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Exotic Flowers from Portugal

Posted by Suzie Canale on Fri, May 05, 2017

Portugal is a beautiful European country bordering Spain on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.  The republic is known for it’s fine wine and dining as well as a culture rich in music and art.  While this warm weather spot is a major tourist destination for visitors worldwide, Portugal’s true hidden gem lies beyond the white powdered beaches…

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Due to a climate that benefits from warm temperatures and a wide range of desirable topography, vegetation is abundant across the area growing thousands of beautiful specimens year round.  One location, which is particularly successful within the horticulture industry is Madeira Natural Park that expands more than two thirds across Portugal.  Here you will find rare varieties of orchids as well as trees belonging to the Lauraceae family including laurel, bay and mahogany shrubs and moss.  Depending on which trail that you choose it is possible to explore several different zones where the flora and fauna changes accordingly.  Because the country is mixed between Mediterranean, Atlantic and European environment fluctuations, you never know what you may stumble upon making the adventure all the more worthwhile.

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If you’re interested in the types of flowers that are most prevalent in Portugal, you’ll be happy to know there is no shortage of stunning blooms in this neck of the woods.  The number one species representing Portugal as the official flower is “Lavender”, which is also popular in the United States.  The multi-purpose blooms not only grace the tables in vases and bouquets but also serve as medicinal tools and additives within makeup, tea and balms.  The tropical characteristics this country possesses also allows a healthy growth of varieties found in rainforests such as birds of paradise, orchids, proteas and calla lilies.  If you’re a wild flower lover like I am, you’ll also be pleased to know that because of the variations in soils, Portugal can also reap bountiful crops of sunflowers, morning glories and magnolias.  Having such a large assortment to choose from, Portuguese florists are well versed in designing an eclectic menu for customers for all sorts of tastes and preferences.  

Tags: Flowers Worldwide, Exotic Flowers, Worldwide Flowers, Orchids, Lavender

Beautiful Flowers of Africa

Posted by Suzie Canale on Wed, May 03, 2017

Africa is a breathtaking continent, rich in history and opulent in culture.  Along with their natural sustainability for art and music, Africa is also know for mega industry positions within banking, consumer goods, oil, gas and agriculture, which many people are unaware of.  Perhaps the reason why Africa doesn’t come to mind as a lush spot for farming and harvest might be because we think of the topography as being too arid or dry.  Unbeknown to the masses, Africa actually has areas where the land is lush and ideal for growing stunning blooms to be shipped all over the world!  In fact, product from this region is escalating in demand, skyrocketing this particular segment of their economy in recent years.  So what are the most desired African species the floral industry is seeking currently?  

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photo credit via http://fairweathers.co.uk

Agapanthus

Otherwise known as “The African Lily”, this variety has remained one of my favorites through the many years spent in the flower business due to its stunning color and playful architecture that makes any arrangement “pop”.  This bulb enjoys the warmth of Africa’s typical temperatures but does well when planted in pots as well.  Fortunately, the agapanthus is not accustomed to any major bug problems although this perennial will only bloom certain months of the year from June to July.  Also pay particular attention to the plant’s roots since it possesses a rhizome system.  


Gloriosa

Gloriosa is a member of the “Colchicaceae” family, which is also a bulb plant that flourishes in moist weather conditions but remains dormant during dry spells.  The lily is a “climber” and uses its tendrils to scale over the tops of other flowers, making it a beautiful accent to tropical gardens.  Although the colors are bright and decadent, the stems and roots are highly poisonous and at the very least can cause skin irritation to someone who is sensitive to plant toxins.  Interestingly enough, African medicine does include some gloriosa samples within certain tonics and elixirs that are said to have great healing powers.  

Tags: Flowers Worldwide, Worldwide Flowers, Flowers, Africa

Most Popular Flowers from Japan

Posted by Suzie Canale on Wed, Apr 19, 2017

Being a HUGE flower lover, I often wonder about what other countries are growing compared to the United States.  Here, are most popular varieties usually include roses, hydrangea, sunflowers, mums and tulips but elsewhere, the answer might be significantly different. Depending on where we are in the world, there are assorted growing conditions, which make some plantings of flora and fauna more successful in one area compared to another.  Temperature, soil acidity, humidity and the abundance of water sources all go into the formula of a nation’s vegetation and particular horticulture.  If we are to visit the desert for example, we might see samples of cacti that need dry soil and little water.  If we visit a rainforest, we’re probably going to notice orchids and banana plants that need heat in addition to high humidity.  It really is pretty fascinating when you think about it.  So I’ve decided to research a few specific countries to see what their favorite flowers are native to their region and why they flourish so well.  

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my husband recently brought home this Spirea from Japan for our sitting room

Japan is known for their stunning and eclectic resource of exotic blossoms and the reason lie within their asset of possessing a temperate climate.  Even though there are four seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall, the temperature usually doesn’t drop under 32 F unless you travel north where snowfall has known to occur.  The moist wet soil is also a beneficial characteristic composed of red and yellow sediment, breeding impressive species of ferns, which matriculate everywhere you go.  Yes, the heat, soil and extensive education for growing in Japan has laid claim to a gorgeous composition of plants and flowers across the land.  Here are a few of the most popular blooms, which are customary in this country.

  • Dahlia
  • Ranunculus
  • Scabiosa
  • Spirea 
  • Sweet Pea

Tags: Flowers Worldwide, Worldwide Flowers, Flowers, Japan

Around the World on Valentine’s Day

Posted by Suzie Canale on Mon, Feb 06, 2017

Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day by sending flowers, chocolates and Hallmark cards filled with romantic gestures of intention.  Annually celebrated on February 14th, we see our stores and flower shops filled to the brim with red and pink decorations, cupid shooting arrows and other symbols relating to love between two people.  Since we’re used to this traditional presentation typical to most states in the USA, we sometimes don’t realize that other people across the globe carry out these festivities in a whole other manner.   Not everyone observes Valentine’s Day by dining in dimly lit restaurants, gifting their lovers with sensual bouquets of blossoms or satisfying their sweetheart’s “sweet tooth” with a box of sugary treats.  No, it’s a big world out there, encompassing hundreds of thousands of different customary practices -particularly when it comes to the holiday designated to “amore”.  Curious by this, I decided to research a few outside cultures and see how we match up!  Is perfume, lingerie and long stem roses all that’s needed for the rest of the world or is there a differentiation between the United States and other countries?  You’ll be surprised to read what I found out…   

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Photo credit via Jeff Leatham

Denmark

This is a country that loves to celebrate February 14th and has always had an overall strong appreciation for flowers.  While blooms are definitely apart of their romantic rituals, they opt instead to give their honeys pressed white snowdrops instead of fresh arrangements.  Cards are also exchanged but are referred to as “gaekkebrev” (a joking letter) that holds a funny poem instead of our typical use for sentimental varieties.  


Wales

Wales is a really interesting place to discover during Valentine’s Day as well because they have no use for roses or other generalized gifts during their holiday.  Celebrated on January 25th in retribution for their patron saint of love, the Welsh choose to give their mate a spoon made with beautiful designs that represent a feeling or trait.  Many become very valuable with age and are past down as family heirlooms throughout the generations, sometimes re-gifted as a token of luck during marriage celebrations.  


Philippines

This is a place that really understands romance at it’s highest!  While we focus on “stuff” to give our valentines, they utilize this special day with ceremony-MASS CEREMONY!  Thousands of couples gather together in areas such as community-based organizations, parks and even malls to recite their wedding vows.  Instead of walking down the aisle as a single couple, Philippine lovers prefer to say their “I do’s” in front of a multitude of others, truly sending out a message of love to all.  

Tags: Flowers Worldwide, FTD, Worldwide Flowers, Holidays, Valentines Day

The FTD Logo

Posted by Suzie Canale on Fri, Apr 08, 2016

If you’ve ever received flowers, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve noticed a particular icon printed on the sender’s card telling you that the arrangement came from an  FTD florist.  Since a thousands of all floral bouquets move through this communicative network, the picture of the little man with the winged feet is recognizable by many.  Comparable to other industry giants who typically use a bloom as their logo, FTD chose to relate their business environment to an entirely different type of symbol.  

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Why is the emblem so unique from other competitors?  The answer is very clever…


Florist’s Transworld Delivery (FTD) decided to reach their client base by promoting their impressive service skill set not their product, which they felt was perfectly exemplified by their selected logo.  In fact, the man with the winged feet is known as the god, “Hermes” who was the messenger to Zeus.  His stories are often associated with speed and essential communication, a craft that left him one of the most infamous characters in Greek mythology.  He is also referred to as the Roman god, “Mercury” who traveled extensively, delivering important mail from one sender to another.  His ability to be swift with his chores became a resonant trait of the mythical idol and to this day is connected with the idea of dependability and trustworthiness.  He is also interestingly enough, tied to the occupation of “business”.

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It makes sense, right?


You can see that FTD made a wise, strategic move by adopting “Hermes” as their spokesperson since all of his qualities are those that the company wishes to market as possessing themselves.  Dependable, quick and reliable are all assets we anticipate in our vendor’s services and we are reminded of this every time we receive an FTD product.   So the nex
t time you receive a beautiful arrangement of flowers, check the card to see if the time-tested man with the winged feet was in fact your special deliverer!  

Tags: Floral Indusrty, Flowers Worldwide, FTD, Worldwide Flowers, Mythology

Flower Styles From Around The World

Posted by Suzie Canale on Wed, Jan 20, 2016

 

I bet you didn’t know that because we live in Boston, we have access to some of the finest florists in the world!  Complete with their own sense of style and flair, Boston is ranked one of the top twenty best performing floral designers across the globe.   

I bet you didn’t know that each region has their own unique way of floral designing, making their pieces distinct and unique.  Really, it’s true!

Each designer has their own influence on how they manipulate color, texture and size and it’s mainly due to the specific geographic location where he or she has learned their talents!  For instance, Boston is pretty conservative when it comes to floral presentation but we also enjoy constant change in varieties mainly due to the fact that we experience a varying four-season climate.  Another fact about our area’s likes and dislikes are that we have an inherent taste for blending shades instead of separate color tones.  Even all white wedding work commonly has a pinch of peach or green added to create a richer balance.  

Are you curious about what other worldwide florists are designing?  Take a look at these nationally acclaimed floral industry masters and compare them to see where your taste truly lies.  You might be surprised where you find the answer!

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photo credit: weddingsitaly.com

Italian Fiori

Italian floral arrangements are influenced largely by the Tuscany theme, which relies heavily on wildflowers and species representative of this region’s infamous product, grapes.  The essence usually revolves around romantic and sensual aspects, often cultivating opulent palettes of gem tones.  Historically, Romans often offered poppies to the gods as a gift making them to this day a popular addition to many    Italian bouquets.  

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photo credit: Jeff Leatham    

French Fleurs

French floral design is without a doubt, some of the most beautiful work the world has ever seen.  The reason why is because regional designers have an eclectic style that stretches from single color clumping to erratic spectrums, incorporating bright shades of blues, yellows and oranges.  Popular flowers used are (of course) native to the area’s agriculture, including French iris, tulips, ranunculus and my favorite, French roses.  

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       Japanese Hana

 

The Japanese style focuses on constructing intricate and contemporary designs that depend on architectural shape and balance.   Many experts deem this method as “cutting edge” within the industry and are impressed by the ability to break free from traditional pieces.  Often, floral centerpieces are looked upon as more than simply adding stems to a vase but viewed as “true art” because of the sophisticated techniques and creativity utilized.  While orchids still remain as one of the top ten varieties used in the culture’s floral décor, other species such as gerbera daisies, delphinium and hydrangea are also highly requested.



Tags: Floral Design, Worldwide Flowers, Design, Florist

Exotic Flowers in Boston Garners FTD Quality Star Award

Posted by Rick Canale on Wed, Apr 08, 2015

PRESS RELEASE


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Rick Canale

617-247-2000

rick@exoticflowers.com


Roslindale, MA, (April, 2015) – Exotic Flowers was recently presented with the FTD Quality Star Award for its achievements in 2014. This important designation is only bestowed upon FTD Florists that consistently fulfilled and delivered high quality arrangements in a timely manner for the entire year. Recognized by FTD for quality and excellence, Exotic Flowers is dedicated to consistently providing exceptional customer service by delivering quality products for their customer’s most memorable occasions.  

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Exotic Flowers is receiving the elite FTD Quality Star Award as a result of its continued commitment to quality improvement, customer service and proper care and handling of flowers.  Exotic Flowers is an example for fellow florists in the industry.

"To achieve this award once again is an awesome testament to the attention to detail that our staff provides on every transaction." - Rick Canale

Exotic Flowers remains a family owned and operated business in Boston for more than eighty years. Exotic Flowers imports flowers from around the world to offer its clients the unusual and outstanding.

Since 1910, FTD has stood for innovation, leadership and quality in the floral industry. FTD’s achievement is proudly embodied by the most recognized floral symbol in the world - the iconic black and gold FTD Mercury Man logo. The story of FTD would not be possible without its network of thousands of dedicated artisan florists that have created a great tradition of same-day delivery flowers and gifts over the past 100 years.

Tags: FTD Florist in Boston, Flowers Worldwide, FTD, Worldwide Flowers

Customer Service for Florists is About Doing What is Right

Posted by Rick Canale on Wed, May 16, 2012

boston graduation flowers resized 600 Having been a Boston florist for more than seventy five years, Exotic Flowers has seen our share of mistakes and mishaps. We have made some errors along the way and have witnessed some of the best ecuadorian roses wilt without explanation. As a top florist in Boston, we have a responsibility to our clients. If things go wrong, we make them right. When people buy flowers, they are often sending their emotions.

graduation flowers in boston resized 600 At Exotic Flowers in Boston, we send thousands of our orders around the world. We have a great list of florists who we send flowers to for our clients. These florists practice the same customer service skills as Exotic Flowers and send similar outstanding flowers arrangements as well. These florists like Exotic Flowers are in high demand and sell out fast. Sometimes like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day we use other flower shops to get your last minute orders out. Sometimes these shops mess up.

For example, we recently used a flower shop in Lithonia, Georgia. We were assured by the owner Victoria that our delivery was in good hands. Guess what ? Victoria messed up and lost the order and the delivery did not get made. Everyone makes mistakes, but owning up to them is key to making things right. Victoria was truly sorry, but had no clue how to make things right. Victoria should have offered a new arrangement at no charge. Alas she did not. At Exotic Flowers, we stepped up; refunded the customer, paid for the price of replacement and sent the sender a box of Godiva of chocolates. It was not in the name of saving the customer, but in the name of doing the right thing.

The sender even kindly sent this note us: "Thank you for your courtesy. My mother was really pleased to receive her flowers. They are beautiful. 

You are very much appreciated. And you have our continued support. 

Regards

Elizabeth"

Sometimes our staff may be rushed and under stress and may be referred to as The Surly Florists in Boston. Everything we do at Exotic Flowers is about doing what is right. We are a member of the community. 

Tags: Customer Relationships, Teleflora, Worldwide Flowers, Surly Florist, Customer Service

Exotic Flowers in Boston Garners National Recognition for Quality

Posted by Rick Canale on Mon, Mar 05, 2012

ftd boston resized 600 Recently we received national recognition from both FTD and Teleflora for our achievements in quality and success as a local Boston flower shop. 

Exotic Flowers recently was awarded quality star performance from FTD for 2011. "The purpose of awarding the FTD Quality Star is to highlight and celebrate florists who provide superior quality." At Exotic Flowers in Boston, we work every day to exceed our clients expectations for any Boston flower purchase. Whether you buy one red rose at Exotic Flowers in Roslindale or the wedding staff at Exotic Flowers creates more than fifty centerpieces for your Boston wedding, our Boston flower shop works hard for our clients.

On the heels of the FTD quality star, Teleflora has anointed Exotic Flowers in Boston as National Account for the fifteenth year in a row. 

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The Teleflora National Accounts program recognizes the success of local florists. The National Accounts are comprised of the top 5% of more than 15,000 Teleflora flower shops nationwide. At Exotic Flowers we send flowers worldwide every day. The Teleflora and FTD networks enable us to send flower from Boston to Belgium - Milton to Miami - Roslindale to Russia.  

We can send flowers nationwide, even for same day flower delivery. 

Some clients ask; why send to New York from Exotic when I can get airmiles through FTD ? It is quite simple, if you care about the person, use Exotic Flowers. We have been in business more than fifty years. We attend trade shows, conventions, visit flower shops and send test orders. Why use Exotic for flowers in New York, because my friend Nic at Starbright will do a great job for you. Can 1800flowers promise that ? I doubt it.

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Tags: FTD Florist in Boston, New York Flower Shop, Top Teleflora Member, Teleflora, FTD, Worldwide Flowers

Boston Florist to Miss SAF Growth Solutions in Dallas

Posted by Rick Canale on Wed, Jun 22, 2011

Retail Florist

The 2011 SAF Growth Solutions is a three day conference for retail florists to explore current retail trends, consumer shopping preferences, how to find growth opportunities, attracting today's shoppers and increasing the average sale. The conference speakers and facilitators provide practical and proven ideas that improve productivity and increase profits.

Exotic Flowers in Boston has been a florist member in good standing with SAF (the Society of American Florists) for many years. Exotic Flowers believes in the importance of SAF's mission to represent the floral industry and promote its growth. One of SAF's goals is to share the joy of giving and receiving fresh flowers. Exotic Flowers in Boston has been doing just that for over seventy five years.

Boston BegoniasExotic Flowers is not only a proud member of SAF, but also Teleflora and FTD. Through these organizations Exotic Flowers can send flowers worldwide. Our participation in these organizations enables Exotic Flowers to serve not only our Boston residents, but flower buying clients throughout the world.

The staff at Exotic Flowers in Boston is a bit disappointed in missing the conference. Not only does the staff at Exotic Flowers learn from its colleagues; the staff at Exotic Flowers and Lombardi Florist in Roslindale network to build upon our online relationships.

For example, when a client in Boston sends flowers to Princeton, New Jersey; the client can breathe easy. Exotic Flowers has a great relationship with Monday Morning Flowers and the owners Kevin and Georgianne Vinicombe will treat Exotic Flowers' clients the same way they treat their own. These florist to florist relationships are the primary reason our clients choose worldwide delivery over companies like 1-800-Flowers and Justflowers.

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Tags: SAF, Teleflora, FTD, Worldwide Flowers

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