The holidays are coming, and with them, the many opportunities to share your time with family and friends. One of the things I like to do this is get together and make holiday flower arrangements for our homes. It’s not about perfection, rather it’s a chance to take a moment and slow down and simply savor the beauty of the season. So, whether you’re pulling together a whimsical bouquet for the kitchen island or wowing with traditional elegance at the dining room table, here are a few quick and no-stress tabletop décor tips to try this season.

Want to keep things food-centered and fun? A group of simple vases of different sizes, filled with alternating rows of fresh cranberries and limes are not only easy, but the kids can help too! Place them along a buffet, and add a few candles to help pull it all together. Or, take that pumpkin you didn’t get around to carving at Halloween, cut off the top and place your floral centerpiece inside. Make sure your flowers are in a water-tight vessel — otherwise you might end up with an unexpected mess!

Break away from the traditional holiday hues and get colorful! Casual chic is easily obtained with some vibrantly hued Whole Trade® roses, stems cut short and placed in a ceramic baking dish or glass Mason jar.A low profile centerpiece like this helps keep your table merry without taking up valuable real estate needed for that bowl of sweet potatoes!

Ornamental branches, such as pumpkin trees, are great as added bits of texture and charm with pre-made arrangements and centerpieces. Or, place bunches of red ilex berries in a large vase for a simple yet dramatic display. Try some Whole Trade orange asiatic lilies paired with sprigs of rosemary to add a wonderfully subtle hint of fragrance that won’t clash with the other holiday aromas wafting through the kitchen.

A vase can be a jar, a centerpiece can be a group of varietal squash and leaves, and a rose can still be, well, a rose! Whatever you prefer, there are lots of ways to make your table look great without much fuss and leave you with plenty of time to swap stories over that last slice of pumpkin pie.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner (Sunday, May 8^th this year), and as you start planning the perfect day for mom, don’t forget the flowers! Of course, there are many ways to let mom know she’s special — whether it’s a handmade card or breakfast in bed (to name just a few). And here in the floral office, we think a bright and cheerful array of flowers, made just for her, is definitely one gift as unique as she is!

Now don’t be intimidated —you don’t need any experience to make a beautiful arrangement. All you need is a clean vase or container full of fresh water (we love to use mason jars), a sharp pair of scissors and your fresh flowers. There are a ton of great options to choose from, but here are just a few of our team’s favorite ways to mix and match for a quick and easy (yet lovely) arrangement.

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Mother Nature is gearing up for a wardrobe change as we head into the holidays, and so are many of our stores! This year, as in years past, our trees are fresh from the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 10 miles southeast of Sparta, North Carolina, and grown by family-owned and operated Bottomley Evergreens & Farms. Our stores* will have Fraser Fir trees available for guests to choose from in the hunt for the perfect holiday tree… are you ready?

Did you know that Fraser Firs are one of the most popular choices when it comes to bringing home a fresh tree for the holidays? With a dark green color, full shape, classic aroma, and excellent needle retention, no wonder the Fraser Fir holds onto all that glitz and glam so well!  What’s your favorite reason for choosing a real tree? I think mine is that a well cared for tree can last up to three or four weeks, and who doesn’t love having that smell fill the air?

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When it comes to celebrating the pastoral perfection of the early summer blooms, peonies often herald the warmer months’ arrival. As any flower grower will tell you, these highly sought after treasures enjoy a brief yet spectacular season. Typically starting in the last week of April to the first week of May (depending on when Mother Nature makes the call), peonies make their final appearance by mid to late June. With their lush petals, light fragrance and sense of rustic luxury, these blossoms have cemented their place in the hearts of brides, moms and floral devotees everywhere!

One of our partners in bringing these splendid blooms to you is the Van Staalduinen family at The Terra Ceia Farms. In 1938, Leendert Van Staalduinen left Holland with his wife, Cornelia, and their ten children. After a five-year stay in Ontario, Canada due to war-time immigration policies, their paperwork was finally in order and in 1943, the family arrived in Pantego where they established The Terra Ceia Farms. This part of North Carolina was originally known as dense swampland and literally translates as “heavenly earth” — all that decaying organic matter made for ideal growing conditions. Now in the hands of the 3rd generation, brothers Carl, Mark and Casey Van Staalduinen have watched their family business grow to include 1250 acres devoted to row crops, and 250 acres devoted to cut flowers and nursery bulbs.

Our friends in the peony business aren’t just on the east coast but spread throughout the United States — Van der Salm Bulb Farms located in Woodland, Washington; Holland America Flowers in Nimpo, California; and Star Valley Farms in Madison, Wisconsin, just to name a few. Each farm, regardless of location, takes great care to ensure that their peonies are packed with their customers’ enjoyment in mind.

There is still time to take pleasure in the fleeting beauty of spring… but it won’t be long before the heat of summer comes calling, and more sturdy (though no less beautiful) flowers take their place in the limelight!

As we roll into March, warmer weather finally seems within reach, and an infamously petite blossom starts vying for our attention. Author Gertrude S. Wister was quoted as saying: “The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.” Daffodils most certainly deserve their place in this declaration; as the birth-flower for March, they are oftentimes the first bulb seen coming up from the frosty ground. Traditional wisdom implies that to ensure happiness, always give daffodils in a bunch, as they are an emblem of luck and future prosperity. Read the rest of this entry »

Is it just me, or is it starting to feel like winter is really trying to stick around this year? I know the conversation around my dinner table seems to constantly have the phrase “I’m so tired of being cold” thrown in at some point…but being a Native Texan, I think I’m just spoiled. Luckily, my job allows for the occasional side-trip into another season altogether. Regardless of what Mother Nature is brewing up, I’m typically living about six weeks to ten weeks in the future. So while it’s looking pretty miserable outside my office window right now, I’ve got a true campaigner for spring on my mind…tulips! Read the rest of this entry »