skip to main content

Category: Flowers

Postcard from South America: Medellin flower farms

Posted on by Neal

A new flower variety called papaya, still in testing.
Tom Royer (background) discusses production with farm officials.
A tag identifies daisies destined for Royer’s.

While they’re getting ready to play a big football game in Houston, Royer’s is gearing up for its version of the Super Bowl with our annual pre-Valentine’s Day trip to South America.
Tom Royer, our senior vice president and chief operating officer, has been making the trip for decades. In recent years, he has been joined by his nephew, Geoffrey Royer, who is a Royer’s area manager.
Their trek allows them to ensure that the roses and other Valentine’s Day flowers growing specifically for our customers are of the highest quality.
Day 1 found Tom and Geoff at the Liberty and Mira Monte farms in Medellin, Colombia, from which Royer’s mainly purchases daisies and cushion poms.
“The thing I took from today was how very technical it all is and the precision and detail needed to make it all work correctly,” Geoff said.
Conversation at both farms turned to propagation, or the process from seed to mother plants from which cuttings are taken. The cuttings beget plugs that are planted into vast beds and become the flowers we buy.

Planting for Mother’s Day

Geoff noted that while we’re focused on Valentine’s Day, the farms are planting for Mother’s Day.
“Planting any later than the next week or so could cause the crop to be too late for Mother’s Day,” Geoff said.
He noted the multiple variables that play roles in how flowers develop, from minerals such as phosphorus and potassium to sunlight and temperature.
Whatever their current products, the farms aren’t resting on their laurels. They work with breeders to create the varieties of flowers that Royer’s and other florists purchase.
“It’s not a simple process,” Geoff said. “Hundreds of thousands of seeds are gone through and test to see which ones produce plants and products that could be valued in the marketplace.
“They are then propagated and tested over time to see if they have issues with disease or how well they produce. If they have a winner, it takes time to then create enough cuttings to have a large enough production to make an impact.”
 
 
 

‘Freedom’ on the march when it comes to roses

Posted on by Neal

freedom-1
We’ve all heard the line from Shakespeare: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet.”
Far be it for us to quibble with “The Bard,” but names do matter when it comes to distinguishing among rose breeds. This certainly is the case with our standard red rose, which is anything but standard.
Known as the “Freedom” variety, it has been our primary rose since its 2004 introduction by the rose-breeding experts at Rosen-Tantau in Germany. The pure-red Freedom rose, which is grown in South America and Mexico, is known for being a productive plant that is highly resistant to pests and diseases.
What’s more for consumers, the Freedom rose makes a big impression with its deep color, size (flowers range from 5 to 7 centimeters across), and long vase life.
ROSE PETALS
Some tidbits about roses courtesy of aboutflowers.com:

  • Shakespeare referred to roses more than 50 times in his writings.
  • Napoleon’s wife Josephine grew more than 250 rose varieties.
  • Archeologists discovered fossilized remains of wild roses that were more than 40 million years old.
  • The world’s oldest living rose is 1,000 years old and flourishing on the wall of Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.
  • The rose hips (the part left on the plant after a rose has finished blooming) contains more Vitamin C than almost any other fruit or vegetable.

Lebanon’s Neuin wins our latest name-the-arrangement contest

Posted on by Neal

finalcroppedWhite Select 6x6
Jennifer Neuin’s entry was one of 675 submitted in Royer’s latest name-the-arrangement contest.
But it ranked first overall when the judging was complete.
Neuin, of Lebanon, won the contest with her submission of “White Satin” as the moniker for our new European-style arrangement. It comes in a clear glass cube and features three types of greens and white flowers: one-dozen roses plus alstroemeria, hydrangea, veronica and stock.
Neuin will receive one of the arrangements after it debuts on Dec. 5.
A similar contest during the summer generated more than 450 entries.

Name-the-arrangement contest: Part 2

Posted on by Neal

finalcroppedWhite Select 6x6
Spring forward, fall back.
To name a new arrangement, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts is going back to a method that worked well this summer: turning to the public for help.
Royer’s has developed a new European-style arrangement that will be offered year-round. It comes in a clear glass cube and features three types of greens and white flowers: one-dozen roses plus alstroemeria, hydrangea, veronica and stock.
To view the arrangement and enter the contest, visit royers.com/contest.
The deadline to enter is Oct. 20; limit one entry daily per email address.
The winner will receive one of the arrangements as his or her prize.
 

5 ways for children to celebrate National Grandparents Day

Posted on by Neal

Royer'scroppedDollarphotoclub_71808645
Marian McQuade was an expert in grandparenting. A West Virginia mother of 15, she had 43 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
If McQuade’s name doesn’t ring a bill, her work no doubt will. She was the founder of National Grandparents Day, which President Jimmy Carter signed into law in 1978.
National Grandparents Day is held on the first Sunday after Labor Day (Sept. 13 in 2015; Sept. 11 in 2016; Sept. 10 in 2017). September was chosen to signify the autumn years of life, according to Legacy Project.
To help celebrate the holiday, the Royer’s Kids Club offers five activities that children can do for or with their grandparents:
Send flowers: OK, this is an obvious one, but our founder, Hannah “Mom” Royer, was a doting grandmother and much loved by her grandchildren, as was her husband, Lester.
Make a card: Draw a pretty picture and write a note to tell your grandparents how much they mean to you.
Interview them: Grandma and grandpa have seen and experienced a lot of things in their lives. This handy interview form can help get you started. Listen closely to their answers because you can learn a lot.
Trace your family tree: Here’s a family tree chart that will make it easy to identify the people in your family by generation.
Read a book together: The kids club is a big believer in the power of reading. Here’s a terrific reading list to get you started.
Of course, there is an endless list of things that grandchildren and grandparents can do together.
What are some of your favorites?
 
 

Outdoor weddings, weather and having a Plan B

Posted on by Neal

00474[1]
On this particular September wedding day, the misty weather presented some logistical challenges for the bride and groom.
The ceremony that had been planned for a beautiful garden had to be moved indoors on short notice. A ballroom had to be transformed into a beautiful garden setting, complete with an arch and flower-festooned aisle.
As they say, into every life some rain must fall. And it was a good reminder that weather is one variable that no one controls, no matter how good of a wedding planner he or she is.
If you want an outdoor wedding, it’s best to have a Plan B just in case. We all know how variable the weather can be in Pennsylvania, after all.
A number of years ago, the Farmers’ Almanac solicited submissions for its “Worst Wedding Weather Contest.” After Texas and Florida, Pennsylvania tied Ohio and Indiana for the most submissions.
Couples from those states “have experienced the soggiest, snowiest, windiest, most hurricane-hampered and hail-ridden wedding weather,” according to the Farmers’ Almanac.
In fact, a Philadelphia-area couple won the contest’s grand prize (a warm-weather cruise) with a tale of how a record snowfall interrupted their wedding plans.

Many factors to consider

So what should you consider when it comes to creating that Plan B for your outdoor wedding? There are many factors, none more important than the safety and well-being of the wedding couple and their guests.
An article from about.com wedding expert Nina Callaway offers “10 tips for the perfect outdoor wedding.”
Of course, we’re pretty protective of the flowers, too.
We were on hand for that misty September wedding mentioned above. Being a perishable product, flowers require a tender touch. While do-it-yourself can be tempting when it comes to flowers (and other aspects of a wedding), it’s also comforting when a professional is on hand, in good weather and bad.
A florist will ensure that your flowers look their beautiful best. Unlike the weather, this is an aspect of your wedding that you can control.

Candace visits Cornwall Manor

Posted on by Neal

DSCN2034
Candace Oliver, a designer at Royer’s flagship store in Lebanon, said she enjoys making people laugh and smile and loves teaching.
She delivered on each of those counts with her June 22 visit to Cornwall Manor, an active senior living community in Lebanon County. Candace presented a flower-arranging class to Cornwall Manor residents.
“I love doing stuff like that,” Candace said. “Love it, love it, love it.”
She showed the residents how to tape a vase, creating a grid that keeps flowers standing up. Step by step, she guided them in adding greens, selecting flowers and completing their arrangements.
A Lebanon resident since age 7, Candace graduated from Lebanon High School in 1998. In November, she will celebrate her fourth anniversary with Royer’s.
Meanwhile, Cornwall Manor is celebrating her visit.
Stacia Layser, Cornwall Manor’s public relations, development and volunteer coordinator, wrote in an email to Candace:
“Your attention to detail, energy and compassion were what made this a great event for our residents. Many of them are still talking about how much fun they had and the beautiful arrangements they made.”
 

M is for Mother’s Day and a morning on abc27

Posted on by Neal

Karissa Shatzer of abc27 is live with Barry Spengler, Royer's vice president of operations, at our Camp Hill store.
Karissa Shatzer of abc27 is live with Barry Spengler, Royer’s vice president of operations.

Having completed three live segments and starting her fourth, abc27’s Karissa Shatzer knew a lot more about Mother’s Day flower options than when she began.
What she didn’t know was which one(s) she liked best.
“Well, after this, it might be even harder to choose because there’s so much here,” she told viewers.
Shatzer interviewed Barry Spengler, Royer’s vice president of operations, at our Camp Hill store on May 4, 2015.
Among the options Barry offered:

  • Silk arrangements, which are good for people who suffer from allergies;
  • Cut-flower arrangement, already made, for $15 to $30;
  • Dendrobium orchids, which are popular for proms, too;
  • Rose bunch, which Mom can design and arrange;
  • Gerbera daisies.

“That’s a really popular flower,” Barry said. “We sell an awful lot of Gerbera daisies.”
You can see more suggestions by watching the entire segment:

Mother’s Day: making of our Traditions Basket

Posted on by Neal

It takes a variety of flowers and many hands to create our Traditions Basket.
In fact, Royer’s team members working in our central design department in Lebanon handcrafted hundreds of the baskets in the days leading up to Mother’s Day.
The baskets comprise Baker Fern, pink mini carnations, red carnations, daisy pompons (lavender, yellow and white), alstroemeria, gypsophilia (baby’s breath), and a bow.
You can follow the design process in the slideshow below; to order a Traditions Basket, click here.

Fox 43: spring and Easter flowers

Posted on by Neal

Fox 43 Morning News' Amy Lutz and Royer's Barry Spengler.
Fox 43 Morning News’ Amy Lutz and Royer’s Barry Spengler.

It was another egg-cellent visit to Fox 43 Morning News for Barry Spengler, our vice president of operations. He joined host Amy Lutz to discuss spring and Easter flowers and plants.
“Winter’s kind of getting out of the way,” Barry said, “and let’s get some spring.”
Among the highlights:

  • With hyacinth and tulips, the plants sometimes are immature when you get them. Just give them three to five days to develop. “Don’t be afraid of them,” Barry said, “… you’ll see them open up in the home. So just be patient.”
  • Unlike in the fall, a mum this time of year is not a hardy mum. “So enjoy it inside, you can put it on your porch for the summer,” Barry said. “But don’t put it in the ground, it will die for next year.”
  • Easter lilies and calla lilies offer a nice fragrance and can be planted outside but should be kept in a protected area, such as near your home.
  • With bulb plants, once their blooms are “shot,” let the foliage die back into the bulb. This will provide nutrients that will strengthen the bulb. “Over the summer, you can just let that dry in the pot, plant it in the fall, and you’ll see them next year,” Barry said.

Here’s the entire segment: