Surfing the net I was looking for Fourth of July ideas to share with Tulips Talk readers and I found an excellent article on the Southern Living Magazine website. Here’s an excerpt:

Independence Day stirs the heart with red, white, and blue. While you’re planning for the holiday, include a pot of patriotic posies for your table or set one by your front door. Better yet, jazz up your window boxes with stars-and-stripes colors. There are numerous flower combinations to consider, whether you have sun or shade.

To read the rest of the article visit: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3676/is_200007/ai_n8924612

Another article I found on Fourth of July Flowers by Wesley Berry, AAF  begins like this:

Your Fourth of July celebration could begin and end with a real bang when you use flowers to accent and decorate the day. If you’re thinking you need to stick with the traditional red, white, and blue carnation arrangements you normally see on Independence Day, think again! Flowers come in so many varieties and they’re so easy to customize to the occasion that the possibilities are endless.

If you’re planning on throwing a Fourth of July celebration, contact your local florist for help in choosing the perfect floral arrangements and other accents to make your party memorable and your guests feel special. When you decorate with fresh flowers, it shows your guests that you’ve taken the time to think about how you can make the surroundings beautiful and enjoyable for them. Your florist can make doing so easier than you ever thought possible.

To read the rest of the article, visit: http://www.thephantomwriters.com/free_content/db/b/fourth-of-july-flowers.shtml

For some great Patriotic Desserts, be sure and check out the Martha Stewart site.

I also found this article from the New York Times Archives (dated 1914) - “How to Use Flowers Effectively in Fourth of July Decorations — Attractive Souvenirs of the Day Which May Be Easily Made at Home.” You can read it here: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9905EEDC143AE633A2575BC2A9609C946596D6CF

Be sure and check out EDEN FLORIST to honor and celebrate Fourth of JULY with your family and friends.

Say it with Flowers this Mother’s Day!

We all know lilies and tulips signify spring, but what other flowers would make great Mother’s Day bouquets this year?  We’ve checked out the latest colors and compiled the most beautiful flower arrangements and bouquets sure to please even the most discriminating Mom. 

1. Roses

Roses are still the most popular flower among women of all ages and walks of life. If you’re looking for elegance this Mother’s Day, then roses are an excellent choice.

2. Mixed Bouquets

As assortment of brightly colored flowers will ’say’ to Mom, “You are The Best!”

Carnations, ever popular and traditional are always a good choice for Mother’s Day.

4. Gerbera Daisies

These flowers radiate peace and beauty. These are great in a vase or potted to enjoy for weeks to come. A popular flower for your Mom. 

5. Daisies

After a long winter, Mom is sure to enjoy daisies. They are bright, cheerful and say “I appreciate you Mom!”

6. Orchids

Graceful dendrobium orchids tastefully arranged in a vase are sure to please the modern Mom.

7. White Lillies

A bouquet of white lillies is stunning. White, the color of purity, peace and love is perfect match for a great mom like yours.

8. Tulips

Who can resist that feeling of springtime tulips bring. Go with the colors you love and mix and match for a bouquet your Mother is sure to love.

9. Exotic

Tropical flowers such as birds of paradise, anthurium and ginger arranged together say “Mom, you are wonderful!”

10. Potted Orchid Plants

Orchid plants require little care and bring so much joy, how could a mother resist?

3. Carnations

Mother’s Week is May 5-11 and Mother’s Day is May 11th. Remember Mom with flowers!  Call Eden Florist at 954-981-5515 or visit our website at www.EdenFlorist.com. Order Early!

It started in Rome and became a United States national holiday less than 100 years ago

You may think it was all started by Hallmark in an effort to sell cards, but that’s not the case at all.  Mother’s Day dates back to the ancient Romans and made its way to the United States in the early 1900’s and finally became a national holiday in 1914.

The earliest tributes to Mother’s Day date back to the annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities, and to the offerings ancient Romans made to their Great Mother of Gods, Cybele.  Christians celebrated a Mother’s Day of sorts during a festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent in honor of Mary, mother of Christ.  In England the holiday was expanded to include all mothers.  It was then called Mothering Sunday.

In the United States it started with one woman named Anna Jarvis.  Jarvis was an Appalachian homemaker and she organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions of her community.  She thought the day would be best advocated by mothers and called the day “Mother’s Work Day”.

When Anna Jarvis died in 1905 her daughter, also named Anna, began a campaign to memorialize the life work of her mother.  Anna remembered that her mother said there were many days dedicated to men but not for mothers.  Anna then began to lobby the politicians of the time to support a day dedicated to mothers.  Anna Jarvis talked to many politicians including Presidents Taft and Roosevelt hoping they would support her campaign. 

Jarvis organized a church service to celebrate her mother in 1908 and Anna handed out white carnations to those in attendance because the white carnation was her mother’s favorite flower.  Anna Jarvis’ hard work began to pay off five years after that service in 1913.  The House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for officials of the federal government to wear white carnations on the day many began calling Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May.

Finally on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.  

“Now, Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the said Joint Resolution, do hereby direct the government officials to display the United States flag on all government buildings and do invite the people of the United States to display the flag at their homes or other suitable places on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.”

That was the first official Mother’s Day and the tradition carries on to this day.  In fact, Mother’s Day has flourished in the United States .  The second Sunday in May has become the most popular day of the year to dine out, and telephone lines record their highest traffic, as sons and daughters everywhere take advantage of this day to honor and to express appreciation of their mothers. (source: chiff.com)

Mother’s Week is May 5-11 and Mother’s Day is May 11th. Remember Mom with flowers!  Call Eden Florist at 954-981-5515 or visit our website at www.EdenFlorist.com. Order Early!

“Just a kind word or a greeting; Just a warm grasp or a smile There are flowers that will lighten The burdens for many a mile. After the journey is over What is the use of them How can they carry them who must be carried? Oh give them the flowers now!” - Leigh M. Hodges -    

Flowers lift the “spirit” in so many ways – whether to say Thank You, I Love You, You are Appreciated, Let’s Celebrate or in sympathy, flowers are a source of emotional support for recipients the world over.

According to Candice Shoemaker, PhD (National Funeral Directors Association), “people who receive sympathy flowers prefer them to receiving sympathy cards, food or even memorial donations.” The Society of American Florists and Rutgers University conducted two studies on the emotional impact of flowers. One survey provides scientific proof that flowers increase happiness and life satisfaction and lead to increased contact with friends and family. The other survey showed that “81% of seniors who received weekly bouquets proved less depressed over time.”

Read our article “Express Your Sympathy with Flowers” for more information on the healing power of sympathy flowers.

Order flowers for someone who has experienced the loss of a loved one from Eden Florist & Gift Baskets or call 954-981-5515

Confused about whether or not to send flowers to express your sympathy?

In the article “Avoiding Confusion” Kim Stacey says “The traditional funeral ritual plays a key role in the grieving process. As tradition has given way to new forms and behaviors, still the most common funeral-related ritual, is the sending, receiving and viewing of flowers.In a study entitled, “The Role of Flowers and Plants in the Bereavement Process,” funded jointly by the American Floral Endowment and the Society of American Florists Information Committee, more than half of the bereaved surveyed strongly agreed that flowers were a critical component of the funeral ritual that helped them deal with their grief. “

She goes on to say, “At the funeral service, flowers also help brighten a somber environment and provide a topic of conversation and a tranquil focal point. “More important than the role of flowers in keeping conversation going, the study further demonstrated that because of their soothing qualities, sympathy flowers displayed at funerals actually had a positive impact on the emotional well-being of the bereaved. After the funeral service, arrangements and plants act as keepsakes to brighten the home and in the case of flowering plants, can serve as a living memorial to the deceased. Not only that, caring for the plants can provide hours of pleasure and an emotional connection to the missing loved one.”To read the rest of the article, visit: http://www.funeralwire.com/features/feature.php?id=60

To send a floral tribute, visit Eden Florist today.

“A flowerless room is a soul-less room, to my way of thinking; but even one solitary little vase of a living flower may redeem it.”
Vita Sackville-West

“Friends are flowers in the garden of life”

A great way to make a new friend is to send flowers to someone you admire! 

When it comes to telling your friends how much you care, there is no better way than to do it with flowers. Reach out to all the special people in your life with beautiful Flowers. Whether it’s with a yellow rose or with bright sunflowers in bloom, flowers say it best!

Ooh I need romance babe , I hope you know it’s true
Hope you need romance babe, Just like I do too…  

Okay, it’s not exactly the same lyrics to the Beatles song, Eight Days a Week, but it’s true (for most of us, that is). And just like the lyrics to the song “Eight days a Week, Is not enough to show I care…” Romance is not reserved for holidays and special days, it’s the wise person who is romantic on a daily basis.  And being romantic every day of the week is not that difficult.  It just takes a little forethought and imagination.  I call it planned spontaneity.  And let’s face it, sometimes we need a little help to add more romance to our relationship.

February

Excerpted from Romance on a Budget.

To order flowers, visit Eden Florist & Gift Baskets

February is the month of love.  Inside every romantic a fire is kindling, making us all aglow with feelings of love, passion and friendship.  True romantics really love to “show off” their romantic prowess.  If you are one of those dire-hard romantics or if you are a would-be romantic the right gift is sure to put you at the center of your intended’s attention.

1.      Flowers always top the list of most romantic gifts.  Everyone sends roses.  Sure roses are nice and “yes” they are the symbol of love and romance, however some people actually prefer other varieties. Why not be original this Valentine’s Week?  Find out what his/her favorite flowers are and send a dozen of those. A bouquet of birds of paradise, antherium or orchids with a card that says “my love (passion, feelings) for you is/are like a tropical heat wave” could be just the ticket to paradise.  Sunflowers are especially nice for a friend, to spread some sunshine in the world, to brighten someone’s day.  Visit www.EdenFlorist.com for more Valentine’s ideas. 

2.      Write a poem or a love letter.  The art of letter writing is almost extinct (especially with the internet).  Think about the last time you got a written note or card in the mail.  Did it bring a smile to your face?  Were you pleasantly surprised? Not a poet?  Check out http://www.webcom.com/wordings/artofwrite/poetrygenerator.html and http://www.romanceopedia.com/R-LovePoetry.html. Two great sources for finding and writing poetry for the object of your affection.

3.      Be original.  Why not hire an artist and get custom art created just for your intended?  You could find one near you by calling a local art institute, vocational technical school or even college level art students.  They will generally do it for the practice and a small fee (unless the one you choose is already famous).

4.      Be his/her loyal servant.  Everyone loves to be pampered.  Give your valentine a gift certificate (or several) good for a chore of your choice (or theirs if you are brave).  Check out http://www.edenflorist.com/ValentineCoupons.asp to download and print out some FREE gift certificates.

5.      Relax and spend time together.  Rent a movie, butter some popcorn, turn down the lights, ignore the phone, pager, and personal computer and cuddle together. Feed your valentine grapes, chocolate covered strawberries, or whatever will make him/her feel the romance. Make sure the movie is one they would really love to watch.

6.      Create Valentine Balloon messages.  Write special messages on little strips of paper (or create them on your computer) fold them and put them inside deflated latex balloons.  Blow the balloons up (with air) and drop them around the house for your valentine to discover. Tape a Valentine card to the front door with instructions and a pin so they can “pop” the balloons.

7.      Have a scavenger hunt.  Write little notes about how you feel or what he/she means to you.  “Hide” them around the house along with some candy or a special treat.  Add a clue at the end of each note about where to find the next one.  When she or he finds the last note, have a special something waiting there, say a candle-lit bubble bath and two glasses of wine.

8.      Room service.  Rent a fancy hotel room in your own town, order room service and watch movies for a whole weekend.  A variation of this might be a day at the spa or make your own spa at home, complete with massage oils…etc.

9.      Picnic for two, anyone?  It could be outdoors or right in your own living room.  Set the scene with candles, candies and his or her favorite food.  Let’s not forget the champagne!

10.  Write, “I love you” on the bathroom mirror, write little notes and stick them under the pillow, in their lunchbox, briefcase, car windshield, underwear drawer.  Create your own valentine box.  Ask your valentine to write a note every day from now until valentine’s and place it in the box.  You do the same.  On Valentine’s Day each of you take turns reading the contents over a romantic candlelit dinner or in front of the fireplace.  Who knows, you just might get lucky that day! Be sure to order your Valentine Flowers early.  Visit Eden Florist today!