Southern Mama

Usually not available until the last week of May into the first weeks of June, this year we are in luck; the peonies are flowering early- and just in time for Mother’s Day!  Peonies offer a variety of focal colors and pops in different ranges of pinks, corals, and fuchsias. Different peony types allow versatility in design style and compliment an array of atmospheres. Single, double, Japanese, anemone, semi-double, and bomb double blooms smell exquisite and upgrade any design to high end.

Peonies Perfection

Peonies, whose in some legends name is derived form the Greek god Paeon, grow herbaceous from zone 3-8. Globally these beauties pop up in China, Japan, Europe and North America. They are used in the eastern and western worlds for ornamental and medicinal purposes.

To celebrate the early blooming season and Mother’s Day weekend, Boulder Blooms is offering some beautiful designs with peonies as focals.

English Country

This week we also offered an array of stunning premium flowers. Some more exotic and interesting flowers included tuberose, birds of paradise, gypsy dianthus, gladioli, and agapanthus, a personal favorite. Paired with seasonal fillers such as boronia, wax flower, rice flower, and heathers, these arrangements were sure to wow.

Pin-Cushion Pillow

Business is interesting in the trends that customers, independent from each other, will order with such similar wishes.  Low, high style, and limited greens were some of the desires our clients had this week.

Possibly it was the first tulips sprouting on Pearl Street, or the blossoms blooming on the forsythia bushes and plum trees.  Either one, keep ‘em coming! The fresher the customer’s idea, the more enthusiastic we are to create something one of a kind and gorgeous for the people we love!

Here’s some of our largest, most stunning arrangements of the week:

Each bride that stopped by our Boulder Blooms display received an adorable narcissus bulb resting on river rocks in a glass vase. One lucky bride received the grand prize, a free bridal bouquet! We all threw our hands in the air and celebrated with her.

Our exhibit included several cutting-edge bridal bouquets, centerpieces, and attendant bouquets. Consulting personally with each bride that stopped by, the trends of what we see for 2012 became evermore clear.

Soft romance with touches of nature and pops of color took center stage. Eve’s Bouquet was one of the most popular at our display, with the natural greens of roses, Leucadendron, geranium foliage, spider chrysanthemums, green hypericum, Brezilia berries, birch branches, and artichokes. Accents of feathers and twine nests brought the bouquet back to nature.

Juliet’s Bouquet played to the brides looking for soft romance in traditional Victorian colors with a modern approach. Juliet garden roses, powder pink spray roses, and wax flower with accents of phaleonopsis orchids drew in several brides to take a closer look.

Succulents, peonies, and peacock blue were components that came up several times throughout the day. It’s important to note for brides-to-be that peonies have a small time frame of availability during peak season: the end of May and the first two weeks of June.

Walking our brides through the steps we take to ensure their perfect day is draped in flowers, we arranged dozens of complimentary consultations in the weeks to come! If you couldn’t make this wonderful event and are still interested in consulting with a floral designer regarding your wedding, don’t hesitate to call– we can squeeze you in!

This week’s surprise… Come into Boulder Blooms for a free bouquet of Irises!

Are you recently engaged and looking to tie the knot in beautiful Colorful Colorado? Be sure to check out local upcoming events for brides(and grooms)-to-be.

The 15th Annual Boulder Wedding Showcase hosted by Rembrandt Yard & Boulder Theater welcomes you right here in Boulder, Colorado January 29, 2012. Over fifty venders, including photographers, caterers, venue coordinators, and floral designers will be attending to showcase what they can offer to make your big day that much more special, including Boulder’s very own Boulder Blooms! Educational and informative, this event will showcase new ideas for cutting edge styles and contemporary trends for the upcoming wedding season. If you’re fresh into the engagement and still have plenty of time before the big day, at least stop by and sample some free food from various local catering companies.

Photograph courtesy of www.estesparkweddings.com

For couples interested in marrying in Colorado, there is no place more beautiful than in the Rockies. Estes Park Wedding Association invites future brides to the 4th Annual Bridal Crawl, Sunday March 4, 2012. This event aims to showcase the different venues Estes Park offers. On this day only get a glimpse of what your wedding could look like as the venues will be set up wedding ready. Spend the day traveling around Estes Park with other brides-to-be, meeting photographers, caterers, and coordinators in the beautiful Rockies.

Photograph courtesy of The Stanley Hotel

Brides will begin the morning at the historic Stanley Hotel with a continental breakfast then proceed to board a bus for a day full of fun on a tour of different Estes Park venues. Registration also enters you in a drawing for a chance to win a grand prize. Register before February 20 and enter for your chance to win in an early registration drawing. Space is limited. Registration deadline is February 29. Hope to see you there!

This Week’s Surprise: 

Come into Boulder Blooms for a free bunch of tulips or have them delivered for $25 (valid for deliveries in Boulder Proper)!

Boulder Blooms’ tulip care tips:

• Remove the foliage that would be under water and clean out the dirt that might get stuck around the creases of stem and leaves

• Use clean vases and fresh, cold water

• Recut the stems every couple of days and change the water frequently

• Keep them in a cool room out of direct sunlight for longevity

• Tulips are known for their continuously changing stems, so watch as they continue to grow towards the light even after being cut

For more information on tulip care, check out the Big Y: http://www.bigy.com/content/flrl/prep/care_cuttulips.php

Tulip History and Symbolism:

“Originally from Persia and Turkey, tulips were brought to Europe in the 16th century, where they got their common name from the Turkish word for gauze (with which turbans were wrapped) – reflecting the turban-like appearance of a tulip in full bloom. By the 17th century, the popularity of tulips, particularly in the Netherlands, became so great that the price of a single bulb soared to new heights, causing markets to crash and putting into motion “tulip mania.”

Different tulip colors carry distinct meanings:

Yellow tulips symbolizing cheerful thoughts

White conveying forgiveness

Purple representing royalty

The 11th wedding anniversary flower, it’s said that the tulip’s velvety black center represents a lover’s heart, darkened by the heat of passion. With the power to rival roses in their red variety and the sweet charm to express simple joy when yellow, it’s no wonder that in addition to all its other symbolism, in the language of flowers, a tulip bouquet represents elegance and grace.

This Week’s Surprise… (01/09/2012 – 01/16/2012)

Come into Boulder Blooms for a free bunch of tulips or have them delivered for $25 (valid for deliveries in Boulder Proper)!

Join Boulder Blooms at our new sister store, Art of the Flower, for a Floral Art show on December 10th at 4:00.

Art of the Flower is located right next to The Sink on The Hill in Boulder at 1165 13th Street.

The show will be up from December 10th through December 12th.

We will have live music, hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at our reception on the 10th!

Through Wednesday September 15th, Boulder Blooms and Art of the Flower will be contributing 10% of every order to victims of the Fourmile Fires. 

Donations will be made to Foothills United Way a local organization with a fund to directly aid local residents.