Mothers Day Flowers Victoria BC

A mother's love is a true treasure. As a florist I get to see the love between a mother and her children throughout the year but Mother's Day is that one day a year that we all honour our mothers and show them how much we care.

I did a short Youtube video to show a few examples of bouquets and arrangements that might make make Mother's Day a little more special.
Artistry in Blooms Mothers Day Video

Flowers for Men- Victoria BC-Series 6- Artistry in Bloom's Specialty Floral Designs

Recently I did a video for Youtube showcasing some of my floral designs. I sent the link to a male friend of mine and he emailed me back saying "Where are the flowers for men?"

It made me stop and think because I realized I did not have specific floral arrangements for men simply because most florists don't get many orders for men.

Mother's Day is the busiest time of the year but Father's Day is just like any other day. Sons and daughters rarely order flowers for their father whether it is for Father's Day or their birthday.However, if they are in the hospital or if someone died it is common for men to be sent flowers.

Why is that? Why do people think that men appreciate flowers in the sad times of their life but not for the celebrations?

Men that order flowers for women often call or email saying how beautiful the flowers are so obviously men appreciate and value flowers. It's just that women don't think to order flowers for men. Maybe when women think of flowers for men they are imagining the typical wire service arrangements in cheap baseball or football containers that are really more suitable for little boys than grown men. They don't realize that by ordering through a local independent florist there are other alternatives.

It is true that masculine coloured flowers like rusts and browns are mainly available in the fall months but floral designs for men can be created year round using structural elements. Men seem to prefer unusual shapes and structures over the type of flowers used.

I have added a section for men to my website- http://www.flowerartisan.com and if you give me enough advance warning (at least 2 days) I would be happy to incorporate something of particular meaning to personalize the design. It might be a fishing fly for an avid fisherman or a golf ball for a golfer or whatever you like as long as it is not too big.

Next time you can't think of what to get your man surpise him with flowers sent to his workplace. Remember how great you feel when he sends you flowers? Why not make him feel special too?

Valentines Flowers for Victoria BC Delivery by Artistry in Bloom

Valentine's Day is just around the corner so I thought you might like some suggestions on what to send and when to have your flowers delivered.
This year Valentines falls on a Sunday. Although normally closed on Sundays we will be open for deliveries on February 14. However, we do suggest you order your Valentine's flowers for delivery a few days before Valentines for several reasons.

Normally we can specify morning, afternoon, or end of day delivery times but for floral holidays such as Valentines or Mother's Day the demand for deliveries is so great that specific times cannot be guaranteed. We always phone to ensure the person will be home for delivery and usually the first thing they ask is "What time will it be?". On a normal day we can give a time frame within a few hours but that may not be the case on Valentine's Day and most people do not want to stay at home and wait for a delivery. We will leave the arrangement at the doorstep in a protected area but only with the recipient's prior consent. If you are ordering a cut bouquet of flowers that is not in a vase with water the bouquets cannot be left if the person is not home.

Secondly, if your Valentine works there is nothing more special than sending the flowers to her workplace sometime during the week prior to Valentines. We will include the "just couldn't wait heart card with your order. When a delivery person carrying flowers enters a workplace all eyes are on him until the flowers are presented to the lucky lady. The other ladies rush over to have a look at the flowers and say how lucky she is to have someone like you-so not only do you impress her but she will feel special as well.
This year if you are ordering before February 11 we are offering the option of adding delicious gourmet cupcakes from Ooh La La Cupcake Bakery to your flower order. The cupcakes are only available as an add on to your order but you can choose from 6 regular cupcakes or a sample pack of 12 mini cupcakes with all 12 of their flavours. Sweet and delicious like chocolates but something a little different.

Delectable Deliveries- series 5- Artistry in Blooms Specialty Designs

                                                          DELECTABLE DELIVERIES

Our Delectable Deliveries which are found on our website http://www.flowerartisan.com/ are a unique pairing of flowers and delectable delights. We have several combinations of floral arrangements which are paired with something delicious to make a one of a kind gift. Some examples include freshly baked cupcakes, cookies, or cakes.They are especially perfect for celebrations because they include not only the centerpiece but also a delicious treat.

                                                                                                                                                                                       

Our Cupcake Combo is particularly popular for Mother's Day, Christmas, and Valentine's Day.
We do special floral designs and decorations for the Christmas and Valentine's Day package.

 Ooh La La Cupcake bakery is known for their wide range of delicious flavours and they are our choice for the cupcakes in our specialty packages.                                                                         

You will find the normal custom gift baskets and fruit baskets in our Delectable Delivery section as well as a picnic basket that would be perfect for someone moving into a new home.

All baked goods are made to order with two local bakeries. They are picked up very early in the morning the day of delivery and added to the floral design. These packages all must be ordered at least two days ahead of requested delivery date so that I can make arrangements to pick them up the day of delivery before our studio opens.
If you would like a custom package made up for you we would be pleased to accommodate you as long as you can give us at least two days notice.

Blooming Baby Clothes Flower Baskets

Blooming Baby Clothes- series 4 in our Specialty Floral Arrangements

This is the fourth example of some of the specialty floral designs we create at Artisty in Bloom.

We shape baby clothes (3-6months or 6-9months sizes) into rosettes and place them in the middle of a basket of silk flowers so that they become part of the arrangement.

These are the baby clothes in the basket above that have been rolled into rosettes and placed in the basket.

Our baby bloom's baskets can be found in the "Oh Baby" section of http://www.flowerartisan.com/

If you are looking to send something that is both
pretty and practial then this is the answer for a newborn baby gift.

Christmas in a Flower Shop in Victoria BC

You might think Christmas in a flower shop is so busy it is the last place on earth you would want to be but I love this time of year.

Everyone seems to be full of good cheer and looking forward to the holidays.
The studio is fragrant with the fresh scent of pine and a multitude of vibrant flowers.
I listen to Christmas music as I work on the floral designs and gift baskets that will soon be bringing Victoria families love and good wishes from family and friends all over the world.

one of our designs - http://www.flowerartisan.com/

Order Direct from a local florist for the best value for your money.

Why is it best to order your Christmas Flowers, Valentine Flowers, or flowers for any reason directly from a florist in the city where you want the flowers delivered?

Well there are many reasons but the main reason is that by ordering direct you get true value for your money.

Did you know that when you order with a large wire service like FTD, Teleflora, 1-800-flowers, etc a good portion of your money goes to paying commissions to middlemen along the way. Contrary to popular belief the florist that actually fills the order for you only gets a portion of what you pay. 20% of your money goes to the company you place your order with as a commission, at least 7% goes to the wire service, and up to a further 10% goes to fees and service charges the wire service takes from the florist that fills the order.

There are still a few good wire services but they are more the exception than the rule. One of the good ones is BBrook's Fine Flowers which is based mainly in the USA but does have members around the world. Although this company tends to be more on the high end they are also very discriminating with their membership and only the best florists are allowed to be members so you know the gift you send will be of the highest quality.
The major wire services don't have strict standards for their member florists. In fact you don't even have to be a florist anymore to be a member. These non florist members are called "order gatherers" .They have websites and take orders so they can get the 20% commission but they don't go anywhere near flowers and most of them wouldn't have a clue how to design a floral arrangement. The wire services not only condone but encourage this because it means more money for them from the membership fees and the cut they get in every transaction.Some of these order gatherers also "pretend" they are a local florist by having multiple city names attached to their websites . If you see a website domain name that has a / at the end with a name of a city chances are this is an order gatherer website. Some examples are XYZ Florist.com/Florist+Victoria BC, or XYZ Florist.com/Victoria-Flowers, or XYZ Floral.ca/Victoria. Avoid these type of websites - they are not florists - only somebody that wants to get 20% commission of your money.
Fortunately there are now forums of real honest florists that are banding together who will no longer accept orders from these order gatherers and it is getting harder and harder for them to find anyone that is willing to fill their orders. Hopefully it is just a matter of time before they cease to exist.
Many years ago there was a reason for a wire service to exist but today with easy access to the internet and the prevalence of toll free numbers there is no reason to not order directly from a local florist and to get 100% of what you pay going to the flowers and delivery rather than supporting middlemen along the way.
All it takes is a few extra minutes to find a local florist that best fits your needs. If you are really rushed for time there are some better alternatives to the major wire services where you will still get full value for your dollar. Two examples of these are the Flower Shop Network and Direct2florist. Florists pay the Flower Shop Network a yearly fee to be listed but you go directly to the local florist's website to order and no extra charges are incurred. There is a small charge of roughly $6.00 when you order from Direct2florist but that is a lot less than the traditional wire services which can add up to as much as 37% of your order.
If you have the few extra minutes to research a local florist yourself you will find it will be well worth the effort. Simply google the local florist by searching "cityflorist" for instance if you need a florist in Victoria BC simply search" Victoria BC florist" and a list of local florists will appear. The next step is to confirm that they are a real local florist and not a "pretender" (order gatherer) by checking their contact page. I have Mapquest installed on my contact page so you can see exactly where my floral design studio is located in Victoria but the florist should at least have a local address and phone number with the correct area code.
Most local florists display their own designs on their websites rather than the basic wire service designs so you will  be able to see which florist you prefer.You will also find it is more personal dealing with a local florist and that if you have questions they will be answered in a timely manner rather than having to be relayed through the wire service.
Many independent florists offer added benefits. We found that most people that order flowers are from other cities and they never get to see the actual gift they purchased. We do up the arrangement for you and before the delivery service picks it up we take a picture. Later that day after all the deliveries have gone out we email you the picture. When your mom or Aunty Betty calls you and says the flowers were beautiful you will know because you have a picture of them.
So why order directly from a local florist? Just a few reasons are - the best value for your money, personalized customer service, speedy replies to your enquiries, originality of the floral designs, and often added benefits such as an emailed picture of your order.
This year order direct and I'm sure you will be happy that you did. Why not save the florist's website in your favourites and then the next time you need to order flowers you can save even the few extra minutes it took to order the first time.