A good indicator of when it might be appropriate to send flowers would be to consider his favorite occasions for sending them. Does he send flowers for birthdays, or perhaps as a thank you? Don't forget that no reason is often the best reason!
Just as women love receiving flowers for no reason at all, a surprise floral gift will surely catch his attention too.
Men are stimulated by color and are visually oriented. Research shows that men prefer vivid colors such as yellow, orange and red.
Flower arrangements that are contemporary, linear styles or natural styles are best. Other favorites might include green or flowering plants.
Tell your florist that you want flowers for a man and ask for specific suggestions. If your recipient has a hobby, perhaps you could highlight that. For example, if he is a golfer, tuck in a box of golf balls. If he is into cars, add an auto magazine or two. Your florist can offer creative suggestions for flowers that are sure to please.
Don't worry if you are not familiar with the names of the thousands of flowers available. By following these simple tips from the Society of American Florists, you can order flowers with confidence:
Whether sending flowers across the country or around the corner, your florist provides the expertise, convenience and service today's on-the-go consumers are looking for.
Key factors to remember include: changing the water frequently, each time re cutting the stems and using warm water mixed with a flower food (floral preservative) and keeping your flowers in a cool room out of direct sunlight. For guaranteed success follow these simple steps:
As an alternative to commercial floral preservatives, make your own by dissolving 4 heaping teaspoons of cane sugar and 2 tablespoons of white distilled vinegar in one quart of warm water. Another sample mix that really does work for many types of flowers is to use the soft drink Sprite diluted with an equal part of water.
For centuries, the practice of drying and pressing flowers has served a number of purposes, from botanical studies to artistic expression to simple remembrance. A pressed flower is like a photograph, recalling times and places long passed. Dried and pressed flowers can be used for a number of fun floral crafts or cherished as personal keepsakes. If you're looking to preserve your favorite blooms, there are many different methods of drying and pressing flowers available for both novices and experts alike. From building your own flower press to drying flowers in the microwave, we've complied a number of ways you can help your flowers last forever.
The fresher your flowers, the better they will press. Be sure to properly condition your flowers by ensuring they are adequately hydrated, which can be done easily by following our cut flower care tips. Whether you press your flowers immediately or after a few days in a vase, you want to make sure that they are in good condition. Remove any wilted petals or curled leaves, and if you haven't already done so, carefully remove any stamens with pollen that may stain your flower. For many of the methods below, slight flaws or bruises on your flowers will become more obvious after drying. This can add to the individual charm of your pressed flowers and be quite unique, but if you're looking to create perfectly preserved flowers, start with as perfect a bloom as you can find. You want your flower to be dry to the touch, but still firmly hydrated before you begin the pressing process. Depending on the method of drying you choose, thicker flowers may be more difficult to press and might not dry as thoroughly, so consider taking the flower apart before pressing and then reassembling the petals with glue after they have been dried. Thinner flowers dry faster, and the faster a flower dries, the better its color will be preserved.
Hanging flowers is the easiest, least involved way of drying flowers. Instead of using pressure to squeeze the moisture out of flowers, you rely on air to carry the moisture away. Simply rubber band your flowers together, tie a string around the rubber band, and hang them upside down in a dark, dry, airy place where they will not be disturbed. This method generally takes about four weeks, and while keeping your drying flowers in the dark will help preserve the color, blooms generally darken during air drying. Works well with roses, baby's breath, lavender, and thistles, but hang drying is not recommended for carnations.
One of the most popular methods for drying flowers is to put them under pressure, to basically squeeze the moisture out while leaving the flower's color and structure largely intact. There are several ways to apply pressure to flowers, from placing them in heavy books to purchasing a professional flower press. Here are some guidelines for pressing flowers the traditional way:
A desiccant is simply a substance with a high affinity for water which can be used as a drying agent. Silica gel is probably the best choice, although it is expensive. A less pricey alternative is to use fine builder's sand (silica sand) or clean, fine beach sand. Simply place your flowers in a container with about two inches of the desiccant on the bottom, and then carefully sift in more of the drying agent until your flowers are securely supported and completely covered by at least a quarter inch of the material. Simple, flat flowers can be placed face down, but all other flowers should have their open side facing upwards so that the drying agent can be gently sifted in among the petals. Leave the container in a dark, dry, cool place for about 2 days to 2 weeks. Unless you are using silica gel, which will absorb moisture from the air, leave the container open. You can check to see if your flowers are ready every couple of days or so by carefully brushing away the material until the tips of the petals are exposed. If the tips are dry and rigid to the touch, continue to remove the material and check for dryness until the entire flower is exposed, and then gently extract it from the container. When it comes to flowers which are delicate, very moist, easily wilted, open formed, or have a deep interior, using a drying agent is the best way to maintain their shape and color.
Heat drying is the fastest way to preserve flowers, and is especially good for maintaining their colors. You can simply use plates in the microwave to press your flowers while heating, or you can microwave them in silica gel. Microwaving your flowers is probably the quickest and least expensive method for drying flowers, although it will take some experimentation to get the timing and power level right for your microwave. Simply place several sheets of paper towel on a flat plate with a sheet of blotter paper on top, place your flower on the blotter paper, cover it with another sheet of blotter paper, add more paper towels on top, and cap it off with another plate. It's best to start with one flower at time, but once you've got the timing down, you can start doing multiple flowers as long as they don't overlap. Drying multiple flowers does take longer, which can degrade their color. Use the low-medium setting or a power range between 2 - 3, and begin heating for 1 minute at a time. Usually, this method will take less than five minutes. As soon as your flowers are mostly rigid and feel dry to the touch, leave them in the microwave to finish drying with the power off.
Silica gel can be used in the microwave with fantastic results. Simply place about an inch of silica gel in the bottom of a small cardboard box, create a mound in the center to support your flower, place your flower face down on the mound, and carefully fill the box with the rest of your gel. Leave at least an inch at the top of the box to catch any silica gel that might escape during heating. Microwave on low to medium for one minute, and then let your container sit for about half an hour before carefully checking the petals for dryness. If necessary, repeat the process until your flower is rigid but not brittle.
Once your flowers have been pressed and are thoroughly dry, you can use them for a number of fun floral crafts or practical flower projects. Otherwise, you will need to carefully store your flowers to help preserve their beauty. If your flowers are flat, you can leave them inside a hardcover book or your flower press, as long as the book or press is kept in a cool and dry location. Alternatively, you can store your dried flowers in an opaque, airtight container, which will protect them from light and humidity. Consider placing some packets of silica gel (you can generally find these in shoe boxes) inside the container to help guard against moisture damage. We hope you your preserved flowers will bring you happy memories for years to come.