WOW! Valentines Day may have sneaked up on us fast, but don't fret. There's still time to send flowers and spark some romance!

While ordering early is ALWAYS best when ordering flowers during such a busy holiday, it's not always convenient. Now that it's getting closer, we want to make it EASY for you to get your flowers ordered and keep your sweetie happy!

Simply follow these easy steps and you'll be all set for Valentines Day!

1. Be Ready With A Great Card Message

Valentines Day card messages should be from the heart. Sometimes when we're put on the spot, it's so much harder to think of just the right words. Think of how your sweetie has impacted your life and just what she means to you. If you need help, check out this list of Valentines Day Card Messages.

2. Choose The Right Arrangement

There are so many options out there for Valentines Day arrangements. However, as it gets closer to the big day, options grow more and more limited. Don't worry, we're here to help! There are only two things you need to consider when choosing flowers: (1) her favorite color, (2) her favorite flowers. If you don't know these, go for something classy, like roses. Check out these recent posts for even more ideas:

• Romantic Valentine Ideas For The Six Phases of Love
• Top 5 Trendiest Flowers This Valentines Day
• Send Her Wedding Bouquet on Valentines Day(May be too late for this one, depending on how complex her bouquet was)

You can also browse our Shop Flowers section for more great Valentines Day arrangement ideas. (Choosing an arrangement from Shop Flowers will connect you to a local florist in your area to take care of your order. We believe in local business and do not take orders away from real local flower shops.)
Continue reading "4 Great Tips For Last Minute Valentines Day Flowers" »

Spotted one of our great members on the local news warning of the threat of gatherer scams and had to share. (Video Above) Thanks so much to Chappell's Florist in Burlington VT!

Protecting Yourself From Gatherers on Valentines Day

When it comes to sending flowers, it's always best to send from a real local florist. Not only do you receive the freshest quality flowers, you are also helping your community thrive. Also, by using a local flower shop directly, you can rest assured you are getting everything you paid for.

As the video points out, searching for a local florist isn't as easy as typing "City, ST Flowers" into Google. You might live in a town with only 1 flower shop, yet thousands of results are found. Many of these are deceptive middle-men who (1) take your order, (2) take their cut, and (3) pass on an order of lesser value for your local florist to fill. Ordering from a real local florist will ensure you receive the best flower arrangement at the full quality of your purchase.

Flower Shop Network Is Committed To Local

Flower Shop Network is an advocate of real local florists across the US and Canada. You can use the search box at the very top of our site to find a real local florist, we list all of their contact information, as well as links to their website. We do our very best to verify each florist listed on our website is a real florist in a real city, selling real flowers (you'd be surprised).

If you shop via our Shop Flowers, you will be transferred to a local florist's website to complete your purchase. We have never and will never take a flower order (or any percentage of) away from a florist.

No matter how you find your florist this Valentines Day, just make sure they're local. Check to see if their address is a real local address. Give them a call to see if they are really in your community. It only takes a few minutes and will ensure you're Valentines Day flowers are just the way you wanted.

Video via www.fox44now.com

When it comes to Valentines Day gifts, send your classy girl, classic red roses. Roses are the number one favorite flower for Valentines Day. Not surprising considering they have long been the symbol of romance, love and admiration.

Other popular rose colors include:

• Coral – Desire.
• Lavender – Enchantment.
• Orange – Fascination.
• Pale Pink – Modesty.
• Pink – Thankfulness.
• Red – Love, I love you.
• Red and White Mixed – Unity
• White – Innocence and purity. I am worthy of you.
• Yellow – Decrease of love, jealousy, try to care.
• Rosebud – Beauty and youth, a heart innocent of love.

Types of Rose Arrangements For Valentines Day

The rose arrangements have came a long way since the days of simple roses-and-babys-breath. While that is still an option, there are many more unique styles to choose from to really amp up the rose-factor! Just check out these styles:

The Bud Vase

You cannot go wrong with the classic red rose bud vase. A simple gesture to your sweetie to remind her she is always on your mind. The three red roses symbolize the love you share.
This design would also be good for young love. Imagine receiving this arrangement as your very first real Valentines Day gift, maybe even your first gift of flowers! So sweet.

Low Profile Roses

Flower arrangements don't always have to be big and over-the-top. A good design goes a long way, like the picture above of Spellbound Roses. It features a dozen stunning red, short-stemmed roses in a beautifully designed arrangement. It's perfect for the classic girl who doesn't like to stand in the spotlight, but still deserves to be recognized for all she does.

Continue reading "Want a Classic Gift for a Classy Girl? Send Roses" »

Can you believe Valentines Day will be here in just a couple of weeks? This Valentines Day, skip the red roses and go for something with more of a BANG! Create sparks with this colorful mixed arrangement! Roses are still featured, but in brighter, bolder colors. The green fugi mums explode like fireworks throughout this design. There's no doubt these flowers are HOT!

Send some heat to your girl on Valentines Day with this unique, yet oh-so-stylish flower arrangement. The bright colors remind us warmer weather is on it's way! Who wouldn't want this delivered to them on their very special day? This arrangement is not only perfect for your sweetie, but you can also use it to show your affection to friends and family members on this day of love.

If you plan on sending Valentines Day flowers, order right now! Use our handy florist finder to find a real local florist and order your V-day flowers EARLY to get the best selections available! Continue reading "FSN's Favorite Arrangement For February" »

We've already discussed this month how Valentine's flowers aren't always roses and baby's breath. Going the extra mile to make it extra personal always pays off in the end. Here we've compiled a list of the trendiest flowers for Valentines Day 2012 (Coming up Feb 14th) that doesn't include roses! If you don't know your honey's favorite flower, I can almost guarantee she'll love one of these!

 5. Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria is a beautiful and delicate flower that kind of resembles a lily mixed with a gladiolus. Their big, showy blooms come in many beautiful colors and are used by florists in so many creative ways.

These flowers work well in many styles of floral arrangements, especially in traditional or garden-style designs.

 4. Carnation

Carnations have made a huge comeback in recent years with the appearance of bright new colors and styles. Florists have also found incredibly creative ways to showcase this ruffly flower. And you've got to love their long-lasting abilities!

Carnations come in so many unique and vivid colors now, as well as different sizes and styles.

3. Tulip

The elegance of a tulip is undeniable. Even it's champagne glass-like shape echos romance. Even their flower meaning is about love. Red tulips mean declaration of love and yellow tulip mean hopelessly in love; what more can you say on Valentine's Day?

Tulips are available in many different colors and also sizes. Their stems are unique in the fact that they can be bent and shaped in many ways, this gives florists many more artistic options.

Continue reading "Top 5 Trendiest Flowers This Valentines Day" »

Still mulling over Valentines Day arrangements trying to find the perfect flowers to send to your sweetie? Well, let me give you a little secret, it really is the thought that counts.

The more thought and time you put into choosing your honey's flowers, the more she will undoubtedly appreciate them. Include her favorite color, favorite flower or both! Use her favorite song as lyrics in the card message.

The Most Romantic Valentines Day Flowers

For a truly romantic gift of flowers, send her flowers just like the bouquet she used on your wedding day. I'm sure you have a picture of it, probably in your wallet, you can easily show your florist. Use the same colors and flowers to recreate this very special arrangement that means so much to your wife.

Most brides spend hours going through color palettes, flowers, styles and so many other bouquet options before finally choosing their perfect wedding bouquet with their florist. She will most likely instantly notice her bouquet flowers and be overwhelmed with romance and love. (Especially good for newly weds!)

Custom ordering flowers for Valentines Day is easy, you just have to do it early — like right now!

And remember, always always always use a real local florist!

Continue reading "Send Her Wedding Bouquet on Valentines Day" »

It's that time again. The time when our whole country, and much of the world, sits down to watch present-day gladiators battle it out in a game of strength, skill and determination. Whether you enjoy watching football or not, chances are you'll be watching the big game on Sunday, February 5th.

Who's In The Super Bowl This Year?

Decorating for the Super Bowl

Decorating for the 2012 Super Bowl is going to be super easy — both teams have the SAME colors: Red, White, Blue and Gray. Time to pull out those Fourth of July decorations!

• If you're cheering on the Patriots
  Use red, white and blue decor that includes flags, stars, and anything patriotic.
• If you're cheering on the Giants
  Use big blocks of color, mostly blue.

Flowers for football??

I know it sounds crazy, but flowers make decorating so much easier. Order a big bouquet of red, white and BLOOMS from your local florist! Have these sitting on your game-day buffet as a little pick-me-up for whoever should need it at the time. Because both teams use the same colors, it only takes one arrangement to make everyone happy! You could even draw numbers or play a game to see who takes home the flowers at the end of the party!

If your home is strongly for one team over the other, think of creative ways to make your flowers represent your team. You might add stars or a flag to a New England Patriot-themed arrangement. Maybe an all-blue arrangement for Giants fans.

Need A Hostess Gift?

Attending a Super Bowl party, but don't know what to bring? Flowers also make a great hostess gift! Especially if your hostess has planned out all of the game day food and festivities, don't go empty handed, bring flowers!

No matter what you choose, always always always use a real local florist when ordering flowers. Flower Shop Network is an advocate of real local florists. If you don't already know your town's flower shop, use our handy florist finder to find yours today.

Valentines Day this year (2012) is on a Tuesday! I know what you're thinking, "Tuesday? How can I be romantic on a Tuesday??" With our busy schedules, trying to find time on a Tuesday to breath, much less be romantic, is hard enough. However, with just a little thought and planning, you can have the most romantic Tuesday Valentines ever!

This is where your local florist comes in handy! Not only do they deliver the most beautiful and creatively designed flowers, but in addition, most florists offer uniquely personal gifts.

Getting a Jumpstart on Valentines Day

• Plan to stop by your local flower shop early to pick out gifts/personalized arrangement. Talk to your florist about your sweetie: her favorite colors, flowers, style, etc. Sometimes it really is the thought that counts! A flower shop will have lots of gifts to add, in addition to sending Valentines Day flowers.
• Schedule a Monday or Valentines Day (Tuesday) delivery. Surprise her on Monday or have them delivered on Tuesday, either way she'll be thinking of you all week, every time she peeks up at her beautiful blooms. Continue reading "Get A Jumpstart on Romance This Valentines Day!" »

The Chinese New Year is the most celebrated event in Chinese culture. This Year, Chinese New Year starts on January 23rd and lasts 15 days. The festivities end on the 15th day with the Lantern Festival, a celebration of light.

The Chinese calendar is lunar based, so this holiday is often called the Lunar New Year. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as chú xī (除夕). It literally means "Year-pass Eve," and is also a festive time just like the New Years Eve we have in the States. 2012 is the year of the dragon according to the Chinese Zodiac.

Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore. In contrast to the 'evil' European dragons, Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. With this, the Emperor of China usually uses the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power.

 龙
Means Dragon.

Red is also very important to the Chinese New Year because of it's legendary ability to fight off evil. If you're throwing a Chinese New Year party, use lots of red decorations. Yellow and gold decorations are also used for this celebration because it symbolizes luck and prosperity. A beautiful and easy way to decorate for Chinese New Year is with flowers! Order a variety of unique flowers in bright red and yellow with gold ribbon.

For more party ideas, check out last year's article filled with great ideas for your Chinese New Years Celebration!

Cascading Splendor, the arrangement above, is our favorite flower arrangement for Chinese New Years, but your local florist will have tons of great ideas for any size occasion. Continue reading "Year Of The Dragon: Welcome 2012" »

Keeping Christmas Flowers Fresh

So, you've got your beautiful holiday centerpiece, maybe a gorgeous Christmas flower arrangement or a lovely red poinsettia, but now what? With a little extra care, you can keep your holiday flowers all the way to New Years!

For Christmas Arrangements & Centerpieces

• Keep flowers watered. The water level of your arrangement needs to be high enough to cover all stems. If your flowers came in a tray with foam, keep the water topped off.
• It's important to add fresh water every day.
• Carefully remove any wilted or dead leaves from the arrangement. Make sure there is no foliage dipping down into the water.
• It's time to change the water if it gets cloudy!
• When changing water, re-cut stems with a sharp knife at a 45° angle before adding new flowers. This will help them absorb more nutrients.
• If your florist provided you with floral preservative, use according to directions when changing your flower arrangement's water.

Caring For Your Poinsettia

Keeping the soil moist, but not soggy, is essential when caring for poinsettias. This can be accomplished by watering it thoroughly when the soil is dry to the touch. Make sure the container has drain holes. It is imperative to remove any excess water from the saucer.

Poinsettias do best in high humidity with a temperature range of 60 degrees at night and 72 degrees during the day. Avoid exposing poinsettias to temperature swings from cold drafts, heating vents or doorways. Poinsettias need approximately six hours of indirect light. Do not fertilize when the plant is blooming.  - From 2007's Legend of the Poinsettia

What Causes Poinsettia Problems

• Temperature swings
• Over-watering
• Under-watering
• Over exposure and lack of light will cause stress to the poinsettia.
• Stress of any type will cause the bracts to have a shorter life.

Poinsettia care if done properly will keep your plant healthy for a long time.

By following these tips, you can keep your holiday flowers lasting well into the New Year!