Enter the on line flower brokers, known in the industry as Order Gatherers.  These are simply phone banks, gathering orders and re-sending them to filling florists. What’s the problem with that you may wonder? Well, first of all, these people know nothing about flowers and promise all kinds of impossible things at unrealistic prices. The worst of these brokers are referred to as DOGS (dishonest order gatherers) because they advertise in your local phone books as a Florist in Your Town. They often advertise low prices, but by the time you reach the check out, the extra fees can double the price. Add to that the fact that they send these orders to the real local florist that you thought you called in the first place, taking a hefty commission off the top. I could go on but I think you get the idea.

So what can you do to protect yourself from this type of fraud? If you look on line for a florist, be aware that the first several at the top usually are NOT florists even if they say they are located in your town. When I do a search for Florist in Concord, Ma there appears to be at least 8 local florists. That would be quite a large number for a small town.  Check out the web sites and read the about us sections. Look for information about the staff, and be wary of generic stock photos of flowers. The pictures may be perfect, but they do not reflect the actual work of the designer filling your order. If you call an unknown florist, ask questions about their location. Pretend you want to stop by and see their store. A real florist will give you directions, but the imposters will say they only deliver.

Trademark of Florist’s for Change

Florists are finally fighting back to prevent these fakes from deceiving the public. We recently joined an advocacy group for our industry called, Florists for Change.  The sticker on our door is their trademark and any shop that displays it has agreed the following terms of membership.

• Physical retail storefront offering floral products and services
• Resale/sellers certificate or similar state business license
• Actual same-day delivery of inventory/product to advertised area
• Website and all other published advertising must include physical address and phone number

We’ve also worked very hard on our web site to show you our own work so you know that what you see is what you get. We even have an option for you to check off if you don’t want us to make any substitutions without getting your approval first. So if your Mom lives in our delivery area check out our Mother’s Day offerings and be assured that we are a Real Local Florist!

It’s officially prom season and here at The Concord Flower Shop we have been busy preparing. This year the CCHS prom falls on the same weekend as Mother’s Day, as it did last year, so we’ve been working hard to figure out how to handle the volume on top of the busiest day of the year. It was tough having to turn kids away last year so I’ve been asking my florist friends on Facebook for some tips. If there’s one thing you can count on with florists, it’s their love of sharing ideas.

The best idea came from a florist in Florida. She sets up a self serve prom bar with some samples in silk, and order forms that the customer fills out. She very generously e-mailed me a copy, and I made some changes based on our regional preferences. Now when a Promster comes in, (or a Prom Mom) they can fill in the blanks, peruse the selections, choose their wrist band, ribbon, bling, etc. and put it all in the the cello bag we provide. The kids seem to like it and when they come in a group, as they often do, they can help each other and take as much time as they like trying on the bracelets and matching ribbons to the dresses pictured on their smart phones. When they’re ready, we check it over, ring them up and off they go hopefully to spread the word.

It’s such a busy time of year for florists, anything that saves us time helps.  Now, all the prom orders are bagged with their components and placed in labeled boxes in the design room.  Whenever a designer has a spare moment we grab a bag, make the bow, and attach it to the chosen wristlet. Later this week when it’s time to start the Acton Boxboro prom orders, we’ll take the AB box and everything will be done except for adding flowers! We hope to see a vast improvement in our efficiency and if all goes well with the Acton Boxborough May 3^rd prom, we’ll feel confident in accepting more Concord Carlisle orders for May 11^th. (Fingers crossed!)

The other day I unpacked a stunning shade of pink rose labeled, Pink Floyd! I started to imagine the grower who named that rose as an aging rock star wannabe sporting long gray hair and a bandana. (Hey I’ve been processing flowers for many years so my mind tends to wander,OK?) Anyway, that same guy must’ve named the lavender rose called, Moody Blues.  Some other interesting rose names I’ve come across recently are Voodoo, High & Yellow Flame, and Déjà vu.

When I take pictures of our arrangements for the web site, I agonize over what to name them. I know that a name is better than a number for a product as beautiful and thoughtful as flowers so I try to give our specials a name that’s appropriate.  Through trial and error, I’ve also learned that a name can keep someone from buying an otherwise beautiful bouquet, because the name says something the sender does not want to convey like, Wild about You.  I just want to assure you, if you’ve ever passed by a product on our web site because of the name, the flowers do NOT arrive with a name tag.

Before long it will be time to order flowers for your mother, so I better go now and  think of some catchy names for our specials. Mum’s the Word? no…um Best Mom Evah! ..maybe? I guess you’ll just have to wait and see what I come up with!

The sender can choose from 3-12 month subscriptions, with discounts that get better the more you buy! A full 12 months is the best deal, with 15 % OFF the flowers plus FREE DELIVERY! What’s unique about our plan over similar mail order catalogue subscriptions is your ability to customize the gift. Both the sender and the recipient are always welcome to call us with special delivery instructions, color or flower requests, or to change a card message.

The first year we started small with only about 6 subscriptions sold. However, all six renewed the following year and one loyal customer has been doing this for her mother in Sudbury, MA since we started ten years ago! Many families chip in to give their elderly mother a year of flowers because what else does an 80 something need? I’ve been told that our monthly flower deliveries are often the highlight of an aging parent’s month. My delivery guys, delivering from Concord to Sudbury and 10 other area towns,  get to know the recipients quite well also and look forward to seeing their favorites every month!

A lot has changed over the past decade, but our Flower of the Month Club has remained a favorite gift and has grown from only 6 subscriptions to an average of 30 per year! Whether struggling to come up with the perfect gift for an anniversary or birthday, Mother’s Day or any holiday, you need look no further!  With the convenience of on line ordering, the money saving discounts, the assurance that you’re working with a true local florist,  and the appeal of a gift that keeps on giving, how could you possibly go wrong?

Even though much has changed, traditions are still important and are the foundation for great memories.

We have some regular customers who still order Easter corsages every year. One man always gets a double gardenia wristlet for his wife, while another orders cymbidium orchid corsages for all the ladies in his family. Years from now when family members reminisce, I’m sure those Easter corsages will bring back fond memories.

Many customers bring in their own bowls, pottery or baskets to be filled with flowers for their holiday tables. One woman has a fabulous collection of Dedham Pottery (made right here in West Concord) which she brings to us every Easter so we can add  flowers. I’m sure her bunny pottery is something her family looks forward to each year, just as all of us at Concord Flower look forward to filling them with spring blossoms!

Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover, flowers will surely add to the holiday ambiance as your family gathers around the table.

Don’t forget Easter is early this year (March 31), and Passover begins March 25^th at sundown.

One of my favorite holidays comes in March and with it are requests for green flowers! Not that long ago St. Patrick’s Day flowers meant green carnations. Fortunately, today there are many other choices including Bells of Ireland. These long, bright green stalks are really not from Ireland and the actual flower is mostly hidden within the calyxes (the green bells) that fill the length of the long stem. We sell them all year but they are especially popular now. In the summer we’re able to get them locally at one of our favorite farms.

Mini Green Hydrangea

For some reason the mini green hydrangea seem to last longer than the larger blue and white varieties. Because they are smaller, they’re more versatile for arrangements and easier for people to work with. Here at Concord Flower, they are so popular we buy them by the case year round. They look great with any color combination from soft pastels to vibrant primary colors. For St. Patrick’s Day, we love them nestled in a moss basket with a faux handle made with Bells of Ireland.

Green Trick (Dianthus)

This is a really fun flower in the carnation family. The mossy green color and wonderful texture adds interest to any arrangement and it’s one of the longest lasting flowers you’ll ever enjoy. I love to use it edged around the flowers in our popular cube vases for a contemporary look.

Kermit Poms

Named after the famous frog of course, these chrysanthemums are another very long lasting flower. Their lime green color adds pizzazz to any arrangement and works especially well for St. Patrick’s Day bouquets.

Hypericum

Hypericum comes in many colors, but the shade of green is great for St. Patrick’s Day Bouquets. The berry is used medicinally (St. John’s wort) most often to treat anxiety and depression. I don’t know if the homeopathic treatment works, but I do know that a beautiful arrangement of flowers accented with with these long lasting berries will certainly cheer a person up!

Anastasia (Spider Mum)

A member of the chrysanthemum family, these mums also come in many colors including a lime-ish green perfect for your Irish friends. Other colors available are white, yellow and lavender which are readily available year round.

            Hypericum Berry                                              Bells of Ireland

As the end of February nears, everyone is looking ahead to spring, even as the forecast calls for more snow.  For as long as I’ve been a florist the Daffodil has been the first choice of people longing for warmer weather. Maybe it’s their sunny yellow color or fresh scent, or even their wallet friendly price!

Daffodils are actually Narcissus, which are named after that conceited guy in mythology that was so in love with his own reflection he fell into a pool of water and drowned while admiring himself. But don’t let that dissuade you from taking some home or giving them as a gift! In Victorian times flowers were used to express sentiments and the daffodil was thought to mean unrequited love or you’re the only one.

If you bring home a little bunch of sunshine, be sure to put them in a vase of cool water and keep them away from sunny windows and other sources of heat.  Buy them when they are just starting to show color instead of fully blooming and change the water daily to help them last longer.

Every woman does not want roses for Valentine’s Day. Hopefully she’ll appreciate the gesture if that’s what you choose to send, but why not surprise her with something that really speaks to her? Has she always dreamed of a tropical vacation? Maybe these Dazzling Orchids will do the trick!  Is she a true romantic? She’d probably be thrilled with Forever Yours. Maybe it’s a relatively new relationship and you want to keep it casual with Tulip Mania!

If you plan ahead (you know, order early instead of 3pm on the 14th) we can custom design a bouquet with her favorite flowers, or in her favorite colors. You know what her favorite color is, right? No? Maybe you should just Indulge Her with roses, chocolates and a gift card for a massage! Another way to make this the best Valentine’s Day ever is with A Year of Flowers!

Whatever you decide, don’t forget to place your order early and be guaranteed to get your first choice. If you really want to surprise her, have flowers delivered to her at work on Feb 13th and attach a card that reads, “I just couldn’t wait another day to ask you to be my Valentine!” (This way she’ll know you actually remembered, unlike the guys waiting in line on the 14th!)

Need more ideas? Here are three more of our favorites…

Black Magic – Cast a spell on your Valentine with this stunning bouquet in a contemporary black cylinder vase.

Romance – When romance is the goal, this bouquet of flowers will certainly do the trick!

Valentine Two-lips! – Nothing says,” Kiss me,” like two-lips! 25 assorted tulips in a clear vase tied with heart ribbon for your special Valentine.

Birdhouse Funeral Basket

Was I ever surprised by the response this particular arrangement got when I posted it on Facebook. Apparently many people have no idea we can create such personalized tributes.  Through the years we have created many funeral pieces that were unique and made to truly celebrate a life. We’ve put flowers in riding boots for an equestrian and in big popcorn bowls for a movie lover. There have been funeral flowers for golfers that incorporated their clubs, and baseball caps and bats for Red Sox fans.

Movie Lover's Funeral Flowers

Although I have never made this myself, I once saw the most beautiful piece for an artist (thanks again to Facebook and all my florist friends that share photos!) It was an artist’s pallet and the splashes of paint were actually flowers. So creative! Some of my colleagues have made floral tributes in the shape of guitars, or cows or just about anything a person can dream up. When one of our dearest employees died a few years ago we made an arrangement with a large letter A, because we always joked with her that she was part of our A Team.

Hopefully you won’t need any funeral flowers for a very long time, but when you do, why not get something that really shows some personality? As florists, we feel that funeral flowers are some of the most important orders we fill. It’s an honor and a privilege when we are trusted to make something with flowers that is meaningful and gives comfort to those grieving.

We once had a husband order flowers to be delivered to his wife every day for a week leading up to their anniversary. Each bouquet had a card attached with part of the message so that only by the final delivery could she read the entire card.

Last spring a young man came in to buy a single flower to tuck under the wiper blade on the window of his wife’s car which he saw parked nearby. Of course we all stood near the window to see what her reaction would be when she got to her vehicle and saw the flower.  Her smile said it all and such a simple gesture obviously made her day, and most likely her husband’s night!

Through the years we’ve had many older gentlemen stop by once a week for a single rose to give their wife. Married fifty plus years, these men certainly know how to keep the romance alive.  Such a simple thing, a single rose, but it remains a symbol of love that transcends all ages.

We had a little boy bring in his piggy bank ready to spend all his savings on flowers for his first love, Mom, on Mother’s Day.  It was absolutely priceless to help him carefully select each flower and hear his reasoning behind each choice. When his Dad would make a suggestion, trying to steer his son to something more appropriate, the little boy stubbornly stuck to his own ideas! His change added up to about $10, but we couldn’t resist giving him a lot for his money. After all, he could be our customer for the next 75 years!