If you somehow let Mother's Day pass you by without sending Mom anything special, don't fret — it's never too late to send Mom flowers!

For all of the wonderful things Mom has done for you over the years, she deserves some recognition on her special day. Perhaps you were out of town or working too much last week and let Mother's Day pass you by? Sending a gift to mom has never been easier! Simply give your local florist a call and have a spectacular bouquet delivered today, straight to her door — at work or at home!

Mother's Day or not, she won't care if they're a day late, she will be overjoyed to receive a symbol of your love and admiration.

Here are a few arrangements to get you started!

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Ask The Expert: My ex and I are still friends. We dated for a long time but now we are both with other people. His mother just passed away. Is it appropriate to send him flowers since we aren't together anymore? Thanks. ~ Keely

Flower Etiquette Expert: I'm sorry to hear about your ex-boyfriend's mother, Keely. In response to your question, it is appropriate in a few situations. There are a few very important questions to answer though. I have included the appropriate flower etiquette for each situation. I hope it helps you both deal with this hard time in a positive way.

"Do I get along with his new girlfriend?" — This one is hugely important because it will dictate when/where/if you are able to send sympathy flowers. If you do get along with his new partner, feel free to send sympathy flowers to his home but make a point to mention her as well on the enclosure card. This is polite even if you aren't close to her. It can be something as simple as "please let me know if you and *partner's name* need anything during this difficult time." It's simple and lets both of them know that you aren't trying to horn in on her territory during a weak moment when emotions run high.

"Was I close to his mother?" — If you were close to your ex-boyfriend's mother and remained that way after the split, it is appropriate to send funeral flowers to the funeral home. Sympathy flower etiquette also allows flowers to be sent to her  home but usually addressed to the family instead of just one person. If you were never close to her, sending flowers to your ex depends mostly on whether or not his new partner would be accepting.

"Would my new partner be offended?" — The chances are slim that your new partner will react in a negative way provided you discuss sending sympathy flowers before the gesture is made. Otherwise, it may seem shady whether it was meant that way or not. If your new partner is offended anyway and refuses to budge on the issue, the decision to send flowers or not is completely up to you. At that point it's juggling your partner's feelings and consideration for those feelings should be put first.

Someone asked a really good question on Wedding And Party Network about wedding flower etiquette. I knew when I read it that many of the Bloomin' Blog readers could benefit from this info so here goes! Here's some wedding etiquette to break things up. (Read the question and more on Wedding And Party Network's wedding flower etiquette–who pays? blog.)

The Question: My parents want to help pay for the wedding so that my fiancee and I can have a nicer ceremony. We really appreciate the help but aren't sure what to ask them to pay. We don't want to step on toes or ask too much to we thought about asking them to buy the wedding flowers. Is that appropriate? ~ Jesse J. from Fountain, Colorado.

Brynn's Answer: Great question! The short answer is that it is traditionally the responsibility of the bride or bride's family to pay for the wedding flowers. –BUT– Today's society sees so many weddings being paid for by people other than the bride's family. For instance, it is often the role of the bride to pay for the wedding while the groom pays for the honeymoon. Some couples go in together. Many times the groom's parents take on part of the payments while the bride's family picks up the other. The simplest answer is that yes, it is acceptable to ask your parents to pay for the wedding flowers.

A Reminder To Florists: If you are a florist, here is a small tidbit to keep in mind when working with the bride. If her mother or mother-in-law is paying for the wedding flowers there could be potential conflict. She may passively opt for something smaller or of less value so as to appease her mother. Her mother may passively encourage this. Then again, both could be rather blunt women. Either way, keep in mind that some mediation may be required to make sure that the bride gets exactly what she wants for her wedding.

Question: My grandfather passed away six months ago and his and grandmothers wedding anniversary is coming up.  He always sent flowers to her on her anniversary.  Would it be proper for me to send her flowers on their anniversary date?

Brynn's Response: First, my condolences on the loss of your grandfather. It is very sweet of you to want to comfort your grandmother in this way. She is very lucky to have such caring people in her life.

Flower etiquette for this occasion is a bit of a gray area. The deciding factor is the personality of the recipient. Sending anniversary flowers after your grandfather's passing is a reminder of your grandfather and the many sweet times that he sent flowers. If your grandmother would be comforted by this, by all means send flowers. If this would be a bittersweet or sad memory, do not.

Most women and even many men would be comforted by receiving flowers in remembrance of a loved one. Memorial flowers are often sent with cards that explain the reason for the flowers and a brief message of encouragement. Some examples are:

• Just thought you could use a little extra sunshine today.
• May the peace which comes from the memories of love shared comfort you now and in the days ahead.
• It will be the little things that you will remember: the quiet moments, the smiles, and the laughter.
• May the care of friends bring you comfort and loving memories heal your heart.
• Praying for friends to comfort you, faith to uphold you, and loving memories to help you smile again.

"In memory of" is another popular phrase that helps the recipient understand the reason for the flowers. More personal messages can also be offered. Just remember to say to your grandmother what you would say to her if you were with her in person. Would you hug her and tell her that you wanted her to remember something nice that grandpa did? These are the kinds of things that should be on the card.

Ask the Expert: My co-worker celebrates Kwanzaa and I would like to send him a gift to show my respect for his culture. Would flowers be an appropriate gift for a Kwanzaa celebration?

Shelly,

Kwanzaa means "first fruits" and originates from the first harvest celebrations of Africa. Gifts are mainly given to children and include a book and a heritage symbol. Since Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday I would suggest sending a fruit gift basket since the fruit represents a valued part of their culture — the harvest and particularly the celebration of thanks and respect for the harvest.

Just a little extra Kwanzaa information:

Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days — beginning Dec 26th and celebrated until the end of Jan 1st.

Kwanzaa is a time to honor and respect one's elders and heritage. Family and community play an important part in Kwanzaa. It is not a religious holiday.

Ask the Expert: I know that Hanukkah begins at sundown today, but I don’t know the proper etiquette for gift giving during the holiday. I would like to send my friend a flower arrangement to acknowledge the importance of this holiday to their faith. Would it be appropriate?

Yesterday my neighbor called to ask me what I thought about sending a fireside basket to a funeral. She explained that an old high school friend passed away recently and she and some other friends sent sympathy flowers to the service held in another state. She explained that one of the ladies in her group handled all the arrangements. My neighbor received a thank you card for the fireside basket that was sent. She was concerned because she didn't know what a fireside basket was and that it might not be appropriate for a funeral service.

Fireside baskets are floral arrangements created in a broad, low-sided, oval handled basket. Many times this type of flower arrangement is used as an appropriate alternative to a standing spray. In fact many families prefer a fireside basket to a standing spray.

While helping my sister-in-law at her flower shop, I have seen many funeral arrangements. I find that the fireside baskets were some of the most appropriate floral tributes. I remember a couple of fireside baskets that really represented the personality of the deceased. One basket was arranged so the flowers looked like they had been picked from someone's flower garden and placed in the basket. This fireside basket was for an avid gardener. The second basket was for a man who loved fishing and the flowers were arranged in the basket with a fisherman figurine. It looked like the fisherman was walking through a wildflower field to his fishing hole.
So to make a long story short. It is appropriate to send a fireside basket to a funeral