Participants will make this arrangement featuring daisy poms.
For the first time since the pandemic began, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts will host a free kids club event in all stores at 2 p.m. March 11.
Children ages 5 to 12 will have an opportunity to make a St. Patrick’s Day arrangement with white and yellow daisy pom pons, leatherleaf fern, baby’s breath and a glitter shamrock stick-in.
Lebanon-based Royer’s operates 15 stores in Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. Sister company Stephenson’s Flowers & Gifts has one Harrisburg store.
Geoff Royer, vice president of central operations, interviewed by abc27 and WGAL.
Farm-fresh roses, the most popular flower at Valentine’s Day.
Paola Tristan Arruda of WGAL tapes an opening for her story in Royer’s central design department in Lebanon.
Photographer Dan Gleiter of PennLive/The Patriot-News captures the hand-crafting of arrangements in Royer’s central design department in Lebanon.
Fresh arrangements destined to Royer’s 16 stores in seven area counties.
On Feb. 7, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts welcomed WGAL, abc27 and PennLive/The Patriot-News to the heart of its Valentine’s Day operation, at its corporate complex in Lebanon.
Geoff Royer, vice president of central operations, noted the importance of ordering flowers early to guarantee availability. The pandemic has seen unprecedented demand for flowers that have become harder to source.
“We’re trying to get the word out sooner so that people can get their flowers delivered earlier,” Geoff told Pennlive/Patriot-News. “And then they get to be the hero because their flowers get delivered before anyone else’s … your wife or girlfriend will get their flowers Thursday, Friday or Saturday, instead of Monday.”
This year’s Super Bowl is the latest ever: the day before Valentine’s Day. Royer’s is reminding customers not to overlook ordering flowers as they prepare for the football game.
“We are delivering on Sunday, too,” Geoff said. “So, you could get your flowers delivered on Super Bowl Sunday and then be the hero at your party because your wife gets flowers at the party.”
The needs of animal shelters are diverse, from pet food to cleaning supplies, toys to towels. And they are costly to address, especially for non-profit organizations.
To help, Royer’s donates a portion of the profits from the sale of its Puppy in a Basket and Kitten in a Basket arrangements to animal shelters in its seven-county market area.
To kick off the program in 2021, Royer’s sent $100 checks to 10 area animal organizations:
Humane Pennsylvania, serving Berks and Lancaster counties; Animal Rescue League of Berks County; Speranza Animal Rescue in Mechanicsburg; Castaway Critters and Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area in Dauphin County; Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter in Chambersburg; 2nd Chance 4 Life Rescue in Elizabethtown; Columbia Animal Shelter; Humane Society of Lebanon County; and York County SPCA.
“Plants and pets bring great joy to our lives and add warmth to our homes,” said Tom Royer, CEO of family-owned Royer’s. “We’re eager to support local animal shelters and the great service they provide in our communities.”
Available year-round, the arrangements comprise a seven-inch plush dog or cat surrounded by a three-quarter round arrangement in a basket with carnations, daisy and button poms, statice and babies breath.
Each of the arrangements is 10 inches high and 10 inches wide and retails for $44.99.
Continuing an annual tradition, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts on Dec. 7, 2021, presented several thousand holiday cards and coloring pages to the American Red Cross for distribution to area veterans.
Royer’s, which has participated in the Red Cross “Holidays for Heroes” program for nearly a decade, collected the cards from the public in each of its stores throughout November.
WGAL News 8 and abc27 were on hand at Royer’s Harrisburg East store as Barry Spengler, Royer’s chief administrative officer, transferred boxes of cards and coloring pages to Jonathan Glenn, regional program director, American Red Cross.
From left, Geoff Royer, vice president of central operations, and Tom Royer, president and CEO, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts, which has donated $100 each to 10 area animal shelters. Royer’s sister company in the Columbus, Ohio, area, Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts, made similar donations to four shelters there for total contributions of $1,400.
Plants and animals just go together.
Consider the former that are named after the latter, from cattails to hound’s tongue, elephant ear to bird of paradise, rattlesnake orchids to zebra grass.
Royer’s Flowers & Gifts even offers arrangements featuring plush animals, including Kitten in a Basket and Puppy in a Basket. Under a new program, Royer’s is donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of those two arrangements to area animal shelter and rescue efforts.
For the first awards, family-owned Royer’s is sending $100 checks to 10 area animal organizations:
Humane Pennsylvania, serving Berks and Lancaster counties; Animal Rescue League of Berks County; Speranza Animal Rescue in Mechanicsburg; Castaway Critters and Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area in Dauphin County;
Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter in Chambersburg; 2nd Chance 4 Life Rescue in Elizabethtown; Columbia Animal Shelter; Humane Society of Lebanon County; and York County SPCA.
“On behalf of the Royer’s Flowers & Gifts family, please accept this gift in support of the love and care your organization provides to animals,” wrote Tom Royer, president and CEO of Royer’s, in a letter accompanying each donation.
The Kitten in a Basket and Puppy in a Basket arrangements are available year-round.
Royer’s Flowers & Gifts will honor veterans with free patriotic bouquets on Nov. 11.
The bouquets – featuring a red carnation, a white carnation and a blue bow – will be available in-store only at any of Royer’s 16 locations in Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties.
“This is one of our favorite annual traditions,” said Tom Royer, president and CEO of family-owned Royer’s. “These men and women, along with their families, make great sacrifices while serving our country. It’s our privilege to honor our veterans.”
Non-veterans may purchase the bouquet for $2.10 each.
It was his mother, Hannah, who started what is now fourth-generation family-owned Royer’s Flowers & Gifts.
But Kenneth Royer proved to be an industry pioneer in his own right during a 60-year career with the company. In September, the Society of American Florists recognized Royer’s contributions, inducting the Lebanon resident into the Floriculture Hall of Fame at the association’s annual convention in Orlando, Fla.
SAF noted that Royer was the first florist in the country to implement computerized systems for his stores and was among the first florists to import flowers directly from South America.
“His business strategies were so successful that in 1998 he published the book, ‘Retailing Flowers Profitably,’ and held dozens of seminars on topics from marketing to management and post-harvest care,” according to an article on SAF’s website. Royer also served on the boards of SAF and the American Floral Endowment.
His son Greg, chairman of Royer’s, accepted the award on his father’s behalf. He said Kenneth Royer “was speechless” upon hearing about his induction.
“The highlight of his year was coming to meetings like this,” Greg Royer said. “He still has a passion for the industry.”
Industry recognition is nothing new for Kenneth Royer. In 1983, he was inducted into the American Academy of Floriculture and named Pennsylvania Retail Florist of the Year. In 1986, SAF presented him with its Golden Bouquet Award. In 2004, he received the FTD Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hannah Royer started growing African violets on the windowsill of the family’s home. She sold them at a local farmer’s market before she and her husband, Lester, converted their two-car garage into a flower shop.
After school, Kenneth Royer helped by delivering flowers to customers. After high school, he joined the business full-time, eventually growing it into one of the largest retail florists in the United States.
Janet Wright said a carousel reminds her of an amusement park and happiness.
That’s the vibe she was going for with her winning entry, “Carousel of Color,” in Royer’s Flowers & Gifts’ annual name-the-arrangement contest.
Wright, of Carlisle, said she entered just once. Hers was among nearly 1,500 online submissions received between late July and Aug. 6.
Participants saw a photo of the arrangement and a list of its components: a clear dimple vase filled with sunflowers, carnations, daisy poms and charmelia, with accents of golden solidago and purple asters.
Wright said she has been a Royer’s customer for almost 20 years and many occasions.
“We just used Royer’s for my mom’s 70th birthday, and they did an amazing arrangement for her,” Wright said.
For winning the contest, she will receive a Carousel of Color arrangement as a prize.
Paige with her dog, Shiloh.
Lancaster County’s Paige Hershey didn’t sit idle during the pandemic.
For one thing, the East Lampeter Township 12-year-old got busy entering contests. One was for photography, another for writing.
“She’s just driven,” said Paige’s mother, Heather.
That drive led to success for the seventh-grader. Paige had the winning entry in this year’s Royer’s Flowers & Gifts Kids Club birthday card design contest.
Her design will adorn the electronic card that kids club members will receive on their birthdays in the coming year. Paige’s prize is a free flower delivery on her next birthday.
Paige, one of five siblings, loves to draw (mainly horses) and read, Heather said. Paige plays field hockey and basketball and swims.
“She’s a really fun kiddo,” her mother said.
The Royer’s Kids Club is free to ages 5 to 12. With parental permission, children may register for the kids club at any Royer’s store or online at royers.com/kidsclub. Kids club benefits include a membership card, online activities, a quarterly e-mail newsletter, contests and events.
The winning design in 2020
Just in time for summer vacation, the Royer’s Kids Club has a challenge for children ages 5 to 12.
We’re looking for our next birthday card design, one that all kids club members will receive in the year ahead.
As a reward, the designer of the winning entry will receive a free bouquet delivery on his or her birthday.
To enter the contest, which begins June 14, pick up an entry form at any Royer’s store or download one here.
Entries must be dropped off at a Royer’s store by July 15.
Good luck to everyone. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
