Fine Flowers Blog by bbrooks » The Art of Giving

Olivier’s Book

barbera — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:06:06 +0000

Olivier Guigni’s recently released, inspiring book, Living Art (Scribners) is refreshing…. He shows how flowers can and should just fit in our every day lives and not just reserved for extravagant occasions. One of my all time favorites (see below) has been the way Olivier uses huge tropical (and pliable) philodendron leaves to wrap flowers. Makes me imagine this is what a ‘flower-burrito’ would look like.

It is fitting that the forward is by Cathernine Deneuve because like her, Olivier’s soul and artistry exude a relevant, quiet elegance. Congratulations Olivier! Your tasteful and talent-filled book will surely find its rightful place, nestled in the shelves right next to other floral innovators – icons like Madderlake, Ronaldo Maia, Tage Anderson and Daniel Ost.

Giving Back – With Flowers

Estelle Mays — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 21:15:52 +0000

This story caught my eye in Floral Management magazine, March 2010.

Two shops separated by over 2800 miles share the same idea of giving back to the community during these tough times. Rose Garden Florist in Barnegat, NJ and Twigs in Yerington, NV each give credit for their unique idea to a Flower Chat forum discussion last year, but, each shop has customized their approach of instigating a “travelling kindness bouquet”.

Every month or so, each shop sends out an estimated 5 bouquets ranging in price from $40 to $50. The original destination is randomly chosen and will vary, whether it be a nursing home, or police station, or a bank, or a hospital. Attached is a card which reads, “ This is a Travelling Kindness Bouquet. Please enjoy these flowers for the next hour, then pass then on them to someone who could use a little joy along with this note.”

These floral gifts have paid off for both shops – both in community-building returns and financially. The monthly cost is substantially less than any print advertising available to either shop and is delivered directly to potential future customer

We Knew it all Along – Flowers make us Feel Good !

Estelle Mays — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:07:48 +0000

According to behavioral research conducted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, nature provides us with a simple way to improve emotional health – flowers. The presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed.

A team of researchers explored the link between flowers and life satisfaction in a 10-month study of participants’ behavioral and emotional responses to receiving flowers. The results show that flowers are a natural and healthful moderator of moods.

1. Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness. All study participants expressed “true” or “excited” smiles upon receiving flowers, demonstrating extraordinary delight and gratitude. This reaction was universal, occurring in all age groups.

2. Flowers have a long-term positive effect on moods. Specifically, study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious and agitated after receiving flowers, and demonstrated a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction.

3. Flowers make intimate connections. The presence of flowers led to increased contact with family and friends.

“Flowers bring about positive emotional feelings in those who enter a room,” said Dr. Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Rutgers and lead researcher on the study. “They make the space more welcoming and create a sharing atmosphere.”

The full report and article can be found online at Society of American Florists.

“The Wonder Weeders” of Woodstock, NY

Estelle Mays — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:02:24 +0000

Here’s a great story of a group of six women who have bonded through gardening. One day a week, they set aside their own jobs to garden as a team at one of their homes, rotating every week so that each woman’s property gets the full benefit of their collective burst of labor and artistic vision. Each woman brings her individual skills to bear and the group is delighted to learn of other gardening co-ops, inspired by theirs, which have sprung up in their area – the idea taking hold like a felicitous invasive species.

The entire story written by by Susan Dominus can be found at www.realsimple.com.

Geranium Lake offers Flowers for Haiti

Estelle Mays — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:47:23 +0000

Member Florist Geranium Lake of Portland, Oregon, www.geraniumlake.com, stepped up and made a commitment! They donated 10% of all Valentines proceeds to Mercy Corps and their mission to help Haiti.

Blooming flowers are a universal symbol of renewal, friendship, and love. What better way to double your impact on those around you AND those who seem so far away!

Thank you Geranium Lake, for showing us that a little thought can go a long way.

Local Flora arrangements now available at Good Earth in Fairfax, CA

Estelle Mays — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:37:37 +0000

San Anselmo’s “green” florist Local Flora, www.marinflora.com, will provide beautiful California grown arrangements in a new small flower section at local Good Earth Natural Foods in Farifax, CA beginning Feb 10, 2010.

Why not take home a lovely artisanal arrangement to accompany your wonderful organic dinner items!

The Early Bird gets the best flowers! Valentine’s Day 2010

Estelle Mays — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:09:18 +0000

Photo courtesy of Birch San Francisco

Flowers remain one of the best and most affordable ways of celebrating Valentine’s Day. With the right ideas and flower arrangements, you really cannot go wrong! This year, Cupid’s arrow strikes on Sunday, Feb 14^th. Plan ahead and the rewards will be great!

Smart Move #1: Start the weekend off with a bang and enjoy the Love Fest for more than just one day! Have your flowers delivered on Friday or Saturday this year. If you really plan it right, you might just consider calling in sick on Monday! But- you didn’t hear that from me!

Smart Move #2: Include a 2^nd choice and a range of budget on your order request. This can sometimes be the key to a more efficient delivery of your floral order.

Smart Move #3: While Red Roses are thought of as the standard for reflecting your love and affection. Do not be afraid to “step outside the flower box” into the vast field of floral possibilities. Other gorgeous flowers usually available for this holiday are Amaryllis, Tulips, Cut Orchids stems, Double Cup Anthurium , in varying shades of Reds, Pinks and Whites, as well as, less traditional Valentine’s colors. With enough advance consideration, you can provide the object of your affections with an exquisite bouquet of unique quality flowers!

Smart Move #4: Consider having the floral arrangement delivered to your home or office and presenting them personally along with your own private romantic note and perhaps – a bottle of your favorite sparkling beverage or dare I say it – a promise to do the dishes for a whole month? Hey, Romance comes in various packages!

Smart Move #5: Quiet as it’s kept, many men love and appreciate flowers as much as women do! Don’t be afraid to send him a floral key to your heart!

Planning a romantic getaway? Keep in mind that bbrooks can provide high quality couture floral design service internationally as well as locally. Call us with any questions regarding your delivery request.

Visit our web site www.bbrooks.com or give us a call at 1-888-346-3356. Our Valentine’s Day experts look forwarding to assisting you with your orders!

The Art of Giving

Estelle Mays — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 18:36:58 +0000

Dear Reader, I Repeat: Pay AttentionIn my first post about the art of giving gifts, I told a tale on myself. I wrote about a simple gift – given to me by a near stranger – a gift subtle and powerful enough to spin me into full blown infatuation. I explained that the gift in question – a little bouquet of peach-toned roses – mimicked a flower I wore when I met the man who eventually gave me the present. The fact that he remembered the rose behind my ear a year later, and when we met again handed me a dozen identical blossoms, knocked me for total loop.Commenting on my post, a reader responded: “So the secret is peach-colored roses. Thanks for the inside information!” On reading the comment, my immediate response was, “D’oh! Men!!!” Okay, so my knee-jerk sexist response did nothing to further the cause of better gift-giving, but I had to wonder how he had managed to miss everything I wrote besides “peach-colored” and “roses”.So I say to him, “Yes Leonard, the secret to giving me a gift 20 years ago was peach colored roses.” But that said, one woman’s blindingly romantic rose may be another woman’s prosaic poison ivy. There is no one-size-fits-all present. Everyone’s taste is distinct. If anyone, male or female wants to give a gift that truly hits the mark, they need to pay attention to the target of their gifting.In the case of Carlo, my observant Italian friend, we spoke only briefly when we first met, but he was interested enough to remember the color of the flower in my hair, and rekindled the feeling of our first meeting with the bouquet he later gave me. The next time you have a floral gift to give, a bit of reflection and observation will set you in the right direction. Does this person dress in sharp, chic clothes? Here is a candidate for a simple, sophisticated arrangement. Have you seen her reading romance novels? Does she adore Jane Austen? A bouquet of old-fashioned roses or lilacs will do the trick.Is his home or office done in stark mid-century Modern or antique Asian? Orchids, my friend, send orchids.Without the clue of a flower behind my ear, Carlo would have had to conjecture carefully from other signals to give a gift as moving as the one he presented to me. But those signals come through loud and clear for all those interested enough to listen and pay close attention.

The Art of Gift Giving

Estelle Mays — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:55:27 +0000

On my list of “Most Romantic Gifts, Ever” the top contender is a small bunch of peach-colored roses, still in their convenience-store plastic sleeve.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m hardly a cheap date – I enjoy luxe goodies as much as the next girl. But this little bunch of flowers had me weak in the knees; not for their value, but for the thought behind this particular bouquet. The roses, a gift from a visiting Italian, were presented to me on the third day of a week-long visit from this fellow. We had met at a friend’s party the year before, and had chatted only briefly.

The following year, Carlo found himself on his way to California and asked if he could see me. I was interested, but I wasn’t sure how much. He wined and dined me on those first two days, and I chalked up his avid attention to generic Italian-male behavior. That is, until day three and the aforementioned posies.

We met before dinner that evening and he presented me with the roses. As we sat sipping our wine, I had a sudden realization -“These roses are the same color as the one I was wearing in my hair when we met”. Carlo looked me right in the eye and said simply, “I know”. And with that, the lightning bolt struck. From that moment, I was totally gaga, a mushy, smitten puddle of goo. This simple act told me that this man had noticed me, really noticed me, and a year later still held our first meeting clearly in his mind.

And that, dear reader, is the first crucial step in the art of gift giving. A good gift tells the recipient that you know them. The ideal present is anything but generic; it reflects the true tastes and interests of the giftee. And in order to find that gift, all you need to do is pay attention. That, or do some expert sleuthing…

To be continued