A Passion for Roses

Valentine sweethearts throughout Merrick and Long Island will receive about 7,500 roses thanks to Tim Feldis. 

No, he's not a modern day Romeo or Casanova -- he's the owner of Feldis Florist, one of the Island's oldest and largest flower shops, located in Merrick and Garden City.

Generations of Florists

For four generations, the Feldis family has been growing and creating flowers for all occasions. Like his father, John Jr., and grandfather, John Sr. before him, Tim Feldis, inherited his passion for roses and the floral business from Joseph Feldis, who started the business in 1922.

Tim Feldis' great grandfather, Joseph, was an immigrant from Germany who realized his American dream by saving his earnings as a gardener at estates in the New York area.  Joseph opened his flower shop and established green houses encompassing more than two acres in Hempstead. 

Over the next 87 years the Feldis family continued to build and expand its business.  Today, although the original Hempstead shop and green houses were sold to make way for housing, the Feldis Florist tradition continues to thrive.

The Feldis Garden City shop has been around since 1967. About three years ago, Tim Feldis expanded into Merrick, setting up operations at 2170 Sunrise Highway.

"I chose Merrick because it's centrally located, has a great community, and strong Chamber of Commerce," Feldis says.  "The building itself is spacious and fit my needs exactly.  We also already had a strong customer base in Merrick, many of whom date back to my father's time and before from our Hempstead days."

Feldis' customers range from those who come in locally to pick up flowers on the way home, to people who order from as far away as California and Hong Kong.   Feldis also provides floral arrangements for special events and businesses.

Gearing Up for Valentine's Day

"Valentine's is a fun day for us.  It's very intense," Feldis says about the busiest floral day of the year. 

Although most people think about flowers maybe a week in advance of the holiday, Feldis begins planning and preparing for Valentine's Day months ahead of time.

Feldis' main focus is on roses, the number one selling flower for Valentine's Day.  Feldis buys its roses direct from farms in Ecuador and Colombia.

"Starting in December, I'm in constant contact by phone with my supplier, who is directly connected to the farms in South America," Feldis says.  "It takes time and a lot of care to grow the quality of roses that we sell."

Feldis explains that the crops can be affected by different environmental and weather conditions.  In Ecuador that could mean ashes from volcano eruptions which happened a few years ago, to frost in Colombia. 

"We carefully kept tabs on what's going on with our growers so we can plan appropriately and ensure the quality and quality we want," Feldis says. 

By January, Feldis has made his final rose selections and put in his order.  In the beginning of February, Feldis is carefully orchestrating his floral shipments, which travel according to a strict timeline.   The roses are cut, boxed and transported by plane and trucks in carefully regulated and temperature controlled conditions to guarantee freshness.

"I love roses. Most people love roses, unfortunately I hear over and over again that 'roses don't last'. The real problem is that they get the wrong roses from the wrong places," Feldis says.  "A rose with all its beauty can be very temperamental. If they are not cared for properly they will wilt.  I have made it my life's work to treat my roses with the love and care that they need starting from the farms in South America, though the long flight and trucks, to get to my door."

When Feldis opened the new Merrick location he installed the best floral refrigerator available to keep his roses at 34-38 degrees. Additionally, he follows the latest post harvest care techniques available from Floralife, Chrysal and Dr. Staby's Chain of Life network.

Feldis says there's a huge difference in what you get from his florist shop than at the mass merchandise outlets. 

"I've spent the time and effort to choose the best varieties with attention to detail and I handle them properly with meticulous care to ensure freshness," he says.

The entire procurement and handling process may cost more for Feldis, but he says that customers can be assured that they won't see increased prices on his roses this Valentine's.  For Feldis, the trade-off is being able to offer the highest quality and value on his flowers that make for happy customers.

 A Rose By Any Other Name

This Valentine's Day, Feldis customers will be able to choose from a wide selection of different roses and arrangements.

Feldis says red roses are the perennial favorite, but there are also so many other exciting varieties available to choose from. 

"Thanks to hybridization technologies we see 30-50 new varieties of roses each year," Feldis says. 

Feldis personally loves colorful dramatic roses.  He suggests considering Malibu Roses which offer pink and white edged petals or High and Magic Roses that feature yellow and orange petals and yield "big headed" blooms.

Besides roses, Feldis will also offer special mixed floral arrangements for Valentine's Day.  Feldis suggests options such as tulips, Gerber daisies, pink lilies, and larkspur. 

Still not sure what flowers to choose for your Valentine's? No worries, Feldis and his staff of professionals will be happy to offer you a few ideas.

For more information contact Feldis at 1-800-800-LILY (5459) or online:  www.feldis.com.