The Dirt - April 2014

That peaceful, easy Spring Break feeling is…gone! After a brief lull – a calm before the storm, if you will – we are all systems go in anticipation of Administrative Professional's Week (April 20-26), Easter (April 20), and Mother’s Day (May 11). Don’t miss our “Just a Little Something” selection and the always popular Mason Jar arrangements. Both are a perfect token of appreciation and springtime joy for any of these celebrations. Our seven-day staggered work schedule is fully in play thanks to the testing and tweaking we did throughout the first quarter of the year. We are confident this strategic, client-focused move will make a difference in the service and freshness.  Dos Gringos will continue to deliver. We are truly at your service almost all the time! Those of you who endured an unusually long and relentless winter will welcome the softer, lighter, brighter colors of spring and summer, and Dos Gringos will not disappoint. Lilies, Ranunculus, Sunflowers – including an awesome pastel-y Sunbeam and some Gypsy Dianthus are taking center stage right now and stealing the show. Meanwhile, our Dos Gringos East plant in Miami reports that we’re all planted up to harvest Sunflowers galore without interruption from May until November. This is another direct response to client feedback, and I’m thrilled that our valued partners in the eastern part of the country will have even fresher, equally gorgeous Suns of all kinds for a sustained period of time. This signature item continues to set Dos Gringos apart, and we intend to remain the provider of choice. Special thanks to our seed partners and to Master Grower, Todd Thornton for making this growth spurt possible. As busy as we’re getting, we want to be well. After our “Biggest Winner” team challenge wraps in April, efforts and events continue throughout Q2 to help Team Members balance hard work with healthy habits – so we can continue to put the best team on the field for you and can loose a few pounds! Happy Spring to all! Let the floral season begin! ______________________________________

The Dirt - March 2014

Dia Dhuit, I’m deviating from my usual Spanish greeting this month to show off my Gaelic (which I don’t speak.)  However, being part Irish, I love this time of the year!  It’s a great time for all of us here at DG to get our inner GreenGo on! Now that the dust has settled on Valentine’s Day it’s full speed ahead for the rest of the Spring Season.  The team is busy prepping for St. Patty’s Day, Admin's Day, Easter/Passover, and Mother’s Day orders.   We will be full speed ahead from now until the middle of May.  Although, we’d like to rely on a little luck of the Irish to make these holidays go smoothly, we know that smart, disciplined preparation and good, old fashioned hard work will be the key ingredients to making our own luck.  The Irish have a saying, “You’ve got to do your own growing no matter how tall your father is.”  This holds true of flowers just as it does for people.  There has been a lot of press about the California drought, however we are in good shape as far as water goes.  Our Sunflowers are getting all the H2Q they need.  They are growing tall and looking beautiful for the rest of March. We are pleased to announce that Team Sun showed up in full force for the 4th annual Finish Chelsea’s Run.  We had 65 Team Members run/walk in this important 5K fundraiser.  Our donation of over 2,000 Sunflowers helped contribute $2,219  to the Sunflower Scholarship Fund.  See more about this on the following link. Read More > This month we feature our “Special Projects Person” Suzy Long.  It is with mixed emotions that I bring this interview to you as Suzy is retiring after 7 years with Dos Gringos.  Suzy has done great things for Dos Gringos and she will be missed.  Learn more about Suzy below. Q.  How did you happen to come out of retirement 7 years go to join the DG Team? A.  I have always enjoyed working with flowers and, after retiring from a 26 year career in banking, I was really looking to find some outlet that would allow me to be creative.  Ironically, my local Garden Club came on a tour of Dos Gringos.  Later a call came to the club that Dos Gringos was looking for a person who wanted to work on some of their projects on a part time basis.  I applied, was hired and the rest is, as they say, history. Q.  What does a “Special Projects” person do? A.  In addition to producing grocery store bouquets, Dos Gringos also supports local charities through our flowers.  I handled many Gala events, Meals on Wheels volunteer events as well as designing bouquets for our ecommerce division and seeing them through the peak times and many other tasks too.  It was always a busy day! Q.  What was your most challenging task? A.  For me, It was learning how to balance the acquisition of product needed, especially for larger projects. Q.  What was the most rewarding part of your time at DG? A.  It was most definitely the opportunity to use my creative side.  Dos Gringos allowed me to execute new ideas and concepts with every project.  It was great fun. Q.  What’s the biggest opportunity Dos Gringos has in front of them?  A.  Dos Gringos’ has unlimited opportunities they just need to keep growing! Q.  What are you looking forward to most about retirement?  A.  My husband Les, and I love to travel and we intend to step up our travel schedule.  This year we have trips planned to the Bordeaux region of France, Holland, Germany, Ohio and New York City.   ______________________________________ I’m looking forward to having Joan Donahue Saunders' World Famous Irish Stew at the office on March 17th.  Come join us if you are in the neighborhood. ______________________________________ ________________________________