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Quarterly Publication of the Original Los Angeles Flower Market
of American Florists Exchange, Ltd. | Fall / October 2016 • Volume
25 - Number 3
Ramiro Gonzalez (Junior), left, with wife Angie and father
RamiroGonzalez Senior, at the Original Los Angeles Flower
Market.
Embrace a Día De Los Meurtos Color Palette for Fall Designs See
Page 8
Gonzalez Sons Wholesale FlowersBlooming Where
PlantedStory begins on page 4
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Where Good Ideas are Always in Bloom
Wall St. & San Julian St. Merchants
Street map aboveA See detail (above right)
B Casa Blanca Wholesale Flowers, Inc. . . . . . . 213
488.3321Full Service
C Decor Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
629.6949Floral Supplies
D Mellano & Company . . . . . . . . . 213 622.0796Full
Service
E Mellano & Company Wholesale Florist . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 213 622.0796
Full Service
F LA Flower District Association (Badge) . . . . . . . . . 213
627.3696
G Floral Supply Syndicate . . . . . 213 624.3982Floral
Supplies
H Moskatel’s, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
689.4590Floral Supplies
I Stamis Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 622.6770Floral
Supplies
J Cris Flowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
488.1797Floral Supplies
K Jay’s Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
612.0353Greens
L Floral Prop Rental . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 622.1700Floral
Supplies
Vendors in The Original Los Angeles Flower Market of the
American Florists Exchange, Ltd.
1 JC Grand Tree Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 213 833.0002Orchids
& Cymbidiums
3 Imported Flowers from Paradise, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .
626.383.1367Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
4 Dan Stamis, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
622.6770Greens
5 Blossom Valley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
891.9320Roses
6 G.M. Floral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
489.7050Full Service
7 & 7B Dayro’s Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . 213
623.5177Roses & Cut Flowers
7A Flower Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
624.4866Miscellaneous Cut Flowers, Greens
8 Designer Direct Showcase . . . 213 488.9765Floral Supplies
10 Tommy’s Flower & Vase Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 213 622.1205Floral Supply
11 Eliseo’s Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . 213
627.4898Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
12A & 13A Kimura Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
213 488.1620Orchids
12B - 13B Beth Madisson Flowers . . . . . 626
512.4085Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
14 Choice America Flower Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . 213
489.8377Miscellaneous & Exotic Flowers
15 - 17 Julia’s Wholesale Flowers . . . 213 891.1514Roses &
Cut Flowers
18 Zavala Wholesale Flowers . . . . 213 488.0085 20 Wall Street
Floral . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 304.8933
Supermarket Florals, Rose Petals & Roses
23, 33- 34 Mellano & Company. . . . . . . . . 213
622.0796Full Service
24 Valle Wholesale Flowers. . . . . 213 688.8810Full Service
26 Gonzalez & Sons Wholesale Flowers . . . . . . . . . . 213
627.7678Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
27 C & K Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
327.0313Vases & Ceramics
28 - 29B Ted’s Evergreens . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
624.1524Greens
29A - 30 Vases by Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 818
434.1512Vases
31 Balloons Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
683.8819Balloons
32A Gilbert Wholesale Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 213 689.9564Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
32B A Ruiz Wholesale Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 213 622.3695Exotic Cut Flowers
36 - 38 Tropical USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
614.1915Exotic Cut Flowers
39 Tommy’s Flower & Vase Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 213 688.8810Floral Supply
40 S.O.S Wholesale Flower Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
213 896.0322Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
41 Growers Direct Flowers, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 213 688.8855Cut Flowers
44 Paradise Garden Wholesale Flowers . . . . . . . . . . 213
488.5144Full Service
45 Orchids Oasis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
627.3805Orchids
50 Martin Sanchez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 629.4154Fruit,
Candy & Stu�ed Animals
Hours:Trade-Only Hours: Mon, Wed & Fri 2am - 8am, Tue &
Thurs 5am - 6am, Sat Public, Sun ClosedPublic Hours: ($2 admission
weekdays; $1 on Saturday) Mon, Wed & Fri 8am - 12pm, Tue &
Thurs 6am - 11am, Sat 6am - 2pm, Sun ClosedFor holiday and special
hours, visit OriginalLAFlowerMarket.com.
The Original Los Angeles Flower Market
B
J
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39
754 Wall Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014 | Visit us at
OriginalLAFlowerMarket.com
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FALL 2016 | 3
More Than 90 Years’ of service
www.OriginalLAFlowerMarket.com
A Wonderland of Quality, Freshness, Variety, Selection and Great
Pricing
It’s YOUR Flower Market!
The Original Los Angeles Flower Market
754 Wall Street, Los AngelesLAFlowerDistrict.com
Cover Story:Gonzalez Sons Wholesale FlowersBlooming Where
Planted 4
People and Places 6
By Design 8 Potpourri 10
Books for You 12
Roundabout 13
Happenings/Calendar 14Got News? Send to our Editor!
(see left column)
ContentsThis newsmagazine is published quarterly (January 1,
April 1, July 1, Octo-ber 1) by The Los Angeles Flower Market of
The American Florists’ Exchange, Ltd. Location: 754 Wall Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90014 • Internet: www.bloomin-news.com.
Subscription and advertising details at BloominNews.com.
PublisherOriginal Los Angeles Flower Market of the American
Florists’ Exchange
www.originalLAflowermarket.comLook for us on Facebook!
Special Holiday Hours, maps, tenants, seasonal flowersand more
available at www.originalLAflowermarket.com
Market Information: 213 622-1966Market Manager/Mellano: 213
622-0796
Board of DirectorsAmerican Florists’ Exchange, Ltd., Los Angeles
Flower Market
Christine Duke, Lizbeth A. Ecke, Jim Mellano, Jon Prechtl, John
Williams, Paul Ecke III
Editorial and AdvertisingPeggi Ridgway, Wordpix Editorial
Solutions
5146 East 23rd Street, Tulsa, OK 74114Email: [email protected] •
www.bloominnews.com
Art DirectorMichael Wheary, Calypso Concepts
LAFD Association Member Badge ProgramFrank Reyes
766 Wall Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014www.LAFlowerDistrict.com •
Mon.-Sat., 6 am to 2 pm • (213) 627-3696
SubscribeThose working in the California floral and
horticultural industries may join our mailing list at no cost.
Subscribe at BloominNews.com to the print and/or email editions.
Get the digital version at http://bit.ly/laflower or text FLOWER to
42828.
DisclaimerNeither the Bloomin’ News nor the Original Los Angeles
Flower Market rec-ommends or endorses any products or
advertisements displayed in this publication but presents them as a
service to our readers.
Advertise in Bloomin’ NewsVisit Bloominnews.com or contact our
editor for advertising rates, dimensions and details. Advertise in
color. We’ll design your first ad for free!
Index to AdvertisersBottomLine Brokers, Sean Edelstein . . . . .
. . Page 11California State Floral Association . . . . . . . . Page
16Floral Supply Syndicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
9GM Floral Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
13Mayesh Wholesale Florist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
10Mellano & Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
7Original Los Angeles Flower Market . . . . . . . . Page 3Teleflora
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
15
Wall St. & San Julian St. Merchants
Street map aboveA See detail (above right)
B Casa Blanca Wholesale Flowers, Inc. . . . . . . 213
488.3321Full Service
C Decor Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
629.6949Floral Supplies
D Mellano & Company . . . . . . . . . 213 622.0796Full
Service
E Mellano & Company Wholesale Florist . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 213 622.0796
Full Service
F LA Flower District Association (Badge) . . . . . . . . . 213
627.3696
G Floral Supply Syndicate . . . . . 213 624.3982Floral
Supplies
H Moskatel’s, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
689.4590Floral Supplies
I Stamis Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 622.6770Floral
Supplies
J Cris Flowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
488.1797Floral Supplies
K Jay’s Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
612.0353Greens
L Floral Prop Rental . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 622.1700Floral
Supplies
Vendors in The Original Los Angeles Flower Market of the
American Florists Exchange, Ltd.
1 JC Grand Tree Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 213 833.0002Orchids
& Cymbidiums
3 Imported Flowers from Paradise, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .
626.383.1367Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
4 Dan Stamis, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
622.6770Greens
5 Blossom Valley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
891.9320Roses
6 G.M. Floral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
489.7050Full Service
7 & 7B Dayro’s Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . 213
623.5177Roses & Cut Flowers
7A Flower Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
624.4866Miscellaneous Cut Flowers, Greens
8 Designer Direct Showcase . . . 213 488.9765Floral Supplies
10 Tommy’s Flower & Vase Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 213 622.1205Floral Supply
11 Eliseo’s Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . 213
627.4898Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
12A & 13A Kimura Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
213 488.1620Orchids
12B - 13B Beth Madisson Flowers . . . . . 626
512.4085Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
14 Choice America Flower Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . 213
489.8377Miscellaneous & Exotic Flowers
15 - 17 Julia’s Wholesale Flowers . . . 213 891.1514Roses &
Cut Flowers
18 Zavala Wholesale Flowers . . . . 213 488.0085 20 Wall Street
Floral . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 304.8933
Supermarket Florals, Rose Petals & Roses
23, 33- 34 Mellano & Company. . . . . . . . . 213
622.0796Full Service
24 Valle Wholesale Flowers. . . . . 213 688.8810Full Service
26 Gonzalez & Sons Wholesale Flowers . . . . . . . . . . 213
627.7678Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
27 C & K Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
327.0313Vases & Ceramics
28 - 29B Ted’s Evergreens . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
624.1524Greens
29A - 30 Vases by Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 818
434.1512Vases
31 Balloons Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
683.8819Balloons
32A Gilbert Wholesale Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 213 689.9564Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
32B A Ruiz Wholesale Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 213 622.3695Exotic Cut Flowers
36 - 38 Tropical USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
614.1915Exotic Cut Flowers
39 Tommy’s Flower & Vase Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 213 688.8810Floral Supply
40 S.O.S Wholesale Flower Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
213 896.0322Miscellaneous Cut Flowers
41 Growers Direct Flowers, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 213 688.8855Cut Flowers
44 Paradise Garden Wholesale Flowers . . . . . . . . . . 213
488.5144Full Service
45 Orchids Oasis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
627.3805Orchids
50 Martin Sanchez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 629.4154Fruit,
Candy & Stu�ed Animals
Hours:Trade-Only Hours: Mon, Wed & Fri 2am - 8am, Tue &
Thurs 5am - 6am, Sat Public, Sun ClosedPublic Hours: ($2 admission
weekdays; $1 on Saturday) Mon, Wed & Fri 8am - 12pm, Tue &
Thurs 6am - 11am, Sat 6am - 2pm, Sun ClosedFor holiday and special
hours, visit OriginalLAFlowerMarket.com.
The Original Los Angeles Flower Market
B
J
I
H
H
C
39
754 Wall Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014 | Visit us at
OriginalLAFlowerMarket.com
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4 | THE BLOOMIN’ NEWS
From left, Angie, Ramiro Gonzalez Sr. and Kira (in front),
sonKirk Kirkpatrick and Ramiro Gonzalez Jr (Junior) at the
Market.
If you ask Ramiro Gonza-lez Jr. (“Junior”) how his business at
the Origi-nal Los Angeles Flower Market began, he won’t hesi-tate
to credit his father, Ramiro Gon-zalez Sr., for building a
foundation upon which the business grew and prospered, even in
tough times. “My father started this business in 1991,” Junior
says. “He was a driver for Coastline Wholesale Flowers in
Fullerton, drove flowers from the L.A. Market back to the Fullerton
distribution center. When offered a chance to own and manage the
busi-ness, he took it.” The desire to be a business owner and the
foresight necessary to grow the business motivated Ramiro Sr. Those
traits inherently carried over to Junior
and his siblings, most all of whom worked with their dad in the
business in their youth and now are immersed in flower endeavors
throughout the metro area. Dad’s entrepreneurial ven-ture benefited
the entire family. “I grew up in the business,” says Junior, “so
working here (in the Market) feels normal, not like a job.” Even on
the days that stretch long into eleven or twelve hours, Junior says
you just “make it ‘hap-py’ by visiting with other owners and
employees in the Market. It’s like family.” In 2007, Ramiro
Gonzalez Sr. retired, and, after years of experience
working with him, Junior and his wife Angie moved c o m f o r t
a b l y into the own-
ership and management with hopes for continuing Dad’s success.
Then the Great Recession of 2008 hit the entire country, dashing
the hopes, plans and dreams of thousands. “We struggled, but then
we real-ized: the problem wasn’t us; it was the economy.” With
that, the couple began cutting back on all non-essen-tial expenses.
While a lot of other floral businesses closed their doors, Gonzalez
Sons survived. Over these past eight years, as the economy has
revived in fits and starts but steadily, so has their business. The
dream for entrepreneurial success has material-ized once again, as
Gonzalez Sons
Gonzalez SonsWholesale Flowers
Blooming Where PlantedBy Peggi Ridgway
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FALL 2016 | 5
Ramiro Gonzalez Sr., Ramiro Gonzalez (Junior) and Angie Gonzalez
at the Market.
Gonzales Sons Wholesale has fulfilled custo-mers' needs in the
Flower Market for 25 years
Kira prepares flowers for Kira’s Bouquets.
Wholesale Flowers serves its many customers who shop at the
Market. Junior recognizes trends, and one of those is the growing
preference of consumers to buy fresh flowers from the supermarket
or specialty store, where convenience trumps all. The flower
business “was a lot busier be-fore you could buy flowers at Trader
Joe’s,” he says. A strong customer base is gold to a growing
business, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by this entrepreneur. “How
lucky we are to have a busi-ness in the downtown L.A. market,”
Junior observes, ever grateful for loyal customers and those who
rely upon his knowledge of floral prod-ucts. Studying customer
requests and
market trends, he changed his prod-uct line from a few specialty
items to a large, wide variety of fresh flowers. From the standard
roses, lilies and fillers, he expanded his line of fillers and
greens, ferns, stock, California in-season hydrangeas and sometimes
unusual, hard to get blooms. “Sometimes I buy something that looks
kind of crazy and wonder if it will sell. And customers go crazy
over it. Some customers bring me a
sample of an unusual flower that’s not in the Market. We get it
and ev-erybody wants it. Sometimes we get in a colorful grass, like
a wheat grass or a grass with an orange color, and people are
attracted to it.” Junior plans ahead for seasons and events, having
flowers, greens and colors especially for fall, Chi-nese New Year
and other occa-sions. There’s a bit of adventure in his spirit, as
well, and he likes try-ing new things. Junior’s ten-year-old
daughter Kira loves to make bouquets “because she likes getting
paid.” Kira sold fifteen of her “Kira’s Bouquets.” The fifth grader
was very happy and the experimental venture was successful.
Other children, Coby, age fif-teen, and Andrew, a college
student, help Junior and wife Angie occasion-ally. Andrew helped on
weekends so often that he learned the basics of the business and is
comfortable with customer relations. Angie’s eagle eyes watch over
the records and accounting and identify trends through customers’
purchases. She helps in the Market during busy seasons. Junior’s
siblings carry on the family tradition as well. Bertha Rios and
husband Gustavo have operated Rios Wholesale Flowers, Inc., in the
Southern California Flower Market
for nearly 20 years. Their oldest son assists them. Marricela
Acosta and husband Jose own Flowers by Lexy in Monterrey Park.
Junior, like other owner-opera-tors of floral businesses at the
Origi-nal Los Angeles Flower Market, is passionate about attracting
more people to the historic Market, a veri-table smorgasbord of
floral and floral related products. He is excited to see a large
influx of newcomers, includ-ing new florists and designers,
visit-ing the Market, and he generously
shares his knowledge with them. “They are starving for
information and common names,” he says. He’d love to see an
information booth or kiosk, perhaps at the Farmers Market that
occurs every Saturday on Wall Street, to assist people in finding
precisely the blooms they seek and in learning the flowers’ common
names. “We love helping people,” Junior says. Although he expects
nothing in return, customers and the people he helps often come
back to visit and say Thanks. Ramiro Senior, with his children
happily following in his footsteps, is very proud.
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6 | THE BLOOMIN’ NEWS
PEOPLE & PLACES
Congrats, New California AIFD Inductees The American Institute
of Floral Designers proud-ly inducted several dozen accomplished
floral design-ers at its annual Symposium, held in Anaheim in July.
We extend our congratulations to these new AIFD inductees from our
state: Svetlana Chernyavsky AIFD CFD, Alameda; Manuel Cuate
Velazquez AIFD CFD, Anaheim; Tonya Mitchell AIFD CFD, Fair Oaks;
Jan Wilder AIFD CFD, Costa Mesa; Karyn Wloczewski AIFD CFD, Vista;
and Reginald Merritt AIFD CFD, Modesto.
Rene Van Rems Recognized The American Institute of Floral
Designers has awarded its coveted Award of Design Influence to
Southern California’s Rene van Rems AIFD of Rene van Rems
International in Carlsbad. The presentation was made at AIFD’s
National Symposium, held in Anaheim in July. Rene is only the
eighth person to receive the award in its 25-year history and was
unanimously chosen by the Awards Committee.
AIFD Greets New Director Kristen Philips CAE IOM is the incoming
execu-tive director of the American Institute of Floral Design-ers,
announced at the association’s annual symposium in July. Philips
has worked with AIFD for eleven years. She obtained the Certified
Association Executive and is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the
University of Baltimore. She replaces executive Tom Shaner.
BID Director Retires After seventeen years, Los Angeles Fashion
District Business Improvement District (BID) director Kent Smith
has retired. When Smith arrived in 1999, the BID covered 56 blocks
and offered little to attract the public. Today, BID covers 100
blocks and collects $4.2 million annually in property assessments,
used
for cleaning, safety and other improvements. In the future, he
envisions more focus on living and working in the same city area,
with closer connections between neighborhoods and more economic
activity. We wish Kent Smith a great retirement.
Vigliotta Takes AIFD Helm Anthony J. Vigliotta AIFD CFD of
Anthose De-sign in Los Angeles, was installed as President of the
American Institute of Floral Designers at AIFD’s Na-tional
Symposium in July. Succeeding Joyce Mason-Monheim AIFD PFCI CFD,
Vigliotta is joined by other Californians in leading the
organization: Tom Simmons AIFD CFD of Three Bunch Palms is
trea-surer; Rachelle Nyswonger AIFD CFD of Flowers by Rachelle in
Chico and Katie McCormick AIFD CFD are directors-at-large; and Wil
Gonzalez AIFD CFD of W/E Flowers in Ukiah is Regional Chapter
Representative for the Northwest Chapter.
San Diego Honors Horticulturist Alissa Adams-Simmons, sales
manager at Briggs Nursery and Tree Co. in Vista, was recently
presented the prestigious 2016 Person of the Year award by the San
Diego County Flower & Plant Association. Designer Rene van Rems
observed that Alissa “is a ‘doer.’ Her ‘let’s get it done’
personality, energy, care and enthusiasm have moved mountains,
personally and professionally. She connects the dots and finds
solutions.”
Californians Elected to SAF Council Joost Bongaerts of
Florabundance, Inc. in Carpin-teria was among those newly elected
to the Wholesal-ers Council of the Society of American Florists
recent-ly; and Mark Wilson of Syngenta Flowers in Gilroy joined
SAF’s Growers Council.
FPFC Honors Two Californians Harry Higaki of Bay City Flower Co.
Inc. in Half Moon Bay was honored in July with the 2016 FPFC Floral
Achievement Award by Fresh Produce & Floral Council, for a
lifetime of service to the floral industry. The award was presented
by his son Harrison. Also honored was Rich Van Valkenburg of Van
Valkenburg & Associates in Capistrano Beach, who received the
Norman H. (Buz) Bolstad Produce Achievement Award.
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For a full list of our Holiday product line that includes
beautiful strands of garland, a variety of decorative pieces and
bulk goods (such as cones), call us today at 1-800-635-5266
or visit www.mellano.com for these, and other fine, fresh,
featured flowers and foliage.
LARGE SWAGHOLLY BUNCHES
CLASSIC W
REATH — 12" CENTER CANDLE RIN
G — 6” CENTER
CONTACT INFO:LOS ANGELES 888-635-5266 mellano.com
WE’RE GOING BACK TO OUR HUMBLE BEGINNINGS... FINE EVERGREENS!
JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
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8 | THE BLOOMIN’ NEWS
A skull ceramic vase makes a perfect container for a Día De Los
Meurtos party with complementary flowers including yel-low gerbera
daisies, pink roses, yellow marigolds, celosia, camellia leaves and
dried chili peppers.
Cotinus and broom corn pair up to highlight orange marigolds and
red gerbera daisies in a vase made from a carved out fresh
pumpkin.
This fall, let the vibrancy of a Día De Los Meurtos (Day of the
Dead) celebration drive the color pal-ette for autumnal floral
designs from Halloween through Thanksgiving. The Day of the Dead
cel-ebration is a holiday celebrated throughout Mex-ico and by
people of Mexican ancestry living in other places, especially in
the United States. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of
family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family
members who have died, and help sup-port their spiritual
journey.
Increasingly, this holiday is being embraced by more cultures
around the world and its holiday decorations continue to focus on
colorful skulls
which can be in the form of ceramic pots or masks. Where painted
flowers appear on the faces of celebrants of this popular holiday
on November 1st, fresh flowers often adorn the heads of
celebrants.
All colors are popular in this holiday from yellow and orange to
purple and blue…so the sky is the limit. Use this vibrant theme to
bring your fall florals alive from floral arrangements in metal-lic
containers, to large floral crowns, to vibrant centerpieces
featuring California grown protea, gerbera daisies and spray
roses.
Dahlias combined with late season marigolds can also make guest
appearances to add more texture and interest to fall
celebrations.
This year, embrace lively hues and tradition to help clients
celebrate all of their fall festivities in exquisite vivid
color.
Kit Wertz is a professional floral designer, photojournal-ist,
marketing expert, graphic designer, certified Project Management
Professional, Flower District tour guide and television
personality. She co-owns Flower Duet, Torrance, Ca, with her
sister, Casey Schwartz.
Embrace a Día De Los Meurtos Color Palette
for Fall DesignsArticle and photos by Kit Wertz
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10 | THE BLOOMIN’ NEWS
POTPOURRI
Australia Spotlights L.A. Market Shane Holborn, Executive
Officer of Flower As-sociation of Queensland, Inc. and a long-time
friend of The Bloomin’ News, visited the Original Los An-geles
Flower Market several months ago, then wrote about his visit in the
Australian Flower Industry magazine. In the full page two-part
story, Holborn shared information about the U.S. floral industry
and the Market shared by manager Jim Mellano. “The take-home
message from Jim was that there is always room for excellent
quality product,” Holborn said.
SAF Enters New Partnership A new partnership between the Society
of American Florists and Cornerstone Government Affairs will put
“experienced voices on Capitol Hill to protect flower growers’
interests,” says Peter Moran, SAF CEO. Cornerstone is a public
affairs firm specializing in government relations, strategic
consulting and advocacy, with a team of more than 50 senior
professionals. Shawn McBurney, SAF’s senior
director of government relations, will continue to represent the
floral industry at the Capitol on issues impacting the broader SAF
membership.
Flower Therapy Nights Debut Carly Cylinder, author of The Flower
Chef, has start-ed a fun night-out concept with flower arranging
and a little vino for inspiration. Based on the popular
paint-ing-and-wine gatherings (see: Pinotspallette.com),
Cyl-inder’s relaxing, social times for arranging florals while
enjoying an alcoholic beverage can already be found in several
major cities. For details or to book a group, visit
http://www.Flowertherapynite.com.
“CaliFlora” at the Flower Market The “CaliFlora” statewide
design competitions, trade show and hands-on workshops will be held
November 5 and 6 at the Original Los Angeles Flower Market.
Sponsored by California State Floral Association, it may be in
northern or central California next year, so reserve now: See our
back cover.
AIFD Offers Evaluator/Judge Program Any American Institute of
Floral Designers Ac-credited member can become an AIFD Certified
Floral Evaluator/Judge. The certification process is at no cost to
the member and is directly connected to the PFDE program. For
details, contact Jackie Lacey at [email protected].
AFE Awards Scholarships The American Floral Endowment recently
awarded seventeen students with scholarships totaling more than
$35,000. Dwight Larimer, AFE Chairman-Elect and Education Committee
Chair, thanked the “generosity of donors” for AFE’s ability to
distribute more than 20 scholarships each year. The scholarship
made possible by the American Florists’ Exchange (Original Los
An-geles Flower Market) of $2,400 was awarded to Erin Hsu,
University of California, Davis. Hsu is studying environmental
horticulture with a focus on floriculture and wants to work in the
floral design industry. A Vo-cational (Bettinger, Holden and Perry)
Scholarship of $1,500 was awarded to Caitlin Redpath, City College
of San Francisco. Redpath is a senior pursing an associ-ate’s
degree in commercial cut flower and greenhouse production with a
minor in floral design.
We take the extra step to ensure you with the highest quality
floral products
along with impeccable service.
MAYESHE S T . 1 9 7 8
MAYESH
[email protected]
VISIT OUR SOUTHERN CA LOCATIONS
CARLSBAD | LA MART | LAX | OC | RIVERSIDE | VALLEY
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FALL 2016 | 11
CCFC Ambassadors at the 2016 Rose Parade.
POTPOURRI
Be a CCFC Rose Parade Ambassador
California Cut Flower Commission, would love your help as a
volunteer ambassador to meet and greet the public during “Deco
Week” (December 27-January 1) of the Rose Parade (slated for
January 2). Need a place to stay while in Pasadena? Rooms are
available at the special rate of $100, thanks to CCFC. Contact
[email protected] or phone 916 441-1701 or 925 905-4489.
AFE Videos Tout Successes Five new videos released by the
American Floral Endowment tout floriculture successes through
col-laboration, support and participation. Each shares “real
stories of industry members on career develop-ment through
scholarships and internships,” says Lau-ra Shinali, president of
Syndicate Sales, Inc., and AFE Public Relations and Development
Chair. Watch the videos at Endowment.org/videos.
It’s 50-50, Then and Now According to a study commissioned by
the Society of American Florists and updated in 2016 by SAF and the
American Floral Endowment, with funding from Floral Marketing
Research Fund, local florists and supermarkets continue to enjoy
nearly equal shares for everyday flower purchases. There’s also
been a noticeable rise in floral sales at farmers’ markets.
Fiesta Parade Floats Honored Fiesta Parade Floats, based in
Irwindale, was recog-nized by the American Institute of Floral
Designers for its support of the floral industry, at AIFD’s annual
Symposium, held in Anaheim in July 2016. Consid-ered the leading
float builder for the Rose Parade, the company received the 2016
Award of Merit Industry, one of the highest honors given by the
AIFD. FPF’s
promotion of outstanding flower use and creative floral displays
on the floats, as well as their promotion of AIFD design members
and ongoing contributions to AIFD symposiums made it the likely
candidate for the award. Tim Estes received the award for Fiesta
Parade Floats, which has the highest award win rate in Rose Parade
history and has won the prestigious Sweepstakes Trophy multiple
times.
Take Bloomin’ News Along We can provide complimentary copies of
The Bloomin’ News for your shop, event or design class. It’s always
popular among florists, designers and students. Just email
[email protected] for details.
CCFC Sports New Address California Cut Flower Commission now
residesin downtown Sacramento in a space leased from the Strawberry
Commission in the Meridian Plaza Building. The address is 1415 L
Street, Suite 460, Sacramento.
Continued on page 12
Selling Flower Shops Since 1997
Flower Shop BrokerDRE#01926680
Flower ShopAvailable!
• Riverside County• Corner Location • Low Rent• Same Owner 25
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Sean Edelstein [email protected] Orange, Riverside,
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12 | THE BLOOMIN’ NEWS
POTPOURRI
CA Grown Floral Shop Popular at Fair
The California State Floral Association exhibit at the
California State Fair took the form of a floral shop with
California-grown flowers arranged by CSFA member florists. Crowds
were attracted by the flowers overflowing from the shop and learned
the value of visiting local florists and buying locally grown
products. CSFA members gave away ar-rangements to other exhibits to
promote the Flow-er Shop. July 17 was declared “Flower Day” at the
Fair and kicked off with a Student Design Qualify-ing Competition.
On the final day, designers per-sonalized bouquets for those who
stopped by.
Cal State Floral Representing Us Well In recent months, the
California State Floral As-sociation and the California Cut Flower
Commis-sion partnered to co-sponsor Legislative Action Day and
joined with California Department of Food and Agricultural and
legislative and agriculture leaders for
California Agriculture Day. The California Associa-tion of
Nurseries and Garden Centers and California Seed Association also
joined CSFA in these events. In the weeks before LAD, deliveries of
wildflower and tomato seeds and floral bouquets were made to the
legislators. On Ag Day, 37 booths were set up on the west side of
the Capitol showcasing the diversity of California’s agriculture.
Among all the food booths was the CSFA booth with distribution of
floral bou-quets, the most popular booth of all.
Want to See the AIFD Symposium? Order the 2016 Symposium
“Inspiration” recap video from American Institute of Floral
Designers. Call 410 752-3318 or email [email protected].
Pokemon Appears in Our Favorite Spots
Disneyland, Union Depot, Dodger Sta-dium and dozens of other
public places in the metro area are great PokemonGo stops for fans
trying to “catch” Pokemon characters as part of the game. Those who
played golf in Maui during the 25th Annual Society of American
Florists’ an-nual convention were in good company with Poke-mon
peeps on the Bay Course.
In the Gardens of ImpressionismClare A.P. Willsdon’s pictorial,
souvenir book is an awe-inspiring historical view of the peak of
impressionistic fine art and the peak of gardening and flower
cultivation. Each came to prominence at the turn of the twentieth
century, spreading from France to Britain, the U.S. and the world.
The best known (Manet, Renoir, Pissaro, Monet and Degas) and lesser
known (Caillebotte, Guillaumin and Bazille) impressionist art-ists’
works are displayed in this book viv-
idly, picturing gardens and flowers at the height of bloom,
floral scenes frequently arranged, demonstrating order and
elab-orate design. The book covers painting styles, private and
social gardens, pleinair-ism, flowers of tradition and more.
Award-winning author Willsdon is Professor of the History of
Western Art at University of Glasgow; and a Fellow the Royal
Historical Society and Royal Society of Arts. Available for $38.95
from your favorite bookseller.B
OOKS
FO
R
YO
U
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FALL 2016 | 13
ROUNDABOUT
So much happened over the summer months, we hardly know where to
begin. Kudos to Rene van Rems AIFD upon his receiving the Award of
Design Influence from AIFD. Fiesta Parade Floats, too, for its
Award of Merit – Industry from AIFD. Anthony Vigliotta AIFD PFCI is
the new president of AIFD. See our “People” section for more AIFD
news.
Fred Gibbons, designer to the stars, is gearing up for the
October 8 Carousel of Hope Ball at the Beverly Hilton, an event
that has featured his exquisite floral designs for nearly 30 years.
Fred’s de-signs feature carousel horses
with floral banners and is attended by celebrities and stars. It
benefits The Barbara Davis Center for Diabe-tes and Children’s
Diabetes Foundation.
Teleflora’s ‘Make Someone Smile’ Week got a boost when Nita
Robertson of Santa Cruz Floral
got Girl Scouts to assemble 100+ bouquets, which were delivered
to a senior facility. The September Florists Review published
arrangements by Suzanne M. Smith, Temeculah; Gina S. Weaver, Ukiah;
Melinda Lynch AIFD, San Luis Obispo; Kelly Bishop, El Centro; Jenny
McNiece AIFD, Arroyo Grande; and Carrie Thengvall, Chico.
The Dalai Lama got a taste of California flowers when he visited
the state Capitol on June 20. He was pre-sented with a stunning
arrangement of Stargazer lilies, iris, carnations and gladiolus,
all grown in California. American Flowers Week enjoyed great
success with 1.3 million impressions on Instagram and Twitter, not
counting Facebook, with great support from the Slow Flowers
community.
The American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour was recently
featured in Sunset Magazine’s “Best of the West” section, with a
focus on flowers grown by Kendall Farms in Fallbrook and designed
by Christina Stembel of Farmgirl Flowers.
Even in sunnySoCal you canexperience a
Winter Wonderland.
Our displayswill bring out the
Artist in you!
Come and see our wide selection of Holiday Décor.
In The Southern California Flower MarketEnter at 740 Maple Ave,
2nd Floor or 755 Wall St, 2nd FloorLos Angeles 90014 • Call 213
489-7055 • Fax 213 489-7706
GMFLORAL CO
Find Us On The Second Floor!convenient, secure parking
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C A L E N D A R
14
OCTOBERBreast Cancer
Awareness Month
1, 8, 15, 22, 29 The Wall Farmers Market at the Original Los
Angeles Flower Market, Wall Street from Sev-enth to Eighth streets,
9 am to 2 pm each Saturday.
3 – 4 Rosh Hashanah
“Advanced Wedding Designer” class with Phil Rul-loda AIFD PFCI,
Southern Cali-fornia School of Floral Design, Anaheim. Call 714
776-7445 or see philrulloda.com.
5 – 7 Agriflor, Quito, Ecua-dor. See Agriflor.com or call
011-31-20-662-2482.
8 “Succulent Pumpkins” design workshop with Flower Duet. Call
310 792-4968 or reg-ister at Flowerduet.com.
9 – 12 “SMART Everyday Design” with Joyce Mason Monheim AIFD
PFCI, Teleflora Education Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Call 800
456-7890, x. 6234.
10 Columbus Day
12 Yom Kippur
15 Sweetest Day
Los Angeles FlowerMarket tour with Flower Duet, 7-9 a.m. $20.
Call 310 792-4968 or register at Flowerduet.com.
15 – 16 Japanese Garden Festival, featuring Ikebana, Garden
exhibition, garden walk and more, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Descanso
Gardens, La Canada Flintridge. Details: 818 949-4200 or
descansogardens.org.
17 Boss’s Day
19 “Petal It Forward” day, sponsored by Society of American
Florists. Conduct special events to give away two bouquets to each
stranger, asking them to give one away. Make someone’s day
special.
19 – 22 Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association
2016 Floral Distribution Con-ference, Miami, FL. Call 888 289-3372
or see Wffsa.org.
23 SAF Profit Blast, spon-sored by DWF Wholesale Flo-rist, in
Denver. See SAFnow.org.
28 – 30 Los Angeles Christmas Cash & Carry Gift Show. Call
678 285-3976 or see Urban-expo.com.
31 Halloween
31 – Nov. 11 “Floral Designer” classes with Phil Rulloda AIFD
PFCI, Southern California School of Floral Design, Anaheim. Call
714 776-7445 or see philrulloda.com
NOVEMBER
5, 12, 19, 26 The Wall Farmers Market at the Origi-nal Los
Angeles Flower Mar-ket, Wall Street from Seventh to Eighth streets,
9 am to 2 pm each Saturday.
1 All Saints Day
2 All Souls Day
5 – 6 “CaliFlora,” floral design demonstrations, workshops,
trade show, new flower varieties and more, sponsored by California
State Floral Association at the Origi-nal Los Angeles Flower
Market, 754 Wall Street, Los Angeles. Call 916 448-5266 or email
[email protected]. Come on down!
6 Daylight Saving Time ends
8 Election Day
11 Veterans Day
14 – 16 “Advanced Floral Designer” class with Phil Rul-loda AIFD
PFCI, Southern Cali-fornia School of Floral Design, Anaheim. Call
714 776-7445 or see philrulloda.com
15 Get in the Holiday Spirit at the Original Los Angeles Flower
Market!
19 Los Angeles Flower Mar-ket tour with Flower Duet, 7-9 a.m.
$20. Call 310 792-4968 or register at Flowerduet.com.
“Fall Harvest Flowers” workshop with Flower Duet in Torrance.
Call 310 792-4968 or register at Flowerduet.com.
24 Thanksgiving Day
25 Black Friday – Consumer Holiday Shopping Day
26 Small Business Saturday
25 – Jan. 8 “Enchanted: Forest of Light” celebra-tion at
Descanso Gardens features two light houses and illumination of
Descanso’s fa-vored locations. 5-10 pm, 1418 Descanso Drive, La
Canada Flintridge, $9 adults, $6 seniors and students with ID. Call
818 949-4200 or see Descansogar-dens.org.
29 Giving Tuesday – Give to kick off the giving season.
DECEMBER
3, 10, 17, 24, 31 The Wall Farmers Market at the Original Los
Angeles Flower Market, Wall Street from Seventh to Eighth streets,
9 am
to 2 pm each Saturday unless otherwise announced due to
holidays.
5 Cyber Monday – stem the tide of online (cyber) shopping by
offering specials in your shop!
7 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
10 “Holiday” design class with Phil Rulloda AIFD PFCI, Southern
California Schoolof Floral Design, Anaheim. Call 714 776-7445 or
seephilrulloda.com
12 National Poinsettia Day
17 Los Angeles Flower Mar-ket tour with Flower Duet, 7-9 a.m.
$20. Call 310 792-4968 or register at Flowerduet.com.
“Evergreens and Flowers” workshop with Flower Duet in Torrance.
Call 310 792-4968 or register at Flowerduet.com.
21 Winter Solstice
24 Christmas Eve
25 Christmas Day Hanukkah (through January 1)
26 Christmas observed by business community
26 – Jan. 1 Kwanzaa
31 New Year’s Eve
ON THE HORIZON
July 1 – 5, 2017: AIFD National Symposium, Seattle,
Washington
August 9 – 12, 2017: “Fun ‘n Sun” biennual event, Park Hyatt
Aviara Resort, Carls-bad. See CAFGS.org.
Check our website OriginalLAflowermarket.comfor Flower Market
shopping hours, parking info and more.
Our calendar listings help you tie your business promotions to
special events and observances.
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cheer up with teleflora.
drop-shipping got you down?
(800) 421-2815
©2015 Teleflora. All Rights Reserved. FM12319
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Original Los Angeles Flower Market754 Wall Street, Los Angeles,
CA 90014
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SANTA ANA, CA
SundayNovember 6
“Top Ten” FloralDesign Competition
Afternoon Design Show
Trade Show, New Varieties, Silent Auction, CCF Pinning,
CSFA Annual Meeting
SaturdayNovember 5
California Certified Florist Exam
Hands-on Design Classes
Student Design Competition
Enjoy the programs and camaraderie of floral industry
colleagues.Sponsored by California State Floral Association
Get More Details/Register: Call CSFA: 916.448.5266 • Email:
[email protected]
Original Los Angeles Flower Market • 754 Wall Street, Los
Angeles 90014OriginalLAFlowerMarket.com
CALIF FLORA2016