The type of arrangement you choose will most likely be dictated by where the arrangement will be. For the holidays, arrangements generally fall into four categories: low profile, garlands, tall focal, and short focal.

Types of Arrangements

Low profile are perfect for centerpieces and are low to allow guests to talk to each other across the table. Depending on the table shape and length, they can be round or long. Candles and/or lanterns can also be incorporated into these types of arrangements.

Garlands are a great option if you have a very long table or are working within a budget. If you need most of your table space for dishes, you might want to choose a thinner garland that just adds a line of texture down the middle of your table. Garlands can be all or mostly greenery such as ruscus, eucalyptus, pine, or cedar. From there, you can add woodier herbs such as rosemary and thyme, pine cones, or flowers to pick up the colors in your room or add seasonal festivity.

A tall focal arrangement is perfect on a table in a large foyer to welcome guests or in the corner of the buffet table. You could go with appropriate holiday colors or choose a palette that compliments the home or room that the arrangement is in. These type of arrangements can be three-sided so the flat side backs up against a wall or all-the-way-around. The all-the-way-around variety, when tall enough, can be used as a centerpiece as it allows people to see under the arrangement while talking to other guests.

A small focal arrangement is a good choice for smaller entryways, a guest room, a powder room, or anywhere that you would like to add a pop of color and a festive spirit. These can also be used as centerpieces for smaller/round tables, or several can be used for longer tables.

Thanksgiving Flowers

I love Thanksgiving arrangements because of all the fun textural items that can be added. Mango calla lilies, red roses, orange gerbera daisies, bronze mums, and burgundy dahlias, bring gorgeous fall tones. Add a combination of cat tails, chocolate queen ann’s lace, wheat, dried lotus pods, hypericum berries, salidago, or bupleurum, and you have a unique arrangement from fall’s bounty.

Christmas Flowers

Of course red and green reign supreme in Christmas Arrangements, and mother nature has no shortage of offerings. Almost every flower comes in red such as roses, gerbera daisies, lilies, mums, and carnations. The winter season adds another layer of dark greenery that look and smell like Christmas–pine, cedar, spruce, fir, and juniper. Put these together in unique and whimsical ways. Maybe add beautiful white calla lilies for a more romantic contrast or sparkly ornaments and “ting ting” for playful festivity, and you’ve got a special arrangement to grace your home for the holiday!

Hanukkah Flowers

Mother nature doesn’t have a lot of flowers that are naturally blue, but what she does have are beautiful! Blue delphinium bring a bright royal blue that lends height and dimension to arrangements. Hydrangea come in dark and light blue hues, offer a lot of bang for the buck, and lend an elegant garden-style touch. Blue thistle is long lasting and adds fun texture, or you could try white anemones with their gorgeous blue centers. Whether you’re looking for a tall focal arrangement or a shorter centerpiece, there are plenty of holiday flowers to choose from!

Of course we are here to help! Just give us a call, and we’ll help you come up with the perfect holiday flowers!

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Flowers

There are all kinds of flowers you can include in a Thanksgiving centerpiece. Yellow sunflowers and solidago bring brightness, while red flowering ginger and orange lilies give the arrangement dark color for contrast. There’s also lots of fun greenery you could add. Hypericum berries add pops of color, and seeded eucalyptus offers a unique touch.

Accents

But it’s not just flowers and greenery that make a Thanksgiving centerpiece beautiful; there’s plenty of accents and smaller items that can add a unique touch! Things like fall leaves, lotus pods, pinecones, and other dried elements give a centerpiece a rustic feel. You could even include a little pumpkin or an acorn squash for that fall look!

Size

Size is an important factor in choosing your centerpiece. A long and low centerpiece compliments any table and makes it easy for your guests to see over it to talk to each other. You could also choose some taller arrangements to place on a sideboard or buffet table. And if you have a more high-end event planned, you could order some tall centerpieces that your guests can see underneath!

When you’re ready to order a Thanksgiving centerpiece or arrangement, just give us a call!

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Most of our red roses are sourced from Colombia and Ecuador. Rose production for Valentine’s Day begins as early as October, with growers cutting back their plants to maximize their yield for Valentine’s Day. According to Virgin Farms’ interview with Rafael Santillán, an Ecuadorian flower farmer, “Throughout the year, about 1 to 1.1 roses are produced per plant, per month. For Valentine’s Day, three red roses per plant are produced for the Valentine’s Day harvest…”

After the roses are harvested, they’re transported to the airport in vehicles with controlled temperatures of between 35-39 F. Since the flowers are out of water, this helps prevent them from wilting.  According to the Miami International Airport, MIA receives 91% of the flowers flown into the US. From January 1st through February 14th, 1.4 billion floral stems will travel through the Miami International Airport, with over 30 cargo planes arriving daily. Once the flowers arrive, they’re inspected by border control for disease and parasites, then sent off to florists and wholesalers in all corners of the nation.

Because so many more red roses are needed for Valentine’s Day compared to other times of the year, the farmers have to start harvesting them early. Red roses start arriving in the US in the beginning of January for Valentine’s Day. This means they could be out of water for 2-4 weeks. During the year, we carefully source our roses to ensure they are long-lasting. We just can’t make that guarantee for red roses during Valentine’s Day because of how far ahead they need to be harvested. 

If you’re looking for something romantic and want to try something different than traditional Valentine’s Day Red Roses, maybe choose roses in another beautiful color such as lavender or pink. Of course you can never go wrong with our ever popular Valentine’s Designer’s Choice! Our designers are incredibly skilled at creating unique and beautiful arrangements using a variety of flowers that are both in season and locally sourced, even during the winter. We can, of course, still include beautiful red roses with other flowers for a very romantic design! Here are just a few examples of what our designers can do!

Photo credits: CBS News, Fantasy Floral

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Toys for Tots was started in 1947 by a Marine Corp Reserve Major Bill Hendricks. His civilian job was Director of Public Relations at Warner Brothers Studio where he befriended Walt Disney. Disney actually designed the first Toys for Tots poster (below left). Today, Toys for Tots distributes toys to 7 million less fortunate children.

We have a huge box in the shop that we would love to fill. You can drop toys off anytime between now and December 10^th. As a thank you for your kindness, we’ll send you home with a beautiful flower!

If you don’t have time to buy and drop off a toy, we’ve got you covered! We have a virtual donation box through Amazon. Just click here or scan the QR code below, choose a toy, and it will be delivered to our local Toys for Tots hub. Easy!

Many thanks, and we hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

~Your Fantasy Floral Family

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Orange Flowers

Mums and daisies come in gorgeous fall colors, including orange. Gerbera daisies, roses, snap dragons, and lilies also come in beautiful shades of orange.

Black Flowers

While Mother Nature doesn’t give us any true black flowers, there are many dark maroon and purple flowers that look almost black. Some of my favorites are dahlias, calla lilies, scabiosa, and columbine.

Green Flowers

The bright green color in so many drawings of pumpkins is an easy color to find in flowers. Some of our current favorite bright green flowers are green ball dianthus, button mums, bells of Ireland, and green cymbidium orchids.

Unusual textures

Our designer’s love to use unusual textures within arrangements. It adds uniqueness or whimsy or artistry that sets our arrangements apart. Thistle has been a shop favorite, but we also love safflower, safari sunset, hypericum berries, grevillea, and sorghum.

If you’re treating others this Halloween or just want to trick out your coffin with festive color, give us a scream to place your Halloween flowers order!

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Centerpieces

If you’re hosting Easter dinner or brunch, a centerpiece is a great way to liven up the table setting! The most important thing for a centerpiece is to allow your guests to see over it. For a rectangular table, something long and low would look lovely and complement the table shape. Or something low and circular for a round table. Alternatively, a short and compact arrangement in a vase is a great hostess gift because it could work both as a centerpiece and as an accent on a coffee or end table!

Corsages

If you’re in the mood for something a little more traditional, Easter corsages for the ladies in your life may be for you! Fresh flowers are a great addition to any outfit, especially one as fancy as your Sunday best. Whether you’re going to church or having a nice brunch with family, our designers will make sure that your corsages look as beautiful as the woman wearing them!

Easter Flowers

Spring is the season of flowers, and Easter brings some of the prettiest blooms to the table! I’ve written about seasonal spring flowers before, but some of our favorites for Easter specifically include tulips, hyacinths, and the ever-popular peony. Plus, thanks to our partnership with Old Dominion Flower Cooperative, we’ll have more unique flowers like daffodils on a weekly basis! 

Easter Arrangements

This time of year, we get to experiment with fun additions to our regular designs! Baskets are a popular vessel for flowers in spring, and we have all kinds of lovely pastel baskets here at the shop. We also have little plastic eggs in all sorts of spring colors! If you’re looking for a sweet addition to the holiday, one of our favorite arrangements this time of year is the whimsical Jelly Joy!

If you need any Easter flowers, just give us a call!

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One

Call your local family-owned florist! Family-owned businesses always have better customer service than large corporate businesses for a lot of reasons. For our family-owned business, it’s because we want each of our customers to feel we have cared for them the same way we would our own family. Many of our long-time customers really are like family!

Almost every business has an online presence with the ability to place orders online. For flowers though, I recommend calling the florist directly. Especially if it’s your first time working with that particular florist. This way you are guaranteed an arrangement that is uniquely created with your loved one’s preferences. I ask a lot of questions when someone calls to place an order: favorite colors, favorite flowers, flowers we should avoid, tall or short, modern or traditional.

We take detailed notes that are saved for future reference. For instance, I know that Mr. B’s wife loves peonies and ranunculus. Mr. W’s wife called me before Mother’s Day, “I know my husband is going to order flowers. I just found out I’m allergic to eucalyptus.” Duly noted! No eucalyptus in Mrs. W’s arrangements from now on! Even if you don’ t remember, I will remember for you! Sometimes customers will even describe the recipient’s personality, and I include that in my notes to the designer. We challenge ourselves with each arrangement to try to meet the vision described by the sender.

Sometimes I get calls from people who have never ordered flowers and/or have no idea what the recipient likes or dislikes. That’s OK! Just give us a budget, and our designers will come up with something beautiful and amazing!

Two

For Valentine’s Day (and other busy holidays like Mother’s Day) consider picking your arrangement up or having it delivered before Valentine’s Day. Most people will want their arrangements on the actual holiday so you and your order are going to be jockeying for time and space with the whole rest of the world. By having an earlier delivery date, you take advantage of the benefits of a quieter and less frenzied time at the flower shop. The bonus is that your loved one gets a two or three day celebration instead of just the one.

Valentine’s Day is on Sunday this year. Have the flowers delivered on Friday with a very romantic card expressing your desire that she/he enjoys their Valentine’s Weekend. Who wouldn’t want to receive that expression of love and thoughtfulness?!

Three

The card message is important! I was listening to Jay Shetty on the Today Show this morning, and he said, “studies show that you’ll be more grateful for receiving and giving personalized and specific gratitude.” I see all sorts of card messages, but the ones that touch me the most (so I know they are touching to the recipient!) are the ones that are heartfelt. After all the time and effort you have gone through with the flowers, don’t skimp on the card message! Let it be personal and specific and heartfelt.

May your month be filled with the love and joy of the season. If you are local to our shop, we are always here to help with your Valentine’s Day flowers, chocolates, balloons, and plush animals!

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There aren’t many birthdays and anniversaries, but there are usually more sympathy arrangements. Our focus is on holiday parties and Christmas centerpieces. It’s also a month of laying the foundation for our busy season. December is the time we reorganize the shop, stock up on staples, implement lessons learned, and most importantly, prep for Valentine’s Day!

This year our Fantasy Floral family has grown. We’ve added new members to help with both front of the house and back of the house. This means we need space for them to work. If you’ve been into the shop recently, you’ve noticed we added an additional computer desk.

We also need a new workstation in the back. We’re in the process of reorganizing and updating. The reorganizing creates efficiency and economy of motion. Updating gives us an additional workstation. Our goal is to have all of this in place by February 1^st, just in time for the Valentine’s Day crush! December is a perfect month to work on these projects.

We hope your December is full of celebration and family get-togethers, love and laughter, and most importantly, the peace of the season. 

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Earlier this year, Toys for Tots began to prepare for a holiday toy shortage. Due to supply chain disruptions all over the world, industries of all kinds are facing shortages; the toy industry is no exception. In addition to donating toys, you can donate directly to Toys for Tots on their website.

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A recent study shows that men enjoy receiving flowers as much as women do. “It increases overall happiness and life satisfaction,” Jeannette Haviland-Jones, the author of the study, says. In fact, because it is traditionally so unexpected, men might actually enjoy receiving flowers more than women do.

Reid agrees part of the appeal of receiving flowers is that it is not often done. “Even though it isn’t, it seems like a woman makes even more of an effort than a man by sending flowers, just because they are breaking convention a little bit,” he says.

Today I took an order from a wife who is sending her husband flowers for Father’s Day. She asked me what kind of arrangement we could do. Men’s favorite colors are blue, black, green, brown, and red. We focus on that palate and use flowers that have texture and are more rustic.

Mother Nature has created so many wonderful flowers in all different colors and textures. Some of our favorite flowers for men are thistle, protea, scabiosa, safari sunset, hypericum berries, and even calla lilies for their darker hues.

So give Dad Father’s Day flowers! It will bring him joy and increased happiness for days to follow. Just give us a call. We would love to help celebrate the father figures in your life!

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