Flower Suggestions

Like Pink Flowers? You’ll Love The North Dakota State Flower

August 5, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever been on a nature walk in North Dakota, you’ve probably run across the Wild Prairie Rose and didn’t even know it. It’s a gorgeous flower with 5 bright pink petals and a tight cluster of yellow stamens at the center. The Wild Prairie Rose (Rosa arkansana or Rosa blanda) grows along roadsides, near streams, in pastures and in meadows. With a prevalence and beauty unparalleled by other native North Dakota flowers, the Wild Prairie Rose has been the North Dakota state flower for over one hundred years.

Photo courtesy 50states.com

Though you probably weren’t around in 1907, the awe-inspiring Wild Prairie Rose has maintained its unique appeal for all of these years. Its charm never fades because it is instantly attractive. Its pink flowers help it pop next to wild grasses and other flora across the state. A nature walk is a chance to experience so much richness and natural beauty. Even in the midst of this often overwhelming experience, the Wild Prairie Rose is a diamond in the rough, unashamedly capturing attention but allowing viewers to revel in its beauty.

North Dakota florists are lucky. They do not have to travel far to enjoy the Wild Prairie Rose. It’s title as the North Dakota state flower may not mean much to a local florist, but it doesn’t have to. The Wild Prairie Rose has a reputation all its own and is beautiful enough to be momentarily captivating despite any title.

Have You Heard of Chinese Valentine’s Day?

August 4, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

Chinese Valentine’s Day is actually very cool. They do not regard their form of the holiday in the same way as we western hemispherians. (*grin*) It’s still a neat holiday for lovers and I’ll tell you why. But first! — a little Chinese Valentine’s Day history for you history buffs.

The History of Chinese Valentine’s Day

Chinese Valentine’s Day falls on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar. For those playing along at home, that’s August 26, 2009. The traditional story is a love story told of two star-crossed lovers (a droll joke, or so you’ll later learn). One is the 7th daughter of the Emperor of Heaven. Her love interest is an orphaned cowherd. A true “he’s from the wrong side of the tracks” story or a pasture in this case.

Anyway, the emperor couldn’t stand the thought of them together so he decided to banish them to stars far away. He sent his daughter to the star Vega and the cowherd to the star Altair. Being a somewhat benevolent father, he decided to allow them to see each other once a year. You can probably see where this is going. That day–now celebrated as Chinese Valentine’s Day–is the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar Chinese lunar calendar. You can almost hear the a-ha’s.

Modern Celebration of Chinese Valentine’s Day

Chinese girls and women do not take their dates for a night out and expect an armful of chocolates and flowers. Instead, they all visit a matchmaker in hopes that doing so will provide blessings for their future relationships. Couples in love also go to the matchmaker to ask for blessings on their relationship. There are several other interesting traditions but the one that really caught my eye for obvious reasons is how the young ladies use flowers.

They decorate the ox’s horn with flowers in hopes of preventing future disasters in their relationships. My only question now is where do I find a PETA approved Ox horn and a bucket full of flowers?

How Florists Help Celebrate Chinese Valentine’s Day

Lovers may not be visiting their florist for love advice on this day but that doesn’t mean that florists can’t help lovers find a way to share their affection. In fact, the westernization of many traditional celebrations puts them in the starting line-up! Aside from the crazies like me muttering something about “flowers for my ox horn”, you can still give fun gifts from the local flower shop to your lover on this day.

If you are a Chinese-American or just one who likes to celebrate random holidays (and I do!), this is a fun occasion for gift giving. Surprise your date with a bouquet of flowers as you leave to see “the matchmaker” in your life. A cute little twist would be to send flowers with an enclosure card that reads “for your ox horn”. Now off to my local florist for a gift for the most non-traditional traditional holiday I’ve ever heard of!

Filed Under: Holiday Info Tagged With: Chinese Valentines Day, Flower Suggestions, Holiday Gift Ideas, Holiday Info

Need A Fresh Flower Decorating Tip For A Back-To-School Party?

July 28, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

Back to school parties are the highlight of the summer. They set the tone for the rest of the school year. After a long summer’s vacation (or a short one for year-round schools), it’s always nice to throw a little celebration that welcomes in the new school year and says goodbye to summer vacation. It’s not a time to mope though! Back to school parties are fun, exciting, refreshing gettogethers with friends. Where’s a cause for sadness in that??

So now that we’re up to speed on the tone of a back to school party it’s time to talk about decorating. Fresh flowers are, as with any party, the best way to bring life and vitality to the celebration. Streamers, balloons, and party utensils are all well and good. What really gets the party decorations bumping though–why, that’s flowers of course!

Here Are Some Clever Fresh Flower Decorating Tips for A Back To School Party

Match the color of the flower arrangement to the decorations. If the team colors are black and gold, live it up with black and gold flowers! (Yes, it CAN be done!) If they are red and white, use red and white. And so on and so forth.
Use your child’s favorite color(s) as the theme of the flower arrangements. This will help your child feel like they had a special hand in the party and that it really is something to celebrate part of their life.
Ask each child to bring one fresh flower to the party. Use these to create a bouquet or two. Place these at the center of the room so that each child will be able to view their contribution. If an outdoor party, create a centerpiece for the picnic table or food table using the same idea.
Decorate the main table with fresh flowers then give each child one as they leave. Stems of flowers are excellent gifts for young middle school children and older children. Young children are easily amused and glad to receive any gift. Older children recognize the significance and may choose to preserve the flowers, especially if it’s the Back To School Party for their senior year.

Have any other ideas? Send them our way by placing them in the comments box below. Who knows? Your idea may make it THE Back To School Party of the new millenium!

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Back To School Flowers, Flower Suggestions, Fresh Flower Decorating, Fresh Flowers, Tips & Tricks

Remember The Birth Month Flower of August?

July 27, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

People who received a birthday bouquet full of the birth month flower of August probably remember what it is. If you’ve read last year’s August birth month flower blog, “Glad To Have Gladiolus”, you probably remember also.

Ok. So I just gave you a huge hint. Don’t make me have to work here.

Red Gladiolus Are A Great August Birthday Gift!

The birth month flower of August is the gladiola. Though poppy holds this title, you’re not going to find it in a birthday bouquet from your local florist. What you are likely to find in a birth month flower birthday bouquet is a wide range of flowers centered around (or at least including) gladiolus in orange or red. Why orange and red? Because orange, red and light green are the official birth month flower colors for August.

Ready for the flower meaning of gladiolus? “Strength of character; Sincerity; Generosity; Natural Grace” These together make a gladiolus birthday bouquet one of the most meaningful, sweet gifts that you can send! Florists use gladiolus often because it’s a fresh and beautiful flower with a lot of features that enhance each arrangement. Add in a dash of meaning and a hint of happy birthday wishes and you have a great birthday gift!

Summer flowers like the gladiolus are perfect for August birthdays. Orange and red are excellent colors to represent the full summer sun, the breezy sunsets of the summer, and the way the seasons are preparing to change. Just before the leaves begin to turn color, August birthdays are very special because they are shared by people who are always on the cusp of something great. Luckily for you, it’s easy to find a birthday gift for someone this fantastic. Just ask your local florist about August birth month flowers.

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions Tagged With: August Birth Month Flowers, Birth Month Flowers, Birthday Flowers, Birthday Gift Ideas, Flower Suggestions, Gladiolus, Local Florists

The Patriotic Meaning of Red & White Roses Rages On

July 23, 2009 by Flower Shop Network 1 Comment

Celebrate Unity With Red & White Roses

Red and white roses are gorgeous. They are beautiful whether variegated in these colors or bunched together. Why not celebrate independence and unity at the same time with a red and white bouquet of roses?

The flower meaning of red and white roses is what drew me to them. With a patriotic spirit, I came across “unity” and knew that this flower meaning would be one of the most important yet. Political views aside, we can all agree that a very critical need in this country is the sense of unity.

Many of our forefathers declared “united we stand, divided we fall” and knew exactly what it meant. Having separated from a country once loved, the spirit of patriotism began with those brave people who knew that to be free we must be one force with one mind, one common goal, and one heart.

Patriotism will never be out of fashion. Unity will never go out of style. Celebrate patriotism, not just with fireworks and funnel cakes, but also with red and white roses. Let it be a symbol of the unity that keeps this country great and not the petty differences that divide people. Have a loved one in the military who is serving overseas? This Independence Day is especially important to them because they are fighting for our right to be unified and independent.

There are many ways to show appreciation for the troops. Wear a white rose next to a red rose on your shoulder or a rose corsage. Send a red rose to your loved one away from home. Even if it’s a picture sent via email, you can still celebrate with them by wearing the same or complementing color on your shoulder. Later, send them a picture of you with wearing your rose. What an excellent way to share a meaningful moment.

Have an idea for how to wear a red or white rose? Let us know how you plan to celebrate the holiday by commenting below!

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

Flowers From Generation To Generation

July 22, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

When it comes to flowers it doesn’t really matter how old you are or where you’re from because people enjoy receiving flowers as well as sending them. Did you know that flowers can have a true emotional meaning behind them? They’re just not a pretty flower or simple gift; with the right flower you can send feeling and emotions to your loved ones. From a simple “I love you” to a very special “happy birthday”, flowers are an overall perfect gift which is the number one reason thousands of flowers are sent every day around the world.

As a 17 year old, my generation thinks about flowers differently than older generations. To us, flowers signify an easy way to make someone else smile. For example, on Valentine’s Day, every teenage boy knows to send their girlfriends flowers. Not only because its an easy gift to get, but they know flowers are the ideal Valentine’s Day gift. Most guys know that flowers make any girl happy and cheerful, especially roses on this specific day. They also realize that roses are a flower that symbolize an ”I love you”. So whether you’re from the younger or older generation, everyone knows that the meaning behind a rose is ”I love you”.

On the other hand an older generation, like our parents, thinks about flowers in a more passionate and sentimental way. A man from this older generation puts a great deal of thought into the flowers he sends his wife. He thinks about the emotion he wants to convey with the flowers he is sending. For the older generations the message you convey with flowers is a significant part of sending flowers. To my generation a gift of flowers might be remembered for about a couple of weeks. To the older generations it’s something they will remember for the rest of their life; making them smile every time they think about the special gift they received.

My generation focuses on flowers more around April or May, which is prom season. An outfit wouldn’t be complete without a dazzling corsage. On the other hand, for the older generation any day of the year is the right time to think about and send flowers. When they’re trying to send a sympathetic message or just make someone smile, waiting for a holiday to come around isn’t the only option when it comes to sending flowers. In retrospect, flowers are sent by all generations all throughout the year. They are just sent with a different meaning an in a different approach each time. Maybe my generation should start sending flowers a little more often.

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions Tagged With: Flower Meanings, Flower Memories, Flower Suggestions, Fresh Flowers, Gift Ideas, Sending Flowers

Sending Flowers? Don’t Forget To List Your Second Choice

July 21, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

This is one flower sending tip that you won’t want to be without. Florists run across an issue often when they are asked to create an arrangement based on something seen in a magazine, on a floral website, or a wire service design gallery. Because availability varies by region and other factors, it is important to have your second choice in mind when ordering flowers.

Small Changes, Not A Different Flower Arrangement

Having a second choice is not what it seems to be. This does not mean giving up what you want in favor of a completely different arrangement. This can be something as simple as selecting pink roses if red roses are not available. It could also mean selecting a different type of flower that closely resembles one used in the bouquet.

Keep Color Options In Mind

Most flowers come in a variety of colors. Each variegated species has its own unique appearance. Though you do not have to know the species name of each flower, keep in mind which colors you would like to see in the arrangement. Note this when sending flowers through a local florist. Knowing that green and yellow are preferred (or whichever) is very helpful information when floral designers need to make substitutes.

Keep Flower Substitutes In Mind

Is your wife highly allergic to a particular flower? Does your husband love a certain flower? Let your florist know! He or she will better able to tailor your arrangement to your specific needs if s/he knows which flowers are preferred/off limits/acceptable. Also, note whether substitutions will be acceptable if the flowers are not available. It may be something as simple as filler flower changes, but it will get your flowers out the door faster and spare a lot of people the hassle of multiple phone calls.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Flower Sending Tip, Flower Suggestions, Local Florists, Sending Flowers

Need Birthday Flowers For A Leo?

July 20, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

When it’s time to shop for a birthday gift for a Leo, strike “trip to the mall” off of the list. Instead, call your local florist and ask about zodiac flowers for a Leo. This is a unique gift that they probably aren’t going to get twice. The creativity of zodiac flower arrangements shows that you’re paying attention to the birthday boy or girl and really wanted to go the extra mile for a cool gift this year. Well you did! At least, you will have when you contact your local florist and talk about zodiac flowers in a birthday bouquet.

So what flowers qualify as Leo zodiac flowers and astrological flowers? Here are the most popular blooms for Leos:

Orange Carnations Are Always Fun!

Carnations (yay!!!)
Amaranthus
Peonies
Anthuriums
Cacti
Sunflowers
Venus Fly Trap (though you’ll have to go farther than your local florist to find this TRULY unique gift)

So when it comes to shopping around for a birthday gift for your loveable Leo, look to your local florist. They have just what you need this year — zodiac flowers!

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions Tagged With: Amaranthus, Astrological Flowers, Birthday Flowers, Birthday Gift Ideas, Flower Suggestions, Leo Zodiac Flowers, Peony, Zodiac Flowers

Mesmerizing, Majestic Magnolias; The Louisiana State Flower

July 2, 2009 by Flower Shop Network 1 Comment

I have a beautiful magnolia tree in my front yard so I’m especially attached to the Louisiana state flower. In case you haven’t guessed it yet, the Louisiana state flower is the magnificent magnolia. The flowers that bloom on a magnolia tree are beautiful, large, creamy white and richly scented. Even as the petals fall, there is beauty to behold. Watching magnolia flowers fall from a tree is like watching snow dance across the yard in the middle of June. There is very little to dislike about magnolias, so it’s easy to see why Louisiana legislators would choose the magnolia as their state flower.

Photo courtesy 50states.com

Like most state flowers, the magnolia is not one that you will find in arrangements from a local flower shop. Instead, these are beautiful flowers that are found on magnolia trees all across the south. It’s probably why you hear so many Old South impressions that include the phrase “like a beautiful magnolia” or “my little magnolia.” Having never seen the movie, I can’t tie Steel Magnolias into my southern theme but it says a lot for the magnolias to be in a movie title! That’s one distinctive flower!

Louisianans can be very proud of their state flower. The magnolia is a credit to any yard that the magnolia tree graces. As the flowers begin to bloom a very sweet aroma is released. You can tell it’s spring when you step onto your porch and smell a light, airy fragrance laced with sweetness. One look at a magnolia tree in bloom and there is no doubt what kind of tree it is. Magnolias are remarkable and unmistakable. Louisiana florists are not the only ones who get to witness the beauty of magnolia flowers. No, this is a bloom that florists everywhere can enjoy even if it’s just a photo. They are that special!

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions Tagged With: Flower Suggestions, Louisiana Florists, Louisiana State Flower, Magnolia

Celebrate New Babies With These Great Gifts!

July 1, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

My sister-in-law is having a baby boy this month. Another friend of mine is expecting a daughter around the same time. Not wanting to show partiality, I’ve decided to feature two flower arrangements this month.

Spring seems like baby season to me. The birth of new flowers coincides with the birth of precious little arrivals. I love children so these new baby flower arrangements stood out to me when I first came across them. After a second and third glimpse, I could no longer pass up sharing them with you.

Ok, I’ll stop stalling.

"Congratulations Daughter" New Baby Flowers

"Congratulations Son" New Baby Flowers

Baby Caleb is going to make me Aunt Brynn for the first time. I can hardly wait! Because I’m partial to little boys anyway, his gift has to be extra special. What I love about the “Congratulations Son” arrangement is that it’s a cool gift for both Caleb and his parents. There’s flowers for mom and a toy for baby! Plus the toy becomes a really sweet keepsake that he can keep for years. I can just hear him now. “This was the toy that I came home with from the hospital on the day I was born.” Ah, to know that I sent that gift warms my heart.

While I will not be “Aunt Brynn” to my friend’s little girl, I’ll definitely be a big part of her life. Her mother and I have been friends for years and will stay that way until we die. I can’t just let her go through child birth without a gift! I love the “Congratulations Son” arrangement so much that I was super excited to see the “Congratulations Daughter” flowers. What a treat for me because I know that both baby and momma will smile when the gift is delivered.

Ahhhh. Welcome, Spring.

Filed Under: Gift Ideas Tagged With: Baby Gifts, Flower Delivery, Flower Suggestions, Local Florists, New Baby Flowers

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