Q. I love the flowers & plants that I receive from Irene Hayes…but I'm not sure what to send my friends & co-workers. Can you help me?

A. The answer, I think, is quite simple…Irene Hayes gift certificates. They are available in any denomination, and have no expiration date. Your friends can call or visit our shop, and pick out exactly, the gift they would like. It’s a very popular solution to a very real dilemma.

Q. Was Irene Hayes a real person?

A. Indeed! Irene Hayes was a very real person. You might say she was a "modern woman" much before her time. Born in Rhode Island, raised in Kansas, she was a beautiful young lady who moved to New York, found work as a model, and ultimately became a Zigfield Follies dancer. But the stage was not enough. She loved flowers, and soon found herself the proprietor of a Park Avenue flower shop. She quickly gained fame for her business acumen, as well as for her skills as an artistic floral designer. Through the years she acquired several other famous flower shops, before her passing in 1975. A little known fact is that her husband was Jack Soloman, the owner of the famous Gallagher's Steak House.

Q. My husband sent me a beautiful bouquet of pink roses. In the language of flowers, what is the meaning of pink roses?

A. Be careful!! Before assigning a definite meaning to a specific flower, I suggest you visit your local library, book store or the internet. You will find several different lists, each with a different meaning for pink roses. So unless you and your husband are looking at the same list, just accept the message that appears on the little card that accompanies your roses.

Q. Where do all the beautiful flowers in your shop come from?

A. Some years ago, almost all the flowers in our shop were grown in the tri-state area, and trucked into the New York City flower market at 28th street & 6th avenue. As real estate values increased the greenhouses were sold and the growers migrated south to Florida, west to California. And then further south to South America. With the advancement of jet aircraft and the improvement in refrigeration techniques, it became possible to import flowers from the four corners of the globe. So, today you see flowers in our refrigerator from Europe, Israel, Africa, Australia & New Zealand, Thailand, Hawaii, and yes, even China.

Q. Why should I place my order for San Francisco with Irene Hayes, instead of calling California directly?

A. If you call a random florist, in any distant city, you are just another anonymous credit card number- you don't know them, and they don't know you. We, on the other hand, have reciprocal working relationships with specific florists in each major market and hundreds of smaller towns. These selected shops have the same business philosophy that you find here at Irene Hayes. They are anxious to satisfy you, and equally important they are also anxious to satisfy Irene Hayes.

Q. Does Irene Hayes provide flowers for weddings and corporate events?

A. Through the years we have done thousands of weddings, parties and corporate events in almost every venue in the metropolitan area. One thing we are not, is a "flower factory" where you are one of many events on a given day. Just call and speak to one of our sales reps. You'll be glad you did.