Bloomex Partners with the Hershey Company

Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Bloomex Canada is pleased to announce its national supplier partnership with the Hershey Company. The Hershey Company has agreed to provide Bloomex with special samples of delicious Hershey’s chocolate products. From July 2015, every Bloomex order of fresh flowers or gourmet gift baskets delivered in Canada will include complimentary Hershey’s chocolates. Yummy!

We are so happy to provide free chocolates to our Bloomex customer family.  For those who have allergies, please also be assured that chocolate samples will be separately wrapped and labeled to alert customers to any potential allergens.

Bloomex is proud to have been chosen by Hershey. Hershey’s selects its partners based on key criteria such as a company focus on quality, company stability, competitive costs, flexibility and innovation, as well as a demonstrated expertise on the goods and services offered. “We are delighted that Bloomex met or surpassed all key partnership criteria,” says Mark Camphaug, Director of Marketing at Bloomex Canada. “In return we are proud to work with a company that also values high standards and quality products. We look forward to an ongoing partnership with the Hershey Company which allows our customers to enjoy or share these delicious complimentary Hershey’s products with their Bloomex orders.”



The Hershey Company was started by Milton S. Hershey as a subsidiary of his Lancaster Caramel company, through his 1894 experimentation with chocolate as a coating for caramels. In 1905 the company began producing milk chocolate at a dedicated factory in Pennsylvania, where its headquarters remain. Hershey Chocolate World has become a popular attraction here as well, with other locations now open in other cities.

photo from strawberryblondelife.com

Today the Hershey Company is the leading North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery and chocolate-related grocery products. The company also is a leader in the gum and mint category. Hershey’s products are currently enjoyed in over 90 countries around the world with more than 80 types of treats. For more information on the Hershey Company, please visit www.thehersheycompany.com. 

To enjoy your own FREE sample of Hershey's, place your next Bloomex order! See you soon :)

Best Canada Day Gifts and Flowers

We are in countdown to Canada Day! Bloomex is very proud to be Canada's largest florist, serving Canadians for over ten years and with over a million customers served. We love Canada and our national holiday is certainly a good time to celebrate. 

This year marks the 148th anniversary of the day that Canada became a nation, when Upper Canada, Lower Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia united to become one dominion. Prior to 1982, this celebratory day was called "Dominion Day" and only became Canada Day thanks to an act of Parliament declaring it such. 

photo from CTV.ca

Today we often celebrate with picnics, parties, BBQs and fireworks.  It's a family event that unites all Canadians young and old, coast to coast.

If you are hosting a Canada Day event this year, whether it is a supper at the cottage or a picnic in a park, it's always a lovely idea to add some fresh flowers to your decorating. A few gourmet treats are always welcome too!

photo from Cityline.ca

To help get the party going this July 1, Bloomex provides delicious homemade cookies and gourmet cakes, baked fresh in assorted yummy varieties, that you can order up or send to a loved one for their celebration. 

What is more Canadian than fresh Atlantic lobster? Send a real treat to someone across the country, or order for yourself. Bloomex lobster is fresh caught, flash frozen, and shipped directly from our Halifax facility. This lets you enjoy a delicious gourmet feast this year, at the best prices around! We have lobster in various size orders, from one to twenty.  





We've included a few of our best red and white bouquets for you here, with more choices at Bloomex.ca. And remember, we can always create a custom bouquet, just for you! However you choose to honour our national holiday, we wish you a happy and healthy event. Check the website for even more great gifts and flowers.
 

Happy Canada Day to all!   

Always & Forever Bouquet is a gorgeous "Canada Day" choice featuring fresh red roses and beautiful white lilies, perfect to dress your table this year.

Crimson Delight is sure to add that pop of "Canada red" to set off your picnic or BBQ with style. 

The Bestseller Bouquet is one of our most popular choices all year, and is especially perfect for Canada Day! 

Bloomex Provides Roses for Global Morning Show

Bloomex Canada was proud to be asked, and pleased to provide, the prize for a recent contest held on Global TV's The Morning Show.

Movie and stage actress Blythe Danner provided an interview to Global TV recently to help promote her amazing new movie. Danner stars in I'll See You in My Dreams, alongside such veteran stars as Rhea Perlman, Sam Elliott and Martin Starr. 

Danner spoke with familiar Global News personality Liza Fromer about the movie and the experience of making it. Danner discussed how it was to work with her co-stars, and has shared how her movie character parallels her own experience of widowhood following the loss of her husband Bruce Paltrow (father of actress Gwyneth) almost thirteen years ago. 

The movie is garnering some award buzz and very positive reviews for Danner's shining performance as Carol and for its sensitive and endearing treatment of aging, love and loss. Read a review to learn more about this lovely film and how Danner "knocks it out of the park." 

During the interview, The Morning Show ran a contest for "free roses for a year" and Bloomex was asked if we could possibly provide the prize. We were happy to help! Congratulations to winner Trish H. of Ottawa She will now enjoy a dozen beautiful, plump, long-stemmed roses every month for a whole year!

Bloomex also gave away some free movie passes as part of a fun contest for Bloomex customers. Read the contest blog to find out more. If you haven't seen the movie yet, put it on your list and check out this wonderful story.

Watch the full interview clip and enjoy this lovely visit with Blythe Danner, as well as the contest information!

Father's Day Photo Contest

photo from danoah.com

It's almost Father's Day—that special day of the year set aside to take a moment and tell Dad you love and appreciate him.  After all he does for you, often quietly and without thanks, it's time for us to treat this special man to a thoughtful gift or two.

At Bloomex we are happy to provide you with an array of great gift ideas for Dad, including some amazing new gift baskets designed just for him, with easy delivery coast to coast. Be sure to enter our photo contest for your chance to send Dad a special surprise this year!

WIN DAD A GIFT BASKET FOR FATHER'S DAY

Win Dad an awesome new Car Wash Bucket IV, full of everything he needs to make his car shine. Bucket includes items such as Armor All Protectant, Deluxe Hose Nozzle, Microfibre Wash and Scrub Sponge, Air Freshener, Tire Protectent, Upholstery Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Engine Degreaser, Tire Pressure Gauge, Carpet & Fabric Refresher. To top it off we include one Tall Boy of Beer and full sized Card all in a plastic wash bucket! This makes a creative gift for Father’s Day!

Alternate prize is the superb BBQ Gift Basket IV, sure to get Dad all "fired up" with an array of items for masterful grilling, such as savoury spices, Diana Marinade Spicy Southwest Chipotle Sauce, seasoning, skewers, fork, spatula, corn holders, tongs, napkings, grill scourer, basting brush and more...along with a Tall Boy (710ml) of Beer and a full sized card. Dad will love this way more than another boring tie or shirt!

 

   

photo from brainjet.com

Send us a DAD PHOTO, any funny or touching photo of a Dad doing Dad-like things, and you could WIN a Car Wash IV Gift Bucket, OR a BBQ IV Gift Basket! 

Photos must be received by TUESDAY JUNE 16, 12 noon EST. 

Tweet us your photo to @Bloomex_canada

Email us your photo to contest@bloomex.ca 

OR 

Message your photo to the Bloomex Facebook Page.

Two winners will be selected (one winner for each prize). Top two photos will be selected by a panel of Bloomex employees. Winners will be randomly assigned either prize. Delivery of gift baskets to take place on Friday June 19. Please note that by sending your photo you agree that we can share it on the Bloomex blog, Twitter account, and/or Facebook page. Contest open to residents of Canada. 

Good luck, and Happy Father's Day! 

(And be sure to check the Blog for even more Father's Day gift ideas!)

Best Father's Day Gift Ideas

Let's not forget Dad this Father's Day! He may be the quiet one who says he doesn't care about gifts, but that doesn't mean we should overlook him on this special day. Dads are sometimes hard to buy for, but choose something just for him and you are sure to put a big smile on his face. 

Bloomex wants to help make things easy by putting together some awesome ideas for Dad that are sure to please at every price range. 

You can also check out some "man-friendly" flowers to let Dad know you are thinking of him...there is no reason Dad's can't enjoy some beautiful blue and white flowers, a thoughtful card, or a growing green plant.

Here are a few of our top gift choices for Dad, but be sure to check out all the Father's Day gift ideas at the Bloomex site! 

Men's Spa Basket

Who says guys don't enjoy a bit of pampering too? Treat Dad to this manly gift basket full of products to keep him looking and feeling great. 

 

Gourmet Cookies

Yum! Dad will love these delectable homemade gourmet cookies, baked fresh daily with no preservatives. Available in four delicious varieties! 

Gourmet Cake

Save yourself the baking, or treat Dad if you are not there in person, with a delicious homemade gourmet cake to celebrate his special day. A decadent treat baked just for him! Available in five scrumptious flavours!

Coffee Gift Baskets

Choose from a variety of gift baskets specially selected for the coffee lover. Dad will love this array of gourmet treats with a variety of coffees to sample and savour.

Premium Lobster

Yes, Bloomex provides delectable, top-quality lobster! All lobster is freshly caught off the Canadian Atlantic, expertly cooked in the shell, flash frozen and delivered directly from our Halifax facility right to Dad's doorstep. Provide him with a gourmet feast he will love, at a price you can hardly believe! 

Gourmet Cheese & Snack Gift Baskets

Bloomex provides you with a fantastic selection of gift baskets featuring an array of gourmet cheeses, snacks, crackers, and seafood that are sure to make Dad super happy this Father's Day! 

 

Beer & Nuts Gift Basket

The perfect "Man's basket!" This basket is a perfect assembly of beer, nuts, candy and snacks that is the perfect choice to send Dad this year. 

 

Gourmet Collection Gift Baskets 

Can't narrow down your choice of gift basket? Go for variety! The best value in town, check out all the Bloomex Gourmet Collection gift baskets with a generous assortment of gourmet snacks for Dad. Best of all, these Gourmet baskets are all at half price.

Happy Father's Day from Bloomex Canada! 

Top Five Most Loved Flowers: Gerberas

Rainbow Gerbera Bouquet

One of the top five most popular flowers in the world is the gorgeous Gerbera. Gerbera  is a genus of plants in the daisy family, named for German botanist Traugott Gerber.

Gerber Brights

Gerbera daisies enjoy the heat and are native to tropical regions in South America, Africa, and Asia. Gerberas are sometimes referred to as the “African Daisy.”  

Arrangements that feature lovely gerberas always have high impact and are especially wonderful choices for get well, congratulations, thank you, house warming, new baby, or other cheerful occasions.










 

Wondrous Wishes

Pink & Lilac Extravaganza

These species of daisy have a large flower head with striking two-lipped florets that come in vivid colours of yellow, orange, white, pink or red. The same flower can many contain variations of colour in  its petals. The flower head (capitulum) is actually composed of hundreds of tiny flowers and can range from small (such as the “Harley” variety) to up to 12 cm (such as in “Golden Serena”).

  

Autumn Gerberas

Gerbera daisies are extremely popular. They are cheerful, vivid, and hearty, conveying enthusiasm and good wishes. They are used internationally as a decorative plant in the garden as well as for cut flower bouquets and arrangements.  In the garden, Gerbera daisies are perennial and are very attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds, but luckily, not to deer.

Gerberas are the fifth most used cut flower in the world. (Roses, carnations, chyrsanthemums, and tulips rank above it in the top five!)

There are many, many bouquets and flower arrangements featuring gerberas that are available at Bloomex for you to enjoy—be sure to check them all out and find your own favourite gerbera bouquet to send!

Bloomex Supplies Tulips to Veterans at VE Day Celebration

Photo from cbc.ca

Each May brings the anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, which first took place on May 8, 1945 to mark the date the Allies formally accepted the surrender of Nazi forces. Canada and other Allied nations honour the date with commemoration ceremonies held on both sides of the Atlantic. This year marked the 70th anniversary of VE Day and an especially moving ceremony took place in the Netherlands at the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery

Photo from www.thankyoucanada.nl

Canadian soldiers played a huge role in many of the conflicts, and are especially remembered for their contribution in assisting the Dutch. The First Canadian Army fought a grueling nine-month campaign to liberate the Netherlands, and to provide food and other relief to its citizens.

This contribution and the more than 7600 Canadians who died during the Dutch Liberation, have never been forgotten. To this day Canada enjoys a very special relationship with the Dutch, who continually acknowledge and thank Canada for it's assistance on both sides of the Atlantic.

The grateful Dutch have sent thousands of tulips to Ottawa to honour the sacrifices of the Canadian forces. The Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa highlights this contribution, with thousands of international tourists enjoying the beautiful tulips that bloom every spring in the capital as a result. 

 

VE Day 2015 was celebrated in Canada with a ceremony at the National War Memorial, followed by a Veteran's luncheon at the main tent of the Tulip Festival. The Tulip Festival event was attended by dignitaries including Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.

This year, Bloomex was proud to provide the tulips and special "Thank You" cards for the Canadian veterans in attendance.











Other Canadian soldiers also joined in at the Tulip Festival site as part of a World War II reenactment that included vintage vehicles from the era. Evening fireworks capped off the event.

Bloomex was very proud to be part of the opening day of the Canadian Tulip Festival and to support our amazing veterans young and old for the 70th anniversary of VE Day.  It was an honour to meet some of the men and women who made such noble sacrifices on behalf of Canada in this conflict.

For more information on the Bloomex Tulips for Veterans, please read the Press Release.
Click to read more about the 70th Anniversary commemorations and Canada's contribution to the liberation of the Netherlands.

Click to see more photos from the "Thank You Canada" campaign between the Netherlands and Canada. 

Win FREE MOVIE PASSES!

Great news! Bloomex is proud to partner with Elevation Pictures in helping to promote the heartwarming new film I'll See You in my Dreams! As a result of our support, we are pleased to offer you a chance to win FREE MOVIE PASSES!

This brand new romantic dramedy is coming to Canada soon and stars major Hollywood talent Blythe Danner (from movies such as Meet the Parents, Little Fockers,The Prince of Tides, and Brighton Beach Memoirs). Blythe is also otherwise known as Gwyneth Paltrow's Mom! Rhea Perlman (from Cheers and other hit comedies) and Sam Elliott (The Hulk, The Golden Compass, Ghost Rider, Draft Day, and more) also star in the film.

The movie is vibrant, funny and heartfelt. Danner plays a widow named Carol, a former songstress who learns that life can begin anew at any age.  With the support of three loyal girlfriends (June Squibb, Rhea Perlman, and Mary Kay Place), Carol decides to embrace the world again. She begins an unlikely but supportive friendship with her pool maintenance man (Martin Starr), pursues a new love interest (with the rugged and dashing Sam Elliott), and reconnects with her daughter (played superbly by Malin Akerman, of movies such as Couples Retreat, The Watchmen, The Proposal, and the television series Trophy Wife). 

Critics are loving this movie...Check out a review to learn more! 

View the Trailer for your own sneak peak!

The tickets are on us! You could WIN YOURSELF A FREE PASS (each pass will admit two people) just by entering— makes a perfect Date Night or Girls Night Out!

Passes are are available for: 

1. The advance screening, Thursday May 28, 7 p.m.

Toronto: Varsity & VIP Cinemas, 55 Bloor Street West

Vancouver: International Village Cinemas, 88 West Pender Street

2. The main movie release (Run-of-Engagement Passes), running from May 29 in Toronto and Vancouver, and from June 5 in Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

DON'T WAIT: Enter to Win now! 

MESSAGE: Like us on Facebook, and send us a Message

EMAIL: Email a short note to contest@bloomex.ca 

1. Be sure to tell us WHICH CITY you are in, and if you want the ADVANCE SCREENING or the MAIN RELEASE passes. Main Release passes are good for use at any movie time at participating theatres in designated cities (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Montreal, Halifax). Advance screenings are in Toronto and Vancouver only, as listed above.

2. Contest open to residents of Canada who can use the passes in the cities listed.

3. Winners will be randomly selected from the pool of contest entries. There are 10 advance passes available for Toronto and 10 for Vancouver. There are 5 Main Release passes available for each of the major cities as listed.

3. Advance screening passes will be emailed to you, so you can print and bring on May 28.

Main release passes will be mailed to you. 

Have fun! We hope you enjoy "I'll See You in My Dreams" as much as we do! 

Mother's Day Contest Winners

Sarah & her Mom in 1995

Bloomex was so pleased to receive many amazing photos and stories about our wonderful Moms during this year's Mother's Day contests. We've picked a few of the highlights to share with you! Thank to all those who entered. It's very clear that #bloomexmoms rock!

Amber wrote us: "Single mommy of these two beautiful boys & would not change a thing." 

Amber later Tweeted a photo of her contest flowers and a sweet thank you note: "@Bloomex_canada They are absolutely beautiful !!!! Thank You so much xoxo "

Hassan sent us this photo of him with his Mom. His message reflected his love for her: "I just want it to say I'm proud to have a great mother who looks after me and my 2 younger brothers and how she looks out for my aunty alice as well and proud to call her my mother. I couldn't have wished for a better mother than her and I think she has done a great job raising us boys and putting up with our crazy ways as kids."

 

Nicole and her mom Joanne enjoying a "Mother-Daughter date night." Nicole says "the fact that she still has fun, no matter what, is definitely why she is so deserving."

Dan wrote us with this wonderful message about his mother: "My mom has always been a hero in my and my siblings own eyes. She raised us and worked in order to provide shelter, foods, and emotion kinships. She took charge as strong mother figure & as breadwinner when my dad could not find work during ethnic cleansing period.  She read books, stories even midst of tough & long day of tough labor work.  Therefore, I would always treasure the difficult time and barely have enough to make end meets.  My mom make sure all basic necessities are met for all of us and emotion touches as well.  So my mom is hero in many of our eyes, minds and heart."

Melissa won flowers for her mother Galia and sent a thank you on Twitter:

 "@Bloomex_canada WOW! My mother and I thank you! These are so beautiful 🌷❤️ "

For one of the Hero Mom entries, Harjit states,"My Mom was and always will be my Hero. She selflessly raised four daughters and a son while giving up her own dreams. My Mom did this without hesitation, and for that I will always be grateful to her. For over 30 years, she faced various health challenges but she always had a huge smile on her face, and she never complained, as she wanted to be strong for us. Her kindred spirit, selflessness, and unwavering love for her family has left a strength in all of Thanks for the chance to win beautiful flowers for Mothers Day." 

He later thanked us on Twitter for his gift basket and flowers with a lovely photo (see above):

"@Bloomex_canada A bright and colorful assortment of beautiful flowers from Bloomex! #MothersDay"

There were so many wonderful entries we wish we could share them all! We hope that everyone enjoyed a very happy Mother's Day, and that we all found a way to cherish or remember our special mothers this year. 

Check back often for your chance to win during our next big contest...:)

Kylie: the fun Mom!

 

Linda sent this from a mother-daughter "road trip" to Mexico