Your Calgary Flower Shop has taken the utmost care to ensure the flowers we deliver to our customers homes and workplaces are as fresh and beautiful as possible. We begin the process by acquiring our flowers from the industries finest flower growers and partnering with only the best FTD retail florists. By doing so we can be confident that only the finest fresh flowers are being delivered to our customers. However, to achieve maximum enjoyment and longevity from their flowers, our customers need to provide a little “TLC” when the flowers arrive.

Fortunately, what is required is very simple. Here are a few easy steps to follow that will ensure that your flowers look their best. Follow them and your flowers will look great and last for as long as possible.

1) Start with a clean vase & good quality water!

One of the largest deterrents to fresh cut flower life is bacterial. Bacteria and fungi are everywhere and are ready to enter the cut surface of the stem and multiply. Prior to actual decay symptoms, cells of the water-transporting tissues can become blocked with microorganisms, inhibiting water uptake.

A plant’s root system serves as a filter to limit dirt, micro-organisms and chemicals from entering and blocking the plant’s ability to absorb water. When the flower is cut off from its life-sustaining root system, it loses this vital filter. It is important, therefore, to always start with clean water in order to protect and preserve the flower.

Always use warm (100 – 110 degree) clean water as most flowers take in warm water more efficiently than cold.

The actual quality of water used in a vase plays a major role in a flowers life cycle as examples;

Sodium -  Present in high concentrations in soft water, particularly if softened using salt, is toxic to roses and
carnations.

Fluoride – Added to drinking water in many communities for dental health. While Fluoride may prevent cavities
in the kids it is harmful to gerbera, gladiolus, and freesia.

Minerals – In many areas drinking water is considered “hard” and contains high levels of minerals.  Dissolved
minerals can and may block the flower stems ability to hydrate properly.

2) Use the Flower Food provided.

While a flower is attached to the plant, it receives nourishment allowing it to grow and develop. When cut from the plant, it loses its source of nourishment and water. Fresh Flower Food has been developed to simulate the flower’s original environment, and allow the flower to fully develop (open).

While it is easy to find all sorts of home recipes and folklore about common household products that can be used to extend the life of your flowers, like many things this is best left to the professionals. Commercial Fresh Flower Food will increase the life of cut flowers and should always be used, these formula’s are scientifically developed, carefully balanced mixtures generally containing,

- Sucrose (sugar); Sucrose serves as a source of energy (food) to make up for the loss of the functioning leaves and insures continued development and longevity of the flower. Like all other living things flowers require food energy, however too much sucrose can be a bad thing as it can “force” the life cycle of the flower to proceed faster than normal.

- Acidifier ; Most water supplies are alkaline and can reduce the life of cut flowers, an acidifier will help bring the waters pH closer to the acid pH of the cell sap. Slightly acidic water is taken up more readily through the stems than water that is neutral or alkaline. The acidifier also aids in stabilizing the pigment and the colour of the flowers.

- Inhibitor of microorganisms (bacteria); Designed to retard the growth of bacteria in the water. While flowers require and “enjoy dining” on sucrose, so does bacteria. Cells of the water-transporting tissues in flowers can become blocked with microorganisms, inhibiting the flowers ability to hydrate and severely reducing longevity.

- Agents To draw out certain salts, dirt, and debris which will settle rather then being drawn up the flower stem.

Follow the directions on the package and always use the recommended amount. Don’t take short cuts or “play it on the safe side” by using too much flower food, either way can be just as harmful.

3) Cut Stems & Remove Foliage

Re-cut the stems at an angle removing at least on inch of the stem. Always use a sharp knife or clippers rather than scissors as this will avoid crushing the stem and therefore the vascular system. The slanted cutopens more stem area for hydration and prevents the end of the stem from resting directly on the bottom of the vase impeding water flow.

Leaves that will be below the water line in the container must be removed. Leaves sitting in water will deteriorate and rot. Decaying leaves make a good medium for bacteria and fungi, which will plug the vascular system preventing hydration and eventually causing death. DO NOT remove all leaves along the stem length, the flowers require the leaves as part of their hydration process. Always be “gentle” during the removal of leaves, gashes or breaks in the stem surface are “open wounds” where bacteria may enter. Try using a soft, but impenetrable glove for the removal of rose thorns and foliage.

4) Last but not least

Check the water level daily and replenish as needed. If the water becomes cloudy, it should be completely exchanged for fresh. As the water level gets low, you must re-fill vases with fresh solution made with correct proportions of Fresh Flower Food and water.

NOTE For roses, this process can be performed on Day 1 (when you first purchase product), on Day 3, and again on Day 5, doing so will help you obtain maximum vase life.

Now, enjoy your flowers!

On the occasion of Valentines Day when we think about flowers for a loved one, roses come to mind immediately!

The very word rose evokes images of love, romance, affection and a variety of feelings. Flowers, especially roses, can easily communicate the feeling of love when words are inadequate to express our innermost emotions. They are the perfect flower for Valentines Day!

Most women love roses! No matter the color, whether it’s a dozen, a single rose or even if they are mixed with other complimentary flowers. You just can’t go wrong when you choose roses for Valentines Day!

Here at Grower Direct we understand roses like no one else! Browse through some of our links:

Rose Gallery – Some beautiful roses waiting to be admired!

Rose Bouquets – Some of the bouquets you can purchase from Grower Direct

Rose Information – Find out what you need to know!

Have a look through our wonderful collection of flowers for this romantic occasion. We know you will find the perfect flowers for your sweetheart this Valentines Day!

Visit your Calgary flower shop today and get your Valentine’s Day flowers from Velda’s Grower Direct.

Calgary Roses for $5.00/Dozen – Minimum two dozen purchase

August 18, 2010, while supplies last.  Mark this in your calendar right now!

Every year around this time at your Calgary Flower Shop, we bring in thousands of roses for our customers at a REALLY great price!  Your Calgary Roses and Flower Shop will have assorted colors available. Each bundle of 25 roses only has one color. When ordering please have a first, second & third choice as we tend to sell out of our colored roses quickly. These roses will not be processed. They will be kept in their wholesale bundles. That is one of the reasons why we are able to sell them at such a low price. We will have instructions on how to clean and take care of them.

Greens & babies breath will be available in $10 packages.

This is a pick up special but delivery will be available for $15 per address.
Have all your co workers order with you, for one delivery fee.

Please call your Calgary Flower Shop (403.569.2023) early to guarantee roses will be available for you.

We are happy to have served you in the past, and we look forward to continuing to meet your floral needs.

Velda Paynter
Grower Direct Fresh Cut Flowers

4606 17 Avenue SE
Calgary, AB
403.569.2023
http://www.veldasgrowerdirect.com/
veldas@growerdirect.com

There’s no better way to bring a smile on someone’s face than by offering fresh flowers from your favourite Calgary Flower Shop. For as long as we can remember, flowers have been the ultimate symbol of beauty and elegance. On special occasions and at moments we need to express our feelings, we all turn to flowers to be our messengers. A carefully chosen flower bouquet can say everything we mean to say on different occasions. From lively summer flowers to romantic roses and colorful exotic flowers, they always represent the perfect gift. At flowerangels.com you will find a wide selection of fresh flowers, specially designed and arranged.

Enjoy Calgary Flowers to lighten up your summer

Everyone agrees that flowers can brighten up any occasion. Flowers have the unique ability to help us express our feelings of happiness, love, admiration, gratitude, sorrow, friendship and so on. Since the seventeenth century, people have been giving different meanings to certain types of flowers. Today, everyone realizes that there are certain flowers that are more appropriate for a given event than others – the tricky part is making the appropriate choice according to the event. With romantic occasions, the choice is fairly simple: roses are the eternal symbol of great passion. If you want to send a message of happiness, you should choose something bright and colorful, like sunflowers. Carnations are traditionally given on funerals while tulips are appropriate for joyful and elegant occasions. Velda’s Grower Direct has the widest variety of fresh flowers anywhere in the City of Calgary.

If you have to attend a summer wedding or any other summer event, you won’t have any trouble finding a beautiful selection of flowers. Summer flowers come in pastel or bright colors, are delicate or daring and can pretty much adapt to any occasion. Sunflower represents the summer season best and is great for elaborate arrangements. Aster is also a popular summer flower which comes in beautiful shades of pink, blue, white and purple. Daisies are gentle summer flowers and are perfect for simple arrangements. Lilies have a beautiful scent and can brighten up any home. Other flowers, such as sweet pea or snapdragons are also exceptional gifts during the summer season.

Order Your Flowers Online from Velda’s Grower Direct

There are many advantages to shopping for flowers online. First of all, it’s much more comfortable than going all the way out to a florist. Online flower shopping in Calgary is also highly convenient. Haven’t you ever forgotten about someone’s birthday and wanted to make a last minute gesture? Ordering flowers online is very quick and it’s the only way to save the situation elegantly. A reliable online florist will always be ready to deliver fresh flowers. Furthermore, your bouquet will be designed impeccably and look exactly like you wanted it to. At Velda’s Grower Direct in Calgary, we ensure your flowers are the freshest.

Get your Calgary Wedding Flowers from Velda’s

Flowers make for excellent gifts on almost any occasion. Whether it’s a wedding, a birthday party or a baby shower, there’s nothing like a gorgeous bouquet to let someone know how you feel. Summer flowers are the ones that really stand out – the bright colors and mesmerizing scents will win anyone over. At Velda’s in SE Calgary you can choose from hundreds of fresh flowers.

Flowers are defiantly one of the most popular presents for a man to give to a woman on Valentine’s Day. In reality the flowers are so popular that in most cases men give flowers together with some other gift as an addition instead of giving flowers as a gift. But the problem lies not with giving the flowers but in choosing the flowers, allot of man quite often make the mistake of thinking that red roses are the only choice of flowers to give to their loved one on Valentine’s Day and this is absolutely not true. Not only there are other flowers which are totally appropriate for Valentine’s Day but there are also a few different ways on how give flowers and flower related gifts. Here I will show a few different ways on how to give pick and give flowers on Valentine’s Day.

For the guys. Roses and flowers in general are usually a great gift for that special someone on Valentine’s Day.   Think about your partner and what she likes if you know her then you probably know her favorite flower so go and buy them just think how surprised she will be when she would be expecting to get roses as everyone else and suddenly she gets her favorite flowers. This will show your partner that you care and you listen to her and also will save you some money and effort.

Our team at Velda’s Grower Direct can help you get the right flowers for Valentine’s Day, especially if you don’t know what to purchase.

Besides flowers…what other options are available?

Another option you may want to consider is giving potted plants as a flower gift for Valentine’s Day. The reason behind it, is that these flowers last much longer then fresh flowers and can be as beautiful as fresh once, so you partner can enjoy the beauty of the gift for much longer. Another advantage of such gift is that you have quite a wide chose of plans and also they do not costs as much as some fresh flowers. One thing you should keep in mind when buying potted plant you should select a plat which is easy to care for so your loved one will not have hard time caring for the plant.

Another option you may want to consider is artificial flowers. It may not seem like a romantic gift but some artificial flowers are made so well that they look really lifelike and some ladies actually will prefer artificial flowers instead of real once. The reasons for it are that artificial flowers require no maintenance to keep their appearance they also last for much longer then the real once and they do not result in any rubbish like fallen petals or leaves.

Another idea you may want to consider as a way of a flower gift on Valentine’s Day is to give your partner flower seeds (maybe tough to do in our Alberta climate) which they can plant in a pot or in their backyard. The reason why this idea may work quite well is because it can be quite fun activity for you and your partner to do together. This generally will work with people who have some sort of interests in gardening. This sort of thing will also make the gift a bit more special and also will allow you and your partner to spend some quality time together.

As the final thought make sure you always think about your partner when choosing a gift for them. Put some thought into it, do some research, notice what your partner like and dislikes and doing this will help you to pick the right gift and make your partner feel special.

Where to start

Speak with Velda at Velda’s Grower Direct for all your flower needs in Calgary.  We deliver Valentine’s Day flowers throughout the city and we are here to serve your needs.  You can reach us at 403-569-2023.  We are your Calgary flower store and here to serve you.