Flower Care Blog : Advice from Florists

For those who, given the economy, may not be able to go away for the night or weekend this Valentine’s Day, florists can play an important role in helping romantics be creative. If you can’t actually go to a desired destination, why not create it at home?

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.