Canada flower delivery by Simon Says Roses Florists

Be Careful Where You Put Your Tu Lips!

2012-03-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the season for spring flowers!

Tulips, iris, lilies, daffodils, hyacinths...it's truly nature's bounty for florists like Simon Says Roses.

Tulips however, pose a particular problem in an arrangement.

Have you ever noticed that tulips in your garden open during the day, and close at night?

It is because they are part of a group of flowers which are photosensitive, or responsive to light.

The same thing happens to tulips when they are used as cut flowers as well.

Put a vase of tulips in front of a window, and within a few hours the entire group bends towards the light source!

Not very attractive and especially frustrating, when designers have spent the time positioning the flowers for optimum viewing.

One other thing to note in this picture is how one tulip sticks out from the others. It didn't start out that way.

This is because tulips do NOT stop growing once they are cut!

The solution?

The proven method to ensure that tulips remain upright is to insert a pin through the stem of the tulip, just below the bloom.

This will stop "tulip bend", and ensure your flowers are displayed beautifully throughout there life.

And now you know!

Flower Taxes are Inevitable, but THIS is Ridiculous!

2012-03-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

It leaves business owners shaking their heads, and staff screaming in frustration (well almost).

Try to explain to people why there are all those different tax rates on flower delivery in Canada.

It's a nightmare.

You can't make this stuff up. Well maybe accountants can...that's what keeps them employed.

Every day at Simon Says Roses, we arrange for flower delivery across the country.

From West to East here's the breakdown as to the different tax rates we have to charge on flowers:

British Columbia - 12% HST
Alberta - 5% GST
Saskatchewan - 5% GST
Manitoba - 5% GST
Ontario - 13% HST
Quebec - 5% GST
New Brunswick - 13% HST
Prince Edward Island - 5% GST
Nova Scotia - 15% HST
Newfoundland and Labrador - 13% HST
Yukon Territory - 5% GST
Northwest Territories - 5% GST

And soon B.C. will be rolling back their HST, going back to a combination of the PST & GST.

Confused yet?

Florists Say NO to Valentines flower deliveries

2012-02-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

It's a weird feeling.

As florists, we normally say YES to customer requests.

But there's the key word.

Normally.

Valentine's Day for florists in Canada is the single busiest flower delivery day of the year.

We call it "crazy busy"...busier than Mother's Day or Christmas which are more spread out.

Valentine's Day is an 8 to 10 times normal delivery day for florists.

That means a shop that normally delivers 20 orders a day is now doing between 160 & 200 deliveries.

50 orders a day now becomes 400 to 500.

And that's where the problems begin.

Staff, delivery people, and flowers...times 10!

To meet the volume, delivery vans are on the road by 8:00 on the morning of Valentine's Day. They may get back by 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon.

Then they have to stock their vans for the late afternoon run. But sometimes we run out of flowers. Sometimes the designers simply can't create any more flower arrangements.

So if your sweetheart leaves work at 4:00 and your order wasn't in at least a day early, guess what?

We have to say NO, because we can't guarantee delivery!

Delivery request for 10:00 sharp...no. Delivery request for morning delivery guaranteed...no.

Delivery after 6:00 at night....maybe...if there is still a driver around and the order comes in soon enough.

Here's a few guidelines to consider for delivery times, if the order is received before Valentines' Day:

schools will be delivered before 3:00
businesses before 4:00
to a a residence, before 6:00, or until the drivers are finished.

There is a way to avoid all of this, however.

Why not have your flowers delivered the day before Valentine's Day?

Attach a card message that reads "I couldn't wait to say I love you."

Now that will leave an impression!

It shows you put some thought into it, and didn't leave it until the last minute.

And of course it will guarantee that your gift will be delivered on time!

To place your Valentine's Day flower order for delivery across Canada, check out our Valentine's roses
or call us at 1-800-705-ROSE(7673).

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

5 Great Ways to Save on Valentine's Day Flowers

2012-01-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

It happens every year.

Every year in the 20 years I've been in the flower business.

Prices go up.

Big time.

Costs go up right from the farmer to the wholesaler to the retailer, and ultimately to our customers.

To help our customers, I've come up with 5 ways to save money on Valentine's Day flowers:

Avoid red roses. Go with pink roses or yellow roses instead. The price increase will not be nearly as high.
Avoid red "anything". Red roses, red carnations, red gerbera daisies...everything red goes up drastically.
Send a mixed flower arrangement. Maybe a couple of red roses, together with fragrant lilies, asters and greenery results in a stunning visual arrangement at a lower cost.
Order online. I encourage customers to order online, and even provide a price break on online flower orders of $5.00 to $10.00. It's much faster for us to process an online order compared to a phone order. We pass the labour savings on to you.
Order early. Valentine's Day flower deliveries are 5 to 6 times that of a regular business day.. There are only so many flowers, designers, and delivery drivers available. I've had last minute customers offer $50 for delivery if we could just get something delivered. But that's hard to do, when there are no flowers left.

For Canada wide savings on Valentine's Day flowers, please check out our Simon Says Roses Florists YouTube video below.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

For your Valentines Day flowers, order online at Simon Says Roses or call us at 1-800-705-ROSE(7673).

Are Your Roses Sending the Wrong Message?

2012-01-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

Roses convey a message, when your words cannot.

With Valentine's Day roses high on the list for many guys, roses say a lot about your intentions and feelings towards the recipient.

Get it right, and you will be a hero!

Inadvertently or on purpose, what message are you sending?

We've compiled a list of meanings for different colours of roses and combinations:

Red - love, resepect, and courage
White - innocence and purity
Pink - gratitude, admiration
Yellow - slighted love
Deep pink/coral - desire
Red & white together - unity
Red & yellow together - happiness

Are you a believer in the meaning of flowers?

Comments appreciated!

Order Flowers Online - Pain Free

2012-01-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

Same day flower delivery across Canada by Simon Says Roses is a service that we are really proud of.

Place your order before noon in the recipient's time zone, and your flowers can be hand delivered by a florist on the other side of the country before the end of the business day.

Order flowers in Toronto at noon, with delivery of your flowers in Vancouver Island later that day.

Not something an overnight courier can offer!

While our phone lines are open 24/7, 365 at 1-800-705-ROSE(7673), there are times when phones are busy during floral holidays, or you would simply like to order online instead of by phone.

I have compiled a video on "How to Order Flowers Online" to make the process easier, and relatively pain free.

Simply click on the "play" button below, and then click on the bottom right hand corner of the video for a full screen version.

Your comments are appreciated, and any suggestions for the content of future videos are welcome!

6 Ways I Prepare Flowers and Save You Money

2012-01-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

So your Colombian roses have made the long trip from South America, through Miami, and have landed at the doors of Simon Says Roses.

But here's the problem.

The roses arrive in a box.

A box of 10 bundles of 25 stems.

And they're not in water.

A dry rose is a dead rose.

Here are 6 ways that I properly prepare flowers for retail sale, and save you money because your flowers will last MUCH longer:

First, each stem is re-cut. I take off about 1/4". I cut on an angle, otherwise the stem sits flush in the bottom of a pail, and can't absorb liquid. Cutting is like removing a scab. It creates an opening, for water to be absorbed.
The bundles of 25 roses are then placed in a hydration solution for 24 hours. Remember, the roses have been shipped in a refrigerated, dark truck. They are basically asleep. The hydration solution is a chemical mix that allows the roses to "wake-up", and start absorbing liquid up the stem to nourish the blooms.
I then put the rose pails into our flower cooler. The cooler is specially designed to maintain a temperature of 34-38 degrees Celsius, with 85% humidity. It's key to remember that roses stored in a floral cooler will last 6 times longer than roses stored at room temperature.
Now that the roses are awake, they are moved from the hydration pail into a flower food pail. The flower food is a mix of ph enhancer to change the water acidity, an anti-bacterial agent to kill off unwanted organisms, and a nutrient to literally "feed" the bloom.
It's now time to actually prepare the roses for sale. As each bundle of roses is opened, there will be 2 or 3 "protective petals" which look worn and discoloured. These petals have protected the bloom as it was growing. They have taken the brunt of wind and rain over time, but they really don't look very good. And we do want good-looking roses, so off they come!
Some florists (and I'm not one of them), prefer do de-thorn a rose so the customer won't get pricked. The solution is...simply be careful. Aesthetics are one thing, but removing a thorn too close to the stem will injure the rose. And to cure an injury, a scab is formed. And roses can't absorb water through a scab...leading to premature death.

Now your roses are ready for presentation. Whether they are simply wrapped in cellophane, gift-boxed for easy transport, or elegantly designed in a vase, your roses leave the store in their BEST possible condition to last a long time.

And in the end, you receive the value of long-lasting flowers which saves you money!

To view our rose arrangements, please check out our rose catalogue.

"This arrangement sounds even better than the regular Kelowna florist I use"

2012-01-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

Customer testimonials are golden.

Thank you to Mrs. Holland, who posted this customer review on Jan. 3/12:

"Absolutely stunning arrangement (Medium sized w/candle) and delivered on time, when my Mother was home to arrange a delivery that suited her) just before Xmas !! Thank-you so much..

This arrangement sounds even better than the regular Kelowna florist I use for my other parents.. Wonder if the Westbank florist delivers to Kelowna.. will have to find out !!

.. .. and for the same amount of money.. it's hard to know how a Florist will do when you've never used them before and you are ordering out of faith on-line from another Province.. (Calgary to BC)..

The Westbank, BC (West Kelowna) Florist did an amazing job!!!! ..and my Mother was so very happy and she says it's just so up-lifting to see the beauty everytime she comes home to them.. well worth the money ..

Thank-you !!!!! Will have no hesitation to use Simon Says Roses again!!!

Mrs Holland in Calgary (BC was our home)"

Thank you again, Mrs. Holland. You're the greatest!

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

2011-12-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

If you're a rose, you've come a long way baby!

Especially considering that over 80% of flowers purchased in North America come from South America.

That's a long way to travel, for a huge number of flowers!

Let's examine how a rose gets shipped from the farm to your home.

First, the blooms are cut at the farm level in Colombia. Each individual stem is manually cut; pruned from the bush one at a time. They are then bundled into groups of 25 stems, 10 bundles per box for a total of 250 stems per box.

Each box is then trucked to the airport in Bogota. The planes are loaded with 2200 boxes or 550,000 stems, for shipment to Miami. And that's just one plane...they come into Miami about once every hour.

Once arriving in the U.S., the boxes are then inspected to ensure the contents actually contain flowers...no "extras" (remember what Colombia is known for?)

The boxes are then trucked to local Miami warehouses, and segregated with boxes of other flowers for trans-continental shipment. Roses from Colombia, carnations from Ecuador, leather leaf from Costa Rica, and hundreds of other types of flowers loaded into refrigerated semi-trailers.

Then the real trip begins...

According to Google Maps, the trip from Miami to Vancouver should take over 56 hours driving non-stop.

That's less than 3 days...but who is going to drive continuously for that long?

It takes two drivers, each driving 12 hour shifts while the other is snoozing in the sleeper compartment. Not an easy way to make a living!

From Miami to Atlanta, to St. Louis, to Kansas City, to Salt Lake City, up to Seattle and finally with flower delivery in Vancouver at a local wholesaler. It's pretty easy for local florists in Surrey, New Westminster, Burnaby, Langley, White Rock, Richmond, North Vancouver & West Vancouver to pick up their roses.

But often the trip doesn't end in Greater Vancouver, as local couriers must then pick-up and deliver to Victoria, Kelowna, Castlegar, Prince George, and even Prince Rupert which can add another travel day.

Let's say your roses have finally arrived at Simon Says Roses Florists in Victoria.

Now what happens?

Well, the "fun" has just begun to get your blooms into shape for retail sale.

Check out our next blog entry for flower processing done by a professional florist.

Things Go Better With...Coke?

2011-12-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

I'm convinced nobody likes me.

At least they don't like me as much as they like Coke (the soda, not the drug).

It's pretty obvious. I only have 93 people liking me on my Simon Says Rose s facebook page.

Coca-Cola has 36,479,028 likes as of this morning.

Now I know I'm not that popular, but this is ridiculous.

We have got to start catching-up.

So we are going to run a contest.

Our goal is simple.

We're going to try and increase the number of "Likes" on our facebook business page.

And we are going to give away a $100.00 account credit in the process.

Contest rules are simple:

Go to our facebook page at Simon Says Roses Florists & Gifts

Click the Like button.

Voila...you're entered.

Contest closes at midnight on January 31st, 2012.

For the process of picking a winner, every "like" that we have will be assigned a number...from 1 to whatever number of "likes" we end up with.

And to keep the contest perfectly fair, I'm going to go to Mrs.Glosser's Math Goodies which is a random number generator.

The software will generate a number within the range we select.

Whatever number selected will be matched to our "Like" number, the winner will be declared, and a $100.00 credit will go on your account.

Easy peasy.

Not saying we are going to match Coke...but it's a start!