New!! The Tokens Bouquet from Oberer's Flowers

Something new. This hand tied is freestanding and self contained in a ribbon cinched “water wrap” ready to be dropped into any deserving vase.

They're available for delivery to our entire service area - Columbus, OH metro area - Dayton, OH metro area, Cincinatti, OH metro area and Indianapolis, IN metro areas.

Visit one of our stores, call or click http://www.oberers.com/ to send them today!

Spring is Springing at Oberer's Flowers

Oberer's Flowers is excited to help you welcome spring with some exciting new arrangements.

Call, click or visit our stores to take a peek at what we have in bloom for you!

Oberer's Flowers Dayton, Oh - Oberer's Flowers Cincinatti, Oh. - Oberer's Flowers Indianapolis, In -
Oberer's Flowers Columbus, Oh.

Doing your own flowers

Introducing the Oberer's Flowers Memorial Angel

Pay tribute to a beautiful life with the new Memorial Angel from Oberer's Flowers.

Featuring a porcelain angel, scented pilar candle accented with white roses in a bed of greenery and berries.

$39.99

Just In from our Greenhouses!!!

What a way to break up the grey winter time days!  An amazing assortment of bright blooming plants sure to perk out a smile!!

Stop into your nearest Oberer's Flowers store and check them out!

From our Design Room table.........

A regular customer of Oberer's Flowers in Carmel challenged our designers by bringing in a resin 4foot bear that had a hollow body.

Tracy (our customer) wanted to give the bear a wintery look as he stands outside her Carmel home to greet her guests.  This was somewhat of a challenge due to the bear having no body.  By using floral foam we created the bears body by using wintery greens, stacked up some fire wood wired it all together and utilized some permanent accents which she provided.

Here's a look at the final product!  Needless to say Tracy was elated and we're sure the bear will bring many smiles to her visitors.

Another project Tracy brought into her favorite flower people below is an antique style sled and a family treasured Cardinal.  Tracy said she wanted a table top arrangement created with a snow lodge, wintery theme.

Here's a peek at her custom arrangement.

We've all got some things laying around the house that we just know we'd like to do something with but can't imagine what.

 Feel free to bring them along on your next visit to your local Oberer's Flowers store in Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus,  Downtown Indianapolis or Carmel, Indiana store.

We'll pair up our imaginative designers with your items, add fresh flowers and come up with a creative design for your home.

Thanks to Tracy from Carmel for allowing us to share your story!

Fresh flowers, then, now and in the future

Spending some time searching the internet I came across this picture.  I assume these gentlemen were much like many other florists way back when.  Growing the flowers and plants they would bring to market.

In fact our company evolved from the dirt (literally) where our corporate headquarters still stands to this very day.  Many florists including Carl Oberer (our founder) grew flowers in the fields and greenhouses erected on their property.  These florists of yesterday would harvest flowers and bring them to market and wholesale to the city florists that were unable to grow their own.

Of course the history of floristry is something that we'd find interesting, but in case your somewhat like us here are some pictures I came across on a lazy Sunday morning.

Can you even imagine having your flowers delivered across town by horse and carriage?  Here's proof this is the way it was?

I imagine this might be this hardworking florists very first truck.  I'd bet the whole family pitched in to water, cut, process, arrange and then deliver.

Calling all women!!!   During World War II new talent was needed while "The Boys" were over there!

Here's an old newspaper cartoon depicting a man visiting a florist to buy flowers for a woman that he'd like to employ.

My how times have changed.

Here's an ad for a florist in their new building from 1960.    Can you even imagine people lining up to buy "NEW" Plastic Plants?

Sometimes I wonder what Carl would say if he could see what the dirt under his finger nails back then helped to create today.

Our promise for the future is; We'll keep on working just as hard as all those that came before us!

Thanks for being such great customers!

Everyone at Oberer's Flowers

The New Year

We just can't thank you all for a fantastic 2010!

Everyone at Oberer's Flowers is very excited for things to come in 2011.

Here's a peek at what's on our agenda;

Exciting new floral offerings and email specials

Expanded Design classes at every Oberer's Flowers location

Our brand new Oberer's Video section; offering how to videos, behind the scene peeks from the design room floor, guest designers, decorating with tropical plants. 

There's a whole lot more to come! 

We can't wait!

From all of us at Oberer's Flowers - Thank you for allowing us to play a role in the most important occasions in your life!

Our very best wishes for the New Year!

Merry Christmas

From the extended Oberer's Flowers family in Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis crews

Our Warmest Wishes for a Very Merry Christmas!

Through the Snow, we can build a centerpiece!

We couldn't have planned it better...  Saturday morning we awoke to a December snow shower coating the trees, streets and sidewalks.  We piled the cookies high, chilled the fruit punch and opened up the doors to our Carmel, Indiana Store to host our second design class.

At about 1:30 the streams of people began filling into the store bundled up in their winter coats, hats and gloves.  The snow continued to fall as we began our class.

Oh what fun it was!

The only thing missing was; A One Horse Open Sleigh!

Thanks so much to all that participated, your arrangements looked fantastic!

Introducing our "Partridge In A Pear Tree"

On the first day of Christmas...

We all know the song, and many of you may have asked what some of the gifts mentioned in the song would look like, and how much would it cost.

Well this year Oberer's Flowers brings probably the most famous one to life!

This handsome Partridge sits atop his kingdom of pears, pine cones, berries and greens in tree form that surely will bring Joy to your true love or valued friend!

The Partridge In A Pear Tree retails for $29.99 and we have them ready for delivery today!

Happy Holiday's

Sights and Holiday Scents In Store

Fresh seasonal wreaths, garlands, greens and berries have arrived and are in stock, ready for pick up or delivery!

Christmas in the United States

Getting excited about the holidays!

Did you know that way back in 1900 only one in five American households had a christmas tree?

With a little help from Wikipedia and thehistoryofchristmas.com we’ve compiled some interesting facts behind the history of the Christmas Holiday Season.

Jingle, Jingle!!

In the early 17^th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated

in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday. 

The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident.

After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under America’s new constitution. Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.

Washington Irving reinvents Christmas It wasn’t until the 19^th century that Americans began to embrace Christmas. Americans re-invented Christmas, and changed it from a raucous carnival holiday into a family-centered day of peace and nostalgia. But what about the 1800s peaked American interest in the holiday?

The early 19 ^th century was a period of class conflict and turmoil. During this time, unemployment was high and gang rioting by the disenchanted classes often occurred during the Christmas season. In 1828, the New York city council instituted the city’s first police force in response to a Christmas riot. This catalyzed certain members of the upper classes to begin to change the way Christmas was celebrated in America.

In 1819, best-selling author Washington Irving wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, gent., a series of stories about the celebration of Christmas in an English manor house. The sketches feature a squire who invited the peasants into his home for the holiday. In contrast to the problems faced in American society, the two groups mingled effortlessly. In Irving’s mind, Christmas should be a peaceful, warm-hearted holiday bringing groups together across lines of wealth or social status.

Irving’s fictitious celebrants enjoyed “ancient customs,” including the crowning of a Lord of Misrule. Irving’s book, however, was not based on any holiday celebration he had attended—in fact, many historians say that Irving’s account actually “invented” tradition by implying that it described the true customs of the season.

Before the Civil War
The North and South were divided on the issue of Christmas, as well as on the question of slavery. Many Northerners saw sin in the celebration of Christmas; to these people the celebration of Thanksgiving was more appropriate. But in the South, Christmas was an important part of the social season. Not surprisingly, the first three states to make Christmas a legal holiday were in the South: Alabama in 1836, Louisiana and Arkansas in 1838.

In the years after the Civil War, Christmas traditions spread across the country. Children's books played an important role in spreading the customs of celebrating Christmas, especially the tradition of trimmed trees and gifts delivered by Santa Claus. Sunday school classes encouraged the celebration of Christmas. Women's magazines were also very important in suggesting ways to decorate for the holidays, as well as how to make these decorations.

By the last quarter of the nineteenth century, America eagerly decorated trees, caroled, baked, and shopped for the Christmas season. Since that time, materialism, media, advertising, and mass marketing has made Christmas what it is today. The traditions that we enjoy at Christmas today were invented by blending together customs from many different countries into what is considered by many to be our national holiday.
An overview:

1600's: The Puritans made it illegal to mention St. Nicolas' name. People were not allowed to exchange gifts, light a candle, or sing Christmas carols.

17th century: Dutch immigrants brought with them the legend of Sinter Klaas.


1773: Santa first appeared in the media as St. A Claus.


1804: The New York Historical Society was founded with St. Nicolas as its patron saint. Its members engaged in the Dutch practice of gift-giving at Christmas. 


1809: Washington Irving, writing under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, included Saint Nicolas in his book "A History of New York." Nicolas is described as riding into town on a horse. 


1812: Irving, revised his book to include Nicolas riding over the trees in a wagon. 


1821: William Gilley printed a poem about "Santeclaus" who was dressed in fur and drove a sleigh drawn by a single reindeer. 


1822: Dentist Clement Clarke Moore is believed by many to have written a poem "An Account of a Visit from Saint Nicolas," which became better known as "The Night before Christmas." Santa is portrayed as an elf with a miniature sleigh equipped with eight reindeer which are named in the poem as Blitzem, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donder, Prancer, and Vixen. Others attribute the poem to a contemporary, Henry Livingston, Jr. Two have since been renamed Donner and Blitzen. 


1841: J.W. Parkinson, a Philadelphia merchant, hired a man to dress up in a "Criscringle" outfit and climb the chimney of his store. 


1863: Illustrator Thomas Nast created images of Santa for the Christmas editions of Harper's Magazine. These continued through the 1890's. 


1860s: President Abraham Lincoln asked Nast to create a drawing of Santa with some Union soldiers. This image of Santa supporting the enemy had a demoralizing influence on the Confederate army -- an early example of psychological warfare. 


1897: Francis P Church, Editor of the New York Sun, wrote an editorial in response to a letter from an eight year-old girl, Virginia O'Hanlon. She had written the paper asking whether there really was a Santa Claus. It has become known as the "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" letter.


1920's: The image of Santa had been standardized to portray a bearded, over-weight, jolly man dressed in a red suit with white trim.


1931: Haddon Sundblom, illustrator for The Coca-Cola ™ company drew a series of Santa images in their Christmas advertisements until 1964. The company holds the trademark for the Coca-Cola Santa design. Christmas ads including Santa continue to the present day. 


1939 Copywriter Robert L. May of the Montgomery Ward Company created a poem about Rudolph, the ninth reindeer. May had been "often taunted as a child for being shy, small and slight." He created an ostracized reindeer with a shiny red nose who became a hero one foggy Christmas eve. Santa was part-way through deliveries when the visibility started to degenerate. Santa added Rudolph to his team of reindeer to help illuminate the path. A copy of the poem was given free to Montgomery Ward customers.


1949: Johnny Marks wrote the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Rudolph was relocated to the North Pole where he was initially rejected by the other reindeer who wouldn't let him play in their reindeer games because of his strange looking nose. The song was recorded by Gene Autry and became his all-time best seller. Next to "White Christmas" it is the most popular song of all time. 


1993: An urban folk tale began to circulate about a Japanese department store displaying a life-sized Santa Claus being crucified on a cross. It never happened. 


And in 2010??


In our tradition, Oberer's Flowers promises an Invitingly, Exciting selection of the seasons freshest selections, and of course delivered by our very own army of Elves!

We're truly Thankful

Well another Thanksgiving is upon us and everyone at Oberer's Flowers; Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati, Carmel and Indianapolis are truly thankful to all of you that chose us to be part of your holiday!


Our Hazelnut Centerpiece was a huge hit and helped Oberer's set a new record for Thanksgiving!


Just wait until you see what we have "In Store" for you over the upcoming Holiday Season!


Happy Thanksgiving!
The Oberer's Flowers Crew

Downtown Indianapolis Meet and Greet!

Yesterday we promoted our newest Oberer's Flowers location at the City Market in downtown Indianapolis by calling in three of our marketing Guru's.  (Blues Clues, Nemo and Clifford).

They were on hand as we handed out long stemmed roses to the visitors of the market and our staff handed out our everyday and holiday catalogs.

We stayed inside at the market for a couple of hours before we literally hit the streets of Indianapolis!

Pulling a three tiered cart overloaded with fresh flowers we roamed the busy downtown streets and ended up to the monument in the Center of Indy.  We posed for many pictures along the way by people wanting a picture on their cell phone with our marketing characters!

It was an exciting day!

Our newest location is ;
Oberer's Flowers
222 E Market Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Located at the Historic City Market

Stop in to say hello, tell us you read our blog, and we'll give you some pretty flowers!

Holiday Design Class - Saturday December 4th at 2pm

Back by popular demand!  Oberer's hands on design class!

We are very excited to announce Oberer's first holiday design class will take place on Saturday December 4th at 2:00pm at our Carmel, Indiana store.

Participants will learn the techniques working with fresh greens, pine cones and beautiful fresh flowers.  We'll be creating a holiday centerpiece for the table.  Stop by for a fun filled afternoon!

There is no charge for the class or the supplies and you'll be taking your arrangement home with you!

The class size is limited so please RSVP to info@oberers.com ASAP.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Location
Oberer's Flowers Carmel Store
12761 Old Meridian St
Carmel, Indiana 46032