Valentine's Day Flowers and Chocolates

The celebration of Valentine’s Day began long before Joyce Hall—the founder of Hallmark Cards—created his first greeting card. In fact, the oldest-known valentine still in existence was a poem that Charles, the Duke of Orleans, wrote in 1415 to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London. And long before Charles put a passionate pen to paper, at the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 to be St. Valentine’s Day.

Valentines Day Flowers: Pink-Roses

So forget all the naysayers who bash us starry-eyed philosophers as we wait breathlessly for the amorous day’s arrival. If you have even a sliver of a romantic bone in your body, you can support this holiday of love without an ounce of guilt.

Once you’ve wrapped your arms around the day, however, what is the best way to celebrate it? Giving loved ones a card is obviously a lovely gesture—and lots of folks do that. (In fact, about 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually.) But wouldn’t you rather gift your sweetheart with something scientifically proven to enhance his or her life? A present that lifts the mood and encourages positive thoughts? No, not medicinal marijuana! We’re talking about the time-proven, sweetheart-swooning tradition of giving flowers.

Yes, it’s actually true that researchers have studied the phenomenon of flower giving and discovered it creates a measurable physical reaction in recipients. According to behavioral research conducted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior in a positive manner.

“What’s most exciting about this study is that it challenges established scientific beliefs about how people can manage their day-to-day moods in a healthy and natural way,” said Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Rutgers and lead researcher on the study.

Red Roses and Chocolates

What’s more, the moment your loved one sets eyes on the colorful blossoms you bestow upon them, little chemical fireworks go off in their brains to create an immediate improvement in his or her happiness. Even better? After all the chocolates are devoured and your loved one is wallowing in a sugar-induced coma, your gift of flowers continues to have a long-term positive effect on your sweetheart’s mood.

So when you hear some cynic pooh-pooh the idea of giving flowers on Valentine’s Day, nip that naysayer’s negative analysis in the bud. Pull a posy from the bouquet intended for your honey, hand it over to that skeptic and watch his or her pessimistic attitude drop away like petals on a puff of air.

Written by

Gina Kellogg

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2. Flower Power: Emotional Benefits of Fresh Flowers
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Dark purple flowers mimic the look of black flowers Photo: Michael Daigian Design/Trisha Dean Events

Some flowers give the illusion they are black because their blooms are extremely dark red or dark purple, such as the Schwarzwalder calla lily. But if you want a truly black flower, you can’t rely on Mother Nature to deliver the color. You have to give her a little help.

Easy Steps to Create Black Flowers

You can create the black flower of your choice by following one of three techniques, none of which is complicated. You can dye the flowers by placing the stems in dye-enhanced water, dip the blooms in colored stain or spray the blossoms with floral paint.

#1 How to Dye Flowers Black

The Internet offers tips on dyeing flowers using food coloring or ink, but that advice is misleading. Such methods may work to a degree, but they aren’t as effective as using professional floral dye, such as Design Master’s Absorbit. Plus, professional dye products won’t inhibit the flowers’ water uptake, ensuring you get the longest vase life for your blooms.

Dyed Black Rose

To purchase floral dye, ask your florist to order it for you. (He or she can advise you on which colors will mix to achieve the deepest black.) Then ask your florist what blooms work best. Some experts recommend choosing white flowers, but others suggest choosing a dark color, such as red. You may need to experiment with both to determine which one to choose for your project.

Follow these steps once you’ve chosen your flower variety:

1. Leave flowers out of water for at least three hours once you get them home from your florist. When flowers are a bit stressed, they will absorb the dye-enhanced water more quickly.
2. In a container large enough to hold the flowers, add 2-3 teaspoons of floral dye to each quart of warm water (100-110 degrees Fahrenheit/37-43 degrees Celsius). Mix the liquid thoroughly.
3. Remove lower foliage from each stem. Cut stems at an angle with very sharp floral shears or a floral knife.
4. Place the stems into the dye solution. Allow them to sit in the water for 30 to 60 minutes.
5. While you are waiting, prepare a vase for your flower arrangement. Add floral preservative as indicated on the packet’s directions, mixing with the appropriate amount of water.
6. When enough time has passed, remove the flowers from the dye solution and rinse the dye off the stems.
7. Transfer your bouquet to the prepared vase.

The color of your flowers will intensify as the dye continues traveling up the stem. If dyeing different varieties, don’t expect the color to be absorbed at the same rate. Woody stems, like roses, take longer to uptake the dye than green-stemmed flowers, like carnations. Black roses also may not achieve even coloration unless you maintain the temperature of the dye solution while the stems are in the liquid. With those blossoms, place your container into a water-filled slow cooker on medium heat throughout the soaking period. If color is spotty, transfer roses to a separate container of warm water. Allow them to soak up the plain water overnight to further hydrate and spread the color throughout the petals.

Dispose of leftover dye solution by pouring it over newspaper to absorb it. Then toss out the papers with your normal trash.

Dyed Black Rose

#2 How to Dip Flowers for Black Blossoms

A faster option is the dip method. The same company that sells the floral dye Absorbit makes a product for this technique called Dipit. Directions are simple:

1. Choose flowers with fully opened blooms so the dye will more easily be able to coat each petal.
2. Pour the liquid dye into a container or bucket with a large opening to ease the dipping process.
3. Dip each flower into the solution for about 2 seconds.
4. Shake off the excess dye, allowing the extra liquid to fall back into your container.
5. Rinse each flower head under a faucet and shake again to remove the excess water.
6. Allow flowers to dry before handling so that you don’t stain clothing or skin with wet dye.

If your flowers aren’t as dark as you would like, you can redip them once they are dry. Simply repeat the steps above. As with Absorbit, pour any excess dye over an absorbent material, like newspapers, and then dispose of the papers in the trash.

#3 How to Spray Flowers to Create Black Blooms

Spraying flowers with floral spray paint is the easiest way to ensure a deep, dark, consistent black color. It’s also the messiest, so be prepared before you start by using drop cloths or newspapers to protect your work area from overspray. Also, make sure the area is well-ventilated, at a moderate temperature (about 70 degrees Fahrenheit/21 degrees Celsius) and not humid.

If your local craft store doesn’t sell floral spray paint, ask your florist to order it for you. Design Master makes a line called COLORTOOL that is specifically designed for use on fresh flowers. Regular spray paint is too harsh and heavy for delicate flower blossoms.

1. Shake the can well, before and between uses.
2. Turn the paint can nozzle to line up with the black dot on the rim.
3. Hold the can 15 to 18 inches from the flower head.
4. Spray each blossom, turning the bloom in your hand to get all sides and inside the petals.
5. For darker color, allow the paint to dry. Then apply another coat.

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3. Halloween Party Ideas: 9 Tips to Create Ghostly Decor

Spooky spider webs, black flowers, creepy creatures, ghostly ghouls … Yep, it’s time to get your “scare” on and get in the Halloween spirit!

If you are among the many planning Halloween parties – whether you organize an elaborate Halloween horror show – (popular among serious celebrants) or arrange a relaxed gathering with lighthearted Halloween crafts or ghoulish Halloween party games – you can affordably create an ethereal theme.

Creative Homemade Lanterns

We’ve focused on providing some Halloween recipes that will allow you to create budget-friendly holiday fun. These Halloween ideas are easy and mainly require items you already have – no need to spend a lot at that temporary Halloween store at the mall. Other ideas involve affordable items you would likely buy anyway or can reuse for future projects. (And, okay, we do offer up a couple of suggestions for spooky centerpieces that cost a bit more – but these otherworldly options will give your Halloween party theme oomph!)

#1  Halloween Crafts for Candy-Corn-Chic Style

Candy Corn Vase | Photo by Paula Deen

You may have seen a holiday flower arrangement for sale with a candy corn-filled vase and matching mix of orange and yellow blossoms. If you’ve got the budget, call your florist and order one for your party. You’ll free up time to focus on other tasks and ensure you get a professionally designed focal point for your festivities.

If cash is limited, create one of the Halloween flower arrangements yourself. To duplicate the look, use a clear-glass container already hiding in your cupboard. Place a smaller container of about equal height inside your larger clear-glass vase. (The smaller container need not be clear but must be waterproof.) Fill the inside vase with fresh water and flower preservative. Carefully pour candy corn between the two containers to fill the space. Add orange, yellow and white flowers – the colors of the ubiquitous candy corn.

#2  Green Halloween: A New Holiday Trend

Want to follow the reduce-reuse-recycle theme this Halloween? Have some time to get extra creative? Create some funky flower vases using old soda, beer or wine bottles. Simply paint the exteriors with white, yellow and orange spray paint to duplicate the stacked colors in a candy corn piece. Then fill each vase with a single stem of red gerbera, yellow dahlia, orange aster or another favorite flower. Line them up along a windowsill or ledge, stack them on a stairway or set them together for a centerpiece.

Orange Gerbera Daisies are perfect for Halloween

#3   Pumpkin Crafts: Carve out a Halloween Vase

Pumpkin Basket | Photo by Martha Stewart

Kids and adults alike adore pumpkins. So focus on the unique varieties of gourds available today – smooth, knobby, variegated and more – to create natural vases (which also hold over well as Thanksgiving decorations in American households). Martha Stewart ingeniously carves pumpkins into basket shapes that she fills with burgundy roses, kale and protea. (She recommends choosing a lopsided pumpkin for this Halloween craft. Draw a handle that extends over the top of the pumpkin with the stem in the area you will carve away. Cut along your markings, remove the pumpkin’s interior flesh and seeds, set a waterproof container or floral foam inside, and insert flowers to create your arrangement.)

If you prefer something longer lasting, choose from the variety of manmade pumpkin baskets available and consider using mums instead of fresh flowers.

For a more high-style look, Stewart pares out the interior of a white pumpkin, fills it with white dahlias and places it on a white cake stand. Halloween ooh-la-la!

Halloween Decoration Ideas With Spookier Themes

If you are planning a party for adults or older kids, opt for some nail-biting accessories. Here are a few suggestions for fearsome fun:

#4  Halloween Party Food? Not! These Posies Are Poisonous!

Poison Bottle Vase | Photo by Oliver Gruener

Want to continue the recycling theme? Create an apothecary of lethal liquids.

Soak the labels off some bottles. Cut a black-paper label for each. Using white chalk, mark an “XXX” on one label to represent poison. On another, draw a skull and crossbones. Write the word “Poison” on the third. You can also download images, size them to fit your bottles and print them. Affix a label and insert an individual flower stem in each. (Choose anemically pale white flowers to complement the deathly theme.)

Then group the bottles for a focal point or line them up to show off each caustic caution.

#5   Black Flowers Create Ghostly Glamour

Black flowers don’t exist in the natural world, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find them. And it doesn’t mean you have to turn to artificial flowers. Instead, use dye or spray paint to create a look that Mother Nature can’t.

Black Roses are perfect for Halloween

Dye: Esprit Growers in California has created “Twilight” black roses. These dyed-black beauties offer an unearthly look that is pure gothic glamour. Call your florist to order some.

Or create your own Black Flowers (choose a light-colored flower, such as white carnations or hydrangeas; add dye or ink to the water; cut stems at an angle and insert into the water; let stand and allow the stems to uptake the color to the flower head). For more specific instructions, read this article: 3 Easy Techniques to Create Black Flowers.

Spray paint: Floral spray paints can give you the Goth look, too. Your craft or hobby store sells colors ranging from flat black to dark blackberry and ghostly gray. (Your florist can also order flower paint from local wholesalers for you.)

#6  Halloween Ideas for Eerie Embellishments

Accessorizing your bouquets is another option for enhancing your haunted-holiday tabletops. Stretch faux cobwebs over a bouquet of red roses; choose a black urn or vase for an air of macabre. Or sprinkle plastic spiders across the top of a bouquet of cream-colored roses for stark drama. Allow rubber snakes to slither among blossoms of orange and crimson chrysanthemums.

Flower Arrangement with Spider Web | Photo by Will Folsom

Halloween Party Ideas for Kids

If you don’t want to build a full-fledged Halloween town that will give little tourists sleepless nights, no worries. You can create a funky-spirited celebration that foregoes the traditional spiders, snakes, bones and blood. Here are some clever ideas to consider:

#7  Crafts for Kids

Kids love to help decorate, so give them the task of making some cute creatures that they can insert into your Halloween bouquets. Gather up a supply of pipe cleaners, wiggly eyes, paint and glue. Then, show the kids how to construct the Halloween crafts. Curl the pipe cleaner bodies or bases around wooden picks or straws and nestle the mini monsters into your flower arrangements.

Spider, Pumpkin & Black Cat Crafts for Kids

#8  Monster Hands Craft for Kids

Want some more Halloween crafts for the kids? Show them how to make gruesome monster hands. Whip up some green gelatin and spoon it into latex surgical gloves. Tie the wrists closed, paint on black fingernails with black marker and let kids place the plastic appendages into flower planters and other containers in your home.

#9   A Halloween Idea for Some Spooky Chic

If you want to create a more low-key but ultra-stylish look for your Halloween get-together, add subtle touches of black and orange to your tablescapes. Wrap low, white ceramic vases with wide black ribbon and layer a white, slightly narrower ribbon on top. Add a thinner ribbon in orange on top of the white. Fill the containers with orange roses in low, rounded masses. Placemats and other accessories that pick up hints of orange and black complete the look.

Witch Costume Idea | Photo by Bosela

Once you’ve decided on your Halloween decorations, you have one more chore, of course: Considering all your Halloween costume ideas. You could follow the crowds and choose a trendy Snooki or Lady Gaga Halloween costume. Or you could save that money (for more flowers!) and join the frugalistas with a sense of humor. You know the ones; they never buy costumes. Instead, they create their own cleverly funny Halloween costumes (like the guy in regular clothes with the sign that says, “Nudist on strike”).

Then again, I can probably scare my guests silly simply by not wearing any makeup and adding a witch’s hat.

Hmm… I think that could be among my best Halloween costumes yet! Broooo ha ha!

Written by

Gina B. Kellogg

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2. 3 Easy Techniques to Create Black Flowers
3. 14 Great Valentines Day Ideas

Rose & Calla Lily Silk Flowers

Why Silk Flowers?

Choosing flowers as the focus of a wedding is always popular because flowers create a natural, charming and romantic aura for an already beautiful event. But choosing wedding decor that includes flora can have certain drawbacks, such as the cost of favourite flowers that may be out of season, the expense and difficulty of incorporating live plants, wilting and dropping leaves, etc. If any of these factors affect your wedding, you may want to consider incorporating silk or artificial plants into your event.

(Consider the couple who longs for a summer or spring wedding with the perfect climate and a bounty of gorgeous blossoms — but, for whatever reason, must plan a wedding during winter or autumn. That bride and groom can still create a gardenlike setting — even an indoor forest with a canopy of trees such as those that adorned Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding at Westminster Abbey — for their special event by taking advantage of the benefits that artificial offerings provide.)

Lots of Accessorizing Options

A stately entrance of artificial topiaries at your wedding.

Because they are unaffected by seasonal influences, silk flowering trees or artificial flower trees, wreaths, garlands, trellises, topiaries and table arrangements can be the perfect answer to accessorizing your wedding. And forget about the days of tacky-looking faux plants. Silk offerings today have undergone a renaissance; their quality is far superior to the materials used in the past. In fact, you can easily mistake today’s artificial options for the real thing.

Ambiance From Romantic to Royal

With so many choices of designs, styles and colors, silk florals can adorn your wedding venue just as beautifully as real flowers. Consider some of these options:

• Fuchsia or lilac bougainvilleas overflowing on reception tables.

• Cherry blossom or rose artificial topiaries lining the aisle for a romantic theme.

• Purple wisteria trees surrounding the bridal table with a royal aura.

• Lush, flowering hedges that greet guests and create a country ambiance.

• Sumptuous arrangements of orchids, lilies or other exotic flowers bedecking the altar.

• Lavish garlands of jasmine or magnolias draping the pews.

• Quaint grapevine and violet wreaths decorating the church and reception doors.

Lush silk arrangements will brighten up any event.

Faux Plants, Real Solutions

Despite their very real appearance, artificial plants offer the distinct advantage of not wilting or dropping leaves. Thus, you can be assured that your wedding’s setting won’t be spoiled. You can also customize flowering plants according your choice and preferences, thus giving you the opportunity to plan any desired theme. Another bonus? After the wedding festivities have ended, you can use the silk trees or flowers to decorate your home or office interiors.

Let your imagination soar as you discuss all the floral options with your florist, no matter what time of the year it is. Today’s sophisticated artificial flowers offer the perfect option to create the wedding of your dreams.

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

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For these brides, here are some ideas for non-flower/ flowerless centerpieces and bouquets:

Goldfish & Gerbera Centerpiece

Table Centerpieces: A Fish Focus

For a fin-tastic centerpiece, use Goldfish or Siamese fighting fish (also known as bettas) or any fish that suits your color scheme. Fish are available in a wide selection of bright and exotic colors. But do understand that this choice is not as simple as putting fish in a bowl. For example, with some fish, such as the Siamese fighting fish, you can’t mix more than one in the same container. (Male bettas are beautiful but aggressive. They can mix with other fish but not with each other.)

You can purchase fish from your local pet store or breeder, and then give them to guests as gifts after the wedding. Or you may even be able to “rent” the fish from the retailer and then return them after the wedding.

Floral décor, is completely optional, you can mix your fishbowls with coordinating glassware of floating gerberas or other flowers.

Preparing and Caring for your Fish:

You will need:

1. A bucket, dechlorinating drops, fish food, oxygen tablets and a small fish net.
2. Mix dechlorinating drops with fresh water (follow instructions on the packaging) to remove chlorine from the water, which can kill the fish.
3. Fill each container half full of water from the bag containing each fish and half with the dechlorinated water.
4. Add oxygen tablets to each bowl.
5. Use the net to catch the fish and place them into the fishbowls. (Don’t use your hand to catch the fish or you can damage their fins.)
6. Feed the fish a small amount of food just before the wedding and then again after the wedding.

Betta | Blue Malawi | Red Siamese Fighting Fish

Crystals and Candles

Candelabra with Candles and Beads

If your guest tables will be lavishly furnished with embossed table cloths, runners and gifts, focus on crystals, candles and candelabras rather than elaborate flower arrangements for your table decor. Consider simple dessert dishes as an elegant finishing touch as we did at a recent wedding. You can use any flower of your choice: gerberas, orchids or lilies, for example. Add some ivy, which is a symbol of fidelity, friendship and affection. Or add in some baby’s breath, a sign of sincerity and innocence. By combining flowers with some texture, you create table centerpieces that are not simply beautiful but also meaningful.

TIP: When using lilies such as Casablancas, St. Josephs or Stargazers, remove the stamens from each bloom. Doing so will prolong the life of each flower, can prevent allergies and will eliminate staining of the flower or tablecloth.

Fruity Florals

Fruit Centerpieces | Gerberas & Lemons

The bright colors of fruit beautifully complement wedding color themes today. And they can work well with flowers, if you want an extra dash of color. For example, we placed shiny, juicy-green apples in a cylinder vase with three or four bright-colored gerberas tied with ribbon.

See this article for more Gerbera Centrepiece Ideas

Or use lemons or limes for a citrus-centered theme. (With a pinch of salt and tequila, your guests can use them to get the party started, too!)

Main Table Arrangements: Mirrored & Modern

Mirrored Modern Bridal Table Arrangement

Instead of turning to the long, flat, traditional “coffin-spray” types of floral arrangements for the bridal party’s table, jazz up the décor with a modern feel using mirrored boxes and silver boat dishes. For smaller main tables we combined white roses and baby’s breath with funky orange gerberas in the shiny, sophisticated boxes. For a larger bridal party, with a longer table, we had lacey runners beneath each arrangement rounded off with votives, candles and individual lily blooms.

Modern Bridal Table Arrangement

A Buttoned-Up Bridal Bouquet

Bridal Bouquet with Buttons

Bridal Bouquet with Buttons

A bridal bouquet with no flowers? At one wedding, our bride refused to have flowers in her bouquet. We tried to convince her to add just a few, but she didn’t bite. We did, however, persuade her to include some roses in the bridesmaid’s bouquet. The result turned out to be something quite special and unique that used a mix of fantastical buttons and crystals. This could be a project you can start long before your wedding day, collecting buttons, beads and other trinkets far in advance. Then, like our bride, you will easily be incorporating the “something old” tradition into your wedding; for this bride, that came in the form of using some buttons which came from her granny. No matter what unusual items you include, you’ll definitely create a bouquet you can keep forever.

Buttons & Roses Bridal Bouquet

In considering the suggestions here, always keep in mind that your wedding day is your day. No matter whether you want flowers or not or whether your ideas might be a little off the wall, all you need is a wedding florist with vision that will help make your dreams or ideas a reality.

Please share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comments below. And stay tuned for our next article…

Written by

Lizé Williams

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. The Ultimate Wedding Flower Guide
2. Wedding Flowers: Gerbera Daisy – The New Rose
3. Make Gorgeous Flower Choices for Your Wedding

Specifically, 81 percent of seniors who participated in a study by Rutgers University (Newark, N.J., U.S.A.) reported a reduction in depression following the receipt of flowers. Forty percent of seniors reported broadening their social contacts beyond their normal social circle of family and close friends. And 72 percent of the seniors who received flowers scored very high on memory tests in comparison with seniors who did not receive flowers.

Did you need any better reasons to send flowers than that?

Save money when you send a loved one flowers.

Sending Flowers with Wire Services

If your Grandma lives across the country from you, you may immediately turn to a wire service to handle the task. When you use these services, you typically visit the company’s website, scroll among images of various flower arrangements, make your selection and pay online. From there, the service sends the order to a florist affiliated with that wire service in the city where you want the flowers delivered. (If you call your local florist to request a long-distance flower order, that shop will usually rely on a wire service to do the same thing.)

Because florists can’t maintain a full inventory of every available flower, they will often have to substitute varieties within an arrangement when fulfilling an order they receive via a wire service. Most websites include a disclaimer that informs the customer that substitutions are a possibility, including variances in containers. As a result, the final arrangement delivered to a loved one may not look exactly like the one shown on the website image.

Another aspect of using a wire service is the possibility that you may pay extra fees—not so in all parts of the world but prevalent in certain countries. To make a profit, these wire services charge fees to cover the costs affiliated with maintaining the network, creating the website, marketing flowers in ad campaigns and other related costs of business. Typically, those fees get added to the price of the flower arrangement. In some cases, these fees can be substantial.

Finding a Local Florist

Ten or 15 years ago, that process made sense. After all, trying to locate the name of a florist near Grandma’s home wasn’t an easy task. But today, the Internet has simplified that undertaking. Using Google maps or another search engine, you can now type in Grandma’s address and then simply search for florists nearby. Voila! The search engine provides a map showing local florists, including phone numbers and, often, even direct links to the retailers’ websites. You can then contact the florist directly. You’ll benefit in multiple ways. For one, you can talk to the florist and describe the type of arrangement you want to send, and the florist can verify what flowers and containers are available to meet your desires. In addition, you’ll save on the fees you would have otherwise paid for the convenience of using a wire service.

Finding a Local Florist with Google Maps

How to Find a Reliable Florist

Concerned that choosing a “random” florist will result in an arrangement that doesn’t meet your standards? Here’s another tip: Search for a funeral business near Grandma’s home. Then call that number and ask the funeral director to recommend a nearby florist. Funeral homes develop close relationships with florists and are familiar with who provides the best service and quality. You can rest assured you’ll be referred to someone who will deliver a flower arrangement that will bring a smile to Grandma’s face—and keep her smiling for days afterward.

Make a Personal Delivery

Live close enough to take flowers to Grandma personally? Consider creating an arrangement in a fun, cheerful and reusable cupcake vase. You simply place individual stems of flowers in holes located on the top of the cupcake-shaped holder to create the floral frosting. Available on Amazon, the vases are available in a variety of colors—pink, yellow, white, turquoise and chocolate brown.

A reusable cupcake vase makes it easy to create a portable gift - Photo courtesy of Joster International

More Information:

Get the Research. Want details on the research proving flowers’ effects on seniors? Check out information published by the Society of American Florists: “Flowers & Seniors Study”

As always, we would love to hear you. What has your experience with using wire services been, or do you prefer searching for a local florist. Let us know in the comments below.

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. Is Your Florist Selling Fresh Flowers?
2. 3 Easy Techniques to Create Black Flowers
3. Flower Power: Emotional Benefits of Fresh Flowers

You’ve chosen the colors for your wedding. You’ve picked out your gown and the bridesmaids’ dresses. Now you’re ready to choose the flowers for your bouquets.

In general, you can go one of three ways with your floral choices:

•  Traditional all white- or all cream-colored blossoms

•  Complementary hues that harmonize with the overall colors of your wedding

•  Contrasting colors that add a stylish flair to your color scheme.

Against a white wedding dress, yellow, salmon, crimson and russet create a dramatic combination - Photo: Sharon Goodyear

Choosing a monochromatic white/cream or complementary color plan is fairly straight-forward—and less complex. You simply work with your florist to identify the proper hues of flowers and then narrow it down to the specific blossoms that reflect your style, whether traditional or contemporary. (That may be oversimplifying, but you get the point.)

For the bride who prefers contrasting colors, however, the choices become more complicated. In general, contrasting colors are those on opposite sides of the color wheel. Such hues stand out boldly against the dramatic backdrop of your wedding parties’ attire, particularly with current preferences for darker colors. They also add oomph to wedding photographs. (White- and cream-colored bouquets tend to lose detail in photos due to their paleness.)

Popular Wedding Color Schemes

Following are some options for contrasting colors based on several of the most popular current wedding-color schemes: orange, green, purple, red and blue.

Orange roses contrast well with crimson berries and green foliage - Photo courtesy of Petr Kratochvil

Orange

To ensure that this bold color doesn’t become garish, combine it with deep chocolate browns, purples or red. Accent with yellow or green foliage or blossoms. Such striking contrasts are particularly appropriate for autumn nuptials.

Green

Blend jade or forest green with white, pale pink or silver. If your main color is a more eclectic lime green, opt for contrasting colors of fuchsia, orange and cherry with lemon accents. Peacock greens work well with scarlet, pumpkin and yellow.

Magenta, purple, lavender, cream and lime green combine for a sophisticated bouquet - Photo courtesy of Rosen Georgiev

Purple

Gold is a popular hue to mix with this regal color. But if you prefer a more funky choice, mix it with magenta or tangerine.

Red

Green is the color opposite red on the color wheel. Unless you are getting married close to the holidays and want a Christmas-themed event, however, choose options such as blue, purple or lilac to contrast with your scarlet scheme.

Blue

When choosing deep shades of azure, you can opt for safe, traditional choices of gold or silver as your contrasting color. For brighter hues of blue, such as turquoise, choose equally bright colors—such as crimson, orange and yellow—to add boldness.

Florists pay close attention to current color trends and can provide insightful tips on how to make your bridal bouquets and decorative arrangements alluring additions to your wedding’s overall style. So rely on their professional advice. But make sure you clearly communicate your personal flair as the two of you consider all of your options.

Written by

Gina B. Kellogg

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Budgets are tight these days. As a result, most brides are being forced to get creative for their weddings to make every dollar they spend work as hard as possible. One way you can save some cash is to choose flowers for your bouquet—and all the other blooms for your bridal party— that are in season. Seasonal flowers are plentiful, which brings down the costs.

A hand-tied bouquet is easy for any bride to create herself.

Just as important for your budget is to work with your florist and let him or her know exactly what you can afford. Your florist can then guide you in choosing optimal blooms and designs that fulfill the look you desire within your price range.

Yet some brides are in such a budget bind that no matter how they work the numbers, they simply can’t afford the services of a florist. If that’s the case with you, don’t give up hope. You can still have a lovely bouquet to carry down the aisle. And you’ll have the added satisfaction that you created it yourself.

Make Your Own Bridal Bouquet

The easiest bouquet for a novice floral arranger to create is what florists call a hand-tied design. The easiest hand-tied bouquet—and one of the most stylish and prettiest—consists of one type and color of flower. Carnations and roses, among many other types of flowers, are a great choice for hand-tied designs for three reasons:

1.  They are plentiful year-round, which typically means they are very affordable.

2.  They are easy to work with because of their straight stems and minimal foliage.

3.  They allow you to create a sophisticated, monochromatic look.

To create your bouquet, first strip any foliage off all the stems. Next, grasp three stems in one hand. Hold the blooms just beneath their heads keeping the heads close together. Then, add individual stems around those in the middle, turning the bouquet as you place each stem to fill in holes and start to enlarge the overall bouquet. Place each “level” of flowers slightly lower than the original three so that you create a “mounded” effect. Continue adding stems until you have reached the size you prefer.

A monochromatic bouquet of pink carnations offers a vintage, retro feel to a bridal bouquet. (Photo courtesy of Zoe Rowlands, The Flower Company)

If some flower heads are too low, slightly loosen your grip on the bouquet so you can gently lift that head to the height you need.

Once your bouquet is complete, use floral tape (available from crafts/hobby stores, or simply use a long twist-tie or rubber band) to wrap around the stems to hold them in place. Place the tape as close as you can to the heads of the bouquet to keep them bunched closely together. Wrap more floral tape about 2 to 4 inches above where you intend to cut the stems.

Trim off all the stems to equal length using a pair of very sharp scissors or a knife. (Dull scissors will smash the stems, rather than slicing through them, which will inhibit water uptake.)

Next, take a length of ribbon to match or contrast with your flower color and being to wrap the ribbon around the stems to cover the rubber bands/twist ties. Once you have completely covered the stems, use decorative pushpins to hold the ribbon in place.

To maintain the bouquet’s freshness until your ceremony, fill a container with water to a level that allows you to place the bouquet into the container so the stems are submerged but your ribbon stays dry. Add flower food/preservative to ensure the longevity of your blossoms.

Once the ceremony is over, you can place your bouquet back into its container and use it to dress up a table at the reception.

You can find great how-to videos all over the web, simply go to www.YouTube.com and search. One that is particularly well-done is available from Lilly of the Valley Florist in La Quinta, California, U.S.A.

If you are adventurous and want to try something that is more complicated, check out this video for a new website being launched by BloomTube:

One other reference: For creative brides who want to push their bouquet-making skills to the next level, you can find inspiration for some gorgeous, well-crafted bouquets by well-known floral designer Rene Van Rem. His book, “Rene’s Bouquets: A Guide to Euro-Style Hand-Tied Bouquets” is available from a variety of online booksellers—including www.Amazon.com.

Written by

Gina B. Kellogg

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Related posts:

1. How to Duplicate a Royal Bridal Bouquet
2. Make Gorgeous Flower Choices for Your Wedding
3. The Ultimate Wedding Flower Guide

Don’t wait until your sweetheart appears with a bouquet of blooms to give your home some floral flair. The health benefits of adorning your abode with flowers are worth splurging on the blossoms for yourself. Science proves it.

Emotional Benefits in a Vase

A behavioral research study conducted by Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School (Boston), reveals that people feel more compassionate toward others, have less worry and anxiety, and feel less depressed when fresh-cut flowers are present in the home.

“Other research has proven that flowers make people happy when they receive them,” Etcoff says. “What we didn’t know is that spending a few days with flowers in the home can affect a wide variety of feelings.”

The Home Ecology of Flowers Study at Harvard uncovered three main findings:

Flowers feed compassion

Study participants who lived with fresh-cut flowers for less than a week felt an increase in feelings of compassion and kindness for others.

Flowers chase away anxieties, worries and the blues

Overall, people in the study simply felt less negative after being around flowers at home for just a few days. Participants most frequently placed flowers in their kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms – those areas of the home where they spend a lot of time. They reported wanting to see the blooms first thing in the morning. Etcoff explains, “The morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon, with positive moods – happiness, friendliness and warmth, for example – manifesting much later in the day.” She adds, “Interestingly, when we placed a small bouquet of flowers into their morning routines, people perked up.”

Living with flowers can provide a boost of energy, happiness and enthusiasm at work

Having flowers at home can have a positive carryover impact on your mood at work, too. The study found that people were more likely to feel happier and have more enthusiasm and energy at work when flowers were in their home living environments.

Flowers Make People Happy

“As a psychologist, I’m particularly intrigued to find that people who live with flowers report fewer episodes of anxiety and depressed feelings,” Etcoff says. “Our results suggest that flowers have a positive impact on our well-being.”

Etcoff was also surprised at the long-lasting effects flowers had on people’s moods. “What I find interesting is that, by starting the day in a more positive mood, you are likely to transfer those happier feelings to others – it’s what is called mood contagion,” Etcoff explains. “And, the kitchen is the place where families tend to gather in the morning. Imagine how big a difference a better morning mood can make?”

For more on the positive benefits of flowers to your emotional and mental health, read this article by InLieuOfFlowers.info.

Written by

Gina Kellogg

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1. Is Your Florist Selling Fresh Flowers?
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3. Flower Care Tips and Tricks

The care your florist gives to the blossoms in his or her store can have a significant impact on how long those flowers last once you get them home. No matter how well you care for your flowers, if the florist didn’t provide proper handling of the blossoms while they were in his care, they won’t last more than a few days for you.

Get the Longest Vase Life

How do you recognize whether your florist is caring for his offerings in a way that ensures that you get the longest vase life (florist speak for how long your flowers last in a vase)? First look at the flowers themselves. They are the first indicator of freshness. Do the heads of roses feel firm and not mushy? Are leaves shiny and not shriveled? Are the middles of chrysanthemums still green or beginning to brown? Are lilies just cracking open or fully blown open? Are petals firmly attached or falling off gerberas? Are stems green and straight or yellowish and slimy?

Next, look for the following signs:

Refrigeration

Flowers kept in a cooler—whether it is the walk-in type or one in which you can easily reach in to the rows of buckets—last longer than those kept at room temperature. Want even more proof of your florists’ attention to proper care and handling? Look for a thermometer in the cooler and check its temperature. Most flowers prefer temperatures of 1 to 2 Celsius (33 to 35 Fahrenheit), except for tropical blossoms, which thrive in temperatures of 10 to 13 Celsius (50 to 55 Fahrenheit). Florists who maintain proper temperatures are paying attention to one of the most critical aspects of stem longevity.

Florists Tools Need to be Clean

Cleanliness

Just like your kitchen at home, your florist’s shop should be scrubbed and sanitized. The tools used to cut the bottoms off stems, the counters, the buckets in which the flowers are stored—all should be fresh-smelling and germ-free. Similarly, the water in the buckets should be clean and fresh. If you wouldn’t want to drink it, neither will the flowers. Water should be free of foliage and debris that can clog stems and cause them to wither too quickly.

Flower Food / Preservative

Your florist should not only be adding flower food/preservative to the buckets in which he stores his blossoms but he should be giving you packets of the powder to use in your vases at home. These little packets, which you mix with fresh water, provide nutrients to keep blooms upright and colorful while also inhibiting the growth of bacteria that can reduce the longevity of your flowers.

If your florist is neglecting any of these steps, consider buying your flowers elsewhere – no matter how low the price. Even the lowest price is too high for fleeting beauty.

Written by

Gina B. Kellogg

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. How to Find a Florist & Save Money Sending Flowers
2. Flower Care Tips and Tricks
3. Flower Power: Emotional Benefits of Fresh Flowers