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!

Bold in Gold

This weekends wedding was one that we just adore.  It has some personal touches that make it a one of a kind and that is just what we strive for here at The Secret Garden. 

We'll start with the bridal bouquet ~ The bride brought us this fan and wanted us to create something that would accent it.  We choose white hydrangea, a single white rose, white spray roses and some blue delphinium to match the bridesmaids dresses.  She wanted a small cascade style and this fit the bill.  The springeri with blue delphinium was perfect for a petite cascade.   Everything is touched up with gold glitter, it may be hard to see in the picture but boy did it sparkle! 

Now the Bridesmaids ~ The gold foliage in the back was part of a silk rose we had for the holidays.  The bride fell in love with the texture and the color.  We paired that with cream hydrangea, cream roses, and cream spray roses.  We finished it off with touches of gold glitter spray to really make it pop!

For the Grooms & his Guys ~ The groom we took some gold sticks and curled them for an extra accent.  Gold Baby's Breath and Springerie to match the brides cascade.  For the groomsman and dads we used an ivory rose with gold baby's breath.  For the little ring bearer we took a cluster of delphinium and a touch of gold.  Perfect!

For the Moms ~ Gold ribbon with small spray roses.  Can't let the Mom's miss out on the gold bling that everyone else is enjoying.  Love this wired ribbon because it makes a statement.

For the altar of the church we selected a blending of the bridal bouquet.  You see the gold sticks here again to give it the pops of gold.  White hydrangea, white roses, white spray roses, and blue delphinium.  This piece will also double as the centerpiece on the head table at the reception.  We kept it low so that the guests can get a good look at the bride and groom.

Thank you Decatur

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.  

Summer of Savings 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.  Here is a list of what we have planned.

Crackling Wick Candles Buy One at Regular Price Get One at 50% off Valid in store only Offer good 8-1-2011 - 8-6-2011 Can not be combined with any other discount or offer.	Dozen Roses ~ $19.99 Wrapped & Ready Beautiful Assorted Colors Valid in store only Offer good 8-8-2011 - 8-13-2011 Can not be combined with any other discount or offer.
Free Garden Flag Stand with any Garden Flag Purchase A $12.99 Value! Valid in store only Offer good 8-15-2011 - 8-20-2011 Can not be combined with any other discount or offer.	Save 15% Off any Gift, Silk Wreath, or Silk Arrangement Valid in store only Offer good 8-22-2011 - 8-26-2011 Can not be combined with any other discount or offer.

We invite you to celebrate our Re-Grand Opening all month long.  Stop in and see our new look and take advantage of some great deals!

Valid in store only.  Coupon need not be presented to receive discount.  Not valid with any other offer or discount.  

Want to print out your copy?  Just click here.

Or watch for our weekly specials on our Facebook page.

Why are Roses so Expensive at Valentine's Day?

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!

Arranging a Half Dozen Roses in 10 Easy Steps

Here is a short step by step guide to arranging 1/2 dozen roses in a vase.  This is just in time for Valentine's Day.  We sell roses in paper and boxes for the man on the go.  This will help you arrange them like a pro when they get into your home. 

What you will need:

6 Long Stem Rose

1 Bunch of Babies Breath

6-8 Pieces of leather leaf

2-3 stems of salal leaf

Glass vase

Flower Food Packet

Florist Tape (optional)

 

1. Add your flower food to the water according to package directions.

2. You can grid the vase if you would like.  This will help keep the roses in place when you arrange them.

3. Remove any petals that may be bruised or spotted. This will make your roses more attractive in your arrangement.  

It also can liven up roses that are starting to loose that fresh picked look.  You can do this days after the arrangement is made to spruce it up a little.

 

4. Trim your leather leaf at the bottom and remove any leaves that may fall into the water.  The leather leaf should measure 6" to 8" from tip to rim of vase.

5.  Take your Salal stems and place them in the vase.  For best results separate them into 3 pieces.  Add them in like the numbers on the clock at 3,6, & 9.

For an 8" vase your rose should measure about 20" long.  Trim your rose at an angle so that the water can travel up the stem easily. 

Trim your best looking rose for the center of your vase.

6.  Add your first rose to the center of your vase. 

7.  Cut the other 5 roses about 2" - 3" shorter then your main flower.  Remember to cut these at an angle as well. 

8.  Add your remaining roses like you are filling in a clock.  The best positions are 2, 5, 7, 9. 12.  This will help create a nice shape for your arrangement. 

Facing your roses outward from the center of the vase will create a fuller look to your arrangement.  Every flower head has a natural "forward", use this to help you position your flowers.

9.  Insert your longest piece of babies breath into the center of your vase.  Trim it if needed so that the tallest blooms are about 1/2 was up the bloom of your tallest rose.

You can tuck the babies breath between the roses to add color and shape to your arrangement.  

10.  Take any remaining pieces of babies breath and fill in the places in your arrangement that need color and texture. 

Your arrangement is now complete.  Remember to change the water and trim your roses to prolong the life.  For more rose care tips check out our article here. 

If you like you can add a bow for a more finished look.  We hope that you have enjoyed our step by step and invite you to come back often for more great tips and tricks.

Watch this on YouTube

Spur of the moment...

This little dandy was made today for a last minute bride.  We love it when people stop in for something like this.  Your wedding day will be a day you look back on with joy for years to come.  We hope that our flowers make you smile even then.  Simple yet elegant this bouquet has it all.  White roses are always beautiful but the mini red carnations make them POP!  The salal leaves make a wonderful collar around the bouquet.  The bouquet has a simple wrap with small pearl pins to hold the ribbon in place.  So beautiful yet the size and flower choices help hold the cost down.