Member Compositions shared some lovely pictures of downtown Portland.  Seems the locals have definitely gotten into the Holiday mood with beautiful trees and hanging lights.  Scroll down a little further in their blog for festive Holiday beverage recipes.  Yum!!

Hanukkah- the festival of lights, starts on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, and lasts for eight days. The secular dates this year are  December 1 – 9.

Hanukkah  is celebrated by the Jewish community for eight days in late November or early December. It is celebrated in remembrance of Maccabeus’s victory against Antiochus of Syria. Hanukkah flowers symbolize the honor and pride of that victory. It is a celebration of thanks giving and devotion to God. Traditionally,  Hanukkah flower arrangements are made up of blue and white flowers. Blue represents tranquility and peace, while white symbolizes purity and truth.

These days flowers in other colors are included.  So, if you’re not very particular about the traditional flowers, then you can opt for floral arrangements of one dozen long stem white roses.  To symbolize the festival of lights, you can also set up a couple of candles in these floral bouquets.

To make this beautiful festival even more memorable, you can present your guests with beautiful Hanukkah flowers when they leave.

A Google search for b brooks fine flowers reveals a sponsored add (see below) with a link to Proflowers;  There they lurk, clothed in our fine reputation,  shady and deceptive, hiding behind our name attempting to divert customers from us to themselves.  So go ahead – click on that ad – it costs them money…just do not buy anything from them unless that is your intention.   Let this be a warning to everyone that the bad guys are out there prowling.  When you click on a link, any link, be sure the web address that you land on is the one you want.

What can we do to protect ourselves and stop Proflowers sleazy business strategies?  Well, stay tuned and follow our story:  Protecting Our Brand In the meantime, maybe some smart IP lawyers, judges and politicians will comment on this.

Also – WE HAVE NEITHER RELATIONSHIP NOR AGREEMENT WITH PROFLOWERS!

New member Design By Nature in Baltimore, MD www.designbynaturemd.com has a lovely feature in the Oct/Nov 2010  issue of Chesapeake Home!

Owner Robert Honaker launched the store, which features full-service floral design, a well-edited selection of containers and green accessories in a pet-friendly atmosphere, this past August.

With  a 25 year career in floral design, his idea was to meet the needs of the community for a local green florist- using local materials, recycling as much as possible and offering customers an example of how they can incorporate this approach  into what they do on their own.  Some techniques he employs are carrying exclusive items such as  refillable, organic candles in recycled glass containers and having a charitable component built into the sale of select products.

Inspired by advise from an 80-year-old woman:  “When you’re green you grow and when you’re ripe you rot.”, Honaker intends to maintain a reputation for being a new kind of store for a new era of retail!

The Giants made franchise history with a 3-1 triumph over the Rangers in Game 5 of the World Series, ignoring their underdog status to capture the 106th Fall Classic, four games to one.

A proven yet unlikely hero combined with the team’s most recognizable star to elevate San Francisco to unprecedented heights. Read more.

San Franciscco Radio station KALW’S Katie Jennings went to the San Francisco Flower Mart, the biggest of the five remaining flower markets in the country, to talk with growers about their changing business.

Ms. Jennings spoke with Nick Neve,who, like his father before him and his grandfather before him,  is a rose grower. He lives and works on his family’s land in Petaluma.

She also spoke with Roy Borodkin runs Brannan Street Wholesale Florists

Read the entire original article at: kalwnews.org

This story caught my eye in Floral Management magazine, March 2010.

Two shops separated by over 2800 miles share the same idea of giving back to the community during these tough times.  Rose Garden Florist in Barnegat, NJ and Twigs in Yerington, NV  each give credit for their unique idea to a Flower Chat forum discussion last year, but, each shop has customized their approach of instigating a “travelling kindness bouquet”.

Every month or so, each shop  sends out an estimated 5 bouquets ranging in price from $40 to $50.  The original destination is randomly chosen and will vary, whether it be a nursing home, or  police station, or a bank,  or a hospital.  Attached is a card which reads, “ This is a Travelling Kindness Bouquet.  Please enjoy these flowers for the next hour, then pass then on  them to someone who could use a little joy along with this note.”

These floral gifts  have paid off for both shops – both in community-building returns and financially.   The monthly cost is  substantially less than any print advertising available to either shop and is delivered directly to potential future customer

Two award winning designers from the UK,  Sarah Horne and Jo Jarvis, share a vision of floral art that begins with a love of nature and  moves quickly outside the box with their gorgeous new book, “ Botanical Art: For Your Eyes Only”.   An article in Flower& magazine, August 2010 showcases their  beautifully printed, oversize hardcover volume which  includes creations ranging from home décor and gifts to wearable flower art.  Visit  www.3-5-8productions.co.uk to learn more!

Whether you prefer abundance or simplicity – these two options in “bud vases” found in Real Simple magazine May & June issues are both unique and striking.

Magnetic Vase – can be found at: lichen-studio.com

Pols Potten porcelain vessel (of 47 mini bud vases) can be found at: lekkerhome.com

As reported in San Francisco magazine, July 2010.

When Torryne Choate of Birch in San Francisco opened a second store last summer, people thought she was crazy!! But, Torryne is defying all odds with her chic outpost in Hayes Valley. The new shop offers the city’s finest collection of fashion, music and design magazines, as well as out of the world high style floral design! Visit www.birchsf.com to see more.