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Mothers Day Flowers For Every Type of Mom

Want a gift that speaks volumes about your mom’s personality? Mothers Day flowers are great gift ideas for this holiday, but take it  a step further with these cool flower arrangements. Each one is a reflection of a different personality type that your mother may have. Is your mom vivicacious and feisty? Is she personal and traditional? How about reflective and into the arts and crafts? No matter what type of personality your mom has, I suggest these beautiful flowers when you’re looking for Mothers Day gift ideas.

"Touch of Class" Mothers Day Flowers

"Touch of Class" Mothers Day Flowers

Mom “The Contemporary”

She’s hip. She’s cool. She’s into modern things with contemporary flair. She probably likes interior design, is well aware of design techniques and tricks, and doesn’t tune the tv dial to retro shows very often.

This is one cool mother and she deserves a cool gift. Try the “Touch of Class” Mothers Day flowers. They’re perfect for a contemporary office space (send flowers to mom at work) or a home decorated in the trendiest style (send flowers to mom at home or present them to her at lunch).

"Remember Mom" Mothers Day Bouquet

"Remember Mom" Mothers Day Bouquet

Mom “The Traditionalist”

She’s perfect in your eyes. She may not have the latest addition of Interior Design Monthly but you can bet that Family Circle is somewhere in the house. She’s settled but not boring. She’s all about her children (even if grown) but makes time to have fun. She loves a good book or a good movie and will not pass up the opportunity for a relaxing Mothers Day brunch with her daughters and granddaughters.

This mom is awesome. She is selfless and deserves a sweet reward for  her exhausting dedication to her family. For this mom, send the “Remember Mom” bouquet.

"Lasting Love" Mothers Day Basket

"Lasting Love" Mothers Day Basket

Mom “The Old School Sweetheart”

This is for the mom that is very likely a grandmother by now. She’s young at heart with an old soul.  She’s seen a lot in her life and has the wisdom and bearing to prove it. She probably spends a lot of time gardening, relaxing with friends in the Red Hat Society (or is a purple hatter), and has been an empty nester just long enough to still not be completely ok with it.

This mom is precious. She is a giver who has watched many incredible things pass. Her most prized moments though? Moments with you. Why not bring along the “Lasting Love” Mothers Day basket to your get-together this year?

"Lavender Love" Mothers Day Bouquet

"Lavender Love" Mothers Day Bouquet

Mom “The Spritely”

This mom is as active as you are. She’s always here or there doing something with someone. She’s up and about and loves living life to the fullest. She’s charming enough to be everyone’s favorite mother. When your friends wanted a sleepover, they wanted it at your mom’s house.

This mom is perky. She needs something as bouncy and happy in her life as her personality reflects. For the mom who is a constant fount of energy and happiness, give the “Lavender Love” bouquet for Mothers Day.

"Mother Nature's Expression Bouquet"

"Mother Nature's Expression Bouquet"

Mom “The Candid”

(This is my mother and grandmother!) She’s a pip to be around because she always has a witty retort or a wise saying in the form of a wisecrack. She knows her stuff and makes sure that you know that about her. You rarely catch her without an expressed opinion but you’ll never hear her admit that it may be wrong. She’s the life of the party because you want to know what she’s going to say next. No one laughs at this tough cookie though. She’s a very respected mother.

This mom is blunt. She doesn’t fool around with nonsense and expects the same from other people. If your mother is like this (and mine is), send flowers like the “Mother Nature’s Expression Bouquet” because it’s hard to dislike. Just like your mom.

What Perennials Can I Use With Lantana To Extend The Blooming Period?

Ask the Expert: lantana groupings
Last year I created an octagon flower bed with lantanas that looks wonderful when in bloom, but they bloom so late in the season that the bed looks empty now. What can I plant in the bed with them that will come back year after year? I live in Eclectic, AL, close to Montgomery, the bed receives full sun, & the soil is mostly red clay with potting soil in the plant hole. Jennifer

Reply:
If you want something blooming every season, you will need to plant several different kinds of plants.
For winter blooming, I suggest Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose) which grows to about 15″.
For early spring blooming, I suggest Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox) which will need to be at the front of your bed since it will only get about 4-6″ in hgt but will spread.
For late spring try Stokesia laevis (Stoke’s Aster) which will grow to about 15″ in height. Kniphofia uvaria (Red Hot poker) with blooms that can be 3′ height.

You can also plant tulips and daffodils in the bed with the lantana for late winter/early spring blooming. Since lantana last well in to the late fall I would bother with a fall blooming perennial unless you want to plant chrysanthemums.

Good luck and keep me posted on your garden’s progress. I would love to see pictures of it as it progresses.

What Does May Mean To You?

It may mean nothing. It may mean everything.

It may mean sports and activities. It may mean the end of school.

It may mean celebrating a birthday. If this is the case, it may mean birth month flowers.

Birth month flowers are beautiful fresh flowers associated with a particular month and are usually sent as unique birthday gifts. If celebrating a birthday in May, get excited about your options this month because the birth month flower for May is the lily!

Lilies Make Unique Birthday Gifts in May

Lilies Make Unique Birthday Gifts in May

Lilies make great gifts because so much meaning can be attached to them. Lilies represent purity. There are tons of great card messages wrapped around encouraging words of purity. Score one for lilies.

Lilies are beautiful, popular flowers. Everyone loves waking up to fresh bouquet of lilies. Whether Asiatic lilies, stargazer lilies, Casablanca lilies or others, these fresh flowers are always big hits. That makes it easy to please any birthday girl or boy with fresh flowers. Score two for lilies.

Lilies are the birth month flower of May. This makes them a unique birthday gift idea. Who doesn’t like knowing that extra thought went into their birthday gift? Sending a unique birthday gift like a bouquet of birth month flowers is a great way to show someone how much you care. Score three for lilies.

Lilies = 3. Reasons not to send Lilies = 0.

Celebrating your own birthday in May? Tell us what you’d think about receiving lilies! Sending flowers to a friend in May? Let us know what they thought about their bouquet of fresh lilies!

Gardenia Proclaims Joyous Surprise As Their Flower Meaning

Stuck Inside All Winter? Celebrate Spring With Gardenias!

It’s no secret that being inside all winter can be a bummer. Sometimes winter weather isn’t as fun as it could be. Well, good news! Spring is in full affect now. I’m sure you’re dying to know how I plan on celebrating it. I know I would be if I were you. (Just kidding.) I’m celebrating with gardenias.

Why gardenias you ask? The flower meaning of gardenias is “joy.” Pure and simple. Joy is one of the most wonderful feelings ever. Anyone who has ever felt a second of joy knows that it’s a feeling to be craved and sought. I want to surround myself with joy and joyous people. Now that winter has gone into hibernation and spring has sprung, it’s time to kick off my joyful shoes so I’m buying potted gardenias from my local florist!

Flowering plants are well and good (I love them!!) but sometimes it’s more fun to send flowers to put a spring in the step of a friend. When you want to celebrate spring with your buddies, consider sending flowers such as casablanca lilies. This the meaning of this premium flower is “celebration.” Perfect!! Perhaps you’re wanting something more festive. Believe it or not, “festivity” abounds with baby’s breath. There are many arrangements that incorporate these flowers. It’s easy to get the party started for Spring with arrangements like these from a local florist.

Know the meaning of your favorite flower? Share it below along with why this flower is your favorite. Not really sure what the flower meaning is? Ask away! Simply log in and comment below.

Bull-oney! There Are Taurus Zodiac Flowers?

Zodiac flowers are fun, especially for Taurus. This fun zodiac sign is represented by a bull. How cool is that?! When I think of a bull, I picture the same qualities that most people would assign to these animals. Bulls are usually calm animals when left alone. They are stubborn, powerful, bold, and tenacious when provoked to such. I know plenty of people like that and I was surprised just how many have a birthday between April 21st and May 20th (that makes them a Taurus).

It’s hard to find unique gifts every year. Most of the Bloomin’ Blog followers know that I’ve been on a fresh flower kick. Why not? It’s as much fun for the sender to send flowers with a unique twist as it is for the recipient to receive an interesting birthday gift. Two perks in one–I say go for it!

"Fashionable Father’s Day Bouquet"

"Fashionable Father’s Day Bouquet"

Taurus Zodiac flowers (also called astrological flowers) are violets, iris, sweet pea, lilac and lavender. You can also enjoy aster, lily of the valley, scented stock, sweet William and fruit bearing trees for a Taurus birthday. Flower arrangements like the “Fashionable Fathers Day Bouquet” at left are perfect for Taurus birthdays. Don’t let the title fool you—this bouquet of iris and daisies go over well all year!

You know your birthday boy or girl the best. Deciding which flowers to send will be a breeze! Simply contact your local florist to create a unique birthday gift that your friend will love.

Please Note: Zodiac flowers are assigned to each of the 12 astrological signs. There is no cosmic magic associated with zodiac flowers. There is no spell cast over astrological flowers. Zodiac flowers are just a fun way to acknowledge something that helps group people together, gives them something in common–their zodiac sign.

How The Magnolia Blossomed Into The Mississippi State Flower

I have a magnolia tree in my front yard so I have a unique love for the magnolia blooms. Their colors range from stark white to ivory. While most of the other trees in the yard are simply green and normal, the magnolia tree produces beautiful flowers that my family and neighbors are able to enjoy each year.

Photo Credit:  50states.com

Photo Credit: 50states.com

I ran across a list of state flowers and the Mississippi state flower caught my eye. Little did I know, the magnolia earned this prestigious title more than 100 years ago! An election was held in November of 1900 to select the state flower of Mississippi. What amazes me is that school children were the ones who voted. 23, 278 school children voted. Of this large number, 12, 745 votes were cast for the magnolia. Wow! The cotton blossom and the cape jasmine took home a large chunk of the votes but the magnolia was declared the winner. Legislature in 1952 officially declared the Mississippi state flower to be the magnolia.

What’s even more entertaining is that the magnolia is so popular that the magnolia tree was voted as the Mississippi state tree as well! That’s right. The Director of Forestry put it to a vote in 1935. School children were given four options–magnolia, oak, pine, dogwood–of which the magnolia received overwhelming support.

It’s hard for a florist to look at magnolia blossoms and not be inspired. Their color, unique shape, light scent and even their blooming season is inspiration enough for a beautiful bouquet. Want to know just how inspiring these blooms can be? Contact a local florist for a magnolia inspired arrangement.

Decorations Feeling Blah? Try A Colorful Border of Flowers

"Colorful Border" Easter Flowers

"Colorful Border" Easter Flowers

No, I’m not talking about those horrible hotel room wallpaper borders that reek of poor taste. This Colorful Border is actually a lovely basket of flowers. It caught my eye when I was looking for an appropriate Patriot’s Day bouquet. Believe it or not, there is a Patriot’s Day.

I ran across Patriot’s Day on my calendar (April 20th, 2009) and knew that I had to do something fun. Surrounding myself with red, white and blue flowers comes later in the year so I began looking for a festive spring arrangement with some of these colors. What I found stood out in a big way so I’ve decided to share it.

What are your plans for Patriot’s Day? Mine include sending myself a little gift just because I’m worth it. After all, the world would be a much better place if people appreciated themselves. After enjoying the blue iris, magenta gerbera daisies, pink larkspur, yellow cushion poms, lavender stock, and yellow tulips of the Colorful Border arrangement, I fully intend to spend a night with my family while reliving the moments that made our country so great. In fact, it was the original American patriots that made America happen. These brave people fought for their beliefs and instilled in their children an unmovable sense of patriotism. Having died for their country, it’s no wonder that even watching a movie about these soldiers is instantly moving.

Speaking of soldiers, we have many young men and women fighting overseas and here at home to preserve our right to express our patriotism. Let’s send flowers to them for Patriots Day and show our appreciation. Your soldier or friend in a war zone? Celebrate their bravery with their wife, girlfriend, parents or other loved ones waiting patiently here. Sending the Colorful Border arrangement of fresh flowers to my friend Christina (an airman’s wife) is just one of many ways that I will enjoy the holiday this year.

Have Patriot’s Day plans? Share them or other stories with us by logging in and commenting below.

The Silent Flower Killer: Ethylene Gas

Don’t let your flowers get snuffed out by the silent flower killer!!!

Perhaps that level of melodrama is a bit much, but I take sending beautiful flowers seriously. I recently learned the impact of ethylene gas on flowers. I admit that I learned it the hard way and was very upset by the results. *In my best Bugsy Malone voice* Here’s the scoop, see?

The most attractive, adorable, handsome man in the world gave me flowers for Valentines Day this year. He had purchased a bouquet of daisies and pink carnations. For those who do not know–which can’t be many by now–my favorite flowers are pink carnations. He bought that particular bouquet just because it was the only one available with carnations! But I digress.

Ethylene Gas Is The Silent Flower KillerI stayed in the home of a freight-train-chain smoker that night. Not a puff or two per day, but rather an all-encompassing fog of smoke. (Picture Pigpen from Charlie Brown only surrounded by a cloud of smoke.) That’s the level of ethylene gas that was in the house.

I am not a smoker. My flowers are not fond of the habit either. I had placed them in water with flower preservative, taking great care to trim the stems properly. Everything seemed normal when I fell asleep. However, I woke up the next morning to find my flowers droopy and almost dead! Frantically I questioned who you call when you want 9-1-1 for flowers.

What I did not know at the time was that the silent flower killer that nearly snuffed out MY flowers was ethylene gas. After researching the symptoms that my flowers had, I learned that ethylene gas present near flowers causes earlier disruption of life. This is not to say that smokers kill flowers. Not at all. The ethylene gas in the smoke however does combine with the naturally occurring ethylene gas production in the flowers. This combination is lethal in vast doses only. In smaller amounts, the results are much like what I experienced.

How Ethylene Gas Affects Fresh Flowers

Ethylene gas is a colorless and odorless gas so it’s almost impossible to detect. The symptoms of ethylene gas poisoning in flowers are much like those of over-watering or a lack of moisture. They are:

  • Wilted flowers
  • Petal drop
  • Leaf drop
  • Leaf browning
  • Failure to open

What Produces Ethylene Gas?

We all want to receive healthy, lively flowers. There are many things that florists can do to prevent these symptoms from occurring in their flower arrangements. First, avoid exposing flowers to these producers of ethylene gas:

  • Ripening fruit – keep lunch bags containing fresh fruit in a separate cooler;
  • Cigarette smoke – ask patrons and employees to step outside for a puff
  • Combustible engine exhaust – load delivery vans from the side or with the engine off if from back
  • Excessive vibration during shipping – make sure arrangements are securely placed in delivery van

How to Keep Flowers Away From Ethylene Gas

There are also many things that flower recipients can do to keep ethylene gas from ruining their morning like it did mine.

  • Ripening fruit – do not keep flowers near an open bowl of fresh fruit.
  • Cigarette smoke – while a few cigarettes a day will not kill flowers overnight, avoid smoking near the bouquet.
  • Combustible engine exhaust – avoid holding flowers near the back of a running engine

Have a story about the first time this happened to you? Know other ways to prevent ethylene exposure from killing flowers? Feel free to share! We welcome your conversation.

Why We’re Passionate About The Red Rose

The Flower Meaning of The Red Rose

Probably the most widely recognized flower in the United States is the red rose. It is beautiful and floods the street on Valentines Day. Anniversary flower arrangements also carry a lot of red roses. Any romantic evening begins with a bouquet of red roses. Ever wonder why this is?

Express Passionate Love With Red Roses

Express Passionate Love With Red Roses

The flower meaning of the red rose is “passionate love.” You almost expect to hear something like that when talking about the flower meaning of the red rose. It’s so much in our minds when selecting something sweet and special that choosing something else seems inept.

Just think about it for a second with me. When people discuss putting flower petals around a jacuzzi or on a bed, what type do they usually opt for? Roses. All of us can easily finish this phrase. “I would like a dozen _____.” While “donuts” is probably just as appropriate, the answer here is “roses.”

I’ll finish this blurb by saying that the flower meaning of red roses was aptly chosen. This is just one more reason why sending a bouquet of roses is a great way to tell your sweetheart that you have passionate love for him or her. When it comes to talking about feelings, sometimes it’s just easier to show it. Roses help express one of the best feelings ever–passionate love.

What do you think about red roses? Do you have a romantic or funny story about receiving/sending red roses? Please share! It’s simple! Just log in and type your comment below.

Enjoy The Top 5 Easter Flower Arrangements!

Easter is so much fun! Half of the fun of celebrating this candy-coated holiday is seeing which Easter gifts you’ll get. Pass the fun around this year by sending Easter flowers and candy to someone that you love. You’ll be glad to know that you made someone happy. Who knows — they may repay the favor next year!

Want to send flowers for Easter but aren’t sure which to send? Try one of these top 5 Easter flower arrangements.

The Top 5 Easter Flower Arrangements

"Somebunny Loves You" Easter Flowers

“SomeBunny Loves You” — This is by far my favorite Easter flower arrangement ever. White carnations are given the look of little bunny rabbits hence the name. It’s cute enough for everyone regardless of age. However, the Somebunny Loves You arrangement is absolutely perfect for children.

“Easter Praise Bouquet” — Easter flowers have never looked so colorful and fun. This bouquet is decorated with Easter eggs for additional whimsy. Tulips, carnations and daisies make this an arrangement to love. The height of this arrangement makes it a great addition to coffee tables, desks at an office and other places. It’s bound to be the center of attention.


“Floral Freshness” — Easter flowers like this are simple enough to satisfy very sedate tastes. The pastel colors of lilies, carnations, roses and others make a wonderful impression. When you don’t want something over the top or excessively colorful, try this beautiful arrangement of flowers. Friends with calm or neutral home decor themes will be very appreciative of this gift.

“Lyrical Lavender” — Vase arrangements are great for many locations. Easter flowers in pretty lavender vases like this are exceptional gifts for offices, hospitals and any other place that allows the vase as well as the flowers to be shown off. Purple is a very calming color. Know someone that needs some cheer? This peaceful arrangement warms the heart with a low key lavender color.

Traditional Easter Lily” — Flowering plants are delightful Easter gifts. They last quite a while, are very attractive, and create a beautiful addition to any decor. Want to perk up someone feeling a little blue around Easter? Flowering plants like these traditional Easter lilies are exceptional options.