Flower Meanings - Bloomin' Blog

July Newsletter: Pick Up Some Summer Sunshine

July 24, 2014 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

Summer is a beautiful time of year, and that makes it the perfect time for flowers!

As the temperature heats up and Mother Nature spreads her wings, florist shops are filled to bursting with beautiful summer blooms. It’s the perfect time to stop by and pick up a creative arrangement for your significant other or even for yourself. After all, there’s nothing like fresh cut flowers adorning your breakfast table or sitting by your bedside when you wake. So head on out to your local florist shop and pick up some summer sunshine!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Newsletters Tagged With: Facebook Friday, Flower Meanings, July Birth Month Flowers, Parent's Day, Summer Flowers

Make Summer Sizzle with Flowers

July 9, 2014 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

Perhaps you’re looking to start a new relationship, or you’re just trying to kindle the flames on an existing one. Maybe things are wonderful and you’re just looking for a way to keep the home fires burning. No matter your relationship status or its current state, flowers are always the best way to heat things up.

The Power of the Flower

They say that love is the universal language, but I say that language is most easily communicated in flowers. Want to express your passion? A few red blooms will send an unmistakable message. Do you want to exhibit a more chaste expression of love? White flowers represent honesty, innocence and purity. What if you are looking to show happiness and joy? Orange flowers are the choice for you.

Pink expresses innocence, playfulness, and sensitivity while yellow exudes trust, compassion and respect. Blues speak to serenity and intimacy, perfect for the long-standing couple wishing to express their mature love.

The Lure of Local

If the goal is gorgeous flowers that will take his or her breath away, you want to contact your local florist. She will not only provide you with amazing, fresh cut flowers, but she can produce a heart-stopping arrangement sure to raise the temperature a few degrees. These local flower artists are exactly what you need to make the perfect gift for the one you love.

Don’t be satisfied with lukewarm. Make your summer sizzle!

Filed Under: Seasonal Ideas Tagged With: Flower Meanings, Summer Flowers

June Flower Spotlight: Hydrangea

June 26, 2014 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

The hydrangea is a beautiful flower that can be found all over the US during the spring and summer months. It is native to eastern Asian countries such as China and Japan, but it grows well throughout the Americas. The hydrangea is normally a shrub growing about three to nine feet high with lovely blue, pink or even sometimes white flowers.

Two Styles

It is possible to find two different styles of this flower. The first and most common type is known as the mophead. Mopheads have large round flower heads resembling a pom-pom or the head of a mop. The other is called a lacecap and has round, flat flower heads with a center core of flowers surrounded by outer rings of showy flowers. Both types can bloom from early spring until late autumn, so it’s possible to see them the majority of the year.

Flower Meaning

Hydrangea is composed of two Greek words: hydor, meaning water and angos meaning jar or vessel. This roughly translates to water barrel, thought to relate to the hydrangea’s need for lots of water as well as its cup-shaped flower.

It’s symbolic meaning, heartfelt feelings, comes from Japan, and can refer to both happiness or despair. However, there are other symbolic meanings that have been attached to the hydrangea over the years. Some believe it means vanity and boastfulness while still others claim gratefulness for the recipient’s understanding. It’s important to be aware of all of these meanings when gifting this flower to another so you can be sure and make it clear which symbolic meaning you intend. Of course, you may not intend any symbolic meaning other than that which accompanies all lovely flowers, but it’s important to make that clear as well.

The hydrangea is also the 4th wedding anniversary flower.

Don’t hesitate to contact your local florist and request this beautiful bloom. Even if they don’t have any in stock, they should be able to get them as part of their weekly shipment!

Filed Under: Flower Meanings Tagged With: Flower Meanings, Hydrangeas, Lacecap Hydrangea

May Newsletter: Mothers Day Magnificence

May 8, 2014 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

It’s Mothers Day once again. The day we all set aside to say, “Thank You” to the woman who stood by our side and supported us from day one. She picked us up when we needed help, let us do it ourselves when necessary and always looked out for our well-being. She cheered us on during the game, applauded our performance on the stage and swelled with pride at every achievement. She was tough when she had to be, comforting when we needed her to be and loving through it all.

This woman should receive all your love this Mothers Day. And she’d probably also enjoy some lovely flowers. And doesn’t she deserve it? After all, she’s Mom.

Choose Local for Mother’s Day Flowers Before Time Runs Out!

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 11th, and if you have yet to order flowers for your mom, time is running out! But don’t worry, you can still pick up a gorgeous corsage or breath-taking arrangement from your local florist. Just call or come by the shop and they will have everything you need to make your mother’s special day one to remember!

April Blog Spotlight: Lavender Hill Florals

This month we are showcasing a wonderful and classic take on the florist blog. The comments under the photos are mine, and I’m only going to use some of the photos here. If you’d like to see the entire post, click below!

Continue reading Blog Spotlight: Lavender Hill Florals

Facebook Friday: April Favorites

We provide a Friday recap of all the wonderful posts and pictures from active florists on our Facebook Page. It’s been so much fun seeing all the completely different designs every day. We hope you enjoy these favorites and continue through to see more from each Friday this month:

Gorgeous piece by Hobby Hill Florist in Sebring, FL

Hobby Hill Florist, Sebring, FL

Petals in Thyme, Wasaga Beach, ON

BlueShores, Wasaga Beach, ON

Michele’s Floral, Copperas Cove, TX

Mabel Flowers, Mabel, MN

Wilma’s Flowers, Jasper, TN

See all Facebook Recap pictures in these posts:

DIY Pressed Flower Phone Case

We are always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to use flowers, and any time we find an idea that is “outside the box”, we like to highlight it. That’s the case today as we ran across this excellent DIY post on Etsy from author Clare McGibbon detailing how to decorate a phone case with dried and pressed flowers! The process is simple, though not without need for a steady hand. Still, Mrs. McGibbon includes a method for clean-up if you get a little wild with the resin.

Best Reasons to Send Flowers in May

#1. Mother’s Day – May 11th – This really is the mother of all flower-sending holidays and that’s because nothing shows love and unconditional affection like fresh-cut flowers. Have your mom’s flowers delivered during the week to her office so she can show them off to her friends. Or have flowers arrive on the weekend to help her enjoy her special day.

#2. Armed Forces Day – May 17th and Memorial Day – May 26th – That’s 2 chances you have this month to show your love for the red, white and blue! Armed Forces Day salutes soldiers currently serving in the military while Memorial Day is set aside to honor those fallen heroes who gave their life in service. Send a beautiful patriotic themed bouquet to a special friend or family member who serves or served their country through military service.

#3. May Birthdays – Have family or friends with a May birthday coming up soon? Show them just how thoughtful you are with a lovely arrangement.

Continue Reading Best Reasons to Send Flowers in May!

FLOWER CARE TIP Most flowers will last longer under cool conditions. Keep this in mind as we head toward warmer climes!
More Flower Care Tips

WE’RE SOCIAL!

Love flowers? Follow us on the above Social Networks! We are always sharing the latest articles from our Bloomin’ Blog, as well as the most fascinating news on the net!

Mother’s Day and Flowers: A Time-Honored Tradition Mother’s Day has long been synonymous with flowers. In fact, the tradition of giving carnations, and then eventually wearing them as corsages, began all the way back at the inception of the American version of the holiday. Why? Well, carnations were the favorite flower of founder Anna Jarvis’ mother. Anna Jarvis arrived at the first Mother’s Day celebration in 1908 with 500 of these gorgeous flowers!

April Flower Spotlight: Lily When thinking about which flower to spotlight for April, there could only ever be one choice. Which flower is most synonymous with April? Like Valentine’s Day is to the rose so Easter is to the Lily.

5 Heartfelt Mother’s Day Card Messages This Mother’s Day, as your mom receives the flowers you had delivered to her from your local florist, (because you are buying your mom flowers, right? Right?) you want the card to say something special, something that lets her know exactly what she means to you. Here are 5 card messages sure to brighten her day and convey your love.

Forget Mom On Mother’s Day? It’s Never Too Late To Send Mom Flowers! If you somehow let Mother’s Day pass you by without sending Mom anything special, don’t fret — it’s never too late to send Mom flowers!

Help make Flower Shop Network‘s monthly newsletter even better! Got questions? Have an idea for a story? With your help, we can make the FSN newsletter just what you want and need. You can drop us a note in the comment section on the blog or email us at social@flowershopnetwork.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Filed Under: Newsletters Tagged With: Facebook Friday, Florist Spotlights, Flower Meanings, Flower Suggestions, Mothers Day, Mothers Day Card Messages, Mothers Day Flowers, Mothers Day Gifts

May Flower Spotlight: Peonies

May 8, 2014 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

May is a month long known for flowers. It falls in the sweet spot of Spring where, even in more traditionally cold parts of the country, it’s warm enough for flowers to begin blooming. And everyone knows the old sing-song phrase, “April showers bring May flowers.” Obviously there were many different flowers to choose from for this month’s spotlight, but in the end, the peony best embodied the beauty and wonder of flowers in May.

Peony History

The peony is native to Asia, Northern Europe and Western North America and have anywhere from 25 – 40 different species. The number is inexact because their are no clear-cut boundaries between many of the species and scientists argue over their distinction from each other. It’s name comes from Paeon, a character from Greek Mythology.

In the story, Paeon is the pupil of Asclepious, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepious becomes jealous of Paeon’s ability to heal and sets out to rid himself of the young upstart. Zeus saves the innocent lad from his master’s wrath by removing him from Olympus, taking him to earth and turning him into the flower we now know as the peony.

More than Just Beautiful

As should be evident by the above reference from Greek Mythology, the peony is not only a beautiful flower, but its bark, roots, seeds and flowers are also used for healing purposes! Its medicinal qualities were first discovered by the Chinese as a pain reliever. It was brought to Europe in the early 1200’s and was used to ease childbirth, ward off evil spirits and cure gallstones. The flower is still used in Eastern medicine, but hasn’t been used in the West since medieval times. Today the buds and leaves of the peony are used in China to make a white tea that many believe to have medicinal qualities.

The peony is traditionally recognized as the floral symbol of China but is unrecognized by the current government. It is also the state flower of Indiana.

Peony Meanings

The peony has been around so long that its meaning has changed over time. It also has meaning based on where in the world these gorgeous flowers happen to be delivered:

In Victorian times it may have represented bashfulness. It was said that mischievous nymphs would hide in its luscious petals.
In China the peony represents riches, prosperity and honor and the Chinese name for the peony means “beautiful”.
In modern Western culture, the peony is the symbol of the 12th wedding anniversary and represents good fortune and a happy marriage.

Peonies are a magnificent flower perfect for any occasion. They come in a variety of colors and are almost always available seasonally at your local florist! So pick up the phone and give them a call or stop by the shop to find out how they can use peonies in a gorgeous arrangement for you or a loved one!

Filed Under: Flower Meanings Tagged With: Flower Meanings, Peony

Writing Contest: 15 Most Romantic Flowers for Girls

April 23, 2014 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

We held a writing contest for students at a local Jr. High where we asked them the question, “Why are Flowers Romantic?” The following essay was written by our Runner Up, ninth-grader Katelynn Copeland!

15 Most Romantic Flowers for Girls

Girls love to be greeted or surprised with flowers. They make the most romantic gifts. There are many choices of flowers to choose from, but some girls only like certain types. If that’s the case, just get what she likes. If not, here are fifteen of the most romantic flowers:

Iris – Faith, hope, wisdom, courage, admiration – Iris’s are so gorgeous. Receiving one would make her day.
Sunflower – Adoration and loyalty – There’s nothing like sunflowers to put a smile on her face.
Wild Flowers – Whimsical, spontaneous, thoughtful – With so many colors and styles, wild flowers are stunning.
Lilac – Youthful, innocence – On a hard day, these will surely make her relax.
Carnation – Fascination, distinction, love – Carnations are beautiful and very easy to grow. Plant some outside the front door, and she’ll be pleasantly surprised when they begin to bloom.
Orchid – Love, beauty, luxury, strength – These are good to send to someone that needs a nice, good-luck gift for encouragement.
Lily – Friendship, devotion – Doesn’t take many for a gorgeous bouquet, and they are so classy. She’ll be amazed.
Tulip – Perfect love – Wonderful for spring days, tulips make gorgeous “just because” bouquets. Pick a few different colors, and tie them with a big ribbon.
Daisy – Innocence, purity, cheerfulness – She’s sure to appreciate these any day.
Rose – Love, romance – Put it in her water glass, or present it to her while on a date … it doesn’t matter. Rose’s are so romantic, she’s sure to be impressed.
Gardenia – Purity, innocence, honesty, sincerity – Gardenia is used in many women’s perfumes for its romantic properties. And the smell is out of this world! Not to mention the simple white elegance of this beautiful flower.
Hydrangeas – Enduring grace and beauty – Hydrangeas are incredibly romantic, sophisticated and oh, so soft!
Gladiolas – Infatuation, moral strength, integrity – A very rare but beautiful, elegant and romantic flower to give a woman.
Jasmine – Love, modesty, sensuality, attachment – A very beautiful white flower that smells soft, sweet and so divine! They are a lovely gift for any lady.
Magnolia – Nobility, perseverance, love of nature – Magnolia trees are some of the most beautiful trees in the world, and their elegant, romantic blooms are some of the most romantic flowers of all.

These are just a few of the flowers you can use to begin a romantic date. There are many more. Just find the right mix for you. Hopefully the descriptions and primary meanings will help with the right time to use each flower.

Thank you, Katelynn. Great job!

Filed Under: Flower Meanings Tagged With: Flower Meanings

Flower Spotlight: Gerber Daisies

March 13, 2014 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

For this month’s spotlight, in honor of the first official day of spring on March 20th, we are highlighting the Gerber Daisy or Gerbera. Gerberas received their name from the German botanist and naturalist Traugott Gerber who died at the age of 33 in 1743. Exactly why this flower received Gerber’s name remains a mystery.

Availability

The Gerber Daisy is kept on-hand at most flower shops, and is easily accessible year round. It is a popular flower, and so growers make it a priority, allowing florists to keep their stock levels high. It is a bright and colorful flower, blooming in every color except true blues and purples, and is the perfect gift for a first date or just to brighten someone’s day!

Care

These beautiful blooms will last a week or more in the vase, and so are excellent for fresh-flower bouquets. As with all cut flowers, in order to keep them looking fresh as long as possible you’ll want to keep them away from doorways or other areas of the home that will experience dramatic changes in temperature. If you want to pot them yourself, they prefer evenly moist soil, but not overly wet.

Meaning

Innocence – A meaning associated with all varieties of daisy.
Purity – Another meaning attributed to all varieties of daisy.
Cheerfulness – This one is specific to the Gerbera and is derived from the vast spectrum of colors in which this flower is available. A handful of brightly colored gerberas will lift anyone’s spirits!

There’s no need to search for a concrete reason to send these gorgeous flowers, they are wonderful for any occasion or no occasion at all!

Filed Under: Flower Meanings Tagged With: Flower Meanings, Seasonal Flowers, Spring Flowers

Flower Spotlight: The Rose

February 13, 2014 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

You’re probably familiar with the red rose as it’s one of the most popular and most recognizable flowers in the world. It’s used as a symbol of passionate love and given as a precursor to countless first dates, by husbands to angry wives and as a staple gift for Valentine’s Day, but red is not the only color nor is passionate love the only meaning a rose possesses.

Rose Colors and Meanings

Red Rose – Romantic love. As a gift, they tell the receiver “I love you,” and “I desire you,” but they also stand for beauty and perfection. With those inherent meanings, it’s no wonder that this color rose is the perfect gift for a lover.
Dark Red Rose – This color means unconscious beauty. It also means that the giver is ready for a commitment. A bouquet of these flowers should come with a ring.
Pink Rose – A symbol of grace and elegance, the pink rose is commonly given as an expression of admiration, appreciation or joyfulness. These flowers are much less serious a gift than their red counterparts.
Yellow Rose – This flower elicits the feelings of joy, friendship, warmth and happiness. Perfect for a close companion.
Lavender Rose – A gift that means enchantment and love at first sight. In many ways, the lavender rose is as appropriate for Valentine’s Day and lovers as its red sibling.
Orange Rose – Another perfect rose for your lover, the orange rose symbolizes desire, passion, excitement and enthusiasm.
White Rose – Often used for marriages and new beginnings, the white rose stands for purity, innocence, honor and reverence.

The rose, like all flowers, is multi-faceted in meaning. Flowers are a language all their own, and one can tell any story they choose with a handful of the right blooms. This Valentine’s Day, don’t just buy the standard rose merely because it’s traditional. Contact your local florist and buy the rose that expresses your feelings most completely.

Filed Under: Flower Meanings Tagged With: Flower Meanings, Red Roses, Rose, White Roses

Valentine’s Day Flower Meanings

January 29, 2014 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

Flowers are not only beautiful, they also have a lot to say. With Valentine’s Day coming up fast, we are here to let you know the message you’re sending along with that gorgeous arrangement. And knowledge of meaning is no less important on the receiving end. After all, what good is a floral message if the recipient doesn’t understand it?

So in the interest of clarifying the communication of love, here are the most common Valentine’s Day flowers and their meanings! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Gift Ideas Tagged With: Flower Meanings, flowers, Valentines Day, Valentines Day Flowers, Valentines Day Gifts

Bring Good Luck For Chinese New Year

January 27, 2014 by Juli Jackson Leave a Comment

The Chinese New Year is the longest and most important traditional Chinese holiday. Beginning on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar, celebrations and traditions continue until the 15th day with the Lantern Festival. Similar to New Year’s Eve celebrations in the States, the Chinese New Year’s Eve is known as chú xī or literally “Year-pass Eve.”

In 2014, Chinese New Year starts on January 31st in the US.
According to the Chinese Zodiac, it is time to welcome in the year of the horse!

Flowers for a New Beginning

If you plan on enjoying some of the festivities of the New Year, don’t forget that flowers can play an important part in your celebration. Through color, texture and fragrance, flowers instantly bring joy and good will into a room. And if you want good luck in the New Year, bringing a few smiles is a great place to start!

Whether it is surprising your hostess with a fresh-cut bouquet at a reunion dinner or decorating your home after a traditional cleansing of bad luck and spirits, flowers can bring harmony through color and symbolism. While some flower shops might not have a specific Chinese New Year arrangement, this is where a real talented local florist can surprise and delight you!

Tell your florist you want something special for Chinese New Year and they will work with you to create a personalized arrangement that will thrill you and any recipient. Your florist will select beautiful flowers, the perfect container and handle all the details of making something new and exciting for the occasion. After all, that’s what they are good at – expressing the feeling for any occasion through flowers!

Blooming with Meaning

Daffodil – prosperity
Chrysanthemum – longevity
Bamboo – luck
Sunflower – pure thoughts
Mandarin oranges – fortune
Plum trees – hard to find in the U.S. but a popular tradition in China

Chinese New Year Colors:

Red – symbolizes joy, virtue, truth and sincerity and is thought to chase away bad fortune and evil spirits like the mythical beast called the Nian.

Gold – symbolizes fortune and prosperity and is a favorite for starting a new year.

Ask for a custom arrangement that embodies the spirit of the season.
And always always always use a real local florist!

Bring On The Happy

Filed Under: Holiday Info Tagged With: Flower Meanings, Holiday Info

July Newsletter: Pick Up Some Summer Sunshine