Find Your Local Florist:Everything you want to know about flowers!
With fall just over the horizon, it’s time for beautiful mum house plants to adorn our homes, porches and patios. Let the spirit of fall greet your house guests at the front door! Choose from an array of festive fall colored blooms that will last the whole season long! For the best selection, stop by your local flower shop!
Fall is the wonderful transition from the sizzling summer to ice cold winter; the time when the weather is just perfect. It’s almost like a second spring that’s even more beautiful: with flowers blooming and colorful trees turning their autumn colors. Overall, it’s just a wonderful season to be celebrated while it lasts.
Before the 16th century, harvest was the term used to refer to the season. However, as more people moved away from farming to living in towns, the word harvest lost its reference and came to refer to only the actual activity of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season. Although we do not call it harvest anymore, we still use many references from harvesting in our fall decor: cornucopias, wheat, gourds and pumpkins, corn, hay, etc.
Fall is arguably the favorite of all seasons. Everyone loves the colors of fall and seasonal decor during this time is a MUST in most homes. You will see hay, pumpkins scarecrows as yard decor all season. Some of our favorite holiday parties happen during fall: Halloween & Thanksgiving. Halloween pumpkin carving is a favorite fall activity that dates back to the 1700s and Thanksgiving is all about celebrating the bounty of fall. American Football also gets everyone together for a party. Long fall nights are made for spending time indoors with family and friends.
[Read more…]
And with fall right around the corner, now is the time to start thinking Autumn colors! You want your rustic-themed bouquets and flower arrangements to look effortless, chic and natural. Organic colors will blend perfectly into your fall wedding.
- Dark reds
- Deep yellows
- Burnt oranges
- Deep purples
- Sage greens
Think about all of the things that make the fall season so memorable and unique:
- pumpkins,
- rustic vines
- figs
- moss
- cornucopia
- berries
- grass
- different colored leaves
- acorns
- twigs
- holiday ribbon
Using the above fall accessories, you can create an organic, chic rustic-themed bouquet. These simple, easy to find accessories will compliment any wedding ceremony. Textures make a huge impact and by creating a floral design with these alternative accessories you are sure to express your creative spark in more ways than one!
Your local florist can create the prefect wedding bouquet for you. Or if weddings aren’t on your horizon, opt for a beautiful arrangement of fall flowers instead! Same principles apply!
For more wedding photos, visit our sister site Wedding & Party Network’s galleries.
The bouquet featuring orange lilies was created by Floral Design & Home Decor in Coeur D Alene, ID
Summer is finally here! Time for block parties, grilling, BBQs, pool parties and summer luaus. Who doesn’t love to get together with friends and eat food?! Summer luaus are always a huge hit! Don your grass skirt, break out those coconuts, crank up the Hawaiian music and you’ve got yourself a good time!
If you want your summer luau to be talked about for years to come, step up the decor and add some fresh tropical flowers!
Tropical flowers are always so unique compared to the flowers we are used to from our gardens. 
Their intensely-colored blooms are sure to set off any summer luau centerpiece. Plus, cut tropical flowers generally last much longer than traditional flower arrangements.
Keep in mind, not all florists carry tropical flowers in their every day supplies (although a lot do!). Don’t fret, they can special order them just for your luau. Contact your florist at least 2 weeks ahead of your party, and they will be able to help you pick out the best tropicals to make your party a huge success.
Go beyond centerpieces and order fresh-flower leis. If you’ve never worn a fresh-flower lei, you don’t know what you’re missing! The heavenly smell of flowers never leaves your nose, and the colors rival anything plastic you can buy. You may think leis are only made in Hawaii, but your local florist might just surprise you with incredible lei-making skills of their own — just ask!
Florists, do you keep a roadside journal? What is that you ask?
A roadside journal is a little notebook you keep that documents local places where and when flowers grow naturally. Often times this might be near a field, around a fence, or growing at the end of a driveway. Of course, you can’t take flowers from just anywhere, but it can’t hurt to ask! Ask the owners of the property if you could collect their wild flowers in season. Give them a coupon for a free bouquet if they do!
Look for places with an over-abundance of flowers. Right now I am seeing lilies growing along roadsides, covering ditches — they are simply everywhere! Many people don’t realize how flowers will spread over time and grow more than they can possibly handle. There are houses near mine with more hydrangeas and roses than they could ever do anything with. There are several abandoned houses in our neighborhood with roses and other summer flowers that are all but forgotten. Even trees with interesting foliage, such as cedar or magnolias can be part of your mix.
It can’t hurt to ask their owners if you could buy or trade for them? This can be a great, and possibly inexpensive way to add some local flair to your product mix. You could even turn them into a special edition line for your shop.
Keep a journal of places where you get flowers, and when they were blooming for next year. The journal is a great source when looking for something NEW for the shop. Be sure to let your customers know their flowers are local. This is a way to reach out to your community and spread the word about your shop.
Grow your own! Starting a garden is easier than you think! Grow flowers you want to use! Add uniqueness, texture and fun to your flowers!
Things To Remember:
We’d LOVE to see pictures of your local flowers! Share them on our Facebook, or in the comments below!
If you’re looking for a little something extra to spice up your holiday flower arrangements, try this cinnamon vase technique!
Not only will this arrangement spark Christmas spirit, it will smell wonderfully for weeks to come! Cinnamon is a favorite in holiday smells, and will definitely set the mood for any holiday party. This little design would make a perfect hostess gift for the elf in charge of your favorite Christmas get-together.
For this technique, you will need:
First, hot glue the individual cinnamon sticks vertically to the outside surface of your vase. (tip: cut the tops of the cinnamon sticks different heights to give it a staggered, rustic look)
Tie ribbon around the center of your cinnamon vase to finish the look. Depending on your design, you could use ribbon, rafia, wire — it’s really up to you. If you want to go a step further, add a bunch of holly, mini candy cane, mini pine cones, or anything festive, to the front of your design.
Don’t stop at just cinnamon! Think of other ways to use this technique. You could use branches from your yard. (Birch wood is very popular this time of year.) How about the large candy cane sticks? Instead of a vase, use this as a great candle treatment. It’s all about using your imagination!
This is a great technique for florists to use in their shops. However, if you’re a craftster like me, try this at home! Just don’t forget to visit your local florist for a great winter flowers to use in you’re new and aromatic vase!
This post is brought to you by local Auburn, NH florists.
Not in Auburn? No worries, use Flower Shop Network’s handy directory of local florists to find a florist near you!
Are you tired of the traditional red and green we see every year at this time? You’re not alone. Many people are opting for a more quirky Christmas look. This year, opt for the Glitz & Glam Christmas!
For this outrageous look, channel your inner child and go wild and crazy when selecting your Christmas decorations and ornaments. Pick bright and playful contemporary colors like hot pink and electric blue. Use over-sized Christmas ornaments and trendy Christmas tree picks to take your look to the next level (literally).
Glitter, glitter, glitter! Everything on your Glitz & Glam Christmas tree should be sparkly and youthful. This is a great look for anyone who wants something more fun and contemporary this Christmas.
The Glitz & Glam Christmas is the perfect holiday theme for teens, college girls, or the gal who’s just young at heart. Go beyond the Christmas tree and decorate your house with all of the fun of the Glitz & Glam style. Have your florist create an amazing Christmas wreath with all of your favorite wild-child colors: hot pink, electric blue, neon green, etc.
Imagine the Glitz & Glam Christmas party: bright colors, playful lights, and the wildest Christmas decor you can think of~! Use over-sized, glittery ornaments and feathery boas for great mantel decor — don’t forget the colorful stockings!! If you are throwing a dinner party, have your florist create a fun, contemporary Christmas centerpiece that’s sure to set your glamorous mood.
So, if you’re looking to spice up your holidays, try gettin’ your bling on and decorating with Glitz & Glam style!
This post is brought to you by local Charlotte NC florists.
Not in Charlotte? No worries, use Flower Shop Network’s handy local florist directory to find a florist near you!
Now’s the time to spruce up your spring! If you want more spring color in your garden, plant spring bulbs today! It may sound strange… planting in fall for spring flowers, but bulbous plants need the winter dormant season to grow roots to support their big, beautiful blooms in the spring.
There are lots of other spring bulbs that you could also plant, but these are the most popular and available ones. Select bulbs that are firm and free of mold. Generally the bigger the bulb, the bigger the flowers.
The best time to plant bulbs is just before the first frost, or just before you know it’s going to turn cold. This really depends on the climate zone you live in and can be different for different plants. Check with your local nursery or garden center for exact planting times for your specific location.
When planting spring bulbs, make sure you have carefully chosen your planting location. Consider the needs of your plants: full or partial sun? (Tip: Remember, for early spring bloomers, your trees will still be bare and you may have more sun than you have now.)
Select rich, well-drained soil for your new bulbs. You will need to talk to your garden center or nursery about the exactly planting requirements for your bulbs, but as a general rule, a depth of about 2-3 times the width of your bulb will suffice.
Add fertilizer into the bottom of your hole and mix it in with the returning soil. Be sure to plant your bulb with the roots down. Push on your soil to ensure the bulb is firmly in place and that there are no air pockets. Water thoroughly. Plant your bulbs the recommended distances from each other to allow them enough room to grow.
Tip: If you live in an area where the temperature regularly drops below zero, pile a layer of mulch on top, about a foot high. Then, in the spring, remove this layer. Otherwise, spring flowers are fairly hardy and can take regularly cold, winter temperatures.
If you can’t wait until spring for a dose spring color, plant amaryllis or paperwhite daffodils in containers now! Both are great, blooming plants for indoors. Select a decorative container and cover your bulbs about half way with soil. Keep them watered and soon you will see tiny shoots of green peeping out of the top of the bulb and will have gorgeous blooms by Christmas! (*fingers crossed*)
Planting bulbs differs from location to location. Before planting your bulbs, consult your local garden store or nursery for exact planting instructions.
This post is brought to you by local Cedar Rapids Iowa florists.
Not in Cedar Rapids? Use Flower Shop Network’s handy directory of real local florists to find a florist near you.
One of the hottest trends out right now just so happens to be vampires… Twilight, Trueblood, Vampire Diaries, the list goes on and on of newly popular vampire shows and movies. With Halloween coming up, why not use this new vampire trend to your advantage!
Create a special for your shop called Love At First Bite or something catchy. Use deep red roses and other dark colors, especially black, to create something unique and contemporary. Black, red or silver wire can be used as fun accents. Remember, most vampire fans are going to be around 12-30 years old, so have as much fun as you want.
Shop around your local crafts store for a few cheap Halloween decorations like vampire teeth, small skeletons, or anything black and red. Buy some inexpensive, black fishnet or lacy stockings to use around your vase or as ribbon.
Your vampire-themed floral would be an easy choice for a guy looking send flowers to his Twihard girlfriend. This design would make a stunning sight at a Halloween party, or a great hostess gift!
To promote your newest special, post LOTS of pics on Facebook. (That’s definately where your vampire fans would be!) Also put photos of your festive Halloween flowers on your website. Use your pictures to make a quick flyer to advertise your special and hang them anywhere young people gather. (Local bookstores, college campuses, etc.) Remember to price it reasonably for this younger demographic to keep them flying off the shelves!
Vampire Lovers! If you are a vampire lover looking for flowers like the ones described in this post, call your local florist and recommend this article to them! I’m positive they will work with you to create something drop dead gorgeous (pun intended)!
This post is brought to you by local Salem, OR florists.
Not in Salem? No worries, use Flower Shop Network’s handy directory of local florists to find a real local florist near you!
Upcoming color trends for the 2010 fall season are all about using new and exciting colors. Now, I know what you’re thinking… falls colors have been the same forEVER! Reds, oranges, yellows, browns… Don’t get me wrong, those are very fun colors to use, but this year add in accent colors like lime green, magenta, or orange cream.
Check out these great palettes, get inspired and start planning your fall season!
