DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — FTD.COM, Inc., a subsidiary of United Online, Inc., has launched Smithsonian Flowers by FTD(R), a line of potted orchid plants and wrapped floral Tussie Mussie bouquets, inspired by the rich and distinctive Smithsonian Horticulture Division collections. Smithsonian Flowers by FTD(R) will initially feature nine Smithsonian orchid plants and nine Smithsonian Tussie Mussie bouquets available for purchase on www.FTD.com.
The Smithsonian Horticulture Division boasts over 8,000 live orchid specimens in its collection located in Washington, DC. Smithsonian horticulturists carefully select and grow orchids for their display quality, educational value, beauty, and rarity. Based on the Smithsonian's knowledge of caring for and selecting ideal orchids, FTD.COM and Smithsonian have chosen nine Phalaenopsis orchids not only for their intrinsic beauty and elegant shapes, but also for their compactness, long blooming season, and relative ease of care.
Additionally, in recognition of Smithsonian's nine breathtaking and diverse gardens, FTD. COM and Smithsonian have created nine, hand-tied Smithsonian Tussie Mussie bouquets. The hand-tied bouquets have been expertly designed by FTD(R) to present a modern twist on a mid-to-late 19th century Victorian tradition of giving carefully chosen flowers to symbolically personify feelings of adoration, sympathy, love, or support. For example, the Endless Thanks Bouquet features blooms representing a variety of corresponding emotions, including peach roses symbolizing love, Matsumoto asters symbolizing joy, and hydrangeas symbolizing devotion.
About FTD
FTD Group, Inc., through its operating subsidiaries including FTD.COM, Inc., is a leading provider of floral related products and services to consumers and retail florists, as well as to other retail locations offering floral products, in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland. The business utilizes the highly recognized FTD and Interflora brands, both supported by the Mercury Man logo, which is displayed in over 40,000 floral shops worldwide. The consumer businesses operate primarily through the www.ftd.com Web site in the U.S. and Canada and the www.interflora.co.uk Web site in the U.K. and are complemented by the florist businesses which provide products and services to FTD's independent members. FTD Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of United Online, Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!untd/quotes/nls/untd (UNTD 8.10, -0.05, -0.61%) . For more information about United Online, please visit www.unitedonline.com.
About Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Institution — the world's largest museum and research complex — includes 19 museums and galleries and the National Zoological Park. The total number of artifacts, works of art and specimens in the Smithsonian's collections is estimated at 137 million. Among the vast collections are irreplaceable national icons, examples of everyday life, and scientific material vital to the study of the world's scientific and cultural heritage ranging from insects and meteorites to locomotives and spacecraft, from the Star-Spangled Banner to the Apollo lunar landing module, from a Concorde at 202 feet long to a Fairfly wasp at 0.0067 of an inch. In 2009 Smithsonian received about 30 million visitors. For more information, visit Smithsonian at www.smithsonian.org.
About Smithsonian Horticulture Services Division:
The Smithsonian Horticulture Services Division manages the grounds of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC, and develops horticulture displays and exhibitions in exterior and interior museum spaces. Its research and education programs promote horticulture and the ongoing development of collections of living plants and horticultural artifacts as well as photographic garden archive. For more information about Smithsonian Horticulture please visit www.gardens.si.edu.
Cautionary Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the company's proposed marketing initiatives and product offerings. Potential factors that could affect the company's ability to perform and consequently its business, financial condition and results of operations include the company's inability or failure to implement any or all planned marketing initiatives, to satisfy demand for the products or services offered or to achieve the marketing opportunities and other benefits, technological issues and other problems associated with the company's operations, systems and technologies, the occurrence of unanticipated events, as well as other factors described in United Online, Inc.'s annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (http://www.sec.gov), including, without limitation, information under the captions "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors."
Source: FTD.COM, Inc.