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Exotic Flowers in Boston

Sprucing Up Your Dorm Room With Flowers On A Budget

Posted by Suzie Canale on Mon, Sep 04, 2017

So you’re heading back to college (YAHOOO!) and planning on the décor, which will make your dorm bedroom not only comfortable but also welcoming for friends who will soon be dropping by.  If you’ve already hit Target, there’s probably a trendy comforter with throw pillows and a string of white, holiday lights packed away along with other cool accessories you know will look great up on your walls.  It’s a fact that teens across the country compete to create the “chicest” living area, hoping to become the official hangout on the floor.  Looking back at my college days, I remember how hard we all tried to add our own flair of unique personality to our personal areas, which transformed an ordinary room into something especially made for us.  For artists, there were paintings, for musicians there were guitars-everyone had their story to tell and we did it through the objects we chose to display.   

budget flowers.jpg

photo credit via aboutflowers.com

For me, you’ve probably guessed that I had to have lots of things growing around me, whether they were plants or arrangements-it was a necessity I craved.  Since I worked on the weekends for my parents who owned a wholesale flower company in the city, it wasn’t hard to make this happen.  Not only did I drive back to school with a little extra cash to pad my wallet, I also brought back bunches of my favorite varieties that I would arrange in large vases and place around my room.  As you can imagine, my dorm room definitely stood out from the rest and quickly became the site for Sunday movie watching and Saturday night pre-gaming.  Through flowers, I had made a special placethat friends felt welcomed and soothed through the use of color, texture and aromas.


I get it… I get it…  Not everyone has a flower shop available to grab a few freebies and due to the fact that the majority of college kids out there are broke-you’ll need to think outside of the box.  Never fear, there are some really cool and inexpensive ways to infuse flowers into your dorm life and you don’t have to be a designer to pull it off.  Try these DIY tips to make your college living space a special retreat!

  1. Place a cactus inside a mason jar.  You don’t need to water it often and they cost around $10 bucks to buy.
  2. Succulents are only about $5 and are also low maintenance for that busy student to maintain.  
  3. Peace lilies are cheap and give a room a pretty plant “feel” as well as bamboo that infiltrate a “trendy” appeal.

Tags: Affordable Flower Style, Floral Studies, Boston College, College, School

A Look into Your Floral Personality

Posted by Suzie Canale on Mon, Aug 14, 2017


People who buy flowers are after a multitude of different things…  One possible is that they love bright colors and another may be the aromatherapy they seek from the scent.  Customers buy flowers to add décor to their homes, to impress clientele when they enter an office and some will even order a bouquet to attract a suitor.  There are a zillion different scenarios to match this question, which is why Boston florists continue to brainstorm new ways to attract shoppers by implementing creative marketing techniques.

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photo credit via aboutflowers.com

If you can believe it, numerous studies have taken place to match personality traits to floral taste, basing the equation on factors such as educational background, age, hobbies, financial brackets, geographical locations and even the propensity one has to use either the left or right side of the brain.  This last factor might make you stop and think about things for a moment but yes-it is true a person can have a floral preference that directly connects to their individual cranial activity.  Sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it?


In fact, those who use their left side more frequently are apt to be attracted to presentations, which satisfy a mathematical sequence or in floral terms, an architecturally driven piece.  What does this mean?  It means that this segment of the population relies on stimulation that is motivated by factors such as height, balance and symmetry.  Examples of this can be found in centerpieces created with orchids, branches and simple foliage.  Bamboo is a huge seller within this niche as well as pussy willow, oncidium and birds of paradise.  The goal for this type of design is “less is more” as well as a hidden underlying meaning, which is created by the artist.  If this style is right up your alley, take look at these arrangements that can be readily made available by your local city florist.

Tags: SAF, Floral Studies, Design, About Flowers

Flower Demonstration at the Westwood Public Library

Posted by Suzie Canale on Thu, Mar 31, 2016

Rick Canale flowers

Libraries are amazing places and serve their communities far beyond the task of lending books.  Most local libraries also provide informative classes and workshops for both children and adults to enhance their knowledge and education throughout many different topics.  There are science programs, writing workshops and impressive guest lecturers including top authors from the area who offer stimulating presentations throughout the year.  While all are open to the public, these sessions are provided for the sole purpose of connecting members of the community and growing comparable interests that will foster both new ideas and relationships.  Plus- almost everything offered is free of charge, allowing anyone with a library card to join in.

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That’s pretty cool, right?


On Tuesday, March 22nd I was fortunate to assist my husband with an impressive floral demonstration to the patrons of the Westwood Public Library.  During the two-hour program, guests were given their own vases, supplies and flowers to learn the easy and fun way to arrange their own centerpieces.  Along with teaching proper technique and form, Rick Canale led an interesting talk about the do’s and don’ts of handling the blooms as well as giving a brief background of the flowers he was using.  Varieties included stunning garden roses, spray roses, alstroemeria, anemones and lemon leaf for the finishing foliage.  The vases were rectangular, heavy glass, which provided a sturdy base for the product and a cardboard box for easy carry home was also available.  In the end, the room couldn’t have smelled better with the luscious spring color bursting from every table.

suzie and rick canale

We had a great time during this adult flower arranging class and hope to return with a fresh new look designing in the future!

Tags: Floral Design, Rick Canale, Floral Studies, Suzie Canale, Westwood, Libraries

Major Floral Industry Trends and How Exotic Flowers in Boston Responds

Posted by Rick Canale on Mon, Feb 25, 2013

In the February 2013 issue of Floral Finance magazine, Teleflora chairman and floral industry icon, Tom Butler discusses four major trends that he sees affecting the retail floral industry.

1. Technology-Aided Sales

mobile website exotic flowers resized 600Butler discusses how the internet, mobile phones and a florist's point-of-sale (POS) system are used as tools to generate sales. Butler notes that consumers are placing more and more purchases online. He notes that a florist's website generates an important part of the sales mix. At Exotic Flowers, www.exoticflowers.com is not only a visual masterpiece, but is updated daily with new items as well scintillating blog content. The Exotic Flowers website now represents more than ten percent of our gross sales and an additional one third of all phone orders use the site as a dynamic catalog. 

Butler also mentions the prevalence of smart phones in society. The Exotic Flowers website is mobile friendly and used by many of our clients on the go. We also work closely with Foursquare, Yelp and Facebook offering check in specials.

Butler's third point on technology focuses on the florist's POS system. Exotic Flowers has been using the RTI system since 1991. Teleflora's RTI system is used by the busiest florists in the country. For more than twenty years, Exotic Flowers has been on the cutting edge of floral technology. We were among the first florists to email order and delivery confirmations to clients. The RTI system is also PCI compliant, knowing that your credit card numbers meet the highest security.

2. Later Holiday Volume

As noticed by all florists, consumers are waiting longer and longer to make their holiday floral purchases. These last minute orders add a ton of stress to the local florist. Exotic Flowers in Boston has been seeing this trend for years and has been pro-active in reviewing previous year sales so that we are ready and able to fulfill as many last minute requests from our best flower buying clients as possible.

3. Increased Demand for Customer Service

This is a no brainer at Exotic Flowers in Boston. We have made a concerted effort in the oast five years to really focus on customer service. Customer service in the floral industry is a continuing education. Our staff participates weekly in the #custserv chat on Twitter. We have improved our signage, uniforms and packaging. Our store and vehicles remain clean and our technology us updated regulary.

We also continue to educate ourselves on customer service through role planning and by reading customer service books like Lou Imbriano's Winning the Customer and Micah Solomon's high-tech, high-touch customer service. customer service book

4. Lack of Awareness that Retail Florists Send Orders Across the Nation and Around the World. 

Butler says, that "consumers have not been reminded enough of this service,". Exotic Flowers in Boston has been sending flowers worldwide for decades. Our endpoints are strong and we work on our list every day so that our clients know they are in good hands whether they send from Boston to Belgium or Miami to Milan. We have even added new signs in 2012 with the FTD logo to remind clients that we send flowers worldwide and offer same day delivery.

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Staying on top of these four major floral industry trends has kept Exotic Flowers as Boston's Premier Florist.

 

Tags: FTD Florist in Boston, Florist Massachusetts, Top Teleflora Member, Teleflora, FTD, Floral Studies, Holidays

Harvard Study Shows That Fresh Flowers Decrease Anxiety

Posted by Rick Canale on Mon, Oct 01, 2012

flowers delivery in boston resized 600

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CONTACT: (RICK CANALE,  617.524.4455)



Harvard Study Investigates the Home Ecology of Flowers Behavioral Research Concludes:Living with Flowers Strengthens Feelings of Compassion, and Decreases Anxiety and Worry

 

(BOSTON, MA)  With people’s desire for tranquility and stress relief stronger than ever, fresh research takes an insightful look at flowers and the important role they may play in our daily lives. A behavioral research study conducted by Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 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. 


“Other research has proven that flowers make people happy when they receive them,” Etcoff says. “What we didn’t know is that spending a few days with flowers in the home can affect a wide variety of feelings.”

The Home Ecology of Flowers Study at Harvard uncovered three main findings:
 

  1. Flowers feed compassion. 

    Study participants who lived with fresh cut flowers for less than a week felt an increase in feelings of compassion and kindness for others.

  2. Flowers chase away anxieties, worries and the blues at home. 

    Overall, people in the study simply felt less negative after being around flowers at home for just a few days. 

    Participants most frequently placed flowers in their kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms, where they spend a lot of time at home. They reported wanting to see the blooms first thing in the morning. 

  3. Living with flowers can provide a boost of energy, happiness and enthusiasm at work. 

    Having flowers at home can have a positive carry-over impact on our mood at work, too. The study found that people were more likely to feel happier and have more enthusiasm and energy at work when flowers were in their home living environments.

“As a psychologist, I’m particularly intrigued to find that people who live with flowers report fewer episodes of anxiety and depressed feelings,” Etcoff says. “Our results suggest that flowers have a positive impact on our well being.”

FLOWERS IN YOUR BOSTON HOME resized 600

 

Editor’s Note: For high-resolution floral photography, visit www.aboutflowers.com/media.


The Home Ecology of Flowers Research Methodology

Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and her research team investigated the effects of flowers in the home environment on well being. Fifty-four people, ages 25-60, were studied using a series of self-report measures allowing the research team to know where the person was, with whom and what they were doing when they experienced an emotion, both when flowers were and were not present. Half of the participants received a “control” home decor item, other than flowers, to ensure study validity. After living with either flowers or the control intervention for approximately one week, participants rated their feelings during specific periods of the day, recording emotions during each episode. The research team also took photographs before and after flowers were delivered to determine any changes in use or appearance of the room. 


About Dr. Nancy Etcoff

 Dr. Nancy Etcoff is a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard University Mind/Brain/Behavior Initiative and a practicing psychologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry where she is the Director of the Program in Aesthetics and Well Being. At Harvard, she currently teaches a course entitled “The Science of Happiness.”

 Use these tips  to put this historic floral research into action immediately.

• Display flowers in common areas
such as your kitchen, dining and
family rooms to experience the
greatest mood-boosting effects.
• The kitchen table might be the best
place for flowers, because it’s
where people gather.
• Match a room’s décor with one of
the hottest flower trends —
monobotanic (arrangements of all
one type of flower) and
monochromatic (using all one color
palette, such as a range of pinks).
• Even just a few flowers in a bud vase
can perk up a room.
• For a contemporary look, group
several vases together holding just
one or two stems.
• For an easy, elegant table
decoration, set a series of crystal
vases on a fabric runner. Place fresh
flowers in each of the vases and
surround them with greenery.
• In the foyer, create a space to hang
your keys that also includes a
weekly vase of flowers. It will be
the last place you see on your way
out the door and the first you see
on your way back inside.
• An abundant arrangement of lilies,
gladiolus, hydrangea or any large
blooms creates an inviting
environment for an expansive
entryway or dining room.
• Choose soothing colors, like blues
and greens, to create a tranquil
feeling, or bright reds and oranges
for a sensual arrangement.
© 2007 SAF

Tags: SAF, Society of American Florists, Harvard Medical, Floral Studies

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