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.”

 

 

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

Videos Build The Philly Shop's Star(dom)




WORK IT - Jennifer Kelly picked up an “Elvis”
 wig to transform her father, Patrick Kelly,
into PSY, the South Korean pop star behind
the surprise international hit “Gangnam Style,”
for a YouTube video that’s gotten more
than 5,400 views.

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.




PERFUME PARODY - Stein Your Florist was on the same
comedic wavelengths as Saturday Night Live in October. Both
the flower shop and the late night show created parodies of
Chanel No. 5 commercials that feature a rugged and
rambling Brad Pitt.

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.”

 

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 31-35

As part of our 125^th 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.

Ficus Tree

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.

Bromeliad

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.

Dandelions

Day 33 - Dandelions might seem like weeds, but the flowers and leaves are a good source of vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and potassium. One cup of dandelion greens provides 7,000-13,000 I.U. of vitamin A.


Tulip Bulbs

Day 34 - It’s a good thing we are not living in 17th century Holland, as the tulip was considered a true exotic and used as currency during the era known as "tulipomania” (search tulipomania on Wikipedia, it’s an actual time in history, we can’t make this stuff up!). Tulips were worth more than gold! Anyone got change for a tulip?? Today in the 21st century the tulip is still highly valued for its simple, yet elegant beauty.

Double-Flowered Rose

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.

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 26-30

As part of our 125^thAnniversary 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.

Daffodils

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.

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

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.

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

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.

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 21-25

As part of our 125^th 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 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

Support Your Favorite Small Business

This November 24th is Small Business Saturday®, a day to celebrate and support the local small businesses that boost the economy and invigorate neighborhoods across the country.

Stein Your Florist Co. is proud to take part in Small Business Saturday, and we’re encouraging everyone to Shop Small® here on November 24th.

Plus, we’re having a special Small Business Saturday offer! Come in on November 24th and save 10% on all gift items and 20% on all plants! And you can save 10% on your online purchases at www.SteinYourFlorist.com when you use promo code SBS10.

 

 

Most importantly, get out there, Shop Small, and let’s make this November 24th the biggest day of the year for small business.
To learn more, visit www.ShopSmall.com.

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 16-20

As part of our 125^th 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.

Reviving Roses

Day 16 – If your roses begin to wilt, you may be able to revive them. Trim off about an inch from the bottom of its stem and then submerge the entire rose under water in a sink or bathtub. Allow the stem to absorb water for about 20-60 minutes before returning them to their vase.

Opening Roses

Day 17 - Roses last longer in a cool area, but if you want their blooms to open quickly, temporarily place them in a warmer spot (Note: not hotter than 80 degrees Fahrenheit). This is great for when you want them looking their most beautiful, perhaps for an evening dinner party ;)







Beware Toxic Flowers and Plants

Day 18 – Households with pets can pose a bit of a challenge when selecting which flowers and plants to keep around. Some pets may be tempted to munch on a few leaves, and while many plants will cause nothing more severe than mild digestive upset should they be ingested by pets, some can cause more serious health issues. Toxic to both cats and dogs are Tulips, Azalea, Bird of Paradise, Aloe, Begonias, Baby's Breath, and Amaryllis. Members of the Lilium genus, including Easter and stargazer lilies, can cause serious kidney problems if ingested by cats. Keep these things in mind when selecting your flora to keep your fauna happy :)








Poinsettia Care

Day 19 - Even though we associate poinsettias with the mid-winter holidays, they're actually a tropical plant and need to be kept away from drafts and cold. Too chilly temperatures can cause their colorful leaves (called bracts) to drop. Keep their soil moist and allow it to dry out only slightly in between waterings. Encourage new blooms by pinching off spent blossoms and adding plant fertilizer when it's actively growing new buds or leaves. Poinsettias can also be cut from the plant and used as cut flowers. When you cut a stem, a milky-white sap flows from the cut end. Place the stem in water immediately to allow it to hydrate before mixing it with other flowers.

Pet Friendly Flowers and Plants

Day 20 - What is a pet friendly bouquet? It is a bouquet consisting of plants and flowers that are not considered to be toxic to pets (primarily cats and dogs). Flowers such as roses, African daisies, and orchids and plants such as bromeliads, African violets and Christmas cactus are non-toxic (although any ingested plant material might occasionally cause mild, self-limited vomiting) and would be suitable as to have in households with pets.