Finding a reliable florist in NYC

Though flower shops are in abundance in The Big Apple, finding a reliable florist in NYC may be quite challenging. The competition is fierce, the demand for a reliable florist is high. But how do you find in a big city a florist that you can trust and depend on for years to come? In this article we provide 3 important tip that when adhered to, will save you time and unnecessary aggravation.

The fact that one needs to send flowers indicate that there is a special occasion. Weddings and debuts are particularly reliant on a good florist and wonderful floral arrangements. These extraordinary events should not be spoiled by poor floral design or untimely flower delivery. Look for the best florist in New York City to brighten up the occasion.

But what constitutes a reliable florist? What makes a city florist stand out from the crowd? Here are some basics one needs to take note of when searching for a good Manhattan florist, or any florist for that matter.

3 Tips for finding a good Florist in NYC

· High Quality. You want to visit the shop personally. A quick look around their establishment is advisable. This way, the state of their flowers can be assessed first hand. This may be a no-brainer but a professional florist in NYC should always have a large and unique selection of the freshest flowers and plants of the best-quality in stock. The floral arrangements on display should be tasteful and creative. You want to pay attention to the quality of customer service. Flowers do wilt, so ensuring that the florist in question can deliver the arrangements while the products are at their best is important. Also, while at the shop, one can observe how they treat the plants that they sell. Do the plants look healthy? Are the flowering plants on display in perfect shape, or are there some wilted blooms dangling here and there?

· On-time Delivery. Nothing is worse than a florist that cannot deliver their product on time. If your wedding flowers, for example,

White House Chief Florist Nancy Clarke completes an arrangement of white lilies, white roses, hydrangea, and limes before a dinner in the State Dining Room. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

arrive at their destination late, then the whole affair will be affected. A lot of florists outsource their delivery service, so a quick background check on their business may be in order. Ask them whether they make adjustments to their schedule according to traffic or unexpected events. If they answer with a proper contingency plan for these situations, then their service is first-rate.

· Good Client History. Without having tried a certain florist in NYC beforehand, testimonials and references are important ways of gathering information about them. An online florist in NYC may have a page of their clients’ responses. Forums and blogs are also great resources when it comes to reviews about certain products and services. It would also be wise to ask relatives, friends, neighbors or co-workers about their own recommendations. This saves one the trouble of trying out a city florist on one’s own.

Having all these three characteristics in one florist can make them a good candidate. However, these are only the basic qualifications of a reliable florist. Friendly and personal attention and affordable prices are two other factors to consider.

Also, you would want a florist that from time to time will offer tips on how to decorate you house with flowers with out breaking the bank.
A good example will be a florist in  NYC  that Recommends Exotic Foliage for Your House . Using Exotic foliage with a few tropical flowers, can give you the look without spending much at all.

If a particular florist in NYC, or any big city for that matter, possesses the above-mentioned qualifications, then one may now feel safe to patronize their services. This way, the headache over an unsatisfactory job can be avoided entirely. A reliable florist is vital to ensure the peace of mind of the bride on her wedding day, the debutante on her special night, the boyfriend on his anniversary or the customer on his special occasion

a Reliable Florist in NYC – Summary

Any good flower shop should have fresh flora, an impeccable delivery service and an untarnished reputation. Also, creativity, affordability, variety and impeccable customer service are also some things to ponder. Banking on a florist in NYC for that special bouquet is a big deal and so, following the above guidelines, find yourself a florist you are happy with and stick with him or her. Such a florist, no matter where, will never disappoint you.

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There are somewhere between 80 – 100 different varieties of lilies, most of which are hybrid. Any respectable flower shop should have in stock, at any given time, somewhere between 6 -10 different varieties of lilies.

Lilies  have a rich history. Entire poems where dedicated to them and who doesn’t remember Katharine Hepburn famous scene as she enters the room holding several calla lilies and uttering the famous line “…The Calla Lilies are in Bloom Again…”

According to the Greek mythology, Hera Zeus’ wife believed that the lily flower was responsible for producing the milk in her breast.

And according the Roman mythology the goddess of beauty, Venus, was so jealous of the white color of the lily that she changed its shape by causing a spike to grow from its center.

And here is what the Bible has to say about Lilies”
 

“Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these”

Below is a selection of Lilies from Heather Floral Company, a NYC  florist.

Name: Calla Lilies
Native to: South Africa
 Availability – Year Round.
Longevity – 7 – 14 days
Dries well – No!
Varieties – The spotted calla, the yellow calla and the scented calla are three varieties.
Handling and Care - Remove 3/4″ to one inch from the bottom of the stem and be sure to cut the stem at an angle. This allows for ample water to reach the stem. Water daily and keep the vase clear of cloudy water. Remember
Fun Facts - To the Romans, these lilies symbolized the winter solstice. The lilies were forced to bloom indoors during the darkest time of year to celebrate the preservation of the light and bringing the light indoors. Calla lilies are now often associated with funerals and weddings.

Name: Casablanca
Native to: Asia and south of the Philippeans
Availability – Year Round
Longevity – 7 – 14 days
Dries well – No!
Varieties – Lilies Silk Stargazer and Rubrum Lily are two popular varieties.
Handling and Care - Remove 3/4″ to one inch from the bottom of the stem and be sure to cut the stem at an angle. Water daily and keep the vase clear of cloudy water. Do not keep this plant in direct sunlight for long periods of time.
Fun Facts -  Lilies have been cultivated for over 3,000 years in areas reaching as far as the Philippeans. Feng Shui believers believe the lily symbolizes summer and abundance. The Chinese believe a lily means “Forever in love.”

Name: Asiatic
Native to: Subtropical areas
Availability – Year Round
Longevity – 7 – 14 days
Dries well – No!
Varieties – Martagon or Turk’s cap lily are the two most popular varieties.
Handling and Care - Remove 3/4″ to one inch from the bottom of the stem and be sure to cut the stem at an angle. This allows for ample water to reach the stem. Water daily and keep the vase clear of cloudy water.
Fun Facts - Since ancient times, lilies have been a symbol of purity and chastity. However, in medieval times they were the popular symbol of female sexuality.

Name:Tiger
Native to: Mexico and Chile
 Availability – Year Round
Longevity – 7 – 8 days
Dries well – No!
Varieties – The Columbia Lily and Tiger Lily are the two most popular varieties.
Handling and Care - Remove at 3/4″ to one inch from the bottom of the stem and be sure to cut the stem at an angle. This allows for ample water to reach the stem. Water daily but do not over water.
Fun Facts - According to folk tales, the Mexican Tiger flower was said to promote fertility.
Additionally, it is said parts of the flower can be given to a woman, placed in a “love potion” and bring the women to more upbeat moods and attitudes.

Now that you know some interesting facts about lilies, it is time to visit your NYC florist and begin to enjoy this huge family.

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Surprisingly enough there many people who still shy away from this wonderful flower. I, on my part, try to introduce people to flowers they might have seen, but never purchased. Peonies is one of those flowers that once I encourage a client to deviate from his usual “bouquet of roses for girlfriend,” and instead take a bouquet of peonies, he always come back for more.

NYC city florists are lucky because most imported flowers from Holland first land in one of New York’s airports. This fact alone allows florist to pay less for imported flowers and thus pass the saving on to their clients.

If you happen to live in NYC, it will be a good idea to know what flowers are in season at any particular time of the year.

Just because your New York florist has a huge selection of flowers at any given time, that does not mean that all those flowers you see are in season. In fact – many of them are there because your florist paid higher prices for them just so he or she can have a larger selection in the store.

Flowers that are there, but not are in their natural season cost way much more than flowers that are in season and, therefore, abundant.

This holds true to all flowers, but especially to the peony; while a stem of a good quality Peony can cost $2 – $4 in season, that price can triple when out of season.

If you have not done so before, try to purchase peonies in the season (April to June). You will love to watch how this tight ball opens into a huge flower that resembles a jumbo rose, but with petals that are silky and way much more delicate.

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Here are some interesting facts about Peonies.

Name: Peonies
Native to: Asian, Southern Europe and Western North America
Availability – April through June
Longevity – Seasonal (may last from April till June).
Dries well – Yes!
Varieties – The Bartzella, Blaze and Border Charm make up the over 230 varieties of peonies.

Handling and Care - Peonies should be fed a half a cup of low nitrogen fertilizer when growth researches 2 or 3 inches high. For gardeners and planet owners, peonies need little care and survive in warmer climates with direct sun. Water frequently (at least once per day) during the springtime or allow for it to sit outside and collect rainwater. Additionally, cut the stems as close to the root of the plant as possible to avoid disease left by rotting plants.
Fun Facts – Peonies were originally cultivated in China over 2,000 years ago, living through harsh winters. The Chinese used the roots for food and medicine purposes. In fact, the Chinese do not consider a peony just a peony; rather, they call it the Flower Fairy after being named the national flower of China during the Qing Dynasty in 1903

Peony is a delicate flower and requires special conditions for optimal self life. Purchasing peonies from a street vendor, especially when you do not know what to look for, is not a good idea. Therefore, your better option is to walk into your favorite florist in NYC for you peonies between April and June.

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When you first give or receive a phalaenopsis, it will usually have several open buds and several that are not. Depending on the size, some plants have several stems, each with a bunch of flowers/buds.

Although the plant is originally native to Southeast Asia, In recent years many growers started growing them in different parts of the world, hence the year round availability as well as the wide popularity.

I love to check from time to time what other florists in NYC have in their windows. I must admit many of my colleagues have come a long way, while others have remained frozen it time. And although at Heather Floral Company we proud ourselves for having one of the largest, if not the largest, selection of orchid plants – some of my colleagues and competition have caught up nicely.

There is nothing as beautiful as a multi-stemmed Phalaenopsis orchid plant that is potted in a nice, rustic  container, covered with moss and have a few twigs of curly willow pointing North. That last item lands a bit more movement and grace to your plant.

Did you know that for the price of a dozen, high quality,  long stemmed roses in any of the better Florist in NYC you can get a good looking Phalaenopsis orchid plant? Moreover, while roses usually last for several days, this lovely orchid can potentially lasts for years to come.

Here are some interesting facts about Phalaenopsis

Name: Phalaenopsis
Native to: Southeast Asia
Availability – Year Round.
Longevity – Up to 3 months per blooming cycle.
Varieties – Popular varieties include the Clown Alley, the Phalaenopsis Mambo, the orange lip and the red lip.
Handling and Care - Fertilizing is important. To prevent wilting of your plant, fertilize your plant every season. This particular plant grows better when left in indirect sunlight. It’s optimum temperature is between 70 to 80 degrees F. Water your plant early in the morning but do not water daily. Water every 4 to 7 days. After it has flowered the first time, cut the stem just above the node where the first flower bloomed.

Fun Facts - Phalaenopsis is Greek for Phalluna meaning the word “moth” and “opsis” meaning resembling.  Thus the name Moth Orchid came out of the Greek derivation.

Next time, when you walk into any Florist in NYC to buy a floral gift for a birthday, anniversary or any other occasion – think Phalaenopsis Orchid.

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Heather Floral Co., a NYC Florist Recommends using exotic foliage…

Cut Exotic Foliage is the way to go when you want to bring nature to your house without spending a fortune.
Mostly to be found in tropical areas, these colorful branches are simple to put together.  The trick in to make sure to change the water in the vase every other day, adding to it a few drops of Chlorine in order to prevent bacteria.

One more thing you would want to do is cut about half an inch from the bottom of the stem. The fresh cut will allow the stem to absorb water to its ‘heart’ content and thus last longe

Unlike most other foliage, tropical foliage tend to be very colorful and to last very long.

Filling up a vase with one kind or an assortment of these lovely, exotic ‘greens’ – with or without a few exotic flowers – make for a gorgeous centerpiece.

This NYC Florist…

…says  the best news is that you do not have to have any great designing talent or spend a fortune to create a great masterpiece. Next time you feel like going exotic/tropical get yourself a bunch of these greens and experiment. You will be surprised at how easy it is to come up with something you will be proud to invite your friends to see.

When in need for a NYC Florist, check out Heather Floral Company.

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If you’re hosting a family thanksgiving, you want to create a fun family environment that helps children understand the importance of thankfulness and reminds the adults of this as well.

Since Thanksgiving comes just before what many refer to as the “greedy” season, activities designed to remind people of the bounty in their lives are useful. For example, you might help children understand that while they don’t have everything they want, they do have everything they need.

How do you do this? Several ways. One is to help children create a cornucopia, which will sit on the Thanksgiving table. There are a variety of ways to do this. You can make a papier-mâché cornucopia using a balloon as the base to help you get the shape started. You can simply take large piece of poster board and shape them into a cone and fill those with whatever you like. As an extra activity, you can have the children decorate the cornucopia before it gets filled.

Since the idea of the cornucopia is to celebrate a bounty and appreciate that bounty, you can fill it as is traditionally done with squash, corn and the like. You might also ask each member of the

family to bring something that represents their personal bounty in life. A new mom might bring a baby blanket to put in the cornucopia while a newly retired grandpa might add a picture of his family, since that’s what’s most important to him. You can discuss the items in the cornucopia basket at the dinner table while enjoying your Thanksgiving feast.

Another family activity that kids like is the thankfulness jar. When each person arrives at dinner, they place a note with something they are thankful for in the jar. Ideally, each person will add more than one item to the jar. At dinner, someone (ideally, the matriarch of patriarch of the family) reads the notes. Everyone tries to figure out who wrote which note. The items can range from the serious (someone who struggled with an illness in the previous year might be thankful for life, quite simply) to the silly (the new mom might be thankful there’s a Starbucks within 5 minutes of her home). Kids enjoy adding their own touches to the thankfulness jar and their responses are often a surprise to the adult family members.

Some families have several tables set about at Thanksgiving. Many people buy professional floral arrangements to decorate the tables. You can make a game out of it to figure out who’s going to get to bring home the table arrangement to their home. You can do the old wedding thing and simply put a number on the bottom of the centerpiece and have someone’s chair match that number or you can make a game and perhaps create a trivia game out of Thanksgiving facts. For example, questions might look like this:
*How many turkeys are cooked on Thanksgiving throughout the US?
*Why are turkeys called turkeys?
*Which president set aside the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving?

Be sure you research and know the answers and then quiz everyone. This is a great way to pass the time while everyone is waiting for the feast to be ready. Just tell the winners they can’t take the centerpieces until dinner is over!
You can have a similar game before dessert. Create a family trivia game and quiz family members before dessert. Only the people who get the answers right get to have their dessert. Everyone else has to keep trying until they get their trivia question right. Questions can range from the silly to the sublime. They might look something like this:
*Who got popcorn stuck in her braces at 12?
*Which man here wore boots with big holes in them until he was 20 and could buy his own?
*Whose grandparents immigrated to the US from Ireland?
*Which boy here got suspended from school for riding his bike into the classroom?

When looking for a high quality Manhattan Floris check out Heather Floral Co. on West 55th street

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will help that day to run smoothly, for all parties concerned. By planning efficiently, the day will be remembered as a source of joy by everyone for years to come.

Consider using fake flowers for your wedding. This saves a lot of money and most people will not be able to tell that they aren’t real. If you are crafty, you can put together the arrangement yourself in advance of your big day. You can also spray a floral scent on the bouquet if you want the flowers to smell fresh.

Research what flowers, fruits and vegetables are in season. By choosing the right products at the right time, you will save a significant amount of money on your wedding. The flowers will be more vibrant and the food will also taste better if you carefully plan what you are going to buy.

Help yourself plan for your wedding by going further with your plan and sketching it out. You don’t have to be a great artist to quickly sketch any ideas that you have. This also provides a clearer “picture” than words do in regards to how certain things should look and feel.

When you have eight to nine months left before your wedding, you need to select your wedding dress and book your reception site. Also at this point, it would be helpful to have your photographer booked and a create a tentative list of the guests you plan on inviting. Taking care of these things will make the next few months go much easier.

Let bridesmaids choose their own dresses. Instead of forcing a certain dress on different body types, dictate the color and leave the rest for them to do. If you want, you can also have veto power over the dress they choose. Giving bridesmaids freedom to choose their own dresses means less money and grief for you.

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Be sure that you schedule at least ninety minutes to get ready for the ceremony. This will give you ample time to make sure that you look your best and make it easier to capture those moments with the camera. You do not want to rush this process on your big day.

A good piece of advice to keep in mind for weddings is to make sure that you choose a location that is both unique and special to you. This is important because you want your wedding to be remembered by others and also have your own special flavor added to it.

Heather Floral suggests you should start planning your wedding at least a year in advance. Many venues and photographers are booked out 12 to 18 months and require deposits to hold a date for you. Even if you aren’t engaged, it might be a good idea to start thinking about your potential dates and venues before hand.

By implementing these suggestions, the wedding is sure to be a spectacular event that pleases everyone. This special day of bonding is worth taking the time to ensure that every detail is taken care of in the best manner. The bride and groom deserve to have the wedding of their dreams.

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