Valentine's Day and Flowers

You may or may not be interested in knowing how Valentine's day came into existence. Long story short, a young priest name Valentine, lived during the 3rd century in Rome, was imprisoned by the ruler, Claudius. While he was imprisoned, he fell in love with his jailer's daughter. He was executed on Feb 14, 270 AD. Valentine sent a letter to his love, signed it "From your Valentine...." an expression we still use today. Valentine later became a saint and the day to honor him was declared to be Feb 14.

Today, we continue to honor St. Valentine and recall the history of Valentine's Day each year on February 14 by celebrating our love for significant others, friends, and family. For thousands of years, the middle of February has been a time for fertility festival celebrations, so it is no wonder Valentine's Day flowers are often the Valentine's Day gift of choice around this time of year. For centuries, flowers have symbolized fertility, love, marriage, and romance.

The tradition of sending flowers, most notably red roses gained popularity in the 1600s. But the red rose as a symbol of love dates back much further. This again can be attributed to the Romans as it was believed to be the favorite flower of Venus, the Goddess of Love. Red is the preferred color, standing for love, passion, and respect.

We here at Capitol Hill Flowers in Seattle, can have flowers delivered around the corner or around the world. We have a team of dedicated floral designers that cannot wait to help make this Valentine's Day a memorable one for you. You can call us 206-325-5068 or order online http://www.flower4gift.com/ and we will ensure that your floral order is very well taken care of. With over 50 years experience in the floral industry we can guarantee that you will be happy.

From roses to gerbera daisies, orchids to calla lilies, stargazer lilies to plants, chocolates, balloons and cards, your Valentine's Day will be awesome. It's on a Tuesday this year...so order Early!! Want flowers delivered to your sweetheart at work? Order Early!! We look forward to hearing from you.

New Year Celebrations

With Christmas over and the New Year just days away, I know we are all full of new hopes and dreams for the year to come. 2011 and the small locally owned businesses, like ours, it was a very trying year, full of ups and downs. In this post, we would like to thank all of our patrons that made it a successful one.

For all of you that order direct, or choose to order flowers direct from your local florist, it certainly does make a difference, so thank you. Your contribution to the local economy does matter.

Now, celebrations are happening all over the city. Let us be your florist for the New Year celebration and the years to come. Capitol Hill Flowers does get the freshest flowers every day. We have a team of dedicated floral designers on staff always willing to help fulfill your floral needs.

Whether you call us 206-325-5068 or order online www.flower4gift.com, we can't wait to help you and make sure your holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, or "just because" days will have you being the "hero". We deliver all over the Seattle metro and can even have flowers sent all over the world.

We can do it all! Centerpieces, traditional or modern, vased arrangements, basket arrangements, basket gardens with green and blooming plants, orchid plants, green plants, wrapped fresh flowers (and not the cookie cutter ones you find in the grocery store), we have it all. Give us a try, you won't regret it!

Happy New Year!!

Thanksgiving is here!

The holidays are fast approaching..with Thanksgiving only a couple days away then a mad dash for Christmas. Yes..I am a procrastinator...probably like many of you out there. I can tell you that Thanksgiving holds a dear place in my heart and family. For me, there is nothing like surrounding yourself with the people that you love and that love you and "breaking bread" so to say.

With the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, the jellied cranberry sauce, the green bean casserole, the pumpkin pie...the leftovers...yum! But, you know what else makes this holiday great? The ambiance..the decore. Flowers on your table..whether it be a small centerpiece to something more elaborate that your local florist has whipped up just for you, flowers on your table or nearby, really do make a difference.

It's important to shop local..support your local florist. If they're like us, locally owned and operated, your business makes a real difference! We are only a click away.. www.flower4gift.com or a phone call away: 206-325-5068. We'll be here for you..to help make your holiday as special as ever. Our experienced floral designers are the ones that answer the phone and help you through the ordering process. Let us help you create a memorable holiday.

From our family to yours.... Happy Thanksgiving!

You like your Boss? Boss's Day is the 17th!

I'm writing this blog from home today as I am sick with the flu. I texted my boss early this morning telling them of the situation and hoping that I could be in later today...but being the awesome people they are...they told me to get better and see you tomorrow. :) (Complete with smiley face.)

I have to say, that I feel so very lucky to have an awesome set of boss's. Being in the floral industry, we know of all the holidays that come up. If you're like me and want to show your appreciation to your boss, then don't hesitate to give us a call: 206-325-5068 or visit us online: flower4gift.com

We can help you choose just the right gift. From a great greeting card, balloons, plants (garden baskets), orchid plants, and of course, fresh floral bouquets hand crafted by our awesome designers. Not only will you be letting your boss know how YOU appreciate THEM, but you can also earn some great brownie points. lol. Remember, that we deliver all over Seattle metro and surrounding areas (Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell, Lynnwood, etc)

So, if you have a boss like mine...the one's that wish you well when you're ill, listen to your outrageous stories, laugh with you (not at you..well sometimes at you), listen to your horrible singing and strange sense of humor, and work beside you, always helping you achieve something greater, then don't forget to tell them how great you think they are.

For Lee and Mimi, Amber and I think you rock! Thanks for everything you do for us.

You've got the Grad, We've got the Flowers!

Graduations are happening this weekend all over Seattle! They've put in the hours of studying/cramming for finals, sleepless hours spent in the library, bringin' home the grades AND now they are ready to Graduate!

You want to show them how proud you are? One of the best ways to do that is a party, of course (but that's after the graduation). Before the graduation and even at the ceremony, bringing them a wrapped bouquet of fresh flowers is definitely the way to go!

We can tailor it to your needs. IE: School colors, their favorite colors or flowers, etc. The flowers we have right now: Gladiolas, Snap Dragons, Delphinium, Sunflowers, Gerbera Daisies, Peonies, Oriental Lilies, Iris, even some Tropicals. We also have Graduation balloons!! We also have a great selection of plants, stuffed animals, chocolates, but your best bet is the wrapped bouquet. Easy to transport and looks great in photos!

So, if you're shoppin for your Grad, then give us a try. We won't disappoint! Stop by: 300 15th Ave E; Seattle, WA 98112; or give us a call: 206-325-5068 We're always happy to help!!

Support your local florist...and THIS is why!

Do you have a job that you love? Well, I do. I've been a floral designer for almost 17 years and
have seen so much change. Cap Hill Flowers has gone from a busy, busy florist (like 40-50 orders a day) to just half (sometimes less) during a slower day. I have some ideas of why. Here's one that really speaks to me and makes me extremely angry. It's called "order gatherers".

As consumers, it's easier to go online and order something that you want to give as a gift or even to get for yourself. I like to shop online...it's convenient. But here's where things start to go wrong. Say you want to order flowers. You go online. You find a website that fits your budget and promises all of these wonderful things. More than likely, you've just been misled by an "order gatherer".

An order gather is a business that typically does not own a flower shop, is not a florist, or is not even very familiar with the flower business. Typically these order gathers are web designers, or people with a marketing degree that spend a lot of money going out and promoting a brand or name. They typically make money in volume, selling hundreds or thousands of orders a week and wire these orders out to local florist.

To an outsider more orders means more business for the local florist. But this is not the case, actually many of the orders actually cost the local florist more money to deliver than they make. (Example: if you buy $30 arrangement from a order gatherer and then $10 for delivery, that's about $40. How much does the florist that actually delivers the flowers get?$21.00) that's right HALF!!! Here is why:

If you spend $30 for the arrangement and then $10 for "Delivery".

The order gather keeps the "delivery" fee (for their time).

The order gather also keeps 20% of the order, in this case about: $6; they made a profit of $16

Wire Service keeps about 10% of the order in this case they made a profit of $3.00

The florist delivering the flowers gets $21 and how much of that is profit?

Flowers cost about $10-$15 Wholesale, the Filler and Greens cost about $3, a $10.00 an hour employee to put the order together cost about $2.50, and the delivery driver cost about $8, so it cost the florist $23.50. So the local florist makes a profit of -$2.50

RECAP: Order Gatherer profit: $16.00
Wire Service Profit - $3.00
Local Florist Profit - -$2.50
Now I know why so many local florist are going out of business!!!

Yeah, so you got what you wanted. But at what cost?! Your local flower shop is one of the last real small businesses. Usually family owned, and if they're not family owned, I can guarantee you that the employees and owners certainly feel like family. From the 80 hr work weeks during Holidays, to the hour droughts during the summer, we are in this together. Buying the freshest product, cleaning the dirty buckets, watering the plants, answering the phones, sweeping up at the end of the day, arranging beautiful bouquets for our clients. We are here for YOU! Please be here for us! Buy LOCAL! Support your local flower shop, support Capitol Hill Flowers! Our lives depend on it.

You Don't Want No Mama Drama! Order for mom NOW!

We're gettin' down to just a few days before Mother's Day this Sunday. I just have one thing to say (well..maybe a couple)...but basically, YOU DON'T WANT NO MAMA DRAMA! Order flowers now for your mom. I did (and she lives in Wyoming!) We can deliver around the corner or around the world. Your mom is worth it..isn't she?!

We've got some really great flowers this year..from hydrangea, calla lilies, stock, sunflowers, gladiolas, fragrant freesia, lilies, leucadendron, belles of ireland, orchids and roses. We've also got a nice assortment of plants= kalanchoes, mini rose bushes, hydrangea (my personal fave), orchids and azaleas.

Plus, we're a REAL floral shop with a retail location that you could always come see us and these beautiful flowers I'm talking about. 300 15th ave E; SEattle, wa 98112. Order anytime online or give us a call: 206-325-5068 or toll free: 800-888-5068. We can't wait to hear from you!

Just Say NO to Mama Drama...Order flowers today!!

Mother's Day Flowers for Mom...

Mother's Day is a week away. It's on the 8th of May this year and most of you out there will wait til the last minute to find something for mom: the woman who picked up after you, was your taxi, cooked you good food, nursed your cold, did your laundry (and maybe still does), loves you unconditionally, and helped you mend your broken heart.

I have many wonderful memories of my mom. Most of them are fun memories and some of them leave me in awe, hoping that I am as good of a mom to my son that she is to me. So, in honor of Mother's Day, I will be sending her flowers via a local florist in her home town. I will be hand writing a card for her. I will be letting her know how important she is to me.

What are you going to do for your mom? You see, that's where we can help! If your mom lives in Seattle metro or surrounding areas (West Seattle, South Seattle, North Seattle, Lynnwood, Shoreline, Bothell, Kenmore, Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, Kirkland, and Bellevue), then we've got you covered. Even if she lives out of town or out of state, we can still get flowers/plants to her...and using a REAL flower shop for that matter! Not somebody that you find on the internet and you think is a real florist. Which is extremely important during these economic times for the survival of your local neighborhood flower shops.

Give us a call 206-325-5068 or toll free: 800-888-5068 or stop by our friendly flower shop (Capitol Hill Flowers) 300 15th Ave E; Seattle, WA 98112. Our friendly staff can help you pick out the right bouquet or plant for your mom.

Administrative Professionals Day, Wed April 27th

Attn: All boss's
Re: Administrative Professional's Day

To whom it may concern,

This Wednesday is Administrative Professional's Day. This is a day when you let your assistants know what a great help they are to you and that without them you would not shine. "How do you do this?", you may ask yourself. Well, as your local florist, I am here to help.

There are several ways you can "honor" your assistant.
1. Lunch. Even though you probably do this more than just once a year anyways. (kinda lame..you can do better!)
2. Coffee and a thank you card. Need I say more? This is the person that keeps your calendar organized, manages your travel plans, sets up conference calls, manages others, and clears your desk..and all you're gonna do is coffee and a thank you card. (lame!)
3. The best one of all would be the first two AND a bouquet of flowers from Capitol Hill Flowers in Seattle. This would be a great way of saying "thank you". Coffee and lunch are gone in a day, but the flowers will be around for more than a week! A great reminder of how much your assistant is appreciated by you.

So, I urge you to give us a call: 206-325-5068 or order online: www.flower4gift.com Not only do we have the freshest flowers in Seattle and the BEST designers, but we also have balloons (administrative professional day mylars), chocolates, and Thank You cards!!

Sincerely,
Your local Seattle Florist,
Capitol Hill Flowers

Easter is almost here!!

Easter is only days away. Most of us have those family traditions of dying the eggs, making baskets filled with candies and toys, going to Church on Easter Sunday, etc. For me, it was always the same for much of my childhood.

I would go to my Grandma's house and stay the night. On Saturday, we would watch cartoons and dye the eggs that Grandma had prepared. On Sunday (Easter) morning, I would wake up and groggily run into the living room where a HUGE Easter basket was laying in wait. It would be filled with candies, money (change), toys, stuffed animals and sometimes clothes. My grandma still feels foolish for buying me a dress that cost $80...but it was for her first born grandchild and that's what spoiling is all about...lol. We would then get dressed, go to church and come home to have an Easter egg hunt in her yard. It was so much fun.

I will always remember and cherish those memories. Now that I have a child, I'm making memories of that he'll always remember. He's 16 now and actually asked me the other day if he would be getting an Easter basket this year. haha...but of course!!

But, since I don't live close to my grandma or mom, I will be sending them a lovely bouquet of flowers to adorn their table this Easter. To let them know how much I miss them and how I wish I was still that little girl that could stay the night and color eggs. Fresh flowers are just the thoughtful gift that I (or you) can send anywhere to let those close to us know how we feel.

To my grandma, I will always be that giggly little girl that colored eggs and she spent far too much money on a dress for, but she enjoyed every minute of it. For me, those are lasting memories I am happy to pass on and to reciprocate that love I felt with the language of flowers.

So, send flowers today for Easter. Your local Seattle florist is here and waiting to help you speak through the language of flowers. Call: 206-325-5068...we're waiting... and you would also be supporting a local florist/family. Your business is truly appreciated!!

Spring has Sprung!!

It's official! Spring is here! Finally! yay...we love spring around here. (it is actually my middle name..lol) Why do we love Spring? Well, for all the color and more variety of flowers. First, there are lilacs (only available in a short stretch)..then tulips, daffodils, iris, snap dragons, belles of ireland...the list goes on. And did I mention that we are also able to get anemones and dahlias. Yeah, spring is definitely a great season for flowers. If you're looking for something springy to get over the winter blues...then look no further. You can come in to our shop or give us a call: 206-325-5068. We'd be happy to hear from you and add a little spring into your life. One of our specialties for walk-in clients are our wrapped bouquets. We usually have them ready to go and if you want to browse around, you can pick your own flowers and make your own bouquet. That's always fun. Come on in and support your local florist. Your business is appreciated more than you know. Also...peonies are just starting to come out..they should be in full swing by Mother's Day (May 8th). We also deliver to ALL of Seattle metro and surrounding areas. Including Kirkland and Bellevue.

Dozen Roses $19.99 (the one's in pic are $34.99)..read on...

So, the day after the big VDay...surprise!! We got a huge shipment of roses. Say what?! Yep, we were surprised too! With this overstock, it only means one thing... ROSE SPECIAL!

So, from today (wed) til they're gone..our roses will be $19.99 for a dozen plain and $34.99 for a dozen arranged in a vase. They're usually a flat $65!

If you're in the dog house cause you didn't get Valentine flowers..now is the time! If you just wanna surprise your sweetie with something nice..now is the time! We have a $10 delivery fee for anywhere in Seattle metro and surrounding areas, plus a $35 minimum.

So if you want those $19.99 roses, you gotta come to the store: 300 15th ave E; Seattle, WA 98112. But if you want a delivery, give us a call: 206-325-5068

Valentine Deals from your local florist!

With Valentine's day being just a few short days away, I wanted to put out there some of the deals that we'll be having. (And to also share some pics of some gorgeous flowers we've got in).

Deal #1: You can order a beautiful spring bouquet in vase, with a box of chocolates and a Vday mylar for your sweetheart. Total cost: $60 That even includes the delivery fee!!!

Deal #2: You can order the traditional dozen roses in a vase, with a box of chocolates and Vday mylar for your Valentine. Total cost: $95 That includes the delivery fee!

Deal #3: If you order a beautiful bouquet for Valentine's Day by Saturday, Feb 12, 2011 for delivery in Seattle area....the delivery will be FREE!

When you call up to order, just mention where you saw the deal that you want to go with, and we'll do the rest. We make it really easy for you...and when you order, You'll actually be talking with a designer that knows what they're doing! I'll be looking forward to hearing from you: 206-325-5068 or 800-888-5068

Beware of when you order online..Make sure you're ordering from a REAL florist!

We have been busy getting ready for this holiday. Worried that we've ordered enough flowers to meet the demand. Holidays like this one can make or break a flower shop. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes that our clients never know about. Things that we do to make sure that your experience is as smooth and wonderful as it should be.

So, it's important to us that you (our clients) know how much you are truly appreciated. When you come in, call on the phone or even when you order flowers on our website, please know that we want you to have a great experience and be happy with what you get. By ordering directly through our flower shop, you're also doing us a favor(and also doing yourself a favor). You're cutting out the middle man!

When you go online to order flowers (like most people do because your time is important), let's say through One Eighthundred Flowers, you're not actually ordering through a REAL florist. They don't have a shop right in your neighborhood. They don't have the freshest flowers sitting right there in front of them, ready to be put together by an expert florist! That order goes to them, where they then take a fee, and send it out to a florist that carries the "wire" system they use. The real florist receives the order and fills it to value, using the flowers that are available and as similar as possible. That florist then delivers the bouquet to your loved one. And after a month, that florist then receives the money for filling/designing/delivering your order. But here's the catch, they only receive 65%-73% of that order. The remainder goes to the other guy...the order gatherer.

You may ask...why doesn't the REAL florist just not be part of the "order gatherers" system? Here's why. That order gatherer spends a ton of money on advertising. Advertising in all sorts of ways. Advertising that is extremely appealing to most consumers. Their advertising budget is way more than an actual independently owned flower shop can afford. Advertising that we can't compete with. On an average day, our flower shop receives 5-10 direct from client orders and approximately 20-30 order gatherer orders. You do the math.

So, I encourage you to not be tempted by the "order gatherers". Instead, do a little homework of some of your local florists. You can always call and make sure their physical location actually exsists. If so, order off their website, call them, they will have an actual person that is sitting in their store looking at the flowers that you are going to be sending to your loved one. This REAL florist will go above and beyond to make sure that your experience is awesome and will keep you coming back for more.

It helps you and it helps us. Thanks for reading.

Valentine's Day is coming. Order early!

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Less than 2 weeks away!! If you're looking for the perfect bouquet of flowers, then look no further. Your local Seattle flower shop can deliver to All of Seattle metro and surrounding areas! The key is...Order Early!!

With Valentine's Day falling on a Monday this year, I know that all of you will want your flowers delivered on that day. I don't blame you..this is a great time to let your sweetheart know that you love him/her more than anything and everybody should know it.

How do you say "I love you" to your sweetheart? Some of you will say it with a gorgeous bouquet of roses, maybe with some balloons attached, a box of Harry and London Chocolates. We're actually having a special on just that! For a dozen long stem roses in a vase, a Valentine's Day mylar and box of chocolates PLUS delivery: $95!

Some of you will say "I love you" another way. I have got to tell you that our designer Mimi, makes the most gorgeous tropicals. If you want something a little different and fun, a tropical is definately the way to go! Those start at $85. We'll have a variety of ginger, birds of paradise, anthuriums, orchids and lilies.

For those of you that will say "I love you" with flowers, we'll have you covered. And know that when you order through Capitol Hill Flowers, you're ordering from a REAL florist. We are owned and operated by a wonderful local couple, and every client matters!!

Call us: 800-888-5068 or 206-325-5068. Or you can order ONLINE 24/7. Or you can always stop by: 300 15th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112. We can't wait to see you or talk to you and help you say "I love you" to your someone special!!

Our beautiful flowers will be at the Seattle Wedding Show. How 'bout you?

As some of you may know (those of you that will be tying the knot soon), the Seattle Wedding show is this weekend! :) Although we will not be there, our flowers will. Your local Seattle flower shop will be pairing with Platinum Designs, Inc.

So, it's time for me to give a shout out to Stephanie with Platinum Designs, Inc. If you're in the market for unique customed designed chair covers and accessories...look no further. Check out their gallery online and if you're at the wedding show this weekend, stop by their booth (#635) It'll be close to the Fashion Show stage.

But, those tables with gorgeous linens won't be alone. Cap Hill Flowers will have some of our masterfully designed centerpieces displayed. Perfect for the wedding/event you're planning. You can make an appointment to see one of our talented designers for a wedding consultation (it's free!). Just give us a call: 206-325-5068 or email us: flower4gift@gmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you and would be honored to be part of your special day! Our flowers are always the freshest and we pay close attention to every detail. Have fun at the Seattle Wedding Show!!