Celebrating The Festival of Lights

A flower arrangement makes a lovely gift for the holidays. Hanukkah, The Festival of Lights, is no exception. Hanukkah runs eight days, beginning each year on the 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev. This year, the first day of Hanukkah is Saturday, December 12, which means the first candle will be lit on Friday night, December 11.

As Hanukkah is often referred to as the Festival of Lights, brightly colored flowers are a very appropriate Hanukkah gift. Also, floral arrangements featuring blue and white flowers, reflecting the colors of Hanukkah, are often given. Really, any hue will be appreciated!

Give us a call - Bergeron's can help you select the perfect Hanukkah bouquet or arrangement!

Poinsettias....All the Scoop!

Ever wonder about the background of the poinsettia? I find this amazing. We have a brochure that we include with our poinsettia deliveries. I thought I'd share it with the my blog readers.


History and Legend of the Poinsettia

Joel Robert Poinsett, who was an amateur botanist and the first ambassador to Mexico, first introduced poinsettias to the United States in 1825. He introduced the plant to the United States when he brought some cuttings to his plantation in Greenwood, South Carolina.

December 12 in National Poinsettia Day, an official day set aside to enjoy this symbol of holiday cheer. It was established upon the death of Mr. Poinsett to honor him and the plant he made famous. He died in 1851.

Poinsettias are native to Mexico, where they grow wild. The enchanting legend of the poinsettia dates back several centuries, to a Christmas Eve in Mexico when a little girl named Pepita had no gift to present the Christ child. Her cousin Pedro urged her to give a humble gift. So, on her way to church she gathered some weeds she found along the road. As she approached the altar, a miracle happened: The weeds blossomsed into brilliant flowers. Then they were called Flores de Noche Buena-Flowers of the Holy Night. Now they are called
poinsettias.

Poinsettia Care Tips

Poinsettias are one of the longest-lasting blooming plants available to consumers. To choose the perfect poinsettia and keep it blooming all year long, follow the care tips listed below:

Choosing the perfect poinsettia:

Pick a plant with small, tightly clustered buds in the center.

Look for crisp, bright, undamaged foliage.

Avoid plants displayed in drafty or crowded areas.

To keep the poinsettia blooming:

When surface soil is dry to the touch, water thoroughly. Discard excess water in the saucer.

To prolong color, keep a temperature range of 60 degrees for night and 72 degrees for day. High humidity is preferable.

Place plant away from hot or cold drafts, and protect from cold winds.

To rebloom for the next season:

During winter, continue to follow holiday upkeep tips.

March 1 (St. Patrick’s Day): When bracts fade, cut stems back to eight inches above the soil line.

Continue to water regularly.

Lightly fertilize with a balanced all-purpose plant food every three to four weeks.

When temparatures are warm, place plant outdoors; first in indirect, then direct sunlight. Avoid temperatures below 50 degrees throughout the summer.

July 4 (Independence Day): Cut back new growth stems. Repot if needed.

Early September (Labor Day): Move plant inside. Provide six or more hours of direct light.

October 1 through December: Confine plant to complete darkness for 14 hours, giving it 10 hours of natural light daily. This will set the buds and cause bracts to color.

Poinsettia Toxicity Myth

The poinsettia is the most widely tested consumer plant on the market today,
proving the myth about the popular holiday plant to be false:

Scientific research from The Ohio State University has proved the poinsettia to be non-toxic to both humans and pets. All parts of the plant were tested, including the leaves and sap.

According to the POISINDEX, the national information center for poison control centers, a child would have to ingest 500-600 leaves in order to exceed the experimental doses that found no toxicity.

A study from the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University found that out of 22,793 reported poinsettia exposures there was essentially no toxicity significance of any kind. The study used national data collected by the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

As with any non-food product, however, the poinsettia is not meant to be eaten and can cause varying degrees of discomfort; therefore, the plant should be kept out of reach of young children and curious pets.

Information provided by:

Society of American Florists

1601 Duke Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

(703) 836-8700

Weddings: Kaja & Dan get married at the House of Sweden

Who: Kaja and Dan

What: Modern, sleek, and elegant ceremony and reception. So fabulously "DC"!
When: September 13, 2009
Where: House of Sweden, Washington DC

What I loved: The venue and how we could create something with Kaja to embellish the House of Sweden. Ever decorated an all black room?








The infamous "black" room. Main Event Caterers came up with the set-up to create ambiance.












The entrance to the House of Sweden was graced with a bamboo vase filled with curly willow and orchid blooms. It was over 5 feet high, very impressive!












Carrying through the curly willow branches, we filled vases with them and added chic flats of wheat grass and brightly colored blooms. Very organic!













Kaja's bridal party flowers included fragrance, an often forgotten element. We worked with fresh rosemary, roses, stephanotis, and orchids.

To top it off her bouquet~curly willow, swirling into her bouquet along with feathers. The junior bridesmaids carried a European "teardrop" design-a break from the nosegay tradition. I love it!

Kaja made the process a thoroughly enjoyable one. Many happy regards to the couple in their new digs in NY.


Photos courtesy of Stephen Bobb, Love Life Images

The Hostess Gift: Forgotten Etiquette?

I don't know about you, but for me the holidays tend to turn into a nonstop party - cocktail parties, cookie swaps, dinner parties, holiday open houses... I can barely keep up with finding enough cute party outfits, let alone remember to thank the hostess! That's right - don't forget your hostess this holiday season! Hostess gifts seems to have gotten lost in the vast shuffle of parties and events, but a little token of thanks is always nice and will most certainly always be appreciated.

You don’t have to break the bank on an extravagant gift - all you need is a little creativity to come up with a fabulous gift. Here are a few simple ideas to get the juices flowing:

Wine - you can never go wrong with bubbly or wine. Trust me, a bottle of wine or sparkling beverage will always be appreciated.

Flowers and plants - Everyone has a favorite flower, color, scent, etc. Take what you know about your hostess, and use that as your bouquet-selecting guide. Your hostess has a green thumb? Easy! Plants are a simple, long-lasting gift that your hostess will be able to enjoy and appreciate for a long time.

Candles- who doesn't love scented candles and potpourri?

Books - Is she a gourmet chef in training? A natural at home decorating? You can never go wrong with a book!

Just remember to keep in mind that you weren't invited because the host wants a gift from you, so don't go overboard. Just a small thank you will be appreciated. It's an extra little something that, amidst all the chaos and busy-ness of the holiday season, will be remembered and appreciated.

Katie's New Book & A Chance To Win $250!

Well, all of you who are planning a wedding, I'm sure you have a mother out there who needs some help, right? Katie Martin's new book, The Everything Mother of the Bride Book (2nd Edition) will be the talk of the town.

She also has a blog contest to win $250.00. Click here and comment to enter to win! Why not? Have some fun!

Never Let the Day Get the Best of You!

Well, today was certainly one for the books. The Bliss Collection produced a "mock" wedding today in Gainesville, Virginia at Stonewall Golf & Country Club.

On the way there, my Bergeron's vehicle broke down -completely stopped on Highway 66! Well, to my favor, a tow truck was behind me at that moment. He already had a tow, but he pushed my van over to the side. Within minutes, Myrna Grossman of For All Occasions was passing on her way to the event. She recognized me and pulled over. Another member of the event was passing as well, saw the van, and pulled over to help. Within minutes the flowers were all loaded into their cars and on their way (without me).

After about an hour and a switch-a-roo with my mom (what a doll!), the towing company arrived and I was finally on my way to the event.

Turns out that I wasn't the only one who had car issues. Mary and David at Mallowdrama had a flat tire!

Despite the obstacles in our paths, the wedding went without a "Hitch" (pun intended)!

It just goes to show that if a real wedding had taken place, vendors that work together on a regular basis can really pull together in a bind and still make that special day come together.

Look for the video and photographs on The Bliss Collection blog. There will be posts from me on this as well.

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is all about family, togetherness, and expressing appreciation and gratitude. Why not give thanks to your loved ones with a gorgeous flower arrangement, centerpiece or gift basket! Sending flowers to loved ones from afar is a perfect way to express your gratitude and love when you can't be there in person.

And why not give yourself flowers this Thanksgiving? A floral arrangement becomes the focus of your Thanksgiving dinner table, adds a wonderful fragrance to your home, and provides seasonal embellishment to your decor.

Flowers also make a perfect hostess gift when you are a guest in the home of family or friends. You have plenty of options for sending flowers on Thanksgiving. Check out all of Bergeron's fabulous Thanksgiving options here.

We're certainly thankful for your business.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Handle With Care

So many details go into planning a wedding. For the bride, it is so easy to become overwhelmed and distracted with the planning, that you forget that the day is actually about you. One easy way to help make your day special is to personalize your bouquet and other flower arrangements. The bridal bouquet can really set the tone of the event, and I find it often truly reflects the personality of the bride.

With my creations, however, the bouquet doesn't stop with the flowers. The bouquet handle can be as unique and expressive as the bouquet itself! A wrapped and adorned handle is a place to express the bride's personality and make an impact.

I like to create a personalized look by adding embellishments to the bouquet & bouquet handle with ribbon or sparkling accents, such as crystals, lace, rhinestones, fruit, feathers... almost anything! For a more natural look, the flowers can also be wrapped with tree bark, banana leaves, or twine.


A bouquet handle can also be adorned with personal, meaningful elements, such as your grandmother's handkerchief, vintage fabric, special photos, a locket or charm, or pieces of jewelry.

The flowers are one of the most important parts of the wedding. They should be a reflection of the bride's personality and unique sense of style.

Orchids Anyone?

Orchids have become one of the most popular flowers in the past several years. First, we saw them in it's most popular form to date which is the phaleonopsis potted plant. Bergeron's has been sending out these beauties for quite a while. They are beautiful! Whether we pot them in a clear glass for a contemporary look (if you get them like this, these need to be cleaned quite frequently as orchids do not like to be water-laden) or in a classic ceramic container that in complimentary to the orchid color.

Then, brides began to see them in and part of bridal work. For bouquets they have a stunning quality to provide striking color or long-lasting capability. In an all white bouquet, you can pair them with roses, peonies, fragrant freesia, and even gardenias for a beautiful gathering.

Cut orchids have been filling vases now as a hot trend and we love them! From dendrobiums to mokaras, cymbidiums and long stems of phaleonopsis, these beauties won't let you down. They can be showy and stunning added to any arrangement or just a cluster by themselves.

For more information about all things orchids, check out orchids-info.com. Or call us to see what we have in stock to send out to that special someone today!

Photos courtesy of orchids-info.com and Bergeron's own collection of designs.

My Favorite Wedding

Well, I have to admit my favorite wedding this year will by my niece's wedding. Brooke and Jesse exchanged their vows this summer and all of our family and friends had a wonderful time.

We brought flowers in from Hawaii, Holland, Columbia, Ecuador, and Italy. It was a crazy time, but Bergeron's was up to the task. My staff worked their tails off and thanks to a few friends as well, we were able to make a stunning display.

David Madison did the photography. What an amazing job! Thanks, David.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Scholarship Class: European Style Design

Well, I have the privilege to be in Teleflora's Education Center this week for a class on European Style Design. The DC/MD/VA Unit of Teleflora selects a member each year to go on scholarship to one of the classes they offer. I was the 2008 recipient and have had the pleasure of picking any class they offered this year with an all expenses paid trip to Education Center.

I chose the European Style Design course taught by Dutch floral artist, Els Hazenberg. An Aalsmeer, Netherlands native who comes with a host of credentials; one of which has been the producer of all florals in the Rose Parade for many years up until two years ago.

Today was our introduction to the class. We were able to watch her designing as she taught us the many levels and principles of floral design. I will post pictures after tomorrow's class so that you can see some more of her work, and hopefully, a few of us in the class room as we try to elevate our design skills.

It is a fantastic and humbling experience to have the opportunity to learn from veterans in our industry. Els artistic talent and knowledge left me yearning for more. I was surprised when our class ended today. The time just flew by. I spent most of the evening talking with other florists who are here and exchanging info about our industry. Priceless......wouldn't change a thing!

Bye for now~

Wedding Arch

Recently one of our brides had us decorate an arch that was provided by the hotel (Fair Lakes Hyatt ). It isn't always common for the venue to have the arch, so often we will rent our own arch for them to use.

Fair Lakes Hyatt was prompt and courteous in getting it set-up in time for us to decorate. And, as you can see from the picture, the end result was beautiful. And, it always helps to have a beautiful day!

The Bliss Collection's New Website

All things new and re-done...

One of the most cherished opportunities I enjoy is time well-spent with other vendors in the Wedding/Event business. As of January this year, I joined the Bliss Collection. This group provides some of the best vendors in the Northern Virginia area: photographers, videographers, bakers, event planners; the list goes on.

During this short time, we have been able to hire a website designer to re-design our website. You can check it out here: http://www.theblisscollection.com/. Andrew, the owner of Eiffelfish.com, did a superb job and really captured what we were looking for in a crisp, fresh look that represented a first-class group of people/companies. I would highly recommend him.

Take some time to check out our new website and see all the wonderful vendors that are available for your (or someone else you know) wedding. Obviously, some of us do all types of events, but in this group we focus on weddings in particular. I'm proud to work with these vendors time and time again. There is a sense of peace when you know that you will be working with others you trust and rely on.

God's Creations

The past few days while on my daily walk, I've been noticing the beauty that surrounds me on the wooded path. In the early morning the sunlight that shines through the trees onto the path provides fresh viewpoints and a joy about living.

I am amazed at the flowers, plants, and trees that I work with at the shop surround me in the natural habitat. Fresh upright amaranthus, Queen Anne's lace, black-eyed susans, sword fern, bark shed from the trees, all remind me of the plethora of choices God has made available for us, as florists, to use for delight. I get the pleasure of working with them and to use my God-given talents to arrange them artfully. I love my job!

Any florist will tell you it's not all roses and glory, the shop floor is filled daily with cut stems on the floor. The workroom is not glamorous, but the end product is where the beauty lies and we get to pass that on to you!

The 3/50 Project

I came across a wonderful grassroots campaign today. The 3/50 Project is a campaign to get consumers back to choosing the businesses that started this great nation: the brick and mortar shops. I'm happy to say that Bergeron's is one of them!

The Wall Street Journal featured an article on June 30th about what The 3/50 Project is doing http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124631541083270621.html . If you want to learn more about The 3/50 Project, please click on this link: http://www.the350project.net/home.html

Bergerons is independently owned and has been since it's original owner, James Bergeron started this florist shop in 1971. Thanks for choosing us time and time again!

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings

Well, it has been a long few months at Bergerons! We have had one wedding after another. Each wedding has been so different from the next: large and small, contemporary and traditional, elegant and fun. Guaranteed to delight in any form, they have been wonderful to be a part of.

After twenty-one years in the business, I still get excited about each wedding and look forward to the boxes of flowers that come into the shop for each one. The boxes come in from our purveyors and I feel like it's Christmas. Just opening the box and checking out the bunches of flowers we've special ordered for each wedding, watching the flowers open to their pristine best, and then arranging them in to the designs the bride has chosen. To see the bride's face on the day of the wedding when we present the bouquet elicits a feeling in my stomach that I never tire of experiencing.

What is the Length of a Long-Stem Rose?

Ever wonder with all the information out there, what the real definition of a "long-stem rose" is? This link is the best description I've found and since I couldn't say it better, click on the link below and find out the real scoop!

http://thefloristblog.dragonflyflowers.com/2009/03/15/some-real-florists-perspectives-on-long-stem-roses.aspx

Know what you are ordering. So many just throw around the words, "long-stem", but aren't really sure what that means.

At Bergeron's we carry 60cm "Long-Stem" roses on a weekly basis in a variety of colors, so please call us, your professional, "real" local florist, and let us deliver some beautiful long-stem roses for you!

Blue Ribbon for Bridal Bouquet Design

Exciting news!

After entering a design contest with nine other contestants, I walked away with 1st place. The design was to be a bridal bouquet designed with lime green and one other color.

I chose to make a purse design out with an aluminum wire handle, metallic wire and bouillon wire. The purse base was designed by layering flattened hydrangea florets. I used Rosita Vendela pink roses with accents of pink hyacinths. The lime green flowers consisted of green hypericum berries, and button pompons.

Getting what you've paid for....

On the heels of another holiday, I realize that once again customers are deceived at the photos from wire services, i.e. Teleflora, FTD, 800-Flowers, etc, versus the price they've paid online.

If you've ordered directly from one of those sites, they've built in their delivery fees and service fees that either don't get passed onto the florist or the florist's aren't given enough to fill to the value of the flowers in the arrangement.

As a real florist, we attempt to match the "look" of every piece from the wire services according to the recipes that we are given. These companies give us a recipe to follow for each arrangement that often times doesn't even include all of the flowers pictured. Or the wire services have designed the arrangement for the photo with ALL of the flowers in the recipe facing the front, but have sold us the design as a piece that should be designed all-around, instead of one-sided. This gives the customer a skewed idea of how the arrangement is going to look. We, as the filling flower shop, have to decide do we design the arrangement all the way around (which means that the look of the arrangement will NOT appear as full as the picture), or do we design it as it looks in the picture? This option would either make the back of the arrangement bare (which is a no-no) or we end up adding more flowers to make it all-around? To add more flowers, makes it impossible to meet the bottom line, especially since we do not receive all the monies paid by you the customer. Either way, the florist is not able to break-even when sending out the arrangement. I'll explain below:

The wire service keeps a percentage of the amount, as well as, not indicating to you, the customer, that your total amount doesn't go towards the arrangement, but some gets taken out for the delivery too. If you were to look online at your local florist's website and notice the same arrangement you just paid for on the national wire service's website is less, you would see that we are actually listing the real price of the arrangement and that our delivery price is listed separately at the check-out. Wouldn't you want to know what you are really paying for?

For a different option, we sometimes take the container that we have gotten from the wire services and produce our own design in them so that we can give you a better product for your $$. In these economic times, we realize that all want to get what we pay for. Just remember, you don't always get what you pay for on these national wire/floral websites. They aren't really a florist themselves, they are just a "phone center" to direct the orders to real florists. Why not, save your dollars and go directly to the real florist themselves?

We really do want to please our customers. We welcome the opportunity and would rather speak to you. The opportunity to form a relationship with our customers as we recognize their needs and likes is how we have stayed in business for over 38 years. We don't enjoy getting the orders from a "phone center", we'd rather talk to directly to you, our customer.

Brides: DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Trend

Over the course of the past few weeks, we've had many brides coming in to see if they can effectively produce their reception centerpieces themselves, and a few interested in making their own bridal party bouquets.

My initial thought is, "Of course, you can!". But as I think about it there are a few things that pop into my mind that can be warning signs. I thought I would mention some of these items so that brides would have a chance to think about it before jumping in:

1) Your wedding day (and the days preceding it) are extremely stressful. If you have a tendency to get stressed over the "small stuff" then this may not be the best option for you. The beauty of flowers is lessened when making sure everything needs to look it's best for one of the most important days of your life.

2) Realize that all flowers need to be processed and hydrated before working with them! And, some flowers need to have the refrigeration time to "harden" in their perfect state before arranging them.

3) Don't take on too much! Would you make your own wedding cake and decorate it? Taking on 10-20 centerpieces for the reception may be more than you can handle.

4) There are lots of ideas that can be done by you and your wedding party. Make sure that your bridesmaids are willing to help you and that you won't be left alone trying to put this together by yourself at the last minute. Let's face it, not everyone is the creative type, so don't expect all of your bridesmaids to be expert floral designers.

There are other countless questions/comments to bring up, but you have to be prepared.

All that to say that if you decide to venture down the "designing your wedding flowers" road, then try a few ideas from the expert first.

1) Maybe just working on the bridesmaids flowers would be fun. Ask your local florist if they would be open to you and your wedding party coming in and assembling the bouquets yourselves? Or, have a one-on-one demo with your florist to show you how to make the bouquets and then work on them by yourselves if you need to. Please don't expect your florist to do this for free. This is what your florist has been doing to years and their expertise and knowledge are worth something.

2) Keep in mind that if you are going to be doing something yourself, then pick something that is easy to put together, not more than you can handle. I don't suggest trying to learn how-to design 7 cascade bouquets for your bridesmaids, this requires a little bit more skill. But a hand-tied design, maybe with all the same type of flower, might be an easier choice.

3) Take a class on floral arranging to see if this fits your creativity level. This is the best way to see if you can handle this type of work for the days leading up to the wedding. Some brides have realized too late that they loved to work with flowers, but their wedding week was too hectic.

4) How about some creative centerpieces that can be made in advance and have flowers added at the last minute? Tap into your local florist and find out what part you can do and how they can help.

The last point I want to make as a florist, is to not expect to buy your flowers from somewhere else and think that the florist you bring them to can guarantee them and work with them. I've learned this for experience. You might be able to get them cheaper somewhere else, but do you know how those flowers perform? Does the variety of flower you are ordering open nicely? Does that variety hold-up and last in the design you have chosen? Is it in season? If it isn't, then the quality of the flower isn't going to be a great as it would in the height of it's season.

As a professional florist, we do have floral purveyors that we use on a regular basis and trust the quality that comes from them. Florist's process them, clean them, add preservatives, determine the correct water temperature and special handling instructions for every type of flower. That is part of what you are paying for when you come to a professional. Our designs and labor are just a part of the whole process.

We love to help you and guide you in the most important day of your life. Trust us, we are here to help you make decisions that best fit your budget and ideas.

Real Florist vs. Phone Booth Order Gatherer

Okay, for the past couple of weeks, I've found myself explaining to customers the difference between sending flowers from a real "brick and mortar" florist and calling a "phone booth" florist.

What is the difference? I think the best description and information to figure out the difference comes from www.floristdetective.com, which gives consumer Information about alleged deceptive and misleading florist advertising and marketing practices.

Basically, you call one of these "phone booth" listings and they take your order, keep a percentage and then send an order to a "real" florist to fill and deliver. We are given the percentage of the order and expected to fill it to full value. For years, local florists have subscribed to wire services to be able to help their customers by finding shops in other areas when they needed to send a gift to another town or state. Now, with the internet, our customers have the ability to find local florists to where they want to send on their own using such sites as locateaflowershop.com or localflowershop.com.

Don't get me wrong, we love to help our customers and still send wires daily for them. Some of you like getting credit toward your flower buyer club account, and not having to spend the time finding a shop. We are happy to do it. That is why we have a wire service fee instead of taking the fee out of the amount we are trying to send to the other shop to fill the order. We want you to get what you pay for.

So, call us or use the search sites that I mentioned above. Either way, you will always have your order go to a "real" florist. In these economic times, we need to make sure our money is used in the best way possible. We are here to help. Feel free to comment or even call us to find out more information!

Have a great week...and Happy New Year!