It’s A Jolly Holiday With Florists

The events of the holiday season seem to be a whirlwind of affairs for most individuals these days. Party after party, gift after gift; the holiday happenings come and go so quickly that in the end we are left worn out and unorganized. Ideally, we would all hire a personal assistant when the first holiday of the celebration season rolled around to decorate for the parties, buy our presents, and send our holiday “thank you” gifts. However, this does happen to be the real world and such fantasies are unattainable for the majority of the human race. Still, there is one person that can be of assistance during this hectic time of year: your local florist.

Not only do florists create beautiful floral masterpieces for the smallest and largest of occasions, but they also organize delivery of these floral arrangements, leaving you calm and cool through an otherwise chaotic time of year. The key to a smooth holiday season is sitting down with your florist ahead of time, explaining desired holiday decorations, flower arrangements, special gifts for delivery, appropriate floral arrangements and plants for certain holidays, and most importantly—getting organized.

Take The Fright Out of Halloween…Sort of

Starting off the seasonal chaos we call “the holidays” is Halloween. Although Halloween is a holiday celebrated most enthusiastically by children, adults do have their fair share of fun dressing up in ridiculous costumes once a year. Your local florist has both covered. For the younger ghosts and goblins, a hand delivered assortment of Halloween balloons tied neatly to a gift basket filled with junk food favorites is sure to be a hit. For the adult costume parties, have your local florist design some spooky, fresh flower centerpieces accented with stringy spider webs and black plastic spiders. This will be sure to set the mood for a creepy Halloween gathering. Potted chrysanthemums, or “mums” to most, are traditional fall plants that are great for pots or to plant in the ground. For yourself or a special someone, mums are perfect fall décor for any home.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

This is the holiday we show appreciation and thanks for the friends and family in our lives and what better way to do that than to send someone special a beautiful fall flower arrangement with a nice note attached. Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to send your old friend a nice festive table centerpiece for the family to enjoy during Thanksgiving dinner, or send your grandmother a beautiful fall arrangement to warm her heart during the cool brisk days of autumn. All of these thoughtful gestures can be arranged and fulfilled by your local florist whether down the street or across the world, leaving you stress free and able to spend time with the people closest to your heart on this Thanksgiving holiday.

Chaotic Christmas

Ah, Christmas—possibly the most chaotic time of the year for anyone who celebrates the season or provides a service to the public during this time of year. Running to the grocery store, preparing Christmas dinner, and getting ready for the hundreds of parties is quite a handful unless you are a superhero. Most barely have time to think about; much less fulfill desires to send a little Christmas something to a neighbor or a friend that lives far away.

By the time the thought of gift giving rolls around many people assume that it is too late or don’t know how to go about sending a gift to friends and loved ones far away. This is where a local florist comes into the picture. A florist can usually get a flower arrangement or holiday gift basket to a local resident within the day, sometimes even hours depending on the size of the arrangement, and with just a couple of days notice can get one sent across the world. Whether it is a Christmas wreath, poinsettia, Christmas cactus, or just a pretty holiday arrangement, your local florist can arrange deliveries to anywhere in the world.

Make sure you get your flower arrangement orders in to your local florist early this year to be sure no one is forgotten and than everything is handled stress-free.

Hectic Hanukkah

A flower arrangement makes a lovely gift for any holiday but is especially appropriate for the celebration of Hanukkah. The bright colors of the fresh flowers spread joy and happiness throughout the house for everyone to enjoy. Hanukkah is called the Festival of Light by many. A beautiful table centerpiece arranged with brightly colored flowers is a very appropriate gift for someone who celebrates this holiday. Some may prefer to give the traditional blue and white floral bouquet or table centerpiece, reflecting the colors of Hanukkah. However, others may choose to create a floral bouquet using a color scheme or theme of fresh flowers.

It is very important to choose fresh flowers that will last for seven to 10 days when discussing with your florist the type of flowers you want in the Hanukkah arrangement. The Hanukkah celebration lasts for eight days, and flowers you send will be a cheerful addition to the seasonal decor if they live for the duration of the holiday celebration. Also, it is important to include a candle in your Hanukkah flower arrangement. Candles are lit every night during these festive days of celebration. Recipients can light the candle from the arrangement along with the menorah to help create a seasonal Hanukkah ambiance.

Ring In The New Years With Your Local Florist

To end the madness of the holiday hustle and bustle, we celebrate New Years Day. Most don’t think about gifts on this holiday. However, it might be the most thoughtful time to send a friend or family member something special to kick off the year. Small gifts or flower arrangements are perfect to wish a close friend “best wishes” for the New Year, and brighten up their day. Gift baskets filled with assorted goodies are great to send families or children for the New Year holiday as well.

Don’t forget to contact your local florist before the holiday duties become too overwhelming. They can assist you for your entire gift giving needs from Halloween through New Years and all year long. To save your sanity one beautiful arrangement at a time, call your local florist today to make arrangements for a calm, cool, relaxing holiday season!

Contributor: Jordon Robinson

Calla Lily Flowers: Ideally Pure and Beautiful

Beautiful, resilient, versatile, and full of meaning, the Calla Lily is one of the most popular flowers on the market today. Although not an actual lily, The Calla Lily often plays the role of a traditional lily by symbolizing purity, sympathy, or appreciation. It is also a quite a hardy flower able to grow in a variety of environments. The Calla Lily is often considered an example of the ideal flower.

Originally found in South Africa, the Calla Lily grows naturally close to bodies of water in marshy environments. It can also encompass entire fields in its native country, where it is considered an undesirable weed. It is common practice for scores of this beautiful flower to be eradicated to make way for agriculture.

The common Calla Lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica, was named after Italian botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi by the German botanist Kurt Sprengel. It is also sometimes referred to as an Arum lily. However, it is neither a lily, nor a member of the genera Arum nor Calla, although it shares many characteristics of the two. It was once a member of the Calla genus, which was named after Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus, before it was split into several genera, including Zantedeschia.

The appreciation of the Calla Lily in Europe dates back to an illustration of the Royal Garden in Paris in 1664. It was brought to Europe from Persia by the Swedish king Karl XII. Soon after, the flower’s popularity erupted and soon it was featured in celebrations all over the continent. It was also used to communicate in secrecy among Victorian nobility.

The Calla Lily was thought to represent magnificent beauty and it was given with the utmost respect. Also, the fact that the flower could be grown in greenhouses year round in the southern regions of Europe also contributed to its rapid success. Mexican painter Diego Rivera also featured it in his works of art.

The Calla Lily has been used in bridal bouquets as far back as 1934, where they are seen in a photo of a South African bride. Because lilies are a symbol of purity, these graceful flowers continue to be a staple of wedding bouquets today. They have also been a symbol of celebration since as far back as ancient Rome. Both these qualities lend themselves to the Calla Lily’s immense popularity in weddings.

The Calla Lilly easily incorporates into a wedding bouquet or stands alone as the centerpiece of its own. The lilies will look best in simple arrangements where they are not in competition for the focus. They have a strong, distinctive look and can overpower more delicate focal flowers in a bouquet. Also, for a more natural look, cutting the stems at varying lengths allows for each flower to be admired individually.

Brides also tend to prefer the white bloom of the Calla Lily when celebrating their wedding day. It is as popular, if not more so today, than the rose in wedding ceremonies. Calla Lilies are particularly popular in summer weddings.

The white Calla Lily is often used alongside other flowers of the same color, such as orchids, for an elegant, monochromatic look. Their unique shape provides just the right amount of eye-catching quality to a bouquet without complicating the color composition . However, using the white bloom in contrast to another bold flower, such as a red rose, can still be tasteful and simple.

The Calla Lily is also used in tropical themed arrangements because of its exotic shape. They can be placed throughout a bouquet with other tropical flowers, such as tuberoses and anthuriums, to complete the bouquet. The Calla Lily can also stand alone as a single cut flower for bridesmaids or family members to carry.

White may be the most popular choice for brides when they choose the Calla Lily but there are many other options. For example, Calla Lilies can come in a wide variety of colors, ranging from ivory to lavender. There are also pink varieties and white lilies with pink tips. Green, burgundy, and yellow are also options. Not to mention, there are variations in each color, with yellow ranging from pale yellow to a deep, saturated bloom.

Each of these colors opens the door to more variety in bouquet design. Brides can keep the monochromatic look with a number of other flowers or they can incorporate a boldly colored Calla Lily into their wedding’s color scheme. Either way, the Calla Lily is sure to be a showstopper.

The Calla Lily boasts a rich history and a bright future. It is one of the most popular flowers on the market with a number of uses and meanings from sympathy to celebration. It has become one of the most sought after flowers on the market and surely will remain a star for years to come.

The next time you want to send flowers with a special touch think about the calla lily. Your local florist can incorporate this beautiful flower into many flower arrangement styles including wedding flowers and bouquets.

Contributor: Ashley Slayton

Stargazer Lily: Origins in Beauty and Humility

From humble beginnings, the versatile and resilient Stargazer lily has become one of the premier lilies of the cut flower world. As one of the most beautiful lilies available, the stargazer can send a variety of messages from “Thank you,” to “I’m Sorry.” A blushing bride becomes a radiant beauty when carrying a wedding bouquet of Stargazer lilies. Heartfelt sympathy is conveyed with the use of Stargazers in a standing spray. But where did this amazing lily come from before it graced our floral arrangements?

A relatively recent addition to an already rich legacy of lilies, the Stargazer lily is a hybrid cultivated to blend beauty with heavenly aroma. Lilies have typically signified a sense of purity as far back as Roman and Greek times. The Stargazer is no exception with a flower meaning that cuts right to the core of this philosophy. “Pure of heart” and “heaven in your eyes” are flower meanings strongly associated with the Stargazer lily. Lilies as a whole have appeared in folklore around the world and used as a spiritual and philosophical metaphor for centuries. Following the path of its ancestors this lily mystically displays both prosperity and the ideals of the daydreamer. The Stargazer along with its sister – the white Casablanca lily – have become principal players in sympathy arrangements.

It may come as a surprise that such a grandiose flower came from incredibly humble beginnings. In 1978, Leslie Woodriff successfully achieved a hybrid of Oriental and Asiatic lilies, which he would later name ‘Star Gazer’ because of the way the bloom opened toward the sky. The birth of this remarkable hybrid lily created a revolution in the lily world. On the verge of a beauty that could not be surpassed, one man poured his heart and sole into a marriage of aroma and visual splendor. The Stargazer was the combination of the bell-shaped, aromatic Oriental lily and the brightly colored, upright Asiatic lily.

It was literally the best of both worlds for flower arranging. Although at the time floral designers adored the numerous Oriental lily varieties with their tremendous fragrance, the large downward facing blooms presented challenges for flower arrangements. The stem often snapped under the weight of the blooms during harvest. If the flowers made it to the flower shop intact, the bloom position often made them difficult to work with. On the other hand, Asiatic lilies were brightly colored small blooms that were easy to work with. However, they lacked the pizzazz of the Oriental lilies. The ‘Star Gazer’ hybrid contained the most desirable traits of the two types. By crossbreeding two already popular flowers Woodruff created a flower that was both pleasing to the eye and to the nose. However, business was not Woodruff’s priority. His passion was lilies. But this lily marriage would go far beyond its humble home.

The Man Behind The Amazing Stargazer Lily

Leslie Woodriff lived in a ramshackle home and greenhouse where he conducted his primitive crossbreeding experiments. Using a glass bottle coated on the inside with black paint, Woodruff would tap a lily on the side of the bottle, gather the pollen with a camel-haired brush, and implant the pollen from one lily into the stamen of another.

Woodriff was as eccentric as his lilies concoctions. He was wholly consumed with his practice of crossbreeding. He was known to call into radio talks shows and interrupt whatever conversation was going on at the time to discuss current developments in lily breeding. He even contacted President Jimmy Carter to inform him about his lilies.

Woodriff never saw the revenue from his most famous lily. In fact, he had little to do with the hybrid aside from creating it. He never obtained a patent for his hybrid. His business partner was the one who actually obtained the rights and pushed the lily into the path of notoriety.

Obviously, the Stargazer lily’s ornate appearance says little about its humble beginnings. Little is known about the parentage Woodriff used to create the Stargazer. He rarely kept detailed, consistent records of his crossbreeding attempts. However, one possibility is an Oriental lily from souther Japan , Lilium nobilissum.

Whatever the Stargazer’s origins, the flower is one of the most popular cut flowers on today’s market. It has something to please every buyer and florist. The dramatic, large blooms make it ideal for incorporation into mixed bouquets or as powerful focal flower in something like a Stargazer wedding bouquet. The brilliant color and divine scent make it an ideal bloom for any room.

Stargazer – More Than The Queen Of Cut Flowers

Royalty in the cut flower world isn’t the only position the Stargazer holds. This lily is a remarkable garden plant. Caring for Stargazer lilies in the garden is a simple task. Planted in the spring and Stargazers will bloom in the summer and fill the garden with the same heavenly aroma as they do in a flower arrangement. This delicate beauty is a hardy flower that doesn’t shy from the elements. Like the man who created it, the Stargazer has a passion for life and a need to beautify the world.

The stargazer is the dream of a cheerful, hardworking man with an infatuation for lilies. This striking lily is a multifaceted cut flower that remains as bright and as beautiful as Woodruff’s passion.

The next time you need to send flowers think about sending a flower arrangement with Stargazer Lilies.

Planning a wedding? Ask your local wedding florist about using Stargazer Lilies in your bridal bouquet.

Contributor: Ashley Slayton

For more information about the origins of the ‘Star Gazer’ and it’s creator Leslie Woodriff read Amy Stewart’s Flower Confidential.

Memories from the Flowers in My Mind

A perfectly arranged vase of red roses greeted me as I opened the hotel room door. With my heart pounding, I walked across the room to read the enclosure card. “Do you miss me yet?” read the card. Tears ran down my face as a wave of excitement rushed through my body.

Those gorgeous flowers have long gone; but even after fifteen years, the breathtaking memory has not diminished one bit. Every time I see a red rose, it reminds me of those beautiful flowers and the sweet card message.

Flowers have a way of creating strong and lasting memories. Flowers may fade; but the memories and the emotions felt never will. I remember the first flower I ever received; it was Valentine’s Day (ninth grade). Several girls, in my class, had received beautiful flower arrangements from their boyfriends. Although happy for them, I was a little sad. Since I had no boyfriend, this Valentines Day would be like all the others – flowerless. Suddenly an office aid walked into my classroom with another flower arrangement – a single yellow carnation in a green vase. When the teacher handed the flower to me, a rush of warmth shot to my head and a grin as wide as the Mississippi appeared on my face. Nervously, I read the enclosure card; it was signed “Secret Admirer”. Several years later, two of my closest male friends confessed that they sent the flowers. Why? Because, I was always happy when someone received flowers and deserved some of my own. Yellow carnations still trigger a wide grin and a flash back to that exciting day even twenty-eight years later.

Flowers and memories go hand in hand celebrating the good times, bad times and so-so times in our life. Flowers can make a difficult day better, acknowledge our efforts or celebrate a milestone. Large quantities of white flowers remind me of the beautiful casket spray at the funeral of a classmate’s sister. I see her golden blond hair and her contagious smile in every flower. I will always remember the comfort those flowers gave her family, her friends and me. Her beauty and energetic personality are forever linked to the purity and splendor of white flowers. I am drawn back to that day; not to mourn the loss of an unfulfilled life, but to celebrate the wonderful life she had for eighteen years.

Some of the sweetest memories I have, of my husband, involve flowers, beginning with the hotel roses. My husband has a sixth sense of somehow knowing when I need a little pick me up. I am plagued with anxiety any time my husband has to leave town worried that I won’t be able to run our family business the way he does. Then one time, harried by the day’s activities, I swung the door open to find a stunning vase arrangement with Stargazer Lilies on my kitchen counter. The card read, “I never worry when I’m gone because I know you’ll take care of every thing.” Now anytime I feel stressed or under appreciated, I remember those flowers and my anxiety fades away.

Flowers express a deep heartfelt emotion that can’t be vocalized. Working in my sister-in-laws’ florist shop and our garden center, I’ve seen this phenomenon many times. Like the time an older gentleman asked, “Where is your most beautiful flower arrangement”. As I pulled a gorgeous mixed flower arrangement from the cooler, I ask, “What’s the occasion”. The gentleman gruffly replied “My wife’s anniversary and on the card write – These can’t compare”. Basically that was the extent of our conversation. He may have been a man of few words, yet very expressive. I’m sure those flowers reminded his wife that she is and will always be beautiful to him. Flowers help us articulate messages we can’t express. A little boy dumped the entire contents of his piggy bank on our counter. Pointing to a potted geranium he asked,“Is this enough money for that flower?” Because he and his new puppy hurt her favorite one, he explained, his mother desperately needed it. I guarantee the frustration the mother previously felt melted away when she saw the flower. That little boy is now a grown man, but I am sure his mother sees her little boy in every geranium. Those memories will live with them forever and the love expressed never forgotten.

There is a saying by Oscar Lavant: “Happiness isn’t something you experience; it’s something you remember.” Memories are what define our lives. They are what get us through the hard and trying times. They are what propel us to experience new things. Memories make us who we are and who we become. Flowers help us rejoice, celebrate, ponder and relax with every event in life. If I had to add something to Mr. Lavant’s quote it would be this: flowers help you experience and remember happiness at the same time.

The essence of life depends on memories; our memories and the memories we create for others. Flowers celebrate the essence of life creating strong and lasting memories. Let flowers speak for you, creating memories that last a lifetime. Florists can help us articulate our thoughts and emotions into powerful expressions. So contact your local florist and discuss the ways you can create memories today that will last forever.

Have a flower memory you’d like to share? Place your flower memories on the Bloomin’ Blog.

Contributor: Jamie Jamison Adams

Florists and the Wonderful Things They Do!

I came to the fascinating world of flowers as an outsider – as a writer and a gardener who was curious about where her flowers came from. That curiosity led me to visit an open house at a flower farm (Sun Valley Floral Farm in Arcata, CA) and from there I was hooked. I knew that I wasn’t the only one who had bought flowers dozens of times without ever thinking about the greenhouses, laboratories, warehouses, and flower shops that all fit together, like some kind of intricate puzzle, to deliver my bouquet to me. I thought, if I could follow the journey that flowers take around the world, I could inspire other people to have a richer appreciation for the tulips on their kitchen table or the roses on their desk at Valentine’s Day. That’s why I wrote Flower Confidential.

Along the way, I’ve gotten to know a lot of retail florists. They shared their stories with me, telling me what it was that first got them excited about flowers, and helping me to understand what kept them going in spite of the long hours and the frantic holidays. I met florists who cater exclusively to celebrities; florists who create extravagant arrangements for hotels like the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan; neighborhood florists running businesses that their grandparents started; and young, energetic flower farmers growing unusual, organic varieties that they sell at farmers markets or arrange for a select group of clients.

So what can you expect to find when you visit your hometown florist? Here are just a few examples of what florists all over the country are doing this year:

Getting to know you. If there’s one thing the florists I’ve met have in common, it was their human touch. Florists are with us at some of the most emotional moments of our lives – weddings, funerals and celebrations of all kinds. They get a feel for what’s right in a given situation. Rather than call and order a dozen red roses, just tell your florist something about the person who’s getting the flowers. “These are going to my mother; who after returning from France remodeled her kitchen in blues and yellows to remind her of the French countryside.” A florist will do a fantastic job of choosing exactly the right flowers for that situation. Giving the florist some room to make his or her own choices, also, means that you’ll get the freshest flowers and the best values for your money.

Taking you behind the scenes. Wineries give tours of their winemaking facilities and vineyards. Chocolate factories open their doors to tourists. Five-star restaurants set up a table for their best customers in the kitchen. (That’s right – people make reservations months in advance for a chance to eat in the kitchen and watch the chefs work at world-class restaurants). But people in the flower industry often told me, “You know, we forget how interesting this business might be to people who’ve never seen it before.”

Florists have realized that their best customers are the ones who enjoy a behind-the-scenes peek at the workings of a flower shop. In fact, many of us fantasize about opening a shop of our own someday! I’ve met florists who give their customers a chance to “play florist” for the day. Here are just a few of the approaches I’ve seen:

• Setting up a flower-arranging station on the sales floor so that customers can make their own bouquets using the tools “the pros” use.
• Leading a tour through the local wholesale market, letting customers see how they make buying decisions for the store and select the highest quality products.
• Offer flower-arranging parties for bridesmaids, garden clubs, or other groups. One florist hosted a “guys only” event on February 13, complete with beer, pizza, and a visit from a local pro football player (who just happened to be the brother of one of the employees). Next year, they plan to host it off-site at a local barbershop, another guy-friendly location where the sinks and tile floors will make clean up easy.

Going local and going green. Many florists I met were very involved in the “local first” movement in their hometown. Locally owned bookstores have taken the lead in this movement that encourages people to shop local first before hitting the big box stores. Studies have proven that locally owned businesses provide more jobs and help grow the economy as compared to the chains. Shoppers are taking the “buy local” message seriously, and many of us try to shop locally whenever we can.

One florist stays open late, one Thursday night a month, to be part of his downtown’s Art Walk, a monthly event in which local businesses hang art by local artists on the walls, serve wine and cheese, and chat informally with their customers. The florist displays floral-themed art, hands out free flowers, and pours Champagne.

Another florist saw the connection between “buy local”, “support local farmers” and “go green”. She approached local, small-scale flower farmers about offering a 100% organic, locally grown bouquet of fresh field flowers in summer, and potted blooming plants or dried wreaths in winter. That local connection attracted people who loved shopping at the farmers market, but wanted a way to buy those flowers for special occasions, too. Many florists are also starting to highlight bouquets from around the world that are grown with eco-friendly and worker-friendly practices and even offering “green wedding” or “green event” packages.

It’s been a real gift to get to spend time in flower shops over the last few years. Even now, when I’m traveling around the country speaking to garden clubs and industry groups, I still look for an opportunity to drop in at the local flower shop and see how things are going. I continue to be amazed and inspired by the creativity and passion that florists put into their work. I don’t know where my next book will take me, but I doubt I’ll find another business as dazzling and intoxicating as the flower industry.

Guest Contributor: Amy Stewart

Amy Stewart is the author of Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers (Algonquin Books, 2007) and Dirt (her blog).

If you enjoyed this newsletter send your comments and suggestions about it to the Bloomin’ Blog – The Wonderful Things Florists Do.

You can,also, read more about florists and how they work for you in Top Ten Reasons To Order Flowers From A Real Local Florist or There’s More Than Flowers At Your Local Florist.

A Rose By Another Name What Does It Mean?

There are few flowers that hold the allure and enchantment of a rose. They grow wild in almost all parts of the world and have been hybridized and cultivated to an overwhelming 7,500 varieties. They grow in short or tall bushes, climb walls, fences, and terraces, and appear in long-stemmed bouquets. Old World roses bloom prolifically at the beginning of the summer, while varieties that descend from China frequently bloom well into the autumn. A rose can come in practically any color, from the ever-popular red rose to all shades of white, pink, yellow, peach, orange, green, lavender, and even hues that approach black and blue. They have an equally diverse composition: the blooms can be small or large, tight or open, and consist of five or many petals. Even the fragrance differs widely amongst the species, from heady musk and damask scents to lighter fruit and sweet smells.

The Popularity and Meaning of Roses

With such a wide selection, it is no wonder that roses are the most popular flowers to give as gifts, both in bouquets and as solitary flowers. It is curious, however, that so few people know about the complex history and meaning of roses. The oldest fossilized remains of roses date to 35 million years ago, and they are featured in the early artwork of Greeks, Romans, Persians, Asians, Indians, and Egyptians. It is said that Nebuchadnezzar included roses in his famous Hanging Gardens and Cleopatra strew rose petals at the feet of her love, Marc Antonius.

People of the Middle East valued roses for their beauty and their scent, which they sought to capture and make into extravagant perfumes. The Romans associated the rose with Venus, their goddess of love. Later Catholics appropriated the rose as the symbol for the Virgin Mary, who became the “rosa mystica”. Governments incorporated roses into their national emblems and even made them symbols of war. The Victorian Era refined the meaning of roses even more, as lovesick suitors used the language of flowers to communicate secret messages to their beloveds.

As in Victorian times, color is the most commonly identified characteristic that distinguishes one rose from another. Most people know that a red rose symbolizes romantic love. Some remember that yellow roses represent friendship and white roses stand for purity, but few recognize the subtle and varied meanings that roses of all shapes, sizes and colors have developed over time. Indeed, roses convey almost as many meanings as they have forms, and seem capable of encompassing every facet of human emotion. Besides love, friendship, and purity, rose colors can convey desire, fascination, thankfulness, innocence, mourning, and just about every nuance in between. Every shade carries its own unique message, and combining colors in a bouquet can send an intimation all its own. In February 2005 Roses and more Roses discussed the meaning of rose color.

Although color is important, there are other factors that contribute to the meaning of roses. Sometimes the presentation can send a stronger message than any other factor. Professional florists are experts in the art of presentation: they know when a single rose can be more dramatic than a rose bouquet and are knowledgeable about color and spread of the bloom. Generally, the more diminutive a rose, the newer or fresher the feeling it represents.

Rose buds convey innocence and youth: a gift of a single rose or rose bud tells of young love or a new friendship that promises a hopeful future. Roses and rose bouquets in full bloom convey a feeling of love that has reached maturity and is at the height of its passion. Larger, more developed blooms show continuing, deepening love or commitment. Mixing buds and full rose flowers into one bouquet can represent the stretch of a relationship, from its infancy and promise to its culmination and fulfillment. Such a bouquet can be given at the beginning of a relationship to indicate the hope of what is to come or in the midst of a long-lasting relationship to show appreciation for the time spent together. Taken together with hand-selected colors and an intoxicating scent, appropriate attention to the blooms in a bouquet can help send just the right message.

Roses – A Scent Like No Other

It seems impossible to separate the mental image of a rose from the sensory memory of its scent. Though by no means uniform, roses have long been famous for the perfume that attracts even the most harried passerby to “stop and smell the roses.” The scent alone has the power to captivate and entrance and thus sends a message all its own. Too often this power is underestimated; be sure to select rose bouquets according to their fragrance as well as appearance.

Roses with a strong aroma of damask or musk are associated with serious feelings of intimacy, deep love, and dedication. The damask scent is often considered the essence of the rose: the heady aroma of a Kazanlik or Centifolia clings to the rose’s pedals and creates an aura of mystique surrounding the flowers it favors. The musk scent of Pax, Felicia, and Daphne, however, is free on the air and is capable of bathing an entire room in fragrance. For a lighter scent more appropriate for friendship or get-well bouquets, try roses that have a sweet or fruity side, such as the Hybrid Tea or Old English Garden varieties. These roses emit the scents of youth, jollity, and innocence. Whatever the fragrance, know that the scent of a rose lingers in the memory long after the bloom has wilted. Remember that the meaning of roses is not based on appearance alone, but also relies upon their unique and invigorating perfumes.

A professional florist knows how to expertly choose roses of the correct color, shape, and scent to make a bouquet that sends the perfect message. Utilize his/her advice and knowledge of the meaning of roses to create a floral gift that says more than words: call a local florist today and send that special someone a unique message from the heart.

Contributor: Beth Roberts

Do you roses fascinate you? Love to talk about roses? Pop over to Flower shop Netowork’s Bloomin’ Blog and leave your comments about The Meaning of Roses.

It’s that time of year again. This time, you planned ahead and did everything right: the house is decorated with twinkling lights, the tree is strung with every imaginable ornament and the kitchen is full of candies and baked goods. Even the weather has cooperated, and a light layer of snow covers the ground. Flowers sit on the table and adorn the front door, welcoming all who come near. The holidays will be perfect this year. You purchased Christmas presents in advance for all of your friends and family, and they all lie neatly wrapped beneath the tree. There’s just one thing missing. It was not through lack of love, care, thought, or even preparation, but one person remains gift-less. Maybe this is your first Christmas together, and you’re looking for a present that will set the precedent for years to come. Perhaps you’ve celebrated fifty Christmases and anniversaries together and you’re searching for a Christmas gift idea that will be unique and surprising. Why not astound your loved one with your Christmas attentions by sending flowers not just once, but year-round?

The tradition of giving gifts on December 25th hearkens back to pre-Christian days when peoples celebrated the Winter Solstice as a turn toward the longer days of spring and summer. As Christians spread their religion across the European continent, they incorporated this ancient celebration of sunlight and filled it with their own religious significance. In the Middle Ages, the Christmas celebration included twelve days of revelry, beginning with Christmas evening and continuing through Epiphany on January sixth. These days represented the purported time that passed between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi. Each evening was celebrated with a feast for which great halls were decorated with colorful Christmas flowers. Often, the revelers would give flowers or fruits, both expensive and hard to find in the winter months. In some areas, friends and family exchanged a gift every night. In other areas, all the gifts were saved and given on Twelfth Night, along with great celebration. Many modern societies still celebrate forms of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and even those that do not still retain vestiges of the practice.

Most Americans have returned to celebrating a single-day Christmas, but there is no reason that this must always be the case. Why not revive the extended gift-giving traditions of Christmas in your home? If you are searching for a great Christmas gift idea, consider spreading the spirit of Christmas into the rest of the year by giving your loved one floral gifts once a month for the entire year. On Christmas Eve, present a single long-stemmed rose and attach a note detailing your plan. Continue to give flowers every evening for each of the twelve nights of Christmas. For a romantic bent, give red roses and a love poem until you’ve amassed a bouquet of a dozen roses. There are also a wide variety of Christmas flowers and plants to choose from, like Poinsettias, Christmas Cactuses, Paperwhite Narcissi, and Norfolk Island Pines. These plants can be kept year-round and, with proper care, several will bloom again the following year. You could also “deck the halls” a bit more each night with creative Christmas wreaths, door swags, holly, or mistletoe. Whatever option you choose, fill your home with holiday flowers throughout the entire Christmas season.

Your local florist will be happy to help you provide the rest of your gift. Turn the Twelve Days of Christmas into Twelve Months! Plan fun and creative ways to surprise your special someone with flowers each month throughout the year. Feel free to incorporate other holidays into your Christmas gift: birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day and other special occasions are times to give more elaborate or romantic arrangements. Make the other “ordinary” months extraordinary by sending flowers. Vary the delivery location to keep the surprise alive: send flowers home one month and to work the next. Does your wife volunteer in your child’s school classroom? Send flowers to the school that will both surprise her and delight the kids. Does your husband take frequent business trips? Arrange to have a bouquet of fresh flowers delivered to his hotel room, along with a “Missing you” note. A professional florist can deliver flowers to health centers, golf clubs, beauty shops, local businesses, and restaurants – anywhere your loved one frequents. Don’t be afraid to be creative!

Choose flowers, potted plants, or gift baskets that express your feelings or cater to your loved one’s taste. Send flowers in vases or wrapped in brightly colored ribbon; combine them with balloons, candy, chocolates, stuffed animals or sweet notes. Have your florist include a new book by a favorite author or a recent movie or cd. Send gift baskets with a theme: a coffee mug combined with a collection of gourmet coffee or tea, stationary and pens, sports memorabilia, jewelry, or even candles and bubble bath. Make the monthly flower delivery a game by including a gift certificate to a restaurant with an invitation for a romantic meal that evening, or a clue to the location of a special hidden gift at home. Instead of fresh flowers, purchase a painting or framed picture of flowers and send virtual flowers via e-mail to announce the gift. Turn the monthly occasion into a time you both eagerly await!

For the person who has everything but who deserves even more, consider a Christmas gift idea that will extend the Twelve Days of Christmas into the next holiday season. Consult your local florist today for ideas about how to turn every month into Christmas and start planning the floral gifts that will put a smile on your loved one’s face.

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Contributor: Beth Roberts