Being a professional interior designer, Kristin Iwancio said entering Royer’s name-the-arrangement contest was “totally in my wheelhouse.”
Indeed, it was.
Iwancio, of Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, submitted the winning name – Farmhouse Sunset – among 639 total contest entries.
“I love sunsets, so why not go with that? I’m never up early enough for sunrises,” she quipped.
The new arrangement includes two short-stemmed orange roses, a mini green hydrangea, a hot pink spray rose and purple statice.
It measures 13 inches high and nine inches wide.
Although Farmhouse Sunset won’t be available to the public until fall, Iwancio received one early.
It was her prize for naming the arrangement.
Category: News
Royer’s Stems Hunger collects 1,700 pounds of nonperishable food for area food banks
A big thanks to everyone who contributed to this year’s Royer’s Stems Hunger food drive.
With your help, we collected 1,706 pounds of nonperishable items, bringing the food drive’s seven-year total to more than six tons.
Royer’s Stems Hunger, which took place June 17-July 1, collected 163 pounds for the Greater Berks Food Bank and 1,543 pounds for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
For each nonperishable food item, donors received a free carnation.
Besides Royer’s 16 stores, the food drop-off locations included Drayer Physical Therapy Institute outpatient centers in Carlisle, Dillsburg, Harrisburg, Hummelstown, Lancaster, Mount Joy and York.
Photo: Royer’s in West York collected the most pounds of nonperishable food (194) among our 16 stores. From left, Jamie Raffensberger, sales; Kelly Miller, assistant manager; Jackie Dahms, store manager; Jontra Marquardt, sales; Chris Lentz, designer.
Royer’s employees donate $740 to American Heart Association’s Lancaster division
Royer’s employees have donated $740 to the American Heart Association’s Lancaster division.
In January, employees had the opportunity to purchase red polo shirts bearing the Royer’s logo. For each shirt, they donated $10 to the heart association.
The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke.
Photo: From left, Jill Williams, manager of Lancaster West, with Katie Harlin, executive director, and Danielle Figueroa, Heart Walk director, American Heart Association, Lancaster division.
Terrariums back on the job — and perfect for the office
Entire TV shows these days are dedicated to tiny houses, so perhaps it should come as little surprise that mini-gardens are popular again.
Royer’s recently reintroduced terrariums to its product lineup. They are individually crafted in our dish garden department in Lebanon and come in rope; dome (small, medium and large); and greenhouse versions.
“You look in them, and you just feel good,” said Cheryl Brill, Royer’s vice president of retail operations, comparing the look of the light-green reindeer moss covering the soil to that of a forest floor.
She described terrariums as a “little tranquil spot.”
“They draw you in,” she said, “and I think that’s part of the appeal. And they typically have a lot of texture.”
Growing plants in transparent containers dates to Greece at least 2,500 years ago, according to University of Missouri Extension. The practice in the United States is traced to New England.
“The invention of the terrarium as we know it is credited to Dr. N.B. Ward, a 19th-century London physician. … While studying a sphinx moth emerging from a chrysalis he had buried in moist earth in a closed bottle, he was amazed to see a seedling fern and some grass growing inside. He watched them grow for four years, during which time not one drop of water was added nor was the cover removed.”
Closed terrariums are best at keeping humidity inside (followed by open terrariums and dish gardens), so they only have to be watered once per week. Terrariums and plants are great for offices as they are known to improve air quality, boost productivity and reduce stress.
We’re putting our best ‘Bunny Face’ forward with free kids club event March 25
Bunny Face, I love you. Bunny Face, I need you.
If you’re between the ages of 5 and 12, you can make your own Bunny Face to bring home for Easter.
The Royer’s Kids Club will play host to a free kids club event March 25 in all stores. Besides making a carnation bunny, participants will receive a balloon.
Time slots are available at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Registration is required by calling your nearest Royer’s store.
Royer’s employees raise $990 for Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition with purchase of pink polo shirts
Employees of Royer’s Flowers have donated $990 to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.
The contribution reflects the employees’ fall purchase of pink polo shirts bearing Royer’s logo. The sale of each shirt raised $10 for the Lebanon-based nonprofit.
The coalition (pabreastcancer.org) represents, supports and serves breast cancer survivors and their families in Pennsylvania through educational programming, legislative advocacy and breast cancer research grants.
Photo: From left, Candace Oliver, manager trainee at Royer’s Flowers in Lebanon, and Kristen Snoke, community outreach director, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition. Oliver is wearing one of the pink polo shirts Royer’s employees purchased to raise money for the coalition.
Ribbon cut, we’re open for business in Chambersburg
With the help of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce and its members, we ceremonially cut the ribbon — actually a floral garland — on our new Chambersburg store on Sept. 7. The store is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
Our new Chambersburg store is scheduled to open at 8 a.m. Sept. 6
Our new Chambersburg store is scheduled to open at 8 a.m. Tuesday (Sept. 6) at 7 St. Paul Drive, next to Sonic and Sheetz.
Not only is it Royer’s first store in Franklin County, but it also will allow us to expand deliveries into the Hagerstown, Md., area. Chambersburg represents both the farthest west and south that Royer’s has operated from our Lebanon County base.
“With a beautiful new building in a terrific new market, we’re thrilled to be a part of the Chambersburg community and beyond,” said Greg Royer, president and CEO of Royer’s.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony — the ribbon actually will comprise flowers — is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday in conjunction with the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce.
The 4,000-square-foot store’s grand opening will include specials on hardy mums and loose carnations.
The store will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
Store manager Gregory Royer represents the fourth generation of Royer family involvement with the company. He will be joined by assistant manager Heidi Trate and design supervisor Sherry Carbaugh on a 15-person staff.
Royer’s traces its roots to 1937, when Hannah Royer, who grew African violets on her windowsill in Lebanon, began selling them at a local garment factory and area farmer’s markets.
With Chambersburg, Royer’s operates 16 stores in Berks, Cumberland, Franklin, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. Sister company Stephenson’s Flowers & Gifts has one Harrisburg store.
Thanks to a loyal fan, Olivia Newton-John brings Royer’s flowers on stage with her in Lancaster
Paul Ondulich is hopelessly devoted to Olivia Newton-John.
The Trafford, Pa., resident has seen the “Grease” star in concert nine times, first in Pittsburgh for 1982’s “Physical” tour, and most recently on July 24, 2016 at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster. All but one time he sat in the front row.
At each show, he gives Newton-John flowers. She has repaid the favor, holding his hand at many of the shows, he said, and singing to him several times. He shared a clipping from the Buffalo News, showing a photo of him and Newton-John from a 2006 show at a casino in Niagara Falls, Ont.
“I don’t know,” Ondulich said when asked to explain his good fortune, “I’m just lucky, I guess.”
A web developer by day, operator of a Pittsburgh Pirates fan website in his spare time, Ondulich called in his flower order to our Lancaster West store two weeks before the July show. The flowers for Newton-John included 10 white stargazer lilies, 20 dendrobium orchids, and orange roses.
He said he presented them to Newton-John approximately 15 minutes into the concert; of course, she had him come up on stage. She placed the flowers on the piano for the rest of the show and told the audience how beautiful and sweet-smelling they were.
Joining Ondulich at the concert was his wife, Joanne, who seems to be OK with her husband’s fondness for the singer.
“She’s known I’m a fan and I love Olivia,” he said.
Besides, Ondulich also ordered one-dozen long-stem red roses for Joanne.
Thanks to your ‘Power of Pink’ purchases, Royer’s donates $3,090 to Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition
Royer’s has donated $3,090 to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.
The donation will support breast cancer survivors and their families and breast cancer research in Pennsylvania.
With every sale of its “Power of Pink” arrangement, Royer’s donates $10 to breast cancer organizations. The arrangement is available year-round.
Based in Lebanon, the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (pabreastcancer.org) represents, supports and serves breast cancer survivors and their families in Pennsylvania through educational programming, legislative advocacy and breast cancer research grants.