Find Your Local Florist:Everything you want to know about flowers!
We just got back from the Illinois State Florists’ Association’s annual convention for 2013 themed, Wonderland. What a wonder it was. From design shows to floral competitions, grants and more — florists from Illinois and surrounding states had their inspiration batteries charged at this show!
Trade Show Entrance using over-sized flowers, butterflies and bees, just like you’re stepping into wonderland.
FSN’s Trade Show booth where we gave away our big green tote bags to all who attended.
Who doesn’t love getting flowers? Sending them is just as fun — plus there are so many great excuses to send flowers this March, let’s take a look…
Flowers for St. Patrick’s Day? Well why not? An all-green bouquet is so beautiful and unique, anyone would love and appreciate receiving it. Maybe someone you know needs a little luck, or maybe you want to thank them for bringing blessings into your own life. Flowers are the perfect way to send these messages.
When To Send? Today! St. Patrick’s Day is Sunday, March 17th. If you send flowers now, your Lucky Charm will be able to enjoy them all week long. Then when the day comes, they can pluck one of the little green flowers to wear on the lapel and avoid the dreaded PINCH!
What To Write?
What To Send? Green of course! You could go with an all-green flower arrangement, or mix in some of the colors also associated with St. Patrick’s Day, such as white and yellow. You might also consider a green house plant.
Flowers almost instantly come to mind when you think Spring. It’s a great excuse to send flowers to someone for a little pick-me-up. Spring flowers make us happier and more energetic. The very first day of spring this year is March 20th.
When to Send? Anytime! Spring last all the way until June, so anytime one of your friends needs to add a little spring in their step, send spring flowers!
What To Send? You can go with so many different approaches when sending spring flowers. From all pastels, to multi-colored, to all one color — the color possibilities are endless. There are some favorite spring flowers to consider: daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and irises are great choices. Take a look at our Spring Flower Photo Gallery to see a large choice of options.
We sure have a great mix of beautiful designs on tap in this week’s florist recap! The majority of today’s pictures are daily designs from local florists all across the country — these are arrangements you can order and bring into your own home! (Just remember to always use a real local florist.) It’s very obvious spring is just around the corner with the beautiful colors of blushing blooms in today’s lineup.
Creative flower arrangement by The Flower Patch & More, Bolivar MO
“Customer requested ‘creative energy’.”
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Unique design by First Class Flowers, Calgary AB CA
“Unique centrepiece made for a weekly standing order.”
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Ask the Expert: what type of plant is this?
I just purchased this plant and I would like to know what it is so I can keep it living. :) Please help, Angel.
A couple of our FSN team members headed north this past weekend to attend the Michigan Floral Association’s Great Lakes Floral Expo — an event we look forward to every year! Once again the amazing talent at the show blew us away. There were so many fascinating presentations, competitions and enough inspiration to last the entire year.
The Great Lakes Floral Expo is one of the nation’s premier floral shows. This show is a must attend event to those in the floral industry. This event is unique in the floral industry because it is held in conjunction with the West Michigan Home and Garden Show and there are events for the general public.
If you want to get a taste of what the Great Lakes Floral Expo has to offer, check out the photos after the jump:
Convention season has just started. Check out our Florist Conventions & Flower Shows and start planning your trip to one near you!
Ask the Expert: What is this plant?
I have been searching several websites trying to find out what this plant is. It blooms only once a year around Jan.-Feb. the leaves are a little prickly. I take it outdoors in the summer. I live in Ohio. Gloria
Plant Expert Reply:
Gloria,
It looks like the plant is blooming. Can you send me a better picture of the bloom? I think this is some type of Bromeliaceae, but I need to see a picture of the bloom.
Gloria’s Reply:
This is a picture of the flowers. Thanks for your help. 
Plant Expert Reply:
Gloria,
Thank you for the picture of the bloom. I believe the plant belongs to the family Bromeliaceae and the genus Billbergia. However I am not sure which species. I will place you question and pictures on the blog to see if any of the readers can identify the plant.
I love plant identification questions like this one — where I need a little help from our readers.
So if anyone has a better identification of the plant or knows the species of the plant, PLEASE place your identification or other information in the comments section below.
Can you believe March is here already? This month is all about spring green and the luck of the Irish. Sunday, March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day — a day when the whole world turns green. As they say, “Everyone is Irish on March 17th.”
While St. Patrick’s Day is not necessarily a floral holiday, sending green flowers is a great way to say thank you to your Lucky Charm. It could be your significant other or even a best friend who has stuck by your side through thick and thin. It could be a study partner who has got you through crunch time. Maybe a last-minute babysitter who makes escape nights possible. Ask yourself, “Who do I need to thank for being a Lucky Charm?” You just might be surprised by how much luck you have through others. The arrangement pictures above, White & Yellow Roses, is a beautiful example of Lucky Flowers to send to your Lucky Charm.
Just remember to always always always use a real local florist when ordering flowers. You will not only be helping your community, but also getting the best quality flowers available. Happy March everyone!
Once again, spring is eagerly being anticipated by our florist friends on Facebook. Today’s photo recap is filled with beautiful pictures of pretty, pastel floral designs from all over the country. While some areas are starting to warm up, most of us are still longing for the warmer weather of spring. Whatever the case may be for you, these pretty pictures of spring flowers are sure to warm you right up!
Spring flower design by Country Creations Flowers & Antiques, Marion IL
“This would be my pick to make you think spring.”
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Unique design by Auburn Classic Florist, Auburn IN
“This was for a bridal show. The kale was to look like a bridal bouquet.”
We all know how bees use flowers to collect pollen for food and sustenance. You might even be aware of how bees see ultraviolet light, color and shape to determine different types of flowers. But, there’s more to pollination than just sight and smell — according to a very new study conducted by the University of Bristol and published in the journal Science, flowers actually communicate with bees through electric fields!
“This is a big finding,” says Daniel Robert, who led the study. “Nobody had postulated the idea that bees could be sensitive to the electric field of a flower.”
Flowers and plants tend to possess negative charges and are electrically connected to the ground, allowing them to conduct electricity very slowly. Bees, on the other hand, have a positive electrical charge because they fly in air. When the two connect, sparks may not fly, but pollen sure does. “We found some videos showing that pollen literally jumps from the flower to the bee, as the bee approaches… even before it has landed,” says Robert.
Now the electric side of pollination isn’t exactly new, as far back as the 1970s, botanists suggested that electric forces enhance the attraction between pollen and pollinators. But it wasn’t until now that we started asking the right questions, “Does the bee know anything about this process?”
Instagram is a popular smartphone app and social tool that allows you to easily create beautiful photos and share them to many different social networks with just a few clicks.
From florists:
“I like the fact I can push pictures right to FB in a hurry…since I have so little time to do anything anymore!!!!” – MaryJane’s Flowers & Gifts, Berlin NJ
“We love Instagram! We use it to show off currents wedding samples. It’s great because it connects right to Facebook and allows us to show our work to our fans. An online portfolio, if you will” – Perfect Rose Floral Design, East Islip NY
“I like using it to take quick little teasers of bouquets, centerpieces etc that I can post on Facebook and twitter to show my followers what I’m currently working on. Pictures always get me the most activity on my Facebook page, so using Instagram is a quick + easy way to keep my Facebook page interesting.” – cattleya chic inc., Red Deer AB
Almost like Twitter, but with photos instead of messages, Instagram allows people everywhere to share their daily lives with the world. You can share these photos with most other social networks, but Instagram also creates a beautiful stream of your photos for others to follow. It’s sort of like a photo journal.
Why Instagram?
