Paper flowers

We love these beautiful paper flowers from Frances & Francis. 

http://francesandfrancis.com/helenfrances/

http://francesandfrancis.com/helenfrances/

"Helen Frances is the creator, designer and illustrator of this brand based in St Albans, just north of London. She creates charmingly nostalgic designs with a close attention to detail. The second Francis is a tribute to her grandfather who was a charming, encouraging and supporting figure to Helen."

 - www.francesandfrancis.com

To see more click here

Article about Frances & Francis from design sponge

Study: Young adults, color & fragrance

To view entire text of the study click here

 BACKGROUND

This study was done to determine consumer trends in young adults (Ages 18 - 25) when it comes to flowers. It looks at the relationship between fragrance & color, to determine the most appealing combination for young adults.  

207 College-age students participated in this study

Color & Fragrance

"We hypothesized that subjects would be significantly more likely to purchase a sweet/red 

combination and least likely to purchase the control condition combination"

Social Media 

Students where also asked about social media 

- 98% said they did not "like" any flower retailer on Facebook

- 39.7% said they were unlikely to purchase flowers online based only on FB

- When asked what information should be included on facebook, the young adults reponded: Prices, deals, shipping information, and variety of flowers that can be bought

To view entire text of the study click here

This article was taken from www.sierraflowerfinder.com

 to view whole article, please click here. 

Hydration 101 - Some tips on basic flower hydration

Translate Article: EN FR ES DE

Posted by Sandy Smith on 17/02/2012

Hydrate upon arrival
Flowers are living things and need proper care and handling. The sooner the flowers hydrate, the better they will perform.

Inspect the product prior to hydration
This step is vital, as it may affect how you treat the product.
Flowers with a tighter cut stage may need to be hydrated using warm water and kept in a warm environment until they reach the desired maturity. Chrysanthemums, gyp, asters and sunflowers are a few flowers that can benefit from this.
Most other flowers should be hydrated in cold water.
Product that is obviously damaged or diseased should be removed.

Use clean buckets, vases and containers
Good hygiene is critical to ensure performance.
All containers should be cleaned using recognized cleaning products or even just bleach.
This will limit the bacteria in the water and make the flowers last longer.

Use sharp, clean instruments to cut the stems
This will help hydrate flowers best. The stem of the flower is the only part that should be in water, so remove any excess foliage.

Use a hydration agent to help with the first drink
A flower’s first drink is very important and hydration agents like Quick Dip can make a big difference.
Hydration agents can be used with all cut flowers and can make a huge difference with roses. Using this type of product can seriously reduce the occurrence of  “bent necks” in roses, which is caused by poor hydration.

Use recognized products that increase flower vase life
Floralife Flower Food and Chrysal Rose Pro are two of the most popular brands.
Be sure to use the right dose for best results. These products feed the flowers and help keep the water cleaner. Cold water is recommended for most flowers.

Display the flowers to make them look their best
A nice display helps the flowers sell themselves.
Allow enough room in the container so that there is airflow between the bunches and the product doesn’t get damaged. Don’t over-pack the container.

Keep at the appropriate temperature
Most flowers hold best when they are cool. 5C is ideal for most flowers but exotic flowers need to be at slightly higher temperatures, between 12C to 16C.

For more information on products, care and handling:
http://www.floralife.com
http://www.chrysal.nl