Home Shop Flowers Bloomin' Blog Find Florists About FSN Contact FSN Florists Only!
Find Your Local Florist:
Home Shop Flowers Bloomin' Blog Find Florists About FSN Contact FSN Florists Only!

Finding the Perfect Christmas Gift

In Flower Shop Network’s December Newsletter, Beth Roberts has a wonderful take on the perfect Christmas gift for someone who has everything. I hope my husband takes a hint from Beth’s suggestions. Do you have someone on your Christmas list that is hard to buy for? What Christmas gift suggestions do you have to make the season a little easier?

Take a look at an advance preview of Beth’s “Perfect Christmas Gift” suggestions and let me know your views on the subject.

The Flower Shop Network Newsletters are emailed to subscribers once a month. This one is scheduled for Tuesday December 11th, but, I thought you’d like a sneak peak.

The Twelve Flower Arrangements of Christmas

Everyone is familiar with the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. In my quirky holiday way, I have my own take on this song. I call my song “The 12 Flower Arrangements of Christmas”. It doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, but I like it. So you won’t have to go through the whole song, I am providing only the last verse but with pictures.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Twelve Ruby Reflections Ruby Reflections Christmas Flower Arrangment Christmas Flower Arrangements.

Eleven Berry Bedazzlings Berry Bedazzling Christmas Arrangement Christmas Flower Arrangements.

Ten Sugar Plum Dreams Sugar Plum Christmas Flower Arrangement Christmas Flower Arrangements.

Nine Yuletide Baskets Yuletide Basket Flower Arrangement Flower arrangement for Christmas.
Eight Holly Jolly Holidays Holly Jolly Holidays Christmas Arrangement Christmas Arrangement.
Seven Home for the Holidays Christmas Flower Arrangment Home For The Holidays Flower Arrangement.


Six
Peppermint Poises Peppermint Poises Christmas Arrangement Christmas Flowers.
Five Razzle Dazzles Razzle Dazzle Christmas Flowers Flowers.
Four Christmas Cupcakes Christmas Cupcakes Flower Arrangement Flower Arrangement.
Three Seasonal Wishes Seasonal Wishes Flower Arrangement Flower Arrangement.
Two Radiant Poinsettias Radiant Poinsettia Plants for Christmas.
And a Peace on Earth Centerpiece Peace on Earth Centerpiece Arrangement Arrangement for Christmas.

Hope you like my version, as usual flowers are always on my mind. Just a little FYI — Number 8 and number 1 are my favorites.

Sending Flowers To The Hospital

Many times, we feel helpless when a friend or family member is in the hospital. Often we send flowers to the hospital letting them know we care and support them. But did you realize, that by sending flowers to the hospital you are actively helping them in the recovery process? How?

Researchers have discovered a link between flowers and life satisfaction. In fact, flowers have a huge impact on moods and emotions. An immediate impact on happiness occurs when someone receives flowers. Picture an office – everyone’s heart fluttering in anticipation as every eye follows the florists carrying a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Not only does the person receiving the flower arrangement break out into a smile, but all those around him/her do as well.

Many stories about someone overcoming a devastating illness begin with … they had a positive and cheerful attitude. By sending a flower arrangement to the hospital, you are helping the patient achieve a positive attitude. Even if only for a little while, the hospital patient will let go of the depression, anxiousness and agitation surrounding an illness and replace it with joy, happiness and relaxation. So by encouraging a smile with flowers, you are aiding them in the recovery process.

Here an example of a cheerful flower arrangement that can be sent to someone in the hospital.Mixed Bouquet of Flowers

What Do Chris Isaak And Flowers Have In Common?

The Memphis Botanical Garden this past Saturday night.

I attended the Live at the Garden Chris Isaak concert this weekend. Live at the Garden is an outdoor concert series held at the Memphis Botanical Garden. Concert-goers can purchase tables or open lawn area tickets. Decorated by the ticket holders, most tables look like mini parties. I love to watch people but as I was watching the crowd something else began to catch my eye. Several of the tables had beautiful flower arrangements.

This impressed me greatly. One, because it was August in Memphis Tennessee and well over 90 degrees and two, because I love flowers especially when arranged in a pretty container. It just goes to prove where ever you are and what ever you are doing flowers just make it better.

I snapped these photos with a friends camera phone.

Below: The beautiful flower arrangement that adorned the table of Michelle and all her friends at the Magna Bank table.

Flower Arrangment on table at Chris Isaak Concert.

Below: Becky Kight arranged these lovely flower arrangements for the table she shared with friends.

Daisy Flower arrangment at the Chris Isaak Concert.

Birth Month Flower For August

Saturday August 11th is my sister’s birthday and I always send her a bouquet of mixed flowers. This year, I wanted to do something different. Last month, I received a flower arrangement containing my birth month flower which gave me an idea. I had my florist design this arrangementGaldiolus Birthday Bouquet. The gladiolus in the arrangement are the birth month flower for August. Poppies are also considered the August birth month flower.
Hopefully, when she receives it tomorrow she’ll love it as much I do.

Birth Flowers For The Month Of July

Yesterday was my birthday and I received many lovely flowers and gifts over the course of the weekend. I have one friend in particular who believes every birthday present should truly represent the day. One year she got me a birthday newspaper — a copy of the New York Times on the day I was born. This year she gave me a beautiful larkspur flower arrangement. Larkspur (Consolida ajacis) is the birth month flower for July.
Larkspur is a beautiful annual flower and a cousin of delphinium. This flower has been cultivated as a fresh cut flower. It also makes a great dried flower or garden plant. The mid to dark foliage is feathery, soft and downy. The upright blooms are similar to the blooms of delphinium. The flowers are densely packed on the larkspur bloom spikes. The color palette for larkspur contains pastels shades of pinks and rich tones of pink, white and violet blue.

If you have family or friends with a birthday this month try sending them a flower arrangement containing larkspur.

How do you celebrate July? Have you ever used larkspur the birth month flower as a way to celebrate the month?

Astrological Flowers For A July Birthday.

July is the month of my birth. As my birthday approaches, I think back to when I was a kid and how enthralled I was with astrology. My birthday is July 22nd and is what they call on the cusp — meaning the changing from one astrological sign to another. My zodiac sign is Cancer and the day after my birthday the zodiac sign is Leo. I thought it would be interesting to see what flowers are associated with my astrological sign.

I found these astrological flowers for Cancer birthdays (June 22 to July 22): cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), Ammi (Queen Anne’s lace), delphinium, ferns, plumbago, hydrangea and iris. So if you know someone with a birthday during this time frame have your florist incorporate one of these astrological flowers in their birthday bouquet.

Make a Leo (July 23-August 22) happy with one of these flowers; marigold, gerbera, dahlia or sunflower.

Smiles for Lady Bird Johnson & Wild Flowers.

My friend in Colorado emailed me today about her hiking trip. She described all the beautiful wild flowers she saw. It seems wild flowers are on everyone’s mind. The past week every newscast mentioned the passing of Lady Bird Johnson. Of course when you mention Lady Bird you must also mention her passion for wild flowers and the wild flower center that bears her name. We must also credit Lady Bird Johnson with the initiation of the wild flower highway program.

It made me realize how flowers are a part of our lives and how we need them. Whether cut flowers or wild flowers the positive energy that comes from flowers is amazing. Flowers can celebrate a birthday, an achievement, a milestone, comfort the grieving or lonely, but most of all flowers can make us smile.

As someone once told me “You can give people many things and get many reactions but when you give flowers you can be sure that the reaction will always be a smile”.

Here are a few flower arrangements to get those smiles going.

img_3424.JPG sp00103lg.jpg 017lg.jpg

Celebrate the Casablanca Lily

Last week my senses were bombarded with the sights, sounds, tastes and feelings (emotional not physical) of the 4th of July. I know many people who delight in the smells associated with the 4th, however my olfactory system seems to ignore the acrid scent of the fireworks or the sweet smoky smell of barbecue. After a week of feeling ignored my sense of smell received a long awaited treat. With every breath, the intoxicating aroma coming from the Casablanca Lilies that were blooming in my garden captivated my nose.

With the delicate and fragile look of these substantial white blooms, many underestimate the powerful rich scent of the Casablanca lily. The heavenly aroma of this oriental lily has an inviting quality drawing you into any personal or public, small or large, casual or formal celebration. In fact, celebrate is the meaning of this flower. Alone or mixed with other flowers, the Casablanca Lily is a fantastic way to celebrate daily life or special occasions.

I cut the Casablanca Lilies in my garden taking them inside so the aroma can drift throughout my house. During the winter when everything is blah and I need a pick me up, my local florist supplies me with this wonderful flower. I encourage you to experience the beauty and enticing aroma of the Casablanca Lily.

Here are a few ideas:
During a stressful weak – entice co-workers to celebrate the workday by placing a vase of Casablanca Lilies on your desk or at Christmas include Casablanca Lilies in your centerpiece arrange.

Let me know how you celebrate with Casablanca Lilies.

More than fireworks on the 4th of July.

It’s late afternoon on July 3rd and I realized tomorrow is the 4th of July. July is the best month of the year. The country and I celebrate our birthdays this month. Every year, I celebrate the 4th of July with flowers — red, white and blue. This flower arrangement is to remind me that the 4th of July is more than fireworks and barbecue. It is a celebration of a great country and the people who made it “the land of the free and the home of the brave”. This year, my arrangement will be red gerberas, blue iris and white gladiolus. The meanings of these flowers is what the country represents to me.