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Category: Helpful tips

Easter Pet Safety

Posted on by Amber

Easter is such a fun time of year; easter egg hunts, chocolate, and flowers everywhere. We want to make sure that Easter is just as fun for your furry friends, so we’re sharing some tips to keep them safe from the Easter hazards.

Flower Safety

There are many flowers that are safe for pets, but some traditional Easter flowers can be dangerous. 

Keep an extra eye on your pets if you choose to have these Easter flowers in your home:

  • Lilies (Kidney injury and gastrointestinal upset in cats)
  • Peace Lily (Toxic to dogs and cats)
  • Tulip (Toxic to dogs, cats and horses)
  • Amaryllis (Toxic to dogs, cats and horses)
  • Daffodil (Toxic to dogs, cats and horses)
  • Daisy (Toxic to dogs and cats)
  • Carnation (Toxic to dogs, cats and horses)
  • Iris (Toxic to dogs, cats and horses)

A full list of plants toxic to pets can be found at ASPCA.org.

Having these flowers in your home is fine, even with pets, as long as you take precautions to keep your furry friends away from them.

Place the flowers in a location you know your pet can’t possibly reach. If there is a room your pets aren’t allowed, that could be the perfect place for them. In most cases, keeping these flowers on your table should be safe as long as you know your pet won’t jump on the table.

According to the ASPCA, Easter Cacti are non-toxic to pets and are a good option if you are worried you won’t be able to keep your pets away from your Easter plants.

Chocolate

Chocolate is a year-round danger to pets, but with the enhanced accessibility of chocolate at holidays, like Easter, it’s important to take extra precautions during celebrations. If you have young children, be sure they don’t leave any half-eaten chocolate or chocolate-covered wrappers in a location that your pets can access.

Consider asking the Easter Bunny to leave any Easter baskets with chocolate surprises out of reach of the pets too.

According to the ASPCA, chocolate causes issues with pets’ gastrointestinal system, pancreatitis, and nervous system issues such as seizures and an elevation in heart rate. The darker the chocolate the more toxic it is for pets. Consider steering clear of dark chocolate in any Easter baskets for an extra precaution.

Plastic Grass

When making your Easter baskets skip the plastic grass. Besides being environmentally unfriendly, it is very dangerous for pets. The plastic can get lodged in their throat and if they don’t choke on it they will have serious issues such as vomiting and diarrhea when swallowed, according to the ASPCA.

Line your basket with an alternate item, like tissue paper or a small blanket, or skip the lining altogether.

Fertilizer and herbicides

The ASPCA also notes that since gardening and lawn maintenance typically begins around Easter weekend it’s important to remember that pets should not have access to fertilizers and herbicides.

Store them in a place your pets will never be, like a locked shed that is off-limits. When these products are used, be sure your pets are inside. If your pets go outside, be sure the items have been watered or dried based on the manufacturer’s instructions. Even then, do your best to keep your pets away from the area it was used. Consider fencing off the area if it is a garden to ensure your pets can’t get to it.

If you follow the proper precautions and monitor your pet, both you and your pets can have a happy and safe Easter.

*Remember to always speak to a licensed veterinarian for advice on what is best for your pet. If you believe your pet has ingested something harmful, seek veterinarian assistance immediately and/or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435

Best Practices for Caring for Houseplants

Posted on by Amber

International Plant Appreciation Day is April 13 and is the perfect time to refresh your plant parent skills and make sure you are correctly caring for your houseplants. 

Are your plants getting enough water? Too much or too little sunlight? Did they get neglected during the winter months? 

We’re here to help.

Guide to caring for houseplants

Water correctly

Each plant has different watering needs. Watering all plants at one time is not ideal – it’s important to pay attention to your plant to determine if it needs watering. Be sure to research your specific plant to determine how regularly it needs watering, but a good way to test most plants is by placing your finger in the soil. If the top inch is dry, it likely needs water.

Be sure not to give a plant too much water. This can cause root rot. Water only until the soil feels damp, but not overly saturated. 

Also, be sure to water only on the soil and not on plant leaves. Doing so can increase a plant’s risk of sunburn.

This is the “traditional” way of watering plants. However, you can also place your plant in a tray with water and let the roots drink up how much water they want/need. Which method you should use depends on your plant type and your preference.

Ensure the correct sun exposure

Every plant has unique light requirements, however, most indoor plants prefer having bright, indirect light. This means placing them in a spot that will receive sun, but not directly, for 6-8 hours a day.

If your home doesn’t have any good spots for getting natural light, you can invest in LED growing lights. Plants will need to be in this light source for 16-18 hours a day if they are receiving no natural light.

In the warmer months, especially summer, be careful with how much exposure your plants get to the sun. Don’t place any plants in or near a south-facing window during the summer as they can get burnt.

Regulate temperature & humidity

A typical house plant’s ideal temperature is about 75°F. The most important component with temperature, however, is keeping the area where your plant is housed within a consistent temperature range.

Don’t place plants where they can get a draft or receive direct heat – so avoid placement near windows that are frequently opened, doors, vents and heaters.

As for humidity, most plants, especially tropical ones, prefer 40-50% humidity. There are a couple of ways you can increase the humidity in your plant’s environment:

  • Buy a humidifier and place it near your plants
  • Keep plants clustered together – the water evaporating from the soil will increase the humidity around all of the plants.
  • Place plants on trays with pebbles and water – The water will evaporate and increase the humidity around the plant.

Fertilize

Fertilizer isn’t just for your outdoor garden. In the warmer months, regularly give fertilizer to your houseplants according to the instructions on your specific fertilizer and the type of plant(s) you have.

Keep plants clean

Houses get dusty and there can be a lot of unseen particles in the air. Dusty/dirty leaves can block a plant from getting the necessary sunlight. 

To clean them, regularly wipe their leaves with a damp paper towel.

Lookout for pests

While you are cleaning your plants, keep an eye out for any bugs. Check the leaves and stems thoroughly to ensure there are none hiding. If you see any, immediately remove them either directly, with a stream of water, or by wiping them off.

Penn State Extension offers guidance on how to identify which common houseplant pest problem you might be dealing with HERE.

Repot when needed

Has your plant outgrown its container? If your plant looks crowded in its pot, don’t be afraid to repot it to a bigger container. Spring, when plants are actively growing and no longer dormant, is the best time to repot plants. 

When repotting your plant, carefully remove the plant and its roots and place in a new, clean container with fresh soil. Immediately water the plant to help it with its acclimation process.

Consider moving houseplants outside

Once the threat of frost, freezing temperatures, and snow has passed, it is a great time to send your plants on vacation. Even though placing your houseplants outside exposes them to more elements out of your control, it can be good for your plants who have been “cooped up” all winter. 

Be sure to bring your plants back inside before it gets too hot!

If you follow these steps, you can have a happy and thriving indoor jungle!

How to include flowers in your Easter celebrations

Posted on by Amber

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

How to make your flowers last longer

Posted on by Amber

We at Royer’s Flowers and Gifts work very hard to bring you the freshest flowers possible. We are diligent in our selection of only the highest quality flowers, work directly with the growers, and go to great lengths to ensure they are handled with expert care once they arrive.

However, there are some steps you can take at home to ensure that our flowers last as long as possible.

Tip #1 – Buy from a local shop that only sources the best quality flowers

If you get your flowers from us this step is already covered. But no matter where you are buying your flowers, it is important that you know where their flowers are from, how they transport them and how they care for the flowers once they receive them. 

Don’t be afraid to ask. A good florist will be able to answer these questions for you without hesitation.

Buying flowers from a local florist is important because of the amount of care that is taken in the selection of flowers. While many floral retailers ship their flowers using ocean containers and ships, Royer’s uses air shipping to speed up the time between the flowers being cut and arriving at your doorstep.

Tip #2 – Remove low leaves

If you are purchasing a handheld bouquet, there are extra steps that need to be taken when placing the flowers in a vase to ensure flower longevity. 

First, remove leaves that will be submerged in water when placed in the vase. This can lead to mold. Be careful to not remove the leaves that will be above the water line however.

Tip #3 – Choose the right vase

Don’t just pull the random vase out from under your kitchen sink and plop the flowers in. That’s a recipe for failure.

First, make sure that the vase fits your flowers. Ask yourself, will the flowers be able to stand up straight and not tip over? Will all of the leaves be underwater (remember, that’s not good)? 

If the vase will fit the flowers, then make sure you clean it if it’s dusty or hasn’t been rinsed since it held its last bouquet. Make sure there is no soap residue left behind before filling the vase with water.

Tip #4 – Use the flower food

Don’t forget about the packet of flower food your florist should have given you when you purchased the flowers. 

Read the instructions on the back of the packet carefully as the ratio of water to food is very important and the amount of food you should use will be different for every vase. Mix the food with the water before adding the bouquet.

Tip #5 – Cut your stems

Before placing your flowers in the vase, cut the stems at an angle. This will help with water uptake.

Tip #6 – Keep the water clean

For best results, don’t ignore your flower care after initially setting them up. As you’re admiring them, check that the water is clean. Make sure it’s not cloudy or full of debris. If you notice this, change the water immediately. The quick extra step will extend your flower’s life.

If you follow these tips, your beautiful flowers can last up to two weeks.

How to Care for Cut Tulips

Posted on by Amber

Tulips are back in our stores for the season, and we want to make sure that after you take them home, they last as long as possible.

We only offer the highest quality tulips available and care for them diligently while they are in our stores. However, to ensure their longevity there are some steps you can take at home.

Understanding tulips

It is important to know that tulips are different from other cut flowers. Tulips continue to grow even after being cut. Their stems grow upwards, and their flowers grow towards light sources.

Because they are active, they will droop. This does not mean they are dying or unhealthy; they are simply “moving”.

Royer’s also specifically sources tulips with larger heads, which increases the chance of the “drooping” effect while they are growing but is a higher quality flower.

They can easily be recut and shortened if they become too unruly.

It should also be noted that tulips do not require flower food like many other fresh flowers.

Tips to make tulips last longer

Cut them

As with most fresh flowers, it is recommended that you cut some of the stem off from the bottom. For tulips, cut a ½ inch off from the bottom at an angle. 

This is done to increase the flowers’ ability to uptake water, which ensures they don’t wilt or get shocked.

Water

Even though tulips don’t need flower food, they do require a lot of water. Be sure to check the amount of water in the vase daily. It is important that at least the bottom of tulips stems are always covered. Remember, the tulips are still technically growing.

For best practices, give your tulips fresh water everyday or continue adding water as the levels decrease.

Environment

Tulips like to be cool. Keep them in a room that won’t get a lot of heat. To help them maintain their ideal temperature, drop ice cubes into their water.

Be sure to place them somewhere away from direct light, radiators, lamps, TV’s, electronics and other items that could cause them to overheat.

How to Care for Cut Boxwood Trees

Posted on by Amber

Boxwood trees are the perfect Christmas decoration.

They look just like miniature Christmas trees, making them great for those who wish they could have a tree in every room of their house and for those who want something small. They are also great for those who want something festive in their office at work.

Once you get a boxwood tree, you of course want it to last as long as possible, especially through the holiday season.

The best way to keep your boxwood tree looking fresh is by giving it water. To keep your boxwood tree happy, simply add water to the bottom of the container, like you would with fresh flowers.

Your cut boxwood tree won’t last forever, but by keeping it hydrated, it will last you until the holidays come to an end.

We can’t promise eternity, but these steps will make your Christmas wreath last longer

Posted on by Neal

A circle has no end, which is one of the reasons why a Christmas wreath is a symbol of eternity.

One made from natural evergreen won’t last forever, of course, but you can take some simple steps to get the most out of it.

Make a noble gesture: Just as not all Christmas trees are created equal, the same holds true for wreaths. They have different characteristics, one of which has to do with needle retention.

Balsam wreaths are among the most fragrant, but they have a reputation for shedding needles. It has to do with where they are grown: Canada, northeastern states, the upper Great Lakes and Pennsylvania.

Noble fir wreaths, on the other hand, hail from the Pacific Northwest, where they are tested by high altitude, heavy rain and frost, and high winds. That makes them hearty in the face of what the holiday season throws at them.                          

The noble’s blue-green needles are rounded, giving them a fluffier look than the flatter balsam branches.

While noble fir might cost more than balsam because of growing time and shipping costs, it more than makes up for in longevity and construction.

Soak it: Any plant is on borrowed time once it is cut; however, keeping it moist will delay the inevitable. You can soak it in a bathtub or utility sink filled with room-temperature water for 24 hours to give it a deep hydration before you hang it.

Spray it with hairspray: You can seal in the wreath’s moisture with hairspray, which acts like glue and holds the needles on. To avoid a mess, it’s best to spray outdoors before hanging the wreath on a door, window or wall.

Mist it: Every day or every other day, lightly mist the wreath to keep it moist. To avoid getting walls wet or creating streaks on glass, remove the wreath from where it’s hanging while doing this.

Keep it shady and cool: Avoid direct sunlight and hang it on the outside of a door; otherwise, it can get cooked behind glass if hung between a main door and a storm door. The space between the doors suffers from reduced airflow, lower moisture and heat.

These steps will keep your Christmas wreath delivering joy throughout the holiday season.

Christmas is a cold-weather holiday, but poinsettias like it warm

Posted on by Neal
Poinsettias are America’s No. 1 potted plant, with red being the most popular color.

Christmas is celebrated around the world, but it clearly leans into cold weather.Red poinsettias are the most popular color.

Santa lives at the North Pole, after all. Among the most common holiday imagery are snow-covered evergreens, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose.

But it doesn’t take a lot of sleuthing on the Internet to find a stock image of Santa unwinding after a globe-trotting Christmas Eve. He’s lounging in a beach chair, his red pant legs rolled up, his bare feet in sand. Often, there’s a colorful drink in his hand, a turquoise-blue body of water nearby.

It is the season of believing, after all. But if a sun-soaking Santa seems far-fetched to you, here’s a warm weather connection to Christmas that you don’t have to take on faith.

It’s a fact that the poinsettia – the official plant of Christmas – is native to Mexico. It’s a tropical plant that finds its comfort zone between 65 to 70 degrees during the day.

Despite having only a six-week selling season, poinsettias are America’s No. 1 potted plant, racking up sales of $250 million each year, according to the Future Farmers of America organization.

The plant takes its name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, a native of South Carolina who is credited with bringing the poinsettia to the United States while he was serving as the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico.

Red poinsettias remain the most popular, but they come in more than 100 varieties, “including shades of white, cream, pink, purple, orange and yellow,” FFA noted. We source our poinsettias from Pennsylvania, but they are grown in all 50 states.

The colorful part of the plant is a modified leaf called a bract, which often is mistaken as the flower. You must look in the center of the bracts for the small yellow flowers, known as cyathium.

No matter the size or the color of your poinsettia, you’ll want to take these steps to make it last long.

  • Average room temperature is fine. Poinsettias can’t tolerate cold (including icy water) and can suffer from droopy leaves (a condition known as epinasty) if exposed to cold temperatures.
  • Epinasty also can result from a build-up of ethylene gas. Big-box retailers are notorious for leaving poinsettias in plastic sleeves, which trap ethylene and essentially ruin the plant.
  • Bright, ample light is best for the plant, mimicking conditions in Mexico.
  • Keep the plant moist but not sitting in water. Like people, poinsettias don’t like wet feet. The frequency and amount of water will vary depending upon the amount of sunlight, humidity and pot size to which the plant is exposed.
  • Poinsettias are sensitive plants, so you want to avoid banging them into things as they can bruise easily.

Not only are poinsettias a prominent part of Christmas, but they are the subject of their own holiday.

National Poinsettia Day, celebrated on Dec. 12, marks the anniversary of the day that Joel Roberts Poinsett died in 1851.

Ask the florist: common questions we get from customers

Posted on by Neal
This shows a florist reviewing notes while standing at a table adorned with roses, tulips and ribbon.
If you have a question about flowers, don’t hesitate to contact your local store.

Besides providing the freshest, most beautiful product we can, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts prides itself on delivering top-notch customer service before and after a sale.

We’re always happy to discuss a specific situation, but here are answers to some of the most common questions we receive from customers.

Q: I’ve heard of homemade flower foods, including mixing Sprite with aspirin or placing a penny in the bottom of a vase. Do these options work as well as your flower packets do in prolonging flower freshness?

A: No, our flower food is formulated with ingredients to help lower the pH levels, antimicrobials to help prevent stem rot, and sugar to provide energy for buds to open. Home remedies won’t achieve those ends.  

Q: Is this item appropriate for this occasion?

A: We answer this question with questions of our own. For instance, will a recipient be home enough or attentive enough to care for a plant, or would fresh flowers be a better option requiring less of a commitment?

Funerals prompt many special requests, such as adding pictures or personal items to a funeral arrangement. We help families decide the best way to honor their loved one.

Q: What is wrong with my plant?

A:  Most of the time there is an issue with either too much or not enough water. Other times the cause is with bugs or disease. We usually can figure it out with the help of a picture.

Q: Do you carry blue or black roses?

A:  Unfortunately, neither grows naturally. Right now, we offer a blue rose that has been died and dried. We don’t recommend using floral spray to achieve those colors because the spray can shorten the vase life of the rose. We typically suggest complementing the rose with babies breath that has been sprayed blue or black or adding an accent ribbon in the desired color.

Q: What do the flowers (especially roses) mean?

A: A red rose symbolizes love; a yellow rose is for happiness/friendship; a pink rose is for admiration; a white rose represents peace, sympathy and hope. (You’ll find more on flower meanings here.)

Of course, if you have a concern not addressed here, please don’t hesitate to contact your local store. We’re always here to help you. 

Prom prep: we’ll help with corsages, boutonnieres and hand-held bouquets for the spring formal

Posted on by Neal

Every spring, hundreds of thousands of high school students take college admission exams.

Many of the juniors and seniors also will partake of another rite of passage, one that’s a lot more fun than hours of testing: prom.

But will selecting prom flowers be:

  1. Stressful
  2. Confusing
  3. Costly
  4. None of the above

You can color in the oval next to D if you work with Royer’s Flowers & Gifts. We draw upon decades of helping high school students with prom prep. It’s quite possible that your parents or even your grandparents shopped for prom flowers with us when they were in school.

Whether you are attending prom with your significant other or with friends, flowers remain an integral part of the experience. We’re here to help you raise your flower-selection score. 

Prom primer

Prom is short for promenade, which describes a leisurely walk or a place for walking but also movements in ballet and ballroom dancing, according to USA Today.

Proms were modeled after debutante balls in high society, with the first ones traced to colleges and universities in the Northeast in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They were formal events meant to teach etiquette and manners and featured waltzes and other formal dances.

By the 1930s, according to history.com, proms had reached high schools and began to look more like the events we know today. Amy Best, in her book, “Prom Night: Youth, Schools and Popular Culture,” said they became “a democratized version of the debutante ball.” 

It gave anyone attending high school the sense that they, too, were making a formal entrance into society, “that they could transcend the boundaries of class,” Best wrote. “The message was that you did not have to be rich to wear a fancy frock, to be adorned with a corsage, or to waltz the night away.”

At Royer’s, we emphasize the specialness of prom and how flowers honor the people wearing them. We offer a wide selection of flowers, work with all budgets and are eager to discuss your specific needs.  

Meanwhile, here are some things to keep in mind:

Corsages and boutonnieres

These are the traditional prom favorites. Women typically wear a corsage, which is taken from the French “bouquet de corsage,” or flowers pinned to the upper part of the body. As spaghetti straps and strapless dresses become popular, the corsage moved to the wrist, to which it is tied.

Men often wear boutonnieres, also of French origin, meaning buttonhole. The boutonniere doesn’t go in the buttonhole but rather is pinned above it with the stem down.

Hand-held bouquets

Of late, the corsage’s popularity is being challenged by the hand-held bouquet, which has become a darling of TikTok. We’ve added more options to our lineup to capture what students are looking for. Something to consider is that while a hand-held bouquet can make a statement in photos, it may not be something a date wants to hold onto all night.

Complementary colors

Dresses come in an array of designer colors that aren’t always available in fresh-cut flowers. You can save yourself a lot of aggravation by picking complementary rather than aiming for an exact match.

Perhaps you don’t want the flowers to be as bold as the dress color. Consider tints or shades of the dress color: for instance, purple, lavender, magenta or orchid.

Contrasting colors

If you want a bold look, consider contrasting colors that also are complementary. These are opposites on the color wheel that provide a nice pop: for instance, red and green, yellow and purple, orange and blue. 

A nod to neutral

When in doubt, you can always stay neutral. The fact is that all-white continues to be our most popular corsage year after year, often accented with silver or gold to match jewelry instead of dress color.

Our staff is always available to assist with your prom needs. Of course, decisions about prom flowers come down to what you like and what your budget allows.

When you choose what’s appropriate for your prom experience, there are no wrong answers.