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H.Bloom Launches Weekly Flower Service in Manhattan

In search of the perfect gift to celebrate a birthday, Mother's Day or another special occasion? Look no further than H.BLOOM, an online floral company based in Manhattan which offers a weekly subscription service.

"We heard over and over from people who love flowers, that they can't afford expensive arrangements on a regular basis," says Bryan Burkhart, the 35-year-old co-founder of H.Bloom. "It is also a great gift because it is the gift that keeps on giving."

Gallery: More from H. Bloom

Burkhart and co-founder Sonu Panda, who met as undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania, launched the business after noticing there was a need for a premium floral product available online. "We saw that there was no 'Barney's of flowers' online---there was only K-Mart," says Burkhart. Their business model is much like that of Netflix, as there is no long term commitment. It is easy to pause the service or direct the delivery to someone else.

Tags: Florist, Flowers, H.Bloom, Manhattan, New York, OnlineShopping, orchids

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What You Need To Know About Red Roses For Valentine's Day

by ashleynorth (RSS feed) —

Red roses are popular year round but take on special importance at Valentine's Day. Suddenly they are everywhere. Bouquets of roses are sold by the side of the road and by salespeople hovering around restaurants. This, combined with the overflowing buckets at the grocery store, saturate a market that is deserving of a richness equivalent to its history. Favored mostly for its beauty and durability, combined with fragrance, the rose's popularity has caused an outbreak of ecologically harmful and trade-wide problems.

Many roses are raised in Ecuador and Colombia, and there is an ongoing concern of heavy pesticide use, unfair wage and labor conditions and the possibility that the rose tips themselves may have been treated with anti-fungal chemicals that are harmful to human beings.

Flower arranger and horticulture expert Betty Miles explains the importance of careful-sourcing and following care that will result in a longer life and a clear conscience. She notes that, due to favorable climate conditions as well as cheaper labor, most long stem roses (the most popular in America) are grown in greenhouses around the world, and generally in Colombia, Ecuador and parts of Africa. There can be a big difference between the white-bucketed variety amongst conventional locations and the fresher and perhaps more local available at a credible florist. Betty goes on to say:

When sourcing flowers in person, check underneath the bud to see if petals will have been removed. This will prove the flower to be old or not as fresh, diminishing their cut-life. 'Hardening-off' is a common flower arrangement term- taking a cut flower from a garden or, later, florist, and diagonally cutting an inch off the tip of the stem then immediately placing it in water (or cutting while the stem is submerged in water). Doing these steps, along with removing the lower leaves and stems will avoid rotting and water-contamination thus, shortening the life. If not removed, the most distal part of the stem will get dried, killing the cells within the stem, rendering it inactive, and killing the flower. This can and should be repeated by the distributor, the florist and finally, the customer. Though the packet of "flower-extender" that comes with your flowers appears artificial, it is an inert and biodegradable substance (typically a formula including dextrose and bacteria-inhibitors) that will extend the life of your cut flowers.

Tags: alternative, bush, columbia, day, decor-pedia, domestic, eco, ecuador, fairtrade, florist, friendly, grow, hybrid, hybridization, long, luxist-awards, main-pedia, red, roses, stem, US, valentines