Trends - Bloomin' Blog

Match Making: Matching Prom Corsage To The Dress

April 19, 2010 by Mandy Maxwell 30 Comments

Friday night, we visited a local prom to get the scoop on this years hottest 2010 Prom Corsage trends! The result? Matching, matching, matching!

A prom corsage is an accessory just like jewelry, shoes, purses, etc. Why would you want a boring, red-rose-and-babys-breath corsage when you’re prom dress is super-fab psychedelic colors? (Which they were. The biggest trend in prom dresses was bright, bold colors!) Fashion savvy girls have really gotten involved with their own prom corsages by attending corsage bar parties.

Another great way they’ve been using technology to help their prom coordinating, is by using cellphone cameras. They can easily go to their florist and show them a picture of their prom dress on their phones. Many florists even let the girls text them the picture so they will have it when they are ready to build their corsage. (Most people now have free picture texts with their phone plans, make sure you are able to receive multi-media messages at no charge before you try this.)

You can see from the above picture, the florist knew her color theory! Blue’s complement is orange, however with the addition purple, the best choice for this vibrant, bright dress was yellow. Love that orchid corsage!

This florist went ALL out for this wild prom corsage! The girl is wearing a pink with black, sequin, polka-dot dress. Obviously, this girl has a [Read more…]

Filed Under: Floral Design, Trends Tagged With: Corsages, Prom, Prom Flower Tips, Prom Flowers, Prom Trends

Vibrant Garden Decor Ideas!

April 12, 2010 by Jamie Jamison Adams Leave a Comment

Spruce Up Your Garden

After scouring the internet for new trends this spring in garden decor, I found an awesome trend forming that I simply could not ignore!

The best part—YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF!

Do you have a bare and bland wall or fence in your garden? You are in luck! People all over the nation are beginning to spruce up their gardens with a few tricks! Take that fence from bland to beautiful with only a few steps!

Go to your local nursery or home and garden store and pick up a few terra-cotta pots, flowers/plants of your choice, and a few pot hangers that can mount onto your wall or fence. After you come home with these the ideas or limitless, you can spray paint designs onto your new pots, or leave them all natural. Place them on your wall and fence in a stylish manner to create a more inviting feel to your garden.

For the artist’s garden—take your wall and fence and paint a mural or design that blends with your garden. You can even incorporate the pot hanging idea into your art design! Either way, these quirky and fun fences and walls provide an element of surprise and beauty to any garden.

Be lavish or be simple, the choice is your’s—express yourself in your garden and be sure to show it off to all your friends!

Find a local garden nursery or a local garden supply store near you and get started today on your stylish garden! Who knows maybe we will see you in the next Home & Garden Magazine!

This blog is sponsored by The Flower Shop Network: Find A Local Florist Near You!

Filed Under: Trends Tagged With: Garden Decor, Garden Trends, Gardening

Vegetables, Fruits & Flowers – A Winning Combination

June 1, 2009 by Leigh Morrisett 6 Comments

Don’t Just Pick The Flowers! Use The Whole Garden!

Looking for a unique way to add interest to a flower arrangements? Take a hint from Mother Nature by utilizing everything that grows in the garden to create unique and fun arrangements. Gardens contain a multitude of wonderful flowers as well as fruits and vegetables.

Sometimes we forget how noteworthy fruit and vegetables can be used as decorations, or as gifts in the form of “floral arrangements”. By marrying the items found in gardens with fresh cut flowers, you can create unique and fabulous designs. For example, try something as simple as roses and statice with green grapes draping over a container. The mixture of the roses with the grapes is less formal, but conveys a bit of garden whimsy.

What I enjoy about adding fruits or vegetables to flower designs is the ability to blend different textures, colors and smells into my table centerpieces. I recently had a dinner party and was serving Mexican food, lots of spicy Mexican food. My florist designed a centerpiece using bright red cayenne chili peppers along with red roses, grapes and red apples. The peppers, grapes and apples made the arrangement pop from the table. Everyone commented on the wonderful idea of incorporating fruits and vegetables.

Taking A Cue From The Farmers Market

Open yourself up to new ideas and creations by thinking outside the standard florist cooler. Browse your local fruit stands or grocery centers for unconventional ideas to use in arrangements. Fall is a great time to experiment with gourds. Try using small gourds, both round and elongated styles, with oranges in a clear tall vase to hold fresh flowers. You won’t need floral foam because your gourds and oranges do the trick.

Another fantastic garden option is kale, which comes in a variety of beautiful colors. The colorful ones are often referred to as flowering kale. All flowering kales are edible like the garden varieties, making it a superb item for use in fruit and flower arrangements.

Imagine joining a bright, white-colored flowering kale with the deep green of broccoli florets and bright orange baby carrots all in an edible arrangement. This is a great way to treat your Mother on Mothers day with an edible gift you both can share.

Edible Flower Arrangements

Most of us have seen edible flowers, such as pansies used as wedding cakes decorations. In fact, edible flowers have been used in the catering industry for a very long time. Just like fruits and vegetables, edible flowers can be used to add a special touch of beauty or uniqueness.

More and more florists are using veggies and fruits to spice up their arrangements and to add texture as well. Vegetables and fruits are becoming more common in floral designs. Often you see fruits and vegetables used in silk flower arrangements because the colors and textures work well with different types of flora. The use of fresh fruits and vegetables is growing more common. Fresh fruit and vegetables offer you a wide variety to draw from for inspiration and work your creative magic.

Sure you can eat them…But mostly they are for admiring.

When using fruits and vegetables in arrangements, most often the idea is not to eat them but to enjoy the unique idea of fruits and vegetables as floral arrangements. If you decide to use or send edible flowers with edible fruits and vegetables in an arrangement, be sure they are indeed edible. Some flowers are not edible or may have an unpleasant taste. You can find charts that tell you which flowers are edible as well as their taste. I highly recommend checking charts. Just as I used flowering kale and broccoli with carrots for a Mother’s Day gift suggestion, some people may not be aware that flowering kale is edible. Be sure to insert a note that tells the receiver about the arrangement. That note should include care instructions and if the arrangement is for admiring, eating or both.

Yes! You can make a “flower” arrangement by using fruit.

These types of arrangements can be edible! Just wrap them in colorful cellophane to keep them moist prior to delivery. Edible fruit arrangements are easy to make. They just take some time and some creativity, and cookie cutters to make some “fruit flowers”. Or you can do as I do. I have my local florist make them for me. Not all florists, will make these types of edible arrangements, but it’s worth a phone call to see if they will.

The art of flower design takes on a new perspective, a whole new pizazz when you add an element of fruit or vegetables. Enhancing your arrangements by adding the unexpected, shows design flair, as well as creativity. Don’t be afraid of fruits and vegetables. Maybe you don’t like to eat fruit or vegetables, but don’t deny yourself the beauty found in veggies or the brilliant colors found in fruits. Use them in a colorful fruit and flower arrangement.

I don’t like brussels sprouts but using them as a base to add some light green color with pink roses in a topiary style is one way I can enjoy brussels sprouts. So contact your local florist to get a dose of healthy fruits and vegetables in your flower arrangements, today.

A special thanks goes to Belvedere Flowers for the picture of their Fresh Lemonade arrangement. A special thanks to King Creek Flowers for the fruity reception centerpiece photo. A special thanks to Apple Blossoms Floral Design for the fruit and flower arrangement photo.

Whether you are a Havertown PA Florist, a Miami Florist, a Tampa florist or one of the fine florists across the U.S. and Canada, Flower Shop Network would love to see pictures of your fabulous arrangements. You can send pictures to jadams@flowershopnetwork.com.

Filed Under: Floral Design, Newsletters, Tips & Tricks, Trends Tagged With: Edible Flower Arrangements, Fruit and Flower Arrangements, Newsletters, Unique Flower Arrangements

Try These 5 Prom Flower Styles in 2009!

April 15, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

Ok. It’s the big night. You’re standing there looking stunning in the dress that took two weeks and as many credit cards to find. Your hair has never looked better. Your face is clear, your teeth sparkle. You are a beauty to behold. That’s when you hear your date ring the doorbell. You coyly greet him only to find that he has brought something else besides a prom corsage. Could it be so? Is he even able to do that?

Yes.

Prom flowers have taken many new shapes and sizes over the years. As the dresses get shorter, lighter and much more “springy,” so also do prom flowers change. (Yes, I actually say “so also do” and I’m not 100.) As far as having to stick to prom corsages goes, that’s not so much the case anymore. These flowers are gorgeous and perfectly acceptable. Plus, you can dress them up to fit you. However, don’t be alarmed if your date shows up with something a little less standard.

Florists are finding more and more that prom flowers need to fit the personalities of both the young lady and the young man. What I mean by this is that if you are a flashy, showy woman who likes to be bold–try a bolder looking bracelet wrist corsage. As a rocking young woman, I prefer these because your accessories ring a lot of personality to the whole ensemble. Instead of simple black and a pop of color, you now have your pretty black dress with an eye-catching bracelet and flowers that suck the attention straight back to you.

Want to get some major compliments on prom night? Here are some flowers for prom that are hot in 2009:

1) Prom Pocket Squares (for guys) — not as familiar as the rest but definitely worth the wear. Prom pocket squares hold a photo of your date with floral accents to complement her corsage. Want more information on prom pocket squares? Call Oakhill Florist, a great flower shop in Scarborough Maine.

1) Wrist Corsages — you guessed it. The traditional is always going to show up in a list like this. However, modern girls are turning the traditional prom accessory into something trendy and fun. All it takes is a phone call to your local florist. He or she will talk with you about how to use ribbons, jeweled bracelets and particular types of flowers to make your corsage work for you.

2) Boutonnieres — again with the traditional but there are modern spins to be put on these as well. Just let your florist know that you want a very unique, contemporary boutonniere for your date. Once you know what color he’ll wear, the rest is a breeze! (Want a fun prom photo? Have a friend snap a pic of your date wearing your flowers and you wearing his. Strike a James Bond-esque “cool” pose and laugh about it for years.)

3) Bracelet Corsages — this is a little bit different than a typical wrist corsage because modern prom flowers mean very contemporary styles for the accessories worn with them. Jeweled bracelets make people WANT to show off what used to just be something to keep the flowers on their wrists. Now it’s an eye-catching fashion statement! Florists now have awesome bracelets and other jewelry that they can attach the flowers to.

4) Flower Bouquets — seems a little unorthodox considering the party atmosphere of a prom but these favored flowers are anything but passe. If your date shows up with a bouquet of flowers–well, that’s just worthy of a good solid hug. Only a sweetheart would go the extra mile to make YOU fell special. After all, you’re not going to be showing off a bouquet to your friends. These flowers are just for you; something to keep the memories of that night alive. Extra points for him and you if he shows up with something to wear to prom AND something to enjoy for yourself. He’s a keeper!

While these may not seem like “new” concepts for prom flowers, the whole idea with this accessory in 2009 is to make it all…about…YOU. Accentuate your personality because it’s YOUR prom. Flowers are just the icing on the cake. You’re the main attraction so ask your florist to create flowers for prom that bring your personality to life. Bold? Be a little brazen. Reserved? Try something traditional. In love with your date? Go romantic. It’s all up to you!

Filed Under: Trends Tagged With: Boutonnieres, Corsages, Flower Etiquette, Prom Flower Tips, Prom Flowers, Wrist Corsages

What Peaks Your Interest About Flowers?

April 10, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

I tend to talk a lot about what I like and what works for me and mine. However, I’m much more concerned with what you like and what works for you and yours. This month I would like to see what really tickles you about flowers. If you are a florist, please share what you like about or what made you choose the floral industry.

I want to know what moves you, what drives you, what about your area drew you to flowers, what makes your local flower shop stand out, what makes your area stand out in the floral industry, and what makes your heart skip a beat when you see or hear it.

Though these are not the boundaries by any means, here are some examples:

Funny/sentimental card messages
(Florists) Stories about sweet customer interactions
Design techniques that catch your eye
Something nice that you did to counteract the effects of a natural disaster
Anything happy that makes you feel good.

It’s not just the opportunity to put words on a page. It’s not an attempt to fill space on the Internet. It’s a chance for you to BRAG about yourself. Keep points! Take score. You’re at the top of your game or climbing there fast for a reason. Want to share a great idea with others? Find something that you like and you’re sure someone else will love it? Share it with us. You may even see a whole blog or Networker article about what peaks your interest.

Let the world know what moves you. Log in to comment below or email me at bjackson@flowershopnetwork.com

Filed Under: Trends Tagged With: Floral Industry, Flower Shop Network, Peaks My Interest

Riding High in Hybrid Delivery Vehicles

March 17, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

Ok, small or hybrid vehicles.

Thankfully, some very efficient florists have found a clever way to save money and go green at the same time. Many florists are turning lemons into lemonade by switching to smaller or hybrid delivery vehicles. These smaller vehicles save on fuel costs for day-to-day deliveries. This also makes it very cost effective to simply rent a large van for major events.

The ability to save money by lowering fuel costs is a huge advantage for any florist. Consider the amount of fuel used to power a large van during the course of a year. Even a five or ten mile-per-hour (mph) difference can add up to hundreds of dollars during the year! That’s reason enough to switch to more fuel-efficient delivery vehicles.

Just as many local florists want to “green” their flower shops. The trend toward smaller delivery vehicles is one that can be adapted rather quickly and with little more hassle than any similar activity for the shop. With all that extra moolah at stake, switching to fuel-efficient delivery vehicles is well worth the consideration!

I recently spoke with David Strong of Piano’s Flowers & Gifts in Memphis, Tennessee about his recent switch to a more eco-friendly delivery vehicle. According to Mr. Strong, his customers have only rave reviews about the new van, citing things like “Leave the van. Keep the flowers.” Mr. Strong was very pleased to be getting 29 miles to the gallon for his in-town deliveries. Having spent a significant amount of time in Memphis traffic, I would be too!

What I found very interesting was that the design of Piano’s new vehicle was actually a customer’s idea. Knowing a little bit about your customers is what keeps them coming back, and apparently creating fantastic designs for each new delivery vehicle!

Have you already adopted these trends in your flower shop? Tell us some of the ways that you are reducing your fuel costs with “green” vehicles or send pictures of your hybrid delivery vehicle.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks, Trends Tagged With: Delivery Vehicles, Flower Delivery, Tips & Tricks, Trends

Prom Trends: Prom Accessories and Flowers

March 3, 2009 by Jordon Robinson 7 Comments

Prom Flowers: Traditional Meets Up-and-Coming

In the past, trends for prom flowers have been limited to the prom corsage or prom boutonniere. 2009 brings new creative ideas for not only corsages and boutonnières but for other accessories as well. This year, corsages and boutonnières will be as important as always, but florists all around are gearing up for the endless possibilities of accessorizing with flowers. “How do you accessorize with flowers,” you ask? Well, I’ll tell you.

Traditional Prom Corsages

Red Calla Lily Boutonniere

Traditional prom corsages and prom boutonnieres were created using roses or mums and adorned with a thin silk or satin ribbon for decoration. Boutonnieres and corsages were both worn on the shoulder of the prom-goer, which for a girl in a prom dress is very uncomfortable and inconvenient. Over the past couple of years prom corsages have made a transformation. Florists now create prom corsages to be worn on the wrist, making it easy to take on and off and much more suitable for a teenage girl.

Modern Prom Corsages

As for prom corsage and boutonniere decorations, 2009 is the year of accessories. Forget the ribbon. Rhinestones, feathers and just about anything you can think of can be incorporated into your corsage or boutonniere. Most florists these days even have a “create your own design” option, so you can pick out all of the flowers and decorative details you want for your corsage or boutonniere.

Prom Wrist Corsage

Modern prom trends are all about embellishment; not only with the wrist corsage and boutonniere, but with other accessories as well. For so long prom flowers remained limited to the traditional corsage or boutonniere. With more accessory options and creative assembly, flowers now can be incorporated into a multitude of prom accessories. Small flowers such as mini-roses and button mums are being added to simple and boring hair pins to make beautiful and elaborate hair accessories.

Don’t Stop At Corsages – Prom Accessories Are In!

Don’t stop at just the flowers though, add some rhinestones for extra sparkle and maybe a little ribbon as well to create that trendy adornment for your hair. Florists and hairdressers are working together to create new and unique prom hairstyle trends. One such prom trend is to match the ribbon length to the girl’s hair length. Prom tiaras can also be embellished with flowers and other accessories as well. Beautiful sparkling tiaras can be woven with strands of miniature flowers adding some delicacy and feminism to a bright and shining tiara. Not wearing any hair accessories this year? You don’t need to wear an up-do just to incorporate flowers into the hair. Flowers can be bound together in small groupings or just singly wrapped to simply stick behind your ear on prom night.

Prom Flower Jewelry

Flower Ring For Prom

Embellished flower jewelry is a trend for prom 2009 as well. Florists are making wrist corsages look more like bracelets. They are also creating rings, earrings, and necklaces with flowers for prom as well. Prom flower rings are the cutest and most unique idea for 2009 prom trends.

Prom Flower Rings

Florists simply take a flower of your choice and make it into a ring. Miniature flowers like spray roses look the best and most size appropriate for the finger. These rings can be adorned with rhinestones and other materials just like any other prom accessory. Prom flower necklaces are also a big trend for this year. However, depending on the prom dress, a flower necklace may or may not be appropriate. Strapless prom dresses are the most suited to the flower necklace trend. As with the other prom flowers, you can work with your florist to decide which flowers and embellishments to use.

Prom Flower Earrings

Talk to your prom florist about creating matching earrings. Creating flower earrings for prom is a rising trend for 2009 and beyond. Although prom earrings are a new floral creation requiring special florist tools, they are extremely unique and rising in popularity. As with the flower rings and flower necklaces, petite blooms also are more appropriate for the prom flower earrings. This trend requires a little more planning and discussion between the customer and the florist since special earring hooks are necessary. Once the florist has the hooks they can then create the actual earrings with whatever blooms and embellishments the customer chooses. Personalization is the key to these trends and florists have responded with the “create your own design” service. Many florists are offering customer the option of creating their own personalized prom jewelry in a convenient setting.

Prom Flower ..Shoes? Yes!

This year like last, prom flowers are also being incorporated into shoes. Yes, I said shoes. It seems like a crazy idea. However, the final product is quite beautiful and discretely fabulous. Not many people think to accessorize shoes, but especially with the extra-strappy heels that are being worn these days, incorporating flowers into prom shoes is effortless. Shoes can be embellished in a couple of different ways. Tiny blooms can be glued into the shoe straps, creating a “band of blooms”. This makes the shoe look as if it were made out of flowers, and is guaranteed to turn heads on prom night. Flowers can be grouped to just one part of the shoe as well for more of an impact . These are dainty and discrete embellishments that just add a touch of glamour to an already fabulous pair of shoes. Endless opportunities abound when you incorporate flowers into your prom accessories.

Making prom your own is as simple as creating a personalized look with your accessories. If you have a new idea or have questions about incorporating flowers into other prom accessories, you can contact your local florist for ideas or suggestions. Who knows? You and your florist may start a new trend!

Filed Under: Floral Design, Newsletters, Seasonal Ideas, Tips & Tricks, Trends Tagged With: Boutonnieres, Newsletters, Prom Flowers, Prom Trends, Wrist Corsages

January Wedding Flower Trends For 2009

October 20, 2008 by Jamie Jamison Adams 4 Comments

Ask the Expert: What flowers/colors will be in for Jan weddings
What flowers and colors will be “in” for January weddings?

Filed Under: Trends, Wedding Flowers Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert, Flower Trends, Wedding Flowers

How Myspace Helps FSN Friends Reach New Heights

August 27, 2008 by Flower Shop Network 1 Comment

Flower Shop Network is continually searching for new and creative ways to further develop a community of florists and flower buyers. Presence on social networking sites such as the Flower Shop Network myspace.com profile, FSN facebook.com page, and others is helping Flower Shop Network and friends build relationships with other fascinating people with a love for beautiful flowers. Many of our Flower Shop Network friends have joined us on the social networking site Myspace.

One of the best things about social networking sites is that these sites enable users to interact with friends, family and acquaintances across the country and even the world. Florists continue to use social networking sites to showcase premium designs, contact other florists, and post contact information for other users. In this way, the florist’s profile becomes a high-tech billboard but with a much greater amount of information. Just look at these Flower Shop Network members that decided to get the word out via Myspace.com.

Live large with flower arrangements from Apple Blossoms Floral Design.

Scott Darhower of Apple Blossoms Floral Design is one of the premier Tampa, Florida florists. Having worked with flowers and floral design for more than 25 years, Scott is ahead of the game with creative flower arrangements, gift baskets, and even interior decorating skills that set apart every customer’s special event. Just as the website boasts, look to Apple Blossoms Floral Design for “designs for a lifetime…one seed at a time.”

PJs Flowers turns life’s lemons into…flower arrangements!

PJ’s Flowers and Events sets the bar for great flower arrangements and an eco-friendly mindset in Phoenix, Arizona. Florists are easy to find in Phoenix but PJ’s Flowers and Events goes above and beyond to ensure a quality customer experience. The team at PJ’s deliver unique and beautiful flowers to Phoenix and Maricopa County. Don’t believe me? Sneak a peek at the citrus collection, western styled gift baskets and more. Better still, if your conscience has you going green this year, trust the team at PJ’s Flowers and Events to go the extra mile for you and for our planet.

Life is beautiful with flowers from The Plant Bazaar!

The Plant Bazaar applies creativity to more than just their name. A full-service florist in Westborough, Massachusetts, you can’t go wrong with the 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. Although, with more than 24 years experience in the floral industry it’s unlikely that such a guarantee would ever be tested. The premium quality floral designs offered at The Plant Bazaar have customers walking out of the flower shop grinning. Delivering flowers with a smile, the great people at The Plant Bazaar take customer service to a new high.

Everyone loves pretty pink and purple flowers from Floratique.

Mountain View, California florists are well aware of the colorful designs and quality fresh flowers delivered from Floratique. Serving a vast local area that spans four counties, Floratique is a well-known fixture in the Mountain View area. Enthusiasm and creativity are written all over the faces of the team at Floratique who works—though this much fun is almost playing—to make each experience as much about their customers as possible.

It’s time for Vibrant Violets from Piccadilly’s Flower Shoppe.

When searching for Burnsville, West Virginia florists, look no further than Piccadilly’s Flower Shoppe. One of my personal favorites, it is hard to find a sweeter disposition on any florist in the quaint Southern town. Don’t let the size of the town fool you. This flower shop boasts “small town personal touches with the floral experience of major cities.” For great gifts and masterful flower arrangements, call on Piccadilly’s!

Filed Under: Floral Industry News, Marketing Tips, Trends Tagged With: Burnsville West Virginia Florists, Floral Industry News, Flower Shop Network, Mountain View California Florists, Myspace, Phoenix Arizona Florists, Social Media, Tampa Florida Florists, Westborough Massachusetts Florists

Amazing Prom Flowers, Dresses, Formal Wear And A Hummer Limo

April 27, 2008 by Jamie Jamison Adams 14 Comments

Things sure have changed since my prom days. My sister-in-law just sent me pictures of my nephew’s prom. Oliver went to prom last week with his girlfriend, Courtney, and as is custom these days, it was a group affair with a Hummer limousine to boot.

When I say things have changed I mean everything: the hair styles, the prom dresses, formal wear for the guys — even the prom flowers!

When I was in school the pin-on corsage was the only option we had for prom flowers. Now, prom flowers are a fashion accessory, not just a nice gift from your date. Prom-goers embellish their purses, shoes and necklaces with flowers for prom. They use the wrist corsage like a piece of jewelry! In fact, one of the girls in my nephew’s prom group had a flower ring. Not a ring in the shape of a flower, but a flower ring.

I have never really wanted to relive my youth, but I wish I could go to prom just so I could wear one of these cool wrist corsages and flower rings.

Prom Transportation

The transportation to prom is another thing that is completely different. I rode to prom in a Toyota Corolla, not the most prestigious of vehicles in 1983. Now, they arrive in limos and not just any limo, but a Hummer limo!

My nephew, Oliver, is on the right side with his girlfriend, Courtney, and his friends, Whitney and Dustin, are pictured on the left. I think the colorful prom dresses, fantastic tuxedos, amazing prom wrist corsages and the limo are a huge part of the whole prom experience, but the most important thing last weekend was the memories Oliver and friends made that will last him a lifetime.

If you want to see more pictures of the gorgeous prom dress and prom flowers, I know that several are posted on Wedding and Party Network. If you have prom pictures you would like to share, Wedding and Party Network lets users submit pictures to their site!

Filed Under: Flower Memories, Trends Tagged With: Flower Memories, Prom, Prom Flowers, Prom Trends