Headlines

Fires in California Continue to Affect Floral Industry

"You know there's a sun up there because there's an orange glowing orb," Merilee Just, owner of San Marcos Florist, in San Marcos, Calif., says from her shop on Wednesday afternoon, as she witnessed the effects of the fires blazing though southern California. "But that's the only sign because we're surrounded and engulfed in smoke, and it almost looks like it's snowing because of the white ash that's falling."

Just says her city looks like a ghost town, with the few people that remain after evacuation, walking around with white masks covering their mouths to protect them from the polluted air. 

This is a common scene in southern California as multiple wild fires fueled by the Santa Ana winds continue to burn for the fourth day, causing more than an estimated $1 billion worth of damage in San Diego, Calif., alone while causing the evacuation of over 900,000 people in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, according to CNN.

Janet Kister of Sunlet Nursery, Inc. in Fallbrook, Calif., says the city had experienced three mandatory evacuations by Monday night. On Tuesday, when she returned to her operation, she says there were three fires in the areas surrounding Fallbrook, about five miles away, but, as of Wednesday afternoon there was no cause for concern.

"The nursery is fine, though very smoky," Kister reports via e-mail. "Unfortunately one of our employees did lose her home to fire. Since everyone here has been evacuated, we have not had contact [with] all of our employees, but we are hopeful there will be no other losses."

San Diego County ranks first in the state of California in gross value of flower and foliage production, with 51 percent of the total gross value of flowers and foliages in the state, according to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Janice Wills, program coordinator for the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC) estimates that there are more than 100 growers in the area affected by the fires, and although some rumors have circulated regarding specific farms that have been destroyed, as of Wednesday afternoon, they had no confirmation.

"We've know of evacuations but we have had no news of loss or destruction," Wills says.

Grower Michael Anthony Mellano of Mellano & Company told SAF on Tuesday that the company's farms in San Luis Rey and Carlsbad weren't in any danger and that he and his family were hosting five adults, five kids, "10 dogs, a guinea pig, a hamster and cat" at his home in Bonsall, Calif., until their friends could return home.

"It appears to me that our area should be thankful we have a lot of groves and farms that tend to slow down the fires," Mellano says in an e-mail. "Those that are in areas of chaparral are burning very fast."

As of Wednesday afternoon, according to CNN, more than 20 fires had scorched 400,000-plus acres from the Mexican border to northern Los Angeles County and inland into the San Bernardino Mountains since the weekend.

CNN also reported that The National Weather Service said a red-flag warning for extreme gusty winds was in effect for San Diego through 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET) Wednesday. Forecasters said firefighters should see an end to the Santa Ana winds that have fueled the fires by Thursday.

Many floral industry sources say business has come to a temporary standstill, mainly due to evacuations, street closures, and the effort to stay safe. Next week's E-Brief will include additional coverage of the impact of the fires in southern California.

--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.org

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Two St. Louis Florists Merge

Two of St. Louis' biggest florists — Walter Knoll Florist and Nettie's Flower Garden — merged recently. Once "fierce competitors," the merger of the two businesses is "the best of both worlds ... Nettie's has a good trade name and brand," says Walter Knoll III, president of Walter Knoll Florist, which has been featured in Floral Management magazine for its progressive use of technology.

The owners, Nan and Robert Wright, decided to sell, because they're reaching retirement age and have "no more family in the business," Knoll says. They will now consult for Walter Knoll.

Knoll says he wants to "keep what [Nettie's] has that is good" but has not decided whether to keep the Nettie's name. "We have been toying with different ideas ... It may go away, it may not — it's a well-recognized name in town," Knoll says, adding that the company has discussed turning Nettie's into a high-end boutique name.

Customers who call Nettie's will be transferred to Walter Knoll Florist, and all Nettie's employees — even those from a Nettie's location that's closing — will work for Walter Knoll Florist. "We knew this was going to happen for a few months, so we slowed down on hiring," he says. Because several employees have, over the years, worked at both businesses, and both use the RTI Point of Sale system "Nettie's employees can walk into our stores and be productive" immediately, Knoll says.

Nettie's was opened in 1932 by Frank and Nettie Kurtin — parents of Nan Wright — and were the first florists to open a location in a St. Louis shopping mall, in the 1980s. Walter Knoll was started in 1883, and was the first rose grower west of the Mississippi River. The company has 7 retail locations.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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Industry Deals With Drought in Southeast

Industry members are experiencing varying levels of concern about what Reuters news service reports is Georgia's "worst drought in decades," as well as droughts in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and North and South Carolina.

"I can't tell that it is having a direct effect," says Paul Walker of Ed Sapp Floral Company & Greenhouses in Waycross, Ga. "We have a big well ... [our water] is not from a city source."

Similarly, Rockwell Farms in Rockwell, N.C., has a 3-acre pond and water storage tanks, says transportation manager Michael Hartley, so product is not dependent on rainfall or subject to water restrictions.

Mike Balsink, president of Cut Flower Wholesale in Atlanta, says that supplies "may be down a little bit," but that "this late in the game, growers are done anyways."

Betsey Hall of Hall's Flower Shop and Garden Center in Stone Mountain, Ga., however, reports that the "total outdoor water ban" on residences is hurting sales. "We are in the height of pansy season and it is the time of year to plant trees and shrubs ... but people aren't doing that," she says.  Instead, Hall is encouraging customers to plant in containers, rather than in the ground, and use "grey water" — or water recycled from household appliances — to water their plants. 

While precipitation has picked up in the previously drought-ridden Florida, overall rain is still down for the year, says Ben Bolusky, executive vice president of the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association. Consequently, South Florida's primary water source, Lake Okeechobee, is at a historic low. "This portends trouble for the winter, in terms of re-imposition of stricter irrigation restrictions," that Florida faced this summer, Bolusky says. "The prospect of tighter restrictions in South Florida is worrisome." Eric Nissen, AAF, of Sunshine State Carnations in Hobe Sound, Fla., agrees: "Lake Okeechobee is down about five feet  ... that is our main concern." Read more about the Florida drought.

Have you been battling droughts in your state recently? E-Brief editors want to know your story.  E-mail vmachir@safnow.org with your news.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Newsmakers

Flowers Improve Workplace, Wis. Paper Reports

A Wisconsin newspaper is the latest media outlet to report that flowers in the workplace improve employees' moods and productivity.

"Dear Readers: flowers can make your workplace blossom," reports the Oct. 19 issue of The Post-Crescent newspaper in Appleton, Wis. "Two studies over the last several years have suggested that plants and flowers in the office improve inhabitants' mood and skills ... flowers have the potential to make a significant positive difference without busting the budget."

The article, "Ask the Good Girls: Flowers do much more than enhance the decor of an office," cites SAF's "Impact of Flowers and Plants on Workplace Productivity" study, conducted at Texas A&M. It demonstrates that workers' idea generation, creative performance and problem solving skills improve substantially in workplace environments that include flowers and plants. The article also cites the SAF/FPO "Home Ecology of Flowers Study," conducted at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. It reveals that people feel more compassionate toward others, have less worry and anxiety, and feel less depressed when fresh cut flowers are present in the home. Study participants also reported that living with flowers provided a boost of energy and enthusiasm at work. Another SAF/FPO study conducted at Harvard found that workplace commitment is largely influenced by one's sense of purpose, feeling of personal impact and overall trust in the organization.

This media coverage is a direct result of targeted public relations outreach conducted by SAF and the SAF/FPO Alliance. The article was pulled from a syndicated column, which can run in up to 50 newspapers nationwide.

While SAF spreads the news through nationwide PR programs, SAF members can tout the news locally and generate publicity for their shops by using SAF's customizable press releases.

SAF members can drum up commercial sales using SAF's B2B materials, including sample letters, fliers and discount cards.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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Use Flowers to Perk Up Mornings, Says New PR Campaign

Watch out coffee, consumers have a natural morning pick-me-up: flowers — that's the message, proven by recent research, that's driving SAF's and the Flower Promotion Organization's (FPO) latest PR effort.

Participants of a behavioral study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed that they feel least positive in the early morning hours but reported being happier and more energetic after looking at flowers at the start of their day.

Through an alliance, SAF and FPO launched a PR campaign in early October promoting the study's results.

"The morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon, with positive moods — happiness, friendliness and warmth for example — manifesting much later in the day," the study's lead researcher, Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., says in press materials. "Interestingly, when we placed a small bouquet of flowers into their morning routine, people perked up."

Rebecca Cole, host of Discovery Home Channel's Surprise by Design, provides advice for displaying flowers in the kitchen. "There are just so many places for flowers in the kitchen — the room where we spend most of our waking time," Cole says in the press materials. "From the breakfast nook to the table to the countertop, flowers just belong. It's even the most convenient room to change the water!" Cole is also SAF's spokesperson for the Flower Fundamentals PR campaign, which publicized the findings of SAF's Consumer Attitudes & Behaviors About Floral Purchasing Study. 

The SAF/FPO Alliance is promoting morning flowers via targeted pitching to national consumer magazines, a press kit to print media nationwide and coverage on SAF's consumer Web site, www.aboutflowers.com, and the FPO site, www.flowerpossibilities.com.

The morning flowers campaign is part of the Home Ecology of Flowers Study program. Commissioned by the SAF/FPO Alliance and conducted by a research team at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital in 2006, the study revealed that people feel more compassionate toward others, have less worry and anxiety, and feel less depressed when fresh cut flowers are present in the home.

Since its 2006 inception, the study has generated nearly 157 million consumer impressions to date. The coverage includes newspaper, TV and radio stories in 23 local markets nationwide and placements in nine national magazines such as AARP, Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, Health and Reader's Digest.

Generate publicity for your shop. SAF members can access customizable press releases on the benefits of morning flowers and the results of the Home Ecology of Flowers Study.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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Life at Work

Work Place Kissy Face?

Dating a co-worker is no longer seen as "taboo" in many office settings, according to a recent New York Times article. 

The newspaper reported that an online survey by CareerBuilder.com found a drop in the number of workers who are keeping an office romance a secret, down from 46 percent in 2005 to 34 percent in 2007, and about half of workers surveyed in other CareerBuilder surveys taken during the last three years said they have dated a co-worker. Instead, the office romance that was once considered a "no-no" — likely driven by heightened awareness of sexual harassment during the 1990s — is now seen as a natural development in today's worklife, where the lines between personal and business life get blurry, especially with the younger set. Some employers are following suit, according to the article, relaxing their policies prohibiting office relationships.

Freda Kapor Klein, author of "Giving Notice: Why the Best and the Brightest Leave the Workplace and How You Can Help Them Stay," tells the Times that companies should take caution by having a policy, in writing, that workers will not be fired for dating, but can be fired for not disclosing and mitigating it, to keep things from becoming unproductive or hostile.

And what would Emily Post say about office dating? Peter Post, director of The Emily Post Institute and author of "The Etiquette Advantage in Business," told the Times: Once you've confirmed that it's OK to date at your office, "Keep the smooching and the goo-goo talk at home. If the ardor chills resist the urge to throw a stapler."

Find out how some florists have handled romances in their shops and read advice from Attorney John S. Satagaj in "Cupid, Put Down Your Bow," in the June 27, 2007 issue of SAF's Wednesday E-brief.

--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.org

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Trends and Tips

Bride Sues Florist; How Can You Avoid the Same Result?

Anyone who reads the paper or online news or watches the Today Show likely heard about the bride who’s suing a florist for more than $400,000 over the choice and selection of her centerpiece flowers for her New York wedding, held in August.

The bride, Elana Glatt (who happens to be an attorney), is claiming breach of contract on the part of Posy Floral Design Studio in New York. According to a Reuters article, Glatt had specified “deep and dark colors of fuchsia, rust and green” in her centerpieces but instead the arrangements were “predominantly pastel pink, almost white.” And, the bride alleges in a CNN.com article, “the hydrangeas were wilted and brown, and arranged in dusty vases without enough water.”

The owner of Posy Floral Design Studio, Stamos Arakas, says he worked to match the colors in the photo Glatt gave him but had also told her that it might not be an exact match. Arakas says “he intends to counter sue for damages to his business reputation.”

What can florists learn from this? First, this nightmarish situation isn’t unheard of, says Ian Prosser, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, NDSF, of Botanica International Florist in Tampa, Fla., who does about 120 custom weddings a year, both national and international, geared toward very high-end clientele.

Prosser had a mother of the bride — who happened to be an attorney as well — threatening to sue him over a similar circumstance. The “peonies were two shades too dark,” was this client’s reasoning, according to Prosser. “That’s one of the problems of the business,” he says, because photography used in the magazines brides show to florists often alters the actual color and look of the flowers.

Thankfully, Prosser says, the two parties were able to come to terms and avoid a lawsuit. The terms included Prosser not charging her for the extra rental plants the client had ordered last minute for the wedding. However, the matter was a little difficult to handle, Prosser recalls, because the client did try to perform a stop payment on the wedding flowers she did pay for with her American Express card. The stop payment did not go through because the credit company sided with Prosser saying the flowers weren’t the wrong type of flower and the color difference wasn’t as bad as it was made out to be. He says American Express explained "‘it just wasn’t the one [exact color] she wanted'.”

Prosser says florists can avoid similar situations by putting a disclaimer in the wedding contract stating that flowers “are a product of nature and we have no control over the color of the family.” Also, the contract should state that the florist has the right to use a comparable substitute whether it’s a different flower or color to meet as close to the client’s needs as possible. After the client reads the contract and understands the terms he or she must sign it, and then you have your business protected, he says.

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DIY Trend Pops Up in Jewelry Craft

The Do-It-Yourself trend knows no bounds when it comes to weddings — even the jewelers aren’t spared. The latest DIY development: creating your own wedding bands. And, we’re not talking about just drawing up a design on paper; consumers are now actually handcrafting (torch, and all) their own rings.

New York Wedding Ring offers classes for couples interested in handcrafting their own engagement, wedding or commitment rings. “From start-to-finish you will work individually with a goldsmith to ensure that your finished wedding rings are professional quality,” the site states.

The process goes a little something like this: Clients first choose their material, then strike it on an anvil, stretch and melt the material to transform into a ring, and complete the job with a polish of the newly created keepsake.

The amateur artisans can choose to create bands from platinum, gold, palladium or mokume gane. The workshops last for a full day and are based in New York and San Francisco.

Like other DIY challenges, price might be a driving factor: The average cost to make an engagement ring, including materials and the workshop, is $1,600-$1,800 — compared to the Jewelry Information Center’s estimated average cost of an engagement ring in 2006: $2,750.

For close-ups of a variety of DIY rings visit the blog, Weddingbee.

Mark Your Calendar

SAFPAC Dinner to Feature Capitol Steps

On Feb. 28, 2008, after a hard day's work learning to lobby industry issues, Congressional Action Days' SAFPAC Dinner attendees will be treated to a performance by the Capitol Steps, a "group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them," according to the group's Web site. Capitol Steps has recorded 27 albums, and were featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS and NPR.  The SAFPAC Dinner is for contributors of $150 or more to the SAF Political Action Committee. All SAFPAC contributions are used to support members of Congress who support our industry. For information about SAFPAC, contact Samm Malone at smalone@safnow.org. Online registration for Congressional Action Days 2008 will be available Nov. 1 at www.safnow.org.

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SAF Events on the Horizon

Regular Features

Product Spotlight: The Valentine's Day Playbook

The holidays will be here before you know it — get prepped for the busiest times of the year with SAF's Valentine's Day Playbook: A Retail Florists' Guide to a Winning Valentine's Day. This manual, which is a useful strategizing tool for any floral holiday, includes task lists, buying guides, delivery strategies, recruiting tips, and much more. To order click here, scroll down  the page and click on How-to Marketing Kits.

Member price: 14.95
Non-member price: 24.95

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Florists Split on Pre-Made Bosses Day Arrangements

Fifty-two percent of florists responding to the previous week's e-poll said they do stock their coolers with pre-made arrangements for Bosses Day. The rest said they do not.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Talk on the Forums

On SAF's Increasing Walk-In Traffic discussion one member says she would like to hire a floral designer as a private contractor, just for weddings, but is wondering how to set up the contract and payment. Any suggestions?

Also on the Forums:
Outside Displays
Blogging Policy

Start your own discussion.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Thanksgiving Online Sales

Online sales for the Thanksgiving holiday at retail florists in 2006 were unchanged from the previous year at 39 percent of florists, according to SAF's post-Thanksgiving survey. Almost a third of retailers experienced an increase in online sales (30 percent) while only 11 percent found online sales to have declined. An equal proportion indicated the question was not applicable to their situation while another 8 percent didn't know how online sales related to the previous year.

Thanksgiving Online Sales for Florists

Source: SAF's Online Thanksgiving Zoomerang survey of retail florists, 2006. Bases on 343 responses (response rate 9 percent).

--Ira Silvergleit
isilvergleit@safnow.org

 
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