This little packet of flower food can be your friend or your enemy. It contains a floral preservative which can help hydrate your fresh flowers and help them last longer. Bacteria growth in the vase commonly kills off flowers prematurely, and this flower food packet helps prevent this by killing bacteria in the water. But, there is a catch. If you don’t follow the instructions of how much water to combine with the flower food, it can actually hurt your flowers. If you don’t measure out the exact amount of water suggested on the packet, you are better off not using it at all. Too much flower preservative will burn out your flowers, and too little flower preservative offers no benefit at all. If you choose not to properly measure the solution, you are better off not using the packet of food at all. Instead, just change the water often to minimize bacteria growth. Please remember Grande Flowers can provide you with gallons of water that is already mixed properly, so you don’t even have to measure!
February 23, 2010
January 9, 2010
Why we can’t answer “How long will those flowers last?”, and how to increase the life of your flowers.
A common question we are asked here at Grande Flowers is “how long will those flowers last?”. Unfortunately, an honest answer is not the answer customers want to hear. Many different factors affect the life of cut flowers. The same cut flowers may last longer in my home than in your home, or vice versa. Here are some deciding factors that affect the life of cut flowers.
1. Temperature in your home. An ideal temperature for most cut flowers (except tropicals) is right above freezing (33 degrees Fahrenheit). Flowers stored in a flower shop cooler should be right around 35 degrees to maintain their freshness. To make your flowers last longer, keep your heat on low, or at least make sure the flowers are not sitting hear a heat vent or humid bathroom.
2. Proximity to sunlight source. Many people think that flowers need sunlight, so they will put their cut flowers on a windowsill or even outside on a porch. The truth is sunlight and heat are the worst things for cut flowers. Only live potted plants need sunlight. To make your cut flowers last longer, keep them away from sunlight or a heat source.
3. General maintenance. Many steps can be taken to prolong the life of your cut flowers. If your flowers arrive in a vase, the most important thing is making sure your vase has clean water. Bacteria in the water clog the stems and prevent them from drawing up the water. Grande Flowers delivers all vased arrangements with treated water, which keeps it clean and minimizes bacteria growth. After about a week, the water may start to look cloudy, and at this point, you will want to empty out all of the water and replace it with clean tap water. The more often you change the water, the fewer bacteria will grow, and the longer your flowers will last.
If your flowers arrive wrapped instead of already in a vase, the most important thing to do is to cut at least an inch off the bottom of the stem, IMMEDIATELY before you drop them into the vase. This is so important because the bottom of the stem is where the flower takes up most of its water, and when it hits air, the bottom of the stem will close up. Re-cutting the stem opens up the stem and allows it to take up the water. *Bulb flowers are the exception to this rule. Do not cut the stems of tulips, daffodils and hyacinth.
December 3, 2009
What does “Standard”, “Deluxe” and “Premium” mean?!
Most of our arrangements are available in three sizes. The arrangement you see in the picture is a “standard” version. You can choose to upgrade your arrangement by selecting either the “deluxe” or “premium” option. By upgrading your arrangement, we will add more flowers so the arrangement is a little larger and/or fuller. In some cases, “premium” upgraded arrangements may include a larger vase or container. It is up to Grande Flowers to decide how to add the value to your upgraded arrangement, but we promise you will notice the difference!
Thank you for shopping at Grande Flowers!
Top 10 Reasons Why Grande Flowers Is Still Going Strong
Grande Flowers Celebrates 5 Years of Ownership!!
Top 10 Reasons Why Grande Flowers is Still Going Strong
10. Our corsages don’t look like one of grandma’s doilies.
9. We don’t judge the customer who chooses the enclosure card that shows the man crawling out of the doghouse.
8. We recently added V.I.P. parking on Morris Boulevard right next to our shop (ok, so it’s actually a loading zone).
7. Our website is awesome.
6. A dozen roses, vased - $59.99; box of chocolates - $11.99; I love you balloon - $3.99 – knowing Grande Flowers has same day delivery when you realize it’s your anniversary – PRICELESS!
5. What happens at Grande Flowers stays at Grande Flowers.
4. Two words: gourmet chocolate.
3. When you call, you will actually reach a live person and not recording. Shocking, we know.
2. Our “get me off the couch” bouquet costs less than a couples’ therapy session and is just as effective.
AND THE #1 REASON WHY GRANDE FLOWERS IS STILL GOING STRONG IS:
1. Every order is important to us, no request is too “weird”, and it’s none of our business what you are going to use those rose petals for.
Grande Flowers
1433 East Capitol Drive
Shorewood, WI 53211
414-332-3070
grandeflowersshorewoodwi.com
November 3, 2009
“I hate lilies because of that strong smell” – Beating the Myth
When someone is placing an order here at our shop, it makes us so sad to hear the words “please don’t use any of those smelly lilies”. The fact is not all lilies smell. There are many lilies that have no smell at all. Allow us to educate you on this common myth.
The first type of lily we will discuss is an Oriental lily. These lilies are known to be the smelly ones. They have large blooms, often more than 3 blooms per stem, and can last weeks if treated properly. The most common type of Oriental lilies are called “Stargazers” and are mainly hot pink with a white edge around the petals. There are many different varieties of Oriental lilies and are available in many different colors, but you commonly see them in various shades of pink.
The second type of lily is called an Asiatic lily. These are the lilies that have no smell at all. An Asiatic lily typically will have fewer blooms than an Oriental lily, is smaller, and isn’t as long lasting. On average, Asiatic lilies may cost almost half as much as Oriental lilies. The most common type of Asiatic lily is orange, and is commonly mistaken for Day lilies or Tiger lilies. Day lilies are a garden variety of lily and are not sold as cut flowers, so you will not find Day lilies or Tiger lilies in a flower shop. Asiatic lilies are basically a cut flower version of Day lilies.
Now that you know the difference, don’t be afraid to ask your florist for Asiatic lilies if you are offended by the smell of Oriental lilies. Your florist will be impressed that you know the difference!
June 30, 2009
Welcome to our new website!
Visit Shorewood's Premier Florist for Flowers & Blooming Plants
We are very excited to introduce our new and improved site which will offer you more choices, give you the opportunity to learn about us, get a customized quote and so much more.
Feel free to explore the site to see what’s new at Grande Flowers and, read about our family owned business. You can also order on line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Of course you are always welcome to call us at 414-332-3070. Our shop hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. We are also available by phone after hours and on weekends. We serve Shorewood and all the north shore suburbs as well as the Milwaukee area.
We would love to see you in person! Please visit our shop at 1433 East Capitol Drive in Shorewood. We carry a wide variety of flowers, green and blooming plants, plush animals, gourmet candy, balloons, and greeting cards. Whenever possible we buy locally (our candy supplier is only 5 minutes away and we can almost smell the chocolate from here!) We personally choose all of our green and blooming plants from a local greenhouse, again supporting our community.
We give back to the community whenever possible. We are a family owned and operated business who goes the extra mile for you to be sure you are always satisfied with your experience at Grande Flowers.
In the next few blogs we will feature different aspects of our business so check back with us. We hope once you become a customer, you stay a customer for life. We do all we can to ensure that will happen.
Thank you for stopping by and we hope to help you with your floral needs in the near future.