flower blog

Welcome summer by entering Flower Blog's monthly bouquet sweepstakes. Make a comment on any post this month and you'll be automatically entered. The winner for May will be picked on or around June 6. To see the official rules, visit http://www.teleflora.com/FLOWERBLOG/post/Feeling-lucky-Here's-your-chance-to-win-free-flowers!.aspx.    

Good luck, flower fans!
 

Whether his taste is classic or contemporary, the key to choosing flowers for a man to wear is to select blooms that reflect his personality. Here are some terrific tips from Marie Ackerman, who runs the Teleflora Education Center in Oklahoma City. Thanks, Marie!

The traditional boutonniere is a single flower pinned to a jacket lapel, often matching the lady the man is accompanying. One of the first flowers for this purpose was cornflowers; they were called “bachelor buttons.” Perfect flowers for a traditional boutonniere include the rose, carnation and stephanotis.


You can never go wrong with a single rose for a traditional boutonniere.

That said, the possibilities are endless so be creative. What about a feather with some beads, a small wreath of fresh herbs or a tiny British flag pin backed by a fresh English ivy leaf?

Always consider the guy who is wearing the flower when you select the flower. Some men won’t wear a pink flower – or something he considers too feminine.

Be sure to “size” the boutonniere to the guy – meaning you don’t select a full size flower for a 5-year-old ringbearer – it would look silly. Many flowers have miniature versions that can easily be used for this. The goal is to not have the boutonniere seen before the man.

Another way for a guy to wear flowers is a “pocket square” made of flowers. Flowers are glued onto a cardboard square and inserted in the outside pocket of a tux or suit (where a colorful handkerchief might be placed.)

For less formal events (like beach weddings), the groom or groomsmen might wear leis of flowers around the neck or even braided foliage or shells.

Use a pro. A Teleflora florist will prepare the flower/foliage, make sure it is hydrated and spray it with sealant to increase longevity. They will also reinforce the stem with wire and floral tape, which prevents the stem from staining the jacket lapel. Also, most florists will provide pins for wearing the boutonniere.
 

With weddings in full swing and Father’s Day just around the corner, it’s an ideal time to think about men and flowers.

First, in honor of Dad’s big day, Teleflora is teaming up with the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), to help raise funds for research. A portion of the sales proceeds from Teleflora’s new baseball-themed bouquets, Big Hit (see below) and Play Ball (bottom image) will go to the organization. Teleflora is also running its Triple Play sweepstakes June 1-26. The grand-prize is an all-expense-paid, three-day baseball journey for two, including tickets to two major league games, plus the chance to watch pre-game batting practice (retail value of $3,000).

I’ll talking more about this partnership and the contest in the next few weeks. And I have some great guest bloggers lined up to talk about raising awareness of prostate cancer, which strikes one out of six American men.

In the meantime, if you’re involved in planning a wedding or special event where men will be wearing boutonnieres, this is a chance to have fun and get creative. But don’t feel you have to wait for a big event. A boutonniere is also a super way to honor a special guy – Dad on Father’s Day – or taking your boyfriend out for dinner on his birthday. It tells the world something special is happening!

Nothing like the prospect of a long weekend to make people happy. Keep that upbeat vibe going with fresh flowers, which are scientifically proven to elevate moods. In research conducted by Rutgers University, study participants who received flowers showed a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction, and had more contact with family and friends.

For more information, visit: http://www.aboutflowers.com/health-benefits-a-research/emotional-impact-of-flowers-study.html.  

As we gear up to spend time with family and friends this Memorial Day, consider adding some red, white and blue flowers to your gatherings. It’s easy to pull together fun combos: red and white carnations in blue mugs. Or groupings of all-white, all-red and all-blue flowers; then dress them up with silver mylar or glitter-coated dried grass.

Remember that no matter what colors or combinations of flowers you choose, the key is getting the proportion of flowers to vase right. Be conservative when trimming the flowers because (of course) it’s a done deal once you snip!

Eyeball it, take a break and then decide if you need to cut more off the stems. The vase should be about one-third of the arrangement’s total height, so one-third vase and two-thirds flowers. But for round/fat vases, the ratio should be closer to 50:50.

When I’m buying cut flowers, I always buy more than I think I’ll need – it’s hard to estimate the exact amount and if you have a few extra, you can always pop a single stem in a champagne flute or olive oil bottle. If you experience any broken stems, just float the flower heads in a pretty bowl, then add some votive candles to dress up the look.

As always, your local Teleflora florist can provide fresh flowers at short notice and you can be sure they’ll be hand-arranged and hand-delivered. For Memorial Day, we have a great selection of bouquets that symbolize and express gratitude for those who have sacrificed for the sake of our country. What better way to pay tribute to these brave men and women?