Grandiflora Featured in Grower Talks Magazine April 2008

Grandiflora was featured as the cover story in the April 2008 issue of Grower Talks Magazine in an article entitled "Call it Thrifty, Call it Cheap - we call it Smart Business". The story focused on the nursery's efforts at sustainability including catching and re-using irrigation water, buying back customer's used plastic containers, and recycling aluminum cans, pallets, and old vehicles.

Alan Shapiro, owner of Grandiflora, speaks at Educational Events around the South

In 2006 and 2007, Alan Shapiro was asked to speak at Maclay Botanical Gardens in Tallahassee, the Jacksonville Zoo, the South Carolina Nursery Association Trade Show in Myrtle Beach, and the Charleston Winter Symposium.

Most of these powerpoint presentations focused on the topic "Surprisingly Hardy Tropical-looking Perennials for Southern Gardens".

Alan and Ellen Shapiro go on Amazon Adventure

In February 2007, Alan and Ellen took a once in a lifetime plant exploration trip to the wilds of Brazil, starting from Manaus, a city 1000 miles up the Amazon River. Living and traveling in a boat that accomodated 24 passengers, the Shapiro's and their traveling companions (mostly aquatic plant enthusiasts), were in search of a rumored Dwarf Victoria Water Lily.

Besides seeing exotic birds like caracaras, macaws, green parrots, and toucans, the Shapiro's also saw (and sometimes handled) monkeys, boa constrictors, sloths, iguanas, and caymans. They also found many exotic plants in the rain forest that unfortunately they could not bring back seeds or cuttings of, only pictures.

Alan caught a black pirhana while fishing for Peacock Bass, and it was delicious.

Grandiflora  takes first prize at FNATS 2006

We won First Place Large Exhibit for our trade show booth at FNATS on September 28, 2006. The theme was color in the landscape, so we dressed as painters, complete with paint-splattered pants. Our signage declared "Grandiflora - it's all about color!" If we had brought extra pants, we could have sold them all.

 Combo Pot Winner at Southeast Greenhouse Conference

Grandiflora won top prize for its wheelbarrow full of perennials in the first mixed container contest at the Greenville SC trade show in June 2006.

 Cingular Wireless Tower constructed

Being so close to Interstate 75, Grandiflora was chosen as an ideal location for a Cingular Wireless Tower. Construction of the 200-foot tower was completed in May 2005.

 2005 Trade Show Theme - A New Idea is Born
Announcing the birth of Grandiflora

In the winter of 2005, we dressed in scrubs in Myrtle Beach SC and Mobile AL to promote the birth of our new marketing program, winning booth awards at both shows.

New Loading Dock

We recently completed construction on an impressive 100'X 40' covered loading dock with plans to double its size in the next year. Now our loaders don't have to work in the dark, rain, lightning, hail, or blazing sun.

 San Felasco Nurseries, Inc. Becomes Grandiflora

A new name, logo and branding program will position the nursery to reach the next level of professionalism and become a major supplier of color for the entire southeast.

After 3 decades of customers and suppliers wrestling with the spelling and pronunciation of San Felasco, owners Alan and Ellen Shapiro announced plans to change the name of their 106-acre Florida nursery to Grandiflora. Coordinated with the name change will be the debut of a new whimsical logo and a branding program for the nursery's products. In the future, flowering plants will be marketed as "Grandiflora Grown" with the tag line "long-lasting Southern blooms". The Shapiro's hope that in time, retail nursery customers will request "Grandiflora Grown" plants just as they currently seek out products from Monrovia, Blooms of Bressingham and Proven Winners.

 Let's Get Tropical!

Our fall 2004 Trade Show theme promoted our hardy tropical line.

San Felasco wins Operation of the Year Award

At FNATS 2003, it was announced that San Felasco Nurseries had won Ornamental Outlook Magazine's Operation of the Year Award.

 New Cold Frames

In early 2003, we finished construction of 8 new Jaderloon greenhouses sited just north of the office building to protect our perennials during the winter.

Two More Trade Show Booth Awards

San Felasco won best large booth at both the SNA and FNATS show this summer with the theme "Be a Plantnik...Think Outside the Boxwood"