The word is out about the birth month flower for November.

Corny puns aside, the Chrysanthemum is the official birth month flower of November. Chrysanthemums are a wonderful gift because the flower meanings of Chrysanthemum are love and cheerfulness. Who wouldn’t want to wish someone a happy birthday with such positive greetings?

I remember sitting around the yard after a Thanksgiving dinner with my family. Just before sunset but before the turkey coma, most of the children and a few of the adults would gather in our front yard to work off the large meal. We could always count on my mother to have lavish fall decorations adorning our yard. Pumpkins, bales of hay, oddly cheery scarecrows, and a heaping helping of chrysanthemums flowed about the yard such that it always seemed like the place to be during harvest time. Continue reading "Chrysanthemum's The Word For November!" »

Tulips are one of those classic flowers that you just must receive at least once in your life. If your sweetheart hasn’t received an arrangement of tulips before, get cracking!

Most people hear of tulips and immediately picture fields of Dutch tulips, windmills and tiny wooden shoes. However, tulips represent so much more than just Holland. The flower meanings of tulips are also some of the most powerful expressions of love and adoration that can be expressed with flowers. Arrangements of tulips represent the perfect lover and frame. But just wait. The flower color meanings associated with tulips make them even more special. Red tulips express extreme sincerity and are a declaration of love.Do you love to make your sweetheart smile? Send an arrangement of yellow tulips which says “There’s sunshine in your smile.”

It’s hard not to adore the sender of gorgeous and colorful flowers, especially one who invested so much extra effort in giving a meaningful gift. Tulips are beautiful, colorful and meaningful—just what she’s always wanted in a birthday or anniversary gift.

Cheer up someone with Sunny Tulips from your local florist!

When you work with flowers everyday you are bound to hear the phrase “my favorite flower is” at least one hundred times per month. It was what seemed like the 78th time that I heard “my favorite flower is the gerbera daisy” that inspired me to learn more about gerbera daisies. Flower meanings are quite interesting things. I learned that the flower meanings of gerbera daisies are purity and strength. These are two of the most admirable qualities in any person. To send a bouquet of gerbera daisies is not only a beautiful gesture but also expresses an appreciation for the purity and strength of the recipient. How sweet!

Women who know the flower meanings of gerbera daisies are bound to sweetly exclaim “awww” after receiving an arrangement of the popular flower. Color meanings are also very important to a lot of women. Red gerbera daisies not only speak volumes of purity and strength but also express deep and committed love. Orange gerbera daisies celebrate warmth and confidence. There is a flower color meaning for many other colors. Your sweetheart will love the extra thought that you put into this gift.

Is your sweetie unfamiliar with flower color meanings? That’s what makes card messages so great! Sending flowers to the office? Make every coworker in the room jealous with a sweet card message about how you picked the gerbera daisies arrangement and colors specifically as a way to say “I love you” to the strong, pure, beautiful person in your life. You can’t go wrong.

Use gerbera daisies bouquets to tell her how you feel!

I won’t deny it. I'm a huge fan of color in the things that surround me. Deep reds, bright blues, the shades of green that inspire me to shout, "Catch me lucky charms!" and nearly every vivid color in the rainbow thrills me to the core. Upon reflection, it's probably this giddy effect that makes me love the "Rainbow of Blooms" arrangement almost to animated glee. Almost.

Dance it up with the "Rainbow of Blooms" vase arrangement!

I seem to recall merrily making my way down the hallway after seeing the colorful way that delphinium, carnations, lilies, roses, and alstroemeria were designed together in the arrangement. It's amazing! My love of carnations is by no means a secret but watch the hot pink carnations pop next to the striking blue delphinium or the yellow gerbera and roses. You're very likely to do a dance yourself or give some lucky recipient a reason to cha-cha in their living room over your tender expression of affection.

It's no surprise that someone familiar with the meanings of flower colors may become quite animated over the messages inside the "Rainbow of Blooms" arrangement. The yellow gerbera and roses express friendship and celebrate brilliance. The blue delphinium express peace, trust, and tranquility. Who wouldn't want to know how comfortable you feel around them? The pink carnations are fun as they represent romance, sweetness and sincerity. Give her these and you won’t have to say "I love you and I mean it" because you are already saying it with flowers. The greatest of these is love. Sending flowers says, "I love you." Sending flowers says, "I need you." Sending flowers says it all.

My mother is a Virgo. I'm dating a Virgo. Oddly enough, their birthday is the same day. Suffice it to say that gift giving in the Jackson family becomes very difficult around September 15th. I’m quite taken with birth month flowers as unique birthday gifts because it blends the traditional with the creative. This is a very endearing quality after three years of finding a unique gift for a man and a charming birthday gift for a mother all on the same day!

My fellow is fairly easy to please when gift giving is involved. His birthday is a fairly major occasion but finding a way to make him feel completely special on that day is difficult when we also celebrate Mom’s birthday on that day. Not this year! The two birth month flowers of September are aster and morning glory. My sweet pleasant beloved makes a point to call me from work every morning just to say good morning. For this reason, the birthday gift for him becomes *drum roll* … the morning glory! Coupled with a few wish-list gifts, a packet of seeds of this birth month flower will add a dash of whimsy to the traditional gifts. I’m still learning to knit so that I can watch him fake excitement over an ugly multi-colored sweater for next year. For this year, flowers and game consoles will do.

My mother is amazing. She’s the most incredible woman in the world (except for your mother, of course) and that near grasp of perfection can grind away at the nerves when birthday gift shopping. My mother either has everything, wants nothing, or won’t specify. Well, she’s not getting an option this year. My mother is an avid vegetable gardener. She also landscapes her yard and my grandfather’s yard to give them immaculate appearances. I know that she loves flowers and loves decorating her home with the flowers from her garden. This year she’s getting a bouquet of aster for her home and, since morning glory is typically a garden flower rather than a cut flower, a few started morning glory to add to her collection of incredible garden flowers.

Wonderful. I’ve finally found a way to satisfy all of the people in my life with September birthdays just by incorporating the September birth month flowers into a unique birthday gift. Thankfully October is all about me. Just kidding.

Contact your local florist for a unique birthday gift for your September friend!

Ask the Expert: What flower represents the zodiac sign capricorn?
I'm trying to find out if there's specific flowers that represent each zodiac sign.  For example, there's flowers that represent each birth month, so I'm trying to figure out if there's specific flowers for the astrology signs.  Jenn

How can you not love receiving carnations when you know what their fabulous flower meanings? Carnations of all shapes and colors have for years been my favorite flower. I was peering through the FSN flower meanings pages and decided to see what carnations represented. Let’s just say that I was very pleasantly surprised.

A carnation in itself represents fascination, woman’s love and pride. Red carnations say “my heart aches for you” and represent admiration. White carnations represent pure love, woman’s good luck gift, sweetness and loveliness. Pink carnations (my absolute favorites) mean “I’ll never forget you.” Though there are at least half of a dozen more colors of carnations, I mention these three for a reason.

My first Valentine’s Day with my honey brings up great memories of red, white and pink carnations. He and I had only been seeing one another for about seven (7) months. He knew which flower was my favorite but could not remember which color. In an effort to get it right, he presented me with a Valentines Day card and a small can of carnation milk—a drawing of red, white and pink carnations being right on the label.

Tell her just how sweet she is to you with the Tickle Me Pink carnations arrangement.

One random day the next fall I walked him to his car to say goodbye. Here he remembered the three pink carnations that he’d snatched for me when he learned that his mother’s shop was refreshing their selection of fresh flowers. It was this random event that burned into my memory how much he thinks of me even in the little things. For this and so many other reasons I can look at him and say “I’ll never forget you” the way the meaning of his pink carnations gift spoke to me.

The next Valentine’s Day went just as smoothly because by then he had quite a grasp on which carnations were special to me. He presented me with a bouquet of pink carnations and another sweetly worded card. I still have those flowers and the card in a box with the can of Carnation milk and other valuable objects from our years together.

I can’t make your own flower memories for you but I can say that the flower meanings of carnations go a long way toward sending the right message to your sweetheart. Not a floral designer by trade? It’s ok. Do what I do and contact your local florist to help create a carnation arrangement that speaks the words your heart can’t find the strength to say.

The love of my life is a Virgo. I find him charming and unique but often have trouble finding charming and unique birthday gifts. My love shares a birthday with my mother which makes finding two unique gifts even more of an adventure. Thankfully for all with multiple Virgo birthdays, I have discovered the solution.

A flower arrangement designed with forget-me-nots, gladiolus, and violets will make any woman feel incredibly special. When I explain to my mother that her chrysanthemum gift is actually in line with her astrological sign, she will appreciate the creativity it took to select an arrangement and enjoy having something beautiful to lighten up her home.

My sweetie’s gift is a bit trickier but I hope this will help all women needing a clever gift for men. Celebrating both our anniversary and his birthday during the Virgo period between August 22 and September 22, a unique gift will help make both occasions feel special and fun. Very few men expect to receive flowers on their birthdays, anniversaries, or at any other time. Adding a dash of whimsy to the day by having a zodiac flowers arrangement delivered is certain to spice up the conversation around the dinner table. Be careful! Make sure your fellow has an easy-going sense of humor because jovial jabs at work are just as likely to follow.

For Virgo men and women with children, selecting arrangements or small flowers with which to decorate a home are a fabulous treat for parents. Planting or decorating with flowers alongside a giggling child makes a birthday an even more special and enjoyable day. I know that our daughter will be thrilled to play in the dirt with her father. I can already hear her chipper laugh as he lifts her by her waist to hang a potted arrangement near our porch swing. I share these same memories with my grandmother and my heart melts with joy when I dream about those simple moments together. Besides, in his mind, it’s one less thing for him to mow.

Visit your local florist today and design the astrological flowers arrangement that is right for your Virgo!

Violets for my Virgo

Gladiolus are a beautiful and unique gift idea!

Welcome to Wyoming! How can you not feel warm and fuzzy inside when even the official Wyoming State website declares "Wyoming Welcomes You" in flowing bold letters? There is so much to love about Wyoming but part of the beauty of the state is found in the natural wonder of rolling mountains, streaming rivers, and handsome natural attractions at every glance.

Remaining true to these natural roots, Wyoming adopted the Indian paintbrush (Castilleja linariifolia) as the official state flower in 1917. The Indian paintbrush is a vibrant, gorgeous and colorful flower that shoots from the earth with fiery red determination which definitely explains why it's often called Prairie-Fire. Indian paintbrush make quality additions to gardens, bold additions to home décor, and are sure to add a bold pop to a boring day.

Castilleja linariifolia may be difficult to say but you won't have to worry about that when gazing at Indian paintbrush with your beloved because these brilliant wildflowers leave you speechless! For fiery personalities that love to stand out in the crowd, wow them by complimenting their flair for brilliance with an arrangement inspired by the bold colors of Indian paintbrush from a Wyoming florist or contact your local florist to create something that dazzles the eyes and warms the heart.

I was digging around to see if any of our florists in Torrington, Wyoming could help me gather Indian Paintbrush for my garden when I ran across this fantastic picture. Enjoy!

Gorgeous natural Wyoming Indian Paintbrush

Photo provided by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center of the University of Texas at Austin.

Fiddling with the zodiac signs to create an awesome gift idea can be loads of fun. I have several special occasions to celebrate in August so gift ideas run short as July winds to a close. Thankfully for all, my father has reached the age where it is forbidden for another year to mention his fifty-something birthday. The good people in my family still like to make everyone feel special on their birthday so we tend to sneak-attack him with a gift that he can't refuse; all the while chocking it up to a random present or involving my family in the celebration of my anniversary (also the 28th).

I struggle to find a flower arrangement that will satisfy the rugged tastes of the men in my life but the brilliant thing about fathers is that it truly is the thought that counts. For many years my father would send a single carnation to my sister and me on Valentines Day. Because of this, last year I sent him a single carnation along with his favorite John Wayne movie newly printed onto DVD. We'd both seen "El Dorado" at least one hundred times and a single flower is kind of boring alone. However, it was the understood memories of both that made Daddy forget the law against celebrating his birthday and enjoy the day with his family.

This year is a bit different. I've decided to do for Dad's birthday what I did for my mother but with an extra special touch. I looked up the birth month flowers for August which are gladiolas and poppy. Not wanting to give poppy to my pappy this year, I asked my local florist if she could create a very manly arrangement using gladiolus as the focal flowers. This will be easy because the flower meanings of gladiolus are strength of character, sincerity and generosity. My father embodies these qualities better than most. Gladiolus are also the flower of the gladiators. Who doesn't think of their father as the strongest man in the world?

Because my father loves certain war medals, I ebayed my heart out until I found the one that he talks about almost incessantly. My florist June and I have discussed a wonderful arrangement that includes his favorite medal amidst a batch of his birth month flowers. This year I'm absolutely certain that August will be a month of surprises and one that Dad will enjoy with us again. I'm hoping that he'll forget the young-at-heart 50+ and become like a kid again when he sees his unique birthday gift.