NEW YEAR BEGINS

Good-bye to 2012! 
Happy to see the back of you!!
Onward and Upward for 2013......

Now that the Christmas madness and the silly season is over the New Year has arrived.  January is normally a quiet month for us as many of our clients have gone on holidays and our Corporate clients close the office for the season.  Of course there are always a number that trade through so we have been steady looking after them and running the store.  We take the opportunity to reduce our trading hours and some of the staff have some time off. We also use the time to get things in order for Valentines Day!!

The Sofitel host a Bridal Expo at this time each year.  Again this year we did some lovely white flowers for the Hotel's stand.  We also worked with our client Stephanies Day Spas' in providing them with some flowers and also assistance with setting the stand up - I think I was more of a hinderance than a help - but we had a laugh....

This is one of the bouquets that I did for the Sofitel stand.  Lovely soft pink and lemon roses with dusty miller foliage and white dahlias which have been locally grown by our farmers just west of Brisbane.

JAMES ST FOOD TRAIL

Today was the James Street Food Trail with suppliers to the area setting up stands for locals to sample and purchase some of the amazing produce which is available from the James Street area.  At the last minute we put together a stand to showcase our locally grown and imported roses which were on sales at a great price.  My mate Mitch was looking after the stand and selling the roses while serving the punters a glass of Rose' which Cru was happy to supply!

SPRING HAS ARRIVED

Spring has arrived and so have the flowering plants.  We have orchids galore and hydrangea in pink, white and blue as well as broms and lavender. As you can see I have gone a bit overboard....some things never change!!!

NEW STOCK AND SALE

The new stock has started to arrive after Martin's trip to Melbourne for the Gift Fair.  We also have some sale items available

New stock on display

BLACK AND WHITE AT GoMA

It has been a little while since we did a major event at the Gallery of Modern Art. The brief was black and white with a hint of silver to match with art where the dinner was to take place. The table would be set for 24 people total length 7.2 metres !!! I spent a day greening and weaving calla lilies through the foliage adding black bacarra roses and dried lotus pods with silver balls. There was a total of 11 pieces which were numbered so I could re link together when I reassembled the arrangement on site. It was a big job but the result looks great.

BUSY BUSY BUSY

Apologies for not putting fingers on keys for a bit - but having been busy doing all the things that florist do and 2011 has started out big. We had the big flood in January. We were susposed to get 1.5m of water through the shop on Flood Thursday and we were very lucky that we didn't get any water damage at all. We came in and put the entire shop up on the work benches in case but in the end it was not required. We call came in on Flood Friday to clean the shop and get ready to reopen of Saturday - as the Market was going to reopen then. We also took in some of the homeless at home - we had no power but we cooked on the BBQ and had candles etc and spent time in the balcony watching the debris float down the river. We were very lucky only to have the car park flood.



Febuary had us in Valentines Day prep mobile cold room and all. Valentine's this year was on a Monday which created a logistics nightmare for us as we have some many corporate clients to look after at the start of the week. We were well organised and there was no screaming. We stayed open until 7pm and had busiest two hours between 5 and 7.








March started with the Brisbane Queer Film Festival which FlowerTrap has sponsored since it began. This year the festival is a 10 day event! Two giant arrangements were installed in the Powerhouse theatre to make the week look pretty. Cathy from Charcoal Interiors in Doggett St supplied the urns which again were quite large making the arrangements huge

SOFITEL CHRISTMAS

As the Holiday season draws to an end it is time to share with you all a piece of art which we did for the Brisbane Sofitel

The Sofitel celebrates the Festive Season with food and drink in a big way and the brief was to produce a unique display for the season which did not involve a pine tree - real or man made! After a short discussion a concept was developed which was then added to as the project progress to its final stage. Additions where made after initial completion to both extend the height and width of the piece and to increase the overall presence of the structure.

Champagne and Martini glasses were sprayed with silver glitter as well as knives and forks, whisks and tongs complete with 'ice cubes' that doubled as the lights on the display. To say that there was glitter for days is an understatement!

PEONY ROSES HAVE ARRIVED

For all of you who have been asking about Peonies since February well they have arrived. Due to the weather which has been bad all over the country - who would be a Farmer! - the season has started late.

We have been in contact with a farm in Tassie and our first shipment will arrive Monday 08 November around lunch time. Hans (our Farmer)has some unique blooms to start the season and we will have plenty of stock for you to choose from.

Look forward to seeing you in the shop!

HBO+EMTB NEW BRISBANE OFFICE

International Architecture and Design company HBO+EMTB launched their new design space in Mary Street with a gala event on Wednesday 13 October.

This international firm has offices across the globe from Auckland to Shanghai to Bangalore and Hyderabad and its great to see them in Brissy! Minister Paul Lucas opened the space while Flower Trap help out with something a bit special for the event

PHALAENOPISIS ORCHIDS TOO MUCH WATER PEOPLE!!

These locally grown orchids which we always have in stock are great indoor plants and flowers for 6-8 weeks. Over the last couple of weeks a number of clients have been having some trouble with them in relation to the flowers dropping and not lasting as long as they should. To investigate the problem I had the plants brought back to us so I could consult with the grower. The result is that they are being killed with kindness.

OVER-WATERING WILL KILLING YOUR ORCHIDS!

In the wilds of nature orchids live in the boughs of trees or rocks and crevasses all of which have good drainage and only the water that falls from the sky. This principal needs to be applied when you get your orchid plant home.
Display your plant in a well lit warm position avoiding direct sun. Water weekly in summer and about every 10 days in winter. I always advise if you think it needs a drink - wait 3 days. I also suggest a spray bottle rather than a watering can as you will use less water - and a couple of drops of Seasol will keep the plant thriving

PriceWaterhouseCoopers

September 8 saw regular event client PWC hosted a gala event at GoMA surrounded by the Valentino Gowns. Cater to everyone famous Caxton St provided fantastic food (as usual) for the evening. We did some slightly understated florals for the evening. Stephanie from PWC was very happy with the results! The word AMAZING was used quite a bit!

SPRING HAS ARRIVED

Well we are into the first week of spring! It's almost like someone flicked the switch and the tempature has changed almost overnight with 26 degree days and warm sunshine to the point of being hot!! Ranunculi have arrived which is the a great signal that spring has finally arrived. In a range of colours from vivid oranges and yellow to crisp white and pretty pinks that have become a great favorite over the last couple of weeks. Iris - natures answer to blue are popular and make a great statement when you put a couple of bunches together. We also have some fantastic imported roses. They have an extra large bloom and last extreamly well it surprises me and the colour range is great too!

The cymbidium orchids are almost finished for the year and our last delivery was on Friday. Leaf&Bud another of our orchid growers had dropped in some flowering Dancing Lady plants which have 3 flower spikes and as alway from FlowerTrap are easy to look after and make a great statement.

We have new ranges of containers and vases for the season and new cards imported from the UK look out for them in store now

Peony Roses

I would like to let everyone know that Peonies are only available from early November until about the second week in December depending on the weather. They are not around in April or May. You may see some in June/July. These have been flown in from Europe or possibly China and have a first class price tag. The season is about 6 week depending on the weather and you can normally set your alarm for this time. If you have seen them in the glossy mags remember that they forward plan and may have photographed local homes over 6 months prior to publishing.
So at the end of the day if you have not won the lotto or it isn't November don't ask me!

DRINKS NOW AVAILABLE

The Queensland laws have changed and Florists are now legally permitted to offer BOOZE as part of our service - No Licence Required!!

Flower Trap will be able to offer a range of quality bevies to include when you send flowers or hampers. We have a number of companies that are wanting to stock product with us as well as having access to the huge wine selection at CRU in the James St Market.

RENAME

Well as you know we are not the most computer savvy and in the past six (6) months we have changed over to Mac from that other thing as well as starting the Blog and having a Database programme customised for us so we are trying very hard to come into the 21st century - but that has come at a cost - we (read Martin) has stuffed a few things up resulting in there being a number of blogs that are all over the place so anyway we are sorting things out and shortly we will be adding the Blog address to the website.

We have been cruising along and supporting our new staff member Larnie who started with us about three (3) months ago. Since the last entry the weather has cooled and now the winter blooms have arrived and are lasting very well.

We have complete a number of large jobs and the Wedding from the last post so all is going well

Cymbid orchid plants have also started coming through and look fantastic. We have some amazing plants in the shop at the moment and they wont last as they are priced to sell!!

Dont for get you can order via the website - fill the form in - easy!

Another Beautiful Wedding

One of our delightful clients returned again this year to arrange another wedding this time for her son. Christine again took on the job of organising as her son lives and works overseas. The theme was white and soft pink lush and beautiful. The ceremony was in the Grand Hall at Grammar and the reception at Customs House with brunch the next day at home.



Maryrose and Larni created the bouquets and large arrangements while Martin laboured on the table arrangements. The large arrangements were delivered to the Church and then moved to the reception and then the following day to be enjoyed at home. M&J removals (Martin & Justin) provided the muscle to make the move happen!

The room at Customs House came alive with a black and silver theme and lush flowing blooms incorporated into the candle holders supplied by the venue. Draped jewels and taper candles finished off the arrangements and the room was amazing.

FLOWER CARE FOR WINTER

Well its amazing what some good moisturiser and sleep can do!!

Now I want to take the opportunity to ramble on about winter care for your blooms and plants. As things cool down and we unpack the jumpers for another year we should not neglect our flowers or flowering indoor plants. Your flowers will last longer in the cooler weather but you need to be mindful that they still need to be recut when you get them home and pop them into a clean vase with luke warm water and a splash of bleach. The water should also be changed on a regular basis and the stem recut again. Your blooms will drink more water if you have the heating on so keep an eye out. Keep the flowers out of drafts and away from the reverse cycle aircon and direct sunlight.

As your skin will be feeling the drying effect so will your indoor plants. They still need water in winter just not as much. Once the plant has totally dried out it is on the way out and rewetting the soil can be a nightmare. Clients with our orchid bowls should ensure that the moss is damp - not wet. It is also a good time to give the leaves of your indoor greens a clean to remove any dust and impurities which have built up over the warmer months. I also give everything a good misting with a liquid fertiliser after cleaning - I use a very weak fish emulation to the colour of a Latte in a spray bottle I got at Coles. It seems to perk them up and keeps them looking good. You can also spray the leaves with white oil for a shinny finish. I do the same thing at the shop when the plants come in from the growers. Clients with palms and madonna lilies can put the whole plant into the shower for a good clean and flush out - think tropical storm.

PRINCESS GRACE

Was going through some images from our Holiday in Europe where we cruised the Med for a couple of weeks. I came across this little flower shop in Monaco (the French side) on our way to see Princess Grace. It made me think of my little shop in Brisvegas

DES DEPARTS

Friends and Clients joined Team Trap for a glass of bubbles to farewell Des

VALENTINES COMES AND GOES

Valentine's Day has come and gone for another year with me and the staff happy to wave goodbye. It arrived on a Sunday this year so we expected to be busy but not like other years when it is normally on a week day and promoted by television and radio.
Roses were popular and the long stem reds were the first thing we sold out of. Oriental lilies and tropicals were also popular as they make an impression and hold well in the February heat. We also scored about 20 bunches of the first season tulip which were beautiful.
This was Des's last Valentine's with us as he has decided to make the move to Melbourne to be with his partner so there was a fun atmosphere in the shop for the day and Maryrose kept us all entertained as usual