The Flower Blog

The Value of Roses

Posted by Sat, Jan 21, 2023 @ 05:13 PM

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Valentine's Day is just around the corner and we are working tirelessly to ensure that our shop is filled with stunning arrangements and delightful bouquets for you to choose from! Amongst all the beautiful flowers, the rose reigns supreme as the most popular choice. Revered as the favorite flower of Venus, the goddess of Love, roses are currently in high demand all over the world. However, this surge in popularity raises the question - why are roses so expensive during this time of year? It's a fascinating inquiry, and we have the answer ready for you!

Click the video to uncover the behind-the-scenes secrets of product pricing and how it impacts both our business and our valued customers.

 

One of the main factors contributing to the expensive price of roses during Valentine's Day is the lengthy growing period. It takes a full sixty days for a rose bush to produce a mature rose. To meet the high demand on Valentine's Day, growers have to make a difficult decision during the month of December - they cut back production of their current crop of roses by harvesting them early. This means that they have to discard a potential good crop in order to make room for the roses needed on Valentine's Day. It's a risky move, especially considering the unpredictable nature of inclement weather.

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Furthermore, growers face limitations due to the perishable nature of roses and the limited space they have available. They cannot stockpile roses because they would quickly wilt and become unsellable. Additionally, the added expense of heating during the winter and shortened daylight hours further contributes to the higher price of roses.

The grower ultimately sets the price for the roses, which is higher due to the dumping of the crops in December. This additional cost is then passed through each market level - from the grower, to the wholesaler, to the florist, and finally to the customer.

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Another factor impacting the cost of roses is transportation. Most roses are imported from countries like Ecuador, Colombia, and across the country in California. As the demand for roses increases, so does the need for cargo space. This leads to more vehicles on the road and in the air to transport the popular flower. The expenses continue to add up - from cutting back crops to accommodate Valentine's Day demand, to adding more vehicles, and spending more money on gas.

It's not just Valentine's Day that sees a high demand for roses in the new year. Events like the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and the Tournament of Roses parade require a staggering amount of roses. The average float in the Rose Parade uses approximately 160,000 flowers, highlighting the immense popularity of roses.

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Now that you understand the factors behind the high price of roses, you may be wondering if it's worth buying them this year. At Gillespie's, we understand the cost concerns and offer a variety of alternatives to roses. Stargazer lilies, gerbera daisies, carnations, alstroemeria lilies, hydrangea - the options are endless! Our design staff has created stunning bouquets for Valentine's Day that are sure to thrill your loved one, with or without roses.

 Click below to see our specials for Valentine's Day this year!

Valentine's Day Flowers

Topics: Holidays, Seasonal, Valentine's Day flowers, Roses in Indianapolis

Fall Flower Favorites

Posted by Fri, Aug 20, 2021 @ 12:50 PM

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We love when fall season is in full bloom and what better way to celebrate than with our favorite flowers autumn has to offer! From the golden glow of sunflowers to the colorful selection of chrysanthemums; we have a plethora of fall flora!

We'll begin this list with a burst of the biggest blooms heralding the entrance of fall: the sunflower.


Sunflowers

sunflowers_fallflowersSunflower is the top flower which comes to my mind when thinking of the beginning of fall season. Harvested in the late summer/early fall, there are many uses for this beautiful bloom including delicious seeds, cooking oil, and fall decorations of course!  The friendly color of sunflowers go hand in hand with what they symbolize: Loyalty, friendship, strength and adoration. Their sentimentality will brighten someones day whether it be friend, family and/or loved ones. We incorporate sunflowers in bouquets, fall decor, wedding florals and more! You can find these golden beauties in many of our favorite fall arrangements. Find a great selection here.

Chrysanthemum (Fall Mums)

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Pictured above is a cushion mum in a colorful blend of burgundy and white. Mums, much like sunflowers, are a staple for our fall floral selection. These hardy, long lasting flowers are available in traditional autumn colors such as crimson, golden yellow, lavender, violet and white. Known as the "Queen of Fall Flowers", the chrysanthemum is the birth month flower of November and considered the official city flower of Chicago.
We love how these flowers can be enjoyed outdoors in the garden or incorporated in bouquets for any occasion. During early fall season we carry a large selection of mums available at our store and for delivery.  Learn more about mums and how to care for them here.

 

Fall Daisy

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We call them fall daisies but they are actually a part of the Chrysanthemum family. Daisy chrysanthemums are a type of garden mum that you often find in our Fall and Thanksgiving arrangements. We love the pop of color and fullness they add to any bouquet. Daisy mum colors include white, yellow, red, purple, pink and orange. 

 

Asiatic Lily

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Adding drama and elegance to the fall floral lineup is the Asiatic lily. Originally native to Asia and Europe these lilies are now grown around the globe. Asiatic lilies gorgeous blooms are available in many colors however their warm colors such as red, orange and yellow represent energy, creativity, drive and passion. As beautiful as lilies are it's important to note that most varieties of lilies are toxic to cats. If you're planning on incorporating lilies into your next fall arrangement or sending to loved ones remember to consider the recipient's furbabies!


Alstroemeria Lily

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Peruvian Lily, also known as Alstroemeria lily, are known for their vibrant colors, versatility and low maintenance style. Trumpet shaped like lilies, alstroemeria sports brown freckles in their blooms and exotic appeal. Their meaning and symbolization often connect around friendship, love, strength and devotion. You can find many of their most popular colors in our 500 sq ft cooler on any given day.

Carnation

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Carnations are popular for all seasons! These floral chameleons of color have rich shades of burgundy, peach, red and lavender. Pictured above is an example of a more recent addition to our carnation collection in the cooler: The Moon Series. Moon Series carnations feature beautiful blended colors such as Lavender Carnation Moonlight, Dark Purple, Moon Series Purple and lavender. These stunning colors give Fall Halloween arrangements a dash of dark romance and flair.

Carnations, fall daisies, asiatic lilies, alstroemeria and sunflowers are a few of our favorite fall flowers but there's always more you can find in our store at 9255 W 10th St, Indianapolis IN and online here
See some of our favorite fall flowers in action below!



 

Topics: Seasonal, fall flowers, fall bouquets, fall season, sunflowers, alstroemeria

Meet Our Prom King & Queen for 2015!

Posted by Sat, May 23, 2015 @ 09:30 AM

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A few years ago, we at Gillespie Florists thought it would be fun to have a Prom King & Queen Contest and have been having it every year since! Prom goers only needed to post their picture on our Facebook Place Page or use #GFPROM2015 on Instagram or twitter wearing our flowers! We then asked our social media followers to "Like" their favorite picture or make a positive comment about it to determine the winner. We had several people enter but there can be only one winner! 

And the Winner is...

Hiedi Nguyen & Paul Sanders! 

Hiedi and Paul each get a $25.00 gift card to Gillespie Florists and Hiedi will be crowned with a tiara and flowers!

Gillespie Prom king and queen contest winners 2015

Hiedi wore a dendrobium corsage in this picture, similar to the one pictured below!

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As a Thank you, Our Runners ups will recieve a $10.00 gift card each and each girl will recieve a Sunshine bouquet! Just stop in the store, let us know you are a runner up!

Our Runner Ups are:

 

Sydney Judge & Justin Adams

Thomas Barram & Lydia Trapp

A Big Thank You to Everyone Who Entered The Contest! Until Next Year!

Topics: Seasonal, informational, prom

Wedding Bouquet Trends: Modern Garden

Posted by Sat, Jan 17, 2015 @ 10:18 AM

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Every year, all the top wedding experts in flowers, cakes, dresses and more saturate the internet with new wedding trends. We don't have time to read on all the latest celebrity weddings, which colors are hot and which to avoid. Which is funny sometimes because in the end you make a theme your own. The trends are points of direction; from there, you do you! 

Modern Garden is a flower wedding trend which came out in 2015. Relying on texture and loosely gathered florals, this theme has evolved over the years with more greenery and movement. This style is a keeper.

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This striking bouquet above is an example of what you may find at a modern garden wedding.

 

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 "Earthy", "textural", "natural", "vintage with a modern twist": these adjectives all fall under the description for a Modern Garden wedding. The colors will lend towards soft pastel earth tones; however bright and bold will also work beautifully in this category! Another description for this style floating around is "En Plein Air"; an open airy style wedding which ranges from shabby chic to down home country charm rustic. 

What kind of flowers will we see in a garden style wedding? Large beautiful garden roses, callas, hypericum berries, succulent, and all sorts interesting textures you will find in billy balls, waxflower, scabiosa pods, liatris and more! The key word for florals and decoration throughout the ceremony and reception is texture.  

 If you are a member of the DIY revolution, love to incorporate shabby chic into your home, like creating crafty decor out of found objects and are prone to selecting patterns which shouldn't go together but do in the most interesting and eye-catching way, then this modern garden motif is definitely up your alley.

Expanding upon the color usage mentioned earlier this theme steps away from the glamour of silver and gold, introducing the more subtle metallic nature of copper. The rich and warm inviting hue is a perfect complement to "an afternoon of picking wildflowers" design and easy structure for centerpieces, accents, invitations, and beyond.

 Since we're thinking about the open air, loose flowers, interesting artifacts and found containers, where does this leave the reception dining? Table settings are relaxed; creatively informal;, the menu is built from the growing trend in tasting and/or sampling stations; and the atmosphere is more of an ethereal rustic quality thanks to the twinkling scattered lights which are romantically reminiscent of stars.

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The beauty of a modern garden wedding, and most wedding themes really, is it is all about your interpretation of them. Want to have an informal and intimate ceremony and reception with bold colors, salvaged wood with string art, glitter gold containers and a gourmet taco sample station? You can! It's your wedding day. Make it your masterpiece.

Need bridal bouquet ideas and inspiration? Visit our online collection here!

 

Click below to schedule a complimentary wedding consultation with us!

Contact our Wedding Specialist!

 

 



Topics: weddings, Seasonal, informational, trends

After Christmas Sale Through January 5th!

Posted by Sat, Dec 27, 2014 @ 11:15 AM

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Happy Holidays! 

Were the stockings hung by the chimney with care? Did you have a mountain of wrapping paper and boxes strewn everywhere?  It's after Christmas and time for the New Year so we are celebrating the year's end with discounts and deals on our items in the shop!

 

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Stock up on adorable and unique Christmas decorations for next year or something sweet for loved ones on their upcoming birthday and other special occasions! Stop by our shop today before all of our favorites are gone! 

Having a New Year's Eve celebration? Check out our special bouquets online, they will be a hit!

New Year's Bouquets

Like chocolate? Don't forget to pick up the amazing Moonstruck Chocolate from our shop!

Season's Greetings and Have a Happy New Year!

Topics: Seasonal, Sales, informational

Holiday and Christmas Bouquets at Gillespie Florists!

Posted by Sun, Dec 14, 2014 @ 06:43 AM

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Friends,We are knee deep in the most wonderful time of the year!
Are you having fun yet? Got your shopping done? Need to add more "holiday" to your home or send to someone who needs Christmas cheer? Our talented designers at Gillespie Florists have been working as hard as Santa's elves this year making joyful and merry bouquets to ring in the season. Have you seen what they have been up to? No? Take a moment, sip your spiced latte, and peruse a few of MANY of our floral creations for this holiday and Christmas season.

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Winter Glow

Beginning the list is the traditional and always elegant centerpiece "Winter Glow". This design withstands the test of time with rich red mini-carnations, real pinecones, a set of tapered candles, and the holiday inducing fragrance of fresh pines and evergreens. A superb option for holiday parties, Christmas feasts, or perhaps just to add a bit more "spirit" to your home!

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Silver Cardinal

Add a twist on traditional colors with this charming vased arrangement complete with keepsake silver cardinal ornament and burlap ribbon! This fashionably rustic piece can be placed just about anywhere to harbor in holiday cheer and brighten even the most "humbug" of office spaces! This thoughtful gift will be remembered through the years as the cardinal ornament adorns trees of Christmas future.

 

 

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Hot Cocoa Mug

The weather outside might be frightful but you can stay warm and cozy inside with this delightful Hot Cocoa Mug! The peppermint carnations, white cushion daisy mums, natural pinecones, berries, bright red mini-carnations, and fresh evergreens will treat your eyes with their festive colors! This merry mug from TeleFlora keeps on giving as you leisurely sip cocoa and watch Christmas movies with the family or have alittle "me" time with your hot beverage of choice.

 

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Sugar Plum Dreams

Visions of sugar plums will be dancing in your head with this stunning bouquet of carnations, hypericum berries, bupleureum, and natural pinecones. This contemporary design is completed with a modern cube vase and non-traditional colors to make your next get-together simply fabulous! 

 

 

 

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Heavenly Peace

What list of holiday flowers is complete without a divine arrangement which defines the spirit of the season.  Featuring a keepsake Holy Family figurine and artfully designed with red roses, white daisies, fresh cut pine, glitter leaves, natural pinecones, this arrangement is a lovely and warm-hearted reminder of Christmas celebration.

These are just a few of many marvelous arrangements and bouquets which our designers have created for this holiday season. To view more of our holiday collection, stop by our shop or find us online!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Shop Christmas Bouquets

Shop Winter Bouquets!

Topics: Seasonal, Sales, informational, trends

DIY Christmas Centerpiece Class

Posted by Sat, Nov 29, 2014 @ 11:03 AM

describe the imageLet the holiday cheer get into full gear! Our Thanksgiving feast is digesting so it's time in the Christmas season preparation we'll be investing! 

This year while you are perfectly aligning the stockings to be hung and checking all your to-do lists twice, be sure to pencil in some fun time for yourself, a friend, and bring home your very own DIY Christmas Centerpiece!  

ChristmasTraditionsYes, we had such fun with our "Giving Thanks" DIY Centerpiece class we decided to continue spreading the floral design cheer by offering two opportunities to get your DIY floral design on again, with Christmas! Please join us on one of the following dates:

Wednesday, December 10th

OR

Wednesday, December 17th

6-7:30pm

Don't wait too late to register for the opportunity to create your own Christmas centerpiece.  Seating is 12 students per class; call us today, they fill up quick!

Perhaps you need a ladies night with your best friend, or maybe alittle mother/daughter time (yep, we welcome kids to the class as long as they are under your supervision), or maybe, just maybe you want to break out of the normal date night and do something different! Guys, from my point of view, if my husband asked if I wanted to attend the class, I would be thrilled. We would have some great laughs while taking a chance to do something different!

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Did you miss out on the Thanksgiving class? Not quite sure you're ready to discover whether your green thumb is in working order or not? Don't worry! We have experienced designers on hand to help you! Not sure you know what you're doing? It's ok, neither do I.  Like I've mentioned before, I'm the florist's odd daughter. The one who makes designs with a keyboard and mouse. At some point however, if we want to grow we need to step out of the comfort zone and try new things.  I can see it now! The class in the design room with fresh cut pine and evergreen, rich in color carnations, and a design bowl just waiting to be filled with your creation.  There might even be holiday music in the background!  

Are you sold yet? Are you ready to design?Call 317-273-1100 to reserve your seat! Payment will be taken before class begins. Hope to see you there!

 

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Topics: Seasonal, Sales, informational, trends

Grand Holiday Sale at Gillespie Florists!

Posted by Mon, Nov 24, 2014 @ 09:06 AM

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“May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.”      - Mary Anne Radmacher

It's the holidays! Time to bring on some good cheer and what better way to start than with a fantastic sale to deck out your halls for the most wonderful time of the year!

Starting November 24th and running through December 8th, we are pleased to be presenting you with the following discounts on most of our items! Plush, Webkinz, Thanksgiving and Christmas decor, merchandise, and more! Stop by and see us soon before all these great items disappear!

 

Holiday Sale

 
60% off Plush
60% off Webkinz
60% off Fall
25% off Christmas
25% off of any other everyday gift items or merchandise
50% off *Select* Christmas merchandise
Sale does NOT include: Live plants, fresh cut flowers, or anything that needs serviced. (Such as adding bows to the sales items)
*Sales items are take out only
*All sales are final 
 

There you have it! 2 full weeks of holiday sale goodness to start the season off right!

Don't forget to check our website for winter bouquets and our Blue Mountain Christmas collection!

Shop Winter Bouquets!

Topics: Seasonal, Sales, informational

DIY "Giving Thanks" Design Class at Gillespie Florists!

Posted by Wed, Nov 05, 2014 @ 07:32 AM

describe the imageDid someone say DIY? Yes, Yes I did because this is the age of DIY and at some point friends, you WILL hop on this trend if you haven't already! Not sure where to start? Need some guidance? There are bountiful amounts of classes around town ready to ignite your creative side with painting, drawing, making cards, etc. Do these classes work with living components? Step aside paint brushes, bounce back to your boxes, beads; we are getting three dimensional with live flowers, containers, and an instructor with decades of experience!

 

describe the imageGillespie Florists is taking the DIY class trend to the next level with our first

"Giving Thanks" Floral Design Class on

Tuesday, November 18th, from 6-7pm 

Weds, 11/19, from 6-7pm! (CLASS NOW FULL)

at 9255 W 10th St, Indianapolis 46234

Now if you're anything like me, you're probably thinking, "I like flowers..that people give me, premade. I can't control-z or command-option-z out of this one!"  These are reasonable thoughts however this is the age of DOING and you will have the most experienced person, Patrick Gillespie, as your guide and instructor on your flagship journey into the world of floral design. I hear he is quite funny...or corny...but nevertheless, an hour exposure with this guy will have you designing flowers in no time whilst making jokes your family will be most certainly not appreciate therefore I would suggest you take your freshly made arrangement home and leave the jokes with us, we are used to it.

centerpiece copyImagine, if you will, setting the table for Thanksgiving: A bountiful aromatic feast fit for the most special occasions, cutlery shined to the nines, dishes daintily decorated, and amidst this glorious vision is your centerpiece, that you made, with your own hands! Friends and family ask "Where did you get the centerpiece, it's BEAUTIFUL!"  "Oh, I made it at Gillespie Florists; they gave me flowers and this, THIS is my creation!" It is a proud moment, isn't it, when you have a successful dinner party; build a bookshelf; gaze upon a perfectly mulched garden you worked on all spring; and now your latest venture into DIY, a fall floral centerpiece for you and the family to enjoy!

So how about it? Sound pretty good? One hour and $25 for our centerpiece materials including: design bowl, carnations, fall daisies, candle, filler! We will also have accessories available if you would like to add more to your creation!

CLASS SPACE IS FULL FOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH

CALL US TODAY AT 317-273-1100 TO REGISTER FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18th!

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Topics: Seasonal, Sales, informational, trends

Trick-or-Treat! More than Candy at Gillespie Florists!

Posted by Wed, Oct 29, 2014 @ 10:01 AM

describe the imageAll Hallow's Eve is upon us! What better way to celebrate Halloween than to decorate with spooky stuff, eat candy, and create scary fun bouquets?That's how we roll at Gillespie Florists. Another way we enjoy Halloween is to dress up in costume! Know what else we love? Trick-or-Treaters! And because we enjoy costumes, candy, Trick-or-Treaters and more, we have a special treat for you! 

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Are your little Trick or Treaters anxious to get the Halloween ball rolling?  Did they hop off the bus in costume and you've got a few errands to run?  Bring everyone over to our shop for a few treats of our own as we host a few Trick or Treat hours in our sixth year and running...

Treat or Flower!

Except it's Treat AND Flower! We send off our costumed Trick-or-Treaters in style with candy AND a free flower! Is there a more fabulous way to start the evening than with a fresh flower to go along with the impending harvest of sweet treats?

 

 


Trick or TreatersStill not sure it sounds like fun? Let me convince you with some pictures of a few of our visitors during All Hallow's Eve past! We have some really cool displays that are perfect for taking pictures! We'll take pictures for you and will be happy to email you a copy of the picture!

 

Trick or Treat Hours

Friday Oct. 31st 4p-7p


Trick or TreatStorewide Sale!

We are all about the treats here so why not pick up a few things since we are having a storewide sale!!!

Candles, Webkinz, Silks, Comfort Throws, Angels, giftware...everything 40% OFF! 

**This is for Take Out Only and on items already in stock. This sale excludes: Serviced Product, fresh flowers, and plants. Sales items cannot be delivered. Restrictions may apply. All sales are final**

 

Hmm...costumes, candy, flowers, storewide sale...sounds like a great way to start Halloween!  Be sure to add our shop to your trick or treat route: We will be there with flowers and candy at the ready and excited to show off our own creative costuming as well! 

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Topics: Seasonal, Sales, informational, trends