The Flower Blog

One of my favorite things to give for Christmas is the poinsettia! Poinsettias get a bad wrap because they are poisonous to animals but did you know that it can take up to 10 whole poinsettia plants to be poisonous to a cat?  I have two cats and they will nibble on various plants and flowers I bring into the house but they don’t eat the whole thing.

So, What is poisonous in the poinsettia? The milky white sap found in poinsettias contains the chemicals: saponin-like detergents & diterpenoid euphorbol esters.  While poinsettias are commonly known as poisonous plants, the poisoning is greatly exaggerated. Also remember that poinsettias on affect cats and dogs, they are not poisonous in any way to humans.

But just in case you are worried about your cat or dog being poisoned, here are a few symptoms to watch out for: vomiting, drooling, and rarely, diarrhea may be seen. If the milky sap is exposed to skin, dermal irritation - including redness, swelling, and itchiness- might develop. There is no at home treatment for poinsettia poison. If you feel your pet has been poinsettia poisoning, you will need to go see your vet.

Since there is no true threat to your animals from poinsettias, feel confident to pick up a poinsettia before Christmas and enjoy having the beautiful colorful plant in your home all winter and spring!

There are a few poisonous plants I want to note that you should worry about if you have pets.

Lilies, holly and mistletoe.

Just a few bites from a lily can result in severe acute kidney failure in cats. When holly is ingested, it can result in severe gastrointestinal upset thanks to the spiny leaves. If ingested, most dogs and cats lip smack, drool, and head shake excessively due to the mechanical injury from the spiny leaves. As for mistletoe, most of us hang it high enough so it’s out of reach of our dogs and cats but the leaves and berries can dry out then fall from the stem to the floor. So, keep an eye on your mistletoe after it is hung.  Thankfully, American mistletoe is less toxic than the European varieties of it. Usually mild signs of gastrointestinal irritation are seen with mistletoe ingestion.

When ordering your Christmas bouquet or a bouquet at any time of year, just mention to our sales staff if the home the flowers are being delivered to has animals and we will make sure to exclude anything that may be harmful! Because our designers love the look of variegated holly, we keep silk holly on hand to use in bouquets for homes with pets!

Check out some of our great poinsettias and other plants by clicking below.

Check out our  Christmas Video below! 

Fall 2012 brought about the beauty in the season by way of autumn foliage, fall colors and of course gorgeous wedding flowers! Wedding Specialist Sarah describes a few of the wedding bouquets from the weekend and gives some solid advice regarding the best flowers to use during the cool autumn months.

Fall 2012, the Gillespie staff enjoyed designing a wedding with rich fall colors and textures.  I was especially thrilled with the bridal bouquet, which featured freesia, Lipstick roses, Eryngium, hypericum berry and carnations.  

The white freesia added a touch of white to blend with the bride’s gown.  More importantly, freesia adds a sweet, memorable fragrance.  Did you know that your sense of smell is linked to your memory?  I recommend that brides carry fresh, fragrant flowers to heighten their senses and to provide a lasting memory of their wedding day.

The Lipstick roses are a colorful addition to this bouquet.  This particular variety of rose features a bright yellow color with a deep red edge.  A popular choice during the late summer and fall, Lipstick is a unique addition to wedding bouquets.

Hypericum berry has been a fall favorite for the last several years.  Hypericum is available in several fall colors, including burgundy, which is featured in this bridal bouquet.  Hypericum adds a light fragrance and a beautiful texture.  

Carnations sometimes get a “bad rap” for being a common flower, but carnations are available in a wide palate of colors, as well as provide a unique texture of their own.  When grouped together, carnations take on a similar shape and texture to the peony (which is only available for a short time in the spring).  Although the fragrance of a peony cannot be duplicated, carnations have a light and pleasant scent of their own.

Eryngium, also known as thistle, is being used more often in wedding décor as a seasonal and textural accent.  The silvery, pale blue color lends itself to a variety of popular color schemes as well.  Pictured here are additional bridal bouquets featuring Eryngium.

Ready to start planning your dream Fall wedding? Click below to contact our wedding specialist!

Check out some of our designs online with pictures and pricing!

Also, Check out our great Fall wedding video! 

At 29 years old, I feel like I am young enough keep up with ever changing social media and old enough to know when to listen to someone older and wiser, even though he has long passed away. 

Before we begin, if you don’t know what an order gatherer is or are unfamiliar with how wire orders work, then please read “What is a Order Gatherer and Why is it a problem?”

Florists around the country have been frustrated in recent years with the state of our industry. With more and more consumers buying online, order gatherers are forming and confusing consumers.  Order gatherers advertise online in a way that makes them appear to be a local flower shop, even though they are not. They sell orders undervalue and expect your local florist to fill and deliver the order.  Sadly, most florists are unable to break even on the cost of the bouquet and delivery service provided.
The filling florist has two choices: fill the order as close as possible to the product ordered at the price point provided or reject the order citing “undervalue” as an explanation as to why they can not fill the order. If we get a wire order from another florist and it is under value, we reject the order. The problem is, if the order gets rejected too many times, order gatherers have been known to take the original specific bouquet request and replace it with a more general and open bouquet request. This helps to get the order filled and delivered, however the customer who selected a specific bouquet will most likely be disappointed. Because of the lack of communication and customer service of order gatherers, disappointed customers make the assumption that no florist can be trusted and they will never have delivered what was ordered.

So, What does this have to do with Jim Arbogast? In November of 1967, Jim sent out a letter on behalf of his florist, Arbogast Floral Company, across the nation to all of the current FTD florist members. In this letter he included a minimum price list for items such as: fresh flower bouquets, blooming plants, fruit baskets, funeral arrangements and so on. He noted that his florist sold only arranged flowers, no boxed or loose flowers. (We also practice this) He also said the following:

“We suggest you ‘Sell Up’ on all orders -- Get a price better than minimum to insure customer satisfaction...we [are not] a part of a fraternal group.  We are organized for profit -- We expect profitable orders.  We will send you orders at least as good as our minimums -- We expect similar reciprocity! Please do not call us for orders for less than our prices listed in this letter.  PROFIT OR PERISH!  We wish you a profitable holiday season! “

After speaking with my dad (Patrick Gillespie) and Walter Metz of South Florida School of Floral Design, I found out that Jim Arbogast was frustrated with getting orders from other florists that were overpromised and undervalue. All too often when he would fill these orders, the sending flower shop would contact Jim, requesting a replacement or refund because their customer was dissatisfied with the size or content of the product. He was also tired of calling flower shops “on his own dime” (long distance was not “free” in the 1960’s) to explain why he was unable to fill their order. So, in frustration, he sent out the letter mentioned above.
Although many years have passed since 1967 and wire services have tried to fix the problem of selling undervalued product, the problem still remains. It just comes from a different source. That is why Jim Arbogast didn’t like order gatherers, he just didn’t know it! I know that my dad feels frustration when he is trying to educate others about the problems in this industry I wonder if that is how Jim Arbogast felt, too? I wish Jim knew that his letter, written 45 years ago, was impactful enough for at least a few people to save it for future reference. My dad and Walter Metz still refer to Jim’s letter today (parts of which I have scanned and posted on this blog)!

Today, most wire services have minimums for bouquets, plants, etc. This does help to a point with receiving undervalue orders. Occasionally, order gatherers send orders that meet the minimum for a bouquet however do not include monetary consideration for delivery service or over promise the content of a bouquet at the minimum price. For example, our minimum for bouquets is $30.00. This is a small bouquet, appropriate for a desk filled with utility flowers, such as carnations, alstroemeria, daisies, and/or accent flower. An order gatherer might request a medium or even a large bouquet, filled with premium flowers, such as lilies and roses at the $30.00 price point.

Every flower shop deals with order gatherers differently. This is subject is debated 24/7 on online forums and groups for florists across the country. Some have completely dropped out of wire services, making it harder for them to send orders across the country and almost impossible to send out of the country. The biggest downfall to this choice, is the florist loses all of the advantages a wire service can provide; such as ecommerce website, Point of Sale computers and programming, selection guides and more. Some florists stay with their wire services (sometimes more than one) and accept every order that they get and do the best they can for the recipient no matter how little money allotted.  The biggest downfall with filling undervalue orders is that the florist will be losing money and will ultimately fail. Many florists, like us, maintain one wire service and closely examine the orders we accept. Reciprocation is important to us at Gillespie Florists. For example, if a florist in another city and/or state fills an order for us and takes care of our customer as we would, then we want to do the same for them. Order gatherers cannot reciprocate!

How each florist deals with order gatherers is up to them. Perhaps more importantly, how do you, the consumer, deal with order gatherers? How do you make sure that every dollar you spend is represented in the product and service that you receive? Educate yourself! Call a REAL florist and find out exactly what product and service you will receive for your money. Customers have told me our prices might be a bit higher than order gatherers, but they always get exactly what they ask for and are never disappointed. I have customers call me and say the bouquet was even more beautiful than the picture!

Here are some resources for you:

How do you know if you are talking to a REAL florist? CLICK HERE to find out.

Here another Flower shops opinion on Order Gatherers & wire services. CLICK HERE to find out.  

Learn the difference between Order Gatherers and Drop-Shippers. CLICK HERE to find out.

Here’s even more on the subject of Order Gatherers and wire services. CLICK HERE to find out.

Also, read about how some funeral homes are adding to the confusion. CLICK HERE to find out. 

I have customers asking me all the time “Can you spray paint my flowers?” I always tell them that it is possible but not my first choice. We will not tell a customer “No” just because of personal preference of fresh flowers to painted flowers; but we will offer different options and make sure they understand the service or product they are getting. 

Say for instance a customer wants a blue rose to give to their date. We can buy stem dyed blue roses; however it will take a week or so to get in because it's a special order. There are a few other options such as blue flowers like iris or hydrangea. If we have silk blue roses in stock we could offer those or to paint a white rose. If the customer decided to have the white rose painted, it's possible the rose may lose a day of it's life.  If the customer is ok with the rose losing a day of life then we will happily paint the rose!

The reason why we say roses may lose a day of life when they are painted is because in our experience the flowers we have painted have not lasted quite as long unpainted roses. We use Just For Flowers paint made by Design Master. Their website advertises that Just For Flowers can actually extend the life of the flower. Per their information, the paint slows down the evaporation of water from the flower petal which is how the life is extended. This could be true in a setting where the flower does not have access to water, like a corsage or bridal bouquet. Just For Flowers may help the flower look better for the evening of an event but it may be a different story if the expectation is flowers lasting for two weeks which is why we caution customers regarding longevity. 

With that said, there are a lot of benefits to use Just For Flowers spray. Because the spray is a translucent color, it will not cover up the beautiful details of your flower. Its a fast drying spray that can be recoated without any streaking or clumping of color. When spraying the flower it almost looks like the flower is soaking up the color rather than the color sitting on top of the flower. It can also be used on ribbon such as satin, lace or almost any fabric. 

Let’s get down to the brass tax. Do we suggest painting fresh flowers? Although I prefer flowers in their natural color and state, painting flowers can be beneficial under certain circumstances. If you want flowers in colors that are unavailable, asking your florist to use Just For Flowers spray is the best way to get the color you want on a fresh flower!

Click Below to Browse Our Entire Line of Fresh Cut Bouquets!

Check out this video about painting flowers below!

Hurry in for our Spectacular Fall Sale!  

Gifts, Candles, Silks & Webkinz Are 50% OFF!

 Sale Ends September 16^th!

Make Sure to Ask about any Fresh Flower Take Out Specials!

Take Out Only. 

Sale items cannot be delivered.

Sale does not include serviced product. Restrictions may apply.

All sales are final.

The Fall flowers are here! I look forward to getting in fall flowers every year! I don’t think I will ever get tired of the beautiful colors! The deep burgundy, rich bronzes, bright oranges, lush creams, dark plum and everything inbetween! Although Fall colors do tend to be darker, it works by giving you a warm, rich and fuzzy feeling!

If you are going to send flowers during the Fall season, I suggest sending a Fall themed bouquet! We make Fall bouquets for every occasion, from Anniversaries to Sympathy bouquets!

Fall Anniversary

Autumn Fire is the perfect Anniversary gift, especially if you are sending flowers to your wife’s work! Autumn Fire is designed in a clear glass cube with tea roses, tropical leucadendron, carnations, safflower and greenery! This compact bouquet is perfect for an office desk or somewhere with limited space. She will love the rich colors and the wonderful smell of the roses!

Fall Birthday

The Harvest Moon bouquet makes a special birthday gift! This ceramic pumpkin is filled with large sunflowers, curly willow, hypericum berries, fall daisies, solidego, wheat and greenery! This bouquet is the perfect mix of Fall rich colors with bright birthday colors! This medium sized arrangement will fit perfectly at work but will also work as a great centerpiece on your dining room table! An added bonus is the ceramic pumpkin that can be used as decoration for the fall season, candy dish or add your own flowers to it for Thanksgiving! 

Fall Get Well

It is never fun to be sick, especially on a beautiful Fall day. Bring the Fall season to someone who is feeling under the weather with the Morning Meadow bouquet! This clear glass vase is filled with daisies, alstroemeria lilies, sunflowers, safflower, carnations and greenery! This will surely brighten their room and lift their spirits!

Fall Sympathy

It is never easy to lose a loved one and it can be hard to know how to express your sympathy to the family. Our designers create beautiful and tasteful bouquets just for these occasions. Some customers ask me if it is appropriate to send flowers of the season and I always say “Yes”. There are a few things to keep in mind though. If you are sending sympathy flowers during the Christmas 

season, it would not be appropriate to send a bouquet with glitter and a Santa in it. You must keep in mind what you are trying to convey to the family. You want to bring comfort in their time of loss. You want to them see something beautiful that might lift their spirits and mayremind them of happy memories with their loved one.  

For the Fall Sympathy, I would send the Morning’s First Light bouquet. This bouquet can be sent to the services or the home. It has a lasting gift of the WoodWick candle that comes in the center of a fragrant fresh flower bouquet filled with roses, carnations, button daisies and more!

Want to see more Fall Flower bouquets? Check out this Video below!

We are so excited to have gotten in a new line of wind chimes in!Gillespie Florists has been offering Wind chimes from different vendors for the past few years but we decided we wanted better. After some research we decided to go with QMT Windchimes! 

QMT Windchimes has been manufacturing hand-tuned wind chimes right here in the USA for over 30 years. They manufacture their chimes in Manassas Park, Virginia and use raw materials from American lumber and aluminum suppliers! They manufacture over 600 varieties of wind chimes so you can imagine that could not order all 600! What did we order? Check it out below!

Corinthian Bells

Corinthian Bells combine excellence in design with incredible tones and resonance. They are visually and acoustically exceptional chimes! The centrally suspended heavy-walled aluminum tubes along with the high-density striker give these chimes their outstanding tones and resonance. The tubes are powder coated to match the dome and wind sail, giving a complete finished look to the chime.

Shenandoah Melodies

Shenandoah Melodies are designed to resonate beautiful tones in the slightest breeze. Powder coated aluminum on the top, tubes, and sail provide weather resistance to the chimes, as well as a sophisticated, finished look.  Shenandoah Melodies are individually hand-tuned to provide years of musical enjoyment.

Arias & Arias Elite

For more than twenty years, the Arias have been built to last the test of time.  The wood components are redwood with a penetrating oil-resin finish. The aluminum is anodized or powder-coated to stand up to the elements, and everything is held together with a strong cord.  Durable and weather-resistant, they will provide you years of enjoyment. They have an earthy, natural look that will easily become part of the scenery in your landscape.  Whether in gentle breezes or strong winds, the Arias chimes will generate beautiful music to surround your home.

Weatherland

Weatherland wind chimes are individually hand-tuned to clear, classical notes that resonate peaceful melodies. Weatherland wind chimes are made of weather-resistant materials for year-round enjoyment! Weatherland wind chimes are available in Walnut-finish or Oak. The wood components are varnished with an exterior satin finish for a polished, yet natural look. The Oak components tend to have soft, light coloring, while the Walnut-finish components have rich dark hues, with hints of light coloring.

Wind chimes can be appropriate to send to someone for a wide variety of occasions! You can have us box it in one of our white gift boxes wrapped with tissue and a bow, have us deliver it on one of our hand crafted wind chime easel stands with a bow and trailing ribbons or have us incorporate it into a large plant or bouquet! With wind chimes ranging in size from 12” - 67”, we will have the right size for you! Call us at 317.273.1100 for more details!

Although we do not have these new wind chimes on our site yet, take a few minutes to check out the other wonderful gift items we have for you to choose from by clicking below!