Don’t miss Mr. Michael Gaffney at the Macy’s Flower Show in Herald Square March 27th, 2015! This year the Macy’s Flower Show is being held in NYC March 22nd-April 4th and Michael will be there doing flower design demonstrations, hosting a free book give away and plenty of flowers, flowers, flowers for all to see!

For two weeks, the clothing and accessories at Macy’s won’t be the only colorful items on display by the iconic department store. Outside in Broadway Plaza, beautifully bright floral arrangements will announce this year’s Macy’s Flower Show. Special events including live music, kids’ activities and seminars will take place throughout the show. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit macys.com.

We hope to see you there!!

For additional information about our upcoming semesters, school locations and more, visit us at: www.flowerschool101.com

The Valentine’s Day Scoop

Well Ladies and Gentlemen, that special day is upon us….the day of L-O-V-E! Many people can be stumped on why the cost of flowers sky rocket during this most lovely of holidays…so I will be taking some time in this article to educate on why that is, as well as giving you some helpful tips to getting the arrangement that you want and try to save some $$ in the process.

The average American does not realize that there are several factors that come into play when it comes to shipping and receiving the massive amounts of product for the holiday. Here are a few factors as to why we, (Florists included), all pay more for flowers on Valentine’s Day:

1. Growers use manual labor for product development.
2. Transportation of the product costs more.
3. The demand for flowers increases.
4. Economy Factors come into play.
5. Paying for an expert to design the flowers.

After taking a look at these factors, I would suggest the following this Valentine’s Day as some money saving tips:
1. Take a look at the alternatives to the dozen roses vased. There are many other beautiful flowers available this time of year that are equally appealing, but may not be as expensive.
2. Request different colors such as pink, lavendar, purple, white or a combination of color. Red often is higher priced due to the high demand, etc.
3. Request a delivery date before the actual holiday itself. Some florists offer incentives for pre-order and different delivery dates.

Now, lets talk about buying LOCAL!!! Support your local florist this holiday. I cannot tell you how I cringe every time I see the commercials screaming at me from the TV…you know the ones, “ONLY $19.99 for 1 dozen red roses vased!” The truth is, the photos of those arrangements are manipulated to make the public think that they will be receiving a nice big full arrangement for the price listed. But unfortunately, that is not always the case. To get a big beautiful arrangement of roses in a vase, you will have to pay a reasonable amount. Remember the saying, “If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.” This rings true for flowers on Valentine’s Day as well. I would suggest calling your local florist and placing an order with them directly so that you know exactly what you will be sending… and you never know, they may be offering some additional perks & incentives to buy!

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day and remember to thank your florist! Many sacrifice time with their own loved ones and ‘special night out’ so that you can enjoy yours!

At the Los Angeles School of Flower Design, founded by celebrity florist, Michael Gaffney, their students learn a large variety of different floral designs. Everything from traditional to contemporary design work is covered during their exciting intensive/condensed 1-week semester. A gorgeous mix of fresh flower and green materials are provided to the students during each day’s class (all materials are included with the tuition cost), as well as live demonstrations, flower market field trips, instructor assistance and best of all, hands on designing by the students themselves. Michael Gaffney who has been featured on the Hallmark Channel, Today Show and Huffington Post states, “In my book Design Star, there are 100 tips to flower design, but in class there are 1000. Being in class and having that one-on-one access to an instructor is important to learning good design habits and techniques.”

Classes in Los Angeles are offered Monday-Friday 9am-5pm during the semester. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. If you would like more information about classes and how to register, please call 1-877-32-BLOOM today or go to http://www.losangelesflowerdesign.com for details.

Michael Gaffney was in attendance at this years Art Basel Miami and it received rave reviews as being one of the strongest editions ever!

Art Basel’s 13th edition in Miami Beach closed Sunday, December 7, 2014, amidst strong praise from gallerists, private collectors, museum groups and the media. Highlights of the show included the introduction of the new Survey sector, which brought 13 art-historical projects to the fair, including many rare works never before exhibited in an art fair context; and Art Basel’s staging with Performa of Ryan McNamara’s ‘MEƎM 4 Miami: A Story Ballet About the Internet’ at the Miami Grand Theater. Solid sales were reported across all levels of the market and throughout the run of the show. Featuring 267 leading international galleries from 31 countries, the show – whose Lead Partner is UBS – attracted an attendance of 73,000 over five days. Attendees included representatives of over 160 museum and institution groups from across the world – and a surging number of new private collectors from the Americas, Europe and Asia.

In the floral ‘world’ there are strong ties to what is trending in art, as floral design is considered a form of art as well. Mr. Gaffney believes that to be a successful designer, it is important to stay informed on the trends and ‘whats hot’ when it comes to the newest art craze. As a designer, staying up-to-date on the different looks will help you tailor your floral designs to incorporate the different textures and colors in accordance to compliment what is hot, etc.

A tip to remember when working in the Art of Floral Design: An out-of-date florist, or one who becomes stagnant in the designs that they offer, will quickly lose the public’s attention as someone who will be able to suit their needs on any type of event, etc. that they are wanting to plan.

During the holidays is when I like to ‘wow’ my guests with beautiful centerpieces during parties and for hostess gifts as well. This can be a bit tricky, especially when working on a budget. The following are my tips and tricks for what I call ‘designing on a dime’:

1. During this time of year everyone loves their evergreen foliage, so this is my greenery of choice when starting my arrangements. Don’t spend tons of money buying greenery when you can either trim some from your yard or (with permission) from the yard of a neighbor. Some people do not know that Home Depot also gives away their Christmas tree trimmings for free. (There is usually a big bin in the tree lot area that the staff throws the clippings in)…So why buy when you can get it for free!

2. Evergreens last a long time especially when it is cool, so you will want to pick items that will last as long as your greenery when thinking about the color/theme of your arrangement. I would suggest going to your local Dollar Tree, Family Dollar or 99 Cent Store. Use ornaments, glittery sticks, berry picks, candles and the like to incorporate into your design. You can also re-use these items year after year. Don’t forget that you can use seasonal fruit & pine cones too, it doesn’t always have to be flowers as the ‘point of interest’ or ‘focal point’!

3. Container Choices….if you would like to use a nice decorative container for your arrangement, you can also find a variety at the stores listed above as well, but don’t forget your local Goodwill or Salvation Army. You can buy a container and help a local charity all at the same time! Also, keep in mind that you can use a plastic dish or plate to place your floral foam on and ‘build’ your arrangement so that you cannot see the container at all. This is another affordable option.

Sometimes it just takes a little bit of ‘thinking outside the box’ to get those creative juices flowing…you get the picture. It doesn’t have to break the bank to decorate your home for the holidays! (and there’s no harm in letting your friends think that you did…what they don’t know won’t hurt them) ;0)

The American Schools of Flower Design offer classes at 9 locations across the country to help educate people in the art of floral design….you too can become a ‘Design Star’! For additional information click on the ‘About Our Schools’ tab on our website. www.flowerschool101.com.

Did you miss Michael Gaffney on the Home and Family Show (Hallmark Channel) last week? No worries! check out this link to the video and get all the ‘Holiday Design’ tips you’ll need to wow your guests this holiday season!

http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/home-and-family/today-on-home-family-wednesday-november-12th-2014

Greetings Los Angeles!

Have you been wanting to take some flower design classes, but can’t quite seem to find time in your busy schedule?  The Los Angeles School of Flower Design offers several online videos that you can purchase and watch on your own time where and when you want!  Simply click on the ‘Class Information’ tab, scroll down to the ‘Online Classes’ option.  Once you are on the online classes page you are able to purchase which ever video you want (or all of them) and ENJOY!!!

Hydrangea is one of the hottest flowers used in event work and this trend has been going strong for quite some time now. There are some who may shy away from using this beautiful flower in their arrangements because of the fact that they tend to wilt fairly easily. ….NEVER FEAR, we are going to list some tips on how to properly prep this flower so that it looks great in your designs throughout your event.

After you bring home your hydrangea there are a few steps you should follow to prepare this flower before you use it in your design:

Design Tip #1: Remove all of the large leaves on the stem of the Hydrangea. The big leaves suck up a large amount of moisture that would otherwise be going to the petals of the flower.

Design Tip #2: Fill your sink or bath tub with water, trim the bottom of the stem and submerge the whole flower in the water for approximately 10-20 minutes. Flowers absorb water through all surfaces of the flower including the petals, stem, bark and leaves….not just through the bottom of the stem as some might think. Ever had wilted, rubbery celery in the refrigerator and soaked it in a bowl of water to make it crisp again? It is the same concept with the Hydrangea.

Design Tip #3: While the Hydrangea are soaking in the tub, fill a bucket with fresh water and add a liberal amount of Alum. Alum is a spice used for pickling and can be found on the spice rack at your local whole foods or grocery store. Alum forces water up the stem of the flower and makes the blooms of the flower nice and hard. Remove the flower from the water, gently shake off the excess and place the flower stem end down into the bucket.

Design Tip #4: While the Hydrangea drinks the Alum & water mixture, spray the bloom of the hydrangea with Crowning Glory. Crowning Glory is a wax based spray that seals the pores in the leaves, stem and petals of the flower preventing the loss of moisture through the flowers pores. Crowning Glory is distributed by Oasis Floral Products and is sold at your local Wholesale Flower Market or on Amazon.com.

Your hydrangea is now processed for use and will look beautiful in your designs for a prolonged period of time!

Don’t miss the start of our fall semester starting October 13th! The LA School of Flower Design is a unique location in that we offer a 1-week intensive course. At our LA location we teach the same curriculum as the other California locations, only instead of being spread out over the course of 4 weeks, we have condensed it into 5 days of design heaven ;0)

There are still plenty of seats available for fall, so don’t miss out!! fall is the perfect time of year to take floral design. Learn how to make beautiful flower arrangements just in time for the holiday season!

To enroll, call 1-414-617-7162 today!

At the Los Angeles School of Flower Design, founded by celebrity florist, Michael Gaffney, their students learn a large variety of different floral designs. Everything from traditional to contemporary design work is covered during their exciting 1-week condensed curriculum. The Los Angeles School offers a great fast paced curriculum for mastering the art of floral design. The classes there are for the student who doesn’t want to, or can’t commit to, spending the four to eight weeks learning floral design as presented in our other schools. A gorgeous mix of fresh flower and green materials are provided to the students during each day’s class (all materials, containers, tools & flowers are included with the tuition cost), as well as live demonstrations, flower market field trips, instructor assistance and best of all, hands on designing by the students themselves. Michael Gaffney who has been featured on the Hallmark Channel, Today Show and Huffington Post states, In my book Design Star, there are 100 tips to flower design, but in class there are 1000. Being in class and having that one-on-one access to an instructor is important to learning good design habits and techniques.

The Los Angeles School of Flower Design is located in the heart of L.A. The school is located blocks from the Los Angeles Flower Market, offering access to the best florals to work with in class. The weather in Los Angeles is warm and sunny, the beaches are gorgeous and there’s lots to do!

Classes in Los Angeles run 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. These classes are fast paced and each student will finish the week with a mastering of many design styles. The Los Angeles School of Flower Design suits international students, desiring a fast paced education in the art of floral design. Local students appreciate the quick pace at the Los Angeles School as well. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. If you would like more information about classes and how to register, please call 1-877-32-BLOOM today!