April 18th, 2010
Do you feel empty or unsatisfied when you give mom a gift certificate or store card to her favorite haunt – even though that’s what she says she wants? Then dress up your gift card and put some personality in the presentation with a shopping bag full of flowers – done on your own or by your favorite floral retailer.
Just pick out the cutest, colorful, paper shopping bag you can find and if you’re going to D-I-Y line it with plastic (a food container makes a stable liner), add water (and floral foam if you like working with it), then choose some flowers that coordinate with the shopping bag (color, feeling, size) and style away!
When you get your flowers make sure you get a cardette (those little plastic stakes that look like a fork at the top) to place into the design and hold your gift card and envelope. Or, tie the gift card to your arrangement (maybe the shopping bag handles) with a narrow ribbon.
You’ll have something satisfying and substantial to present to Mom, she’ll have something special from you to enjoy on Mother’s Day, and later she can enjoy her shopping spree!
Posted in Arranging Flowers, Mothers' Day Flowers | No Comments »
April 16th, 2010
Mother’s Day, May 9th, is right around the corner!
Only 23 days to find something wonderful, meaningful, or special for her!
No, You’re NOT going to wait until the last minute to choose mom’s Mothers Day flowers – are you?
If you want something personal or out of the ordinary you should make arrangements with your favorite floral retailer NOW so you can get the best buys and bargains from them.
Right now you have time to:
• Discover and buy the special feature flowers and signature designs offered by your favorite floral retailer – before they sell out.
• Order Mom’s favorite (exotic, old fashioned, or trendy) flowers to be ready for delivery or pick up on May 7th or 8th.
• Get a vase that fits perfectly with Mom’s décor, arrange to have it filled with marvelous blooms, and delivered to her door.
The count down is on – get moving, swing into action!
PS – While your at it: check out the FREE fresh cut flower resources at www.FlowerArrangingTips.com – you can even print and use them as part of your Mothers Day offering.
Posted in Buying Flowers, Mothers' Day Flowers | No Comments »
April 12th, 2010
Living with flowers is easy once you find a favorite vase or two that align perfectly with your décor. Get to know your vessel by experimenting with different styling techniques, accessories, and design mechanics. Then you’ll be able to grab bundles, bunches, and bouquets of flowers spontaneously and simply “chop & drop” them into your vases.
The “zebra stripe” vases, pictured in the De Ruiter Innovations booth, (World Floral Expo 2010 – Gallery; 4th row, right) were connected by soft reeds that draped around and between them both. Then a cluster of 8-9 long stemmed roses was gathered, cut short and placed into one vase while another cluster was gathered and cut tall for the other vase.
The designs are simple, clean, contemporary, and very easy to live with.
Posted in Living with Flowers | No Comments »
April 12th, 2010
It’s hard to see in the picture from the booth of Premier Floral Corporation (World Floral Expo 2010 – Gallery; 4th row, left) but the rose petals shown on the coffee table display are UNDER the glass. What a cool idea – flowers IN the table instead of ON the table!
I wouldn’t recommend this idea for your cherished wooden table tops but any wicker (shown here), woven metal, or stone table tops with glass covers would make the perfect choice for a look like this. It’s a great way to display rose petals without them blowing away or floating onto the floor. And, when you have finished serving from the table you simply wipe the surface clean and the petals remain.
I’m guessing the petals would be safe here for 18 – 24 hours – depending on the table’s surface, the condition of the petals when the display was put together, and the temperature of the room (the cooler the more long lasting). It’s not a long term look but worth the effort for the element of surprise and delight from unsuspecting guests.
Posted in Using Flowers | No Comments »
April 12th, 2010
The minute anyone entered WFE 2010 they were reminded of the global aspect of the floral industry. Designers like Guillermo Lasassier of GJG Events who designed the booth for Flower of the World (pictured in World floral Expo 2010 – Gallery; 3rd row, right), really do have a world of flowers to choose from when they are doing wedding or event flowers.
Now, designers might not know what is available, from where, and when right off the top of their head … but they depend on their trusted vendors and distributors to keep them posted on the global market and to help them research availability, quality, and price when it comes to specific blooms, for a specific event, request, or theme.
A good designer will marry the best and most appropriate flowers available on the market with all the other elements of the wedding day to create the look you’ve dreamed about – whether that is romantic, refined, and elegant, or lively, festive, and sassy – like Guerillmo’s rendition of a party atmosphere.
Posted in Uncategorized, Wedding Flowers | No Comments »
April 12th, 2010
They’re the perfect prom flower – light weight, long lasting, and fragrance free! They are so popular for corsages and boutonnieres that companies like Full Pot Farms (see World Floral Expo – Gallery; 1st row, middle) are now packaging them like rose petals – with just blooms in a box.
Dendrobiums are light weight so they are easy to wear. They are so long lasting they can be left out on my design bench over night (not that they SHOULD be) without showing any signs of weakness – so you know they’ll look great all prom night long. They have no aroma so they won’t fight with the fragrance you choose for the evening. And, they come in white, fuchsia, green, and a combination of white/fuchsia – pretty hot colors for this seasons prom wear. Ask your florist about dendrobium orchids when you order your prom flowers.
Posted in Prom Flowers | 3 Comments »
April 12th, 2010
The flower arrangements done by Jessica Keats for the Floreco Inc. booth (World Floral Expo 2010 – Gallery; 1st row, right) ranged from large, to larger, and then largest – but what flowers to buy your mom for Mother’s Day should be based on how your mom lives – not how much you love her.
For moms who live in small spaces a gift of flowers styled within the confines of a clear glass cylinder ensure that mom sees a great display of color in an unexpected linier presentation. The traditional round arrangement takes on a contemporary look with its groupings of color and is perfect for Mothers Day conversation over a coffee table or dining table.
And the largest display would make a great impression on a buffet table for a multi-generational MD family gathering or to set the tone of a hotel lobby or restaurant featuring MD activities.
Posted in Mothers' Day Flowers | No Comments »
April 12th, 2010
Rose collections like the ones shown in the Bellaflor Group booth at WFE (see World Floral Expo 2010 – Gallery) with mixed colored roses, seasonal foliages, and textured berries can be found right now (or specially prepared for you) by most floral retailers all across the country – at pretty cost effective prices – just in case you want to let “Her” know she is STILL your Valentine.
Posted in Uncategorized, Valentines Day Flowers | No Comments »
April 12th, 2010
Your fresh flowers will often last longer if they have short stems rather than long stems. It takes less energy for a flower to drink through a short stem rather than a long stem. One way to make your blooms last is to re-cut the stems shorter and shorter as the days go by rearranging them into smaller and smaller vessels. The yellow roses from De Ruiter Innovations pictured in our World floral Expo 2010 – Gallery (4th row, center) shows a novel idea.
Lime green decorator wire was sculpted in loops to secure 8 individual glass water tubes (you could use the colorful new “shot glasses” that are on the market). The tubes were filled with water then roses were cut and inserted one in each tube.
This structure can be cleaned and used again with any variety of single bloom flowers – carnations, gerberas, tulips, etc. for a quick and easy way to salvage a display of flowers that needs to be cut down to size.
Posted in Making Flowers Last, Mothers' Day Flowers | No Comments »
April 12th, 2010
OK, I know none of us can live this way but, I also know folks who would LOVE to. Premier Floral Corporation’s booth at WFE (World Floral Expo 2010 – Gallery: 2nd row, center) was inviting on so many levels: the fragrance was noticeable even in an exhibit hall full of flowers, the couches were a welcome relief after standing all day, and the view – an entire wall of flowers encompassed by a natural backdrop of curly willow – was breathtaking to behold.
The curly willow backdrop could actually serve as a room divider and almost any of the vase displays could be moved right into any home or office as a stunning welcoming display. Even if you can’t have a room full of blooms a simple vase of flowers does make your environment more inviting.
Posted in LOVING FLOWERS | No Comments »
