Recent Posts

Follow Me

Exotic Flowers in Boston

The States and Their Flowers

Posted by Suzie Canale on Wed, Oct 19, 2016

Have you ever wondered what the state flower of Massachusetts is?  It’s actually the Mayflower.  Can you guess why?  Well first of all, there’s the obvious reason of the name being tied to our founding father, Christopher Columbus who sailed the ocean blue until he landed on Plymouth Rock.  The ship he rode over on was also called “The Mayflower” making it the perfect flora from the northeast to symbolize.  Also called climbing laurel or trailing arbutus, the pretty purple blossoms are clumped together in a delicate pattern holding a sweet fragrance that makes it a favorite among many New Englanders.  Mayflower prefers sandy sediment or rocky soil that is typical where evergreens grow so if you’re taking a walk in the woods, keep your eyes peeled!

MA-state-flower-mayflower-P.jpeg

Like the meaning and sentiment the mayflower represents to the residents of Massachusetts, people across the U.S. pay homage to a particular flower that makes them unique from surrounding areas.  Each and every state has an assigned bloom that tells a special story reflective of a historical background, a topographical attribute or traditional rite.  Check out your state flower by following the grid below!



Alabama

Camellia

Alaska

Forget-me-not

Arizona

Saguaro Cactus blossom

Arkansas

Apple blossom

California

California Poppy

Colorado

Rocky Mountain Columbine

Connecticut

Mountain laurel

Delaware

Peach blossom

Florida

Orange blossom

Georgia

Cherokee Rose

Hawaii

Hawaiian hibiscus (ma‘o hau hele)

Idaho

Mock Orange

Illinois

Purple Violet

Indiana

Peony

Iowa

Wild Prairie Rose

Kansas

Sunflower

Kentucky

Goldenrod

Louisiana

Magnolia

Maine

White pine cone and tassel

Maryland

Black-eyed susan

Massachusetts

Mayflower

Michigan

Apple blossom

Minnesota

Pink and white lady's slipper

Mississippi

Magnolia

Missouri

Hawthorn

Montana

Bitterroot

Nebraska

Goldenrod

Nevada

Sagebrush

New Hampshire

Purple lilac

New Jersey

Violet

New Mexico

Yucca flower

New York

Rose

North Carolina

American Dogwood

North Dakota

Wild Prairie Rose

Ohio

Scarlet Carnation

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Rose

Oklahoma

(Floral Emblem)

Mistletoe

Oklahoma (Wildflower)

Indian Blanket

Oregon

Oregon grape

Pennsylvania

Mountain Laurel

Rhode Island

Violet

South Carolina

Yellow Jessamine

South Dakota

Pasque flower

Tennessee

Iris

Texas

Bluebonnet

Utah

Sego lily

Vermont

Red Clover

Virginia

American Dogwood

Washington

Coast Rhododendron

West Virginia

Rhododendron

Wisconsin

Wood Violet

Wyoming

Indian Paintbrush

Tags: Flowers as Symbols, Florist Massachusetts, Flowers, Mayflower, United States

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.

exotic flowers in boston resized 600

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

Sales Tax on Flowers in Massachusetts ?

Posted by Rick Canale on Sat, Aug 21, 2010

Flowers MassachusettsLast weekend, August 14th & 15th, was considered a sales tax holiday in Massachusetts. Massachusetts collects a 6.25 sales tax daily, but this past weekend offered 2 days of no sales tax. The argument for this amnesty is to stimulate sales at a time when retail sales are a bit sluggish. The retail sales increases add much justification for the sales tax holiday. Sales of flat screen TV's, furniture, Ipads and even house plants experience a slight surge uncommon to August sales.

As a florist in Massachusetts, we often hear clients complain about the sales tax on flowers and plants. We are on our clients' side too. At Exotic Flowers in Boston and Roslindale, we feel sales tax should not be charged on flowers, plants or even Christmas trees. Massachusetts does not charge on sales tax on dated items like newspapers, magazines etc. Isn't a cut flower or cut Christmas tree really a dated item ? Although not stamped with a date, they do expire.

We do know however that once the state can collect sales tax on an item, they rarely overturn their decision. We have learned to collect sales on flowers and plants in Massachusetts with a smile. After all, it's not like parts of New York where the sales tax on flowers approaches 9%.

Tags: Sales Tax Massachusetts Flowers, Florist Massachusetts

Subscribe via E-mail

Contact Us for All Your Floral Needs