Holiday Flower Gift Giving

 The big holiday celebrations are just around the corner now, and thoughts are turning to gifts, food, and decorating. Whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa; you don't have to get stuck in the same rut you may have been in for years when it comes to appropriate gift giving and decorating.

There are always those people you want to give a nice gift to, but just don't know what you should get. There are those you want to say thank you to for a great job done. Maybe you want to do something creatively different this year in your own decorating for the holidays.

There is a wonderful answer to these holiday dilemmas. Do it with flowers. That's right flowers. There are many beautiful varieties of blooms available during the fall and winter seasons. Tulips, Hyacinths, Poinsettias, and Narcissus are Christmas favorites. Send flowers to that someone you want to give a special gift to, and they will always remember your thoughtfulness.

There are so many ways to use them too. Place a live flower arrangement on the table for a centerpiece; nothing says elegance like live flowers. You don't have to confine yourself to the traditional red either. Think of a white and green centerpiece made up of white tulips and evergreen boughs for a beautiful winter tablescape. Or for a more unique look, try an arrangement using flowers and live succulents. It will last a long time if cared for properly. Use winter roses in your Christmas tree: Try pink rather than red. Put Paperwhite Narcissus in a blue vase on your Hanukah table. Use greenery in abundance for your Kwanzaa party. And, of course, you can place live poinsettias in the wreath hanging on your front door. Live flowers are especially lovely when used with tiny white lights. And you can't use too many of either during a holiday celebration, so get plenty of each. Flowers and candles make a serene setting in the bathroom. And, every work desk should have a plant or flowers on it all the time. It is cheery and brightens what might be a dark spot.

Greenery has been associated with the holidays dating back to the use of decorated trees, boughs of holly, fir garlands, and the list goes on. Only your imagination can hamper your creativity. With the use of colorful blooming bulbs, any greenery can be dressed up like a belle going to a ball. And of course there is always that sensuous perfume associated with some flowers. That mixed with the scent of evergreen will ensure everyone will remember your home for years to come.

When it comes to gift giving this holiday season don't settle for less. Try using colorful live flowers or greenery to lift one's holiday spirit, say thank you, or even as decoration in your own home!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/374438

How to Care for Fresh Flowers

Flowers are beautiful and professionally designed bouquets are especially attractive. Flowers can also carry huge sentimental meaning because they are often given as gifts from people close to us. So it's little wonder that we would want to extend the life of our flowers and enjoy their aesthetic and sentimental beauty for as long as possible.

With proper care and attention most flowers will last around 7 days with some varieties lasting for as long as 14 days. Here are some practical steps to help extend the life of your cut flowers.

Get flowers into water

After only a short time out of water flowers will begin to dehydrate. Therefore it is essential to get flowers into a vase or container of water as quickly as possible. When you first get the flowers home use warm water, not cold or hot, as this is the quickest way to rehydrate the flowers. Warm water will also promote opening of the blooms as most flowers are shipped with the blooms in a closed or tight stage.

Technically speaking the optimum temperature is 37.5C (99.5F), which is roughly body temperature. At this temperature air bubbles, which may have formed in the stem, tend to breakup. Also water that is warmer than the surrounding air is more readily taken up by the flowers.

Change the water regularly

Try to change the water every two days. The flowers should be well hydrated by now so you can use cold water instead of warm. This helps keep the flowers cool which is a key part of keeping flowers in good condition.

Use flower preservatives

Each consignment of Affinity Flowers comes with a sachet of flower preservative. Flower preservative contains two main components, carbohydrates and anti-bacterial additives.

The carbohydrates act as food which helps to sustain the flowers. The carbohydrates will also stimulate flower heads to open quicker. This is handy when you're trying to open flowers that usually ship with tight blooms like lilies.

The bactericide component inhibits bacteria developing in the water. Bacteria laden water will cause flowers to deteriorate quicker. Bacteria is also a problem because it can block flower stems and hinder the uptake of water. If left long enough the bacteria will also discolour the vase water and produce an unpleasant odour.

Simply empty the contents of the flower preservative sachet into the vase water.

If you don't have flower preservative you could add 1-2 drops of bleach to the water instead. The bleach will act as an anti-bacterial just like the additives in commercial flower preservatives.

Remove leaves that will be under water

This is important as leaves that are below the waterline will deteriorate quickly and become a breeding ground for bacteria. If you have a professionally arranged bouquet you'll find that the leaves have already been removed by the florist. But flowers bought loose or unarranged might still have leaves low on the stem.

Trim the stems

Take a pair of scissors or a sharp knife and trim 2-3cm (1 inch) from the bottom of the stem. Try not to crush the stem while you're doing this. Cut the stem on an angle to increase the surface area exposed to the water. Cutting on an angle also stops the stem sitting flat on the bottom of the vase and blocking water uptake. Once cut immediately place the flowers into water.

Water is sucked up the stem like a straw. If there is anything blocking the straw then it will impede water flow to the head. Over time the end of a stem can become blocked with impurities from the water and bacteria. Also, if a flower has been out of water for any period of time, air will be drawn into the stem which will block its ability to draw water.

Some florists recommend cutting the stems underwater which prevents air being drawn up the stem.

Re-cut stems every two days or when you change the water.

Keep flowers cool

Flowers should be kept in cool conditions. Keep them away from direct sunlight, heaters, lamps and other heat sources. Also try not to leave flowers in a hot vehicle when transporting them. This is why specialist flower delivery couriers have chilled storage on-board their vehicles.

Each variety has its own optimal holding temperature but the ideal temperature for most flowers is a chilly 4-5C (39-41F), about the temperature inside your refrigerator. Obviously these aren't ideal temperatures for people but if you really wanted to extend the life of your flowers you could place them in the refrigerator overnight or if you were going to be away for an extended period.

Keep flowers away from fruit

Fruit and vegetables produce ethylene gas which is detrimental to flowers. Carnations and Delphiniums are particularly susceptible. Try to keep flowers away from fruit and vegetables to keep them in good shape.

Similarly domestic gas is also damaging to flowers. There is a story of a flower grower who found it difficult to keep cut flowers on his farm. He suspected his gas supply may have been the cause and a check by a specialist confirmed he had a gas leak on his property.

Sending Flowers for Valentine's Day

There is no better way of showing someone you care than giving Valentine flowers. Even if you are giving other Valentine gifts, Valentine flowers add that little something extra to any Valentine's Day gift.

What Flowers to Give For some people, roses are the only flower that will do as Valentine's flowers. Nothing says "I love you" better than roses. Roses are the ultimate romantic flower, and the most popular present for Valentine 's Day. White roses are for love, red roses are for passion, and yellow roses are for friendship. Lilac roses are the choice to symbolize love at first sight. Red roses are the most traditional Valentine's flower, but white, yellow, or pink, are also used. Red Roses signify passion or strength of feeling, yellow roses stand for love, and white roses traditionally reflect innocence. A dozen red roses are considered to be a gift of love, while a single long stemmed red rose is usually seen as a passionate gift.

Other Choices for Valentine's Flowers

If you want to choose something different for a Valentine's flower, consider the recipient. What is her favorite flower? Knowing what certain floral colors symbolize can help you make the perfect choice.

What Colors Mean in Flowers

Blue Valentine's flowers represent tranquility and harmony, and give a sense of stability, confidence, honesty and security. True blue flowers are difficult and often expensive to come by.

Green Valentine's flowers bring good luck, with emerald leaves, apple-tinted blossoms, and chartreuse stems are associated with harmony and stability.

Orange Valentine's flowers suggest flamboyance, and really 'fiery' blossoms convey confidence and kinship.

Pink colored Valentine's flowers in pale pinks suggest emotional healing and inner calm, and bright shades of pink suggest friendship, and a fun romance.

Red Valentine's flowers are intense, passionate, and dynamic. Red colored flowers are seductive.

White Valentine's flowers represent peace and purity, and if they are given as a gift they are a gesture of respect.

Yellow Valentine's flowers represent hope and happiness, or are given as a token of courage and cheerfulness

This is a busy time of the year for florists so order early. Make sure you add a thoughtful message to your Valentine's Day flowers, even if you are giving them in person. It can be romantic, humorous or a quote from a poem.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/390506

Tips to Follow When Sending Sympathy Flowers

Losing a loved is really hard and nothing can make up for it. However, support and sympathy from various people makes the family members of the deceased feel a little better. Sending flowers is a suitable option for showing one's sympathy for the close family members of the deceased. That is why people all over the world send sympathy flowers to bereaved family members whenever they hear about the death of someone they knew. However, people also often get confused when sending sympathy flowers as they do not know the etiquette regarding sympathy flowers. As a result, they sometimes make mistakes when sending flowers on this occasion. Following are some tips that should be followed when sending sympathy flowers.

Firstly, the appropriate flowers and colors should be selected. In most of the world, there is no hard and fast rule regarding suitability of different flowers and colors for expressing sympathy. Most of the flowers can be used for the purpose. One can select the deceased's favorite flowers for expressing sympathy or go by the meaning of different flowers. However, different cultures deem different flowers and colors appropriate for expressing sympathy. For example, only white flowers are appropriate for this occasion in Japan. Religion also plays a major role regarding the selection of sympathy and funeral flowers. Thus, it's best to ask the florist if one is confused.

Secondly, the appropriate size and type of the flower arrangement should be chosen. Florists have wreaths, bouquets, casket sprays and inside pieces for funerals. The choice of the size and type of the flower arrangements depends on the sender's closeness with the recipient. If the deceased was close to the sender then big and rich looking arrangements like casket sprays should be given. Otherwise, a small bouquet or flower basket will be sufficient.

Thirdly, a card with a sympathy message should be sent along with the flowers. The message should be written appropriately. Many people find it difficult to put their feelings in writing at times like these. However, all that is needed is a short message expressing sympathy and offering comfort. Such messages are greatly appreciated by the family of deceased in these hard times. If there is still a problem in writing such a message, then a card with a message already printed should be chosen.

Fourthly, the place to send the flowers should be decided. The flowers can be either sent to the funeral homes or to the residence of the person, who has died. Some cultures prohibit sending sympathy flowers to homes of the deceased people since it is seen as a bad omen. Thus, one should take the culture of the deceased into account when deciding where the flowers are to be sent. Closeness to the deceased also matters when determining where to send the flowers. Close people often send flowers to the residence of the deceased.

Finally, sending the flowers at an appropriate time is important. Sympathy flowers should be ideally sent at funeral homes before the first visitation hours. If they cannot be sent at that time then they should be sent before any additional visitation hours. Rushing the flowers to the graveyard or funeral home when the funeral services are taking place is considered inappropriate as it can disturb the ceremony. If the flowers cannot be sent on the day of the funeral then should be sent within one week.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7037784

How to Select Valentine’s Flowers Like a Champ

Ah, Valentine’s Day. The holiday always falls on the 14th of February, but still — somehow — seems to come out of nowhere. Don’t get caught off guard and end up scrambling to find a token of your affection. Flowers are the perfect gift.

Your sweetheart will appreciate and remember having received your Valentine’s Day flowers — especially if they’ve never received a floral delivery before. You will receive extra bonus points if your beautiful floral gift arrives in front of your sweetheart’s coworkers. Your love will be the topic of conversation for all of the right reasons, and you will be so happy you sent those flowers.

With so many sources available for purchasing flowers, it can be overwhelming to make the right decision. My favorite place to buy flowers is from a local professional florist.

What’s the benefit? First, by going in person, you’ll have the opportunity to chat with a sales person, designer or possibly the shop owner — any of whom can offer advice on the latest trends, the different meanings of flowers, etc.  You’ll have the chance to see the types of flowers they carry, the design styles they create, the green and blooming plants offered, and perhaps some extra little gifts that can enhance your order. 

Ask what they’ll have specially designed for Valentine’s Day, perhaps in a keepsake or themed vase or container. If your sweetheart has a favorite flower, ask about its seasonality and if it can be included. Don’t forget: plants also make great gifts. 

Be sure you leave yourself plenty of time to order and be prepared with the recipient’s information for delivery. If your flowers (or plant) are headed to the office, include the business name, any department or floor information, phone contact, and if they only work until a specific time. Every florist wants you to have a fabulous floral experience; providing the correct contact information makes it a snap.

While most flower shops have a website to check out as well, you just might enjoy a few minutes of calm perusing the flower shop. Enjoy the opportunity to surround yourself with beautiful flowers and plants.

When you’re ready, place your flower order in person, on the phone or their website with complete confidence. February 14th is coming. Be fearless and make it fabulous.

How to Celebrate the Festive Season With Beautiful Thanksgiving Flowers

Life cannot be a bed of roses but there can be an occasional bouquet or two to bring home the beauty of ephemeral life and its joyous expression. Flowers are just that: ephemeral and joyous in expressing life, even for a passing moment. One of the moments that most families cherish is Thanksgiving, a day when the family gets together and celebrates togetherness joyously with a feast.

The perfect complement to a dinner is a flower arrangement. It is a bit of bothering to put together appropriate flowers to reflect colors of the season. The colors are russet, gold, orange, white and yellow. There are normal flowers one can find in the neighborhood or exquisite arrangement of exotic tropical flowers in these shades sourced from a flower near me boutique. Arranged aesthetically in a beautiful composition by an expert these fall colors, offset against creamy white and greens or pastel pink can create just the right atmosphere for a living or dining room.

It can be flower arrangements for the important Thanksgiving Day and then discarded. It can just as well be a composition that lasts if created in silk. Artificial silk flowers look real and last for a long, long time. One such glorious composition is pale green layered silk flowers set off delightfully by a couple of pale pink flowers against a background of deep green foliage, all in silk. These are highlighted by a small pumpkin and a couple of pomegranates or kumquats on the branch for a delightfully earthy and rustic tone. Then there is the combo of blue, pink, cream and green that evokes nuances of the Victorian era or European aesthetics. It may be difficult to source fresh blue or pink flowers with the right shade and texture but silk is a perfect substitute and, what is more, the bouquet can grace your table for months. Fresh flowers may fade and wither in a day but silk lasts, a reminder of the happy times you had on Thanksgiving.

Some like the exotic combination of colors, shades and textures in a colorful bouquet such as a black holder holding a riot of pink, orange, mauve, yellow and blue flowers topped with a pumpkin. Others may like to keep it simple in which case a bunch of red or crimson rosebuds in a base of the white holder with some greens peeping out from underneath could be what they like. A word in passing: Consider the backdrop against which the flowers will be set and then place the order to get a bouquet that will truly stand out. Another thing to consider is the size while placing the order. Too small and it will not be noticeable and too large in relation to its placement and objects around it will give it an overpowering presence. Size matters just as much as color, texture and combinations.

When it is about flowers and flower arrangements, imagination is the limit. The same, everyday flowers, in the hands of a talented creator of bouquets can truly come together in a dazzling composition. Find one and you get pleasing arrangements that express what you feel for the season.

Flower Centerpieces for Weddings

In any marriage ceremony the centerpieces are all the time important as they play the necessary function to determine the temper of party and reflection of time and style of the couple. Due to this fact it is apparent for every couple to search out one of the best flower centerpieces for the marriage day. However earlier than you progress to the final plan for centerpiece of the marriage you want to bear in mind few ideas and tricks to get the best concepts for the weddings. The guidelines and ideas on the flower centerpieces for weddings will enable you to get the right present and decor in your wedding.

Tip 1) The first tip is off track to maintain your budget limited. It's understandable that marriage ceremony is all about extravaganza but within finances if you'll be able to get it's ineffective to waste money on such marriage ceremony centerpieces. The funds will truly enable you to decide on flower centerpieces for weddings that might associate with the theme of the wedding. They'd allow you to get the seasonal best flowers for the floral decoration and the accessories that would improve the aesthetic look of the pieces.

Tip 2) Try to have some indigenous ideas and make the flower centerpieces distinctive utilizing those concepts and components that will be different from modern and normal concepts of wedding. You need to think of utilizing the exotic collection of flowers along with some items like fruits or colorful vegetables. Such formulation is all the time simple and as a substitute of thinking to make something complicated thinks simple.

Tip 3) You is probably not conscious that the vegetables and fruits make wonderful accomplices of flowers within the wedding ceremony centerpieces. But while making flower centerpieces for weddings understand that it is best to use those fruits and vegetables that make the flowers look perfect and elegant. Hit the internet to get ideas how the fruit and veggies could be combined with the flowers to make unique and glorious floral centerpieces.

Tip 4) You need to use candles and floaters too as another distinctive thought for the flower centerpieces for weddings. The flower decoration with the candles, present a profusion environment that dimly keep on lighting whilst you can add flowers for the decorations and lasting affect on the guests. Nevertheless if you wish you may be little creative with them to make them more unique. For that it's important to ask the florist or the marriage planner to customize the wedding centerpieces with the variety of flowers and items.

Tip 5) Talk about with the florist or wedding planner about your plan of exclusive floral centerpiece and they would assist you to make your thoughts up them on your price range and consent to you to undergo some unique collections of flowers that may make the centerpiece actually glowing.

Thus you see that to make great centerpieces for the good day it is not that difficult. You all want is a planned step and transfer on to get the attractive and colorful flowers current in distinctive strategy to create the centerpieces.

Tips to Follow When Sending Sympathy Flowers

Losing a loved is really hard and nothing can make up for it. However, support and sympathy from various people makes the family members of the deceased feel a little better. Sending flowers is a suitable option for showing one's sympathy for the close family members of the deceased. That is why people all over the world send sympathy flowers to bereaved family members whenever they hear about the death of someone they knew. However, people also often get confused when sending sympathy flowers as they do not know the etiquettes regarding sympathy flowers. As a result, they sometimes make mistakes when sending flowers on this occasion. Following are some tips that should be followed when sending sympathy flowers.

Firstly, the appropriate flowers and colors should be selected. In most of the world, there is no hard and fast rule regarding suitability of different flowers and colors for expressing sympathy. Most of the flowers can be used for the purpose. One can select the deceased's favorite flowers for expressing sympathy or go by the meaning of different flowers. However, different cultures deem different flowers and colors appropriate for expressing sympathy. For example, only white flowers are appropriate for this occasion in Japan. Religion also plays a major role regarding the selection of sympathy and funeral flowers. Thus, it's best to ask the florist if one is confused.

Secondly, the appropriate size and type of the flower arrangement should be chosen. Florists have wreaths, bouquets, casket sprays and inside pieces for funerals. The choice of the size and type of the flower arrangements depends on the sender's closeness with the recipient. If the deceased was close to the sender then big and rich looking arrangements like casket sprays should be given. Otherwise, a small bouquet or flower basket will be sufficient.

Thirdly, a card with a sympathy message should be sent along with the flowers. The message should be written appropriately. Many people find it difficult to put their feelings in writing at times like these. However, all that is needed is a short message expressing sympathy and offering comfort. Such messages are greatly appreciated by the family of deceased in these hard times. If there is still a problem in writing such a message, then a card with a message already printed should be chosen.

Fourthly, the place to send the flowers should be decided. The flowers can be either sent to the funeral homes or to the residence of the person, who has died. Some cultures prohibit sending sympathy flowers to homes of the deceased people since it is seen as a bad omen. Thus, one should take the culture of the deceased into account when deciding where the flowers are to be sent. Closeness to the deceased also matters when determining where to send the flowers. Close people often send flowers to the residence of the deceased.

Finally, sending the flowers at an appropriate time is important. Sympathy flowers should be ideally sent at funeral homes before the first visitation hours. If they cannot be sent at that time then they should be sent before any additional visitation hours. Rushing the flowers to the graveyard or funeral home when the funeral services are taking place is considered inappropriate as it can disturb the ceremony. If the flowers cannot be sent on the day of the funeral then should be sent within one week.

Dish Gardens - Bringing Nature Into Limited Spaces

 

If you live in a high rise apartment or a condo unit where there's limited space, there's no reason why you can't have a garden around you. There's nothing as refreshing as the sight of live plants and new trend that's gaining some popularity among those living in restricted spaces is container gardening.
The best thing about container gardening is the control you have in your design choices. Containers come in various types - you can use small, shallow dishes or terra cotta pots, or if your space allows, empty barrels, old copper vats and crates are great for a rustic feel.

Selecting plants for your container depends on what region of the country you live in. As a general rule, go for slow growing plants that don't need frequent repotting. Perennials are a great choice, especially the woody types. They're hardier, can withstand temperature changes, and are easier to maintain and control.

Herbs are also a good option for your container gardens. You can regularly prune them as you use them and they have beautiful foliage. Most of them also fill the air with their wonderful scents and aroma.

You can also choose to work with several different-sized small containers and create a display of dish gardens in a patio or deck corner. This is a great idea especially for small plants like herbs and cacti. There are beautiful flowering varieties of cacti that come in such attractive colors. They're very easy to grow and demand very little attention and maintenance. They're perfect for someone who's always on the go and doesn't have all the time to spend on plant upkeep.

Whatever type or size of space you have, there's always the possibility of bringing the richness and beauty of nature into it. Container gardens are there to remind us of the splendor that surrounds us all at the outside.

Administrative Assistant Week April 26th - 29th

Do you have a an amazing assistant that without him or her you would be lost? Don't miss the chance to show them how much all they do you is appreciated with a bouquet or gift basket from Coggins Flowers and Gifts. Here are some great gifts to choose from:

The FTD® Thanks Bouquet is a simply gorgeous way to send your gratitude and thanks to friends, family, and loved ones near and far! Starting at $39.99.

 

FTD® proudly presents the Better Homes and Gardens® Sunlit Meadows™ Bouquet. This simply lovely bouquet makes a terrific way to add color and country charm to any Mother’s Day celebration. Starting at $37.99

 

Botanical Bouquet - As fresh, joyful and colorful as the season, these lovely mixed flowers shower any occasion with a burst of springtime loveliness. Starting at $39.99