Flowers are romantic, and they are one of those gifts that every woman longs to receive. When you aren’t quite sure what to give that special someone, flowers, although more fleeting than something practical like a book or a scarf, or even jewelry, light up a woman’s life like nothing else. In fact, when I was first married, my husband (completely clueless about such things) one day arrived with a half-dead bouquet from the grocery store. I made such a delighted fuss over them (even though they were dropping their wilted petals as I was placing them in a vase), that he regularly brought me flowers after that (and years later, he still does). Flowers have a special power, and they light up your life as well as decorate and scent your home.
When you’re thinking about what to give someone special this holiday season, perhaps the most powerful and lasting impression you can make, is with a gift of flowers. Before I forget, if you are a woman wondering if you should send flowers to a man, know that they like them too! In fact, after all the times my husband gave me flowers, he has said that one of the most memorable surprises he received from me was a beautiful arrangement of rare flowers that I had delivered to his office one day, “just because.”
It isn’t always practical to hand-deliver flowers. And at holiday time, it’s nice to be able to avoid stores, and just go to a web site and order. Companies like Teleflora have user-friendly and easy to navigate web sites showing all the potential arrangements, details and options. They make it very easy to order. When you first click on a link, thing that will strike you is that there are so many options, but you can quickly narrow then down by price and occasion.
For example, Leather and Lace Advice was sent an all-white arrangement that I think works for just about every personality and decor, called the Teleflora Peace & Joy Bouquet, but you can order it in various sizes and add balloons as well, if you wish. Here you see the one we received which is the standard size ($49.95) but there is also a Deluxe ($59.95) and a Premium ($69.95) which obviously adds more flowers. You can also add Mylar Balloons, Stuffed Animals and even Chocolates to your gift. Just keep in ind that while the base price is affordable, adding the extras plus shipping might give you some sticker shock. The good news is that the arrangements aren’t skimpy, and you’d be proud to send even the standard size, as it is really impressive.
My experience with Teleflora was positive. When you place an order, it gets sent to a florist who is in the vicinity of the recipient of the gift. I got a polite phone call from the delivery service a few hours before the arrangement was supposed to arrive alerting me that I was going to get a floral delivery. I was asked when would be a convenient time, and since I have 24-hour doormen it wasn’t an issue, but the flowers arrived within an hour. The arrangement was well tagged, nicely wrapped in cello wrap with a card, and nestled securely into a shopping bag.
The Peace & Joy Bouquet is a limited edition, exclusive to Teleflora and we love this one for the holidays. For starters, white goes with just about everyone’s decor, and white reminds us of snow, Winter, the holiday season. In other words, white is chic, and it’s festive. The bouquet is arranged in a large, mirrored silver cube that can be re-used for flowers, or for storing something else. But it’s the flowers inside that really count. Depending upon what the local florist has that is fresh, the assortment might vary slightly (our arrangement was missing the white carnations, for example), but this elegant holiday bouquet includes white roses, white Asiatic lilies, white carnations and white button spray chrysanthemums and an assortment of greenery.
The photos below are of the actual Teleflora Peace & Joy bouquet I received (no white carnations). Also, the photo of the bouquet on the website is most likely the Deluxe or the Premium size, but as you can see, the standard size that I received would still make a lovely centerpiece or a great gift.
Flowers, herbs, and trees have symbolic meanings for weddings that stem back to Medieval times but it was the buttoned-up society of the Victorian era that really used flowers to say what they didn’t dare utter. For example, someone sending a bouquet with syrian marrow could mean “I am consumed by love,” daisies could mean , “I share your sentiment” ... and so forth. Many books were written on the language of flowers, and that traditional continues today. But there are mixed meanings, depending upon what book you read. Of course you can send a floral arrangement like the Teleflora Joy & Peace Bouquet, and not send any secret messages with it, but if you want to have a little fun, you can use it as an opportunity to send a special message to that special someone.
In this all-white Teleflora Joy & Peace Bouquet there are:
White Roses: they represent innocence and purity and are traditionally associated with marriages and new beginnings. But arrangements containing white roses are also used to remember past loves, and as an expression of remembrance. Is there someone you’ve been thinking of that you want to remember at holiday time
White Chrysanthemums : they represent truth and honesty, and they are also a symbol of good luck in the home. Is there someone you want ensure has a very happy and prosperous new year?
White Carnations: they represent innocence, faithfulness, sweet and lovely, pure love, ardent love, good luck. They also represent the strength of motherhood. Is there a mother-to be or a mother or grandmother you want to delight his holiday season?
White Asiatic Lilys: these represent purity, modesty, virginity, majesty and they also can send the message “it’s heavenly to be with you.” Is there someone whose company you love, and you want to let them know?
This is just a small sampling of the types of flowers and their meanings. But the point is, whether you’re sending flowers as a gift of decoration, or a gift of emotion, they’re both gifts from the heart, appropriate for virtually everyone on your list. To learn more and to order, visit http://www.teleflora.com or call:800-835-3356
*Editor’s Note: Sending flowers is easy and fun, but there are a few things to remember: Don’t order anything perishable if you know that person may be out of town (you can always check to see what their schedule is going to be, without giving your intent, away). Plan the delivery date, although for an extra fee you can usually get same day delivery. If your recipient has pets or small children who might want to put the petals in their mouths, keep in mind that some flowers and plants could be toxic. The ASPCA ha an extensive list of plants and flowers that are non-toxic and toxic to pets on their website. The Canary Zoo also has a very extensive list of toxic plants and flowers that includes those potentially dangerous to humans. If you are sending flowers or plants to someone of a different culture, you might also want to check symbolism and color choice, because some send a positive message in some cultures and not in others. To learn more and to order, visit http://www.teleflora.com or call:800-835-3356 . You can also directly call your local Teleflora florist, which you can find at www.findaflorist.com. For readers looking for same day delivery, orders must be received before 3:00 pm, Monday – Friday and before 12:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays in the recipient’s time zone. Orders received after that time may be delivered the following day. Everything is 100% hand-arranged, hand-delivered by a neighborhood florist and nothing is dropped shipped, in other words, the flowers never arrive in a box for your recipient to have to arrange.
This report was written by Alison Blackman Dunham, aka. “Lace”
Follow Us!