Flower Factor: A Lifestyle Blog From Aboutflowers.com

It’s back to school time, which means football games, pep rallies, parades and homecoming. For many high school students, this much-anticipated day is the first big social event of the school year. For college students and alumni, the big game and the many social events surrounding homecoming are an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and celebrate the big game.

Flowers have long held a place in the homecoming celebration. From the “football mums” for sprit week, lush bouquets of flowers for the queen and her court to the corsages and boutonnières for the dance, homecoming is in full autumn bloom.

Depending on where you reside in the country, your homecoming rituals may vary, but one consistent component is flowers. And really, what better way to show off school sprint than with corsages, football mums and roses?

Let’s take a closer look of some the staples when it comes to homecoming flowers.  Read More

Shutterstock image courtesy of Michael Skaff.

A fun way to preserve the colors and textures of summer and bring them indoors is with dried flowers. You can dry and preserve your own garden beauties or go to a local florist and choose your favorite blooms in a variety of colors. An easy crafting idea is to highlight the flowers in frames and use as wall décor, adding interest, texture, and color to spots in your home.

Drying flowers is easier than you may think. Here are four popular ways to dry flowers.  Read More

This year’s Art In Bloom at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts had some amazing displays. Floral designers paired works of art with tropical flowers. Another interpreted a black-and-white modern painting with flowers. There was even a floral arrangement designed differently on two sides to complement a Reliquary Figure.

And there was one floral design that wasn’t paired with a specific work of art — it literally mimicked art. “Flowers in Frame” by Paeonia Designs simulates a painting.

This floral design works so well on many levels. Check out what’s behind the frame:  Read More

The fusion of floral designs with other types of art is celebrated in museums across the country with “Art in Bloom” exhibits. Art in Bloom originated in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1976. I love going to the exhibit every year. Here are some pieces from this year’s Art in Bloom at the MFA.

When you go to Art In Bloom, you never know what masterpieces will be paired with flowers. Will it be a bowl decorated by Jackson Pollock?

“Flight of Man” by Jackson Pollock interpreted with flowers by the Spade and Trowel Garden Club of Andover.

Or perhaps models of boats created by ancient Egyptians will inspire a floral designer.  Read More

Each year, creative people wait for Pantone to announce its “color of the year.” For 2017, the color is “Greenery,” a lovely shade of fresh leaf green. At first, I thought the name greenery unimaginative, kind of boring, but I soon realized that for this year, the name not only depicts a color but also a state of mind.

As technology occupies more and more of our time and space, and the world talks of robots that can pretty much take the place of humans, we find ourselves being drawn more and more toward things that are natural, part of a world that is not manufactured or controlled by electronics. But we take it even further to appreciating simple forms, such as leaves and vines. We have always loved flowers and still do, but now the simple motif of a fern leaf brings us joy and comfort, energizing us at the same time.

We see this translated in design on many levels, such as fashion and home interiors. Fern prints are in demand and “Greenery” painted furniture and home accessories are popping up everywhere. I saw the most gorgeous pair of “Greenery” shoes with all kinds of jewelry to coordinate.  Read More