- Create a Pumpkin Vase
The pumpkin vase is a creative twist on the traditional jack-o-lanterns, which commonly decorate doorsteps.  Simply cut a hole around the stem on the top of a pumpkin and scoop out the inside.  Then fill the pumpkin with water and add freshly cut autumn flowers; make sure to cut the flower stems so the blooms sit just above the pumpkin opening.  Pumpkin vases make a great addition to the jack-o-lantern display on the front porch, or create several and use them instead of jack-o-lanterns.  They also make great centerpieces!

- The Blood Red Carnation Wreath
Buy an Oasis wreath ring (available at Vogue Flowers or any craft store) and soak in water for 30-60 minutes, depending on size. Trim red carnation stems to about 1-2 inches.  Begin inserting the trimmed carnations around the outer edge of the ring, making sure to insert each bud all the way to the bottom of the bloom. Once you have finished lining the outside of the wreath, use that as your starting point for the second row.  Continue to add rows of carnations until the Oasis foam is no longer visible.  Then loop a long piece of black satin ribbon through the center of the wreath and tie the ends in a bow.  Your wreath is now ready to hang and enjoy.

-Halloween Garland
Instead of tacky spider webs, make a Halloween floral garland for your railings, door frames, mantle or mailbox post.  Purchase an autumn leaf garland from your local craft store.  Then attach fall flowers, such as orange roses, orange lilies, red or yellow carnations, even wheat using a gold ribbon to hold the flowers in place. Adding mini pumpkin picks and plastic spiders will also add a festive touch.

-Spooky Potion Jars
Fill a specimen jar with water and add enough food coloring to give the water an ominous yellow or red hue.  Then arrange poppy pods, cornflower heads, lotus pods or black eyed susans within the jar.  Put the lid on the jar and reveal your supernatural solution to all.

Vogue Flowers has a large assortment of loose flowers, perfect for your D-I-Y projects available at our Boulevard location.  Of course, if you find you don’t have time to create your own, we also have a variety of Halloween arrangements available for delivery, browse our selection here.

Another popular Easter flower is the daffodil, or narcissus.  Because the daffodil is one of the earliest spring blooms it has been thought of as a symbol of rebirth and renewal since the ancient Greeks. According to legend, the daffodil first appeared in the Garden of Gethsemane during Christ’s last supper, making it the most popular Easter flower for decorating centerpieces for Easter dinners.

The pussy willow is commonly used as a replacement for palm braches in church services on Palm Sunday, especially in northern areas where palms don‘t grow.  The pussy willow signifies health and youth, which resonate the Easter theme of rebirth.

Another way to add meaning into your decorations is to include deep red accent flowers, such as tulips or azaleas, to symbolize the blood that Christ shed for his followers.

We have many beautiful Easter arrangements available for delivery nationwide, browse our selection here.

If your looking for some Easter decorations that infuse a personal touch, here are a few tips on how to create your own Easter flower arrangements that make great gifts, centerpieces or decorations:

• Use a tea set as an eye-catching centerpiece by filling a tea pot with a loose arrangement of Easter lilies, pastel tulips and pansies. Then surround the tea pot with teacups and place pansies inside the teacups, finish the look by tucking decorative Easter eggs among the teacup flowers.
• To make a beautiful Easter decoration for your home, simply find a rustic shallow wooden box at a flea market or garden store. Place tiny terra-cotta pots inside the box forming several rows. Then alternate filling half the pots with dyed hard-boiled Easter eggs and the other half with tulip blossoms (cut the stem very short and be sure to add some water to these pots). Use some decorative moss or green Easter basket grass to fill in the spaces between the pots.
• For a festive gift fill a clear glass cylinder vase with a bunch of tulips or ranunculus. Then set it inside a wire basket and surround the vase with 2 dozen white hard boiled eggs.
• For a creative centerpiece at the kid’s table, fill white plastic egg cups with pastel jelly beans and top with mini daisies.  Line up several of these egg cups in the middle of the table for a unique centerpiece that the kids can eat after dinner!

Vogue Flowers’ headquarters (located at 1114 N. Boulevard Richmond, VA) has all the tools and loose flowers necessary to help you create your own Easter decorations and arrangements.  Find directions and store information here.

• Select an arrangement that uses natural greens, like green hydrangea, dendrobium orchids, bells of Ireland, green cymbidium orchids or green goddess calla lilies
• Include a few white roses or fuchsias to add color to your arrangement. When using roses you may want to leave the outside guard petals (often removed to encourage a larger, quicker bloom) to add a bit of subtle green
• Use seasonal plants, including Shamrock vine, kale, green hypericum berries or variegated green and white foliage
• Items like casserole dishes and hollowed out bamboo stalks can be repurposed to hold flowers, bringing an extra touch of green
• Submerge your flowers in water in a clear glass cylinder when preparing for a special gathering. This visually increases the size of your flowers. You may consider using floating green LED lights for a more unique and creative look.
• You can also use fresh fruit or vegetables to spruce up a water-based display. For St. Patrick’s parties limes, green grapes and peas are appropriate.

If you’d like to buy some ready-to-use floral decorations, please browse our creative St. Patrick’s Day arrangements available for delivery here.

You can also stop by Vogue Flowers headquarters (located at 1114 N. Boulevard Richmond, VA) to create your own St. Patrick’s Day arrangements…We offer everything you need to design and display your own arrangements. Get directions here.

Flowers can take you places and help you relive fond, romantic memories…whether it be reminiscing about a Caribbean honeymoon, creating a relaxing spa retreat feel, or reliving a wine country getaway – here are some tips to use flowers to set the stage for a romantic evening.

Beach Honeymoon

• Tropical flowers, such as Birds of Paradise, anthurium, ginger or orchids with an accent of fresh fruit and foliages
• A simple collection of orchids in a vase
• Bells of Ireland and delphinium.  The cool greens and blues will conjure up the memories of the beautiful Caribbean.
• Recreate a Hawaiian honeymoon complete with long-lasting tropical flowers and a lei to wear.  Picture your Valentine wearing a gorgeous orchid lei when it’s sub-zero outside.

European Vacation

• Richly colored flowers in purples, reds and blues
• Hand-tied bouquet of all accent flowers and a couple of roses
• Textural hand-tied bouquets embellished with decorative beads and wires with colorful wraps
• A loose arrangement of garden-style flowers such as tulips, hydrangeas, ranunculus and roses in a clear glass vase or decorative container
• An arrangement that resembles the French countryside: Fresh herbs and wild flowers like heather, daisies, delphinium and miniature roses would be pretty and romantic.
• A French Garden of bright-hued f=blooming plants arranged in a classic wicker basket
• European garden – mixture of flowering or green plants and fresh flowers

Spa Weekend

• Aromatic flowers like freesia, stock and sweet peas to sooth the senses.
• An arrangement of relaxing blues, lavenders and greens with fresh eucalyptus and soft foliage and some select bath products
• Several small blue and green arrangements to place in the bathroom or bedroom
• All white arrangement with sea glass vases or frosted aquamarine accents
• A fragrant selection of purple freesia in a clear cylinder with pale pink petals floating in the vase.  The soft scent of freesia combined with the soothing color palette will embrace your sweetheart with a sense of calm.
• Monobotanic bouquet of blue iris in a clear glass vase with sea glass or shells clustered together in the bottom of the vase.
• A simple glass vase filled with callas or white Casablanca lilies and cool blue glass gems inside the vase

Wine Country Getaway

• A few beautiful roses or lilies arranged in an empty wine bottle shared on a past date.  She’ll love the sentimentality
• Deep reds (roses, carnations and soft greens).  Add accents of vines, mosses and a bottle of wine.
• Grapevine or wreath around the design on the base or in and around, some fruit and a bottle of wine or a gift certificate to a wine shop
• Grapes, sunflowers, grasses-outdoorsy and lots of yellow/peach/olive greens
• Burgundy flowers with fresh grapes and Brie cheese in a large basket
• Include a bottle of wine or fresh fruit and grapes with deep wine colored roses
• Bold collection of vibrant purple anemones or alstroemeria, green hydrangea, hepericum and red roses.  This strong combination of color and texture will evoke the feeling of a stroll in the vineyards.
• Rich royal-colored floral bouquet consisting of a mixture of textural materials such as purple tulips, magenta stock, green hydrangea and lavender roses tied with natural raffia.  The disgn may include clusters of grapes.

Celebrate the Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year begins on February 14 and 2010 is the year of the tiger.  Ring in the New Year by sending your valentine:

• Orange roses in a red vase
• A red vase filled iwth mokara orchids

Other Exciting Destinations

• Conjure up the charm of the South Pacific with a beautifully designed arrangement with an Asian flair.
• Orchids and other fragile blooms can remind couples of rainforest getaways.
• An assortment of flowers from the garden in a bouquet conjures the feeling of a stroll through a country garden
• Experience a trip to Japan with an Ikebana floral design of several stems of orchids or Fuji Chrusanthemums.  Ad a Japenese flower arranging kit and book along with some wonderful teas.
• Go for the gold with a bouquet of green spider chrysanthemums, green hypericum berries and green aspidistra leaves, just like the bouquets for the Winter Olympics medalists.

Special Moments

• Recreate the love you shared on your wedding day by featuring some clooms from her bridal bouquet.
• Recreate the magic of the proposal or first date with flowers
• Send a spring or summer sunshine bouquet to say you’re looking forward to spending time in warmer weather together or you’re looking forward to gardening together
• Instead of recreating a memory, why not send a bouquet that evokes the charm of a place you dream of going to some day with your loved one

Simply Sweet Staycations

• Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” said, “There’s no place like home.” Staying at home can be the “warm and fuzzy” choice for many.  Add some lovely flowers in a favorite vase, sprinkle some rose petals and lay a single rose on the pillow.  Be creative and make staying at home fun.
• Make a flower trail throughhout your house leading to a bubble bath sprinkled with rose petals.

Here are a few simple tips that will help you prolong the life of your floral bouquets!

1. Bacteria can clog flower stems and prevent water and nutrient circulation, so be sure to use clean containers. Vases should be washed and rinsed with a mild solution of bleach after each use.

2. Help the stems of your flowers absorb water properly by cutting each stem at an angle

3. Flower stems stay open and moist in cold water, so make sure to fill your vase with 1 cup of cold water.

4. Place your arrangement near an open window where they can get some clean air…Pollutants reduce the health of fish and animals, just as they do the life of cut flowers.

5. Chill your flowers in the fridge overnight, this will preserve the petals and keep them bright. Plus it can extend their vase life up to 4 days!

6. Trim the stems every 2 days.

7. Be sure to refill the vase with cold water every day to help your flowers stay hydrated.

8. Most cut flowers live longer in a 2% sugar solution, which is about 4 tsp. sugar in 1 quart of water . Daffodils, marguerite daisies and tulips do not benefit from sugar.

9. Your florist can also supply you with floralife (plant food) that you can dissolve in the water. That helps to keep your flowers hydrated.

Try these tips on your next arrangement from Vogue Flowers and see the difference, shop here.

Enjoy your flowers!

· Autumn or Winter Rose Centerpiece
Purchase a glass bubble bowl (globe-shaped vase) and about a dozen roses, red and white roses are ideal for Christmas or another color or mixed colors for everyday. Fill the bubble bowl about half full. Cut the roses so they’re slightly taller than the bubble bowl and all approximately the same height. Always cut at an angle. Then simply arrange them in your hand and drop them into the bubble bowl. For a fuller look add a few more flowers in the center of the bowl or create a mounded look by making the center roses a little longer than the rest.

· Wreath Centerpiece
Get a holiday wreath and lay it down on a large platter or tray. Decorate the wreath with ornaments, pinecones or ribbon. Fill the inside of the wreath with festive flowers and plants, such as poinsettias, white asiatic lilies and red roses, red carnations and white chrysanthemums, etc.
For a different twist on the Wreath Centerpiece, place large pillar candles in the center of the wreath and surround the candles with seasonal flowers. If fresh cut flowers are used then some water must be available for the end of the stems to be in it.

· Basket of Holiday Cheer
For a rustic look, take an old basket or wooden box and fill it with pinecones. Then disperse pine needles and loose flowers between the pinecones…Hypericum berries, white alstroemeria lilies and white dendrobium orchids are all good choices for this centerpiece.

· Pinecone Roots Centerpiece
Use tiny pinecones to fill a glass vase about one-third of the way. Then insert a single flower (a lily is ideal), but leave the stem long enough that it appears to be growing from the pinecones. Easy yet elegant.

· Candy Cane Charisma
Perhaps the simplest idea yet…Glue candy canes around a square or rectangular vase and fill it with red and white flowers, roses, carnations or tulips will work well.

Stop by Vogue Flowers headquarters to purchase loose flowers and any other supplies you may need (such as vases or candles) to create your own centerpieces. Get directions here.

Don’t have the time? Browse our selection of holiday centerpieces and flowers, which are all available for for same day delivery if ordered before 2pm, here.

Fall is also time to pick pumpkins. Vogue Flowers and the Flower Market grow gourmet white pumpkins for the fashion floral accent as well as tradiditonal small round pumpkins which we use as containers and accents in our fall centerpieces. The harvest is plentiful and ready to be used in creative fresh ways for weddings or any occasion.

About Vogue Flowers
Vogue Flowers is a leading Richmond Florist, supplying fresh flowers to Richmond, Virginia and the entire US. Visit us today at: http://www.vogueflowers.com today to order your flowers from this leading online florist.

December brings many opportunities for the use of fresh products from the farm. At Vogue Flowers we are committed to bringing our customers the freshest, highest quality products for holiday decorating. We are currently cutting gorgeous red berries called Ilex Verticilata, lush green holly, cedar, white pine and corkscrew willow clippings.

All of these fresh flowers and greens from the farm can be used alone or together with our fresh flowers to create holiday wreaths & arrangements that are unsurpassed in beauty and longevity. These Christmas & Holiday arrangements are available locally for our customers in the Richmond, Virginia vicinity or anywhere in the US through our nationwide flower delivery program. We are available to deliver 7 days a week!

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Thanks for reading our Flower Care Blog and visit VogueFlowers.com when you send flowers.