the Moroccan Mosaic Hurricane, makes a handy, natural design grid to support placement of four Freedom roses and two pink gerberas.

Romantic designs that make the most of six best-selling varieties.

Rose Heaven

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

Roses, hydrangea and other flowers (as indicated in our Where to Buy section, page 64) courtesy of Royal Flowers, www.royalflowersecuador.com DECEMBER 2015 31

Rose Heaven

32 www.flowersandmagazine.com

PINK FLOYD Nothing says passion like hot pink! With large blooms and intense color, Pink Floyd sends an unmistakable message. At left, it is paired with steel grass and Gold Strike leucadendron, in a clear glass column fronted with two variegated ti leaves, strategically placed and secured with UGlu to suggest a heart shape. At right, for a more affordable alternative, Darla bound and banded two Pink Floyd roses with pink wired wool and folded them inside a variegated ti leaf, upright in a glass cylinder vase with a heart-shaped pedestal. To hold the rose stems upright, she ďŹ lled the inside of the ti leaf with hyacinth stakes, cut to just the right height; you could also use clean, straight, leftover rose stems. Two smaller stems of pink astilbe ďŹ ll out the design.

DECEMBER 2015 33

34 56 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Rose Heaven MOODY BLUES A lighter, brighter center, with darker tones at the petal edges, make Moody Blues—a distinctive lavender rose—seem to glow. (No wonder this was a blue-ribbon winner at the Society of American Florists’ Outstanding Varieties Competition in 2014.) At left, the lavender hue is reinforced with actual lavender along with purple tulips and loops of flat cane in an amethyst ceramic pot. At right, Moody Blues pairs beautifully with lavender tulip anthuriums in a Cottage Lane Ceramic Cylinder, supported with variegated ti leaves (some rolled and secured with UGlu), Antique Green hydrangea, and rosemary.

Gray-wash lotus pods pick up the tone and texture from the top of the ceramic cylinder. A trendy chalkboard heart sends the message home. For a how-to tip on the ti leaves, see page 54.

DECEMBER JULY 2015 35 57

Rose Heaven

54 36 www.flowersandmagazine.com www.flowersandmagazine.com

LEMONADE Always chic and versatile, light green roses might also be thought by some to be more suitable for a male recipient. Lemonade, a voluminous and substantial rose, also has distinctively ruffled petals to recommend it, and opens slowly for a long vase life. On the opposite page, Darla created a woodland feeling with Lemonade roses, Safari Sunset leucadendron, upright sword fern, succulents, and sunflower centers (see page 54).

The Kiri Wood Square Planter is gracefully cinched with curly willow, tied to itself with Bind Wire.

Below, purple vanda orchids with a tessellated pattern on the petals bring complementary color to half a dozen Lemonade roses, nestled in a bowl with succulents and sheltering loops of flax.

DECEMBER JULY 2015 2015 55 37

38 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Rose Heaven TINTO In Spanish, vino tinto means red wine. The appropriately named Tinto roses bring a rich wine shade to the table, deeper and bluer than the red of Freedom roses. At left, Tinto roses define a heart shape, nestled in a Woodland Planter box with moss and Magical Passion hypericum. Above, red Deco Rocks and the red throats of bright cymbidium orchids underscore Tinto’s full-bodied color. Darla began the design by loosely lining the Monroe Vase with iridescent Deco Mesh. She added a chunk of wet foam carved from a Designer Block to fit the vase and trimmed the Deco Mesh, pulling out some of the top strands to make a fringe. Then she added the Deco Rocks into the vase and made her insertions into foam, including sword fern and calathea leaves.

DECEMBER 2015 39

WHITE CHOCOLATE Abundant with symbolism, white roses are often associated with purity and innocence. More broadly, they suggest serenity, grace, honor and admiration. Above, the creamy tones of White Chocolate roses harmonize beautifully with dusty miller, Antique Green hydrangea, and powder-pink astilbe. The pink tints in the hydrangea and astilbe are richly supported by the rose-gold color of a glass pedestal vase; Red Sox callas add line value and spots of brighter color. The jewelencrusted heart comes with a hanger; Darla snipped it off and used a pair of wooden picks to insert the heart into her design.

Another way to complement White Chocolate roses is to accent them with contrasting touches of black or nearly black tones, as in the natural markings on the white birch bowl on the opposite page, the dark sunower centers, or the deep blue of Antique Blue hydrangea and sprigs of lavender.

Rosemary adds further fragrance to a woodsy, wintry, romantic design. For a how-to tip on removing sunower petals, see page 54.

40 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Rose Heaven

DECEMBER 2015 41

Something forEveryone GIFTABLE VALENTINES

FROM ELEGANT TO EASYGOING, PASSIONATE TO “just friends.”

For product information,

W

Floral design by Alex Jackson AIFD, PFCI

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

see Where to Buy, page 64.

LOVE GROWS At right, Alex fashioned a single wooden heart from a collection of smaller ones simply by combining them with UGlu. The heart nestles at the base of a “tree” of manzanita, which rises from a bed of flowers in a luscious palette ranging from peach to vermilion, lime green to yellow-gold; it includes peachy Juliet David Austin garden roses along with Cherry Brandy roses, all in an etched copper bowl.

42 www.flowersandmagazine.com

DECEMBER 2015 43

44 www.flowersandmagazine.com

A LITTLE SOMETHING For customers who want an affordable, cash-and-carry purchase, a collection like the one at left offers several choices—or the opportunity to buy several gifts at once.

For you as a florist, this could be a way to market bud vases from different collections—even ones that may have become scratched or otherwise damaged.

Alex freshened them all up with a coat of matte black paint, adding accents of wire and ribbon, for a high-fashion look with red flowers. One vase is dressed with a combination of wire-edge and adhesive ribbon, others with ribbonwrapped cardboard disks and curled snakeskin flat wire.

Something forEveryone LOVE NOTES Waiting to be discovered and unfurled, billets-doux are hidden in plain sight, written on red wrapping paper tied with black jeweler’s wire to the stems of black mitsumata, upright in the silver fluted Primsa Pot. The foam is quickly and elegantly covered with two swift insertions: a pair of aspidistra leaves is wrapped like sashes around the rim of the bowl, each with the stem inserted through the tip of the other leaf.

DECEMBER 2015 45

BE MINE The message is clear, spelled out in letters purchased from a craft store, mounted with UGlu on stems of heavy-gauge florist wire and inserted into the centers of sunflowers. To make the topiary, Alex started with the sunflowers, because their stems are so thick, bundling them in his hand and adding the orange Asiatic lilies and hypericum to the inside of the bundle, then binding it at the top and inserting the whole bundle at once into the foam. It is stabilized in the foam by the lush mass of flowers that surrounds it.

REMEMBER WHEN? Here’s one way (at far right, below) to bring back memories: a vintage crate filled with blooming plants in pots, accented with candy from the 1950s (one of several collections from decades past, all available from a specialty supplier listed in our Where to Buy section, page 64). Some of the candy is elevated on hyacinth stakes; manzanita branches add height and linear interest.

46 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Something forEveryone PLEASE FENCE ME IN At right, a simple heart outlined in flat red snakeskin wire gains drama from its surroundings: a row of white carnations, then a fence of flax leaves, cut into short sections, and brunia that frames and echoes the heart. Green Ball dianthus at the perimeter reinforces the delicate green of the hydrangea inside the heart, all in a planter box that comes with a liner.

DECEMBER 2015 47

Something forEveryone

CROSS MY HEART All it takes is two curving pieces of red snakeskin flat wire,

reinforced with lily grass, foxtail fern and passion vine, to suggest a Valentine heart. The

twin loops of wire, curled at the ends, are inserted into foam at one end; at the front of the design, where they cross and curl up, they are pinned into place with floral insertions of carnations and Green Ball dianthus. The bed of short-stemmed, mostly red flowers underneath the heart also includes Tess David Austin roses and Nikita red spray roses.

48 www.flowersandmagazine.com

NESTLED IN Birch strips make a beautiful, natural way to define a heart shape, inserted directly into floral foam. Alex used two strips for each half of the heart, pushing one deeper into the foam, then adding a second strip just to strengthen the line and elevate the heart-shaped enclosure. Foxtail fern, lily grass, passion vine and calla stems reinforce the shape, which is filled with Cherry Brandy roses and surrounded with flowers including Juliet David Austin garden roses. On the left, a pair of small tillandsias harmonizes with the warm gray color of the Newport Bowl.

DECEMBER 2014 2015 39 49

DAD’S LITTLE GIRL Because it is handwritten with a felt-tip marker on the adhesive ribbon that FlowerBox supplies along with recyclable boxes in many styles, the message could be anything! The Grab&Go vase comes with a liner and handle. Alex simply filled it with water (mixed with flower food, of course) and dropped in a hand-tied bouquet that incorporates loops of lily grass and, underneath, a collar of looped red ribbon on wire stems.

Something forEveryone SURPRISE PACKAGE Receiving a gift of flowers is all about the dramatic moment of delivery—and of discovery, at least in the case of this design, created in a hinged, latched box purchased at a craft store. A floral and ribbon treatment on the lid hints at the inside contents. Depending on circumstances, you could simply glue flowers into the bow or glue an Iglu caged foam holder to the ribbon, which Alex secured inside the box lid so that it could be removed without marring the appearance of the box. Inside, he lined the top of the box with wide ribbon, adding to the richness of the interior, and lined the lower part with polyfoil. He cut bricks of floral foam to half their usual thickness, leaving plenty of room for flowers inside the closed lid. The rich array of flowers includes Juliet David Austin garden roses, which will release their fragrance when the box is opened.

50 www.flowersandmagazine.com

DECEMBER 2015 51

52 42 www.flowersandmagazine.com

TOWER OF LOVE “I’ve used this form and technique for many different types of designs, especially party designs,” says Alex: a Styrofoam rectangle, here covered with aspidistra leaves and equisetum and topped with flowers arranged in a design dish. For photos and details on how to create the tower, see page 54. Here, Alex used Frosted (silvered) aspidistra leaves and pinned the equisetum into place with pins he made himself from silver flat wire.

On top, the dish is filled with white hydrangea, cymbidium orchids, and Patience David Austin garden roses. A custom-made, silver wire heart sends the Valentine message home.

Something forEveryone SWEET KISSES Clear plastic tubes (“Pillars” in the Syndicate Sales Party Props line), cut to varying lengths with a saw, hold Hershey Kisses in a glittering silver forest that rises from a seven-inch cube vase filled with white hydrangea, gerberas, and Patience David Austin roses along with Green Ball dianthus. Frosted aralia leaves pick up the silver tones, while the clear glass cube is lined with sections of flax leaves, covering floral foam. b

DECEMBER 2015 2014 53 43

HOW-TO TIPS FOR VALENTINE DESIGNS

MOODY BLUES (See page 35) Ti leaves have a rolled, incurving stem that can be difficult to insert into foam. Often, you want the base of the leaf to slide into the foam along with the stem—and you may want the entire leaf a little shorter, while leaving the natural tip of the leaf intact. For all those reasons it can be useful to trim the stem to a narrower width and a sharper point, and also the leaf itself, along the sides. Trim the leaf upward from the bottom by slicing partway with your knife, then simply pulling the outer margin of the leaf away. The veining in the leaf makes it easy to strip a piece off the edge, resulting in a natural contour.

54 www.flowersandmagazine.com

TOWER OF LOVE (See page 52) To make the Tower of Love or any similar design, start by cutting Styrofoam sheets into rectangles, then binding them together to make a rectangular shape 12 inches high and about 5½ inches square—the perfect size to fit inside a six-by-six-inch ceramic cube. The sheets can be purchased in various widths.

It’s easy to break off a section by scoring it with a knife, then breaking it off on the edge of a table. You can also smooth the edges of Styrofoam or trim the size by filing it down with another piece of Styrofoam. Next, cover the form with aspidistra leaves: attach them to the form with UGlu, then pin the tips down with greening pins. You may also add stems of equisetum to the outside of the tower, pinning them into place with pins made from silver flat wire. Cut the wire at an angle so it will slide in easily. With the equisetum in place, trim it at the top, a little higher than the top of the tower. Place an anchor pin at the center top of the tower, with UGlu Dashes on top of the pin. Use a six-inch Lomey design dish, already filled with wet foam, to push the anchor pin into the Styrofoam. The UGlu holds the design dish in place (it is also supported on each side by the equisetum tips). In the photo with Alex, the back of the tower is unfinished, showing the interior construction of the tower; in reality, you would finish the tower before adding the anchor pin and Lomey dish.

LEMONADE and WHITE CHOCOLATE (See pages 36 and 41) Sometimes you want the tone and texture of sunflower centers without the petals.

The best way to remove the petals is not to pull upward on them; too often, the result is that the root of the petal remains on the sunflower head as an unwanted fleck of yellow. Instead, pull the petals back from the flower head, as shown. This method removes them without leaving a trace. b

shop profile

•

By Marianne Cotter

At Rebel Hill, smart business management and awardwinning design go hand in hand.

A

nna Page vividly remembers the career advice her father offered in her formative years: “Go into business for yourself! If you own the business, you work for yourself, you can come and go as you choose, take off as you want, and vacation when and where you please.”

Years later, when Anna owned her own shop and was working weekends and holidays, she reminded him of his words. He responded with, “I didn’t say go into retail where you have to work with the public.”

Rebel Hill Florist Nashville, Tennessee Owner: Anna Page Niche: Full service florist Number of employees: 21 total; 7 full-time Square footage: 5000 square feet www.rebelhillflorist.com

“Now he tells me!” Anna laughs.

But in the end Anna made a great success of Rebel Hill Florist, the shop she bought in 1987. “When I bought the shop it was grossing about $125,000 a year. Now the shop grosses over a million annually.”

Anna attributes that phenomenal growth not only to her love of flowers, but to her affinity for business and marketing, a revelation

56 www.flowersandmagazine.com

•

Photography by Micah G ROBINSON | Nashville

she had at her very first job in a flower shop.

“Under the leadership of the owner and from the series of courses, workshops, and classes I took, I learned how challenging and complex the flower business could be,” Anna explains.

“Most importantly, I decided that the florist business is more appealing to me than the design side. So, now I take care of business and hire others to design.”

Anna’s mother Patti had always been passionate about flowers, and when she reached a point in her life when she had the time and money, she opened her own shop. Anna was eager to join her mother. She quit her job and together they created and developed their own business concepts. Anna worked with her mother until she bought Rebel Hill.

THOROUGHLY BRANDED Anna struggled for a long time to settle on a logo for the shop.

“Then one day I was thumbing through a Lands’ End corporate catalog and I read an article describing the elements of a good logo,” she recalls. “It had good examples of what works and what doesn’t. So I called the author and asked him to design a logo for my shop.”

As they set to work, Anna learned that a logo never stands alone. The design of a logo is an integral part of a business’s overall branding strategy. “It was a real interesting process,”

Topiary trees, boxy hedges and white columns lend a classic air to the façade at Rebel Hill Florist, one of the largest independently owned florists in Nashville and a member of Teleflora's Top 250. A welcoming exterior leads to an even more gracious interior, abundant with stylish products.

On the opposite page, gray shutters frame an elegant mantel and provide a backdrop for floral wall décor. Below, florals in red, white, and blue enhance a display of patriotic merchandise.

she recalls. “He didn’t just do a quick flower logo. He created a full package that included my business cards and stationery. We got down to what kind of paper we would print on.” Anna recommends engaging a professional who does branding rather than just hiring a graphic designer to create a pretty logo. The orange and lime green palette of Rebel Hill’s finished logo (at left) extends beyond print material to the shop’s website.

Anna believes that every arrangement and package that leaves her store should be branded. Even the package of fresh flower food has the shop’s logo. Designers and drivers all wear

DECEMBER 2015 57

shirts with logos. All wrapped flowers get a custom printed ribbon. "In my opinion," says Anna, "anything in the store that stands still for any period of time should have a logo on it."

A ROCK STAR STAFF Of late, Anna herself is not as active in floral industry associations and events as she used to be—but she actively encourages her staff to be involved: “One of my designers, Kathy Bates, is our Teleflora Unit President. Another, Mary Steverson, has served as secretary of the Central Tennessee Professional Florist Association and has many hall of fame and lifetime achievement awards along with design accolades.”

This year, at the joint convention sponsored by the Tennessee State Florists Association and the Central Tennessee Professional Florist Association, Rebel Hill raked in the honors. From the state association, Rebel Hill designer Donny Moore won both Designer of the Year and the Iris Cup (for interpretive design), while Kathy Bates was Designer of the Year runner-up (for the second year in a row). Kathy is also the reigning regional (CTPFA) Designer of the Year. On the state level, TSFA also sponsors a competition called Design Team, in a three-person, tag-team format. This competition was launched just last year—and both this year and last, a team of designers from Rebel Hill won first place. “Our designers have worked hard and won some great successes, and we couldn’t be more proud of them,” says Anna.

When it comes to floral education Anna encourages her designers to do as much as they want. “I really feel that if they are not educating themselves on new styles, they’re not growing and if they’re not growing we can’t provide better offerings for our customers.”

The shop’s office manager Jessica Hartley had long harbored a dream of becoming a designer. “She wanted to design so bad she can’t see straight,” says Anna. “She’s worked for me for five years and I keep telling her she’s too good at what Owner Anna Page discovered a passion for flowers and for business early on—a passion she channeled into growing Rebel Hill Florist, purchased in 1987, into a highly successful shop with a reputation for reliable quality, style and value.

58 www.flowersandmagazine.com

she does; let’s just concentrate on sales. In the end, though, I encouraged her ambitions—and she won a competition that provided her with a scholarship to the Teleflora Education Center in Oklahoma.”

HARD TIMES GET BETTER Anna was particularly proud of the consideration her staff showed toward her and each other during the difficult years of the recession. “My staff were rock stars during the recession,” she recalls. “During the times we weren’t busy, individuals would go home early without my having to ask. The husband of the last person in had been laid off, and everyone knew she would be profoundly affected if I had to lay her off. The rest of the staff was so sensitive to her situation, going home early if we weren’t busy and taking extra time off. As a result the shop survived the worst of the recession without my having to lay anyone off.”

Like many businesses that survived the recession, Anna took a good hard look at her business practices in an effort to become a smarter, more effective businesswoman. “I revamped the way we did everything,” she says. “We really worked to get the best price on hard goods.”

Keeping costs under control is a challenge for every flower shop. One of Anna’s successful strategies has been a bonus program for the design staff that speaks loudly to the pocketbook. “To stay within our margins we set up cost-of-goods guidelines,” explains Anna. “If the designer stays within the costof-goods goals, they get a bonus. They are really motivated by it.”

A LASTING IMPRESSION One place that Anna has been careful not to cut back is on measures that insure product quality. Indeed, she says, the more budget-conscious her customers may be, the more important it is to deliver value. “Hard times really make you think about how you’re treating customers,” she says, “including those who may have limited funds. If you’re not taking excellent care of that person—sending out a quality product that’s going to last—you’ll Plants, permanent botanicals, and decorative accessories are skillfully displayed to create an at-home feeling in the shop’s well-merchandised showroom. At center left, a pair of hinged yellow doors on casters provides a bright backdrop for a lively vignette.

DECEMBER 2015 59

At left, in one part of the Rebel Hill Florist showroom, an island of faux brick, placed at a jaunty angle to the walls, helps to organize the space visually. Above, spots of color including a large video screen enliven a consultation area done in neutral warm gray.

lose them. Making their dollar stretch as far as possible helps set you apart.”

Selling flowers that retain their beauty and freshness is a point of pride at Rebel Hill Florist. “We are very hip to this in our care and handling procedures,” says Anna. “To get it right I hired Dr. George Staby to come in and set up his Chain of Life system for care and handling of fresh product.” The program covers all the steps that have to be followed from the grower to the retailer to the consumer.

Anna doesn’t skimp on flower food either.

“Every one of our arrangements goes out with a large package of fresh flower food, not a little dinky one,” says Anna. “We want flowers to last. Customers pay attention to lasting quality. One lady actually called and asked if the flowers were real. She thought they were but they lasted so long she wasn’t sure.”

GOING GREEN Rebel Hill has an extensive recycling program. Anna discovered that by recycling cardboard and composting unusable flowers and greens, she could reduce by half the times per month the trash dumpster was picked up.

Recycled products are also a large part of the portfolio. The shop uses wood pulp design containers for fresh sympathy baskets, altar arrangements, and centerpieces whenever possible. Anna also sourced a line of recycled glass that is used daily for fresh vase work.

TENNESSEE PROUD To support local agriculture and art, Anna is devoted to carrying as many Tennessee-made products as possible.

“Our state agricultural department has a pro-

60 www.flowersandmagazine.com

gram called Pick Tennessee,” she explains.

“I just got back from one of the fairs where I found a number of new vendors. All our gourmet food and gift baskets are stocked with a variety of Tennessee-made products.”

The shop’s website has a page called Tennessee Proud that features the local vendors Rebel Hill works with, including Thistle Farms, Willa’s Shortbread, and Colts Chocolates (remember the country variety TV show “Hee Haw”? Former Hee Haw Honey Mackenzie Colt is now a successful chocolatier).

A PASSION FOR PHILANTHROPY “I believe in philanthropy,” Anna states emphatically. “I encourage my staff to be involved in charities.

In July we participated in our sixth annual blood drive for the American Red Cross. We had two mobile trucks in front of the shop and we collected more blood than anyone else in the southeast region. Our slogan for the blood drive is, ‘Give blood, get roses.’ Everyone who donated blood received a complimentary dozen roses.”

The shop’s annual holiday open house provides another opportunity to do a good deed. “Every year in November, we stage a very popular, two-night open house. We charge $15, of which 100 percent goes to a designated charity,” Anna explains. This year, for example, the first night of the open house raised funds for Safe Haven, a charity whose mission is to reduce and eventually eliminate family homelessness.

Another recurring charity event for Rebel Hill is the annual fundraiser for the Currey Ingram Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee, a

K-12 school that helps kids with learning differences (autism, ADD, and Asperger’s) prepare for college. Called Celebration of the Arts, it is the personal charity of singing legend Brenda Lee, who is there every year as host.

Attendance runs as high as 450 people and this year the event raised about $125,000.

Rebel Hill, which has been participating for five years, was proud to contribute 40 centerpieces and multiple buffet arrangements.

Anna, however, doesn’t restrict her philanthropic efforts to special events. Giving back to the community is an everyday practice at Rebel Hill Florist. “When customers order on our website they can designate two dollars of their order total for any of the listed charities,” she explains. “The charity list was chosen from customer suggestions.”

SPECIALIZING IN… QUALITY “People always ask me, ‘What is the one thing you do best at?’ ” says Anna. “And I always respond, there isn’t just one thing—and for a flower shop, there can’t be. It doesn’t matter,” she continues, “how good your design team is if your drivers don’t know how to care for those designs so they can deliver them in good shape and in a timely manner. And it doesn’t matter how great your drivers are if you don’t have quality flowers to start with, and if your sales people don’t know how to sell in a way that helps customers get their needs met. It isn’t just one thing—it’s many things done to perfection.” It takes a quality-minded owner to see that quality standards are applied across the board. To Anna, that is both the prerequisite and the definition of success. b

Florist’s Best Friend--

Floral Delivery Trays EASY LOAD NO SPILL LIGHT WEIGHT

Floral Delivery Tray or Floral Carrier!

One carrier holds an average of 20 to 30 arrangements.

• Light-weight, high-impact plastic. Size 48” x 48”. 33 lbs. Pins included.

• Carrier is adjustable to any size (removing or adding blocks as needed).

• Large, flat surface, available by moving pins to storage at sides.

• No special places; load in the order you wish to deliver.

• No tip-overs or broken ends---saves load and unload time.

SEMINOLE

3710 Sipes Ave, Sanford, FL 32773

1-800-638-3378 • Fax 407-322-6668 outside U.S.A. 407-321-4310

PATENTED

30 Day Mfg. Satisfaction Guarantee!

www.seminoleds.com

type Flowers& Magazine at youtube.com to go to our YouTube Channel

DECEMBER 2015 61

Flowers&

2015 INDEX

Design Contest The Theme (“A Worldwide Wedding”) .................... Jan, p. 25 (and Feb, p. 11 and Mar, p. 11) The Ten Finalists ................... Aug, p. 28 The Winners ......................... Nov, p. 15

Design Tech Securing a Bow to a Pick ........Jan, p. 28 Design Grids, All Kinds ........... Feb, p. 15 A “European Garden” ............. Mar, p. 18 A Hand-Tied Bouquet; A Leaf Collar ......................... May, p. 10 Wiring and Taping Gerbera Stems ...................................Jun, p. 16 Making a Baby’s Breath Orb .....Jul, p. 10 Wrapping Loose Flowers to Go Aug, p. 10 Support for Tall Stems............. Oct, p. 59 Prepare Foam for a Trellis .......Dec, p. 14

Memorable Tributes: Tools and Techniques for Standout Sympathy Designs (designer: Jim Ganger AIFD) .................. Feb, p. 42 How Special Is She?: Mother’s Day Designs (designer: Tom Simmons AIFD) ............. Mar, p. 30 Picture Perfect: High-Fashion, Photo-Ready Prom Flowers (designer: Susan Ayala AIFD) ................ Mar, p. 42 To Have and to Hold: Stunning Bouquets, Stylish Handles (designer: Carol Caggiano AIFD) ............. Apr, p. 28 Maximum Impact: Make the Most of the Budget for Wedding Décor (designer: Lorraine Cooper AIFD) ............ Apr, p. 52 High-Fashion Flowers: Designs with Select, Distinctive Blooms (designer: Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD) ............ May, p. 30 In the Mood: Party Flowers with Strong Themes (designer: Gerard Toh AIFD) ...................Jun, p. 24

Dressing the Fall Table: Centerpieces and More (designer: Julie Poeltler AIFD) ................ Aug, p. 28 Mix It Up: Fresh, Dried, and Permanent Botanicals (designer: Bob Hampton AIFD) .............. Aug, p. 50 Looking Backward and Forward: AIFD Symposium Celebrates 50 Years ...............................Sep, p. 15 Love, Passion, Fashion!: A European Wedding Spectacular (designers: Per Benjamin and Annette von Einem) ................Sep, p. 34 She’s Gotta Have It: Dream Themes for Demanding Brides (designers: Joyce Mason-Monheim AIFD and Rachelle Nyswonger AIFD) ......Sep, p. 40 Holiday Helpers: Sales Boosters for Christmas (designer: Tom Simmons AIFD) .............. Oct, p. 26

Everyday Extraordinary: Versatile, AllOccasions Designs (designer: Tom Bowling AIFD) ................Jun, p. 46

Yuletide Dreams: Floral Visions for the Winter Season (designer: Baudouin Roelants) ............... Oct, p. 42

Style Directions 2015: Colors, Flowers and Accessories (designer: Rich Salvaggio AIFD)..............Jan, p. 43

’Tis the Season, Sweet and Simple: Themes and Strategies for Holiday Merchandising (designer: Bert Ford AIFD) .......................Jul, p. 26

Themes Like Christmas: Three Popular Palettes for Parties and Décor (designer: Michael Quesada AIFD) ......... Nov, p. 28

Spring Fever: Designs to Celebrate the Season (designer: Rachelle Nyswonger AIFD) ...... Feb, p. 28

The Art of Summer: Make the Most of Summer Flowers (designer: Kenneth Snauwaert AIFD).........Jul, p. 48

Stylish Celebrations: Fun and Festive Party Tables (designer: Rich Salvaggio AIFD)............. Nov, p. 40

Floral Design Features Beyond Décor: Concepts in Floral Art for Interiors (designer: Tomas de Bruyne) .................Jan, p. 30

62 www.flowersandmagazine.com

AIFD Moment: All About Line (designer: Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD) .............Dec, p. 28 Rose Heaven: Designs with Six BestSelling Varieties (designer: Darla Pawlak AIFD) ................Dec, p. 30 Something for Everyone: Giftable Valentines of All Kinds (designer: Alex Jackson AIFD) ................Dec, p. 42

Looking Backward and Forward: AIFD Symposium Celebrates 50 Years ...............................Sep, p. 15 Fresh Frontiers: CalFlowers Convention ............................ Oct, p. 14 Grower Profile: Green Valley Floral Farms ..........................Dec, p. 18 Hydrangeas: Now “Made in Ecuador” ...........................Dec, p. 16

Floral Industry Features Closer to Home: “Buy Local” and “American Grown” ..................Jan, p. 17 Are You Ready for March 8?: Don’t Miss Out on Women’s Day ............. Feb, p. 62 Event Horizon: The Special Event Conference and Trade Show ............ Mar, p. 58 Back to the Future: Garden Style at Florabundance Inspirational Design Days......................... Mar, p. 62 A Peaceful Passion: World Flower Council ................................ May, p. 26 East Meets West: Cut Flowers from Japan .......................... May, p. 27 The Cutting Edge: Tips and Trends for Fresh-Flower Buyers .............. May, p. 58 Proflora 2015: A Preview of the Colombian Trade Show...........Jun, p. 14 Buyers’ Guide: A Year-Round Reference ..............................Jun, p. 69 Company Profile: Accent Décor ........................ Aug, p. 18

Flower Tales Tulips ...................................Jan, p. 13 Iris ....................................... Feb, p. 23 Protea.................................. Mar, p. 15 Orchids ................................. Apr, p. 10 Anthuriums........................... May, p. 18 Chrysanthemums ...................Jun, p. 10 Lilies .....................................Jul, p. 12 Sunflowers ........................... Aug, p. 14 Stock ....................................Sep, p. 10 Hydrangea ............................ Oct, p. 10 Carnations ........................... Nov, p. 10 Roses ...................................Dec, p. 10

Focus on Design Tulips Standing Tall ..................Jan, p. 8 A Tower of Roses ..................... Feb, p. 8 A Design Grid with Wire Spheres .......................... Mar, p. 8 Sparkling Centerpieces.............. Apr, p. 8 Designing with Succulents ....... May, p. 8 A Contemporary Garden Hedge ..Jun, p. 8

A Treefull of Hors d’Oeuvres........Jul, p. 8 Combining Flowers and Candlelight ............................. Aug, p. 8 A Versatile Wedding Centerpiece .............................Sep, p. 8 A Table Wreath with Enhanced Foliage .................... Oct, p. 8 Soothing Circles ...................... Nov, p. 8 A Valentine Design with a Foliage Frame..........................Dec, p. 8

Fresh Focus Ranunculus ........................... Feb, p. 25 Peonies ................................ Apr, p. 19 Gloriosa ............................... May, p. 22 Lisianthus .............................Jun, p. 18 Gypsophila.............................Jul, p. 16 Tweedia ................................ Oct, p. 61 Sweet Peas .......................... Nov, p. 22

Shop Profiles Debbie’s Bloomers, El Paso, Texas....................... Feb, p. 57 Brent Douglas Flowers & Artist Gallery, Eau Claire, Wisconsin ........... Mar, p. 23 The Flower Nook, Salina, Kansas ..................... May, p. 51 Artistic Florist, Amelia Island, Florida .................................. Oct, p. 54 Freytag’s Florist, Austin, Texas ........................ Nov, p. 60 Rebel Hill Florist, Nashville, Tennessee ..............Dec, p. 56 DECEMBER 2015 63

where to buy

continued on page 64

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.

SURPRISE PACKAGE, page 51 Natural-weave ribbon in orange and burlap ribbon with a gold edge, Reliant Ribbon.

TOWER OF LOVE, page 52 Frosted (silvered) aspidistra leaves, Wm. F. Puckett.

Styrofoam sheets, FloraCraft.

White ceramic cube, Accent Décor.

Silver decorative wire, Smithers-Oasis.

FOCUS ON DESIGN,

SWEET KISSES,

pages 8-9

Clear plastic Pillars (in the Party Props line), Syndicate Sales.

Seven-inch clear glass Cube Vase, Accent Décor.

page 53

Red bamboo tray, Teleflora.

Glitter Stems, Syndicate Sales.

FLOWER TALES,

LEMONADE,

pages 10-12

LOVE NOTES,

pg 36

pages 36-37

page 45 Primsa Pot (silver ceramic fluted bowl) and black mitsumata, Accent Décor.

pages 30-41

Lemonade roses and Safari Sunset leucadendron, Royal Flowers.

Kiri Wood Square Planter, Jamali Garden.

Micah Bowl, Accent Décor.

FREEDOM,

TINTO,

10½-inch footed glass bowl in Vintage Champagne, Syndicate Sales.

ROSE HEAVEN,

BE MINE, page 46

pages 30-31

Antique Cylinder, Accent Décor.

Tinto roses and Magical Passion hypericum, Royal Flowers.

Woodland Planter and Deco Rocks, Accent Décor.

Footed clear glass Monroe Vase, Syndicate Sales.

PLEASE FENCE ME IN, page 47 Woodland Planter Box, Accent Décor.

Red snakeskin flat wire, Smithers-Oasis.

FloraCraft.

Call 800-253-0409 or visit www.floracraft.com.

REMEMBER WHEN?,

FlowerBox. Call 866-396-1185 or visit www.flowerbox.com.

page 47

WHITE CHOCOLATE, pages 40-41 White Chocolate roses, Red Sox callas, Antique Green and Antique Blue jumbo hydrangea, Royal Flowers.

Footed Bowl in Antique Rose Gold, Syndicate Sales.

Jewel-encrusted heart, Direct Export.

Birch Bowl in white and white birch branches, Accent Décor.

PINK FLOYD,

pg 31

pages 32-33

Vintage Crate and Pots, Accent Décor.

Candy from the ’50s, Old Time Candy.

CROSS MY HEART, page 48 Gray ceramic Toronto Bowl, Accent Décor.

Red flat snakeskin wire, Smithers-Oasis.

MOODY BLUES,

A LITTLE SOMETHING,

page 43

Old Time Candy.

Call 866-929-5477 or visit www.oldtimecandy.com.

Smithers-Oasis.

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

pages 34-35

page 44

NESTLED IN,

Moody Blues roses and Antique Green hydrangea, Royal Flowers.

Scheurich ceramic pot in amethyst and Cottage Lane Collection Ceramic Cylinder, Syndicate Sales.

Flat cane, Smithers-Oasis.

Warm gray lotus pods, Knud Nielsen.

Heart Stripe Wire-Edge Ribbon, Reliant Ribbon.

Adhesive solid red and red honeycomb ribbon, FlowerBox. Café Collection vase and 4-1/2-inch Sweetheart Vase, Syndicate Sales.

Mini vase, Teleflora.

page 49

64 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Knud Nielsen.

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

Royal Flowers.

Call 800-977-4483 or visit www.royalflowersecuador.com.

LOVE GROWS, Wooden Hearts, Jamali Floral and Garden.

Copper Etched Bowl, Accent Décor.

Jamali Garden and Floral Supply.

Call 212-979-0108 or visit www.jamaligarden.com.

Reliant Ribbon.

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

SOMETHING FOR E V E R Y O N E , pages 42-53

Pink Floyd roses and Gold Strike leucadendron, Royal Flowers.

Passion Vase (cylinder with heart-shaped pedestal), Accent Décor.

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

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

pages 38-39

Freedom roses, Bach white Asiatic lilies, and Antique Green jumbo hydrangea, Royal Flowers.

Wrapped with Passion vase, Teleflora.

Moroccan Mosaic Hurricane, Syndicate Sales.

FEATURED SUPPLIERS

pg 48

Newport Bowl and Birch Strips, Accent Décor.

DAD’S LITTLE GIRL, page 50 Grab&Go vase and adhesive ribbon, FlowerBox.

Syndicate Sales.

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

Teleflora.

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

Wm. F. Puckett.

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

what’s in store

BOTANICALLY INSPIRED A gleaming vase ornament, tipped with hearts in the shape of leaves, hugs the hand-glazed red ceramic vase that holds Teleflora’s Pair of Hearts Bouquet. Nationally advertised for Valentine’s Day, the bouquet and the graceful vase with a weighted base spell romance any time of year.

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

ALL THAT GLITTERS Available in red, gold, silver, and iridescent, Glitter Adhesive Tape Rolls from Milton Adler bring easy sparkle to designs.

The rolls, each two inches wide, make a perfect match for Milton Adler glittered corsage leaves, rose leaf sprays, and glitter stem wrap.

Ask your local wholesale florist; for product information, visit www.miltonadler.com.

EXPANDING HEARTS Bright red hearts are one of several expanding gel Deco Shapes, available separately or packaged together with Crystal Accents Deco Beads. The combination of the gel beads and gel hearts offers a host of creative display options. Call JRM Chemical at 800-962-4010 or visit www.soilmoist.com.

IN THE PINK The Explora™ series by Imaginature™ brings gypsophila to the market in shades of red and pink. Together with a stable stem and yearround availability, the new colors of award-winning Explora™ expand the range of gypsophila in floral design. Contact your local wholesale florist to ask about Explora™, available through Israeli exporters Aviv Flowers, Avrora Flowers, and PAG Flowers.

DECEMBER 2015 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 DECEMBER 7-23, ATLANTA, GA FloraMart market dates for fall/Christmas 2016 merchandise, FloraMart. Visit www.floramart.com.

JANUARY 2-15, 2016, ATLANTA, GA FloraMart market dates for fall/Christmas 2016 merchandise, FloraMart. Visit www.floramart.com.

JANUARY 11-13, 2016, SANTA BARBARA, CA Florabundance Inspirational Design Days, The Orchid Farm at Dos Pueblos Ranch. Call 800201-3597 or visit www.florabundance.com.

JANUARY 12-14, 2016, ORLANDO, FL The Special Event, Orange County Convention Center. Visit www.thespecialeventshow.com.

JANUARY 20-22, 2016, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE), Broward County Convention Center. Call the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association at 800-375-3642 or visit www.fngla.org.

JANUARY 26-29, 2016, ESSEN, GERMANY IPM Essen, Messe Essen exhibition complex. Visit www.essentradeshows.com.

MARCH 9-11, 2016, LOS ANGELES, CA World Floral Expo, Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall A. Visit www.worldfloralexpo.com.

MARCH 14-15, 2016, ARLINGTON, VA SAF Congressional Action Days, Ritz Carlton Pentagon City. Call the Society of American Florists at 800-336-4743 or visit www.safnow.org.

emporium JULY 11-22, 2016, ATLANTA, GA FloraMart market dates for spring/summer 2017 merchandise, FloraMart. Visit www.floramart.com.

SEPTEMBER 21-24, 2016, MAUI, HI SAF Annual Convention, Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. Call the Society of American Florists at 800-336-4743 or visit www.safnow.org.

DECEMBER 5-16, 2016, ATLANTA, GA FloraMart market dates for fall/Christmas 2017 merchandise, FloraMart. Visit www.floramart.com.

JULY 1-5, 2017, SEATTLE, WA National AIFD Symposium, Sheraton Seattle. Call the American Institute of Floral Designers at 410752-3318 or visit www.aifd.org.

JUNE 30-JULY 5, 2018, WASHINGTON, DC National AIFD Symposium, Washington Marriott Wardman Park. Call the American Institute of Floral Designers at 410-752-3318 or visit www.aifd.org.

CENTRAL REGION MARCH 3-6, 2016, GRAND RAPIDS, MI Great Lakes Floral Expo, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place Convention Center. Call 517-575-0110 or visit www.greatlakesfloralexpo.com.

MARCH 11-13, 2016, PIERRE, SD South Dakota Florists Association Convention, Ramkota Hotel & Suites. Visit www.sdflorists.org.

APRIL 1-3, 2016, GREEN BAY, WI Wisconsin & Upper Michigan Florists’ Association Convention, Radisson Hotel & Conference Center.

Call 517-253-7730 or visit www.wumfa.org.

WESTERN REGION JANUARY 11-13, 2016, SANTA BARBARA, CA Florabundance Inspirational Design Days, The Orchid Farm at Dos Pueblos Ranch. Call 800201-3597 or visit www.florabundance.com.

JUNE 20-22, 2016, CHICAGO, IL International Floricultural Expo, McCormick Place.

Visit www.floriexpo.com.

JULY 3-7, 2016, ORANGE COUNTY, CA AIFD National Symposium: “Inspiration,” Anaheim Marriott. Call the American Institute of Floral Designers at 410-752-3318 or visit www.aifd.org.

66 www.flowersandmagazine.com

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

REPS WANTED Fitz Design has created a new division and we are looking for successful, experienced sales reps.

Fitz Plus is a line for retail florists, gift shops and other retail companies.

Many territories available Please contact Danfisher@creationsbyfitzdesign.com

800-500-2120

EQUIPMENT

JUNE 6-JULY 1, 2016, ATLANTA, GA FloraMart market dates for spring/summer 2017 merchandise (closed on Father’s Day, June 19), FloraMart. Visit www.floramart.com.

BUSINESSES FOR SALE

Flowers&

Refrigerators For Flowers

Subscribers!

Did you know you can read past and current issues online?

Find out how!

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

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

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

SCHOOLS

ACCENT DÉCOR, INC. 800-385-5114 www.accentdecor.com

17

burton + BURTON 800-241-2094 www.burtonandburton.com

25

DANZIGER FLOWER FARM +972-3-960-2525 www.danziger.co.il

13

DOLLAR TREE DIRECT 877-530-TREE (8733) www.dollartree.com/floral/559/index.cat

Portland, Oregon

John Toomey Co

(800) 421-0052

Wedding Aisle Runners Rentals & Sales UPS Shipments

FITZ DESIGN INC. 800-500-2120 www.creationsbyfitzdesign.com

27

FLORACRAFT CORPORATION 800-253-0409 www.floracraft.com

21

FLOWERBOX 866-396-1185 www.flowerbox.com

61

GARCIA GROUP GLASS / A DIVISION OF THE GARCIA GROUP 800-241-3733 www.floramart.com

WEDDINGS

White Cotton Runners

Advertise in

emporium For rates and info, call

Peter Lymbertos at 800-421-4921

INSIDE BACK COVER

BACK COVER

HORTICA INSURANCE AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS 800-851-7740 www.hortica-insurance.com

19

JAMALI FLORAL AND GARDEN SUPPLIES 212-979-0108 www.jamaligarden.com

23

MILTON ADLER COMPANY 800-651-0113 www.miltonadler.com

7

MODERN COLLECTIONS 818-718-1400 www.themoderncollections.com

5

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

61

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 VASE VALET 316-747-2579 www.vasevalet.com

11

INSIDE FRONT COVER

15, 55

29

DECEMBER 2015 67

wholesaler connection

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685)

Flowers& magazine distributors ARIZONA PHOENIX The Roy Houff Company 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 FLORIDA PENSACOLA American Floral Wholesale of Pensacola Carlstedt’s, LLC GEORGIA OMEGA Hornbuckle Wholesale Florist HAWAII HONOLULU Flora-Dec Sales ILLINOIS CHICAGO The Roy Houff Company NORMAL The Roy Houff Company WHEELING The Roy Houff Company

KANSAS WICHITA Valley Floral Company KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE The Roy Houff Company LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE Louisiana Wholesale Florists MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON Jacobson Floral Supply MICHIGAN WARREN Nordlie, Inc. MINNESOTA MINNEAPOLIS Koehler and Dramm

MISSOURI ST LOUIS LaSalle Wholesale Florist NEW YORK CAMPBELL HALL Alders Wholesale Florist OHIO DAYTON Nordlie, Inc. NORTH CANTON Canton Wholesale Floral

OREGON PORTLAND Floral Design Institute

68 www.flowersandmagazine.com

PENNSYLVANIA PITTSBURGH Keystone Ribbon & Floral Pittsburgh Cut Flower Company SOUTH DAKOTA SIOUX FALLS North American Wholesale Florist, Inc. TENNESSEE NASHVILLE The Roy Houff Company VIRGINIA NORFOLK The Roy Houff Company RICHMOND The Roy Houff Company WASHINGTON TACOMA Washington Floral Service CANADA BURNABY, BC Kirby/Signature Floral Supply MALAYSIA SELANGOR Worldwide Floral Services SINGAPORE Worldwide Floral Services

Publication Title: Flowers& Magazine Publication Number: 0199-4751 Issue Frequency: Monthly No. of Issues Published Annually: 12 Annual Subscription Price: $66.00 Complete Mailing Address of Publication: 11444 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064-1544 Contact Person: Rich Salvaggio Publisher: Rich Salvaggio Editor: Bruce Wright Owner: Teleflora, 11444 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064-1544 Issue Date for Circulation Data: September 2015

Print Copy Circulation a. Total copies (net press run) b. Paid and/or requested circulation 1) Outside-county mail subscriptions, as stated on Form 3541 2) In-county mail subscriptions, as stated on Form 3541 3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, and counter sales (not mailed) 4) Requested copies distributed by other mail classes through USPS c. Total paid and/or requested circulation d. Non-requested distribution 1) Outside-county, as stated on Form 3541 2) In-county, as stated on Form 3541 3) Non-requested copies distributed by other mail classes via USPS 4) Non-requested copies distributed outside the mail (e.g., trade shows) e. Total non-requested distribution f. Total distribution g. Copies not distributed h. Total print i. Percent paid print Electronic Copy Circulation a. Paid electronic copies b. Total paid print + electronic c. Total distribution print + electronic d. Percent paid print + electronic I certify that the statements made above are correct and complete.

Avg. Previous 12 Months

Single Issue Nearest Filing Date

9,393

8,687

5,926

5,585

0

0

780

542

42

38

6,748

6,165

700 0

678 0

68

42

1,650

1,592

2,418 9,166 227 9,393 74%

2,312 8,477 210 8,687 73%

6,396 13,144

6,649 12,814

15,562 84%

15,126 85%