5108 Nordic Drive
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Phone: 319-291-6004
FAX:
319-291-8676
www.flowerama.com
Memo:
2017-3
Date:
December 14, 2016
To:
All Flowerama Store Owners and Managers
Re:
Valentine Rose and Cut Flower Usage and Ordering Guidelines
This memo has rose stem length and color recommendations to help you with your ordering
and production. It also contains information to assist with your other cut flower needs.
We have received Valentine pricing from some of our preferred cut flower vendors
(attached). Some of the vendors have included the fuel surcharge in the pricing;
some state that additional fuel surcharges will apply. If the vendor that you normally
work with is not represented here, contact them and request their Valentine prices.
Due to the higher cost of roses for Valentine's Day, we purchase and use specific stem
lengths for certain production items on your cut flower plan. The rose order guideline in
your Valentine Production Plan is laid out following the plan below:
Order 40 cm roses (65% red / 35% color for the following)
1 Rose wrapped bouquets
1 Rose vases
3 Rose Cash & Carry bouquets
3 Rose vases
3 Rose with Stargazer vases
6 Rose vases
6 Rose with Stargazer vases
Mixed Flower vases
Valentine Foam Arrangements
Order 50 cm roses (65% red / 35% color) for the following:
12 Rose Cash & Carry bouquets
12 Rose Romance bouquets
24 Rose Romance bouquets (Order 50% red / 50% Asst Color)
(Production = 25% - solid red, 75% - (6 red, 6 pink, 6 yellow, 6 white)
Classic Dozen Rose vases
Deluxe Dozen Rose vases
Deluxe and Premium Mixed bouquets
Deluxe Mixed vases (Order 33% red / 67% Asst Color)
(Production = 1 red rose and 2 colored roses per vase)
Premium Mixed vases (Order 50% red / 50% Asst Color)
(Production = 2 red rose and 2 colored roses per vase)
Order 60 cm Roses (65% red / 35% color) for the following:
Luxurious Dozen Rose vases
2 Dozen and 3 Dozen Classic Rose vases
2 Dozen Premium Rose vases
Spectacular Mixed Vases (Order 50% red / 50% Asst Color)
(Production = 3 red rose and 3 colored roses per vase)
Order your extra loose 40 cm, 50 cm and 60 cm roses in a 65% red / 35% color
proportion. Adjust loose rose quantities to accommodate actual box quantities,
giving preference to 50 cm roses.
You may consider ordering 5% of the 65% red as solid boxes of pink and hot pink
to help reduce your average cost of roses. You can also stretch your red roses in
combination with white roses in some of your bouquets and vases. Also consider at
least one box of purple roses as they are popular at Valentine's Day.
Red and shades pink are the most popular colors for Valentine's Day. Supplement
your carnations and mini carnations with some Valentine Packs. Emphasize reds
and pinks in your orders of Gerbera Daisies and Alstroemeria.
For your extra pomps over your standing order, we suggest you buy mostly white
CDN and Valentine packs (white and lavender). This will limit the number of yellow
pomps that you received.
Tropicals and Orchid Source in Miami
We have been ordering tropicals and dendrobium orchids from National Orchids
Inc., located in Miami. They are able to pack us a box of 60 Assorted Dendrobium
Orchids, a box of 20 Large Red Anthuriums, and a box containing 10 stems of Red
Ginger and 10 stems pf Premium Birds of Paradise.
For refrigerated truck
shipments, they are able to provide microfoam winter wrap for the Anthuriums and
the Ginger/Birds boxes. Contact info for pricing and other products is: 6920
Northwest 42nd St. Miami, FL 33166. Phone is 305-436-5678. Contact is Rebecca or
German Perez. Email is [email protected].
Our Valentine's processing and production schedule indicates that if you have
adequate cooler space, you can bring in ALL of your Valentine cut greens the last
week of January to avoid the holiday fuel surcharges.
Your first Valentine cut flower shipment should be received Monday February 6th.
On this first shipment bring in your regular shipment of flowers plus 50% of your
Valentine Roses, and 100% of all other "hardy" flowers and your Valentine cut
greens (if you did not bring them in earlier).
On Thursday, February 9, you should bring in the other 50% of your Valentine
Roses.
If you cannot receive flowers on Thursday the 9th, we recommend that you
receive all your flowers on Monday February 6 and dry pack at least 50%
of the roses that were scheduled for Thursday.
Here are some important notes on dry packing flowers:
1.
Open the boxes and thoroughly inspect the flowers upon arrival to make sure
that they are in good condition. Vendors require notice for credit within 24
hours after you receive their flowers.
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2.
Remove the lids from the boxes, placing the bottom of the box inside the lid to
expose the roses to the air. Remove any packing material from the inside of
the box (but leave the wrapping on the heads of the roses). Place the boxes
inside your walk in cooler, spacing them out as much as possible enabling air
to circulate entirely around and under each box. This will expose the roses to
the cold temperatures to cool them down. Place the dry pack boxes in the
coldest spot of your walk in cooler. The coldest spot is normally just off the
floor near the back of the walk in cooler. Leave the lids off the boxes for 16 to
24 hours. Replace the lids on the boxes making sure that the air hole vents on
the ends of the boxes are open.
Note: Storing flowers in a refrigerated truck is more risky due to the possibility
of the refrigerated truck having cooling or freezing problems.
3.
After you have replaced the lids on the boxes, in order to make more room in
your cooler, you can place a piece of bench master or two wooden 2 x 4s on
the floor to allow air to circulate under the boxes. Space the boxes 4"-6" apart
on the bottom row. Stack the second row of boxes at a 90° angle to the first
row leaving 4"-6" between these boxes as well. Now repeat the crisscross
stacking process until all boxes are stacked.
4.
Place a digital thermometer near the boxes and monitor the temperature
during the dry pack period. You will want to keep them close to 33°-35°
Fahrenheit (without letting them freeze).
Here are some important notes on straightening tulips before design or
bouquet making:
Tulips are phototropic. They naturally bend toward light. When we receive them in
their shipping boxes from Holland, they are often curved inside the box.
To straighten the tulips, follow these easy steps:
For each bunch of tulips cut strips of craft paper or newspaper that are 12”
wide and 24” long.
Tightly wrap each bunch in a strip of paper, so that the paper allows 2” of the
bottom stems to stick out, and the top is even with the top of the heads.
Re-cut one half to one inch off the end of the stems.
Place each bunch upright in a bucket of cold plain water (tulips do not need
preservative).
Put enough bunches in each bucket so they are snug and are forced to be
vertical.
After drinking in the cooler for at least 3 hours, the tulips can be designed and
should have straight stems.
Tulips continue to grow in vases and arrangements. If the tulips begin to bend in a
direction toward the light source, the arrangement or vase should be turned 180
degrees so the light can pull them upright again.
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Cooler Information
Make sure your coolers are operating properly before the holiday arrives. Using a
thermometer with a probe, or a regular glass thermometer, check the water
temperature in a bucket of water that has been left in the cooler for at least two
days. If the water temperature is above 42° Fahrenheit it is too warm.
We recommend you have your cooler serviced by a competent cooling professional
prior to the holiday. Be sure the water temperature in the buckets in your coolers
is averaging 35°-38°. This should facilitate the temperature on the floor in the
back of the cooler to be at approximately 34°.
We suggest you bring in your regular Monday roses and fresh flower shipment on
February 13. If you are exceeding your Valentine's fresh flower goal dramatically,
you could process these on Monday to try to extend your Valentine's Day sales. If
not these flowers can be held dry packed and processed to use after the holiday.
Be aware that most all refrigerated truck line carriers, including Armellini, Florida
Beauty, Prime and others, will probably be picking up from vendors a day earlier
during the last week of January and the first week and a half of February. Check
with your trucking company for delivery dates to your city, as you get ready to
place your orders. Be sure to clearly communicate these shipment days and dates
to your Miami cut flower vendors, so they can be sure to have the product to Miami
in time to meet your trucking schedule.
We are available to assist you by phone with any questions you may have regarding
your Valentine's Day cut flower orders. Please feel free to call us at 1-800-7286004 with any questions.
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