Visser's Christmas Party

Wooohoooo! It's time for our annual Christmas party for all of our hardworking employees. This is our chance to really show them how much we appreciate their efforts and dedication.

As you might guess, our Christmas party has to be after Christmas because we are so busy before Christmas. But finally, the time has come. We will be going to one of our favorite restaurants, The Jazz Kitchen, for some cajun food and lots of fun.

And so, as we reach the end of another year, all of us at Visser's Florist and Greenhouses would like to wish all of our customers a super Happy New Year. May 2008 be your best year yet.

Scent the Season

We have candles!! The best candles in the world are at Visser’s Florist. Provided by Root Candles, our selection has the best scented candles. From Hollyberry to Cinnamon buns you can’t go wrong. Visit our shop and experience the great selection of vibrant, colorful and aroma filled candles in a variety of sizes. They make a great gift! It’s not too late to get that something extra for the holidays.

Flower Dog

Visser's Florist has a new family member--Charlie. Charlie is our new shop dog, a lovable Beagle puppy. Stop by our shop today and say hi to Charlie. And, while you're here, take a look at the thousands of beautiful flowers and plants. You won't regret it!

Last Minute Shopping

Stressed out about doing your last minute shopping? Would you rather go to the dentist than try and fight for a parking place at the mall? I've got just the thing for you--fresh flowers from your local florist.

Here at Visser's Florist in Anaheim, we are taking orders for delivery right up through Christmas Eve. Call us today at (714) 772-9900 or visit us at

www.vissersflowers.com. Our friendly sales staff is standing by waiting to make your Christmas shopping blues melt away. No waiting for parking, no fighting for a place in line--just a pleasant shopping experience.

Don't you owe it to yourself?

Peru Gets Permanent Duty-Free Status

From an article by Drew Gruenburg, SAF.

The Senate yesterday approved the U.S./Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA), sending the measure to the President for his signature.

Flowers exported from Peru to the United States currently enter the U.S. duty-free under the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA). The ATPA has to be renewed periodically, but the President's signature on the U.S./Peru FTA grants permanent duty-free status to flowers from Peru.

This is good news for flowerbuyers. It means that prices on flowers coming from Peru won't go up due to new tarrifs. However, we only import about $4 million in flowers from Peru versus $450 million from Columbia. No word on whether Columbia will follow with its own agreement. Keep your fingers crossed.

Flowers Need Water

Just a reminder, when you bring home your beautiful flowers from a local flowershop like Visser's Florist, you need to give them a little drink of water. At a minimum you should add water every other day--although adding some every day would be better. Plain tap water is fine. If you happen to have some of those little packets of flower food, you can add one, but it's not really necessary as the florist puts it in at the shop.

This reminder is especially important for flower arrangements in floral foam, because it looks like they don't need water. They do. Here is a picture of a nice Christmas arrangement in a vase:

You can see the water level, so you know when it needs more. Now, here is a picture of an arrangement in floral foam.






You can't see the water level. If you look closely, you will see some green spongelike stuff. Do not let this dry out. Carefully add water (do it slowly) so the foam doesn't dry out.

Your flowers will love you for it.

National Poinsettia Day

Get ready. December 12 is National Poinsettia Day. Congress created the day to commemorate Joel Poinsett who brought the plant to the United States. In honor of Joel, here are a few tidbits about Poinsettias taken from Wikipedia.
· First off, poinsettias are not toxic. Rumors abound that they are poisonous, but it’s not true. They are actually not very toxic, although eating them may make you sick, especially if you are allergic to latex.
· There are exactly 109 varieties of poinsettias, although most Americans prefer the red ones.
· A Mexican legend explains how poinsettias came to be associated with Christmas. Apparently, a child who could not afford a gift to offer to Christ on Christmas Eve picked some weeds from the side of a road. The child was told that a humble gift, if given in love, would be acceptable in God's eyes. When brought into the church, the weeds bloomed into red and green flowers and the congregation felt they had witnessed a Christmas miracle.
· They can be pretty difficult to make reflower after the first year. They are a subtropical plant so they need warm, but not hot environment. And to flower, they need two months of long, dark, uninterrupted nights in the fall.
Visser’s Florist & Greenhouses is currently loaded with beautiful, florist-quality poinsettias. Red, white, pink, we’ve got em all. Come in and see for yourself.

War, and Roses

Here is a truly heartwarming story about a soldier's love for his mother. It happened during WW2 and it points out so vividly how the simple act of sending flowers can change lives. As we go through the holiday season, it's important to remember what gift giving is all about. It's not about how much money you spend, or how long you had to look for a parking place at the mall. It's about showing someone that they matter, and that someone cares. It's a powerful message.

New Delivery Van (in the future)

I just went to a focus group to review new delivery vehicles. One of the vehicles was a 2010 Ford Transit Connect. It is currently being used in Europe and will come here later this year or early next. The new model is absolutely awesome. It's like a Scion but bigger. The passenger seat can easily fold down flat giving you 8 feet of room. It is supposed to get 25 mpg city and 31 highway. It will probably sell for less than $15,000. I'm telling you right now, I'm getting one. Read about it here.

Direct Ship Flowers - part 2

Here's a great u tube video about opening a box of the so-called Direct ship flowers. Remember folks, one of the benefits of ordering from your local florist (besides beautiful flowers delivered the same day) is that there is NO ASSEMBLY REQUIRED!