As a man, who loves toys and has two young boys; I have always adored Lego's. I love going to toy stores, toy shows and being knee deep in Lego's at home. In my youth there were no Lego Star Wars sets or Harry Potter Sets; we had blocks of all shapes, colors and sizes. These mixed boxes lead inspired us to build our own sets and dioramas. 

Lego remains at the forefront of imagination. Lego appeals to both adults and children. Even Soccer Star David Beckham is an avid Lego fan, endorsing the Lego Taj Mahal. 

Recently, London-based designer Sebastian Bergne was commissioned by LEGO UK to construct a public installation for the 2011 London Design Week. The greenhouse stands in the north east piazza of London's covent garden and is functional. The foundation was built entirely from LEGO bricks and is illuminated at night. This Lego Greenhouse will be open to the public until September 25th, 2011.

The Lego Greenhouse features a pitched roof that looks like a suburban glasshouse. 
At night it becomes a magical box glowing and lit, coming to life with the plants it contains. 

This greenhouse is the world's first living LEGO greenhouse, the framework was built and installed by Duncan Titmarsh, the only LEGO certified professional in the United Kingdom and is home to living plants and vegetables.

See how the soil is made of brown LEGO bricks.

My only hope is that the LEGO Greenhouse will finds its way to Boston. 

Wholesale Roses and Flowers in Boston

In this economic climate, many professional designers have been laid off or closed their shops. Many of these professionals are designing flowers in their homes. Exotic Flowers Boston is here to meet your wholesale flower needs.

Florists for Change ?

 

A lot of Buzz in the floral industry has been about Florists for Change. Who are they ? Why are they meeting ? Are they game changers ? Are they revolutionary ? Before I present Exotic Flowers in Boston's position, I would like to recap a call I received yesterday from an established flower shop in Manchester, NH.

On the morning of September 7th, 2011 an order appeared on our fax machine (yes people still use a fax machine and not for spam). The order arrived from a high profile flower shop in Manchester, New Hampshire who we have been doing business with for decades.

Usually this NH shop sends orders to Exotic Flowers via FTD and our orders will print on our printers. This order however was a bit different. The usual items were there like flower recipient, Beth Israel Hospital, fresh flowers, card message, sending shop etc.. This order also had a credit card # on it ( I am not going to into the PCI Compliance issue here). The order also stated that Exotic Flowers in Boston give a $60 value but give the NH flower shop a 20% discount.

At Exotic Flowers in Boston, we get this request a lot. Mostly from florists and those who do flowers out of their homes that choose not be in FTD or Teleflora. At Exotic Flowers we are happy to take any credit card order, but do not offer a 20% discount for those who choose not to belong to a wire service. Sorry, just not something we do.

What made yesterday unusual was, the NH shop had been sending us FTD orders for years. When our rep  Shannon Rizza called their shop and explained that a discount was not an option, their sales rep explained that it was something they had just started doing. Their rep in turn got their boss to ask for me and what follows is the conversation:

NH Shop Owner: Is this Rick ? The guy who writes and appears in all the magazines ?

Me: Yes, but you can call me whatever you want. I respond to most anything.

NH: do you know this order will represent more $ in your pocket ?

Me: yes. but we choose not to fill credit card discount orders.

NH: But you would have filled this as an FTD order and lost 30% of the order.

Me: I know, but we do not fill wire orders to make money. We fill them because we send a lot of orders and hope that you will do a nice job on our orders when we send them to you.

NH: so you are not a Florist for Change ?

Me: who said that ? I feel if you were really a florist for change then perhaps I should be getting 90-95% of the order.

The conversation went on and ended with me recommending a shop who I knew could help him.

Which leads me to; is Exotic Flowers a florist for a change ? Of course. We believe the customer service in the industry is fractured. But change begins in your shop first; then at a national level. Exotic Flowers believes in working with FTD, SAF, Teleflora and BloomNet to have a collective set of guidelines for all florists. Start with business ethics, honesty, integrity. If all florists work within the walls of their shop, the rest should take care of itself. FTD and 1800flowers are not going away. Florists who fill those orders are not going away either. My job as a traditional retail florist in Boston is to be the florist for my community.

CONTACT: (RICK CANALE - 617-524-4456)

1. Flowers Decrease Depression. Study participants showed a significant increase in happiness and positive moods when flowers were present. 

2. Flowers Refresh Recent Memory. Seniors performed higher on everyday memory tasks and experienced enriched personal memories in the presence of flowers. 

3. Flowers Encourage Companionship. Seniors who received flowers re-engaged with members of their communities and enlarged their social contacts to include more neighbors, religious support and even medical personnel.

Background 
The Flowers & Seniors Study (2001) is the second floral research project conducted by Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., professor of psychology, Project Director, Human Development Lab at Rutgers. Dr. Haviland-Jones is a psychologist and internationally recognized authority in the role of emotional development in human behavior and nonverbal emotional signals and response. In 2000, Haviland-Jones completed the first phase of her research on the emotional impact of flowers on women. The study, known as The Emotional Impact of Flowers, can be viewed at www.aboutflowers.com. The Society of American Florists worked in cooperation with the Rutgers research team, bringing its expertise of flowers to the project.

 Since 2003, Exotic Flowers of Boston has been delivering hundreds of fresh flower arrangements to the PGA Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts. The Deutsche Bank Championship features the top 100 PGA golfers as they compete for the FedEx Cup and its ten million dollar first prize. Defending champion Charley Hoffman looks to repeat as this year's champion. Hoffman will be competing against pros Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and many more.

The tournament is a week long affair of competition and fun. The event begins on Tuesday August 30th and ends Monday, Labor Day September 5, 2011. The tournament features premier sponsors like FedEx, Charles Schwab, The Wall Street Jouranal, Deutsche Bank and many others.

With so many high profile sponsors, clients and celebrities. Exotic Flowers, Boston's Premier Florist is honored to provide the floral arrangements for the week's events. Beginning on Monday, Exotic Flowers personnel heads to TPC in Norton, MA with plants and flowers for the week's events.

Flower design work begins Saturday, August 27th and will continue throughout the week. Over three hundred floral arrangements and plants are delivered for the tournament. Veteran Exotic Flowers employee Mike Schaaf has overseen the event's logistics since the tournament's inception in 2003.

Mike remains on site daily through the week's tournament to ensure that all flowers and plants remain at their freshest and most beautiful form. From replacing broken and wilted blooms to ensuring that each vase remains fresh, Mike will work into the evening ensuring that TPC and Deutsche Bank know why Exotic Flowers has earned our moniker as Boston's Premier Florist.

Boston is a power city with international fame and exposure. Boston is known for hospitals, education, sports, the arts and its florists. Did you know that Boston is also a great place to get a steak ? Exotic Flowers in Boston would like to share its favorite steak joints in no particular order.

CONTACT: (Rick Canale, 617.524.4456)

(Boston, MA) – Happy birthday, congratulations, thank you, I love you, thinking of you. Each day, thousands of gifts are exchanged by people in Boston who want to send thoughtful regards to deserving friends and loved ones. According to research from Rutgers University, the presents we pick to convey our special messages say a lot about us.

Rutgers University researcher Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., director of the university’s Human Emotions Lab, explored what the gifts we choose say about who we are and whether they affect how we are perceived. The research reveals that those who send flowers, in comparison to other gifts, are viewed as successful, caring and emotionally intelligent people. More specific findings include:

• Both men and women who give flowers are perceived as happy, achieving, strong, capable and courageous people;
  
  
• Men and women in Boston and the entire country come across as more emotionally intelligent; they give the impression they can effectively express their feelings and take time to understand the feelings of others;
  
  
• and Female floral gifters are viewed as more appreciative of beauty and nature.

“I see flowers as a way to capture special moments and emotions in life,” says Ryan. “People truly and fondly remember when they get flowers, and you will continue to feel thanked throughout your relationship long after you send them.”

Here are Ryan’s Top 10 Random Acts of Flowers:

• One Who Makes a Difference: Think of the carpool mom, scout leader, local volunteer or apartment doorman who makes an everyday difference in your life. A surprise bouquet from Exotic Flowers is a convenient, informal way to say “Thanks for making my life easier.”
  
  
• Wedding Arrangements:When asking a friend to join your wedding party or expressing thanks to a shower hostess, ask your Boston florist to help make it special by delivering an arrangement in advance of the big day.
  
  
• Best Friend Boosts: Send a celebrational bunch of Exotic Flowers to a best friend who lands a dream job, a sibling who receives a promotion at work, or a friend who reaches a personal milestone. Show them you care about their success.
  
  
• A Moment of Calm: Help someone dealing with a hectic time in their life relax with a tranquil gift of flowers. Your Boston florist can give you ideas on soothing colors and styles, and help you deliver that “moment of calm.” The recipient will be impressed by your thoughtfulness.
  
  
• Life Lessons: Surprise your child’s teacher or tutor with an eye-popping arrangement for his/her desk. Ask your child to put his/her favorite teaching moment on the gift card to make a memory that lasts a lifetime.
  
  
• Lifeguard Reward: Send flowers to thank your baby-sitter or pet sitter as a surprise thank-you for safely guarding your most prized possessions.
  
  
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Welcome a new family or delight an elderly neighbor who does not get out much with a colorful flowering plant or fresh flowers for their kitchen. It’s a great way to break the ice, meet a friend and show you care.
  
  
• Fresh Squeeze: Don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to say “I love you.” Research shows that people like to receive flowers when they least expect it. Send a surprise floral hug to make your romance spontaneously blossom. Or, on your birthday, send flowers to your mom to thank her for all she’s done for you.
  
  
• Delivery is in the Details: Show your appreciation to your hair stylist who always manages to fit you in during a pinch, or your doctor who spends those extra minutes to show he/she cares.
  
  
• Declare You Care: Send a bouquet from Boston's Premier Florist to celebrate a friend who has recovered from an illness or a new mom on her first day back to work. It will be a beautiful reminder of your support and friendship.

“Flowers are the perfect expression of gratitude and appreciation, and they deliver a message with sincerity and care,” says Ryan. “The new research shows that these positive characteristics also are attributed to the giver. Giving flowers is an act of kindness, and the results are anything but random.”