Photo courtesy of 50states.com

North Dakota and Iowa may not seem like very similar states but both chose the Wild Prairie Rose (Rosa pratincola,  a. Rosa arkansana) as their official state flower. Though no official species was chosen for the Iowa state flower, Rosa pratincola is most often cites as the official state flower of Iowa and who am I to argue?

If you remember reading about the North Dakota state flower, you’ll find this only equally enthusiastic because the wild prairie rose is a darn pretty flower! I grant you it’s a wildflower and not a cut flower that Iowa florists could use in an arrangement but it’s still a great source of inspiration. If I were to narrow it down to the three things I find most inspiring about the wild prairie rose, here you go. You’ve forced my hand. *grin*

1. Color
2. Shape
3. Location

When you get right down to it, the color of the wild prairie rose is a beautiful, soft shade of pink offset by yellow stamens in the center. The gentle pink is a reminder of romantic occasions. When designing romantic flower arrangements, pink is often used to symbolize affection romance, gentle passion and kindhearted love. A pink wildflower that grows and blooms naturally is a wonderful reminder of how love can often be found in surprising places and blossom without fear.

This particular species of the Wild Prairie Rose is noted for having 4-5 petals laying flat but slightly overlapping one another. When I say that I like the shape, this is not what I’m talking about. Each of the petals are heart shaped with the point of the hearts meeting at the stamens. We already know that pink is symbolic for love. Now we see heart shaped flowers. See where this is heading?

Love is so incredible. It guides us, motivates us, encourages us, causes our biggest headaches and our largest victories. The most intense arrow in Cupid’s quiver often strikes at unexpected times and in strange places. I met my sweetheart while working at Wal-Mart. Some meet in church, a library, passing on the street, in the park, or by a chance encounter. This strange trend is why I like the location of the Wild Prairie Rose as it blooms throughout Iowa.

Iowa is known for corn. Miles and miles of corn. “Corn, corn, corn, oh look a tree!” as the song goes. To be gazing across the countryside and see a simple pink flower? Unexpected, unanticipated, a pretty break from the ordinary.

Take a walk on the wild side and chance finding inspiration in the unique, gentle flower that is Iowa’s official state flower–the Wild Prairie Rose.

Send "Hello Sunshine" To Your Pure Friend

It’s easy to get lost for a while in thoughts about the underlying meaning of thoughts, actions and words. It is for me at least. Lately I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about flower meanings because finding an inventive way to say something normal or usual is very important to me.

Think for a moment about the most special gift you’ve received lately. What was it that made it so important? Most people truly do place stock in the adage, “It’s the thought that counts.” This is especially true with women. We love to be pampered and spoiled but anyone can do that. What we want from our partner is more special, that above and beyond affection that secures their place in our hearts.

For this reason, my mind wandered back to the meaning of sunflowers. The simplest of these is “adoration” but sunflowers (Helianthus) also represent pure thoughts, pure love, longevity, pride, and sunshine. Oh to be the pure, sweet sunshine in the eyes of the person that I love! It’s that kind of desire to feel special that drives women inside and outside of relationships.

One way to let the pure woman in your life know that you find her gentle demeanor so endearing is by sending sunflowers. As always, create a lavish gift that will be remembered forever by including a sweet card detailing the meaning of sunflowers and how your woman is all of those things to you.

I wonder which flower means “incredibly desirable, more beautiful than the rest, and who my heart melts for”??

It’s time to kick off the football season this year. Tailgating at football games is an ultimate American pasttime. It’s something most Americans are born knowing how to do properly. What flower lovers want to know, though, is a great way to mix their favorite fresh decorations and football season hobby.

It may seem kind of anti-tailgating to bring along flowers. After all, it’s a male-dominated hobby where brewskies fly through the air and bratwurst is consumed by the yard. Don’t let that deter you. There are still ways to work tailgating and fresh flowers into one great afternoon. Ask your local florist to create fresh flowers in the team colors then:

• If you’re attending a high school football game, present flowers to the coach after an afternoon of tailgating. This is an especially good idea if the team wins (though you’ll have to wait a little longer for that answer).
• If it’s just you and the girls (wives of players, mothers of players, fans), have each woman wear a lapel corsage or a wrist corsage in the team colors.
• Go “Hawaiian” with the tailgate party theme. This way, you’ll have a reason to sport a lei in the team colors.
• If you’re the only woman, don’t make the men forget that YOU are the coolest thing there, bar none. Overwhelming estrogen can be a downer but a flower in your hair that happens to be the team’s main color is a way to maintain your femininity while acting like one of the guys.

Don’t forget to return to Flower Shop Network with pictures and stories of your fun tailgate parties!

Fret not, dear blog reader. I have your answer.

The September birth month flowers are the aster and the morning glory. Oh yeah, beautiful and meaningful. Good stuff. If you were a reader last year you may remember “Mark September With An Aster-isk”, our friendly reminder blog about the birth month flower of September. You may also remember that September can be quite a headache for my family! With three birthdays on the same day stuff gets really crazy toward the middle of the month.

Mom is great. She’s one of my favorite people in the whole world and I’d be lost without her. That’s a great (and true) sentiment for the card, but you can’t really package that. Oh wait, yes you can! It may not come in a box but a birthday bouquet with aster is a package that she’ll be happy to receive! I’m thinking that showing it off to her friends at work will be fun for her given the type of women she works with. If I can make her day better, why not? So this year I’m sending Mom the gift that she loved last year — asters.

Ask Your Florist About Aster This September

Now the other Virgo in my life is a bit harder. I tend to stop by game stores a lot when shopping for him but I’m pretty tired of staring at electronics. By the time I muster up the courage to go shopping, the last place I want to be is somewhere that will take a lot of time. Plus, I can never remember which games he has so I get a gift card. It’s a little impersonal (or so he said last year) so I don’t want to repeat that experience.

My Love may be brutally honest but he has a point so I’m sending him aster flowers instead. It’s kind of payback for the comment about the gift card. Plus, his daughter loves playing with flowers and dirt and bugs and grass so we’ll have a lot of fun planting morning glory in the backyard. This may not be the ideal way to send birth month flowers of September. Given that not everyone lives in a fairytale world of romance and lollipops, I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds this a funny alternative.

Regardless of your intent, you really can’t go wrong with birth month flowers. They’re just too cool! Plus they’re really unique so  you don’t have to worry about someone copying your idea. It’s all yours. Be your own with aster and morning glory this September.

Fiery Red Gladiolus For Your Virgo!

Everyone knows I adore my charming, vivacious Virgo. He’s one-in-a-million for sure even if he is also a million headaches. Know what I mean? The virgo in my life deserves something incredible for his birthday. It has to be special and sweet. Since he shares a birthday with my mother, it has to be something unique so that they don’t feel like they’re getting the same thing. What a hassle!

Hassle/problem solved this year. Regular readers probably remember me touting zodiac flowers for virgos last year. I know from personal experience how incredible those gifts went over so I’m looking for a repeat performance this year! Though their birthday isn’t until September, if you have someone in your life born between August 21 and September 21, you have a virgo on your hands! When you want a cool birthday gift without a lot of trouble, contact your local florist and mention these Virgo zodiac flowers.

• Forget-me-nots
• Gladiolus
• Monkshood
• Hypericum
• Chrysanthemum
• Violet
• Ivy
• Eucalyptus (even filler flowers count!)

Sending zodiac flowers to your virgo this year? Don’t forget to stop back by and let us know how it turned out!

Parents and children celebrate going back to school with a bang. There is lots of back to school shopping and back to school parties to enjoy. But what does the teacher get?

This year, send your child’s teacher some flowers. Better still, buy a bouquet of flowers from your local florist and have your child present them. Flowers aren’t quite as tasty as an apple but the smile lasts longer.

Another idea is to visit your local flower shop and see if they have any mugs that are appropriate for your child’s teacher. They could say “#1 Teacher,” “You’re The Best,” or anything like this. Then, ask your florist to create a small mug bouquet or candy mug for the teacher. Both are excellent gifts that are unique and creative.  Instead of adding to the pile of apples on the desk, add a smile instead with a candy mug or mug bouquet.

Of course, no teacher will refuse a balloon or two, especially tied to the rim of a candy mug or back to school flower vase. They may wish to put them in a different part of the room so as not to make the other children feel badly about getting nothing or something smaller. If this is a concern for you, make sure the flowers are presented at the end of the day or to the teacher’s home. Bringing back to school flowers and gifts at the end of the day not only spares embarassment for others, but it also gives you a chance to speak to the teacher when more one-on-one time is available and the stress of the day is gone.

For more back to school gift ideas, contact your creative local florist!

Ask the Expert: Which flowers are available in December?
My best friend is getting married in the end of December in Florida. I am trying to help her as much as I can. So right now I am looking for seasonal flowers that would be available during that time. For her wedding color she wants to go for a deeper orange color. Could you help me with that? Thank you. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Hanna N.

Plant Expert Reply:
The flower world has changed over the years and many flower varieties are now available year round.  However, it is always nice to has a list to go by when you are in the early planning stages.  The following flowers are available for weddings in December and in a shade of orange:

Alstromeria, Ascelpias, Bird of Paradise, Calla Lily, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Euphorbia, Fressia, Gerbera, Gladiolus, Hypericum, Lily (Asiatic), Narcissus, Protea, Ranunculus, Rose, Safflower, and Tulip.

Orange Gerbera Wedding Bouquet

Many of these flowers are excellent choices for wedding bouquets and reception flowers. My personal favorites are Gerberas, Callas and Tulips. If you need a strong presentation of orange, the Asiatic Lily blooms are large and make a great focal flower. To add a delicate element used the Fressia or Ascelpias. For a unique look used the Safflower.

Of course, there are other wedding flowers available in December and that is where your local Florida florist comes in handy.  You can take this list to them and discuss these wedding flowers. The florist can show you what these flowers look like and how they can be used in bouquets.  They will be able to suggest other flowers that are available in December and which will complement the flowers already discussed.

If you need a good source for planning a wedding, check out Wedding and Party Network and The Celebration Advisor.  In fact the photo above came from the wedding bouquet photo gallery on Wedding and Party Network.  Scott Darhower of Apple Blossoms Floral Design in Tampa designed the gorgeous bouquets.

I hope you and your friend have a fun planning her wedding.  Keep me posted.   I can’t wait to see what wedding flowers you choose.

Sending flowers? Many florists emphasize the importance of including alternate phone numbers with your order. For instance, provide both a cell phone number and a home phone number (if applicable). Perhaps a work phone and a cell phone if no home phone is available.

Thankfully it doesn’t happen often, but sometimes florists need to reach the sender before the flowers can be delivered. This obviously slows down progress while florists are on the phone trying to get answers to simple questions. Some questions we see a lot are:

• “That color is not available. Can I substitute it with the same flower in a different color?”
• “The hospital will not give me a room number. What is the recipient’s room number?”
• “No one’s home. Is it alright to leave them along with a note or return later?”

These are just a sprinkling of the questions we hear all of the time at Flower Shop Network. Local florists across the country have the same questions but are unable to receive answers because no alternate phone number is listed and the other line isn’t available or working.

Avoid this! Simply include any two or more of the following numbers and you should have no problems getting your flowers delivered quickly!

• Cell phone number
• Home phone number
• Work phone number
• Fax number
• Number of a close friend or number if no other second number is available

August is the official wrap of summer. Parents and children get ready to go back to school. College students begin the countdown to spring break. Couples celebrate anniversaries with the same fervor and passion as they did the very first time — or at least will with this fun idea!

Anniversary flowers are a must. Just like gifts on Valentines Day, most women expect something special on this day. Anniversary flower bouquets are a great way to celebrate your lasting romance, but why not spice it up a bit this year? A themed dinner date is a fantastic way to earn some laughs, share some kisses, and get bonus points for creativity. You never know. Your honey may pay you back with something creative of their own. Here are some ideas for a very special evening with spicy flair from some other cultures:

(Guys) Mexican Themed Anniversary Dinner Date: Become her Latin lover for an evening. If this seems like the cheesiest thing you can think of, great! Your lady will most likely give you credit for creativity, have a few laughs at your expense, and think you’re adorable for trying. Then again, you could pull off the Rico Suave appearance.  Her reactions either way are worth a shot.

Anniversary flower ideas for this theme: Keep two small vases of flower stems on the table while you eat. Red is a fiery color that excites the senses, especially the sense of passion. Also, a rose between your teeth as you invite her to tango–hot! Funny, but cute. Don’t forget to shower your senora with compliments and present her with a very special bouquet of flowers for your anniversary. Flowers are something she can keep to remember the evening!

(Girls) Bollywood Themed Anniversary Dinner Date: Become his sultry Indian princess for an evening. Have fun with the outfit. Set the mood for an evening of great Indian food and a little show from the hottest dinner date he’s ever had. As with all spicy foods, be wary of his reactions to spicy foods. If this one seems too much for his tummy, tone down the food but keep the theme of the evening.

Anniversary flower ideas for this theme: Color is a huge part of the bollywood movement. India is full of rich color and beautiful surroundings. Live up to this theme with fresh flowers in vivid colors. Ask your local florist which flowers have the fullest color for your anniversary. Though he may not be riding an elephant to dinner, a large necklace of flowers is a fun way to remind him of the culture that you are celebrating.

What do you think? Think your guy/girl will love it? If this idea makes it way from your head to the anniversary night, please return to Flower Shop Network and let us know how it went. Happy anniversary!

Ask the Expert: What kind of flowers for church baptism?
I am 60 years old and am getting baptized with my 9 year old granddaughter. We will be providing the alter flowers for the church on that day and would like some suggestions on what kind of flowers would be appropriate for this occassion? Lora

Plant Expert Reply:

It depends on your religious affilation.  The appropriate baptism flower color usually falls in line with the season’s liturgical color. If you belong to a church that has an alter guild, I would speak with them.  The alter guild usually knows which colors will be appropriate for the day.  However, the most used flower color for baptism is white.

When I was baptized several years ago, my local florist created arrangements with Casablanca lilies.  I wanted the Casablanca lilies because their flower meaning is Celebrate.  Baptisms are definitely a time to celebrate.

I have been to baptisms where white gladiolus were used.  I have also been to baptisms where the flower arrangements had multiple colors.  In my opinion the safest bet would be to use all white flowers in the baptisms arrangements.  White is universally accepted and this way you will make sure not to offend anyone.

Congratulations and may the Peace Be With You.