The Meaning Behind your Valentine’s Day Flowers

Valentine’s day is only a few days away (I hope everybody has their orders in to their local floris already!). Have you ever wondered what the meaning behind the flowers you were giving or recieving meant? Well, we have put together a list of the most popular flowers given on Valentine’s day and the meanings behind them. Enjoy :-)

Red Roses:   Proclains “I love you.” The ultimate symbol of romantic love and enduring passion.

Yellow Roses:   Indicates friendship and freedom- so don’t send them if your intentions are romantic and long-lasting.

Pale Pink Roses:   Grace, gentleness, and gratitude.

Light Pink Roses:   Express fun and happiness.

Deep Pink Roses:   Says “Thank you.”

Lilac Roses:   Indicates the sender has fallen in love at first sight with the recipient and is enchanted.

White Roses:   Symbolize truth and innocence. “You’re heavenly.”

Peach Roses:   Speak of appreciation and gratitude.

Coral Roses:   Express desire.

Orange Roses:   Communicate enthusiasm and desire on the part of the sender.

Dead Roses:   “It’s over.”

Single Red Rose:   “I love you.” (but I’m not going to be broke saying so)

Single Rose any Color:   “I thank you”

Two Roses Entwined:   An engagement or marriage is imminent.

Thank you About.com for the great information!!

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Rose Producers

Large flower markets worldwide rarely leak out any information about their flower production process. With Valentine’s Day only 13 days away we can only imagine how crazy flower markets are for the next 2 weeks. Many rose farms make a large profit around this time every year. According to International Business Times, Colombia exports about 450 million flowers for Valentine’s Day. Flower farmers say Valentine’s Day alone accounts for 12% of their annual income.

Countries such as Colombia and Ecuador have dependable growing conditions year-round due to their proximity to the equator. Flower sales for Valentine’s Day support a variety of social programs for their citizens, ranging from education and training to health care and housing.

Contact your local florist on or before February 11, 2012 to place your flower order for your loved ones.

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Flower Preservation

There is a simple way to preserve your flowers once you get home, or have them delivered, when you realize there is no commercial flower preservative included in your arrangement. Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and everybody wants their flowers to last as long as possible, especially when the flower giver is someone special. 

Mix:

1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon household bleach
2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
1 liter of lukewarm water

Pour mixture into vase

Cut stems atleast half of an inch (diagonally)

Arrange into vase

Very easy!! Hope this recipe is helpful and you will now be able to enjoy the beauty of your flowers much longer.

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Flower Givers

The Society of American Florists and the American Floral Endowment teamed up and commissioned a study in 2006 at Rutgers University to determine how people perceive others based on the types of gifts they give. Flowers givers rose to the top! Research proves that receiving flowers and being in the presence of flowers makes people happy. Giving flowers makes the best impression compared to other gifts. They are considered more likeable, friendly and emotionally intelligent. The floral gift-giver is regarded as highly caring, trustworthy, loving, successful, and as valuing achievement and beauty in life.

Valentine’s Day is only 28 days away! Contact your local florist before the big day to secure a successful arrangement for your loved one. I have found A Guy’s Checklist of Things to Remember when deciding to be a flower giver:

  • Be Spontaneous. You don’t have to wait for a special occasion to give flowers. In fact, most women say “no reason” is the best reason to get flowers.
  • Size Doesn’t Matter. Trust your florist to help you send an arrangement that is appropriate for the occasion. Bouquets both big and small can make a bold statement. It’s the sentiment that makes the impact.
  • Score Big Points. Surprise her by sending a bouquet to her office, and see how much attention you’ll get because of the attention she got.
  • Relax. Flowers don’t have to mean commitment. Women know when an arrangement simply means that you care.

You can never go wrong with flowers! Your florist is there to help and the best part is that you, the flower giver gets all the credit :-)

Thank you Aboutflowers.com for the great information. :-)

 

 

 

 

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January Flower Update

With half of the month yet to come I have compiled a list of flowers that are flourishing, in Florida, in January and in the following winter months. Typically spring is the season when flowers are blooming, but Florida’s weather allows for many different flowers to bloom due to the higher temperatures and humidity levels compared to other regions of the US.

Canaima Orchid

Lenten Rose

Reticulated Iris

Early Autumn Camellia

 

The flowers listed are a great addition to any winter garden. They vary in color and have great dark green foliage to compliment the bright hues. In addition to growing them in your own garden, this may be a helpful hint when stopping by your local florist. While flowers are in season they tend to be less costly and more obtainable.

Happy winter :-)

 

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Out with the Old in with the New

2011 is out the door and everybody is ready for a new, awesome year! Engagement season has just passed and brides-to-be are already planning minor details of their 2012 dream wedding. After deciding on a venue and a color(s) the fun part begins, flowers! A bride’s first questions are: What flowers come in my colors? What flowers are in season at the time of my wedding? What arrangements can you design? How much are the arrangements?

Before consulting with a florist you can already have a few styles in mind. Here are some 2012 Wedding Style Trends by the Flower Shop Network from florists all over the United States:

  • Modern & Sophisticated- Think royal wedding
  • Return to Simpler Styles- Single stemmed flower instead of bouquets
  • Back to Traditional- Carnations, roses and babies breath
  • Dual-Purpose Bouquets and Arrangements- For example, bouquets into cocktail table centerpieces
  • Eclectic Styles with Found Objects- Rustic, natural looks with nicer flowers
  • Brides Want DIY- Many brides want hands-on
  • Cascading Bouquets- Did you see Kate Middleton’s shield bouquet?

 

 

 

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Update those old terracotta pots!

Pretty Pots

So how many old terracotta pots do you have laying around your house?  Want a fun way to spice them up!?  Look no further, we have found a simple DIY craft that will help you enhance your pots.  All you need is some Mod Podge and some pretty fabric!

Fabric for pots

The materials you will need for this project are:

1.  Terracotta pots

2.  Mod Podge

3.  Brush

4.  Fabric

Easy!! :)

Inside view

Step 1:  Start by cutting a length of fabric that will wrap once around your pot. Leave extra room for folding it over on the top and bottom.

Step 2:  Cut slits in the fabric around the top, to avoid puckering as you make your way around.

Step 3:  Coat a small section of the pot with Mod Podge.

Step 4:  Stick the beginning of your fabric length to the pot and once it is in place, coat the fabric with Mod Podge. Continue doing this all the way around, without worrying about the top or bottom of the pot.

Step 5;  When the outside of the pot is finished, trim your fabric so that less than an inch hangs over the top and bottom. Begin at the top, folding the fabric into the pot in pleats so that it lays nice and flat around the rim. Coat in Mod Podge. Do the same for the bottom, folding the fabric in pleats so that the bottom edge of the pot remains smooth.

Step 6:  Coat any loose flaps of fabric with Mod Podge. Now let your pot dry.

Pretty Pots

Good luck in your crafting and I hope these give your garden or home the new kick you have been looking for!  :)

This DIY craft was created by Christine Chitnis.

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Amazing Hotel Lobby Flowers

This blog was inspired by a blog written by the Flower Shop Network on hotel lobby decor.  They wrote about a flower arrangement that looked just like a green flying dinosaur.  You can see it below, it was such a fun arrangement!  They called it the Brontoterodactylsaurus!  (Try saying that five times fast!)

Seeing the Brontogterodactylsaurus made me want to research some more fun hotel lobby arrangements.  They always seem to be the biggest and the best, right?  Check out some of my findings below:

This one is from the Oriental Hotel lobby in Bangkok.

This romantic arrangement is from the Ritz-Carlton, Doha.

Even something as simple as a vase of tulips are a perfect fit for this hotel lobby.

This one is quite impressive!

Look at the grand piece you could make with just a few hydrangeas and vases!

This one adds a classy touch!

Simple, but elegant!

Check out this massive arrangement in the hotel lobby of George V!

The Four Seasons in Mexico City.

 

I could go on and on with amazing hotel lobby arrangements, but I won’t today.  If you have any amazing hotel lobby arrangements, please do share them with us!  We would love to see them.  Post them on our Facebook page if you can!

 

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Floral Industry Economical Status

Since the global economy has faltered, people are not spending money on gifts and flowers as they have in the past. If a family has to struggle just to make a mortgage payment and pay for utilities, their budget will not permit them to send flowers to distant relatives. Sending flowers overseas was once a common thing done by many kings and celebrities, but it has recently decreased in popularity. The floral industry has had to change the way they do business in order over the past few years. The floral industry economical status has been weak especially in the past year.

Instead of offering bouquets that include several dozens of roses, the floral industry has had to offer smaller bouquets with less costly flowers. For example, a popular bouquet may consist of daisies or sunflowers. These types of flowers are less expensive for consumers to buy and therefore are becoming popular choices among consumers. Floral arrangements with carnations are also being created for many occasions. The present state of the floral industry economical status is in danger of causing many floral farms to shut down. When consumers stopped buying dozens of profitable flowers such as roses, many floral farms had to throw away a lot of their harvested product.

Flowers are cultivated around the world with the most varieties of flowers grown in South America. Because flowers are imported, there is a tremendous cost associated with bringing them over to the United States. That’s why often times sympathy flowers cost so much. Flowers must be kept alive and in good condition or they will not be able to be sold. If flowers have black spots on them or look wilted, consumers will not buy them and the company who bought the flowers will be forced to take a loss. The floral industry economical status depends upon many factors to remain strong.

If you recently thought about buying flowers but decided against it, you are one of many consumers who have done this. Shoppers may look at a bouquet of flowers in a local discount store and then decide not to purchase the bouquet. The cost of groceries has increased dramatically over the past few years so people are getting less for their dollar. This means that people will buy meat and milk instead of flowers. The most common floral purchase is a very small bouquet with one or two flowers in it. The lack of demand for flowers has caused the floral industry economical status to be in a precarious state with not much chance of recovering soon.

This article is from the CarnegieMellon website.

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Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer

Do you know what the largest trade building in the entire world is?  It’s the Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer in the Netherlands!  The Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer sets the world price for flowers and plants each morning between 7am and 11am through an auction.  Every day, 19 million flowers and 2 million plants are sold through 13 clocks in small and large batches within fractions of a second.  It really is a site to see!

At the market, you can walk around on catwalks so you can see almost the entire facility.  You will be able to see where huge batches of flowers are stacked onto carts and begin their journey on the system of rails around the facility.  After the flowers are sorted, they make their way to the auction to be sold to buyers near and far.  Once the flowers have been sold, they are “de-bulked” and make their way to the buyers’ destination, which could be an easy truck ride away or a long flight away.

There is also a bidding floor at the auction.  You can view the bidding floor with is covered with carts filled with flowers that make a brief appearance before buyers quickly make their bids.  By the time the cart leaves the floor, the contents are sold and on their way to be shipped.  This auction is a very quick and interesting process and a must see if you are in the Netherlands.

 

 

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