VICTORIAPARKFLORISTONLINE.COM

Flower Campers

2010-07-22T14:29:00Z

What a great week we just had! Nine talented, motivated and creative girls just spent six hours a day from Monday to Friday learning a thousand new things about flowers and how to use them in creative ways. Along the way they met friends, new and old, dressed up in outlandish costumes and helped to write and direct themselves in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Yes, Macbeth, and the final scene was performed around a steaming witch’s cauldron of spells and mystery performed to parents seated at tables carefully set for tea by the campers and adorned with all manner of floral creations they made during the week.
It was declared the best week of camp ever by many and if joy can be judged by the mess made in creating it, I would have to agree.The florist is eerily quiet this week, not only because summer is our slowest time of the year, but especially in contrast with all the joyful noise of last week echoes of which can still be heard gently fading.

Love is Blind

2010-07-10T17:49:00Z

Love involves a peculiar unfathomable combination of understanding and misunderstanding. -Diane Arbus

Margaret’s parrot, Oliver, displays a good example that life and love are complex and we don’t always see the world as it really is. When you love someone your greatest goal in life is to look into their soul, and learn what makes them happy while also trying to convey to them that same understanding of you. This is made all the more complex when you throw in the fog that creeps into the mind of anyone smitten by love.

Here at Victoria Park Florist we can’t promise to make it all clear and success is never guaranteed (even though the flowers are).However, we have definitely found that flowers communicate at a level beyond our own ability and understanding. Lots of customers agonize over what to say in the message they send with their flowers but if they ask me, I always suggest they keep it simple and let the flowers speak in their own special way.

Red, White, and Blue

2010-07-02T15:14:00Z

For Independence Day, I found a red, white, and blue photo to post.
This one shows Margaret preparing some wedding flowers two weeks ago for a couple getting married at The Angus Barn in Raleigh. The Angus Barn Pavilion is a great venue for a big party and we decorated a big huppa/arbor outside overlooking the lake to frame the ceremony. Great setting, for sure, but any outdoor venue offers potential problems. This day the heat soared to almost 100 and it sure felt like it while draping the huppa with all that tulle, while the sun baked the bricks under our feet. Relief came with its own perils as the rain arrived just before the wedding was to commence, and turned into a torrential thunderstorm. The right solution was found: postpone the ceremony and start the reception! Open up the champagne in the pavilion and start the party. There were a couple of false starts when it looked like the rain would cease, the chairs returned to the patio and then the heavens opened again precipitating another retreat to the Pavillion. Finally, the knot was tied, the heat-stricken cake was cut just in time before it collapsed into a melted mess – (still delicious) and the reception began in earnest. Happy to say that the flowers held up as did everyone’s spirits and it turned out to be a great day.
So, here’s to the old Red, White and Blue! Have a happy 4th of July and God Bless America!

Disaster Averted

2010-06-25T14:16:00Z

No, That's not Santa Claus coming to the florist early. It's our maintenance man, Steve, fixing a leaky return valve in the overhead water piping that could have flooded us out last week. We were working late on Friday for a Saturday wedding and Lauren walked into the toilet (Margaret calls it "the "loo") and encountered a waterfall. It seems a heavy brass return valve up there decided to call it quits and, without any provocation, cracked and started spewing water everywhere. My lack of plumbing skill is only exceeded by my lack of enthusiasm for plumbing, but I managed to find a knob to turn which stopped water coming into the shop, thus controlling the leak. It also meant we had no water in the shop at all so we had to finish setting up the wedding by hauling in water from an outside connection. Fortunately, Steve arrived early on Saturday and regularized everything, and left us imagining how bad it would have been if hadn't been working late and the water left to spew into the ceiling all night. Thank you!

A Country Wedding

2010-06-08T15:09:00Z

Last weekend we did a wedding with a difference.
Instead of ordering arrangements to arrive pre-made, our bride ordered the flowers instead, then asked all her friends to send along interesting bottles to put them in. Margaret and Lauren arrived with a vanload of flowers and no clear idea what to expect. They found over 100 bottles, jars, and other quaint containers waiting. With only 3 hours to set up for the reception, they gasped and then set to work. Several talented friends of the wedding couple pitched in and helped and the task was completed in good time and with lots of fun!

The result was a beautiful, warm, family feel out on the lawn of the Aqueduct Conference Center south of Chapel Hill.“ Maggie's (the bride) plan for the reception flowers was a great idea, and one that we'll use again sometime” was Margaret’s comment.

A fun day and a picture perfect country wedding. Days like this are why we love what we do!

Flowers from North Carolina Fields

2010-05-25T14:28:00Z

It’s late spring and North Carolina is a’bloomin with flowers! Not only in yards, fields and roadsides, but the local flower farms are getting into gear, too.

We love to use locally grown flowers whenever possible. It not only supports local industry, but ensures a much fresher product. All year long our lilies come from a farm right next door in Durham, and other flowers like tulips and iris from nearby. But summer brings a whole lot more local flowers to market and we use them as much as we can. The delivery in the picture just arrived from a farm in Clayton, and the colors of Delphinium, Dianthus, and Larkspur are just electric!

Most of these summer blooms are not in our online designs, so call us and ask for a summer mix and Margaret or Anna will work their magic with some of the year’s most exciting colors.

Some Motherly Information

2010-05-06T23:08:00Z

Here's some motherly trivia in honor of Mother's Day - May 9th. If you love Mom, send her some flowers to tell her so.

The highest officially recorded number of children born to one mother is 69, to Mrs. Feodor Vassilyev (1707-1782) of Shuya, Russia. Between 1725 and 1765, she gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets.

August is the most popular month in which to have a baby and

Tuesday The most popular day of the week in which to have a baby

Oldest recorded new mother: 70 years old! On November 28, 2008, 70-year old Rajo Devi of India gave birth to her first child, a baby girl, after IVF treatments.

"I look on child-rearing not only as a work of love and duty, but as a profession that is fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world, and one that demands the best that I can bring it." - Rose Kennedy

Field Trip to Victoria Park Florist

2010-04-29T22:43:00Z

On Tuesday, we had a special day when 15 members of the local Arc of NC came to visit us to explore the world of a florist. The Arc are a state and national organization that supports, promotes and defends people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Our little shop was crammed for a couple of hours with members and helpers all getting stuck into making their own flower arrangements and a tea and cake party to follow.

Many of the arrangements we saw come out of the day were quite beautiful, and there’s no question that there’s a lot of talent to be found in unlikely places when you give it a chance. We had a great time and everyone got caught up in a very infectious enthusiasm, which we hope will lead some to follow their new-found skills in floral design.

The Arc of NC are a great bunch of folks and you can find more about them by visiting their website at www.arcnc.org .

A Lesson from Jackie Robinson

2010-04-17T00:36:00Z

Yesterday was Jackie Robinson Day, commemorating the 61st anniversary of the day that he became the first black man to break the color barrier in major league baseball. This achievement was hard-won as he endured threats, hatred and fear from fans and fellow players alike before he eventually won the trust and admiration of so many and turned his detractors into admirers.

I am now going to introduce you to our own Jackie Robinson. Jackie is a Bombay cat (a breed that is similar to Burmese, and are always jet black) and he is kind enough to allow our family to share his house. I can best describe him as an exceptionally cool cat. He loves everyone, including dogs and children, the noisier the better, and will walk right up to a snarling, barking beast of a dog, rub against its legs and roll over expose his tummy as if he expected the dog to give it a rub. The results have been surprising. So far, the reaction from the dog has always been one of disarm and confusion, suddenly unsure what type of creature he has before him. Such confidence and calm assuredness changes the social equation completely and Jackie assumes control of the moment, neutralizes an adversary and sometimes makes a new friend.

No amount of anger, stress, fear, threats or violence could produce anything close to the power that flows from his quiet, confident openness. There are lessons that we can learn from both Jackie Robinsons.

A Man's Florist!

2010-03-12T17:20:00Z

Jimmy and Angie sent us this photo of a local florist in the UK.

It's a name that's bound to appeal to one gender, but probably will not find universal approval among the other.

Vote For Us

2010-03-11T22:17:00Z

The Independent Weekly is conducting their annual survey of best businesses in the Triangle. One of the categories is for Florist. Well, we think we're the best florist but they only let us vote once on that, so if you think so too please follow this link to add your voice to the survey.
http://beedfack.com/do/survey/465

A couple of caveats: You have to create an account and vote for at least 25 categories out of over 200 available, so it takes a few minutes and some knowledge of area businesses to get through it. Also, if you don't finish or save it within 30 minutes it will log you out and you have to start over, which is really annoying (I know, it happened to me!) But if you've got a bit of spare time, we'd love to have your vote!

PS - Tell your friends!

Flowers Eliminate Worries

2010-03-05T18:07:00Z

Business has been really slow this last week at the florist. Its a slow time of year, but also Chapel Hill has been in a general funk since it became obvious that UNC basketball this year is not going anywhere.

Good thing we have all these flowers around us. Read the following study results to find out why nothing ever gets us down!

"Bouquets in the home boost women’s moods, according to a study at Harvard University.
Within hours of placing flowers in their homes, participants reported feeling less stress and anxiety, benefits that carried over into the subjects’ work spaces.
Lead study author Nancy Etcoff, PhD, believes the reason is rooted in evolution, adding, 'Flowers signal a fertile environment that makes us feel secure.'”
First for Women – 20 August 2007

(Not) Everyone's a Poet

2010-02-24T17:53:00Z

February 14th is the one day that men feel compelled to act romantic. They will express their love and affection, buy flowers and chocolates and sometimes attempt to get poetic.

Mostly such forays into a world forgotten since high school are benign and boring, producing messages like, "Happy Valentine's Day to the only girl I've ever loved" or similar Hallmarkish crooning. This is mostly because these men know that they are on foreign ground so tread very carefully, avoiding the risk of sounding foolish or over the top.

Thankfully, there are a few foolish but daring enough to express their true thoughts. This year was a good crop of these and I'll share a few with you:

1. "I love you, and I'm sorry, you really don't have a fat butt" (This guy has a lot to learn.)
2. "I hope you get drunk and wasted"
3. "Have a naughty, naughty day, red pants!"
4. "This is to remind you of the best decision you ever made." (How modest!)
5. "To the sexiest teacher alive." (I hope this didn't come from a pupil.)
6. "I can't wait until Saturday for a movie and some hot sex" (Here's a man who knows what he wants - I just hope he wasn't planning for a night home alone....)

Aftermath

2010-02-22T23:50:00Z

Well Valentine’s Day has come and gone, as it always does, even though its demands on florists are so all-consuming that for a while, it’s hard to imagine life beyond the 14th of February. Actually the 14th was a slower day than either the 12th or 13th this year as it fell on a Sunday. We still worked the whole day, closing soon after 6pm, but it was nothing like the 16 hour days we put in during the lead up. Of course by the end we were all pretty gaga, wandering about in a daze, dead from the neck up, hands still producing lovely arrangements, but on technique more than inspiration. We also started to run short of certain flowers so creativity was called upon all the same. Sunday afternoon, Emily had just put a lily in her hair to lift her mood when Margaret spied it and snatched it out as it was the last orange one in the shop and was needed to finish off a basket arrangement. Emily replaced it with a red gerbera and cheered up anyway. We’ve all calmed down now and the florist is blissfully quiet, our bodies returning to normality with sleep at night and square meals in the place of caffeine and pizza. Thanks to all our faithful friends who made this Valentine’s Day a success. We hope we brought you some love and joy.

Valentine's Day Fun Facts

2010-02-13T14:31:00Z

Here's a few (moderately) interesting facts on our Valentine's week so far that I thought I would share with you.
76% of our customers this week have been men vs. a normal 23%
Most of those male customers had a surprisingly good knowledge of flowers, wanted to choose their own flowers from the cooler and pick up the arrangement.
More people are picking up their flowers than having them delivered.
Prize for biggest romantic is a guy who bought 5 arrangements for his woman totaling $474.00. Wow!
Wholesale price of roses from the farms increase about 50% in the ten days before Valentine’s Day. We put our price of roses up by 15 - 25% as a consequence.
Bear this in mind when you see offers online for cheap roses, you will know that they are already at least a couple of weeks old.
Normal Valentine’s rush is 13/14th February. This year it started on the 12th with orders for business addresses. The 15th is also being regarded as an extension of V-Day as it’s closer to the 14th than Friday was.
Most florists will be open on Sunday 14th, although it is likely to be a slower day than either 12th or 13th.
It snowed again last night in Chapel Hill. What is it with this weather?!!

North Carolina Snowstorm

2010-02-01T20:44:00Z

If you live in any of the states north of the Mason Dixon Line you'll find it amusing that North Carolina got a dose of between 4 and 10 inches of snow and a little sleet this weekend. In Minneapolis or Buffalo that's spring weather. In North Carolina it prompted Governor Perdue to declare a State of Emergency. I'm not kidding! All events were cancelled; churches closed; schools shut down well into next week; a policeman came by our florist on Friday warning us to close early ahead of the coming catastrophe. I'm not making this up. All the news channels were full of reporters standing by a stranded car somewhere warning viewers of the certain death which would come to anyone who dared venture out of their driveway. I took a chance, broke the rules and drove to work on Saturday morning to survey the carnage. The roads were almost empty except for a tractor pulling some guy on a snow board. Defying all the odds, my Ford Focus managed just fine, by just driving slowly and braking carefully - skills that are lacking among a surprising percentage of drivers in NC as there were, in fact quite a few cars parked at crazy angles in ditches. I put on the "Open" sign in the shop and turned it off 4 hours later with zero customers and one phone call wanting to send flowers to someone in the coffee shop next door which was, of course, closed. Not sure when the "Emergency" will end. They say here that the local method of dealing with snow on the roads is to wait for it to melt.

Valentine's Day Anonymous

2010-01-25T21:25:00Z

Valentine’s Day is a love/hate event for florists. It is the biggest day of the florist’s year and vital for our financial survival. (Love it!) It means hundreds of people who all need their order delivered on the same day and, given the significance of the occasion, catastrophic consequences if a mistake is made. (Hate it!)The normally sleepy, laid back pace here turns into something like the pit of a mercantile exchange on black Friday, with everybody rushing around shouting with a phone in one hand, orders clutched in the other and roses protruding from everywhere.

Our staff has to expand dramatically as does the length of hours spent at work. Fortunately, we have some fabulous backup designers who have normal careers and take the day off to add some chaos to their lives for a day. I don’t know why they do it, but I’m so grateful to them, (Michelle, Lauren, Emily, Jene, you’re crazy but thank you!) Maybe it’s the joy of saving some poor sap who forgot his wife/girlfriend wanted roses and phones us at 5pm on Valentine’s Day praying for rescue. (We get a one or two every year). Maybe it’s the romantics who do things like order a vase of roses with the middle one of a different color to draw attention to it and then hides an engagement ring inside. (Yes, he really did it!). Maybe it’s the perverse joy of living through a hurricane, or that feeling we all get when we finally close the doors and collapse in our chairs and open a bottle of wine and share the common euphoria of coming through alive.

Like it or not, V-Day is coming. It is relentless, merciless and unforgiving. We bow to its mighty power and pray for the strength to rise to its challenge. So this year, spare a thought for your poor florist who is digging deep into her soul to summon up the stamina to design that next gorgeous vase of flowers, take pity, and order your Valentine’s flowers early!

The New VPF

2009-12-20T17:58:00Z

Our New Front Counter!

For those of you who visited our old shop, you will have to agree we've tidied things up a bit. Here's a photo of Margaret at her new work space. I never thought the colors would work but they did and we have a lot more light and space than our old location. To be honest, its not this tidy any more. Floristry is a messy business and Margaret works best amidst chaos, but at the end of the day we clean it all up and get ready to make another mess tomorrow.

We've got over the move, the grand opening and now are in the throes of the Christmas season. Everyone by now is thoroughly sick of pine and shiny baubles. Only four more days to go and we'll have our first full day off since we started the move on 1 November. Hooray! and a Happy Christmas to you all.

Design Stars

2009-12-20T17:14:00Z

Apologies for the protracted gap in time between my last blog and this one. During this period we have not been idle.

From 1 November, its been all go, go, go with what has turned out to be a marathon move to our new shop location at the other end of Timberlyne Shopping Center. The coolers alone took four days to break down, move and re-connect. The painting and design of the new space took the rest of the month and we have to give a big shout out to two extremely talented, hard-working and visionary designers, Betsy James and Ingrid Speakman. These amazing women are a team of professional interior designers who have made a vast difference in the look of Victoria Park Florist. If you want advice from the best, give them a call on (919) 260-1650.

All the sanding, scraping and painting has left no time for blogging, but that's all done now and we'll try to make new postings in a more timely fashion.

Pirates of the Floral World

2009-10-31T14:43:00Z

WATCH OUT! There are hijackers at work in the floral industry. They are internet companies who are ripping off consumers by posing as local florists. These pirate order gatherers spend millions to grab prominent positions for their web advertising and lure people surfing for a good florist. Once they get the orders, they forward the order to a genuine florist in the location of the recipient to be filled and delivered. The ripoff occurs when the order gatherer pockets a hefty "service charge" plus a big chunk of the value of the order and then hands over as little as half of the money to the florist to go into the flowers. The customer gets fleeced and the genuine florist gets the blame for a smaller than expected arrangement. Most quality florists don't accept orders from these order gatherers but the pirates have learned to go underground and create a host of fake florist names to operate under, tricking the filling florist into accepting the orders. For more information on these crooks as well as tips on how to avoid them, see www.floristdetective.com

In May, WRAL TV of Raleigh did an expose on this problem and it featured Victoria Park Florist as well as Ming Garden florist, so if you want to see a bit of Margaret and Dave and our shop, click on the picture link next to this and click to watch the video at the WRAL website once you get there. Get informed, stay vigilant and don't fall prey to these pirates of the internet waves.