We're Moving ~

We’re Moving!

Yes you read that right ~ we are MOVING!

After over 25 years at our Pershing location, it’s time for a change!  2015 will be a very exciting time at The Secret Garden ~

As of March 1^st we will be in our new location.  After five years of steady growth we have met the capacity of our current location.  Our new location is currently Secret Garden Express and Waite’s Dry Cleaners at 664 W. Eldorado.  As many of you know, Waite’s Dry Cleaners uses that location for pickups and drop offs and they have not processed dry cleaning there for almost 20 years.  It has just been an empty warehouse.  We will be doing some major renovations to accommodate our floral customers.  Currently we have 1200 square feet, only 1,000 of that is actually usable for show room.  At the new spot, we will be utilizing about 2,500 square feet of the 4,200 square feet available there.  Our business can grow and expand within these walls for many years to come.  This is an amazing opportunity for us, and we’re excited for you to make the move with us.

Our new location will be at ~ 664 W. Eldorado St. in Decatur.  Our phone number will stay the same 217-875-9038. And you can still find us at secretgardendecatur.com

We are extending our hours as well.  Our new hours will be ~

Monday – Thursday 8:00 – 5:30

Friday 9:00 – 6:00

Saturday 8:00 – 2:00

We are also going to remain a pick up and drop off location for Waite’s Dry Cleaners.  Next time you are in need, we would hope that you will give them a try.  They would appreciate it and we would too. It may just earn you a free bouquet!

Thank you for being a long time customer of The Secret Garden!  We look forward to taking care of all of your floral & gift needs.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding this move, please contact Lori or Michael Barrett at the number listed above.

Lori & Michael Barrett and the Secret Garden Team,

Wanna know a Secret?

We are excited to announce ~ SECRET GARDEN EXPRESS will open on June 2nd 2014!!!

Our 2nd location will be located at 664 W. Eldorado inside Waite's Dry Cleaners.  You can still drop off your Dry Cleaning for the professionals to handle but now you can buy flowers too!

The Secret Express will be a "bucket" shop ~ We will offer Fresh Flowers FAST!  Co-Owner Michael Barrett will be manning this location along with the current staff of Waite's Dry Cleaner.  

You know that $5 Friday you know and LOVE from The Secret Garden?  Well Michael is going to have daily specials just like that! Secret Garden Express will carry ~

Roses

Carnations

Lilies

Alstroemeria

Crazy Daises

and MORE!  

All at everyday low prices.  Dozen Roses (Wrapped and Ready) for just $14.99 will be an everyday special.  Express will also have $5.00 - $10.00 - $20.00 bouquets wrapped and ready for pick up and go.  You will also find a nice selection of glass vases if you choose to have them arranged.  

We will also have seasonal silk wreaths and arrangements.

What we will not have ~ The Secret Garden Express will not be offering some of the services the main shop currently does ~

No Delivery

No Weddings

No Funeral Work

No Corsages or Boutonnieres 

No Custom Silk Arrangements at this time.

We are limiting our options to keep our prices as low as possible for our walk in clients.  You will find The Secret Garden Express's prices will compare to the local big box stores.  Our selection will change daily and we will have the FRESH flowers you have come to expect from The Secret Garden. 

Double Duty ~ Budget Friendly Weddings Part 3

Part 3 of our Budget Friendly Wedding Series is about making your arrangements work for you.  

1. Your bouquet & the attendants bouquets.  All of our bouquets come in a clear glass cylinder vase.  These vases can be used on the head table at the reception to hold your flowers.  You can space them out between the attendants and place your bouquet in the center.  So if you had 4 Bridesmaids you could place 2 on the right side of the table, yours in the middle, and 2 more on the left side of the table.  This is a simple and inexpensive way to decorate your head table.

2.  Your altar arrangement.  If you choose to decorate the altar at your church you can find places at the reception to display them.  For example, a low long arrangement in a design dish would be perfect for a buffet table, or even the gift table.  A taller altar arrangement could be placed to welcome the guests as they enter the room.

These are just a couple of ways to make your flowers work for you. 

Wedding Checklist ~ What to know before you call your florist

This week we take a break from our budget bride series.  Today we will talk about what to know before booking your first consultation.

• Brides dress selected - once you have your dress we can help you with your bouquet choices.  Some dresses have lots of detailing that you don't want to hide with a flowing cascade bouquet.  Others have small details that can be highlighted with certain flower types or looks.  For example if you have an Ivory tone for your dress you would not want to use white flowers, this has a tendency to make the dress look dirty.  Instead we could make a beautiful bouquet of mixed flowers in shades to match your wedding colors.
• Bridesmaids dresses - Once these are on order we can get a better idea of what will look best with your selection.  We have had brides change colors or styles because it does not flatter a bridesmaid.  If we have already selected the perfect bouquet for the original dress it means lots of changes.  This could mean a change in flowers, colors, and even price.  It's best to have all of the dresses selected and ordered before the consult.
• Grooms Attire & Groomsman Colors- You may not know the exact Tux or Suit he will suggest but basic colors are needed to select his boutonniere.  What may look great with a black jacket will not look the same against white or beige.  We do offer tuxedo rental so we can show you books to help you narrow down your selection. Also if you are going casual the shades of the shirts are important.  We want the flowers to stand out not blend in with what they are wearing.  Also you do not want to pair a very dressy flower like a Calla Lily with a dress shirt and tie.  That is better suited for a full tuxedo.
• Wedding location - This is important when deciding altar flowers, pew decorations, and unity candle arrangements.  If it's outdoors vs indoors can also make a difference in containers, flowers, and more when we discuss what you want in the church.  It can also make a difference in what you carry down the aisle.  We would not want to put delicate flowers outdoors in the middle of summer heat.  
• Wedding date - This one may sound a little odd but some brides plan a year or more in advance.  It is important to have a final date selected before you visit us.  We need to make sure that it does not fall on a major holiday such as Valentine's Day or Mother's Day before we agree to service the wedding. 
• Number in wedding party - Though it's not really a must have this is good to know if you want an accurate quote.  We can tell you how much each one is and you can do the math at a latter date but we would rather give you a full quote when we send it to you rather than have you try to add and subtract as you go along.  We can always add or remove people at a later date as needed.

When you have these things in order it's time to meet with us.  Give us a call and we can help make your day the day you always dreamed of. 

Your Floral "Footprint" ~ Budget Friendly Weddings Part 2

1.       Think about your floral footprint ~ Every flower has a “footprint”.  The footprint is the mark that flower leaves on your bouquet.  Think of the size of the bouquet you want.  Now picture each flower leaving a mark where it will go.  The larger the mark the fewer of that flower it will take to fill your bouquet.  The smaller the mark the more it will take to fill your bouquet.

     

        A hydrangea has a large “footprint” 

    Where a flower like ranunculus has a small “footprint” ~ 

     

     

      You may want to consider using fewer small blooms and more large blooms to get the size of bouquet you desire.   This could make your larger and more lush for a smaller price tag.  

      

      For example ~ Hydrangea blooms normally run between $6.00 and $10.oo a bloom.  Where a ranunculus can be as much as $3.00 - $5.00 a bloom.  It would take about 10ranunculus to cover the footprint of the hydrangea.  Even though ranunculus may cost a little less you would need more of them to capture the same amount of space.  

     Some great flowers with a large footprint are ~ Hydrangea, Fuji Mums, and Gerbera Daisies.  Some inexpensive flowers with a smaller footprint are ~ Carnations, Mini Carnations, Daisies, and Asters.

Budget Friendly Weddings ~ Part 1

Don't skimp on the greens ~ Foliage can add texture and fullness to your bouquet.  

Aspidistra can be curled to create a lovely base to a tropical looking bouquet ~ 

Tree Fern can be used to add flair.  Paired below with calla lilies it makes the bouquet look much wider than it is because of the way it spreads out from the flowers.

Seeded Eucalyptus is also a great addition.  Here you can see the tiny seeds around the bouquet to add texture and make the bouquet look fuller.  Also here we used Tree Fern to add even more texture and fullness. 

Foliage can add another dimension to your bouquet.  It can add texture, color, contrast, or make the bouquet look finished.  If you love the "wildflower" look greenery like Tree Fern, Seeded Eucalyptus, Pittosporum, Ming, and many others are for you.

For cleaner more structured bouquets try Salal leaves, Galax leaves, or Aspidistra.

This is a first in a series of articles that we will be composing for our Budget Brides.  These will help you find the right flowers for the right price. 

Buyer BEWARE this Valentine's Day.

The first call came in today.  "How much is 2 dozen roses."  We figured the price and the gentleman said.  "Well I'm getting them for $54 from XXX company."  I asked him about service charges and fees.  He said, "That's it just $54".  I wished him luck and hung up the phone. 

Here's why ~ 

#1 ~ COMPLAINTS.  Oh the complaints.  We see it every year on facebook and twitter.  They order from the big 800 companies and they fail to deliver on THE day.  Valentine's day is a major holiday for florists.  For most florists it's the busiest day of the year.  If you order through a 3rd party you are leaving it up to chance that you get the flowers where you need them when you need them by.  The 800 company calls local florists or sends the order out through a relay system.  The local florist receives the order and decides to accept it or reject the order.  If rejected the order bounces around the system from florist to florist until it is rejected by all in that area or someone finally accepts it.  

#2 ~ THEY MAY COME SHIPPED IN A BOX.  For some arranging their own flowers is fun and exciting.  For others not so much.  What does this mean for the flowers.  The flowers are transported from south of the border, through customs, through several major hubs, on trucks to their door.  Now sometimes they arrive fine.... others they sit outside in below freezing temps until the recipient comes home to find them dead.  So many complaints from these companies center around dead and wilted flowers.  It could be because of transportation or mishandling.  It could be because the people packing them at the farm just don't care.  But either way you go it leads to a disappointed Valentine. 

#3 ~ SIZE DOES MATTER.  A long  stem rose should measure 60cm or more.  This would be about 24" tall.  The ad I am currently looking at is for sweetheart roses.  These are SMALL roses.  The head of the rose will open to about 1 1/2" across vs 3 1/2" across with a standard rose.  The arrangement shown will be 16" tall vs 24" tall.  This is a HUGE difference when showing it off at the office.  Ours comes in a glass vase with baby's breath and long stem roses.  These come in a box with no baby's breath and little greenery.  Oh and some assembly required.  

I'm not saying that you will always encounter these issues.  But we have a 100% delivery rate for Valentine's Day.  We have missed people at work and delivered to the home.  We have tracked ladies down all around town.  We have delivered to the table at restaurants because she was not where she was supposed to be.  We go the extra mile.  We will do everything in our power to get them delivered.  The FedEx guy doesn't care if you are home or not.  That package says leave at door that is what he will do.  It's not his fault.  He did his job.  But it's not a job to us.  It's our passion.  We are here to create smiles and make hearts happy.  

The 100% satisfaction guarantee some of these companies have are a joke.  They will refund your money or give you money off your future purchase.  How does that help you when your wife is crying over a vase of dead flowers.  Or you are trying to convince her you didn't forget, the company just failed to deliver. 

When it looks like it's too good to be true, it probably is.  We offer fair prices for a quality product.  We are not the cheapest but we sure are very good at what we do.  

How to get a FREE dozen roses from The Secret Garden

This year we are doing something NEW ~ We are offering a special deal to our Early Bird shoppers.  Early Birds get a FREE DOZEN roses!

Here is how it works ~

Order your Valentine's Day Dozen from The Secret Garden by February 10th.

Select the delivery or pickup date for 2-11-14, 2-12-14, or 2-13-14.

We will mail you a coupon for a FREE Wrapped & Ready Dozen to be picked up in June of 2014!  If you make your purchase in store you can claim your certificate at that time.  If you purchase over the phone or online please allow about 2 weeks for delivery.  

Remember to place those orders early to insure you get the delivery date of your choosing.  

Fun card messages for early delivery!

I couldn't wait one more day to tell you I Love You!

Everyday is Valentine's Day with You!

Who needs a holiday to say I Love You?

So what are you waiting for!  Order online HERE ~ over the phone 217-875-9038 or in store 1215 E. Pershing rd.

See you soon!

Come Pin With Us!

Currently we have over 1400 pins on almost 90 boards!  We use our Pintrest to inspire ourselves and others.  We have pictures of past weddings, boards for wedding inspiration, Pins for future brides, Homecoming/Prom ideas, and so much more!  If you are looking for some Pinspiration join us and make sure to follow our boards.  We would love to see what inspires you!

Find us HERE!

Sending Flowers to The Hospital

Looking to make someone feel better faster?  Flowers are the way to go.  Over the years many studies have been conducted and flowers have been found to aid in the healing process.  

Here are a few things to know when sending flowers to the hospital.

What to tell your florist ~ Full name of recipient, Name of Hospital, Room Number, and any known restrictions.  

• Full name - The full name of the person the flowers are being delivered too may sound like a given.  But the fact is, some people are sending to a friend or relative of a friend and may not know this information.  To make sure they find the right person it's best to have the full name of the recipient available to your florist.  
• Name of Hospital - Many town have more than one hospital, big cities can have dozens.  Be sure you know the name of the hospital and the division of that hospital if it has many branches.  Some hospitals may have a heart and lung center, a cancer center, or a children's hospital.  It's best to know which location the flowers are to be delivered too.  An address to that facility would also aid the florist in delivery.
• Room Number - Many hospitals will not give out room numbers because of privacy laws.  If the patient signs the privacy statement then the room number can not be disclosed, they are unable to even tell us if the person is a patient.  If you are able to get the room number for the patient it will help in the delivery process.
• Restrictions - Some patients that have allergies, or have undergone certain procedures are not able to have flowers in their room.  Normally the flowers can be held at the nurses station for the patient until they can have them.  On other occasions family members will take them home to enjoy them until the patient is released.  We have found that ICU patients normally are not allowed flowers.  The rooms are small and the doctors and nurses need room to move around the equipment.

Other things to consider ~ 

• Release Date- New mother's are released from the hospital soon after delivery.  It's best to order flowers for delivery as soon as the Mom is admitted.  This way the flowers can be delivered before the Mom and new baby are released to go home.
• Same Day Surgery - Some same day surgery patients may never get a room of their own.  Without a room number flowers can go undelivered.  If the recipient is having same day surgery it may be best to send flowers directly to their home.
• Delivery Times - Hospitals normally have specific times that flowers can be delivered.  Our local hospitals, here in Decatur, use a volunteer system to take flowers to the rooms.  If possible order flowers the day before you would like them delivered to be sure your florist does not miss cut off times.

To order flowers for delivery in Decatur Illinois see our website here.  We can help make someones day brighter! 

Our Favorite Fall Flowers

Sunflowers ~ One of our favorite flowers for late summer and early fall.  They come in so many varieties and sizes you never know what will come through our doors.  We love the died ones, deep reds and oranges.  We love the dark eyes (pictured here) and light eyes too.  One of our favorite sunflower arrangements can be found here.

Solidago ~ This makes for a great filler flower in fall arrangements.  It has small tight blooms and it looks amazing with fall colors.  We enjoy working with solidago and adding it to baskets and vases.  We also do a lot of wedding work with these blissful blooms.  Solidago is also available in tinted colors like red and orange.  What fun!

Mums ~ Fall wouldn't be Fall without Mums!  We enjoy all of the many colors available to us all season long.  Deep burgundy's, rich oranges, vivid yellows, and bold purples.  So many different options when creating in floral design.  From weddings to sympathy tributes fall mums play a big role.  We will have these beautiful blooms available all fall long, and you may even find them on our $5 Friday special!  

Circus Roses ~ These may be available all year long, but our favorite season to use them is FALL.  The rich yellow with burgundy edging is perfect in fall designs.  We like to mix them in vases, baskets, and of course wedding bouquets.  To see them in action in a wedding bouquet check out bride Michelle's bouquet on Pintrest. 


So now you know some of our favorite fall flowers, what are some of yours?  We would love to hear from you.  Just leave a comment in the section below.  Also be sure to see our website to see what all we are creating with these beautiful blooms!

Workshops & Classes

Did you know that The Secret Garden offers classes in floral design?  We sure do.  If you are wanting to have some fun with silk flowers, fresh flowers, or learn the Principals and Elements of design this is the place to be.  Classes started over the summer and will continue into the fall.  You can see some of the things we have created on our Facebook page HERE.  

We also have more classes coming up.  If you want to see our full class list just click HERE.

This fall we plan on adding even more classes so be sure to check back with us.  We will have a live pumpkin class where we will create a design in a pumpkin.  The plan is to also have a deco mesh wreath class.  Around Thanksgiving we will have a centerpiece class.  And between Thanksgiving and Christmas we will host a few different classes at the shop.

We would love to hear from you as to what you would like us to host a class on.  You never know we may just have what you are looking for!

Prom at The Secret Garden!

We are gearing up for another amazing Prom Season at The Secret Garden.

Our Corsage Bar is set up and ready to go!

This year we are offering Tux Rental!  We have all of the biggest names in Tuxes. ~ Calvin Klein, Tony Bowls, Stephen Geoffrey, & More!

Here is a coupon for valuable savings this season.

Come on over and visit our website for some ideas.  We have pictures of some of our latest designs, some of our hottest selling bracelets, and more!

Come see what we have pinned for prom ~ 

Facebook 1000 Fans

Just the other day we hit a HUGE milestone on Facebook.  And who do we have to thank for that?  Well you of course!  Our fans.  Because of you we have hit one of our goals for 2012.  

So What's In it For You?  

For the rest of 2012 you will save 10% off any regular price purchase just by letting us know you are a Facebook fan!  

So make that holiday list and come on in and see us, call us up, or visit us online.  

Coupon Code: FBFAN12

*Not valid on sales, specials, 5 friday, or with any other coupon or offer. 

Help us Help Decatur

2 CANS

+ 10 Dollars

_____________

12 Roses

September 5th - October 5th we will be hosting our 2nd annual 2+10=12 event.

We will collect non-parishable food items for The WSOY Food Drive being held on October 5th, 2012.  For your assistance we would like to offer you this amazing deal.

Bring in 2 cans of food and $10 and you will walk away with 12 roses.

Bring in 4 cans and $20 and get 24 Roses

Bring in 10 cans and $50 and walk away with 60 Roses... yeah you get the picture.

Help us stock the local food banks in time for the long winter ahead.  To find out more about the WSOY food drive and how you can help go here.

Colors will vary by week but here is a sample of what you can expect.

Last year we collected a little over 200lbs of food.  You can read all about that here.  This year our goal is 500lbs!  Help us fill this window! 

The fine print ~ Dozen roses are wrapped in paper. Greenery, Vases, Baby's Breath, and more is available at an additional charge.  Sorry no delivery is available on the $10 special.

Not valid with ANY other offer, discount, or promotion.

Thank you in advance for helping us help Decatur!

Weekly Special Save on Gifts

August 27th To September 1st 

Save 25% on all Gifts

Do you have any birthdays, anniversaries, or do you just need a gift for a friend?  Stop in and browse our gift selection this week and save!

We have great home decor items to treat yourself with too.

1215 E. Pershing Rd.

Simple Saying Signs BOGO Event

August 20th - August 25th 

Simple Sayings Signs Buy one Get one 50% off!

These adorable wooden signs can sit on the shelf or hang on the wall.  They make great gifts.  Stop in and see our selection.  Over 20 styles to choose from.

The Secret Garden 1215 E. Pershing Rd.

Want to see next week's special?  HERE it is.

*Fine Print ~ Cannot be combined with any other offer, discount, or promotion.  Valid in store only. 

30% Off Silk Decor

August 13th - August 18th 

30% off

All Silk Items

Wreaths, Swags, & More

Choose from a wide selection of wreaths, swags, silk decor pieces, grave saddles, and more.  All pre-made silks are included in the sale.

The Secret Garden 1215 E. Pershing Rd.

Want to see next week's special?  HERE it is.

*Fine Print ~ Cannot be combined with any other offer, discount, or promotion.  Valid in store only.  Not valid on custom work.

Dozen Roses Special

Due to the overwhelming response of our $15.99 rose special we are extending our offer!

Yes it's true!  We are extending our rose offer through the end of August... and maybe even through September.  As long as you all keep on buying, we will keep on selling.

Remember folks these are wrapped and ready for grab and go customers.  This offer is not valid for delivery.  We cannot arrange them for this price but we will be glad to sell you a vase and you can. 

Stop in and see us ~ 1215 E. Pershing Rd.  Grab a dozen for yourself.  Make your day! 

Introducing Water Recycling

As we all know this summer has been long, hot, and DRY.  With that combination the shortage of water is a pressing issue in our city.  With the restrictions on watering that go into effect on August 9th more plants will feel the pinch.  We don't want you to have to say goodbye to your beautiful blooms and we are here to help.  

As you may know every week we clean our flower coolers and that means lots of buckets of water to dump.  So we started thinking... what if we could put all of this water to good use.  We normally dump it out the back to water our grass and clean under our cooler (lots of leaves get stuck under there and we have to wash them out).  Instead of doing that for the next few months, we would rather give it away to a good home.  

This water is perfectly usable to water plants, flowers, and gardens.  It even has flower food in it so it may boost the growth too.  Win win!!  This water IS NOT FOR HUMAN OR PET CONSUMPTION.  It has plant food and plant waist in it and is not safe to drink.  

This is how it works.  

• Water can be picked up on Saturday afternoons between 11am and 2pm at 1215 E. Pershing Rd. in Decatur IL.
• BYOB ~ Bring your own bucket or gallon jugs.  We don't care :)
• We will distribute the water until it's gone.  Then we will post on facebook so you don't waist a trip.

Be sure to grab a bucket or a jug and swing by.  Help us recycle this water.  Waist not want not after all.  See you this weekend!