THE REAL DEAL ON THOSE FARM DIRECT COMPANIES

As of late, some folks have become excited over using those so-called FARM DIRECT companies, who purport to SAVE YOU MONEY by ELIMINATING the MIDDLEMAN. And, they also claim that, your FLOWERS are picked fresh and immediately after you've placed your order!

Well, DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT because IT'S SIMPLY NOT TRUE!

While you might save a few dollars, the only reason for that is, BECAUSE THE RECIPIENT HAS TO DO ALL OF THE WORK! All of their FARM DIRECT FLOWERS ARE NEVER ARRANGED even though they appear to be in their pictures. And so, the few dollars you might save is only because a REAL PROFESSIONAL FLORIST didn't arrange your flowers properly! The people who get those gifts must do all of that labor-intensive work themselves. Also, amateurs are never able to achieve the same result as A REAL PROFESSIONAL FLORAL DESIGNER nor even get close to what appeared in that picture.

Also, you CANNOT SEND those UNARRANGED FLOWERS to Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Funeral Homes, Elderly People, Special Events, Parties, or anywhere else where there would be NO ONE TO PROPERLY HANDLE and ARRANGE them for those recipients.

SO, WHEN ARE THEIR FLOWERS REALLY PICKED? Fact is that, just like WE REAL FLORISTS, those companies use the same farm sources and modes of transport that we do. Starting in South America in the countries of Columbia and Ecuador or Holland, Israel, or New Zealand, all of those flowers are packed in large commercial market boxes and flown that way to Miami, a major distribution hub for the United States, Canada, and the rest of the World.

Once in Miami, the boxes of flowers for REAL FLORISTS are placed on either Aircraft or in Refrigerated trucks and shipped to their intended destinations. When our flowers arrive, that's when the real work begins since; Flowers are stressed after loosing 20% to 30% of their water content during the shipping process. Our PROFESSIONAL HANDLING PROCESS includes the removal of all foliage below the water line as well as all Thorns on the rose stems. After our initial cleaning process, all of our flowers are properly RE-HYDRATED using a commercial preservative, which extends the life of our flowers substantially. After 8 to 24 hours of re-hydrating, REAL FLORIST FLOWERS are placed into our coolers at a temperature of between 34 to 36 degrees for hardening. Have you ever seen a head of wilted lettuce after it's lost 30% of its moisture content?

It is only after that point; A REAL PROFESSIONAL FLORIST is ready to arrange your flowers properly and professionally, which then, allows a longer life of freshness for such a highly perishable and delicate gift from nature and for that very special person in your life.

With the FARM DIRECT product, the commercial boxes of flowers are broken down into much smaller order units in Miami and with little or no special care given. They are then placed on the same planes (or trucks), which our commercial boxes are usually on too. Upon arrival in your State or City, your boxed flowers are placed onto FedEx Trucks, which are NOT COOLED! And, at some point in time, your box of UNARRANGED FLOWERS is left at someone's front door when they are not home because, THAT'S THEIR RULES. It doesn't matter if the temperature outside is BELOW FREEZING or, if it's over 80 degrees, which can either KILL OR SEVERLY DAMAGE YOUR FLORAL GIFT.

A REAL FLORIST would never do that and we would always place your gift into the warm hands of a nice neighbor when someone is not at home rather than simply, leaving it at the door where it might get stolen, damaged, or destroyed.

In fact, literally thousands of dozens of roses are already pre-packed and have been sitting in their boxes down in Miami for the past week just waiting to be shipped out and in time for Valentine's Day. And, the REAL FRESHEST FLORIST ROSES will be arriving in our shops beginning on February 9th for our CHAIN OF LIFE processing, thus insuring you of our IMPECCABLE HIGHER STANDARD OF QUALITY and PERSONALIZED DELIVERY SERVICE ability.

Of SPECIAL INTEREST this year, and since FedEx doesn't deliver on Sundays; the FARM DIRECT companies had no way of providing delivery service for Monday, February 14th. And so, they are TRUCKING their East Coast product up to North Carolina adding another leg on the journey, which will then add another SERIOUS STRESS POINT which lessons the overall quality of their products.

So, you all believed their story of; When your order comes in, someone actually goes out into the flower field to PICK IT FRESH JUST FOR YOU? Sorry Folks! It's JUST A NICE STORY but with NO BASIS in either FACT or REALITY! Picking cucumbers for PICKLING would better describe them.

Lastly, at checkout, CHECK OUT those EXTRA CHARGES for EXPRESS SHIPPING plus THE VASE THEY'LL NEED TO ARRANGE YOUR FLOWERS IN! You'll realize THEY?RE NO BIG DEAL, especially when SOMEONE SPECIAL has to DO ALL OF THE EXTRA WORK!

John Torpey, A REAL PROFESSIONAL FLORIST
Cascade Florist of Hartsdale