Flower Factor: A Lifestyle Blog From Aboutflowers.com

Celebration Boutonniere Stamp

In my career, I have designed flowers for many different occasions large and small, happy and sad. I’ve created flowers to say “I’m sorry,” “I love you” and sometimes just “Wow.” I approached holidays, weddings, birthdays and funerals, creating an appropriate design for each one, thousands and thousands of them over the years. Recently, I had the opportunity to create a floral design for something I had never done before — a U.S. postage stamp. 

The plan was to show a coordinating boutonnière and corsage with a natural look featuring soft colors and textures for a wedding on a pair of stamps. As the project developed, the theme broadened to “Celebration” to encompass all occasions for wearing flowers. A wedding, of course, is one such occasion, however there are many more: birthdays, anniversaries, proms, showers, retirements, graduations, promotions and honorary events, just to name a few.  Read More

When it comes to inspiration for 2017 weddings, there is one trend that is not just retro but also has a global influence. This growing “Boroccan” trend is the combination of the alternative lifestyle of Bohemian, which has been around for several years, with the rich ornate Moroccan culture. The modern Boho and the retro ’70s influence mix with this romantic Mediterranean culture and creates an explosion of eclectic patterns, textural glass and votive collections that are influenced by the rich vibrant culture of Morocco.  Read More

When planning flowers for their weddings, one of the most overlooked details by brides is the corsage. In years past, the corsage held an important role in weddings, adorning the wrists and shoulders of the mothers of the bride and groom, grandmothers, special guests, even the bride herself could be found wearing a beautiful corsage. With changing traditions and trends, the corsage, which was all but forgotten, is making a comeback. The options for flowers-to-wear for weddings is better and more beautiful than ever.

The traditional wrist corsage can now include keepsake-worthy jewelry made specifically so that your professional florist can easily add the flowers of your choice, which can later be removed, leaving a beautiful bracelet to wear over and over again.  Read More

During the Society of American Florists’ Outstanding Flower Varieties Competition last September, a panel of floral experts evaluated 184 types of flowers during one of the floral industry’s biggest flower competitions. They awarded 11 “Best in Class” ribbons to the flowers that earned top marks in their category, such as best rose or best carnation. Earlier, we looked at five of them, including the Best in Show and People’s Choice pick. Here is a look at three more. This is the second in a three-part series.

Best Potted Flowering Plant: African violets make delightful gifts for any occasion. ‘Ingrid’ is hailed as the “start of a new generation” of African violets. The judges adored its perfect pink, semi-double flowers and its full, lush leaves.

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For floral table decor, bridal bouquets, floral jewelry and more, go gaga for the Pantone Color of the Year 2017 “Greenery.” This choice is so versatile and complementary to so many other floral color palette inspirations. Pantone describes Greenery as “a refreshing and revitalizing shade, symbolic of new beginnings.” Florists are excited to see this color hit the forefront, as green is a way to add freshness and impact to floral designs.

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