Village Gardens

There are many different things that are considered romantic.  One of the things people often think of when asked to name something romantic is a bouquet of flowers, especially red roses.  When it comes to planning a romantic date or dinner, flowers are almost always a must.  The magic of flowers can turn any event into a romantic one…but why?

Flowers aren’t always romantic.  Sometimes, they symbolize friendship, such as when you receive flowers congratulating you on a promotion or for a job well done.  Sometimes they remind you that others care, as in get well flowers.  Sometimes they help to commemorate an event like a birth, a graduation, or a birthday.  While these flowers are certainly magical, they aren’t considered romantic unless they come from your significant other.

So what brings about the romantic magic of flowers?  Well, part of it is the sender.  As stated above, flowers from your significant other are obviously going to carry more of a romantic meaning than those from others.  Flowers given on anniversaries and on Valentine’s Day (or any other day significant to your relationship) are also more magical and romantic.

The magic of flowers is that they make us happy and remind us that others care.  While romantic flowers may seem best to some people, overall, all given flowers are magical.

Everyone gets in a dark mood from time to time.  Sometimes it’s a result of things going wrong.  Other times we just seem to wake up on the wrong side of the bed.  Whatever the reason, it’s always nice to get cheered up.  We can even cheer ourselves up, and one of the ways of doing this is with flower therapy!

What is flower therapy, you wonder.  Well, it has been shown through several scientific studies that flowers truly do make people happy.  Whether it’s something to do with the scent, the sight, or something else isn’t quite clear, but what is clear is that flowers can make us happy and get rid of that dark mood. 

Receiving flowers is the best form of flower therapy.  When you receive flowers, it’s often as a surprise.  A good, unexpected surprise like this can be all you need to change your bad day into a happy one.  But the power of flower therapy doesn’t end there.  Every time you see the arrangement, you’ll think of how happy it made you and how special you feel.  You’ll also think of the person who sent you the flowers, and that can increase your happiness, especially if they can from a significant other.

Sending flowers to yourself can also help cheer you up.  While you don’t get the surprise or that feeling of being special that comes from someone else sending flowers, you do get to enjoy the sight and scent of them.  Adding a bright arrangement to your desk at work or to your kitchen table can go a long way to making you feel happy, and that’s the result we’re looking for!

You’re at work or doing chores around the house, and suddenly you realize it’s your sister’s birthday or, worse, your anniversary!  You need to send a gift right away or risk making a family member, friend, or your significant other upset.  But what can you do when you need to send a gift today?  If you live close enough to the person, you may be able to pick up something from a nearby store and deliver it.  However, if you don’t live nearby, that’s not an option.

Instead, you can send flowers!  Many florists will deliver on the same day if you get your order in early enough.  Flowers and the small gifts that florists have (balloons, stuffed animals, and candy) can usually work for just about any occasion from birthdays to sympathy to congratulations.  With today’s online capabilities, many florists have even networked with others around the country or even around the world so it’s possible to send flowers anywhere.  All it takes is a few minutes online and your gift of flowers will be off to convey your message to the recipient.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, this is the time of year that many of us start to think about our moms and what we’ve learned from them.  Few people impact our lives as much as our mothers do.  While each mother teaches her children her own lessons, there are a number of things that just about everyone learns from mom.

Honesty—No one seems to be able to catch us in a lie like our mothers.  They always seem to know when we’re bending the truth, whether it’s just a little white lie or a major whopper.  Learning honesty is very important, and moms make it a priority to teach this lesson to us.

Cleanliness—“Clean your room!”  How many of us heard this on a weekly basis?  Moms struggle hard to teach their children how to keep their rooms clean.  Failing to learn to clean up after ourselves can result in keeping a messy home later in life, and no one wants that.

Time management—How many times did you want to watch television or hang out with your friends instead of doing homework?  Moms teach us to prioritize, a skill that is invaluable later in life, especially at work.  While doing homework before playing isn’t fun, but it pays off later when you know to put that important business project ahead of going out.

Good judgment—Moms have, on occasion, told us that our friends are bad influences or that we shouldn’t make a certain decision.  While we often ignore them at the time (to our determent, usually), we later look back and see that they were correct.  Learning to correctly judge a situation can often be a lifesaver. 

Show your appreciation—If someone does you a favor, tell them thank you.  Showing appreciation for those who care for you and help you out not only makes you new friends but it also strengths the relationships you already have.  Of course, the first person you should show appreciation to is your mother for teaching you all of these life skills.  Send her flowers this Mother’s Day and randomly throughout the year to remind her that you love and appreciate all she’s done for you!

It’s a foregone conclusion that sending your mom flowers on Mother’s Day is a great idea.  What isn’t such an easy decision is picking the flowers to send.  Sure, there are a number of different arrangements specifically designed for Mother’s Day, but many of these bouquets use different flowers.  Which ones are right for your mom?  Here are a few tips for selecting the perfect flowers for your mother.

Is she a girly girl?  Some women are more into pink, bows, and hearts than others.  If your mom is what many would call a girly girl, she would enjoy any arrangement that features a cute animal, bright pink and purple flowers, or other traditional “girl” type things.

If, on the other hand, your mom loves gardening or working outdoors, you might want to look for a live plant or an arrangement that she can later plant outdoors.  This has the extra advantage of giving her a gift that will last for years instead of only a few weeks or so.  Every time she sees the lovely plant you got her, she will think of you.  If you want to get her a traditional bouquet, however, you might want to go with one that comes in a rustic basket and features bright blooms like sunflowers.

Anyone creative or artistic will like arrangements made up of very colorful flowers or exotic flowers.  You can also pick one of the wilder or expressive vases instead of a traditional glass vase.  Ask your florist to really get creative here or look at mixing and matching some flowers that you don’t traditionally see together.

If you know your mother’s favorite color (and every child should!), you can always base your flower selection around it.  Selecting flowers in that color and surrounding them with complimentary colored blooms can make the decision process easier, especially if you have a trained florist helping you.

These tips should get you started on the right path to selecting an arrangement that fits your mom’s personality.  If you need more help, consult with your florist.  He or she an help you create a custom-made arrangement that is perfect for your mother.

Administrative professionals work very hard all year around.  They are often the key contact people for major events and the day to day operation of your business, plus they are the people who keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes.  Since 1952, businesses across the world have honored these hard-working individuals during Administrative Professionals Week.

Administrative Professionals Week is the final week of April.  This year, that’s April 18 through 24.  While it’s appropriate to show your appreciation all week, April 21 is specifically set aside as Administrative Professionals Day, so if you’re going to send your administrative assistant flowers, that would be the day to do it. 

In addition to surprising your administrative professional with a large, bright bouquet of flowers, you may also think about taking him or her out to lunch, giving them a day off, or surprising him or her with a party.

People send flowers for many reasons: sympathy, to say thanks, and to show how much a person is loved.  Another great reason to send someone flowers is to celebrate.  Flowers can be a great way to celebrate a birthday, a promotion, a job well done, or just to celebrate being friends.  But why is sending flowers a great way of celebrating?  There are several reasons.

One reason is that flowers make people happy.  It has been shown that seeing and smelling fresh flowers have a positive effect on people’s emotions.  Sending someone flowers to celebrate does more than just show that you are celebrating their success with them—it has a lasting effect.  They will see the flowers for the next week or so and smile each time they do. 

Celebrating with flowers is also a good option when the recipient either has just about everything you can think to get them or doesn’t want a lot of clutter in their home.  Flowers are always appreciated, and after they have faded, they leave behind only the container they came in.  A person can keep this vase or other container to reuse, or they can pass it on to someone else (perhaps with some fresh flowers from their garden).  Either way, flower containers generally take up very little space.

Some people simply prefer to get flowers than other gifts.  This is sometimes especially true if they live in a small apartment or are elderly and live in an assisted living center.  Sometimes, these places seem rather tiny, dark, and maybe even a little depressing.  For the elderly in a care facility, this can be especially true.  Flowers are a great way of brightening up a place and bringing in a bit of fresh air and color.  Never underestimate how powerful a bright bouquet of flowers is.  As mentioned above, since flowers last a week or more, your gift will be appreciated for several days.

Two-Lips Bouquet

Selecting the perfect flowers for Valentine’s Day may seem easy—go for the bouquet of a dozen red roses!  However, this traditional approach may not fit every woman.   In that case, how do you go about choosing flowers that make a great impression?

Choosing the right flowers often means knowing your recipient’s interests and tastes.  If they love roses, then yes, the traditional dozen roses is going to be perfect.  But if their favorite flower is the lily, they may really enjoy a nice arrangement featuring lilies more.  In this case, a mixture of roses and lilies might be the perfect Valentine’s Day arrangement.  Other flowers that make an impact include tulips, lilies, daisies, gladioli and larkspur. 

The container will make an impression as well.  For some, the vases can be as dramtic as the flowers themselves.  Choose a tulip shaped vase like our Two-Lips bouquet, pictured, to a vibrant red metallic vase, to a flower bouquet in a Miche purse she’ll use and personalize to suit her mood.  Definitely a great impression.

Florists can often create very romantic bouquets around any flower.  All you need to do is ask.  In fact, florists are so creative that you can usually get a winning arrangement no matter what requests you have—color, size, flower, accessory, etc.

When it comes to choosing flowers, put some thought into your selection, you’re sure to make a good impression with your Valentine’s Day arrangement!

For more great ideas visit our site.

Valentine Miche Pink Cori

Choosing flowers for Valentine’s Day may seem like a no-brainer to most people—send roses!  While a bouquet of a dozen red roses is very traditional, it’s sometimes not very personal.  In fact, some people really don’t care for roses at all.  In that case, what do you do?  Here are a few tips for choosing the best Valentine’s flowers.

Tip #1: Make it personal.  If you know your significant other doesn’t like roses, don’t get roses.  Instead, get his/her favorite flower.  The more you can show how much you know your partner, the better.  Make your flower arrangement as personal as possible.

Tip #2: Don’t wait until the last minute.  Florists are going to have extra flowers on hand for the holiday, of course, but you still risk not being able to get what you want if you want until the last minute to order your bouquet.  The sooner you place your floral order, the better.  This is especially true if you do want a bouquet of red roses—they often sell out very quickly.

Tip #3: Get a potted plant instead of cut flowers.  There are several reasons why plants make good Valentine’s gifts.  First, men often appreciate them more than flowers.  Second, they last much longer.  Third, plants can be seen as a representation of your growing love for each other and something you can both enjoy for years to come…as long as you don’t get a plant that’s too hard to grow!

Tip #4: Buy your partner a packet of flower seeds.  If your significant other loves gardening, create a gift basket of flower seeds and various gardening tools.  The two of you can plant these seeds together and watch them grow.  Again, it’s another physical representation of your growing feelings for each other, plus it’s a fun activity to do after Valentine’s Day.

Tip #5: Ask your florist for help.  Florists are very creative people, and they can come up with some wonderful and non-traditional arrangements for any couple.  If you’re just not sure what flowers to get, ask for some help from an expert.  You’ll be amazed at what a great florist can create.

Bear-y Happy Birthday

While sending a beautiful flower arrangement is sometimes the perfect way of conveying your feelings, sometimes a gift basket is more appropriate or fits the recipient better than flowers.  Selecting a gift basket can be just as hard as selecting flowers, though.  Here are ten tips for choosing the perfect gift basket.

1.   Think about the occasion.  Some gift baskets are designed for specific events such as birthdays, a new baby, or for a specific holiday.

 2.  Think about the person’s gender and age.  For a man, a gift basket of food is probably going to go over better than a gift basket featuring a stuffed animal as its centerpiece. 

 3.  What does the person like?  If he or she has a major sweet tooth, a basket full of chocolates or candy is a great choice.  However, if he or she is more of a health nut, you may want to go with a fruit basket.

 4.  Does the person have a sense of humor?  There are some humorous gift baskets such as “over the hill” birthday baskets, but not everyone will appreciate these.  Be sure the person will see the humor in the basket before you send it.

 5.  Does the person have any sort of dietary restrictions?  Similar to thinking about what kinds of food they like, be sure to think about health issues.  A gift basket of chocolates would not be such a good idea for a diabetic; however, a basket of sugar-free treats would be excellent.

 6.  How religious is the person?  Some gift baskets, such as those designed for Easter, may have more of a spiritual flair than others.  Again, be sure what you’re sending fits in with the person’s beliefs.

 7.  What colors does the person like?  A bright pink spa basket full of fancy soaps, pink candles, and pink slippers may not be the ideal gift for a woman who hates the color pink.

 8.  Think about the season.  During the cold winter months, a gift basket that includes gardening tools and seeds probably isn’t the best choice.

 9.  What’s your relationship to the person?  If you’re purchasing a gift basket as a way of saying thank you to a business partner, you will probably want to stick to gourmet foods or snacks.

 10.  Finally, trust your instincts.  If you see a gift basket that you immediately think is perfect for someone, go with it.  Chances are, you’ll have hit on the right gift.