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Local Sunflowers from Elm Family Flowers in Lancaster County

Daniel Lepp of Elm Family Flowers shows the height his sunflowers will reach by harvest time.

The promise of summer warmth and sunshine arrives in early spring at a 20-acre farm in the village of Penryn, Lancaster County.

It comes in a five-gallon plastic bucket via a package-delivery service. The bucket contains 100,000 seeds that will provide locally grown sunflowers to Royer’s customers from June to October.

“One seed equals one flower,” said Daniel Lapp, the owner of Elm Family Flowers.

Approximately a dozen years ago, Lapp called Royer’s CEO Tom Royer in search of a customer and has been supplying Royer’s stores ever since. The hybrid seed Lapp uses produces beautiful flowers that are also pollenless, which means they won’t leave a mess in someone’s home or draw insects.

Not only do sunflowers have a solar-like appearance, but they actually turn toward the sun while growing, a process known as heliotropism. It’s little wonder, then, that no other flower is more closely linked to summer.

It’s a vibe that customers also want in the doldrums of winter, which is why Royer’s offers sunflowers year-round, both loose and in 15 to 20 arrangements. Lapp harvests until the first frost in October, at which point Royer’s turns to a grower in Peru to fill its need until the next spring.

While the South American sunflowers are of high quality, it takes five or six days for a shipment to arrive. By contrast, Lapp is 20 minutes from Royer’s in Lebanon, shortening the amount of time from farm to customer and all but eliminating travel-related duress for the flowers.

“It’s very convenient,” Royer said. “They last a long time.”

In fact, Lapp’s sunflowers can provide customers with two to three weeks of enjoyment.

But growing sunflowers, like any crop, is wrought with plenty of challenges, mostly having to do with the variable of weather. Going into any growing season Lapp knows that 40 percent of his seeds are unlikely to germinate.

April 15 is associated with Tax Day, but it’s also a benchmark for Lapp’s farm: It’s when his first weekly sunflower planting begins. Six weeks in, this year’s first crop was rising in four rows of green splendor. But the second planting was yielding little.

Biggest challenge

“I probably didn’t even have 1 percent of them come up,” Lapp said, blaming cold, wet weather.

“Here’s the third (planting),” he continued, moving to his right. “This wider one is the fourth one. Here’s the fifth one; that’s coming up. The sixth one here practically didn’t come up at all yet because we didn’t have any rain.”

Lapp’s teen-age son James was working on the seventh planting under bright sunshine on a day when the high temperature was expected to reach the low 80s without precipitation.

“He’s trying to plant them a little deeper right now because it’s so dry,” Lapp said. 

If spring can prove too cold or too wet, summer can deliver too much heat and too little rain. Germination is his biggest challenge, Lapp said, followed by the risk of cool, wet weather making the plants susceptible to a fungus called botrytis.

The farm (it also grows vegetables and is certified organic) grows sunflowers on one and a half to two acres. A walk-behind precision seeder opens the soil, plants a seed and covers it.

Lapp with the precision seeder used to plant 100,000 seeds in a growing season.

The goal is to plant the seeds a half-inch deep, but that will be adjusted to one inch in the summer if necessary to protect the seed against heat and get it closer to moisture.

But Lapp must be careful not to put the seed too deep in the ground as a heavy rain can pack the soil so hard that the seed can’t come up. Heavy rain followed by sunshine can turn the soil into a crust.

If germination is light, those seeds that do come up tend to be taller with thicker stems because they have more room to grow.

“Which sometimes a bunch of five you can’t even hold in one hand, which isn’t ideal,” Lapp said.

Wetter weather produces taller, fatter stems; if the weather is drier, stems are shorter and thinner. Thick stems can take up too much space in a bouquet, and the flowers can get too big.

A stem with a half-inch diameter is ideal, Lapp said. For Royer’s, his only sunflower customer, he bands them in bunches of five, 12 to 15 bunches to a bucket.

Germination and weather also determine the quantity of the crop.

Harvest time

 “Once we’re harvesting, I report to (Tom Royer) every week to give him an idea what I’m going to have the next week,” Lapp said.

As much as they try to coordinate supply and demand, Lapp said Royer’s has accommodated fluctuations.

“Tom’s been really good at moving them,” Lapp said. “If we get a flush of them, he’ll try to run a sale or a special” to help move the excess inventory.

Come harvest time, Lapp first strips the mature plants of their leaves. Then he cuts the stems with a sickle until he has five in one hand.

If sunflowers are an embodiment of sunshine, banding them is a time for his son to shine.

“James is pretty good with the harvesting part of it,” Lapp said against the backdrop of the clicking precision seeder, which James is operating.

“He’s figured out a way to get that rubber band on his hand before he reaches for the sunflowers,” Lapp said.

Father and son pile the banded sunflowers in the paths between each planting until they are finished with each harvest.

The sunflowers will be moved to buckets filled with water until later that day or the next one when Royer’s makes one of its three weekly pickups throughout the season.

Flower Arrangements to Celebrate Summer

Longer days, warmer temperatures, and fun adventures — Summer is here.

We’ve curated arrangements to help you channel Summer. Whether you love spending the summer at the beach, camping under the stars, or having picnics, we have an arrangement to complement your lifestyle.

Beach themed

Nantucket & Nantucket Deluxe

Both of these arrangements come in a blue vase, paying homage to Nantucket’s waters. The “Nantucket” arrangement holds a hydrangea, carnations, daisy poms, solidago, and baby’s breath to create a serene coastal look.

The “Nantucket Deluxe” features more color, with its striking blue delphinium, bright yellow football mums and carnations, and light green bells of Ireland.

Cape May, Popular

Who doesn’t love a day spent in Cape May, New Jersey, over the summer? This arrangement recreates a day in the coastal town with its soft orange roses, light pink carnations, and white daisy poms recreating a beach sunset. 

The blue of the delphinium and hydrangea balance out the arrangement for a full coastal vibe.

Camping themed

Campfire

The combination of orange, red, and yellow flowers creates a bonfire in a vase. The two sunflowers are the stars of the arrangement, with carnations and daisy poms completing the look. Let this arrangement transport you to your favorite camping destination without leaving the comfort of home.

Picnic themed

Watermelon

This arrangement celebrates the fruit of the summer. A watermelon container holds an arrangement featuring red carnations, red alstroemeria, white daisy poms, yin yang poms, and daisy breath to match the colors of this summer treat. A rustic bow with a red and white gingham border completes the Americana summer look.

Country Picnic

Aptly named, County Picnic aims to recreate the feeling of spending summer days outside with a red and white theme made from football mums, carnations, and more. It includes a ladybug stick-in to complete the summer look.

Peach Blossom

Pass the pitcher of peach sweet tea, please! This sunny arrangement is made in an orange cement watering can featuring flower designs – something unique to place on your kitchen table this summer.

It contains three peach roses, cushion poms, and mini carnations to create a soft look.

To see our full summer-inspired arrangements, visit the collection here: Summer Selections

Did you know June is National Rose Month?

The United States’ national flower, the rose, is celebrated in the month of June with National Rose Month. 

Why is National Rose Month celebrated?

Rose Month was started in 1959 as part of an effort to make the rose the national flower of the United States. According to the Nashville Rose Society (NRS), it wasn’t until November 29, 1986 that the idea came to fruition when President Ronald Reagan declared the rose to be the National Floral Emblem of the United States.

NRS notes that June was specifically chosen as the month to honor the rose because that is when the flower is in peak bloom.

All about roses

The most popular rose color is red, but roses naturally come in white, pink, purple, yellow, orange, and green too. There are also many engineered and painted colors for roses, but these are the only colors that naturally occur in roses.

For a full dive into the “meanings” associated with each rose color, read our previous blog here: What Different Color Roses Mean

History

The importance of roses dates back to Greek and Roman times. According to Iowa State University, rose petals were used as confetti for special events and parties in Rome. The people of Rome also hung up roses during certain meetings to symbolize that the information shared was privy only to those in attendance.

Romans also used roses in their everyday lives, placing the petals on their floors and in their baths.

However, China became the first country to cultivate roses, beginning in 551-479 BC, according to Iowa State University.

Later, Lady Mary Wortley Montague helped to solidify roses’ popularity in culture during the Victorian era in England. According to Time, Lady Montague misunderstood a Turkish tradition, which resulted in her assigning meaning to flowers. Her interpretation caught on, and Charlotte de Latour from France published the book “Langage des fleurs” based on it which romanticized the rose.

Stats & Fun Facts

Gift Ideas for Administrative Professionals Week

Administrative Professionals keep the world turning and they deserve to be recognized for their hard work. 

Administrative Professionals Week, recognized every year during the last full week in April, is a time to thank those in your organization who provide administrative support. It will be celebrated April 20-26 this year with April 23 being Administrative Professionals Day.

Who are Administrative Professionals?

These workers should be celebrated during Administrative Professionals Week:

  • Receptionists
  • Secretaries
  • Administrative Assistants
  • Executive Assistants
  • Personal Assistants
  • Customer Support

Gift Ideas for Administrative Professionals:

It is important to acknowledge their contributions to you and your company. Consider one of these thoughtful gifts as a way to say “thanks”:

Flowers

Flowers are a great way to say “thank you”. If you’re not sure which are appropriate to gift, we’ve compiled a list of suggestions to help you make your choice:

Snacks

Contribute to their snack drawer to show a token of your thanks. 

We have multiple snack baskets that are always a great gift idea filled with an array of goodies so there’s something for every taste. Our “Chocolate & Mug Gift Set” is a wonderful two-in-one option – they get tasty candy and something to put their morning coffee in!

A Mug with Tea

If the administrative professional in your life is a tea drinker, put together a mini tea-lovers gift basket. Surprise them with a new mug and a box or two of tea

We offer a wide selection of Tea Forte tea collections. Each box contains multiple different flavors of tea so your recipient will have options.

A Plant

Plants make great gifts, especially if your recipient has a green thumb. Even if they don’t, there are plenty of low-maintenance plants that make a beautiful addition to any space.

We recommend considering these plants to gift for Administrative Professionals Week:

How to include flowers in your Easter celebrations

Easter is just 10 days away! The holiday is a perfect excuse to embrace all things colorful, spring, and floral. If you’re hosting an Easter brunch, dinner, or any other type of celebration, there are so many opportunities to add color to your event with flowers.

1. The Obvious – A Table Center

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. A traditional vase of flowers placed in the center of your dining room table screams spring. It’s a fresh pop of life to celebrate the beauty of the season and should be a staple in your party plans.

2. Seating Chart Helpers

If you’re opting for a more formal Easter brunch that includes assigned seating, consider tying name tags to a single flower’s stem that your guests can then take home as a favor. Even if you’re not seating people in specific seats, this is still a fun idea to include just a little tied card that says “Happy Easter” with the flower on top of the plates.

3. Use Them As A Prize

Are you having an adult Easter egg hunt or playing other party games? Have a colorful bouquet of flowers as the prize for the winner. It’s a perfect spring-themed prize that will be appreciated by all.

4. Craft With Them

Consider crafting with flowers as part of your Easter activities. If your guests are crafty, lead them in a craft including flowers. You can make flower crowns or press the flowers to make art or greeting cards. Your guests would have a fun take-home item to remind them of your party.

View our collection of Easter flowers here – Royer’s Easter Flowers

We’ve collaborated with Troegs Brewing

April 7 was National Beer Day and to celebrate we collaborated with Troegs Brewing in Hershey.

We paired some of our year-round flower arrangements with a few of their current on-tap beers for a photoshoot including:

These three arrangements, plus our Farmhouse Sunset, Medium bouquet, are decorating the tables in celebration of  National Beer Day.

Drinkers and diners can scan the QR code on the sign next to each arrangement to shop the collection. Alternatively, visitors can visit our Royer’s Flowers & Gifts location in Downtown Hershey, about five minutes away from the brewery.

Behind the pairings

Sunshine Pilsner & Sunny Blooms

The Sunshine Pilsner (4.5% ABV) exhibits notes of “bright citrus, flowering herbs and honeyed biscuit”, according to Troegs expert brewers. The floral components made this an excellent choice as well as the brightness. 

The beer’s name and color also compliments our arrangement, Sunny Blooms, perfectly. The sunflowers and daisy poms bright yellow colors blend perfectly with the yellow hue of the Sunshine Pilsner.

Field Study Summer IPA & Backyard Beauty

Their Field Study Summer IPA, which has notes of ripe grapefruit, pear and melon, features a stunning bottle design made of hop vines – evoking images of a summer garden. We paired our Backyard Beauty arrangement with it because they both remind us of a Summer day spent in your backyard with friends and family. Our Backyard Beauty arrangement created this effect with vibrant carnations, sunflowers, roses and hydrangea.

Perpetual IPA & Wildflowers, Green

Troegs Perpetual IPA is the best-selling craft beer in Pennsylvania. The beer has citrus and pine notes with a subtle grain flavor. The bottle art has two hops, one exposed to show a hidden mechanism of gears, encircled in an infinity sign. It celebrates how Troegs combines art with mechanical beer making skills.

We paired our Wildflowers, Green arrangement with this special beer. The green features in our arrangement, such as the mini green hydrangeas, bells of Ireland and mochi carnations interspersed with white daisy poms compliment the colors of the Troegs bottle art.

Family-centered businesses

Just like Royer’s Flowers & Gifts, Troegs is family-owned. What started as two brothers in 1997 has grown into so much more for the brewery, but it remains a family business. It is inspiring and exciting to work with other locally owned and family-operated businesses with a passion to serve the community.

Beer and Flowers? Why?

Beer exists because of flowers. Hops are the flowering parts of the Humulus Iupulus plant that are used to create beer. They are what create the bitter flavor many beer lovers enjoy.

Flowers, the type we at Royer’s Flowers and Gifts sell, are used to celebrate special moments and bring people together. Beer uses flowers, of course a different type, to do the same thing. 

So, head to Troegs and then stop by Royer’s over the next couple of weeks and enjoy the versatility and beauty of flowers.

Easter flowers – their meanings and history

Easter celebrations, whether at church, a special brunch, or a family Easter egg hunt all typically have one thing in common – flowers are present. 

They add beauty, elegance and whimsy to the celebrations while highlighting the beauty of the spring season. Many of the same types of flowers are used in Easter celebrations year after year, such as lilies and tulips. 

This isn’t coincidental; each Easter flower has a reason for being part of the celebrations.

White Lily

Meaning

The white lily is typically the first flower people think of in association with Easter. According to the University of Nevada, Reno, this can be linked to its mention in the Bible. It is associated with rebirth and new beginnings, specifically the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is celebrated on Easter.

Pagans also hold “Easter” Lilies in high regard. Their beliefs connect the flower to motherhood and it is typically given to mothers as a thanks.

The University of Nevada, Reno notes that multiple other religions connect white lilies to purity and grace.

History

White lilies, initially located in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, were introduced to England in 1819 and America in 1880, according to the University of Nevada, Reno. 

Today, as a result of wars and political issues, there are only a handful of American growers of white lilies on the Oregon-California border in a location known as the Easter Lily Capital of the World. 95% of potted Easter Lily bulbs come out of this area.

Tulip

Meaning

Tulips are popular Easter flowers because they are in bloom around the holiday and come in a variety of colors, many of which match the aesthetics of Easter. Some of the colors have meanings that are also associated with the holiday.

According to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the colors’ meanings are associated with rebirth and purity. For example, yellow tulips represent happiness and hope. White tulips represent purity and honor.

History

Tulips are believed to be native to the Mediterranean. According to the Massachusetts Horticulture Society, in the 1590s, Charles L’Ecluse planted a tulip in Holland at the University of Leiden’s gardens to discover that it could grow in the harsh Northern European climate. 

Tulips became a symbol of the elite because of their rarity in Holland, and their trading became popular. This resulted in what is called “Tulip Mania” in Amsterdam from 1634 to 1637 which caused a single tulip bulb to allegedly cost as much as 12,000 guilders, which was the price of an Amsterdam townhouse at the time, according to the Massachusetts Horticulture Society. Tulips still continue to be important to the Netherlands economy today, in large part to tourism.

Tulips made their way to America in 1642 and were growing in settlers gardens in now-Manhattan. In 1698 according to the Massachusetts Horticulture Society. It was reported that a settler in what is New Jersey today was growing tulips. However, it wasn’t until the American Revolution that tulips were fully established in American gardens.

Daffodils

Meaning

The Farmer’s Almanac states that Daffodils represent new life and became associated with Easter because they bloom around the holiday. 

In England, they refer to daffodils as “Lent lilies” because of their long-standing association with Lent.

History

According to Penn State, daffodils were originally from Europe and northern Africa, but did not become popular in ornamental gardening until the late 1800s. 

Easter Cactus

Meaning

Although not a flower, but a houseplant that flowers, Easter Cactuses are rooted in Easter tradition because of when they bloom. According to the Farmers Almanac, the Easter Cactus is also a symbol of rebirth, a theme of Easter.

History

The Easter cactus should not be confused with the Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus. The Easter cactus has rounded leaf edges with tiny brownish hairs on the tips of the leaf, as opposed to Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti that have spikey leaves.

The Easter cactus comes from the coast of Brazil and is thought to have been introduced to Europe in the 18th century, according to the University of Arkansas.

Flowers add something special to celebrations, especially at Easter. They bring life and color into gatherings and help create connections and memories when given as gifts for holidays.

Although these are the “traditional” Easter flowers, any flower can help elevate and enhance your holiday gatherings.

What is Yellow Flower Day?

Yellow Flower Day, celebrated on March 21, was created from a social media trend. It is also unofficially celebrated on September 21.

March 21 was already a celebration for floral lovers, as it is National Flower Day and the spring equinox, but with the help of social media, especially TikTok, the focus began shifting to yellow flowers.

How it started

A popular Argentine telenovela “Floricienta” is about a woman who wants to be given yellow flowers. It is emphasized that the meaning of being given specifically yellow flowers is that they represent hope and true love.

The show caused a song, “Flores Amarilla (Yellow Flowers)” that was played in the series to start trending as a background audio.

The videos initially took hold in Argentina, where the telenovela originates, but quickly spread to other cultures through multiple platforms.

The other holiday

March 20, the day before, is also International Happy Day. Many people associate the color yellow with the feeling of happiness, so celebrating the period with yellow flowers made sense.

What it means now

The trend seems to have a lasting effect for now, especially in the United States. Significant others tend to give each other yellow flowers to show their love on this day. Friends also exchange yellow flowers on March 21 to express their love for their friends.

Florists can confirm that when March 20 and March 21 come around, yellow flowers are bought up rapidly. 

Our Yellow Flower Suggestions

We have a variety of arrangements that highlight yellow flowers that are perfect to gift for Yellow Flower Day:

It is also tulip season, and you might be able to find yellow tulips in-store inside our cooler, depending on supply.

If you are not pre-ordering your flowers for Yellow Flower Day, we suggest arriving early to the shop to secure your desired flowers.

Learn about our collaboration with Reading District Libraries

Books and flowers? Who doesn’t love being surrounded by either?

To celebrate Read Across America Day (March 3), we collaborated with Reading District Libraries, showcasing some of their children’s and teen books available at the Reading Public Library in downtown Reading, PA.

We paired three of our arrangements, “So Happy”, “Smiley Bowl” and “Best Friend Bouquet, Dog” with some of their books. 

They have many books about flowers at the library, including nonfiction titles like “What’s Inside A Flower” to help children learn about the science of flowers as well as fun flower-related books like “Don’t Touch That Flower!”.

We photographed the books and flowers in front of the library’s iconic “reading rainbow” to highlight the vibrant colors of our flowers.

The Reading Public Library just revamped its reading corner in the children’s section, which has a fun animal theme. It was the perfect location to photograph our bouquet that features a puppy palm pal stuffed animal. 

We paired the arrangement with books about dogs, of course! They had so many fun books about dogs, but we chose “I Want 100 Dogs” and “Love Tails”. 

The Reading Public Library also has an expansive teen space where older kids can come hang out with friends, read, and even play Nintendo Switch. We showcased some of their teen titles as well.

The book “Flowerheart” was a great choice for obvious reasons, but “Lore Olympus”, a very popular teen book, had a cover that blended perfectly with the colors in our “So Happy” arrangement.

How Fresh Flowers can affect reading

In 2005, researchers at Rutgers University published multiple studies that showed that fresh flowers can lead to increased happiness, memory, and social networking.

They found that people who worked in rooms with fresh flowers had an easier time retaining information than those who worked in rooms without flowers.

It has also been found that certain flowers can impact focus, meaning some of them can help those who struggle to devote their attention to a book. The scent of the flowers is what triggers this reaction.

Rosemary has been found to improve cognitive function by up to 75% just because of its scent. Lavender is well-known to reduce stress, which makes it easier to concentrate on tasks like reading.

So, if you have a location you typically enjoy reading in your home, such as your living room or a dedicated home library, consider adding a fresh bouquet of flowers to help you enhance your reading experience.

Happy Reading!

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Men

Many think of Valentine’s Day as a day for men to do romantic gestures for the women in their lives, but they deserve to be celebrated too.

To help you find the perfect gift for your significant other, we’ve compiled a Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for Men:

Flowers

Men like flowers too. Just because it’s traditional for men to buy women flowers, many also appreciate a vase of fresh flowers. If you’re looking for something “less feminine” try these options – 

Plants

Is your man a plant dad? Give him a new plant for his collection. These Valentine’s-themed plants are perfect gifts that will last well beyond the holiday when taken care of properly.

Chocolate

Who doesn’t love chocolate? We have plenty of options for the sweet tooth in your life.

These are just a few of the options we have in store and online to treat your guy for Valentine’s Day. 

If you choose to order flowers to surprise your significant other, we have a special offer this year!  Have the flowers delivered between Feb. 8-13 and your recipient will receive a coupon for a free dozen roses that is redeemable in-store from March 1-31, 2025.