10 Romantic Flower Tips for Valentine's Day 2011!

10 Romantic Flower Tips for Valentines Day 2011!

Tips from J Schwanke courtesy of Ubloom.com.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner… and Flowers are the Most Popular Choice for Expressing one’s LOVE!
I’m here to share my Expert Flower Advice for those in search of Hottest Trends, Greatest Experiences and Romantic Passion that Flowers are Sure to Provide!
1. Fragrant Flowers! There’s a Multitude of Fragrant Flowers to choose from …Roses that Smell Like Roses are all the Rage, Specifically Fragrant English Garden Roses! When you express your LOVE with Fragrant Flowers, You can’t go Wrong! Gardenias, Tuberose, Freesia, Carnations or Lilies provide creative alternatives and generate Memories that will last a lifetime.

2. Colored Roses! While Gentlemen can get stuck in a rut with RED Roses for Valentine’s Day… Studies by the Society of American Florists tell us that a majority of women would prefer ANY Color other than RED! That’s good News, since Red Roses are a premium and alternate colors could offer savings! If you really want to score… the SAF Study shares that Women prefer Peach/Orange Roses over any other color! Take Note Gents!

3. Deliver the Flowers YOURSELF! Over time we have turned over the BEST Aspect of Gifting flowers to the Professional Florist… I spent over a decade delivering Flowers in my family business. The BEST Part of Giving Flowers is seeing the reaction of the Recipient… (I got my share of hugs, smiles and few pecks on the cheek!)… So this year… Pick up your Flowers at your Professional Flower Seller and deliver them IN PERSON… that GREAT BIG HUG, Gentle Tear or Romantic Kiss can be yours to ENJOY First Hand!

4. Share the LOVE! Sure your Significant Other is going to get the BIG Gorgeous Flower Bouquet… remember to pick up a few stems for your Mom, Mother In Law, Grandparent or Friend! Share the LOVE with Everyone Special in your Life…they’ll never Forget that you Remembered!

5. SPRING Forward! Valentine’s Day is uniquely positioned to offer a Selection of Flowers that give us a GLIMPSE of Spring. A Pan of Daffodils or a Pot of Hyacinth (fragrant!) , are a perfect Gift because they herald a Preview of SPRING! With So Much SNOW this winter throughout the country… a Bulb plant can be enjoyed for weeks… and then planted in the garden to bloom again year after year…

6. The CARNATION Returns! Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray have both given their blessing to the Carnation and welcomed it back into FASHION! This Long Lasting, Fragrant (see #1), Colorful and INEXPENSIVE Flower is in Vogue again… with large textural flowers… and dozens of colors to choose from… you can be a Flower Fashionista by Choosing Carnations!

7. ASK for HELP! Forgo the 800 numbers or On Line Sellers of Flowers and hit up your LOCAL Professional Florist! ASK what’s NEW? Or Freshest? Or the Best Value? Your Local Florist will get you the FRESHEST Flowers, the Best Deal and Save you $$$… forgoing on-line service fees and percentages paid to wire services.

8. BE CAUTIOUS… and INVESTIGATE! Proudly my home state of Michigan was the FIRST State to outlaw FALSE Florist Listings! IE… Companies pretending to be LOCAL Florists and offering Toll Free numbers to Collect Flower Orders from unaware customers, charging fees and percentages to transfer the same Flower Orders to VALID Local Florists…Sick! Several States have joined Michigan in outlawing these False Listings! Hallelujah! So Do your homework and Contact a REAL Florist when placing your order… if you can’t walk in the store personally… use Google Maps and MAKE Sure there is ACTUALLY A Flower Shop Standing where you are Ordering Flowers! You’ll be Supporting Independent Business and Saving money at the same time!

9. USE the FLOWER FOOD! Every Flower Purchase comes with a Flower Nutrient Package. Use it! Mixed to the Manufacturers Specifications… the Flower Nutrients will make your flowers Last Much Longer, Enhance the Color and Fragrance and Keep your water Clean & CLEAR! Use the Package that comes with your Flowers… it’s Scientifically Designed TO WORK! Aspirin, Pennies, Soda, and Bleach are urban legends… USE The Flower FOOD for OUTSTANDING Results!

10. Know Your Flowers! Ask where your Flowers come from? Are they LOCAL Grown? Do the Farms Participate in Sustainable Practices? Are they Certified Woman Owned? (they can be!!) Look for Labels that INSURE you’re making good Decisions. “CA Grown” & “Veriflora”, identify leaders in Responsible Flower Farming! There are lots of Choices when it comes to Flowers…Ask Questions, Get Informed… Make sure YOU Know that you are supporting Farms that Grow Flowers with Passion and CARE!



Our Lives should be Filled with Flowers… Flowers provide Happiness, Wellness, Creativity and above all LOVE! This Valentine’s Day Choose Flowers… Nature’s way of Saying “I Love YOU!”


J Schwanke is a 4th Generation Florist, the Flower Expert and Host of JTV on uBloom.com! His life is filled with Flowers and he shares his passion for Flowers daily through his blog, web-based TV show, Social Media and Public Appearances!