Why? May is Fairtrade month!

Top 10 Reasons to Support Fair Trade

1. Fair Trade means fair pay and working conditions for farmers and producers. Fair Trade products are made in safe and healthy working conditions, where farmers and producers receive a fair price and have a voice in how their workplace is run.

2. Fair Trade is better for the environment. Fair Trade supports sustainable practices that minimize our environmental footprint.

3. Fair Trade means high quality goods. Artisans take pride in their work. Crafts are often handmade, which translates into closer attention to detail and in the end higher-quality products.

4. Fair Trade means better tasting food. Farmers are involved and invested in the entire production process, and crops are grown and harvested in smaller quantities. As a result, Fair Trade food is fresher and tastier.

5. Fair Trade is safe. Fair Trade actively promotes integrated farm management systems that improve soil fertility and preserve valuable ecosystems, and limit the use of harmful agrochemicals that present dangers to farmers’ health. That means food that’s safer for you and for the people who grow it.

6. Fair Trade supports communities. By working through cooperative structures, Fair Trade artisans and small farmers are able to invest Fair Trade earnings in their communities, improving housing, healthcare, and schools.

7. Fair Trade is trade farmers can count on. Fair Trade is committed to strengthening direct partnerships between buyers and producers. These partnerships provide an avenue for buyers to purchase quality products from people they trust, and offer a sustainable and reliable way for farmers, artisans and their families to improve their livelihood.

8. Fair Trade connects you with other cultures. Fair Trade products are unique to the places they come from and the people who make them. Farmers and artisans are involved in the entire process, and Fair Trade products reflect the people and cultures they come from.

9. Fair Trade means sustainable local economies. Fair Trade gives farmers and artisans control of their own future. They can build their own businesses, rather than working for a middle man, and the profits stay in their communities and go back into their businesses.

10. Fair Trade means what you buy matters. By choosing Fair Trade products, you are not only accessing high quality products, you are making a difference in the lives of the people who grow the food you eat and the goods you use.

Ask about our fairtrade product in store!

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Grad Flowers: Stay Calm and Call Your Florist

Prom attire usually consists of wearing gowns and tuxedos in the style of the season. Promgoers pore over their wardrobe so they will look their best when heading out for their big night — a party celebrating the culmination of their high school careers. One tradition of prom that continues today is the presentation of a corsage to the female attendant.

Corsages have been part of formal wear for centuries. Originally, a corsage was considered to be a small grouping of flowers worn on the center bodice of a dress. It is derived from the French term “bouquet de corsage,” which translates to bouquet of the bodice. Corsages were commonly worn to weddings because, in ancient times, it was believed that the flowers and herbs placed in the corsage were essential to warding off evil spirits. Corsages were worn by special participants in these ceremonies.

In the 20th century, corsages evolved into something that served as a gift for women attending special social dances, like their high school proms. The corsage worn in this manner was part of the courting process. The gentleman would show respect to his date’s parents, including bringing flowers or a gift. The gentleman would then take a flower out of the bouquet and present it to his date and attach it to her dress.

As prom dresses evolved to feature spaghetti straps or no straps at all, pinning the corsage to the dress bodice was no longer practical. Therefore, corsages soon morphed into small bouquets that were attached to an elastic band. The result was something that could be worn around the wrist. Nowadays, there are various styles of corsages that can be worn at the waist and even in the hair.

Although it is customary for the gentleman to purchase their date’s corsage, here are a few tips they should know beforehand.  Ask your date what color gown she is wearing to coordinate the corsage with the gown. However, neutral-colored blooms of peach, white and pink can complement a number of differed hued dresses.

Many different flowers can be used in corsages. While roses are typical flowers to show affection and love, chrysanthemums, carnations, birds of paradise, orchids, and lilies can all be used depending on budget

Call today to pre-order your corsages and boutonnieres for Grad 2015!

Help! My Assistant has it all…..

Administrative Professionals Week the time of year to stop and say, “Thank you” to our wonderful team who bend over backwards every day to meet our needs in the studio. They prep buckets for flower deliveries, balance cash out sheets, handle customers the way we would as owners, they take care of our business when we are not there with the same passion as we would.. They are the glue that holds our studio together. And though we are busy getting flowers, gourmet baskets, dish gardens, you name it ready for customers…we do not forget about our team  during this busy time!

Like most holidays…we take this time to celebrate; Administrative Professionals Week is no different. We celebrate the people who take the HECTIC out of our busy offices around the world!  BUT…did you know that the most effective and productive offices and/or businesses are ones that the employees are most appreciated and valued….yup.  Happy Employees equals Successful Business!

Take a few minutes.  And yes you will have to make a decision on flowers or a gift for your administrative professional….but make sure you do so! And while your at…why not try to say ‘Thank You’ a little more for the rest of the year!

BIG LOVE to OUR OFFICE TEAM – Marisa and Christina!

Trust your Dentist? Trust your Florist

One of things we love best about our job is being able to share it, not only with our clients but others that truly appreciate the our creative minds and our passion for our work!   It is always a wonderful experience when  Margaret is asked to create a bouquet based on just a few words from our clients or from others we work with in our industry.  It is during this time that Margaret’s creative and passion for what she does is in high drive!  When she asked to create…you truly get her best work!  Why?  There are no restraints…her mind is full of creativity and passion and when you allow the person that freedom, you get exactly what you want!  So my suggestion…if you gone this far to go to a local florist TRUST THEM.  You obviously are not a florist because if you were you would  just buy the flowers yourself and do your own arrangement.  Do you tell the Dentist how to clean your teeth? No you don’t. Why? Because you trust them to know what to do and how to do it? Florists are no different.  TRUST YOUR LOCAL FLORIST!

Thank you Jalisse from  www.jalissephotography.com

Another creative and passionate person doing what they love!

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May the Luck of Irish be with you!

St. Patty’s Day!  Green beers, lots of green, parades and celebrations, and shamrocks!  But the holiday is more than just that…St. Patrick was a Christian missionary, bishop and a patron saint of Ireland. He became a devout Christian and, it’s believed, began to dream of converting the Irish to Christianity.  Wearing green has become a staple of St. Patrick’s Day, but the holiday was originally associated with the color blue. It’s thought that the shift to green happened because of Ireland’s nickname “The Emerald Isle” the green in the Irish flag and the shamrock, or clover.  St. Patrick used the shamrock, the familiar three-leafed clover, to explain the Christian Holy Trinity. Celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day would not be complete without parades, festivals and Céilithe, a social gathering that typically involves Gaelic folk music and dancing and lots of beers!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Everyone!

Spring is in the Air!

With all this warm weather we have been having in Alberta this past week, it has given some of us the Spring Fever.  People have been calling in all week to see if our Garden Center is open.  Sadly, it is not!  As most of you know, the weather in Alberta can change like changing your socks everyday!   As we say here at the studio, we have to be patient! Like many of you, we are anxious to get out in the gardens and greenhouses ourselves.  Here are a few tips for Albertan Gardeners!

5 Tips for Spring Gardening in Alberta

1. Plan Ahead – Take advantage of the cold weather we still have and make some plans for your garden. Make note of which sides of your house gets the most sun and during which part of the day. We recommend planting perennials, annuals, shrubs or a combination of the three. It’s good to switch it up year after year to avoid attracting harmful insects.
2. Keep it Clean – Before you start planting it’s recommended that you clean old leaves, litter or plant material from your gardening area. Make sure to leave markers where you planted your flowers so you know where they are. You can also take this time to edge your flower bed. Use a garden spade and at a 45 degree angle turn the soil the over.
3. Don’t forget the Soil – Some of the best stuff you can add to your soil is organic matter and compost. If your soil requires more moisture we recommend using peat moss to hold in moisture but if your soil has a lot of clay, perhaps adding sand would suffice. Greenhouses and gardening stores have a wide selection of soils and additives for making improvements. If you are unsure about the make-up of your soil purchase a soil test kit at your local greenhouse or gardening store. Use a rototiller to dig up the soil while mixing the first 6 inches or so and level the soil out afterwards.
4. Pick your Plants – Most Albertans will wait until after May long weekend to buy plants, but pay attention to the weather and make sure there is no chance of overnight frost. Don’t buy your plants early and keep them in your home or else they will adjust to the warm environment. While picking plants, choose healthy and strong ones that have no bugs or signs of damage.
5. Maintaining healthy Plants – Try to water them right after you plant them. Never let your plants dry out but at the same time, do not over water them. When planting them make sure to give them space to allow air to easily flow between plants. When checking up on your plants, remove any leaves or blooms that have been attacked by pests.

Let us introduce ourselves….

Welcome to our Blog!  If your interested in everything from family owned businesses, you love creativity and design, you stop to smell the flowers, you have a green thumb or you like interesting facts…then you have found the blog you have been looking for.

A little about us… as you haven’t already read enough about us in the About page…

We are a family owned and operated small business in the Town of Olds for the last 13 years.  Our mother started the business as a Floral Studio in 2001, from there she grew it into this beautiful space which now includes unique giftware from all over mostly Canadian Made, home décor, gourmet food and candy which includes our very own brand of spreads, salsa, butters and niblets, handmade jewelry and bath & body products that are organic or natural.   Our mother the true go getter didn’t stop there…she eventually added the greenhouses and redesigned the outdoor yards into a quiet space that others from all over come to walk through and admire year after year.  That’s how the Garden Center came about!  As the market changes, so does my mother, so she invited me to join the business in 2011.   Now for me, I love business but I wanted more…so we expanded again and in 2013, I became not only the Operations Manager but our Event & Wedding Consultant.  So there you have it…the little studio with lots of creativity, passion and love for what we do!