The Secret Garden Decatur

A Look Back on 2011

2012-01-09T10:00:00.000-06:00

Another year has passed us by. We can't believe it is already 2012! And we know this year is going to be another amazing one.

We want to start by thanking all of you. Our friends, fans, clients, and family. Without your support we could not do what we love every day. You have helped make 2011 a very successful year. We had an increase in our sales over 2010 and have seen so many new clients because of the great things all of you are saying about us. Here is just a little run down on some of the memorable times in 2011.

January ~ January is always our month of planning and preparation. We clean, organize, inventory, and plan for the upcoming year.

February ~ The month of love. Hundreds of lucky guys and gals received flowers & gifts from The Secret Garden this past year. Here are some of our designs that you all helped us name last year.

March ~ Spring arrives and so did our new monthly feature that you all have enjoyed so much. We started an "arrangement of the month" and we have had our fans name each one! It has been as much fun for us as it has for all of the people who have come up with some very creative names.

April ~ April showers and some amazing spring product hits the shelves.

May ~ Mother's Day! One of our favorite months because the weather is warmer and we can start enjoying time outside.

June, July, & August ~ The slower months of summer, but weddings heat up! Here are some of the great weddings we created for brides last year.

September ~ Autumn starts to take over and the colors of fall bloom all around us. Fall colors are amazing to work with and we just love it!

October ~ We participated in the WSOY food drive this year and it was an amazing success. With all of our friends & fans supporting the community it warmed our hearts!

November ~ Thanksgiving flowers filled the shop. We saw so many of our friends and clients stop in to help us celebrate Small Business Saturday. It was our first year to combine our Open House with Small Business Saturday and it will be the start of a great tradition!

December ~ Christmas at The Secret Garden! Our Top 10 List was the focus of our Christmas time celebrations this year and it was so much fun.

So that wraps up another fantastic year at The Secret Garden! Here comes 2012 and here's to making it the best one yet!

Being Independent

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-06:00

As many of you already know we are no longer a member of Teleflora, or any other "wire" service. We are 100% independent and we love it!

One of the things we used to love about being a member of Teleflora (and let me tell you things we loved were few and far between) was our website. They would update it, create the banners, change the product, and we just had to sit back and wait for orders to come in. That was all well and good but we had no creative control over it. We may not like the designs, color choices, or containers they were featuring. So we started adding our own product. It didn't take us long to see that people were choosing our unique designs over the other designs offered.

So now we are free, free to do what we want, free to create our own designs, free to choose the flowers, containers, and more. Let me tell you, we LOVE being free.

Here is what we have created for this Holiday. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it all.

The Season of Giving

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-06:00

We believe it is better to give than to receive. This December we are proud to give to Dove Inc.

Dove has been helping women and children in the Decatur area for over 30 years. This year they contacted us about our fundraising program and we were pleased to say, "YES".

For the month of December when you mention Dove when you place your order or make a purchase we will donate 10% to Dove. If you want to learn more about what Dove offers visit their website here.

We hope you join us during this season of giving.

A Tour of Our Store

2011-11-30T09:00:00.000-06:00

We know we have friends, family, and friends near & far. So we have made a Holiday Tour of our shop just for you. Take a walk through The Secret Garden with us... enjoy your stay!

Planning...

2011-11-23T11:00:00.000-06:00

So many things are taking place around The Secret Garden.

All fall merchandise is now 40% off, excludes flowers & plants.

We are working on our Holiday Top 10.

Small Business Saturday is just around the corner!

Our first EMAIL blast will be hitting mailboxes on Monday. Don't miss out on these folks they are going to be full of great deals, information, and more!

We are updating our website to show off our Holiday arrangements.

And we still have time to create beautiful Thanksgiving arrangements for all!

Hope you find time to stop in and see us. The holidays are such a busy time for all of us but we always have time for you!

We are now on G+

2011-11-18T11:00:00.000-06:00

Google+ has launched their business brand pages and we are among them.

We are trying to come up with a creative way to use our new brand page... we want it to be something different from our Facebook & Twitter. Watch for exciting things like video's, question and answer sessions and more.

Come join us on G+, add us to your circles. Watch us develop & grow!

Secretgardendecatur

on Google+

What's Growing on November 2011

2011-11-07T12:00:00.000-06:00

If you missed our email newsletter this month here it is ~

Flower of the Month ~ Chrysanthemum

One of our most requested flowers is the Daisy. Just about daily someone will say, "She Loves Daisies!". Did you know Daisies are part of the Chrysanthemum family? There are hundreds of type of Chrysanthemums. All of the different types can be found here.

A little history:

Chrysanthemums can trace their history all the way back to 15th century (BC) in China. It started as a flowering herb, but now it's so much more. The Chrysanthemum even became the "official seal" of the emperor of Japan in the 8th century. The original color was golden; now it has so many different shades, shapes, and variations.

Arrangement of the Month

Our Arrangement of the Month this month is named, "Thankful for You". It was, once again, named by our Facebook friends.

It features Carnations, button mums, daisies, alstroemeria, cat tails, and fall leaves. It is arranged in a wicker cornucopia. The perfect fall gift!
You can order it herefor just $36.99.

Small Business Saturday

After you have enjoyed the turkey, family, and friends, it's time for Small Business Saturday! Black Friday belongs to the Big Box stores but as a small business Saturday belongs to us!
To celebrate we will have hot apple cider, tasty treats, some fantastic deals, a free gift with every purchase, and even extended hours! On that big day you can shop with us from 8am to 4pm. We will send out a special email the Friday before, so be on the lookout. For previews, be sure to follow us on Facebook.
We now also accept American Express, and they have some great offers for shoppers on this day as well. You can see what they have going on here.

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Spending time with family and friends all gathered around your table is a wonderful feeling. Add flowers to your table and that feeling is multiplied! This year make your table one they will talk about for years. Add a centerpiece from The Secret Garden.
We are working to get all of our centerpieces on the website soon, you can see our growing selection here. Order your centerpiece early to insure best selection.
Remember you can phone in a custom order 217-875-9038.

We are preparing a special list this year...

We are making our list and checking it twice... and it will be revealed soon.

Don't worry, you will be among first to know.

Introducing Our Free Reminder Service

2011-10-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever forgotten a birthday or an anniversary. Let us help keep you from doing that again. Introducing "My Special Dates".

How it works ~

Click on this link and give them your special dates. Don't worry about the floral code, it's covered in the link.
You can set up reminders for as many occasions as you would like. It will even remind you when holidays are coming up.
Then you tell them when you would like to be reminded, a few days before, day of, or however you would like.
Then you tell them how you want to be reminded. By Phone, Text, or email.
Let My Special Dates do the rest.

When you sign up for email or text alerts they will even include a link to our website for easy ordering. And you will receive an offer code good for 10% off your purchase just for signing up!

The best part ~ It's FREE. Free to sign up, free to use, and free from worries.

Don't let an important date slip through your fingertips, sign up today!

Thank you Decatur

2011-10-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

When we got the call this year from Edward Jones to assist them in collecting food for the WSOY Food Drive we said, "absolutely, how can we help." The bags were dropped off at the store and we went to work. We wanted something that would thank the community for their help, and to collect at least 100 pounds of food. I had read about a great idea in a florist magazine and the plan was put into place. After several calls to wholesalers to insure we would have enough roses to go around, the plan was in motion. We went live with our 2+10=12 event on Monday the 26th of September.

Then we sent out press releases to the local media. We received a phone call from Brian Byers on Tuesday morning and he stopped in to discuss it with us. He offered to help spread the word, and we agreed to run some advertisements on his show to help get the word out. Now we were cooking.

When all was said and done we had collected 210 pounds of food (100 pounds over our goal), and we had sold over 900 roses!!!

We extend a heartfelt Thank YOU to all of you who came and donated food. We had people coming in with bags of food instead of just 2 cans. We were so excited to see the boxes fill up. It was amazing to see the amount of food we collected.

Next year we plan to do it all over again! We can't wait to start planning our 2nd annual event.

What's "Growing" On At The Secret Garden ~ September 2011

2011-09-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is a little late but here is our newsletter for September. Do you receive our newsletter? If not you can click here and sign up today.

Flower of the Month ~ Aster

'Asters are named after the Greek word for "star." Asters have a star-shaped flower head similar to that of a daisy. Like the stars in the sky, asters are found abundantly throughout the globe as they grow in a wide range of climates from the tropics to cooler regions in the North.'
Read more about this months flower of the month here.

Homecoming

One of our favorite things to design is corsages. We love talking to the girls, finding out their tastes, style, and a little about them, and then creating something unique just for them. This year we have several new designs of bracelets to choose from. We are also doing more of the beautiful wire work you see here. We are working on a special section of our website that will feature our creations. Be sure to watch ourFacebook page for our "Best Dressed" contest. Our homecoming couples can compete to win fab prizes and our Facebook fans get to pick the winner!

What Inspires Us~

One of our favorite things is a trip to Milan Il, to attend Bonnette's Fall Open House. It's a day filled with inspiration. From the design team that puts on the show, to the flower coolers bursting at the seams with flowers, to talking to other florists to get new ideas, it's a day we long for all summer long. I firmly believe that education is the key to a great florist, any class we come across we jump at the chance to attend. For this year's show the theme was "inspiration", and we received a lot of it. To see some of the pictures we took you can find our album here.

Fall Is Coming ~ Are you Ready?

Fall is coming, is your house ready? It's more then just about bringing those plants in to protect them from the frost. It's also about decorating the inside too! We can help with that . We have a wide selection of silk wreaths, silk arrangements, and home decor items to help you get ready for the fall season.

Stop in today at 1215 E. Pershing Rd, to see our selecation.

Arrangement of the Month

Our Arrangement of the Month this month is named, "Happy Harvest". It was, once again, named by our Facebookfriends.

It features Sunflowers, Viking Mums, Burgundy Miniature Carnations, Green Hypericum Berries, and little apples.
You can order it herefor just $44.99.

What's "Growing" on at The Secret Garden ~ August 2011

2011-08-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy August Friends ~ Another month of the year is ripped from our calendars. School is about to start, the weather will get cooler, and the days will get shorter. The last true month of summer is upon us. August will be an exciting month for us. We have finished our remodel and our open house is over but we have a lot in store for you!

Lori Barrett

Owner, The Secret Garden

Glorious Gladiolus

The flower of the month for August is the Gladiolus. These beautiful blooms come in so many colors, sizes, and variations. The name gladious is latin for sword. Gladiolus are often called sword lily.

Gladiolus represent strength and moral integrity.

If you want to read more about Glads see our blog article here.

Arrangement of the Month

This month's Arrangement of the Month is called, "Summer Sunset". How fitting with all of the bright colors. Red, Orange, Green, and Purple so rich and robust, like a summer sunset. The wicker basket is filled with carnations, miniature carnations, stock, a lily, button carnations, statice, and caspia. OurFacebook friends helped us named this arrangement. The price of this arrangement is $32.99 and is available on our website. You can order yours today by clicking here.

Friendship Day ~

This year Friendship Day will be celebrated on Sunday August 7th. What started as a day to celebrate the relationship between friends has grown into a worldwide celebration. Congress declared Friendship Day to be the 1st Sunday in August, starting in 1935. The exchange of flowers, cards, and gifts has grown more popular in the last few years. If you are interested in sending your friend something special we have selected some of our more popular floral arrangements here for you. However you choose to celebrate be sure to let your friends know how much you appreciate them. Kind words, a handmade card, a phone call, or of course flowers!

Re-Grand Opening Celebration Continues.

To continue our Re-Grand Opening Celebration we are making August a month of savings. Every week we will have a different special, don't miss out on these fantastic deals. This is our way to thank all of you, our loyal customers! Not local? We understand, and we have included an extra coupon at the bottom of our email this month that you can use too!

If you would like to print out our specials you can get your copy here.

Friendship Day ~ August 7th 2010

2011-08-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

One Week on Google+ ~ My 2c Worth

2011-07-23T19:47:00.001-05:00

So I know that 1 week does not an expert make. I hope that this little article will help you navigate a little quicker then I did when I started out.
I am just going to run down a few little tricks I picked up and hopefully help you find some interesting people to follow.

What we all need to remember is that Google+ is still growing, and it will have it's share of growing pains. With just one week in I have seen lots and lots of changes. They are listening to the users and tweaking as they go. What we also need to remember is that we are part of something pretty cool, this site is growing by leaps and bounds and it's not even open to the public yet. Some reports show that it already has 20m users. That is pretty amazing considering that all of them have been invited by people that were lucky enough to get in on the ground floor.

I am going to skip a lot of the beginners stuff. We are not going to talk about creating your profile, or any of that. We are going to skip right to the fun stuff.

First are your circles. What are circles. Think of circles like the circles of people you hang out with. Some are friends, some are family, some are crazy, some are geeky, some love to just hang out and have a good time. This is how you are going to want to set up your circles. Divide the people you choose to add to your circles up so it will be easy to keep up with them.

I picked up a bunch of folks I wanted to follow but my main stream was giving me a headache. This is how I sorted, yours will be different but this may help you get an idea. My marketing circle gives small business marketing tips, my geeks have updates on google+, cool new gadgets, and other geeky things, my social media folks talk all about using social media and most of them talk about growing your business using it. The photog group post beautiful images that makes me smile. The holding cell was developed for folks that are not impressing me much and may soon be booted out of the circles. Sounds harsh I know, but trust me you will get there too!

So lets talk a little about your stream. When you go to Google+ you will see all of the posts coming in from all of your circles. Now here is where it's a little bit like twitter. You can put people in circles without them adding you, and they can add you without you adding them. How cool is that. That means if you do not have them in a circle they can only see what you post "public". If you are not in one of their circles it works the same. I know, I know, confusing! But it is really not that bad. If you want to learn about posting to circles here is a video from Google that will tell you all about it.
Tip ~ If someone has you in a circle, but you do not have them in a circle, you can read what they have posted to you by clicking on "incoming". You may find that they have something interesting to say and even add them to a circle.

How it's like facebook ~ It allows for more conversation then twitter. You can see what people from all over think about that post and can even connect with them by adding them to your circles. That is what I like the most I think, no friend requests, no waiting to see if they like you back. You can just start following their public posts. Love that! That is very twitteresque (yes it's a word I just said it). But unlike facebook it does not limit your characters . It lets you post what amounts to a blog post and that is cool. You can add pictures, links, and video to the posts too. Oh, and don't forget that cool +1 button.

Yes that is my brother in a toga... who knows why, he's young. But as you can see the +1 lets Google see what people like. It can help boost that material in search results for others to discover as well. (At least that is how I understood it, I could be wrong.)

Well if you are not on Google+ yet and want in invite just email me from your gmail account and I will gladly add you, secretgardendecatur@gmail.com

Also if you are looking, for some interesting people to follow here is a quick list. This list will fill up your stream FAST so choose carefully, remember the holding cell I created? Some on this list are the reason. And if you love photography, here is another great list. I am sure by now there is a list for any hobby, just do a quick Google search and I bet you will find something.

Well that is all for now. I hope some of this helps you find your way around quick. If you have any questions I will do my best to find you an answer. Don't forget to add me to one of your circles. Here is my profile page.

*This just in ~ Looking for an easy to understand pictorial? Check this out! It is perfect! This one is getting a big +1 from me!

Re-Grand Opening

2011-07-17T11:36:00.000-05:00

The painting is done, the new signs are being hung, and we are getting ready to share our new look with you. We are planning a Re-Grand Opening Open House for July 28th - July 30th. Here are some of the things you will see at our open house:

Tasty Treats ~ Lemonade will be served every day, along with some tasty treats!
Savings ~ You can pop one of our balloons and save 10% to 25% off of your purchase!
Hands on Classes ~ We will have free hands on classes during the open house.
Give Away ~ We will have a drawing to enter to win a fab prize!
Sensce ~ On Saturday Shawna Brunner will have a Sesce display. You can come in and see the summer burners and sample the summer scents.

Those are just a few things we have planned for you! Mark your calendars now, you don't want to miss out on the fun. Check out our Facebook page to keep up on all of the fun!

Inspiration ~

2011-07-08T21:03:00.000-05:00

Right now in San Francisco there is an amazing convention going on. It's where the best florists in America get together and share ideas, stories, flowers, and more. Oh what I would give to be there this week, to see those designs, to smell those flowers.

If you want to see some of the creations visit the AIFD National Symposium Facebook page here.

So what is AIFD? AIFD stands for American Institute of Floral Design.

"Established in 1965, the American Institute of Floral Designers is, today, the floral industry's leading non-profit organization dedicated to establishing, maintaining and recognizing the highest standard of professional floral design. AIFD and its worldwide accredited members are in the forefront of the industry in presenting educational design programs and in designing flowers for such renowned events as the Tournament of Roses Parade, Academy Awards and Presidential Inaugurations. They are an extraordinary group of talented artists.

Accredited membership in AIFD is extremely selective and can be obtained only after a candidate has effectively demonstrated advanced professional ability of his or her floral artistry. Members proudly wear the "AIFD addendum on their name to demonstrate that their peers have found them to be "Accredited in Floral Design." They must continue to demonstrate their "cutting edge" art by meeting specified continuing education requirements.

Each July, AIFD presents its acclaimed National Symposium. Considered to be the most important design education event in the floral industry, this dynamic conclave attracts designers, educators and interested individuals from all corners of the world.

In the U.S., AIFD Accredited members participate in six regional chapters that each host activities for the education of the floral industry as well as for the floral consumer market. AIFD supports student chapters located on the campuses of major colleges and universities across the nation.

Through its Foundation, the Institute also offers scholarships to talented young designers. AIFD partner members, as manufacturers and distributors of products and services to the floral industry, are also an important part of the Institute as they help fund numerous design education events.

Accredited members of AIFD are uniquely qualified to help you create the floral and decorating accents that express your individual style." *AIFD website provided the quoted text.

In April I received the honor of ICPF, Illinois Certified Professional Florist, that is the first step for me. I am on my way. Someday I will be honored to display the AIFD after my name as well. Time, patience, and growing my style, that is my plan. I "imagine" my day on that stage.

That is what is inspiring me today, what inspires you?

What's "Growing" on at The Secret Garden ~ July

2011-07-06T10:00:00.005-05:00

We are undergoing some big changes at The Secret Garden. It all started with a business card, it bloomed into a new image. We are getting ready for a new look. Painting, new signs, new logo, and more. We think you will love the improved us. Be sure to stop in soon and take a look at what we have been up to. In August we will have a Grand "Re-Opening", but you know you want to see it first!

We received these adorable containers and we all had our own ideas of what we wanted to do. To settle this, we held our own design competition. Then we had our Facebook friends come up with a name. The result:

"You're all the Buzz" :

This design is in a glass container that has a handle on it. Perfect for burning candles, displaying fresh cut flowers, or just for sitting on the patio all summer long. You can see the small candle inside, it has a fresh floral scent and is named "secret garden". The flowers it holds are, white & yellow daisies, green button mums, hot pink alstroemeria lilies, and wisps of caspia. Did you notice the little bee that buzzed by to say hello?

Price $46.99

Order here

The flower of the month for July is Larkspur. Larkspur, also known as delphinium, was called lark's heel by Shakespeare, and has also been referred too as lark's claw and knight's spur. You will find these beautiful blooms in our cooler all summer long. Our favorite is shown here, it's a deep blue almost purple in color. The blooms are almost bell shaped and then open beautifully. Stems of larkspur have many, many blooms all around the stem. They make a beautiful line flower for our designs. We also love to use the blooms in bridal bouquets, they make for a great pop of color.

Summer is the time for backyard BBQ's and pool parties. We know that when you entertain you like your home to look it's best. With our new video series we will show you how to make your summer party a smash. Our series will include how to videos on center pieces, easy to create vases, and more. Be sure to tune into ourYouTube channel for our latest video!

We are sprucing up the shop. New coats of pain, new signs, and a new look. In order to make room for our new fall and Christmas merchandise we need to make room. Out with the old and in with the new! We are running a sale so "cool", it will feel like Christmas in July! We will start the sale at 30% off all of our clearance merchandise and end with a big BANG of savings. To keep up with the great deals, and see some of our great offerings, check out our Facebook page.

Don't wait, stop in today and see what we have to offer. Enjoy the warm weather and sunshine!

Our Little Future Florist

2011-07-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

It's summer and school is out. Every now and then our kids stop into the flower shop and say hello. A few weeks ago our youngest, Warren, stopped by to say hello. The first thing he wanted to do was make something. Wow! He picked his container and I showed him some flowers in the cooler he could use. I cut the foam and put it in the cube and he did the rest. I must say he has a pretty good eye for design for a 6 year old. His colors are nice and blend well, he has the ones in the back raised so they can be seen. He even added in some filler (the baby's breath in the back). He looks so proud. Maybe one day he will be running the show and carrying on our dream.

What's "Growing" on at The Secret Garden

2011-06-06T11:10:00.000-05:00

After the long winter and the cold and rainy spring I think we are all ready for a bit of summer. The calls are starting already, our clients are wanting bright summer colors to be delivered and we love creating them. Summer is a time to enjoy the outdoors, work a bit in the garden, and relax in the sun with a good book. I hope that you have time this summer to go somewhere memorable, spend time with friends and family, and maybe even stop in and smell the flowers.

June Flower of The Month ~ Roses

Roses are one of the most popular flowers we have in our cooler. It could be because of the colors, it may be the meanings, but we believe it's because of their beauty. Roses can help you say I Love You, then can also pay tribute to a loved one, or they can just be fun like the Rainbow Roses shown here. We have even written a blog dedicated to the care of roses. Celebrate the flower of the month by picking up some roses of your own today!

Martha Washington Care & Handling

One of our favorite summer plants is the Martha Washington Geranium. We love it's colors, look, and the fact that it blooms and blooms all the time. Need some help with care for these beautiful blooms? We have a blog that can help with that. Just visit us here for all the tips you need to keep them blooming all summer long!

June Arrangement of the Month
Summer in Bloom ~ Our June arrangement of the month. This beautiful arrangement features, gerbera daisies, fuji mums, and alstroemeria lilies. The vase color will vary by arrangement and we will match the flowers accordingly. This creates a unique one of a kind style with each of these we design. The vase colors are orange, lime green, purple, and hot pink. A special thanks to our Facebook Friends for helping us select a name. You can order this arrangement in person at 1215 E. Pershing Rd, on the phone at 217-875-9038, or online. Order Summer in Bloom for only $45.99 today!

Thank YOU!

We could not let this issue go by without a great big thank you to all of our Facebook Fans. We passed the 500 fan milestone in May and it felt amazing. We started our fan page back in December of 2009 and it is growing everyday. One of the things we love the most about Facebook is getting to know our customers. We get to see what you like, what you would like us to create, and we get your feedback on everything we do. So from the bottom of our hearts, Thank You for supporting us and sharing our page with your friends. We could not have done it without you!

The Rising Cost of Delivery

2011-05-25T10:00:00.005-05:00

Just the other day we had a call from a very nice lady. She wanted to send flowers to her daughter that lives here in town. We told her that would not be a problem and we would be glad to help pick out the perfect gift. She asked, "What do you charge for delivery?" We stated our local delivery price of $8.99. She then let me know that she had no problem paying good money for flowers but refused to pay that for delivery. We hate to loose business, it's just not good to turn folks away. In this case we had no choice, in order to keep our business running, delivery is something we must charge for. So here is a little run down on why we charge what we charge.

We cover over 884 square miles of delivery area. We deliver to Moweaqua, Dalton City, LaPlace, Blue Mound, Maroa, and even Illiopolis. This is a very large delivery area. We have a really nice formula that we plug in all of our information into and it spits us out a nice figure for delivery charges. It takes into account:

Drivers Salary (no matter how hard we try, the van just refuses to drive itself).

Insurance

Price Per Gallon - Miles Per Gallon

Vehicle Costs ~ Oil changes, new tires, brakes, and so on.

Vehicles worth and resale value (remember they are not worth as much the second they roll off that lot).

So when you figure a trip to say Illiopolis, you not only have to figure the gas prices you also have to figure out the salary you are paying the person behind the wheel. Being a small shop we may even have to wait to deliver other orders until the van returns. Or in some cases we will send out a second vehicle for in town deliveries. The cost increases when you are using more then one driver and vehicle.

This all being said, and probably boring you to death. We take a long hard look at how we charge for things. It would be easy to offer "free" delivery, but this would effect the cost of our other products. That "free" has to be made up somewhere. We believe that the cost of the things you purchase from us should not be inflated to cover delivery costs and the likes.

We love delivering! It is the best part of our day to see the big smiles and hear the compliments when someone receives our flowers. Delivery is a convenience. You do not have to take time out of your busy day, use your gas, and take your lunch hour to run flowers to your loved one. Let us do that for you, it is our job and we enjoy it so much.

May News You Can Use

2011-05-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

Another month is past and this year seems to be moving in warp speed. I just can't believe it's time for Mother's Day already! It seems like we were just planning for Valentine's Day.

I hope that you are enjoying the warmer temperatures and sunny skies. After the rains in April we deserve a bit of sunshine.

~Lori Barrett & The Secret Garden Staff

May Flower of The Month ~ The Lily

With so many beautiful Lilies to choose from it would be easy to celebrate this flower all month long! Beautiful Asiatic lilies, Oriental lilies, and Alstroemeria lilies. We wrote an entire blog article about the different types of lilies, and even included growing tips. So this May be sure to take time and stop and smell the lilies. You will enjoy the scents and sights along the way. Oh and we're sure Mom would love to see Lilies in her Mother's Day flowers.

Sunshine Bouquets are Back~

Yes it's that time again. Back by popular demand are our beautiful sunshine bouquets. All spring and summer long you can stop in and pick up a bouquet of sunshine. You will receive 5 stems of brightly colored daisies, and/or daisy poms. These are all market fresh and will last and last.
Your price just $7.99. They make a great gift for anyone who needs a bit of sunshine!

Memorial Day Tributes

Memorial Day is just around the corner. It is a day to honor our loved ones who have passed on. Bringing flowers to the grave to pay tribute to them is one way to do this. At The Secret Garden we offer a variety of memorials and tributes. We have created an album that showcases some of these items.

We can also custom design a tribute for you. Just let our designers know what you prefer and they can custom design something just for you.

Recital Season Begins

We love to see all of the tiny dancers perform. They work so hard to make the day of the big performance perfect. So it comes as no surprise that flowers are tops on the gift giving list.

We can create a beautiful bouquet for your little performer. You can come in and see what we have to offer. We invite you to create your own bouquet to present to her that day. Pick their favorite color, flower, or both. We will do the rest. Also be sure to ask us about our Tiny Dancer, shown on the right hand side. You can read an article all about it here.

We hope you have enjoyed this months lesson. Please stop in and visit us soon. 1215 E. Pershing Rd. or check us out online at secretgardendecatur.com

When April Showers Don't Bring May Flowers

2011-05-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

We all know the old saying, April Showers Bring May Flowers. Well what happens when the April showers just won't quit? The rains in Columbia have been coming down for sometime now, combine that with cooler then normal temperatures and you have the perfect storm.

About a month ago we started to notice the quality of our Asiatic Lilies was poor. They were coming in from the suppliers with water spots and brown edges. We refused some of the shipments and even stopped ordering white Asiatics for a while. Then we started asking questions. "What is going on with the lilies?" We found out then that Columbia was in for a long hard spring.

We order our Mother's Day flowers at the end of March. So when we placed the order we were not really aware of the issue at hand. We have been assured that everything that was pre-booked will be in on time and in very good condition. We have begun receiving a few of our items and so far they are great. We have ordered in a few things extra just in case some of the other items do not turn out as well as we are hoping for. We will be on the lookout for any signs of damage long before the flowers make it into any of our arrangements.

What this means to you ~ Please do not delay this year, get your Mother's Day flowers ordered from your florist. We have been told that getting additional flowers may be difficult. We want to be sure that your Mom receives the flowers she loves. If you call the store direct we can talk you through the available flowers and help you custom design the perfect arrangement for your mom.

Teacher Appreciation Week Begins!

2011-05-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Teachers Appreciation Week is May 2nd through May 6th. Teacher Appreciation Day is May 3rd. This year we make celebrating that special teacher in your life easy.

Let's start with a little history lesson:

According to NEA this is how it all began.

History of National Teacher Day

The origins of National Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944 Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt, who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day.

NEA, along with its Kansas and Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City (Kan.) Local, lobbied Congress to create a national day to celebrate teachers. Congress declared March 7, 1980 as National Teacher Day for that year only.

NEA and its affiliates continued to observe National Teacher Day in March until 1985, when the NEA Representative Assembly voted to change the event to Tuesday of the first full week of May.

Here are a few of the things we are offering to show your appreciation this week.

Our famous peal and eat cake is a huge hit with teachers. We will change out the balloon to say "Thanks!". It features mini candy bars that can be pealed off and shared with all of the other teachers.

Price ~ $34.99

You can order this here.

Our "Thanks to You" Mug makes a great gift. Filled with fresh flowers it is so bright and festive. Inside are a few pencils and they can use the mug for years to come. Fits great on a desk too!

Price ~ $42.99

You can order this here.

Balloons! Our balloon bouquets come attached to a bag of sweet treats. We have "Thank You" balloons, "Your Appreciated", and more to choose from. Make your teacher smile this week with a fun balloon bouquet!

Price Starts at ~ $25.50

You can choose a balloon bouquet here.

We all know how hard teachers work all year long. They play and important part in our lives. Here is a little poem that says it all.

One Hundred Years From Now

Author: (excerpt from "Within My Power" by Forest Witcraft)

One hundred years from now
It won't matter
What kind of car I drove
What kind of house I lived in
How much money I had in the bank
Nor what my cloths looked like
BUT
The world may be a little better
Because, I was important
In the life of a child.

So take a moment and order a special something for a teacher that has touched your life. See our selection here.

How do you say Thank You?

2011-04-20T12:00:00.025-05:00

A little history according to our friends at Holiday Insight:

"When :
Administrative Professional's Day: April 27, 2011
Administrative Professional's Week is celebrated:: April 24-30, 2011

National Professional Secretaries Week and National Secretary's Day was created in 1952 through the work of Harry F. Klemfuss of Young and Rubicam. Klemfuss recognized the importance and value of the position to a company or business. His goal was to encourage more women to become secretaries. Using his skill and experience in public relations, Klemfuss, promoted the values and importance of the job of secretaries. In doing so, he also created the holiday in recognition of the importance of secretaries.
Today, the title is changing and evolving. But, the recognition is equally important. There are two new terms in use today. They are "Administrative Professionals" and "Executive Admins". The two names sometimes mean different roles and responsibilities to different companies. Both are broader terms, that encompass more positions than the original "Secretary" role.
The name change recognizes and acknowledges that the role has changed significantly since 1952, and for the better at that. And in Harry Klemfuss' day, these postions were the realm of women. Today, you find some males in these positions.
The most common ways of recognizing your Administrative Professional(s) today are:

Flowers
Cards, often with shopping gift certificates
Take them to lunch
Candies
Assorted Gift Baskets"

How do you say Thank You to someone who helps you daily? A person that juggles the phones, filing, all your appointments, and never lets you forget a special occasion? Chances are your Administrative Professional does this and so much more on a daily basis. So how do you thank them for everything they do for you every day of the year? Simple, say it with flowers, or a great gift from The Secret Garden.

Here are a few of the things we have to offer up for your Administrative Professional(s).

This beautiful European dish garden is sure to brighten up the office. It features lush green plants and a blooming plant for some great color. We find these work wonderful in an office setting. They do not take large amounts of light to grow. They can also be kept on a desk or small table around the office.

To order this arrangement for delivery visit us here.

If flowers are what you are looking for we have many styles to choose from. This small rose bowl arrangement will fit on a desk just right. It has hearty flowers and will last all week long. It is sure to bring a smile with the bright colors the flowers offer.

To order this arrangement for delivery visit us here.

Looking for a keepsake gift? This arrangement provides not only the joy of flowers but the enjoyment of a mug for everyday use. Bright colorful flowers and some fun decorative pencils make this choice a favorite of ours. Again the small size of this arrangement is perfect for a desk or small work space.

To order this arrangement for delivery visit us here.

How about something for the office to share? Any of these great gifts make for an outstanding day at the office.

Candy Bar Vase ~ Don't worry the Balloon will say "Thank You" or "Your Appreciated", something fitting for your administrative assistant.

To order this tasty treat visit us here.

Need a healthy choice? This fruit basket is perfect for sharing at the office. It will come loaded with fresh fruit to carry them through the day.
To order this tasty treat visit us here.

Our signature Peal and Eat cake is a local office favorite. We have so many requests for this the word must be out. Again we will select a balloon that will thank your office staff for their hard work.

To order this tasty treat visit us here.

Not sure what to send? It's okay we can help with that too.

Our professional trained florists can select the perfect arrangement for you. We will fill your arrangement with fresh flowers and deliver them with a smile. To have a florist choice bouquet delivered visit us here.

Now don't forget to add a balloon and a beautiful leanin' tree card. There, that wasn't so bad was it? Your assistant will be so proud of you!

The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town!

2011-04-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

Easter ~ How we love to see you arrive. It means the begging of spring. The flowers and trees are blooming, the grass is getting greener, and the temperature is getting warmer.

So what does The Secret Garden offer for Easter? A little bit of everything. Over the years we have sent out many an Easter Bunny, made corsages for Easter Sunday, and sold thousands of Easter Lilies. So how do you choose? Simple you follow your inner bunny.

What is it that you want to say this Easter? If it is welcome spring then something from our Spring line is perfect for you. If it is Hoppy Easter, then check out our Easter Selection.

Easter corsages: Easter corsages are a popular gift at Easter time. They are typically given to mothers and grandmothers to wear to Easter services. You can choose your flower, ribbon, and choose from pin on or wrist corsages. We have a variety to choose from and they will all be presented in a beautiful clear box so they are perfect for gift giving.

We suggest that you order at least 3 days in advance for best selection. Flowers go fast this time of year so we want to make sure that you get what you need.

Easter Lilies: Easter lilies are everywhere, just like Poinsettias at Christmas. But are they getting the proper care before they arrive at your home? As florists we take extra special care of all our potted plants and Easter Lilies are no exception. We can delivery these to the home, church, or place of business. You can include a card with a personalized message. We also have a special blog all about care and handling of Easter Lilies that you will find here.

So no matter what you want to give this Easter we can help.

Stop in today at 1215 E. Pershing Rd, give us a call at 217-875-9038 or order online.

When you shop with us this Easter you will save 10% when you mention code: SGEB11. When ordering online you will be asked to enter this code. When shopping in person or over the phone just let the sales associate know you have a code to save.

Don't Outsource Your Mother's Day Flowers

2011-04-09T20:49:00.003-05:00

With Mother's Day right around the corner we are in full swing at The Secret Garden. Every year we select containers and fill them with flowers to create our own unique designs. You can visit our website to see our full selection, we are adding to it as we get names for our creations from our Facebook Friends.

We decided this is a good time to inform our followers about the benefits of buying from a local florist vs a national company.

For Valentine's Day our Friends at the 3/50 project wrote and amazing article all about this and we will be sharing some of their information with you.

So here is what all of that means to you. When you call a national company they keep the "processing fee" and 20% of the order. You pay them XX dollars and they take out the processing fee and the 20%. Then they use wire services such as Teleflora, FTD, Bloomnet, and a few others to find a local florist to send your order too. When your order arrives at the florist it will say something like this: YYY Arrangement $35.50, price includes delivery, fill as similar as possible. Now the florist takes out the delivery fee, in most cases about $9.00, the price of the labor it takes to create your arrangement about 20%, and the cost of the container. Leaving a small amount for the flowers the florist can use to make your arrangement look like what you have seen on the screen. This is where most of the florists run into problems, they are not able to make the arrangement look like the picture with the amount of money given. They end up using less flowers, a smaller container, or sending the order to another florist because they are unable to create it to their satisfaction.

What this means to you: You will receive less then what is promised by the order taker. You may not receive the arrangement you ordered. Or your order may not be delivered at all if the florists in that area are unable to fill the order. This is where the complaints start.

How to avoid these issues. Call a local florist, or order online direct from them. You can do a quick search engine search to find a florist in the area you are needing your flowers delivered too. When using this method always check the website for a physical address, this insures that you are ordering from a local florist and not an order taker in disguise. This may take a few extra minutes but it will be worth it in the end, we promise.

When you call your local florist they can tell you what they have to offer, they can describe the arrangements to you, and insure that your flowers can be delivered when you want them. You will also receive the full value for your money.

So this Mother's Day, do not outsource your flower order, call a local florist.

For more articles like this check out our Too Good to Be True Series.

Article 1, Article 2. Or our blog on order takers.

Thank you for supporting the local florist in your community.

Introducing DIY Special Events

2011-04-06T09:00:00.002-05:00

Weddings are one of the best things about being a florist. Helping the bride find just the right flowers to express her unique style is an amazing experience. So you can imagine our disappointment when more and more brides were deciding to go the Do It Yourself route and not let us share in their special day. So we had to come up with a new way to take part in special days. We are proud to announce the creation of DIY Special Events.

Our Mission Statement: DIY Special Events is committed to providing the freshest flowers for your event. We want your special event to be one to remember forever. Backed with years of knowledge as a retail florist we can help you create the day of your dreams.

What We Offer: We offer a wide variety of fresh cut flowers at bulk prices. This allows you to stay within your budget for your big event. Your flowers will be inspected for quality, processed in floral solution, and stored in our floral cooler. We will provide you with the care and handling information needed to keep your flowers fresh.

Packaging: Your flowers will arrive in bulk packaging. You will need to process the flowers upon receiving them. This may include removing rose thorns, allowing flowers to open, and keeping the flowers in floral solution. Some flowers require more time to open and we will provide you with that information before your order.

Free Consultation: A free ordering consultation is provided. We suggest you call us at 217-875-9038 at least 90 days before your wedding to make your appointment. At this consultation we will get the list of flowers you wish to order, write you out a price quote, and answer questions about our services. We will also provide you with a checklist so that you will have everything you need to care for your flowers. All orders must be paid in full at least 3 weeks before the arrival date of the flowers. We will notify you of your order date at this consultation.

Paid Consultations: For a fee, you can schedule an appointment with one of our bridal consultants. We will work with you to determine the flower count you will need for your event. By going over the bouquets, center pieces, and your needs we can provide a flower count and estimate for you.

Hybrid Weddings: This is the perfect package for an event with many layers. For example, we can complete your wedding and church flowers, and you can complete your reception work. We have several levels of hybrid weddings and can discuss these at your free consultation. We suggest you schedule this consultation at least 4 to 6 months prior to your wedding day. If you choose this option a deposit will be required to hold your date.

Visit our website at DIYspecialevents.com or our blog for more details, ideas, and flower selection.

April Newsletter

2011-04-04T15:40:00.000-05:00

We want to wish you a very happy Spring. Time to put the snow shovels away and start thinking of digging in your garden. It has been a long time coming, this winter was so long and very cold. Now it's time for the flowers to start blooming and the trees to start budding.

We started our spring by attending the Illinois State Florist Convention. So many great workshops and classes it got our minds racing for the new season. So many new things coming your way, including a new logo for the shop, a face lift for the inside of our building, a new website, and so much more. It is a very exciting time at The Secret Garden and we will keep you posted!

Easter Lily Care:

Easter Lilies make a wonderful gift this time of year. Chances are you will receive one or you may buy one for yourself. Here are some tips on keeping your lily healthy so you can enjoy it all season.

Keep the soil moist but be sure not to over water. To check your water level simply put a lead pencil in the soil, if it comes out dry it is time to water. The top soil will dry faster then the soil around the roots so this is a good way to see how moist the soil is.
Cool steady temperatures will make your lily last longer. Temperatures around 60 to 65 degrees are best. Avoid warm and cold drafts from doors, vents, heaters, and windows.
Your lily will bloom best in bright, but indirect sunlight. Setting the lily in the window may "scorch" the blooms or the foliage. This will make the lily bloom out faster and can give it long term damage and prevent it from re-blooming.
Remove the pollen, yellow anthers, from your lily. This will prolong the life of the blooms and help protect clothing, table cloths, and more from the yellowish stains caused by pollen.
For tips on transplanting your lily when the time comes read this great article.

Flower of the Month ~ Daisy

Daisies are the flower symbol for the month of April. With thousands of varieties grown in the United States and Europe you are sure to find one you love. Because they are such a hearty flower, daisies are a favorite of florists and buyers alike. They have an excellent vase life, and look so bright and cheery people just can't help but smile!

Arrangement of the Month

As promised each month we will feature a seasonal arrangement, making flower giving even easier. This month we are featuring these cute little rain boots filled with daisies. So not only do we cover the age old "April Showers", we incorporated the Flower of the Month. You can see this arrangement in our cooler or on our website while supplies last. Don't miss out, order yours today! 217-875-9038 or stop in and visit at 1215 E. Pershing Rd.

Introducing DIY Special Events

We noticed, in the last year or so, more and more of our brides were doing parts of their wedding in a DIY mode. So we decided to cater to these Do It Yourself brides by developing, DIY Special Events. Our website and blog are dedicated to these special brides and party planners. We will also pair these sites with the expertise of our staff to help create the wedding, or event, of your dreams. If you know a bride planning a DIY wedding please pass this information on to her. We will thank you for it and so will she!

Lori Barrett, ICPF

Recently I became an Illinois Certified Professional Florist. This was a great honor for me. This makes 2 Certified Florists at The Secret Garden and this time next year Michael will make 3. What does this mean for you? This means that the florists at The Secret Garden have the knowledge that it takes to create the freshest and most eye pleasing designs in town.

March 2011 Newsletter

2011-02-21T10:55:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day Recap 2011

Our biggest holiday is a fading memory to us now. Valentine's Day was a wonderful success thanks to our customers, staff, and helpers. We delivered 180 arrangements on Valentine's Day and spread smiles from Mt.Zion to Forsyth and everywhere in between.

To read more about what goes into a successful Valentine's Day we wrote a blog post all about it. To see what we have to offer check out our facebook album.

Spring in The Garden~

We are ready for spring to arrive here at The Secret Garden. Spring is one of the most decorated for seasons. It is the season of new beginnings and wonderful colors and scents. From the first bud on the tree to the tulips peaking through the ground, this season brings a promise of new life and renewed spirit.

Did you know that we custom make silk wreaths? We sure do, just stop and we will discuss colors, flowers, and designs with you today. We can create something that will last for years to come. Our designers have over 37 years of experience and have a passion for wreaths. We also create silk pieces for mantles, tables, and more.

This spring we are awaiting arrival of new merchandise as well. We will be posting it to facebook as it comes in so be sure to become a fan of our page so you don't miss a thing. We just ordered a beautiful line of cards from leanin' tree and they should be arriving in the store around March 1st. This is very exciting for us and you will just love the designs.

We are also planning on adding yard flags and new garden items to our assortment of gifts. If you have not seen our gift selection it is worth the trip out to see us.

Daffodil ~ March Birth Flower

What a fitting flower for the month of March, you will see these little flowers popping up everywhere very soon.

Now your daffodils may not look exactly like this one, some say that there are over 200 different species of daffodils out in the world today. You may find that your daffodils are the best growers in your garden, you would be correct. The bulbs will outlast just about any other bulb you plant. Don't worry if you do not see new blooms on your fresh daffodil plants, sometimes they take up to 5 years to fully come into their glory. And depending on where you live, these beauties can last anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months.

But one thing you should know about your daffodil is that they do not play nice with other flowers when cut. We store daffodils away from the other flowers and do not use them with other flowers. The sap in the stems will harm other flowers, guess it is there way to insure that they are center stage on your desk or table.

Arrangement of The Month ~

We have an exciting new program that we will be unveiling this month. It is called the Arrangement of the Month. We will select an arrangement and have our facebook friends name it. It will then be featured in our cooler, on our website, and available all month long. This is something we have been thinking about for a while now and we did it in the fall with our live pumpkins. We can't wait to see what you think. These arrangements will be designed by our designers and feature seasonal flower. So be sure to look for that on our facebook pageas well as our promotions blog in the coming week.

Our Favorite Time of the Year

2011-01-25T21:32:00.003-06:00

Yes it's true Valentine's Day is our favorite holiday. Why? Because for a florist this is the holiday that sets the tone for the entire year. Valentine's Day is a true make it or break it holiday for a florist. Like the average retailer waits for that Black Friday, us florists wait for the Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day is a day of love, adoration, and an excuse for us women to break our New Years resolutions and devour entire boxes of chocolate. We celebrate with dinners, movies, cards, boxes of chocolate, and of course flowers.

Now Florists did not invent this holiday, and contrary to popular belief Hallmark did not either. You can read the long boring history here but for the blogs sake we will just say: It started a long time ago in a land far far away.

With so much riding on one day it's no wonder we start our planning back in October. Yes October, before the Christmas lights are strung and the turkey is carved, we are planning Valentine's day. We start by sorting through book after book and idea magazines galore.

We always have our own designer styles, we like the teleflora options but it's just not the same. We like to have 6 - 8 signature pieces each year. Also a variety of price points and flowers to choose from are important. So we find the perfect containers and start growing the vision. We decide how many of each we will make up that special day, this is done so that the pieces are unique in style so not every desk has the same thing on it at the office. This year we decided on a piece we fell in love with at the start, it says "Key to my heart". But what is this, Lori waited to long to get her order in and the dreaded OUT OF STOCK popped up on the screen.... NOOOOOOOOOO is heard echoing from the walls of The Secret Garden. But a quick call, and a little prayer, and we did get the pieces we had our hearts set on. (pun intended). So now the fun part. Deciding what will go into each piece and making them come to life.

We take the containers, vases, and baskets and start to envision what we want each one to say. Our basket design is normally our "cute" piece. This can be sent to a mom, sister, friend, co-worker, or the likes. This piece will not have roses but beautiful red carnations. Next, our favorite container, "Key to my Heart". This one will have a little bit of fun, in the form of red gerbera daisies, and a little romance, with pink spray roses. We then go through each of our other selections like that until we have our designs. Now we just need names... but that is where you come in. Our faithful, and oh so talented facebook friends. This year you are choosing the names for us... see the details here.

The supply order is done the first week of January. We keep a list from year to year of what we need on hand. Florist tape, Oasis foam, flower foods, and so on. This is pretty easy and it goes quick, not much stress here.

Now the not so fun part.... placing the flower order! This HAS to be done by the 2nd week in January. This is the only way we can sleep at night, making sure we get the flowers we need, when we need them, so they will be fresh for all of you. So we tally up the flowers in our signature pieces, the vases of roses we plan on selling, and the call for just a little of this and a little of that.... using some fine tuned mathematical skills... we submit our orders to our favorite suppliers.

We also make up so many of our candy bar vases, snack canisters, and balloon wraps. We double check counts and start the making about.. well NOW. We also stock up on boxes of chocolate, cards, balloons, and a few gotta have its. We have a cute angel line this year that features a red heart that has a message on it.

The stress is overwhelming. Did we order enough, did we order to much (this would be bad, goal=no flowers left over). What will the weather be like, will it snow? Remember the year with the blizzard. Do we have enough drivers, should we rent another van, do we have enough help with the phones. When will we cut off orders, will we have to turn people away. What are the hours for Sunday? Who is bringing the coffee.... chocolate... and food to keep our motors running!

So in a few weeks the flowers will arrive, the arrangements will be made, the phones will ring, and our drivers will race to deliver everything on time. This my friends is why we LOVE Valentine's Day.

Why are Roses so Expensive at Valentine's Day?

2011-01-25T07:41:00.001-06:00

This is a question we will answer over and over again this Valentine's Day:
"Why are roses so expensive??"
The simple answer we give to most is, "supply and demand, we pay more at Valentine's Day so the customer has to pay more." In truth the answer goes far beyond that. It starts at the grower way back in November and December and it rolls forward to Valentine's Day and even a few weeks beyond.

True long stem roses, like we sell at The Secret Garden, take 6 to 8 weeks to grow. This means that production of Valentine's roses starts in late November and early December down in Equador.
Because of this they trim the November and December crops early, creating a shortage that starts in those months and prices start to rise.

Now florists start to plan how many roses they want to have on hand and start sending orders into their suppliers. The suppliers tell their suppliers, and those suppliers tell the growers. The growers look at the crop growing and set a price based on the demand for the product. Because roses are perishable and cannot be kept on hand for long periods of time it makes the supply harder to maintain.

You also have to factor in the growing conditions for the roses, the days are shorter and the temperatures are cooler. This puts more energy into caring for the roses and making sure they are ready for the final cut before the big day arrives.

Now we get into the fun world of transportation. The large supply of roses has to be moved into the parts of the world that demand the roses. This requires more trucks, more drivers, and of course more gas. Then when they arrive at the wholesalers it requires more people to process the flowers, sort the roses for delivery to the florists, and transport them to the locations. As a florist we need to have more people on staff to handle the demand as well. More people to answer the phone, design the arrangements, and of course deliver them to you.

You add all of this together and it's the perfect storm for increased prices.

But do not fret. You can send your love beautiful flowers on Valentine's Day without breaking the bank. Ask your florist for a mixed bouquet, add just a few roses to it if you like. Maybe look for designs that feature spray roses, then you can have a larger amount of "roses" without the higher cost. You may also want to go with her favorite color or flower and have your florist create a beautiful bouquet that is one of a kind.

If you do decide to go with roses, get the most for your money by providing the proper care after the roses arrive. This will insure that you are enjoying the roses for days to come after the holiday.

We hope that this little article will help explain those higher prices you are bound to pay this Valentine's Day. Remember to order your roses early, we recommend at least a week in advance. This will guarantee fresh roses delivered to the one you love on that special day!

Get to know your customers day ~ January 2011

2011-01-20T07:57:00.001-06:00

Today is "Get to Know Your Customers Day". We feel that in the floral business that is every day for us. When someone calls and asks for a birthday arrangement we have to get to know the sender and the receiver. It could be something as simple as, "she loves pink", or something as detailed as, "we have been together for 50 years and she is the love of my life". All of these details are an important part of picking the perfect gift for someone.

So today we ask your help in getting to know you. We want to know more about what our customers, or potential customers, like and dislike. Honestly without you we would not have a reason to open our doors each morning. Please take a couple of minutes to answer the following questions in the comment section below. We will draw a name from those that respond and you will receive a gift certificate for $25.00!

1. What do you consider most when choosing a florist? This could be price, location, reputation, coupons, or anything of the sort.

2. Have you seen or heard any advertisements for The Secret Garden in the last 30 days? If so do you remember where? Please indicate where.

3. What one product, or service, would you like to see offered by us that would set us apart from the rest?

4. If we offered an email, or phone reminder service for birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays would you be interested?

5. When, and for what occasion(s), did you order flowers for in the past year?

6. What type of things would you like us to write about in blogs? Examples: Decorating with flowers, more flower care information, how to order flowers, more pictures of our work, and so on.

Thank you in advance for filling out our short survey. We look forward to helping you with your next flower purchase.

January Highlights

2011-01-05T21:06:00.000-06:00

December was full of parties, family, presents, and occasions that made memories that will last a lifetime. January is a time to resolve to make changes, look ahead on a promising New Year, and a time for celebrating. We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and have a prosperous New Year.

We have many new plans and ideas for the year ahead. Clearing out the old and making room for the new is a part of our January. New stock is arriving and making it's way to our shelves. Inventories are being done and Valentine's Day plans are already underway. This month will be one of looking back at what made 2010 so great and what we can do to improve your experience when you shop with us in 2011.

To keep up to date on all of our new ideas be sure to follow this blog and our promotions page. We will keep you up to date on all of the upcoming events through these blogs, our facebook page, and of course when you visit the shop.

A few things we have planned for the New Year are:

A book exchange ~ Continuing our Traveling Kindness Bouquet ~ A new twist to a Dozen Roses at Valentine's Day ~ More fun contests for the spring and summer ~ New products and services ~ and so much more!

We hope that you are looking forward to this new year, we sure are!

A Look Back on 2010

2010-12-29T20:46:00.001-06:00

With this being our first year as owners of The Secret Garden we had a lot of firsts this year. We thought we would take a little time to look back over some of our favorite moments of 2010.

Some of our favorite things ~

We design so many pieces in a year it's hard to pick out just a few. These are ones that have touched our hearts.

50 Long stem roses in a vase ~ WOW!! This was for a 50th anniversary. We were amazed they all fit in the vase. I bet her eyes are still twinkling after getting all of these. We had a young bride in the shop at the time this picture was taken. I took this bouquet over to her and said with a smile, "This is what you get for 50 years."

The Race for The cure! Being asked to create this balloon arch, and having Sheryl on our team to design the perfect thing. Setting it up before the sun came up and knowing that it would be on stage to honor all of the survivors and the women who lost the battle. We also made a balloon archway to kick off the race. This is something I will not forget, it was a touching time.

Our first convention. We attended a floral convention in March and came back to the shop with some great ideas. We learned so much in the hands on classes and the business lessons. It was an amazing and inspiring event. Already looking forward to this year. I will graduate and receive my ICPF, Illinois Certified Professional Florist certificate. That is something I am looking forward to putting in the proud moments category next year!

Merchandising. Selecting and creating with the new merchandise. This year was filled with buying, buying, and yeah buying. We brought in new gifts, containers, and more to bring our own touch to the store. I have been told all along that the store will reflect our style and I can see that happening with every new box of treasures. Luckily our taste and Carolyn's (the previous owner) blend well together.

Most Overwhelming Time ~

Our first Valentine's Day, though smooth, was still a bit overwhelming. After weeks of preparation we pulled it off without a hitch, but we must admit a few more gray hairs can be seen.

Just a small sampling of the flowers we received. All of them are processed with care and then arranged for our cooler.

The cooler was packed with deliveries and orders. It was a true site to see. We had roses and roses... and more roses!

The sales floor all decked out in red and white. A beautiful site for sure! Gifts, gift baskets, balloon wraps, and more, all ready for the big day.

And after it was all over just a few things remained. It was so empty in that poor cooler. Nothing but the few remaining flowers.

Proudest Moments ~

Like we said up top, this year was full of a lot of firsts. Here are a few of our proudest moments.

My (Lori's) first Mache. I know thinking of a funeral piece may seem like a morbid proud moment, but this one I did with just a little help from Carol. It always feels good when you can say "I did that!". This was one of those times. Funeral pieces are a very important part of our business. They are something we take great pride in because we are celebrating the life of a loved one.

One of Michael's first creations all on his own. He took some of the design techniques he learned in our classes and created this. He took a sunflower with broken petals and transformed it into a beautiful focal point to this piece. The colors and the flow of the arrangement showcase the talent he has inside. We can't wait to see how he comes along this year and we know he will make a great designer!

Our "Traveling Kindness Bouquet". When we ~~came up with~~ stole this idea from Monday Morning Balloon Co. in PA we had no idea what doors this bouquet would open. We started giving a small bouquet to a business with a card attached asking them to enjoy the flowers and pass them along. This got us several "thank you" phone calls, letters, and even some new friends because of this idea. It even earned us front page of the business journal! What a great idea that we are going to carry forward into the new year.

My first wedding bouquet. I was pretty nervous about creating anything as special as a wedding bouquet. When you take the thoughts and dreams of a woman and express it with flowers there is a bit of pressure. But I was very pleased with the end result and I have heard she was too!

Proud of our team. Our team has such amazing talent, ideas, and stamina. These ladies can design until they drop and then keep on going. They have embraced our ideas, some a little risky, and even helped us spread the word. We are so proud to have them design for us. It amazes us still today what they come up with. They can take the most ordinary looking thing and transform it into the extraordinary. Carol and Sheryl have had patience to train two novice owners, and do it with a smile. Amy has taken off with the displays, signs, and even some designing.

I would say some of my proudest moments this year revolve around my evolving design abilities. Taking flowers and just designing. There is nothing like the feeling when someone picks out something you created from the cooler to give to someone they love. That is the proudest you can get!

None of this would be as exciting if it was not for our AMAZING team. Carol, our shop manager who keeps a watchful eye over us. Sheryl, a wonderful and creative soul who designs her heart out. Amy, our "grunt" (her phrase not ours hehe), who is amazing with windows, signs, and talking me down from the ledge when I need it.

We must also thank all of you! Our friends, supporters, facebook fans, and loyal customers. Without you choosing us to help you express your feelings, thoughts, and ideas we could not do any of this. You encourage us to be our very best. You drive us in the right direction with your feedback, comments, and suggestions. YOU are the reason we open the doors, throw on our aprons, and pick up our tools every morning. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making our first year one to remember forever.

Top 5 Ways The Secret Garden can help you relieve holiday stress.

2010-12-14T13:47:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again, hustle and bustle, and no time to relax. Well we decided to make a list of ways we can help you relieve that holiday stress.

5. Shorter Lines ~ Everyone hates those long holiday lines at the big box stores. Well because we are a smaller shop we offer shorter lines. Most of our floral orders come over the phone or by the way of our website. This eliminates lines for us most of the time. Phone in your order and you will not have a line at all!

4. One on One Attention ~ Ever find yourself walking around helplessly in that big box store with no clue what to buy or where to find it. Well here you will get that personal one on one service and we can help you find exactly what you are looking for. We have ideas for just about everyone on your Christmas list.

3. One of a Kind ~ Looking for that hard to buy for person on your list? Well we can relieve some of that stress. We have not only great florals but unique, one of a kind gifts. We can stock those stockings and trim that tree.

2. Built in Stress Relief ~ Flowers relieve stress and tension. It's true read all about it here. Buy yourself a small bouquet and set it out for you to see every morning and your days will be less stressful. It's hard to not smile when you see our bouquets.

1. Ease of delivery~ Around town or around the country we can get your gift delivered before Christmas. We offer world wide shipping on all of our gifts and silk pieces. As a Teleflora member we can have a local florist arrange and deliver to just about anywhere in the US.

This is just a few of the ways we can help you relieve your holiday stress. Stop in today and see what we can do for you.

The Secret Garden
1215 E. Pershing Rd.

2010-12-08T21:28:00.000-06:00

Ever wanted to tour our shop but live to far away or can never find time to stop in? Well it's time to step inside The Secret Garden. We have created a short video that lets you walk through our shop without leaving the comfort of your home. We hope you enjoy!

December Highlights

2010-12-03T15:48:00.000-06:00

It's official ~ The Holiday season is here. The greens have arrived and the store smells fantastic. Now is the season for sights, sounds, smells, and so much more that make you feel so warm inside (even when it's not outside).

This holiday season we hope to be your one stop shop for all of your decorating and gift giving needs. From our large assortment of silk wreaths to our tree trimmers, from fresh flowers to potted plants, we have it all.

Now I know, our building is a little deceiving ~

It does look awfully small ~ but remember sometimes big things come in small packages. If you want to see a sampling of what we offer you can see one of our albums on facebook.

To entice you to try us out this holiday we have come up with weekly specials that will make any scrooge say "ho ho ho!"

If you need a weekly reminder just head over to our promotions page follow us or subscribe to our feeds. If you want to keep up on the daily deals, great products, and more follow us on facebook. You can never tell what we will be up to there.

Remember we offer 3 great ways to shop:

In Store

1215 E. Pershing Rd.

Decatur, IL

By Phone

217-875-9038

Or Online

secretgardendecatur.com

Also, forget the long lines at the post office, we now offer shipping on all silk and gift items. As a member of the Teleflora network we can also have your flowers and plants delivered by a local florist.

It's Poinsettia Time! Can you believe it?!?! We offer several different choices when it comes to our poinsettias. We have one stem and two stem plants. Foil wrap, in a basket, or one of our beautiful holiday tins. Just let us know what you would like and we would be happy to do it for you. If you would like some poinsettia care advices read our article on our care and handling page.

Our holiday grave saddles are on the move. We have several styles available still and can always custom create one just for you. This is a great way to pay tribute to loved ones that we will miss this holiday season.

Well that looks like about everything we have going on right now. Remember to order your holiday centerpieces early to avoid that last minute rush.

November Highlights

2010-11-05T07:28:00.000-05:00

Well another month is gone. Our first year at The Secret Garden seems to be going faster with each passing day. With the Holidays fast approaching everything is sure to be in a whirlwind from here on out. So what did October Bring?

October brought our first ever Pumpkin Design Contest . Some great deals on fall merchandise and us one month closer to Christmas. We also collected money for Breast Cancer Research and made a lot of new friends doing so. In the mix we had an open house, a canned food drive, and a lot of fun decorating the shop for Christmas. It was a busy month that is for sure.

So looking ahead to November we suggest you follow Our Promotions Page to stay ahead of the crowd and see what great sales and promotions we have running.

Now is the time to order your centerpieces for Thanksgiving. They really make the table something special. We suggest that you order at least one week in advance so that you can get the flowers and style that you are wanting to make this Thanksgiving dinner one to remember forever.

We also have 30% off all fall merchandise including silk wreaths and silk floral designs right now. Stop into the shop at 1215 E. Pershing rd and see what we have to offer.

For the first time ever we have coupons for every week leading up to Christmas. These start the week of November 22nd and run through Christmas Eve. For a complete list just download and print this list.

Did you know that we can ship your holiday purchases worldwide. Well we sure can. Any gift item in the shop can be shipped around the globe for you this holiday season. Also send flowers or plants around the corner or around the world by simply stopping in or giving us a call. We can make sure that everyone receives something unique this Christmas. Also check out our eBay store if you can't make it in to see what we have to offer for the holiday season.

This is just the beginning of what we have in store for you this year. Be sure to subscribe to this page or watch Facebook or Twitter for more exciting updates.

Just Flowers ~ Just Order Takers

2010-10-23T07:15:00.000-05:00

Well it happened again, someone ordered flowers from Just Flowers and they were unhappy with the results. Monday afternoon our phone rang and it was Just Flowers wanting to know if we could fill an order for them. See Just Flowers is an order taker and not a flower shop so they have to find local florists to do the work for them. We found out what was needed and placed an order with our supplier. The next day we unpacked the items, arranged the plants in a basket, and sent it over to the funeral home. Wednesday morning my phone rang. The sender of the order had arrived at the funeral home for the visitation on Tuesday and was unhappy with what they had seen on display with their name attached.

She asked me what the order had called for. I explained that it asked for one azalea, one kalanchoe, and a mix of green plants. It turns out she did not ask for those specific plants at all. The picture on the website did not even show those in it. We discussed the price of each plant and the cost of the basket and how we had come to send what we did. She then asked the 64 million dollar questions, "How much money did they send you to fill my order?" That is when she became shocked and upset. It turns out that the company had taken 20% of her order before it was sent to me to fulfill. Also the extra charges that they had charged her for delivery and so on had not been given to us to fill her order. The result, frustration and anger for the sender.

I told her what I always tell the senders when they have this problem. Always call a local florist, you will get the most for your money and you will get what you ordered. Her response was, "They had more to choose from on their site". I then explained that might be true, but because they are not real florists what the receiving florist has available will be the end result. They can have a million pictures but if the florists in the town you are sending too do not carry those items you will not be able to receive those items.

So to go the extra mile I offered to make her up something special to send to the family. She was pleased with this but declined, she was going to the source of the problem and she was going to get a resolution.

I hope that she calls us in the future so that we can show her how wonderful it can be to order locally. It always upsets me when a someone sending flowers is disappointed in the end result. This is a negative feeling for not only them but for the entire florist industry.

I will also take this moment to say use caution when ordering online. I wrote a blog about figuring out who is a true local florist and who is an order taker in disguise.

Some people may not be convinced just yet, dismiss this as the mad ramblings of a local florist. Well the proof is right here folks, just check out these reviews.

Just Flowers Reviews

And they are not alone:
1800flowers reviews
From you Flowers
FTD Reviews
Teleflora Reviews

Before the busy holiday season I hope to continue this discussion and give you more insight on how this all works.

Changing of the seasons

2010-10-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

For anyone who follows us on facebook or has made a visit to the shop, you know we love fall. Fall is a season rich with color and scents. We thrive in decorating and designing in the fall months. But as the days creep by we know what is coming, the cold days of winter and the snow on the ground.

We have several fall designs that are just for our local customers. Our live pumpkins are so popular we hope we have enough for everyone that wants one. Make sure that you get your orders in soon so you get the one you need.

We are also making room for Christmas, yes we know it's early. With our custom silk wreaths and centerpieces we have to get them out early so that everyone can see our wonderful designs. This means that all fall merchandise is 20% off through the end of October.

Come in soon and be sure to ask for your coupon good for 25% off any regular priced item November 1st, 2010 through November 13th, 2010.

Time is running out to help raise money for Breast Cancer Research. We are donating 10% of your total order to find a cure through the end of October. So make sure to say "Think Pink" when you make any purchase in store, on the phone, or online.

Where does the time go.

2010-10-12T21:07:00.001-05:00

Wow ~ Where does the time go. I was just sitting here relaxing by the computer and noticed that this blog has been badly neglected. I thought to myself... now what would the 31 day bloggers say about that! So it is time to breath new life into the blog.

This page was set up to be a newsletter of sorts. It ~~would~~ should have weekly updates and links to the other tabs you see above. I wanted to showcase wedding work, talk about the industry, and so much more! So why has this fallen by the wayside??? Well to be honest business is good and life is crazy.

Last month I started my ICPF classes. This will give me fancy letters after my name and make me a Illinois Certified Professional Florist. These classes focus on design principals as well as the business side. I have enjoyed the first 6 classes and have gotten some great ideas and insight. You may even see a few of these ideas pop up around Valentine's day, or sooner.

Homecoming, weddings, funerals, and more. This last month has been a whirlwind of events that are both joyous and somber. That is the life a florist, you get tears of joy and tears of sadness all in one. It makes you appreciate your own life changing moments even more.

But alas homecoming has passed and now we rev up for the holiday season. Gone are the bouts and corsages, income the wreaths and centerpieces. I can't wait!!

So now I will go back to my challenge notes and make a new set of lists and charts so that I can return to the wonderful and fun filled, world of blogging!

More updates to come!

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 31

2010-08-19T06:42:00.000-05:00

Today's Challenge ~ Plan the next steps for your blog.

With all that I have learned over the last 31 days I feel confident that I have built a better blog. Now I just have to apply all that I learned.

Today our task was to plan the next steps for our blog. How we were going to apply what we had learned and follow through. Here is what I have come up with.

This home page will become a virtual newsletter of sorts. A newsletter will be posted weekly linking to the other sections of the blog. This will give my readers one central location to find out the goings on for all of the blogs. This way they can go and read the posts that interest them. I will also use this page for breaking news and discussions.
I want to have more series of posts like this one and like our plant care guide. This will engage the readers and keep them coming back for more.
I will set up a blog schedule with each blog getting at attention each week. With the busy holiday time ahead it may be just one post. The idea is to keep the topics and pages looking fresh for our readers.
I will continue to use analytics to monitor and improve my blog. This will be done monthly.
Monthly I will also be checking for dead links and adding links to older posts. This will help with my SEO ratings and keep the blog up to date.
As I post topics that are what I consider "hot topics" I will use stumbleupon and digg to get the word out to others.
I would like to reply to readers every morning. As the blog grows in popularity I may have to save this task for a specific day.
I want to continue to learn and grow. This means keeping in touch with my SITS friends and exploring new sites that will help me grow my blog.

Well this is it, the final 31 day post. I can't believe it's been 31 days. I am proud to have finished the challenge and invite all who are interested to try to do the same. Here is a link to a recap on SITS that will help you follow the challenge.

Have fun and happy blogging!

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 30

2010-08-18T06:28:00.000-05:00

Today's Challenge ~ Statistics to Monitor your blog.

Statistics are an important part of blogging. You can see where your readers are coming from and once they get to your page how long they stay. You can track your most popular posts and even a bit about who is reading them.

I use Google Analytics to monitor my blogs and I am pleased with the results. I like to spend a little time each week looking at how many visitors, how they found me, and what they read. Then I can look at the successful posts and see how I can duplicate that with a new topic.

I know right now my numbers are not huge but they still have a huge meaning. Also the challenge reminded us to focus on ways to improve the numbers and set goals to do so.

This challenge has actually helped to increase interest in my blog. I can now see what has worked and what has not. This will help me make the blog more successful in the future.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 29

2010-08-17T06:55:00.000-05:00

Today's Challenge ~ Promote your blog.

It is important to set time each day or week to find ways to promote your blog. We discussed on Day 4 how to promote single posts. Looking back on this day the ideas are similar but a little more in depth.

We were to spend 10 - 15 minutes figuring out who are desired readers were. For me they are as follows:

Flower Lovers
Our Shoppers
Our Friends
Other Shop Owners
Anyone looking to order flowers
Anyone looking for plant & flower care tips

We needed to figure out where our desired readers were gathering online. I would say the majority of my readers are the facebook type of folks. They want to stay in touch with friends and family. Most are looking to network and build relationships.

We then had to figure out how we can promote our blog on those type of sites. For me it is leaving links, talking it up to our fans, and letting my customers know about not only my blog but my facebook page. At work we have our facebook page on the back of every business care, we also ask customers to review us there. These are all great ways to promote the blog. I will be looking at more ways in the future as well.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 28

2010-08-15T19:23:00.001-05:00

Today's Task ~ Write a Review Post
I have not yet had the opportunity to write a review post, thought I have read many. I like the idea of testing a product, service, or even just watching a movie and telling others what I have to say. I do it in my everyday life when I come across something I like or dislike. Why not put the pen to paper, or in this case fingers to the keyboard and give it a go.

31 Days to Build a Better Blog. By: Darren Rowse

As many of your know I have been following an e-book by Darren Rowse. This book is designed to take you step by step, in 31 days, to better blogging. As of day 28 this book has delivered on it's promises.

When I first started out with my blog I really did not know what direction I was going to take it. I knew it would be a little about the family, a little about me, but mostly about our flower shop. One night while surfing the web I came across a challenge. I am always up for a new challenge so I decided to check it out. The gals over at SITS were about to embark on a 31 day journey to better blogging. I joined up with the group, grabbed my notebook, and a cup of coffee, and here I am on day 28.

What I have Loved:
   I love the fact that it is broken up into daily challenges. I have wanted to improve my blog but had no idea where to start and always felt overwhelmed when learning about it. This was a one day at a time stadegey and I could see the results at day 1. When you have a family, own your own business, and so much more you need daily tasks. This really did help me keep it all in perspective.
   I also loved that each day he told you not only what you were doing but why you were doing it. Whenever I train someone I always explain to them why what they are doing is important. There is nothing like telling someone "cut flowers under water" and walking away. When they go to do it next time it may just seem silly and they could skip it. If I take the time to explain why they are doing it then they will be more likely to remember it and do it on their own next time.
   He kept the tech speak to a minimum. I am a novice at blogging and I have dabbled with HTML in the past. I will be the first to admit, if it sounds hard I will not even attempt, it will go back on my list. Some of the tasks were a little more advanced then others, but once I understood why I was doing it I took the time to learn.
   I also loved that it was not specific to one type of blog. I did not feel like I was reading a book dedicated to making money on my blog or blogging to a mass of readers. This let me feel like I was growing at my own pace. I could concentrate more on tasks that I felt would help me the most. Two that I use the most, and plan to for a long time, are days 11 and 12. Coming up with post ideas and writing a schedule for them.

A few things I did not Love:
   We all have them, and here are mine.
   There were a few days that I thought maybe too much information was given for a single day, an example of that would be day 6. This day was a list of 21 must read tips. Well on day 6 I did not have time to read 21 tips, and I must say that I have not been back to do this. I understand though that the information is right there waiting for me and I should go back and read them all, one day at a time.
   I also was not a big fan of Day 15 ~ Find a Blog Buddy. This is not because I am anti-social. It is because finding a florist blogger with an active blog is just HARD. I have looked and only found a handful. I am also aware that the life of a small business owner is fast paced and full of things to do. I am still a little hesetant at reaching out to the few that I have found. Again this is not a bad mark on the book by any means. Plenty of fellow challenge users have found a buddy and it looks like it is working well for them.

Well as you saw this is my first review. Since I am a florist I think I will use a flower scale to show how much I like things I review. We will say 1 to 5 flowers to keep it simple.

I give "31 Days to Build a Better Blog" by Darren Rowse 4 Flowers out of 5.

I would recommend this book to: Anyone who wants to improve their blog, learn about blogging, or just wants a good challenge.

You can pick up a copy of this e-book at : Problogger and while you are there take a look around their site. It has page after page of useful information.

By the way, thank you Darren for writing this guide that helped me to build a better blog and for all my friends at SITS for cheering me on along the way. I may not have stayed this motivated without all of you.

And this post proves that I paid attention on Day 7!

You can see all the days of this journey here.

31 Day blog challenge ~ Day 27

2010-08-14T18:17:00.001-05:00

Today's Task ~ Hunt for Dead Links.

Because our blog is very new I am pretty confident that the links work the way they did when I set them up. It is a good idea for everyone to check for dead links on a monthly basis or even more regular if your blog contains lots of links to different places.

I have written several link posts since the challenge suggested this and we will have to follow up on those links over time.

Dead links can make your blog look out of date. This can harm your reputation as a Go-To blogger. It may even harm your SEO rating with search engines. There are a wealth of free sites that search for dead links. When we go out to do our hunt we will probably be using either deadlinks.com or Xenu's Link Sleuth.

I hope that you are enjoying the challenge so far and have learned as much along the way as I have.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 26

2010-08-13T19:52:00.001-05:00

Today's Challenge ~ Improve Another Blog

Helping another blogger can help your blog as well. Leaving constructive comments can help them by giving them ideas or future topics. They may also allow you to guest post for them, this would increase your readers and theirs as well. You could also email them ideas or topics that you would like them to discuss.

When you help another blogger it can have a positive effect on your blog as well. You may gain new readers when they see the comments and feedback you have left.

I have been building a relationship with the author of Smile Blog. She is a fellow blogger in my niche that I enjoy reading. She has been a wonderful resource for my shop and the ladies that work with me. I have left comments in the past and discussed a few topics on facebook. I look forward to working with her more in the future.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 25

2010-08-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

Today's Challenge ~ Ask your reader a question.

I have tried this a couple of times on my blog. We love to hear from our readers, it makes our day to see them engaged in conversation.

We post questions to Facebook and Twitter as well to see what our readers think about different topics. Today we will post a few questions here for our 31 day blogging friends.

1. What has been the most valuable lesson you have learned over the past 25 days?

2. Do you feel that your knowledge of blogging has grown due to the challenge?

3. Have you seen an increase in traffic and readership to your blog since the challenge has begun?

4. What great blogs have you found because of the challenge?

5. What one thing will you continue to do to improve your blog after the challenge has ended?

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 24

2010-08-11T21:28:00.000-05:00

Today's Challenge ~ Find inspiration from a magazine.

Well I love flipping through flower, wedding, and business magazines so today's challenge was a lot of fun.

I looked through magazines to see what caught my attention, what colors and shades were in effect, and what marketing ideas they use to draw you in.

I draw inspiration from magazines in my day to day work and also for ideas for our blog. I have written several articles on funerals and plant care because of articles I have read recently on each.

I still have much to learn. I know that looking for inspiration in many different places will give me a wealth of ideas to choose from.

I can not believe we are this close to the end of the challenge. I am thrilled to have participated and feel I have come a long way.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 23

2010-08-10T20:45:00.001-05:00

Today's Challenge ~ Call to action.

Our challenge today was to write a post to call our readers to action. This could be done in several ways. Ask for comments, make a poll, ask readers to follow you, suggest a product, or a long list of others.

What I realized is we do this a lot in our blogs. Some of our recent posts in this challenge has been to ask for feedback and comments. We have even asked our customers to support a local charity and support local businesses.

I love to get readers involved in our blog. This is the way, I feel, you form a true bond and get them to open up to what they want to see and do here.

So loyal readers ~ Tell me ~ How do you get readers to open up to you on your blogs? What has worked well in the past? Feel free to leave links so that we can all see what you have done.

I am officially calling you to action!

31 Day blog challenge ~ Day 22

2010-08-09T19:48:00.000-05:00

Today's Challenge: Pay Special Attention to A Reader.

Well as you can see from our followers list I am new and just getting our blog legs. I appreciate all of my followers and love when they comment on my blogs. So today I had a hard decission. I had to pick one of those beloved readers and highlight them in a blog post.

I actually used our Family Blog to take part in this challenge. That is where we talk a little more about our personal lives, our family, and more.

I highlighed one of our favorite bloggers ~ Kludgy Mom.

If you are looking for a snarky, light hearted, fun read, we suggest you check her out and tell us what you think.

You can read our post about her here.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 21

2010-08-08T19:17:00.001-05:00

Today we were tasked to look over some of our older posts and breath new life into it.

I have been blogging for about 8 months but have not started posting regularly until about two months ago. We had a few posts that needed some work and look forward to sprucing them up.

We also have plans to writing a few follow up posts to our older articles. This will bring them back into the lime light. We have gained new followers and new readers. We hope that breathing new life into these posts will get them some attention and comment love.

It also gave us some great tips on writing posts that are worth reading. Better titles, great hooks, and a call to action. All of these things can be used in our future posts as well as most of our older ones.

Have you thought about updating your blog, giving it a fresh look? It is not to late to get into the SITS 31 days to build a better blog challenge. Or to just get the book and start your own challenge with your friends or co-workers.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 20

2010-08-07T21:38:00.000-05:00

Today's Challenge ~ Leave Comments for other bloggers.

One of the things I have enjoyed the most about the challenge is reading other blogs. I have found new blogs in my niche, blogs that make me laugh, and blogs that have an interesting story to tell. With Google Reader I can read them all with just a few clicks and scrolls. When one strikes my fancy I head on over to the blog and leave a comment.

We learned today to:

Make your comments informative and meaningful
Never Spam ~ Example: Great post, here's my link
Leave comments everywhere you can, news articles, news blogs, other blogs, and anywhere you can
Try to add to the article or post with your own insight when possible.

I try to make my comments informative, responsive to questions, or just to say I agree with something they have posted. It lets the blogger know that I have read and understand what they are talking about. When you leave a comment that adds to the content of the blog it also shows you are an expert in that field.

I have had comments to my 31 day challenge that have helped me shape my blog, my posts, and my thoughts on blogging. I enjoy reading comments and it always makes you feel good knowing that you have engaged the readers.

I am headed out now to do my "homework" by reading and commenting on posts that some of my SITS girls have made!

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 19

2010-08-06T20:22:00.001-05:00

Today's Task ~ Write an opinion post.

Sharing your opinion with readers is an important part of being a blogger. That is, of course, my opinion. I have always thought that blogs were an extension of you, your feelings, and your opinions. As a blogger you can report on a story and then state what you feel about it.

To me blogging is not just reporting the news but letting others know how you feel about it. Every blogger has their own way of doing this. As you read blogs you get a little glimpse inside the mind of the person righting the blog.

I have given my views on "In Lieu of Flowers", buying local, ordering flowers from places like pro-flowers, and I even have a full post full of rants once a week. These give my readers insight into the way I think about things. I give them important facts and mix in a few of my opinions on the matter.

What we, as bloggers, have to remember is we are not reporters. We are allowed to think, and post, outside of the box.

To see where this challenge has taken me go here.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 18

2010-08-05T20:12:00.001-05:00

Todays Challenge ~ Create a Sneeze Page. Aaacchhoooo.

This page will list the best and hottest posts that this blog has to offer.

I looked at feedback from facebook, twitter, and blog comments. I also reviewed the most popular pages according to Google Analytics.

This was very helpful in not only creating my list but to see what my readers like. We created a tab at the top of our page called: Hot Topics. This page will connect you, the reader, to our most popular and most read posts.

I also plan on doing something similar on my other blogs as we finish creating our series on funerals, plant care, and fresh flower giving. These can then be highlighted on the Hot Topics Page for each blog.

We look forward to adding these pages to make the blogging experience better for you.

Your feedback is welcome. Tell us what you would like to see on the Hot Topics page.

31 Day blog challenge ~ Day 17

2010-08-04T21:53:00.002-05:00

Today our challenge was to have someone else read our blog for the first time. We were to watch them read it, see what drew there attention. Then we had some questions to ask.

I fixed my husband a big cup of coffee and had him start reading. He had some interesting suggestions, things I had not noticed. It always sheds light on the subject when you can look at it from another perspective.

Here is what he had to say:

He thought that the layouts were lovely.
When asked what he thought this blog was about he said, "31 day blog challenge"
It was easy to read, navigate, and understand
He thought that it was a bit crowded and maybe going down to 2 columns would clean it up a bit.
He suggested moving some of the information to tabs or other pages.
He liked the layout and the design.

Overall he enjoyed his experience and I value his input.

I think the advice he gave can make our blog more appealing to others as well. I look forward to working on this again over the weekend.

31 Day blog challenge ~ Day 16

2010-08-03T20:57:00.001-05:00

Solve A Problem ~ As a florist we solve problems all day long. "I messed up, can you help" says the gentleman who looks a bit ill. The lady on the phone says, "Can you get that delivered TODAY?". So solving problems comes natural to me. I enjoy it actually. So when the challenge asked us to solve a problem I said, "Yes I can do that!" I am hoping that I have already answered a few questions in my blogs. This has been an amazing 2 weeks so far and I know I have learned a lot. If I have passed on a few good pointers to you, my readers, then I have done my job.

First we have to identify what type of problems our shoppers have. What do they want to know. What do they want to learn about.

On day 11 when we came up with ideas for our blog I came across several posts that I was going write that would solve problems. We have already writing some of these posts.

Yesterday we published a guide on the easiest to care for house plants.

Sunday we discussed basic care and handling tips of house plants.

We also started a series on sympathy arrangements and how to choose the one that is right for you.

We hope that these series will become a go to guide for our readers.

On a personal note. When my husband and I took over the shop we decided the way to have people choose flowers and plants as gifts was to educate people on the benefits. We feel that if people know more about flowers, ordering, plants, independent business owners, and the benefits of each that they will feel confident that we are the right choice for them.

31 Day blog challenge ~ Day 15

2010-08-02T22:32:00.003-05:00

We are not half way through out blog challenge. Today I found the challenge a little more challenging. We were to find a blog buddy, someone in our niche that we can work with to promote each others blogs. This can include guest posts, interviews, proof reading, and more.

As a florist I have found anything niche related to be difficult. There are not many of us out there actively blogging. One of my absolute favorites is Smile Blog. I love reading about her shop and her ideas. We have even used a few ideas of hers in our shop (it's okay, she knows). I would love to have her guest blog for us or even just do a phone interview with her. I have tons of questions for her.

So now the work begins. I plan on opening a dialog with her and getting to know her better. I follow her blog and her posts on facebook. I will work on developing a relationship with her and getting to know her better.

If you want to see what we have done or where this challenge has taken us read all about it here.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 14

2010-08-01T20:22:00.001-05:00

Well we are almost half way through our 31 day challenge. Todays Task: Update a Key Page in your Blog.

I just created these blogs about a month ago and the idea of updating them made my head hurt a bit. I made a big pot of coffee and dug in. I added about us pages to all but one of our blogs. I also created a contact us page. Now I am looking over the flow of the page on the sides to see if boxes and such are where I want them to be.

They asked us what our pet peeves were for blogs that we land on. One of my biggest ones is not being able to find the box that allows me to follow that person. I am going through all of my blogs now to make sure that it is easy to find for someone who may want to follow us. I am also getting smaller twitter and facebook links to add to all of our pages. I am thinking of putting RSS feed along with these boxes but we will see what the night brings.

I have found this a bit of a challenge because each blog has it's own layout and widths that go with it. I am having to tweak every box to get it to fit without stretching the page. This is not hard, just time consuming.

I know that I will like them better when I am done. I also know that this is an ongoing process that will never end.

Happy Blogging!

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 13

2010-07-31T21:19:00.001-05:00

Todays Challenge ~ Go Shopping!

Well back to school is just around the corner so I almost jumped on this one then I read a bit further. What they wanted us to do today was look at what was drawing customers to the shops. I decided I could use our own shop and my personal retail experience to do this so I decided to forgo the mall today.

We have been working on different marketing ideas not only for our blog but for our store. We have had some success and some failure in both so far and we are learning from each.

The main thing is to have a good hook to draw people in. I have found with my blog posts if I can make the title interesting folks will stop in and take a look at what we are talking about. The same way with our sign out front. See The Name Game for a look at what we do with our sign to draw folks into the shop.

So today I will look at my future posts to see how I can create a hook or interesting title that will get people to want to read. This does not always have to be a funny title or bizarre but it could be something that is relevant to my customers and/or fellow bloggers.

To see how this challenge started and where it's going click here.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 12

2010-07-30T19:56:00.001-05:00

The challenge for today was to set up a schedule for our blog. Because we are actually running 5 blogs all rolled into one this was a little trickier then it sounds.

To start I took our 5 blog titles and drew a week calendar under each title. Then I went over to the ideas I came up with yesterday and plugged them into the calendar. I tried to space out the posts between the blogs so that each one would get new content regularly. With this 31 day challenge I have my schedule made for this blog easy. Next I looked at what I had planned for posts and arranged them so that they would flow into each other and create a series. So you will soon see a series like this on each blog when we have a topic we want to discuss in detail. Other times you may just see smaller stories or ideas but it will be on a regular basis.

I am really looking forward to seeing the posts flow together to create a major idea. The schedule will also help me make time to blog each day, sometimes twice a day. I also look forward to seeing how the readers enjoy this.

Once again the 31 day blog challenge has helped make my blog better then ever!

31 Day blog challenge ~ Day 11

2010-07-29T21:04:00.001-05:00

So today we were challenged to come up with 10 new blog ideas. I chose 4 different blog posts and charted out ways to branch out from the post to new topics. This is what I found.

Heart Strings ~ This was a post about a funeral piece we created for a customer a few weeks ago.

How to choose an arrangement for a funeral. Show different types of arrangments and explain
What to do when the obituary says, "In Lue of Flowers".
How to order flowers for a funeral out of town.
Grave Saddles and other cemetary pieces.

House Plant Care Guides ~ This was an article for our list post challenge.

Re-Potting your house plants
Everyday care - watering, pruning, and such
Choosing a house plant
Decorating with house plants
Top 10 occasions to give a plant for
What plants do you need to bring in for the winter
Easy to care for house plants
Best outdoor for your area
Top 10 indoor house plants

Fresh Flower Care ~ This blog was about ways to care for a fresh bouquet.

Best Value for your money
How to make a simple arrangment (step by step with pictures)
Selecting the right size and shape of vase
Top 10 reasons to send a fresh bouquet
Best seasons to buy types of flowers (example daffodils in the spring, poinsettias in the winter)
Selecting the right flowers for the occasion
When silk flowers work best
How to order flowers
Local florist vs order takers
Why to buy ~ compare costs to other gift ideas

Marketing Guru ~ This was a cute post about my little marketing children.

How they relate to our shop
She said what? Kayleigh
Warren and his Bunny Cereal
Leanna and how she sees small businesses
Out growing clothes
Back to school
Best movies and T.V. shows for kids
Fun in the car

Those are just a few of the ideas I came up with in less then 30 minutes. It is really a lot of fun to brainstorm like that. You should try it sometime and see what kind of ideas you can come up with. Simply start with one idea and just gooooo!

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 10

2010-07-28T19:45:00.002-05:00

Well we are half way through the 31 day challenge and today was another great one!

We were asked to monitor our niche market by using our choice of services. These services monitor blogs, tweets, mentions, and more of the terms you want to watch for in a blog.

Today I set up at Twendz - this monitors twitter for mentions of whatever you are interested in. ~ I picked The Secret Garden. Now I can see when someone mentions us in a tweet. The downside to this is I also see when someone mentions any Secret Garden. So I am seeing a stream of book readers, movie watchers, a restaurant in Vegas, and who knows what else. This will take some fine tuning I am sure but it is fun for now.

I also joined up with Moniteer. This does just about the same thing but you can monitor 3 different topics. For us I choose, The Secret Garden, Teleflora, and Flowers. The best part about this one is you can put in a mile radius so I am just watching tweets within 30 miles of us.

The last one I tried out today was google alerts. This alerts me to when my above keywords are just about anywhere. They can appear in tweets, blogs, articles, news outlets, and so much more. This goes straight to my RSS feed so I can watch it live! This one I think I will like the most because it is ongoing and always watching.

So now to go back out into the blogosphere and read, read, read! Have a wonderful evening everyone.

If you want to see more on this challenge simply go here.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 9

2010-07-27T20:13:00.002-05:00

Wow I can't believe it's day 9 already! I have learned so much over the past 9 days I can't even imagine how much more is to come.

Today's challenge was to find a blog forum in our niche and to join and share in that forum. Well I am having a very difficult time finding a group of florist blogs out there. I found a lot of individual florist blogs but not a group of them together. I did find "Helpful Gardener Gardening Forum" . This is not so much a group of bloggers but a group of garden lovers. I choose this one to join because it looked very friendly and informative. I think I will enjoy reading this forum so even if it does not fit 100% into what I was looking for it will still be great to read.
I am enjoying my time with the SITS girls though! Learning, blogging, reading, and more learning! Through them I have found so many great blogs to read and follow.

See how the challenge is going and read past posts here.

31 Day blog challenge ~ Day 8

2010-07-26T19:38:00.002-05:00

Well today is another great challenge. Today we get to look over our past blog posts to see how we can link them to each other. This is also a great way for me to look over past blogs to see what I can do to improve the overall experience for my readers. So I will start with this post. If you have missed some of my previous posts on the 31 day blog challenge you may want to start here.

There that was pretty easy! Let's try out our list post and link everything together:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7

Now you can follow day by day of our challenge so far!

31 Day blog challenge ~ Day Seven

2010-07-25T23:41:00.002-05:00

Good evening all. I hope that you have had a wonderful weekend and are getting ready for the new week ahead. Today is day 7 of our blog challenge and it is a very useful one. Today we are writing posts that contain links to other blogs that we enjoy or use as references.

I have greatly enjoyed working with all of the ladies in the SITS group! They are full of great ideas and I have learned so much. I am also picking up many tips and tricks from problogger. This is a great resource site for novice bloggers as well as professionals.

On a professional note the blog that I turn to the most is Smile Blog by fellow florist Georgianne Vinicombe. I find her blogs informative and also entertaining. She has a wealth of knowledge and ideas and I find myself drawn to her style of business.

To see what part of the challenge we are on now go here.
These are just a few sites that I find helpful and worth the read. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Thanks for stopping in and enjoy your evening!

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 6

2010-07-24T20:16:00.004-05:00

Today the challenge was a bit more difficult. We were given a list of 27 blogs to read, skim, look over, or simply study. Well my beloved laptop has been diagnosed with a scary case of malware so I could only get to a few of them after working on that for most of the evening.

But I did find a few that I really liked~
Chris Garrett wrote about branding. I enjoyed this because we are working hard on our image and brand. We want to build our reputation and show people what we do and how we do it. He talked about how a brand can be broken with just a few bad experiences in this world of tweets and facebook. He also talked about making your brand and how to get it out to the world.
Chris Brogan wrote about different forms of media. From social media and what works and how to email blasts and blogging. These are all things that we are working on for the shop and I will go back and read more about them.
The list is long but if I break it up into many days instead of one I will make it through the relevant topics and apply them to my blogging.
Looks like tomorrow is going to be another great topic... can't read ahead though I promised myself I would take this one day at a time!

To see what challenge we are on today go here.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 5

2010-07-23T22:24:00.002-05:00

Today I had the chance to share some love! Our challenge today was to either e-mail, visit the blog of, or contact in some way one of the people who commented on one of our posts.

I went to visit everyone who posted a comment on my family blog and read theirs and posted a comment for them. I strongly believe that a blog should lead to relationships with your readers. This is just another forum where we can connect with people. I try to comment back quickly when someone leaves me a comment but I must admit life gets in the way. I will also commit to taking time every day to check the comments and make sure that I get a chance to respond to all questions. Now this may be at 1am but I promise to try to follow up on all of them.

I am really enjoying this blog challenge. With so many great women cheering each other one we are all sure to come out stronger then we went in!

To see where we are at in our challenge now go here.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 4

2010-07-22T21:05:00.002-05:00

So today I became a spy! Yes, part of my 31 day to better blogging challenge was to scope out a blog in my niche and see what makes them tick. I investigated there posts, followers, how they promote, and what makes people keep coming back for more. I LOVED it! I felt like a real CIA agent or something.
Here is what I found:
~ There are not a lot of florist blogs out there! Can you believe that? With all of the stuff we do and memories we make it seems that very few of us write about it. Now that could be because most of us are to busy running our shops to take time to write.
~ The few I found have amazing followers. The followers are dedicated and reply to posts on a regular basis.
~ Florists make pretty good bloggers. I saw tons of great photos, stories, and promotional ideas.

What I learned from all of this is that I am on the right track. It's all about sticking with it and writing about topics that showcase our work and knowledge. The personal touches we add to each post set us apart from each other but we all seem to have the same goal: Educate the public on the joys of flowers.

To see what part of the challenge we are on now go here.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 3

2010-07-21T22:17:00.002-05:00

Today is a new experience for me. I have always promoted my blogs to just my facebook friends, fans, and twitter pals. The idea of going out and finding new ways to promote my blog has been on my to-do list for sometime now but I just have not gotten around to it.

Today I signed up for a Digg.com account and submitted my first article. You can read the full article here. It is a post we wrote a few months back on how to prepare for a bridal consultation. We are excited to see if this brings traffic to our blog and what others think of it.

Do you have any blogging tips? Where do you promote your blog? We want to hear from you!

To see where we are on our challenge now go here.

31 Day Blog Challenge ~ Day 2

2010-07-20T20:43:00.001-05:00

It is day two of the blog challenge and today we have been tasked with making a list post. I have one here but I think that may be cheating so I will make my new one tonight.
I for one like list posts when I have a lot to say and do not want to get it jumbled in translation. I could have written an article on Bromeliad care but it would not have been as easy to follow or reference when I'm in a hurry. That particular list, I now know, is a list within a post. An extended list would be just the list without the post around it. I think I have that right but if you are a fellow blogger please correct me if I am wrong.
So now I sit here thinking of what kind of list I can make tonight. I did not plan a topic because I had no idea what the assignment for today may be (I am not reading ahead). I think I will update that blog page and put our top 10 sites that we reference when helping a customer with plant care. I know, not that exciting, but blogs are to inform as well as entertain. Okay off I go to make my list.. the list will be here when it's done if you want to check it out.