A Dozen ways to send roses for Valentine's Day or any day-Victoria BC-Artistry in Bloom

With Valentines approaching my thoughts turn to roses which are the most desirable flower for Valentine's Day. Unlike many flowers roses are available year round and are appropriate for any occassion.

Next time you send roses to the one you love why not think outside the box?

The tradition of sending roses either in a ribbon wrapped box or wrapped in floral wrap is giving way to sending a designed arrangement that doesn't require the recipient to do anything other than enjoy the roses.

 It's all done for them- no more searching for a vase and the frustration of trying to make the roses look like they were professionally arranged.

There are interesting designs to suit all ages, styles, and budgets.

I have chosen just a dozen ways to show you the diversity of what is current in the world of floral design but there are countless ways to display beautiful roses ranging from a single rose to a luxuriant lush arrangement.

 Red roses are often sent on Valentines but there are many new colours to choose from including roses with one colour on the front of the petals and another on the back. There are also striped roses and petals that are fringed with different colours.

Natural colours range from white to green to a deep red rose called Black Baccara and almost everything in between. Black Baccara is verging on Black velvet but not quite there yet.

Blue or deep purple roses are so far only available in dyed roses although growers have been trying for years to develop a blue rose and some are getting pretty close.

 If you do want a specific novelty rose you should order it several weeks in advance but if you just want to try something different there is  almost always a few unique roses to choose from other then the standard one coloured rose.

You will notice there is quite a range in price for roses. Many roses are grown in Columbia under unhealthy conditions for the workers caused by the over use of chemicals.Most of these workers are not provided with medical assistance for the illnesses they get on the job and are very poorly paid. Columbian roses are typically the roses you will find in most grocery stores.They do not last long and they are usually inexpensive.

 Like many florists I only purchase my roses from Green Growers. The imported roses come from farms in Ecuador where they treat their workers with respect and provide them with medical coverage.
Rather than douse the roses with chemicals these farms use biological means of controlling insects whenever possible limiting pesticides to the very minimum if they use them at all.

These imported roses do cost more but they are also healthier for you and the environment and they last longer.

 I also purchase good healthy roses from our local grower, Eurosa ,who use environmentally friendly methods of controlling pests .

The local roses do tend to be on the smaller side but they last a long time like the larger imported Ecuadorian roses.

Unfortunately, unlike garden roses, most commercially grown roses have little or no fragrance. This is because the gene that creates scent shortens the life of the rose so it has been bred out of the rose.Some growers are now working on a way to bring back the fragrance without shortening the lifespan of the rose so hopefully "smelling like a rose" will soon apply to commercial roses again.

Whatever the reason or occassion you simply cannot go wrong with the beautiful rose but next time rather than send roses by the bunch choose a beautiful arrangement instead.

Christmas Flowers in Victoria BC by Artistry in Bloom

I can't believe Christmas is almost here!

This year we had a beautiful summer and a long warm autumn. In fact up until a few days ago most of the leaves were still on the trees but last Monday we went from warm to snow and now it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

This year I have added McBlooms to my gift line.
McBloom's natural bath and body products have an intoxicating fragrance and rich luxurious formula that will spoil anyone who receives them.

Also just in time for Christmas a new litter of Warm Buddy Puppies has just arrived.

These adorable puppies come with a natural heat pack inside that can be taken out and put in the microwave to warm your toes at night or soothe aches and pains.

Warm Buddies also have aromatherapy oils, mists, and bath salts which you can find in the gift section of my website- http://www.flowerartisan.com/

If you are looking for something a little different for your dinner table Christmas centerpiece this Faux Christmas Cake might be just the right thing. You can choose the colour for the cake flowers and plate to match your holiday decor as long as you are not waiting until a few days before  Christmas to order.

If you are thinking of ordering flowers for Christmas this year I recommend you don't wait until the last minute. Last year I sold out the morning of Dec 24 and since it was too late to bring in more flowers I had to turn people away. We also suggest you ask for a delivery date a few days or even a week before Christmas so that your loved ones can enjoy the flowers throughout the holidays.         

I have embedded a holiday video which shows some of my holiday floral designs available for delivery within the Greater Victoria BC area.

Merry Christmas everyone!

You can also see a larger version of this video on Youtube and selecting HD for best viewing results; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCl8hLp_I3g

Artistry in Bloom is Going Green

Artistry in Bloom is "Going Green" in more ways than one. Yes, I love using green flowers in my floral designs but more importantly than that I strive to be environmentally green.

Working from a design studio rather than a storefront has allowed me to be more environmentally friendly because I have more control over the waste associated with flowers and the packaging materials that vase shipments come in.

These are some of the things I do to have less impact on the environment:
-Use only energy efficient lighting.
-Use only non toxic green cleaning products.
-Recycle all boxes, bubble wrap, and packing materials that vases are shipped in.
-Take all waste stems, branches, and flowers to the local Yard Waste Center to be made into compost.
-Use all the old water from flower buckets to water my garden instead of pouring it down the drain.

In addition to this I purchase my flowers from "green" or organic growers and wholesalers. Green flower growers have adopted practices that reduce their impact on the environment by eliminating or drastically reducing the use of pesticides and other chemicals. Their workers are fairly compensated, taken care of with safe practices, and provided with medical plans. Green flowers are slightly more expensive but I feel they are well worth it.

Many South American flower growers have workers that have extreme medical problems and birth defects due to exposure to pesticides and other chemicals. They are poorly paid and are not provided with medical coverage for the resulting health problems. Not only do I not want to contribute to these unsafe practices but I do not want to handle chemically treated flowers myself or expose them to my customers even though there has not been any proven adverse effects to just handling these flowers.

Most of the flowers you find in the grocery stores come from these toxic farms because they are cheaper to produce than "green" flowers and the grocery stores seem to be more interested in price than the environment or poor working conditions of  farm workers.

Whenever I have a choice between locally grown or imported flowers I pick local flowers. Local flowers are much fresher and this supports local growers. It also reduces the impact on the environment because the flowers are not flown half way around the world. I feel it is everyone's responsibility to take whatever action they can to ensure a healthy planet for years to come.

Pink Pizazz- A Passion for Pink Flowers in Victoria BC

Summer is finally here and everyone seems to have a passion for pink flowers.

I'm not sure why but maybe it's because we had such a terrible June that when summer arrived in July people were looking for fresh vibrant colours.

Over the last few weeks the demand for pink has been so great that it's hard to keep up with it.

These are just a few samples of some pink floral designs I have done recently.

I have listed the flowers on the pictures so you can see what pink flowers are available in July.

Of course there are many pink flowers available throughout the year but some, like the local peonies,
are only available for the month of June.

        Artistry in Bloom Floral Design Studio - Victoria BC-   http://www.flowerartisan.com/

Four Seasons of Cut Flower Bouquets by Artistry in Bloom Victoria BC

Classy Cut Flower Bouquets by Artistry in Bloom Victoria BC

When to send and when not to send a cut flower bouquet as a gift:

A cut flower bouquet can be a wonderful gift but there are times when it is better to send a flower arrangement in a vase, basket, or other container rather than a cut flower bouquet.

Some helpful hints to consider are:

-Most hospitals will not accept a bouquet that is not in a vase. They do not have the time or staff to arrange flowers nor do they keep a supply of vases on hand.

-Cut flowers should never be sent for a funeral whether it is for the service or for the family at home.When people are grieving the loss of a loved one the last thing they want to worry about is finding vases and arranging flowers. A beautiful floral arrangement would be greatly appreciated in this case.

-Does the person you are sending flowers to like to arrange flowers or would they prefer that the flowers are already arranged and all they have to do is enjoy them?

-Flowers should be in water at all times to ensure a long life. If they are out of water for a short time they should be re-cut before placing in water because  the stems will partially harden and block the flow of water resulting in a shorter life. This is why so many people that order from wire services that ship flowers by Fed Ex are very disappointed when the flowers finally arrive.

However, when you order from a local florist there are many things we can do to make the gift a pure delight.

We deliver cut bouquets in water at all times until they are presented to the recipient with floral food and instructions. We also call first to make sure the person will be home for the delivery unlike Fed Ex who simply leave the box of flowers at the door.

The recipient frequently says they will be in and out all day and ask us to leave the bouquet at their doorstep. We will only leave flowers at the door with a request from the recipient if they are arranged in a vase or other container with a water source or we will explain that it is a cut bouquet and ask them to leave a container of water at their door .This way the life of the flowers is not cut short due to improper handling.

We also pre-arrange all our bouquets and present them in floral cones or hand tied so that all the recipient has to do is place them in water in their own vase. They are able to enjoy the flowers immediately rather than trying to arrange them so that they will look their best.

At Artistry in Bloom we have just brought in Blumeboxes so that bouquets can be delivered to businesses or homes without the possibility of being left out of water.The blumebox is not a vase. It is a one time solution for delivering bouquets with a water source.It is shaped like a vase and lined with a thick plastic bag which is half filled with water.The Blumebox is recyclable and can be plain or dressed with ribbon or even feather collars.
You can see examples of our cut flower bouquets in the Classy Cuts section as well as seasonal monthly bouquets in our Holiday and Monthly section of our website- http://www.flowerartisan.com/

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