Today is the 200th Anniversary of the brothers Grimm’s fairytales. We love their whimsical stories! They’ve inspired so many of our themed designs and photo shoots, like this one, Stein’s version of “Snow White.”
Showing posts with label stein florist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stein florist. Show all posts
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Fairytale
365 Days of Floral Education - Days 46-50
As part of our 125th Anniversary celebration at Stein Your Florist Co. we are sharing a year of floral education, November 1, 2012 thru October 31, 2013. Each day we will post something new on our Facebook page to share our knowledge of our favorite things, flowers and plants and we'll be updating our blog every 5 days or so. No need for pencils and notebooks, just sharing some simple lessons in floristry.
Poinsettia Greenhouse |
Monet Twilight Poinsettia |
Joel Roberts Poinsett |
Day 48 - Poinsettias received their name in the United States in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant into the country in 1828. Poinsett was a botanist, physician and the first United States Ambassador to Mexico. He sent cuttings of the plant he had discovered in Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. The word Poinsettia is traditionally capitalized because it is named after a person.
Poinsettia Sap |
Day 49 - Poinsettias are part of the Euphorbiaceae or Spurge family. Botanically, the plant is known as Euphorbia pulcherrima. Many plants in the Euphorbiaceae family ooze a milky sap. Some people with latex allergies have had a skin reaction (most likely to the sap) after touching the leaves.
Day 50 - Paul Ecke Jr. is considered the father of the Poinsettia industry due to his discovery of a technique which caused seedlings to branch. This technique allowed the Poinsettia industry to flourish. The Paul Ecke Ranch in California grows over 70% of all Poinsettias purchased in the United States and about 50% of the world-wide sales of Poinsettias. As of August 2012, the Ecke Ranch, which was family-owned and operated for nearly 100 years, announced that it had been acquired by the Dutch-based Agribio Group.
Branched Poinsettias |
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Nutcracker Christmas Stein Style
We love the Christmas
holiday season here at Stein Your Florist, one of our favorite times
of the year! The store is filled with beautiful poinsettias, the scent of pine
fills the air, the ribbons and bows (and staff) are covered in glitter and
everyone seems to be filled with the spirit of the season!
Changing up our window display for the
holiday was a fun little project… Using our beloved dress form and some
inspiration from “The Nutcracker” we created a pair of sugarplum fairy dancers.
One is wearing a bodice of white poinsettias with shimmering green fabric and a
tutu of Christmassy pine.
The other is dressed in lace and sparkles with a tutu
of pine that is covered in poinsettias, sparkling twigs and Christmas
ornaments.
We finished our display with boxes of
presents, shimmering trees and sticks, hanging icicles and, of course, a few nutcrackers.
Our nutcracker inspiration didn’t stop with
our window display. Stein’s administrative professional Johanna donned a tutu
of her own and pranced to the “Waltz of the Flowers” in our YouTube video Afterhours at the Flower Shop, Nutcracker Christmas. Just a little something to wish
you and yours a very Merry Christmas from Stein Your Florist Co.
Monday, December 17, 2012
365 Days of Floral Education - Days 41-45
As part of our 125th Anniversary celebration at Stein Your Florist Co. we are sharing a year of floral education, November 1, 2012 thru October 31, 2013. Each day we will post something new on our Facebook page to share our knowledge of our favorite things, flowers and plants and we'll be updating our blog every 5 days or so. No need for pencils and notebooks, just sharing some simple lessons in floristry.
Hemiparasitic Mistletoe |
Day 42 - Kissing under the mistletoe is first found associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites. They probably originated from two beliefs. One belief was that it has power to bestow fertility. It was also believed that the dung from which the mistletoe would also possess "life-giving" power. In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce or warring spouses kiss and make-up. Later, the eighteenth-century English credited with a certain magical
Mistletoe |
Red Poinsettia |
Poinsettias are NOT poisonous |
Day 45 - In nature, Poinsettias are perennial flowering shrubs that were once considered weeds. Poinsettias are not frost-tolerant. They will grow outdoors in temperate coastal climates, such as Southern California beach communities. In the ground, they can reach 10 feet tall.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
365 Days of Floral Education - Days 36-40
An Annual, Bells of Ireland |
Day 36 - Flowers for gardening can be divided into two types, annuals and perennials. Annuals (like these Bells of Ireland) are flowers that have to be replanted with new seeds every year. Perennials are flowers that should return every year without replanting. Special attention must be paid to bulbous and tuber flowers, which require extra care. Bulbs and tubers such as tulips and begonias often must be dug up and stored in a warmer environment for winter, then replanted in the spring.
Edible Carnations |
Day 37 - Carnations are an edible flower. The petals of carnations have been used since the 1600s to make a French liqueur known as Chartreuse. Today, you can steep carnation petals in wine and use them as candy or as decorations on cakes and desserts. The miniature dianthus petals taste like nutmeg and clove. These can be added to salads to add spice and color.
Egyptian Plant Collectors |
Day 38 – The first recorded plant collectors were the soldiers in the army of Thothmes III, Pharoh of Egypt, 3,500 years ago. In the temple of Karnak thses soldiers are depicted bringing back 300 plants as booty from Syria.
Types of Cacti |
Chrysanthemum Bonsai |
Friday, December 7, 2012
Florist Counteracts Bullying
FLORIST COUNTERACTS BULLYING
Florists' Review Magazine - December 2012
A Philadelphia florist has found an unconventional way to
tackle a problematic social issue. Stein Your Florist Co.
created a public-service announcement video
featuring employees, family, friends and neighbors to draw attention to the
issue of bullying and to commemorate National Bullying Prevention
Month in October.
Using a traditional technique for designing floral set
pieces, owner Patrick Kelly created a floral plaque to convey
their message: Stop bullying. Participants were invited to hold the floral sign
and say something inspirational in the video, which was posted on YouTube
and sparked an outpour of emotion from the community.
“All of the responses have been positive, supportive and
inspirational,” says Jennifer Kelly, operations manager at
Stein Your Florist Co. “We are honored to have touched people with our simple
message, spoken with flowers, and delighted to share our love, acceptance and
optimism with the world.”
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Videos Build The Philly Shop's Star(dom)
SAF’s Floral Management – December 2012
Hands On – Tips, Trends and Tactics for the Savvy Retailer
First Hand Account
Hands On – Tips, Trends and Tactics for the Savvy Retailer
First Hand Account
Videos Build The Philly Shop's Star(dom)
When Jennifer Kelly sees that latest sensation on
morning TV or hears about a cause that needs support, she takes action… with a
video camera. Kelly, whose family owns Stein Your Florist, is one of the
masterminds behind an impressive and growing catalog of videos – some of them
poignant and other hold-your-sides funny – starring staff members from the
125-year-old business’ two shops in Philadelphia and Burlington, NJ.
In recent months, the prolific
florists-turned-filmmakers have produced an anti-bullying public service
announcement, a timely update about shop operations during Super Storm Sandy and
spot-on parodies of both the South Korean hit “Gangnam Style” and a Brad Pitt
commercial for Chanel No. 5. (You can see these videos, and many more, on the
shop’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/SteinYourFlorist.)
The
videos, Kelly said, help define Stein Your Florist as a local business with
personality, and keep the shop top-of-mind among customers year-round, rather
than just during the holidays. For the lighthearted “Gangnam Style” video,
Kelly’s father, Patrick, donned a black wig and danced alongside his designers,
sales staff and family members. The video was shot at Stein’s shops and at a
family member’s house over the course of a few days. And thanks to some savvy
thrift-store finds, the total cost, including costumes and flowers, was less
than $300. After a quick edit, Kelly posted the parody to YouTube, the shop’s
website and social media pages; she even created a “Gangnam Style” board on
Pinterest with hilarious behind-the-scenes pics.
At press time, “Oppa Stein Your
Florist Style” had racked up more than 5,400 views on YouTube, but that figure
isn’t the only return on investment that the shop is tracking. By jumping on
fast-moving topics of conversation, promoting causes that matter to their staff
and encouraging people to have a little fun, the Kelly family has created a
professional team that’s not only open to new ideas, but ready to act on them
quickly – before a trend moves from hot to ho-hum. And that environment,
Jennifer and Patrick Kelly said, is good for business.
“Keeping
our name in front of our customers and potential customers is key, and when we
can do that in a fun, different or innovative way, it really generates a great
positive buzz and helps us stand out,” Kelly said. “There aren’t too many
people these days who want another piece of junk in their mailbox from a
company attempting to hawk their wares, but they seem to love when we put on
some wacky costumes and dance like fools out on the street corner in front of
our stores for the camera.”
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
365 Days of Floral Education - Days 31-35
As part of our 125th
Anniversary celebration at Stein Your Florist Co. we are sharing a year of
floral education, November 1, 2012 thru October 31, 2013. Each day we will post
something new on our Facebook page to share our knowledge of our favorite
things, flowers and plants and we'll be updating our blog every 5 days or so.
No need for pencils and notebooks, just sharing some simple lessons in
floristry.
Day 31 - Ficus plants are wonderful,
but can be a little temperamental while adjusting to a new home (or even a
space within your home should you choose to move it). While adjusting it may
drop a noticeable amount of leaves. This is normal, and with proper care, it
will begin to thrive again in no time. Just pick up the fallen leaves, remove
the yellow ones still on the plant, and cut off dead and dry twigs. This will
help the light penetrate to the inside foliage and promote new growth. Be
careful not to over water your ficus. Feel the soil with your finger tip, and
if it feels dry to the touch one inch below the surface, it's time to water it
– but if the soil feels moist, hold off for a day or two. Keep in mind that
your ficus will need less water during the winter. When your ficus is new, mist
it daily as well. To provide proper humidity and prevent the roots from
standing in water, place the planter on a plant tray or saucer filled with
gravel. Display your ficus in a bright spot with indirect light, away from
drafts and large windows that change temperature throughout the day. Use plant
fertilizer monthly throughout the growing season, but not during the winter
months.
Day 32 - Native to Central and South
America, bromeliads are a large family of plants – all with a similar rosette
of stiff leaves and some kind of bright central flower spike or colored leaf
area. They're tough, easy-going plants, preferring bright, indirect light or
direct sun. Keep their soil moist to dry, and pour the water in the center of
the plant where the leaves join together, allowing it to drain into the soil.
Avoid letting the plant sit in water. If you live in a hard water area, use
rainwater or distilled water whenever possible, as bromeliads are very
sensitive to salts, which may cause their leaves to turn brown at the tips.
Day 33 -
Day 35 - Ornamental roses have been cultivated for
millennia, with the earliest known cultivation known to date from at least 500
BC in Mediterranean countries, Persia, and China. Many thousands of rose hybrids
and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use as flowering plants.
Most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having mutated into
additional petals.
Ficus Tree |
Bromeliad |
Dandelions |
Tulip Bulbs |
Double-Flowered Rose |
Friday, November 30, 2012
365 Days of Floral Education - Days 26-30
As
part of our 125thAnniversary celebration at Stein Your Florist Co.
we are sharing a year of floral education, November 1, 2012 thru October 31,
2013. Each day we will post something new on our Facebook page to
share our knowledge of our favorite things, flowers and plants and we'll be
updating our blog every 5 days or so. No need for pencils and notebooks, just
sharing some simple lessons in floristry.
Day
26 - Daffodils
last longer in shallow water, so when you re-cut their stems and change their
water (adding additional floral food) every two or three days, fill the vase
only partway. You can leave the protective husks on or gently remove them. When
daffodil stems are cut, they release sap that can shorten the life of other flowers.
To prevent this, after cutting their stems, place them in a bucket of water for
at least 12 hours on their own before mixing them with other flowers. Some
modern designs use daffodils with the bulb and roots still intact on the stems.
The soil is washed from the root system – and you can enjoy the full botany of
the flower from roots to stem, leaves and blossoms.
Day 27 – Sunflowers are a wonderful cheerful flower that can put a smile on anyone’s face and their seeds are a tasty treat, but did you know their stems also were once used for a rather practical application? Before the advent of modern materials early life jackets used dried sunflower stems for buoyancy. Sunflowers also lent themselves to the Chernobyl nuclear crisis, sopping up dangerous strontium and caesium. Beautiful and useful!
Day 28 – Tis the season for pine and we are using tons of it in
our shops, but besides looking and smelling great it has some edible qualities
too (though we don’t recommend eating our ornamental pine). Some species of
pine have large seeds, called pine nuts, that are harvested for cooking and
baking. The soft, moist, white inner
bark, cambium, found clinging to the woody outer bark is edible and very high
in vitamins A and C. It can be eaten raw in slices as a snack or dried and
ground up into a powder for use as a thickener in stews, soups, and other foods.
This was so common among the Adirondack Indians that they got their name from
the Mohawk Indian word atirú:taks, meaning "tree eaters". And a tea
made by steeping young, green pine needles in boiling water (known as
"tallstrunt" in Sweden) is also high in vitamins A and C.
Day 29 – On any given day at our flower shops you’ll see more than 100 varieties of flowers, but did you know that there are between 250,000 and 400,000 species of flowers on planet earth, making up 462 different families? Only about 85 percent of these species have been cataloged. There are 1,300 species of begonia alone and approximately 130 species of roses, not including hybrids.
Day 30 - Fossil evidence suggests that flowering plants have
only been around for about 140 million years. This could be because flowering
plants are dependent on animals for their reproduction and dispersal. Despite
their relative youth, flowering plants, or angiosperms, now dominate the
world's plant life. Many fruits and seeds are eaten or otherwise used by people
and almost all the plants we use in agriculture are flowering plants.
Daffodils |
Sunflowers |
Day 27 – Sunflowers are a wonderful cheerful flower that can put a smile on anyone’s face and their seeds are a tasty treat, but did you know their stems also were once used for a rather practical application? Before the advent of modern materials early life jackets used dried sunflower stems for buoyancy. Sunflowers also lent themselves to the Chernobyl nuclear crisis, sopping up dangerous strontium and caesium. Beautiful and useful!
Pine needle tea |
Flower varieties |
Day 29 – On any given day at our flower shops you’ll see more than 100 varieties of flowers, but did you know that there are between 250,000 and 400,000 species of flowers on planet earth, making up 462 different families? Only about 85 percent of these species have been cataloged. There are 1,300 species of begonia alone and approximately 130 species of roses, not including hybrids.
Flower pollination via hummingbird |
Labels:
Ancient flowers,
daffodils,
flower history,
pine,
species,
Stein,
stein florist,
stein flowers,
sunflowers
Sunday, November 25, 2012
365 Days of Floral Education - Days 21-25
As part of our 125th
Anniversary celebration at Stein Your Florist Co. we are sharing a year of
floral education, November 1, 2012 thru October 31, 2013. Each day we will post
something new on our Facebook
page to share our knowledge of our favorite things, flowers and plants and
we'll be updating our blog every 5 days or so. No need for pencils and
notebooks, just sharing some simple lessons in floristry.
· African daisy | Arctotis stoechadifolia
· African violet | Saintpaulia spp.
· Alyssum | Allysum spp.
· Bachelors buttons | Centaureaa cyanus
· Begonia | Begonia spp.
· Celosia | Celosia spp.
· Common Snapdragon | Antirrhinum majus
· Easter Daisy | Townsendia sevicea
· Orchids | Barbrodia, Sophronitis, etc.
· Peruvian lily, Brazilian lily | Alstroemeria spp.
· Rose | Rosa spp.
~Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, DVM, PhD, DABVT, DABT
Vice President and Medical Director
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
African Violet |
Day 21 - A healthy
African violet will bloom for nine months and then rest for three. Despite
their delicate appearance, they are not difficult to care for. Keep their soil
moist to dry and allow it to dry out between waterings to encourage blooming.
Because water can damage their leaves, always water them from the bottom by
placing the container in a tray of water. Allow the plant to absorb the water
for about 30 minutes. Place your African violet in moderate to bright, indirect
light, and avoid exposing them to sudden temperature changes. Pinch off wilted
blossoms and leaves to encourage blooming, and fertilize monthly or when the
plant is actively growing new leaves and buds.
Areca Palm |
Day 22 - Areca palms are
generally hardy plants and prefer medium to bright light. Keep their soil moist
but not soggy. If you allow the soil to become too dry, areca palms wilt
dramatically, but it's easy to revive them with just a little water (though
some of their fronds may turn yellow). Trim back palm fronds that become
damaged or turn brown.
Spathiphyllum |
Day 23 - With dark green leaves that can be more than a
foot long, the spathiphyllum plant, commonly known as a peace lily, produces
hood-shaped white blooms, and in some cases, can grow up to 4 feet tall
(although many varieties are developed to be compact). These plants can wilt
easily, so it's important to keep the soil moist, providing good drainage and
emptying excess water from trays or saucers to prevent their roots from
rotting. If your plant does begin to wilt it will typically perk right back up
after being watered. Display them in a spot with bright, indirect light. Low
light slows their blooming cycle, and too much direct sunlight may cause burn
spots on their leaves. Wipe their leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust.
Pollen |
Day 24 – What’s up with plant allergies? Allergyware.comreports
one of the main reasons certain plants and flowers effect people with allergies
stems from the plant's gender. Monoecious plants are ones that have separate
male and female flowers living on the same plant, such as a corn plant. Because
the male and female flowers are separated, the males, which contain the pollen,
must send the pollen through the air to fertilize the female flowers, in order
to make more blooms. Although the pollen is meant to be delivered to the
female, some bits get sent out into the air, causing people to have allergies.
Plants that are dioecious, that have either all male or female flowers also
rely on wind travel to pollinate and create more blooms. Allergy sufferers may
want to instead look for what is referred to as "perfect flowers," or
ones that contain both female and male parts, like the rose. This is the best
option as these flowers don't need to use air travel to pollinate.
Pet Friendly Bachelor's Buttons |
Day 25 - Here is a brief list of common pet friendly flowers and
plants:
· Common
Name| Scientific name· African daisy | Arctotis stoechadifolia
· African violet | Saintpaulia spp.
· Alyssum | Allysum spp.
· Bachelors buttons | Centaureaa cyanus
· Begonia | Begonia spp.
· Celosia | Celosia spp.
· Common Snapdragon | Antirrhinum majus
· Easter Daisy | Townsendia sevicea
· Orchids | Barbrodia, Sophronitis, etc.
· Peruvian lily, Brazilian lily | Alstroemeria spp.
· Rose | Rosa spp.
~Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, DVM, PhD, DABVT, DABT
Vice President and Medical Director
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
Labels:
african violet,
Allergies,
areca palm,
flowers,
palm,
peace lily,
pets,
pollen,
spathiphyllum,
Stein,
stein florist,
stein flowers
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