Steve's Flowers Introduces New Rose Grower

Steve's Flowers and Gifts has created a partnership with Eufloria Flowers to provide superior Rose quality, consistency, and performance for Central Indiana floral customers. Many floral experts agree, Eufloria Roses are the "Prettiest Roses on the Planet". They perform like no others. Since there is so little time between cutting in the greenhouse, and arrival at your door, you will find they react differently than other roses to which you may be accustomed. And the best part, they are "American Grown". Located in Nipomo, California, Eufloria Flowers is not about growing mass quantities or generic roses; it's about the art and experimentation of optimum growing. With a rich family heritage, a well-entrenched European affiliation, and a care-giving, knowledgeable staff, Eufloria Flowers aspires to cultivate the finest roses available throughout North America.
Consistently among the most beautiful roses in the world, Eufloria Roses have been enjoyed by millions of people over recent years at the Kentucky Derby, The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, prestigious political inaugurations, celebrity special events, various television documentaries, movies, and several of John Henry's special edition collections. Eufloria Flowers takes great pride in being requested by name for both world renowned events and everyday special occasions. Steve Huth, Steve's Flowers and Gifts, is pleased to be working with Eufloria. "As a florist with high standards, it is important to have partners that you can count on to deliver consistent quality" Huth says. "Consistency is very difficult in the floral industry, which makes this relationship work."

Steve's Flowers Introduces New "Flowers For The Home Collection"

Harvard University study introduced small bouquets of flowers into people’s morning routines and discovered that respondents immediately perked up, much like they would with a morning vitamin. Flowers fuel our soul and create inspiring spaces. When used throughout the home, flowers can create positive shifts in emotions and lead to truly inspired living. Steve's Flowers and Gifts introduces its new line of floral bouquets intended to energize and inspire your living. Steve's New Home Collection offers an economical way to add the beauty and fragrance of fresh flowers to your office, kitchen, bathroom, or den.

Accent any room in your Home with Steve's New Home Collection. This new line consists of a vase full one type of flower accented with River Rock and a decorative bow. Varieties offered range from Peruvian Lilies, Daisies, Iris, and Asiatic Lilies.



Steve Huth, owner of Steve's Flowers and Gifts, understands that during these tough times, flowers may be cut out of customer's budgets. He also understands that with these tough times, people tend to need something that can create happiness and personal fulfillment. Flowers help strengthen our senses, and invigorate our bodies. That is why Steve's Flowers has created this Home Collection with people's budgets in mind. All of Steve's Home Collection Bouquets are only $19.95. They are produced economically to keep the customer's cost down. These are in-store purchases only.



Stop into Steve's and check out our New Home Collection. Take one home, and experience the effect flowers can have on your life. We would love to hear your feedback. Blog us and let us know your experience.

Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamin F:
Nature’s Remedy for Emotional Energy

Personal Fulfillment Expert Reveals
Flowers Fuel the Soul and Create Inspiring Spaces

From A to E, vitamins are responsible for strengthening our senses, bolstering our bones and invigorating our bodies from the inside out. Research proves that flowers, being dubbed by some as Vitamin F, help feed our need for serenity, inspiration, wellness, gratitude, love and optimism.

Mind and matter are interconnected, according to personal fulfillment expert and best-selling author Jayme Barrett, as she points to university research studies linking flowers with happiness, creativity, compassion and tranquility. Barrett’s interiors expertise coupled with the floral investigations demonstrate that flowers hold an intrinsic, natural energy that, when used throughout the home, can create positive shifts in emotions, and lead to truly inspired living.

See Jayme Barrett explain the floral energies in the QuickTime Video below. You can download and install QuickTime for free by clicking here:

Click to Play
“People and flowers both have a life force that needs oxygen to thrive, and light and water to live. And, when we are surrounded by nature, our emotions are calmed and harmonized,” says Barrett, who has applied the principles of Zen and feng shui to floral design. Her philosophy is that we can cultivate idyllic atmospheres by purposefully integrating flowers throughout our living space.

In fact, research from America’s leading universities has cemented the connection that flowers have both scientific and emotional powers. As early as 2000, Rutgers University found that flowers create instant delight and happiness, and increase enjoyment and life satisfaction. Most recently, a Harvard University study introduced small bouquets of flowers into people’s morning routines and discovered that respondents immediately perked up, much like they would with a morning vitamin.


Wellness
“We need and deserve simple ways of creating homes where we feel happy and harmonious by disconnecting from the hectic pace of the world outside,” says Barrett. “Flowers are a wonderful way to ease the stress of everyday life and refocus our emotions more constructively.”

So that anyone can introduce a range of positive floral energies in the home, Barrett shares a simple, do-it-yourself guide to creating Vitamin F arrangements. Her seven soul-stimulating energies include gratitude, wellness, inspiration and motivation, love and romance, new beginnings, serenity, and prosperity. Her floral formula factors in color combination, shape and significance, vase style, placement in the home and flower variety.

Barrett’s Blueprints for Mood-Boosting Vitamin F

Gratitude: Reminds us to be grateful for the little blessings in life


Gratitude
Key Colors: A low, clustered arrangement in all shades of pink symbolizes opening the heart and making others more receptive to you.

Vase Style: A glass container of any size is fitting, as its transparency exhibits openness.

In the Home: To start and end the day counting your blessings, place this depiction of gratitude on a nightstand, dresser or in the kitchen.

Suggested Flower Options: Ranunculus, alstroemeria, tulips, spray roses

Wellness: Evokes balanced feelings of mind, body and spirit

Key Color: Yellow is the primary color for this emotional energy, as it represents the sun, life force and health. Supplement a big burst of blooms with greens, which induce nature’s healing energy, and white, which reflects serenity.

Vase Style: Choose an oval or round, terra-cotta, wood or bamboo container to replicate the Earth’s element, providing grounding and balance.

In the Home: Locate this energy in the living room or family room to enhance the space of relaxation, meditation and family connection.

Suggested Flower Options: Gerbera, carnations, solidago, hydrangea (white or green), callas, pompons, chrysanthemums


Inspiration and Motivation
Inspiration and Motivation: Infuses the soul with rejuvenating energy

Key Color: Red epitomizes motivation, fame, courage and power. Design an up-shooting spray that also includes sensuous, rich orange and fuchsia, which suggest enthusiasm and exuberance.

Vase Style: A tall mirrored or shiny metal container of any kind will stoke inspiration. Mirrors boost positive energies and bring good luck, which will circulate through all endeavors.

In the Home: The home office is an ideal place to inject motivational energy — or the power of now. Anyone will feel encouraged to reach for the stars and live life to the fullest.

Suggested Flower Options: Roses, callas, Asiatic lilies, snapdragons, hypericum

Love and Romance: Sparks intimate connections and blossoming love

Key Color: A tight bunch of flowers flush with burgundy and red embodies feelings of passion and romance. Incorporating lush pinks and peaches will help invite love and inspire kindness.

Vase Style: A circular vase is the perfect shape for never-ending love.

In the Home: Spark feelings of adoration during a meal in the kitchen or dining room. As you nourish your body, you will be dually energized by love and encouraged to show your affection throughout the day and night. Flowers are a great addition to the bedroom too.

Suggested Flower Options: Stock, roses, alstroemeria

New Beginnings: Welcomes change with open arms and mind

Key Color: Stimulate joy, enthusiasm and excitement with a simple arrangement featuring the color orange. Complement it with white — the color of purity and freshness — and green, characterizing new opportunity and growth.

Vase Style: A square, ceramic vase brings an earthy energy, proclaiming that while the sky’s the limit, it’s good to keep your feet firmly rooted on the ground.

In the Home: Put the spirit of new horizons on display on a mantle or coffee table, where it will instill faith, creativity and endless possibility.

Suggested Flower Options: Gerbera, carnations, Asiatic lilies, spray roses, alstroemeria

Serenity: Allows our minds to unwind and release tension, bringing a sense of calm to our lives

Key Color: Loosely arranged hues of blue, violet and lavender evoke serenity and will help clear the mind of stress. Blue represents the ocean and sky, while shades of purple invoke spiritual energy.

Vase Style: A cobalt blue glass vase represents inner wisdom and will help add balance. The blue is yin (soft, curving, cyclical) and the glass is yang (straight, shiny, linear) for a perfect equilibrium.

In the Home: Setting this in the entryway will set the tone for tranquility as you step inside your home from the chaotic world outside.

Suggested Flower Options: Hydrangea, delphinium, lisianthus, stock

Prosperity: Stimulates action and indicates success and richness

Key Color: Let red or deep purple dominate this abundant arrangement, intimating accomplishment and wealth. Accent with shades of gold, the preeminent color for good health and fortune.

Vase Style: Select a metallic, perhaps golden container, representing a pot of gold.

In the Home: Give your home a boost by placing this inspirational bouquet where you welcome guests or potential buyers.

Suggested Flower Options: Lilies, roses, lisianthus, snapdragons

“We all strive to surround ourselves with positive energy, and nature is a powerful and proven tonic,” says Barrett. “Anyone can let Vitamin F fortify their home, whether it’s a refuge, haven, retreat or sanctuary.”

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Editor's Note: High-resolution professional photography is available. Contact Jenny Stromann at (800) 336-4743; jstromann@safnow.org.

About Jayme Barrett: Jayme Barrett, the leading authority on inspired living and best-selling author, empowers individuals to design their lives for increased balance, energy and motivation. Barrett specializes in techniques for personal fulfillment, prosperity and integrated health. She has appeared on numerous national television shows and been featured in print publications. Barrett is also a recurring speaker and workshop presenter at Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. studios, and for numerous corporations, retreat centers, resorts and nonprofit organizations around the world.

Can Petal Power Perk Up Your Morning? A Harvard Study Says Yes.

CONTACT: (Steve Huth, Steve's Flowers and Gifts 317-787-3431)

Top Floral Designer Offers Quick, Simple “How-To’s”
on Fashioning Flowers for Positive Moods in the Morning


Indianapolis, Indiana – Recent research confirms that flowers might be the perfect pick-me-up for millions of Americans who do not consider themselves “morning people.” Participants of a behavioral study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed that they feel least positive in the early hours but reported being happier and more energetic after looking at flowers first thing in the morning.

“The morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon, with positive moods – happiness, friendliness and warmth, for example – manifesting much later in the day,” says lead researcher Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. “Interestingly, when we placed a small bouquet of flowers into their morning routines, people perked up.”

Dr. Etcoff is referencing the fact that participants in the study responded to the flowers, which had been placed in rooms they frequented in the morning. Overall, the participants reported they liked to look at the blooms first thing in the morning, particularly in the kitchen. The final study results demonstrate that flowers impact people emotionally at home, causing them to feel less anxious and more compassionate. They even reported a boost of energy that lasted through their day.

“What I find interesting is that by starting the day in a more positive mood, you are likely to transfer those happier feelings to others – it’s what is called mood contagion,” says Etcoff. “And, the kitchen is the place where families tend to gather in the morning – imagine how big a difference a better morning mood can make.”

New York City floral and garden designer Rebecca Cole, host of Discovery Channel’s Surprise by Design, is not surprised by these findings. “I grew up with a kitchen often decorated with flowers,” says Cole. “My family knew instinctively that flowers brought joy to the people who came in contact with them – and now there is scientific proof.”

Cole shares her floral design experience with others, showing them how to use flowers to capture emotion and encourage community in their kitchens.

“There are so many places for flowers in the kitchen – the room where we spend most of our waking time,” says Cole. “From the breakfast nook to the table to the countertop, flowers just belong. It’s even the most convenient room to change the water!”

Cole suggests the following tips for experimenting with color to trying new, dramatic styles to the creative use of containers.


Cut flower stems short and place flowers in interesting or everyday kitchen containers such as tea tins, jelly jars, salt and peppershakers or even pretty wine glasses. Pick something to match your personal style.
To make a big “wow” statement, choose lots of one type of flower. Take off the leaves below the waterline and place them in a big jug, teapot, coffee tin or water pitcher for a burst of cheer. Select surprising color combinations to make a bold statement.
For example, try red and purple stems in grouped vases. Or, use monochromatic flowers, from one color family, to create a simple, pleasing effect.
Choose citrus-colored flowers for a sunny feeling. Place a bud vase holding a few stems of yellow and orange blooms inside a bowl filled with oranges. Or, place a narrow vase of flowers inside a wider, but equally tall, vase. Fill the larger vase with lemons or limes to surround the smaller vase for a fresh look.
Play off of accent colors in your kitchen to bring a splash of color with flowers. Look around and match flowers to decorative wall plates, placemats or curtains to pull out key accent colors.
Line three bud vases or decorative bottles, low or tall, along the middle of your kitchen table or along your sink for a fun, dramatic effect. It’s also a great conversation starter when guests drop by.
Inspire neatness. Place flowers where kitchen clutter typically congregates to prevent future messes from settling there.
What could be simpler than bringing home a few blooms to brighten your kitchen table and your mood?” says Cole. “Experiment, design and smile.”


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Editor’s Note: High-resolution professional photography is available at www.aboutflowers.com/media.

The Home Ecology of Flowers Research Methodology (2006)

Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and her research team investigated the effects of flowers in the home environment on well being. Fifty-four people, ages 25-60, were studied using a series of self-report measures allowing the research team to know where the person was, with whom and what they were doing when they experienced an emotion, both when flowers were and were not present. Half of the participants received a "control" home d�cor item, other than flowers, to ensure study validity. After living with either flowers or the control intervention for approximately one week, participants rated their feelings during specific periods of the day, recording emotions during each episode. The research team also took photographs before and after flowers were delivered to determine any changes in use or appearance of the room.

About Dr. Nancy Etcoff

Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., is a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard University Mind/Brain/Behavior Initiative and a practicing psychologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry where she is the Director of the Program in Aesthetics and Well Being. At Harvard, she currently teaches a course entitled "The Science of Happiness."

About Rebecca Cole

Rebecca began her design business 12 years ago and is the author of three books, Potted Gardens, which won the Quill and Trowel Award, Paradise Found: Gardening in Unlikely Spaces and Flower Power. According to Oprah, Rebecca Cole is "one of the country's top designers." E! says she's "a designer with boundless energy and limitless imagination," and the New York Post coined her "Garden Goddess." Rebecca has hosted Discovery Channel's Surprise by Design since its inception in 2002. She contributed to the Today show for six years running, and has appeared on scores of television and radio shows including, Oprah, The View, CNN and BBC World News. Her career, business and home have been profiled in over 300 national and international publications as diverse as Architectural Digest, Forbes, Budget Living, Martha Stewart Living, Us Magazine, Hanajikan Japan, Metropolitan Home, Woman's Day, Travel and Leisure, Air France, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, The New Yorker and Greek Maison.

New SAF PR Campaign Promotes the Power of Giving Flowers

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - May 16, 2008 - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Yahoo! News are among the media reporting that people who give flowers are viewed as successful, caring and emotionally intelligent.

"Both men and women who give flowers are perceived as happy, achieving, strong, capable and courageous people," reported Yahoo! News on April 29 about new university research findings. "Men and women come across as more emotionally intelligent; they give the impression they can effectively express their feelings and take time to understand the feelings of others."

Jay Leno used the same research as fodder in his comedic monologue on May 1. "According to a survey by Rutgers University, women who give flowers are more appreciative of beauty and nature," Leno said and then joked, "They also found, in general, men who give flowers are really, really sorry they got caught cheating, and they will never do it again."

Both reports on Yahoo! News and The Tonight Show are an immediate result of a strategic public relations campaign launched by the Society of American Florists (SAF) in late April. During the Power of Giving Flowers campaign launch, SAF distributed broadcast packages to national and local television outlets nationwide and is reaching hundreds of daily and weekly newspapers, national magazines and Web sites via a press kit and targeted follow-up. An audio news release distributed on May 7 to radio stations coast to coast tied in with Mother's Day gifting to garner more good news about flowers just prior to the holiday.

The Power of Giving Flowers campaign highlights Rutgers University research, commissioned by SAF and the American Floral Endowment, that shows people who give flowers make the best impression compared to other gifts studied.

The SAF press information features quotes from lead researcher Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., as well as floral gift-giving advice from inspirational author and executive coach MJ Ryan, who helped create the "Random Acts of Kindness" series and wrote books on gratitude and giving.

Consumers and the media can turn to aboutflowers.com for additional information about the Power of Giving.

SAF members can capitalize on The Power of Giving Flowers campaign to build visibility for their shops locally by using the materials posted at safnow.org/kit2008.

The Power of Giving Flowers PR campaign is a direct result of the SAF Fund for Nationwide Public Relations, an industry-wide voluntary promotion effort. For information, visit safnow.org/prfund or call (800) 336-4743.


The Society of American Florists is the association for all segments of the floral industry including wholesalers, growers and retailers. SAF is proud to provide marketing, business and government services for more than 12,000 participants in the U.S. floral industry.


Contact: Jenny Stroman
jstromann@safnow.org
(800) 336-4743

Science Reveals the True Power of Flowers

Emotional Impact of Flowers Study

Science Reveals the True Power of Flowers

In the floral industry, we understand the positive impact flowers have on people. To demonstrate this scientifically, SAF partnered with world-renowned researcher Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, on a groundbreaking study to examine the effect of flowers on human emotion and well being.

The research provides scientific proof that flowers increase happiness and life satisfaction, and lead to increased contact with family and friends.

Specifically, the 2000 SAF-sponsored research reveals:

Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness. Study participants expressed "true" or "excited" smiles upon receiving flowers, demonstrating extraordinary delight and gratitude. This reaction was universal, occurring in all age groups.


Flowers have a long-term positive effect on moods. Specifically, study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious and agitated after receiving flowers, and demonstrated a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction.


Flowers make intimate connections. The presence of flowers led to increased contact with family and friends.


Flowers are a symbol for sharing. The study explored where in their homes people display flowers. Once received, arrangements were placed in areas of the home that are open to visitors - such as foyers, living rooms and dining rooms - suggesting that flowers make the space more welcoming and create a sharing atmosphere.

"The symbolic significance and the universal impact of flowers remains its outstanding feature," said Dr. Haviland-Jones. "In my work, I rarely find anything that contributes to such significant mood changes as the floral arrangements did."

Background

Researcher Bio
Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., the lead researcher on the study, is a professor of psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Dr. Haviland-Jones is a psychologist and authority in the role of emotional development in human behavior and nonverbal emotional signals and response.


Methodology
The study involved 147 women from cities and suburbs recruited by newspaper and word-of-mouth. In age they ranged from younger, middle and senior categories, with a wide range of educational backgrounds, careers, and marital statuses. Most were of European-American descent. For purposes of research on psychological variables they were representative of adult women. To be eligible a woman had to respond to psychological questions, be available at home to accept gifts and have the possibility to share the gift with others.

Receiving a gift was considered payment for taking part in the study. Focus groups were convened to evaluate the equality of gifts used in the study.

Two widely used psychological measures of well-managed intelligent emotional life were used, along with a modified medical interview scale. In addition, a "symptoms of well being" questionnaire was developed.

Observers trained to distinguish among various types of smiles delivered one of three gifts to the study participants, each gift type equated roughly on desirability and price. The women did not know in advance which gift they would get. The gift was either flowers, a gourmet fruit basket or pillar candle. The observers noted the type of smile each gift elicited. Immediate and later psychological measures were taken.


Learn More
A complete analysis of the Emotional Impact of Flowers Study is available for purchase. Visit the SAF Market or contact SAF Member Services at (800) 336–4743.

Promoting the Great News to Consumers

SAF is promoting the results of the Emotional Impact of Flowers Study to the public through a strategic consumer marketing program. Designed to generate valuable print and broadcast coverage of flowers, SAF's campaign featured Dr. Haviland-Jones as the national spokesperson in television interviews and in a nationally distributed press kit.

The campaign launched in Fall 2000 with Dr. Haviland-Jones conducting TV interviews in more than 15 cities coast to coast. In these interviews, broadcast via satellite from the HBO Studios in New York City, Dr. Haviland-Jones told viewers: "For the first time, we have scientific evidence that flowers improve emotional health. Not only do flowers have an immediate powerful impact when delivered, but people's happiness and enjoyment lasts for days." Flowers were provided for the sets of the local stations to be displayed during the interviews, and viewers were referred to SAF's consumer Web site, www.aboutflowers.com, for more information. Video footage was also released via satellite to TV newsrooms nationwide to provide stations with the material to create their own stories.

In addition, SAF distributed a press kit to 2,300 members of the print media. Stories have run in the Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Daily News and several other newspapers. The story continues to be pitched to national news shows and publications. Reports have appeared in popular national magazines including Ladies' Home Journal, Allure, First for Women, Redbook, Mode, Working Mother, Fitness, Shape, Fit, Parents and Today's Black Woman.

Steve's Prom Creations

The team at Steve's Flowers and Gifts know how very important prom flowers are to their young customers and are happy to work with them to make their corsages and boutonnieres special. If you have your heart set on a certain corsage style or type of flower, then there is nothing wrong with letting your date know what you would like. You might even suggest going to the florist shop together to pick out your flowers. Steve's Designers are experts at customization. Show your dress (or a swatch of the fabric) to any of our talented staff, and ask him or her to select an appropriate ribbon. Or you can ask to see what ribbons he or she has on hand and choose one yourself.

Current Trends

Two popular styles are wrist corsages and small hand-held nosegays (and they look great with strapless dresses!). Popular flowers are mini (or sweetheart) roses, standard roses, dendrobium orchids, alstroemeria lilies, mini carnations and other small flowers such as cornflowers and freesia. Flowers for your hair or neck or corsages pinned to an evening bag are also great choices. Talk to your Steve's about the options and ask to see photos of these different styles.

Ordering Tips

It is important to remember that prom season is also peak wedding season and often falls on Mother's Day weekend. Therefore, popular flowers such as sweetheart roses, white roses and certain orchids used to create decorative body flowers are in high demand. Ordering at least two weeks in advance so that your Steve's has time to order the necessary quantities should ensure that you get what you really want. Tell the staff at Steve's what your budget is and ask him or her for ideas. An inexpensive flower used in a lovely corsage style can be just as beautiful as a more expensive bloom. Alstroemeria lilies are a good choice, as are mini carnations. But Steve's will know what the best value is.