Think Before You Buy!

As Valentine's Day is right around the corner I wanted to give you a little "insider" information so you can make an informed decision regarding your floral purchase this year.

A rose is a rose is a rose....

Oh no it's not!
Sure you can step into any convenience store at midnight, drop a few dollars on a rose and give it to your sweetie. This will do in a pinch but realize that these roses have probably been sitting in that bucket of stagnant water for a week and will not last long enough for your sweetie to take the plastic wrapper off.

Or,  you might have seen the ads of grocery and drug stores selling roses at impossibly low prices and think you can save big! Well,  the price is low but so is the value and the quality!
Usually, these stores stock up on roses the week before Valentine's day. The flowers probably arrived at some warehouse where unskilled laborers put together the bouquets in assembly line fashion the week before their arrival. Then they are loaded up in a truck and hauled to a distribution point. Then they ride around in the back of a truck for a day or so before they even make it to these stores. Finally, after their arrival  they are prominently displayed for sale usually in the produce section. Where the rest of their vase life is diminished by ethylene gas emitted by fruit. Good luck too trying to find someone there that can help you with you decision! So, by the time you put them in your cart,  put them in your car and drive without turning them over if you are lucky, and present them to your sweetie they may last a day or two.
There is no real savings or value there!

On the other hand. When you purchase flowers from a real professional florist you can be rest assured that your roses are of the best quality! You see, we really know flowers like no one else. We order only the best blooms months in advance. Upon arrival in our shops we hand inspect each flower, groom them petal by petal, give the ends a fresh cut and place them in hydrating solution and then transfer them into sanitized buckets of fresh water with an antibacterial solution. We change this water every other day.  Our work stations, knives and tools are sanitized twice a day. Our refrigeration is set at the proper temperature and humidity level just for flowers. We are educated on proper care and handling guidelines for flowers and finally,  we use professional design skills to build our arrangements one by one.  All to make our flowers last as long as possible for you!  Our roses will last 7 to 14 days or longer! I guarantee it at my shop and so do most other professional florists!
We are very happy to see you in our shops and are eager to guide you through your purchase! We will even deliver your gift! If you decide to take the flowers with you we will put the arrangement in a tray designed especially for this so you do not have to drive with one hand on the wheel and one hand on your flowers. I think this is illegal in most states too! We are so happy that you decided to shop with us that we will even  carry it to your car for you!
This is where your value and savings are!
Give your local flower shop a chance! We will dazzle and amaze you! Your sweetie will be very impressed  and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are a savvy buyer!

Museum Or Store?

Whenever I travel I like to ask locals what shop or shops they recommend for unique gifts or home decor, and I go to the recommended shops for inspiration and ideas to implement into Lake Gaston Flower Shop. I have visited some real winners! One of my favorite places to go when I visit "The Big Mitten" AKA Michigan, is Cabela's. It is right on M23 in Dundee. No, I am not an avid hunter or angler and plaid is not my favorite print but this store is magnificent in it's layout and decor. It is half museum half store. What amazes me the most is the vast collection of animals. You could literally walk around for hours and not see them all. I am an animal lover and I do feel a bit upset that the animals were hunted but that's another blog! There is also a fresh water trout stream that meanders through the store and a huge aquarium with assorted fresh water fish to see. While I was walking through the store inspiration for Valentine's Day skipped across my brain! I am so excited now to get the products I have ordered and implement my "Get Wild" Valentine's display! I took some photos while I was there and thought I would share a few with you!