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Shop Local This Holiday Season With Help From A Local Florist

Shop Local This Holiday Season

There’s been a real buzz this year about shopping LOCAL, and we couldn’t be happier! (In case you’re new to the blog: Flower Shop Network is a network of ALL local florists.) We just want to remind you of all the wonderful things florists have to offer during the holidays.

  • Holiday Centerpieces – Take your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner to the next level with a beautiful holiday centerpiece.
  • Holiday Wreaths – No matter what your Christmas style is, your local florist can create something stunning to match your theme, most florists offer real OR silk flowers.
  • Holiday Decorating – Need a hand to help with holiday decorating? Your creative florist will have lots of fabulous ideas for making your house a holiday dream home.
  • Gift Items – Many florists carry more than flowers in their shops. You can find some really unique and amazing gift items for those hard-to-buy-for people on your Christmas list.
  • Gift Baskets – A gift basket is also a great idea for those on your list who have EVERYTHING! Your florist can customize your gift basket to match your friend’s personality and interests.
  • Long-Distance Gifts – Your local florist makes sending gifts to far away relatives incredibly EASY! They have the ability to send flowers and/or gift baskets to other local florists anywhere you need!
  • Christmas Tree Decorating – Want your tree to have the WOW-factor of trees you see in displays? Whether it’s one tree or a Christmas tree in every room, your local florist can HELP!
  • Holiday Flowers – We can’t NOT mention simply flowers. During the winter, the warmth of holiday flowers make our hearts happy. When you’ve got the winter blues, or just want to liven up a room, order flowers for yourself! You can also send flowers to friends to put them in the holiday spirit.

These are just SOME of the great things your local florist can help you with during the holidays. I’m sure the florist in your area can do even more! Give them a call and see just what’s possible for your holiday celebrations.

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Send Flowers For Sisters Day

A sister is one who reaches for your hand, and touches your heart.

Sister's Day is August 7thThere is no coincidence that Sisters Day and National Friendship Day both fall the first Sunday in August! (August 5th) That’s because, a sister is built-in, always around, never forgetting, put-it-together kind of best friend. Through the ups and downs of life, she has stood next to you, sharing and experiencing the joys of childhood and the journey to adulthood.

Celebrate your sister by sending her a beautiful flower arrangement! Flowers are the perfect gift for the sister who lives far away, for the sister around the corner, or for the sister right there in your own home.

Talk with your local florist about creating a meaningful arrangement that speaks to your sister and reflects her personality. Gladioli, pink roses and poppy are three flowers that represent friendship, making them a great choice for a custom-made arrangement, especially designed by you. Including your sister’s favorite flowers and colors in the arrangement will surely make her smile. With flowers, you just can’t go wrong!

Great Ideas For Sister’s Day Floral Gifts

Classy Coral Roses - Perfect For Sister's Day You're The Best Sister

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FSN’s Top 10 Best of Christmas

We’ve written tons of Christmas articles over the years, here at Flower Shop Network. This season, we are bringing you are top 10 favorites!

10. At Christmas, All Roads Lead Home — Don’t Forget To Bring Flowers!

Fun Christmas Flower ArrangementThis Christmas, take home a gorgeous flower arrangement, in a style everyone will love! Whether it’s for mom, the wife, girlfriend, family or friends — everyone is sure to love Seasonal Style. This is our hands-down favorite for this month! It’s unique colors and shiny Christmas ornaments make this a holiday flower arrangement you won’t soon forget!

Read more about bringing flowers home for Christmas.

9. Christmas Card Messages That’ll Have You Dancing Around The Tree

Ever feel like the right Christmas message is on the tip of your tongue but you can’t seem to get it on the enclosure card? Local florists have the holiday spirit wrapped up. After seeing hundreds of Christmas card messages over the years, they have a pretty good handle on how to send the right message along with beautiful Christmas flowers.

Continue reading for the best in Christmas Card Messages.

8. The Many Uses of Christmas Flowers: Gifts, Tips, Decorations & More!

Christmas Flower ArrangementRed poinsettias, ‘Casa Blanca’ lilies, and the scent of fresh Christmas greens are the basis for many Christmas decorations.  Sure flowers make great decorations, but what about sending flowers as Christmas gifts?  Flowers are a fantastically appropriate gift for Christmas and other religious holidays. You won’t have to worry if they are the right size, shape, or color.  You can rest assured they won’t already have one.  Whether you use flowers for decorations or as a gift, now is the time to explore the world of Christmas flowers. [Read more…]

Is This A Woodland Plant Or An Invasive Weed?

Oxalis regnelli


Ask the Expert: Plant name

This an outside plant. It is green with tin white flowers. During the day the e leaves are out straight. At dusk, they lay down like a tiny umbrella. Judy

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
The plant is most likely Oxalis regnelli. For some this is invasive weed. Others it is a beautiful woodland plant. It is one of 500 species of Oxalis which be found as fibrous-rooted, bulbous, rhizomatous, or tuberous annuals or perennials.  They are progated from seed or by division.  Some form of Oxalis are called Shamrocks and are given as gifts on St Patrick’s Day.

Cleveland florists are proud to bring you this plant identification question.

Untapped Holidays Your Flower Shop Should Utilize!

The need to send flowers doesn’t stop with the major holidays. Increase your sales by utilizing the untapped gift-giving holidays that occur through out the year.

With the rise of social media, it has never been easier to directly communication with all of your customers — present and future.

  • Plan ahead for upcoming holidays. If the upcoming holiday’s main color is purple, be sure to have purple flowers, purple ribbon, or some sort of holiday accessory on hand.
  • Offer specials and promote these holidays as if they were the major floral holidays.
  • Show photos of holiday specific arrangements to spark your fans interest.
  • Suggest uses of holiday flowers on your social sites. “This beautiful purple, green, and yellow arrangement would be a perfect centerpiece for your Mardi Gras party!” The power of suggestion is a powerful thing!
  • Be versatile with your floral designs. Adjust the color pallet on your everyday designs to match the holiday. Add a ribbon or accessory to give it a more festive look!
  • Keep an eye out in your daily routines for unique containers, decorations, or other accessories you can use for designs.

Just because you don’t celebrate a specific holiday, doesn’t mean it isn’t very important to someone else. If you are unsure about a holiday, do a little research to find out what types of arrangements or other gifts are appropriate.

We have composed a list of holidays that might help:

HOLIDAYS

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Personalized Gift Baskets and Arrangements: the New Trend for Dad.

Think back to how much thought you put into finding the perfect gift for Mother’s Day. Wouldn’t you like to make your dad feel just as special on Father’s Day? You may think to yourself “…men don’t want flowers…” but nothing could be further from the truth! The key to this success is personalization!

Giving a floral arrangement or gift basket that is personalized will undoubtedly make every father who receives one feel exceptionally special.  These personalized gifts create the opportunity for you to show your dad exactly how you feel about him! Following are a few ideas for themed baskets.

  • fathers-day-basketGadgets & Gizmos: for the dad who always has the “newest” and “hottest” items on the market!! If your florist does not carry these items in the store, bring something in for them to incorporate into the elaborate, futuristic arrangement. Let your florist be as creative as they like by coming up with something new and unique that isn’t available in an “ordinary” flower arrangement or gift basket!
  • Grillin’ It Up: most dads are known as “King of the Grill.” A basket filled with grilling essentials and recipes is perfect for this guy.
  • Sports Galore: what father doesn’t have at least one sport he follows with the utmost dedication? Your florist can create a beautiful arrangement with flowers matching the team’s colors. Include some memorabilia for that team/sport or take tickets to your florist and ask her to tuck them into the arrangement.
  • Food, Food, and More Food: for the dad who loves to indulge himself! They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; curb his appetite with a basket overflowing with gourmet foods. Your local florist may be willing to create a fruit/nut basket or even use chocolates and/or candy.
  • Popular Pasttimes: fishing, camping, golfing, running, bicycling, hiking… the list goes on! Dads find many ways to spend their spare time– what does your dad like to do? Most of these hobbies are nature related; ask the florist to create a rustic arrangement… perfect for dads that are on the go.
  • Play that Funky Music: music loving dads will go crazy for this theme! Choose a favorite artist, genre or decade to inspire the florist and let them voice their creative expression!  This fun theme could include tickets to a local concert or a CD tucked into the arrangement.
  • Cultural Buff: this guy is up to date on the latest and greatest movies, books, art and more. Since this dad has an appreciation for the finer things in life, find out if your florist carries any rare or unique flowers or plants. Tickets to an art exhibit or a new book are great pieces to include in this basket!

Personalized Food BasketTip: What ever basket you choose, discuss the options with your local florist to create the perfect custom gift basket or arrangement.  They may have their own creative ideas to carry on the theme with the container, basket and accent pieces. The colors of the arrangement are also vital in continuing the theme throughout the entire gift basket. Make sure you and your florist have the same vision for this creative gift.

Father’s Day is less than a week away, Find a local florist and ask them to work with you to create the perfect personalized gift basket and/or floral arrangement for your dad. You will be surprised at the amount of dedication and creativity your florist will put into this project. Don’t forget the card! An original and heartfelt message from you will send your dads emotions over the top. Your dad won’t forget the effort you (and your florist!) put forth to make this Father’s Day his best one yet!

Send an Arrangement Your Mom Will Remember Using Birth Month Flowers!

Mothers love anything that reminds them of their children–including flowers! Harness the deep meaning of flowers this year to create a personalized Mothers Day Bouquet with a bloom to represent each of her children. Similar to the popular mother’s ring, these gorgeous bouquets are a wonderful Mother’s Day Gift that hold special meaning and brighten Mom’s day!

sweet-pea

Sweet Pea Represents April Birthdays!

Work with your local florist to choose blooms that represent the birth month of each of your siblings and design a bouquet to send on Mother’s Day. These creative, colorful bouquets will touch Mom’s heart and include all of your siblings in showing her how much you care. Here’s a quick guide to finding your birth month flower:

  • January – Carnations or snowdrops (Colors:  black, dark blue or red)
  • February – Violet or primrose (Colors:  violet, sky blue or yellow)
  • March – Daffodil or jonquil (Colors:  white or light blue)
  • April – Daisy or sweet pea (Colors:  yellow, red and colorless)
  • May -Lily of the Valley or hawthorn (Colors:  yellow, red and green)
  • June – Rose or honeysuckle (Colors:  light blue, white and cream)
  • July – Larkspur or water lily (Colors: green, russet and red)
  • August – Gladiolas or poppy (Colors: orange, red and light green)
  • September – Aster or morning glory (Colors: brown, deep blue)
  • October – Calendula or cosmos (Colors: white, yellow and varied)
  • November -Chrysanthemum (Colors: dark blue, red and yellow)
  • December –  Narcissus or holly (Colors: indigo, green, greenish blue)

As you can see, there are few options per month, making it easy to create a beautiful Mother’s Day Bouquet! It’s that simple! Call your florist, tell her your chosen flowers and let her work her magic!

This is also perfect for Moms who live far away. Locate a local florist near you mother and tell her your brilliant idea! Your mom will appreciate the extra effort making her Mother’s Day one to remember!

Roses: Your “Go To Gift”

Need a fresh gift idea? Many people traditionally think of roses as a romantic gift. However, roses are so much more than that. Few truly appreciate the uniqueness of roses and how the right spin on the gift of roses will make it the best gift yet.

Don’t feel left in the dark. From the flower meaning of roses to crafty card messages, here’s how to turn your bouquet of roses into the ultimate gift of love, friendship or thanks.

It’s Good To Look Back – A Partial History of the Rose

Adding a creative spin to your gift is easy when you know the history of the rose. The enclosure card is a great place to let your sweetheart or friend know why you chose the gift of roses. Do you see her as a goddess? An elegant, aristocratic type? Find your inspiration below.

Rose With Dew DropsRoses have played a large part of many societies throughout the world. In both Greek and Roman mythology, roses were associated with their goddesses of love (Aphrodite and Venus respectively). The rose has also been attributed to the Egyptian goddess Isis and the Christian religion’s Virgin Mary.

During the time of the Roman Empire, Romans placed a rose on the doorstep where secret matters were being discussed. The term “sub rosa,” meaning “under the rose,” came from this practice. The phrase means “to keep a secret” or “keep it secret.”

In English society, the rose is the national flower of England and the provincial flower of two provinces. It is also the national flower of the United States and the state flower of four U.S. states.

Valentines Day in the U.S. is not the only time when roses are given as a gift of love. Dark red roses are also given as romantic or affectionate gifts on St. George’s Day in Catalonia, an autonomous community in Spain.

Why do you see so many roses with French names? Because much of the fascination with roses began when Empress Josephine of France encouraged the breeding of roses at her gardens in Malmaison. Subsequently, many famous French artists have grown famous for their depictions of roses. Examples include Pierre-Joseph Redoute, Henri Fantin-Latour, Claude [Read more…]

Give Holiday Happiness This December

"Holiday Happiness" Christmas Bouquet

"Holiday Happiness" Christmas Bouquet

With Christmas fast approaching, flower arrangements like the “Holiday Happiness” Christmas bouquet warm wintry hearts. Sending “Holiday Happiness” is sending a dose of Christmas cheer. Created in traditional Christmas colors (red, green and white), this bouquet is as delightful as Miracle On 34th Street and as sweet as a holiday hug. When decorating for the holiday, let these Christmas flowers light up the room with “Holiday Happiness.”

The “Holiday Happiness” bouquet of Christmas flowers embraces the best parts of the holiday season. Warmth, glad tiding, a kind sentiment, and going the extra mile to make someone happy. These ideals are the very heart of the holiday season. The best way to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” to a loved one near or far is to send a beautiful bouquet of Christmas flowers like the “Holiday Happiness” arrangement.

At the heart of your holiday should be happiness. ‘Tis better to give than to receive but it’s ok to give yourself a present too. Don’t forget to include yourself when doling out doses of Christmas cheer. This year, treat yourself to some “Holiday Happiness” as well.

“Holiday Happiness” Recipe:

Red Gathering Vase
Foliage: Seasonal Evergreens, Holly
Red Tulips
Red Roses
White ‘Monte Casino’ Aster
White Stock
Sheer Holiday Ribbon

Here Are Some Fun Christmas Card Messages for Children

Children are the greatest part of life, pure and simple. Everything about them is adorable. Stressful at times, but their constant love and innocence is so endearing that it’s hard to live without that influence. One of the best things about Christmas is watching children open their gifts. Their little faces light up. To watch this is like being blessed with a tiny little angel for a few moments. Whether a parent or not, it is impossible not to love the way that children react on Christmas Day.

Precious moments under the Christmas tree make giving Christmas gifts to children all the more pleasant. Many choose to send flowers to nieces, nephews or grandchildren that live too far away for a holiday visit. Some send Christmas flowers to kids at school for a special treat before the holiday break.

Whatever the reason, it is best to have the right enclosure card message. Even if you can’t see their tiny little face, knowing that they are reading the perfect card message makes it easy to envision their smiles and laughing eyes. Local florists want to make sure that you get this special moment and have chosen these as their favorite Christmas card messages for children.

Top Fun Christmas Card Messages for Children

1)      From Santa

2)      From Rudolph

3)      Can you take care of these for me? The North Pole is too cold. Be there on Christmas Eve to collect them. ~ Santa  P.S. Loved the milk and cookies last year!

4)      Loved the milk and cookies! ~ Santa

5)      Merry Christmas from someone that loves you

View all Christmas enclosure card messages for children. Merrily brought to you by Flower Shop Network.