Exotic Flowers in Boston

Dear friends,

The spring is the most exciting time of year at Exotic Flowers. We ready ourselves for Easter, Secretary's Day, Mother's Day, Proms, Graduations, and the garden. Our greenhouses are bursting with outdoor plants and our sales staff and designers are ramping up for an intense eight weeks.

This week celebrates Easter and Passover. I am sure you have noticed that these holidays no longer carry their previous stature. It is time to change that. It is time to start your own traditions and create your own memories. Our childhoods were so special because we have so many special memories. Start your holiday tradition today and make sure flowers are a part of it. Perhaps you could even take in an Easter movie this weekend. Hop is sure to please.

"The change of seasons in the spring is associated with new life, so bright new spring blossoms are especially meaningful at Easter. According to Christian beliefs, Easter also symbolizes the rebirth of Christ; lilies sprung up from Jesus’ blood drops, which make Easter lilies especially significant traditional flowers for religious celebrations." - BigAppleFlorist Blog

This Easter, Exotic Flowers in both Roslindale will be open til 2pm and delivering. Exotic Flowers in Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston will be open from 11am-6pm. We will have hostess gifts, like Easter lilies, tulip plants, pansies, azaleas and abundance of fresh cut flowers.

Thank you for your loyalty. Thank you for your referrals. Thank you for spending your hard earned money at Exotic Flowers & Lombardi Florist.

The Northeast Floral Expo remains my favorite regional floral industry show. Although I have not attended in a few years, I jumped at the chance to attend the 2013 show. The 2013 show took place at the Marriott Mystic Hotel in Groton, Connecticut. When given the opportunity to go to Mystic, I jump at the chance to combine business and pleasure. 

I always try to bring my family along for these trips. Being a florist, means long hours and six to seven day work weeks. My boys love room service, indoor pools and spending time together. Only about one hundred minutes from home, this trip made sense. Besides, our family loves the Mystic Aquarium. 

We set on our destination in the midst of a snowstorm on Friday, March 8th. While Boston was buried in over a foot of snow, it was a delight to 'get out of Dodge,'. After picking up my son at school, we were on our way at 345pm. Traffic was a bit light considering the elements. About a half hour from home, I realized I forgot my own bag. No socks, no undies, no pants or shirts; so what did I do ? I could have turned around and basically wasted more than ninety minutes. I pulled into an Old Navy and spent over $150 for new clothes. 

The show included a bounty of floral stars including Michael Derouin, Ann Jordan, Jay Schwanke, and Mandy Majerik. Floral industry leaders like Teleflora, FTD, John Henry and Delaware Valley all represented and contributed. For florists, this show is a must attend event. From business seminars, hands-on floral design workshops to networking, I came away with some fresh ideas to keep Exotic Flowers as a leading florist in Boston. 

  I attended the seminar by Barry Gottlieb, where he reinforced the importance of exceeding, astonishing and delighting our customers. At Exotic Flowers, we are making a written effort to make every client experience memorable. In the next few days, we will be unveiling the Exotic Flowers branded ribbon. Every flower package and gift bag that leaves our store will have increased added value with this new ribbon.

Some highlights of my visit to the show inlcuded meeting Flower Network guru Ryan Freeman, catching up with John Henry service rep Janie Jackson, chatting up Delaware Valley Floral icon Doug Carey, facetime with Connecticut floral legend Bob Heffernan and talking baseball with FTD's Jim Weedon and Dave Galvin. I was also able to bask in Laurie Lemek's best in show display booth for Delaware Valley Wholesale. See photo below. 

Of course, no Canale trip is complete without some great eats and cool shops. We were able to explore some cool independent toy stores in Mystic and had a couple of good meals at Mystric Diner and The Steak Loft. 

 In the 1948 movie, Ladies of the Chorus, Marilyn Monroe plays dancer Peggy Martin. During the film, Peggy has an admirer who sends flowers and does not sign the card. (note to clients, always sign the card,). This secret admirer leads Marilyn to the flower shop, Mimi the Florist, who delivered the lovely flowers. Marilyn's visit to this florist shows florists a great deal about merchandising and marketing their own flower shops, sixty five years later. 

As florists what do we learn from this film clip ?

• the card envelope. always have your name and address on your stationary. This is the best way to keep your shop's name in your customer's hands. If Marilyn's card did not have the shop name, she likely would not have visited the shop. Budding romances are a great way to build lifetime clients. If the couple gets married, which florist will Peggy and Randy likely call first ?
• Window displays and visual impact; the florist is located in a hotel lobby like many florists of that era were. The florist chooses not to hop on the hotel's coattails and instead makes their own visual masterpiece in the lobby. The evidence of a glassed-in store shows that the florist seeks their own identity. This independence is one thing all florists should share. Unique showcases and originality set the flower business apart from the cookie cutter world of banks and Dunkin' Donuts.
• Packaging; over and over again we see the lost art of packaging. Great packaging, ribbons, and bows increase the value of an item. In the move, notice how the orchid is not only packaged beautifully but how it is also kept under glass to further enhance its value. 
• Flowers on the showroom floor: Appeal to people's senses. People want to touch, smell and feel the product. That is why they came to your store. Ignite their senses.
• Spunk; some say the clerk in the movieis surly. I say the clerk is spot on. She is establishing a relationship with the client. A genuine conversation is so rare in the retail world and something a florist can offer at no charge. Relationships build business.
• Ten cent carnations. Always have an option for everyone. You never know when a ten cent carnation can become a ten thousand dollar wedding.
• I would love to hear any other florists observations too. 
• 
  

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

Butler 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. 

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.

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

On Valentine's Day, 2013 Exotic Flowers in Boston was lucky to be featured on the Fox Morning News. Friends and colleagues often ask how did you get your flower shop on the Boston news ? At Exotic Flowers in Boston, we are always marketing our florist. Our staff is on facebook, twitter, instagram and we are seen in the community. So if a PR agent looks for a  florist, we have thankfully remained at the top of mind awareness.

Check out the video below where reporter Lilly Hopkins was on the scene at Exotic Flowers in 6am and got a first hand account of the 'back of the house' operations at Boston's Premier Florist.

by guest blogger, Evelyn Grant

A Life saving flower, How exotic is that?

Who knew that exotic flowers and plants could stand accused of being bullying invasives? Apparently Japanese honeysuckle is on the long list of escaped exotic plants continuing to live independently in Virginia according to a new book reviewed by The Washington Post. Exotic flowers could be alive and well in a forest near you and they are a lot more interesting than you might think with some unexpected health benefits. Ironically exotic flowers are more likely to bloom because development such as road building disrupts native habitats and practically invites exotics to take up residence. North Virginia and other parts of the Washington area have seen non-native species doubling from 18 percent in 1919 to 36 percent today.

Exotic flower invaders on the at-risk list

Unfortunately many exotic flowers are becoming endangered so you probably won’t encounter many of these in your state’s natural habitat. It’s a shame that some of these flowers are so rare because they are really quite unusual to look at, some might even say ugly, but still a sight to behold. It’s not only how they look that makes them unusual, the Rafflesia for example is said to be remarkably ugly and to smell quite strongly of meat. It’s not all bad though, the black bat flower is very beautiful reaching over 12 inches in diameter but is extremely rare. The dendroseris nerifolia flower is so rare that there is only one left in the world on Robinson Crusoe Island where dozens of rare species exist on the cusp of extinction.

Finding an exotic cure

It is not news that exotic flowers and plants have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Yet it is quite amazing that they are still prevalent in this field despite constant medical advances. The Missouri Botanical Garden works in 35 countries worldwide to protect plants that are potentially invaluable for medicine. They are very much aware of the importance of preventing the extinction of many exotic flowers and plants as they “might be losing a cure for cancer, HIV/AIDS or even the common cold!”. Our British friends who fancy taking in the positives of the outdoors can go for a stroll in their very own Pharmaceutical Garden and then finish off their constitutional with a walk through The Garden of World Medicine. You don’t even have to visit London to feel these benefits because some of the exotic flowers on display are used in drugs across the world. The Catharanthus roseus or Madagascar Periwinkle contains alkaloids used in anti-cancer drugs and the Digitalis lanata or Woolly Foxglove contains a cardiac glycoside used to strengthen the heart beat.

Can you grow your own exotic flowers by invitation only?

You can certainly try according to the exotic flower experts at Kew Gardens in London, and they should know. Apparently you can grow just about anything in a nice warm glasshouse if you try hard enough. Some people aren’t happy just filling their gardens with natives and would rather sweat it out in the temperate environment of a glasshouse and attempt to surround themselves with exotic plants which offer so much in terms of form and colour.

If your gardening skills are not your strong point then you can enjoy exotic flowers and plants from a safer distance with much less work. With exotic flowers forming a large part of the flora in the wild nowadays you never know what you might come across as you leave your garden behind and discover what your local forest has to offer. With many exotic flowers at risk of dying out across the world now is the time to make the most of some of these beautiful and downright strange plants if you are planning any travel overseas.

More than just a pretty arrangement in a vase

Exotic flowers do make for some of the most striking arrangements but they are definitely a lot more interesting than their pretty exterior gives them credit for. It seems unfair to call them a pest in the US but they do sound strangely appealing when referred to as uninvited invaders. These interlopers should be ignored at our peril as they could hold the key to many health problems and potential cures. You may not want to grow your own but they are definitely worth discovering.

Baywatch star Traci Bingham ignited the crowd at Exotic Flowers in Boston on Valentine's Day. Only scheduled to appear from 2pm-4pm, the TV star stayed til 5pm as she was having a great time wrapping flowers clients.

Traci loves flowers and it shows. We cannot wait to work with her on the Traci Bingham collection for Exotic Flowers. 

At the beginning of Traci's appearance, she stepped right behind a design bench and made some of her own designs. Needless to say, those floral arrangements were the first to be snapped up.

Even with all the bling, Traci was not shy about doing the hard work of a floral designer. 

 Owner Arnold 'Sonny'Canale and Traci Bingham sharing a laugh on Valentine's Day.

Exotic Flowers' #Qupid Traci Bingham gift wraps a bouquet of ginger for a customer.

"I mean it's just a bunch of pretty people runnin' around on the beach, ya know. CHANDLER: Well that's the brilliance of it. The pretty people... and the running." Friends

Baywatch was a pop culture phenomenon and remained on television for more than ten years as one of the most popular TV shows in the world. From 1996-1998, Cambridge native Traci Bingham played the role of lifeguard Jordan Tate on the hit show.

After a successful career in Hollywood, Traci has returned to her Boston roots. Traci remains at the top of every A-list in Boston. Actress, reality TV star, spokesmodel and Playboy model, Traci Bingham personifies the Exotic Flowers' vision statement of 'Reaction Guaranteed,'.

This Valentine's Day, Boston's Premier Florist is proud to work with Baywatch Star Traci Bingham as our very own Qupid. Traci loves flowers and really loves the flowers at Exotic Flowers in Boston. One of Traci's recent tweets lavished praise for her recent flowers from ExoticFlowers.  ": @TRACIBINGHAM #BEAUTIFUL #FLOWERS!@RICKCANALE!!! #Exoticflowers.com #LOVE!!!http://instagr.am/p/Uboq3LrmL4/ " You Do the BEST!!"

 As Exotic Flowers' Qupid, Traci will be tweeting about Exotic Flowers in Boston and the benefits of having beautiful flowers for the most romantic day of the year. Traci will promote her relationship with Exotic Flowers on all her social media pages as well tweet daily the week of Valentine's Day. Traci will make a personal appearance at Exotic Flowers headquarters at 609 American Legion Highway in Roslindale on Valentine's Day from 2pm-4pm. She will be available for meet and greet, autographs, fan photos and even assist clients in helping select the perfect flowers.

At Exotic Flowers, we continue to be on the cutting edge of the flower business in Boston. We strive to bring new ideas, exciting in store events and the best flowers in Boston.

When a great man passes, we often stop to reflect on the impact that person had on our lives and others. Stan 'The Man' Musial passed away after 90 plus years. His life was a model for current ball players and every man, woman and child. 

“We didn't have much expect for kindness.”  - Stan Musial

Ever the optimist and always the torch bearer, Musial never beat his chest. Did not clamor for individual headlines and always thought of others. When Musial he had an off year, he even had ownership give him a pay cut. Do you think any ballplayer today would offer to cut their own pay ? Doubtful.

Musial commanded respect. We are a better nation for his presence and example. At his funeral and viewing, we see how important flowers are at a funeral. From the single roses and bouquets at the base of his statue, to the grand wreath or baseball made of flowers; we see that a person's life is amplified by the presence of flowers at a funeral. 

At his eulogy, Bob Costas tells us how the great Mickey Mantle walked in Musial's shadow. . "He was a better player than me," the Mick apparently told Costas, "because he was a better man than me." 

Witness in this video how the Musial family shows the importance of memorializing Stan Musial with a red and white wreath of flowers at the base of his statue.