Art in Bloom 2013

Art in Bloom 2013 came to an end this Sunday, and we were really proud of how our display turned out.  With 13 commercial displays and over 160 individual participants, it was an awesome weekend of fun, flowers, fragrances and art in Minneapolis.  Here's a few shots of our work for those that couldn't make it down.  These bright yellow orchids were just huge in person!

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Setting up the table.

The arrangement was huge and very heavy!  We could barely lift it into the pot.

Adding more flowers.

The finished display with the arrangements and plants around it.

Close-up of the arrangements that were for sale.

Thank you to everyone who made the event possible, the amazing volunteers at the gift shop who were all huge helpers, and everyone who made it down to see it!  We can't wait 'til next year!

Art In Bloom 2013 Preview & Prom

We just finished setting up our display at Art In Bloom's 2013 event at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and we are so excited for everyone to see what we have to show.  This year we are working in cooperation with the special Art In Bloom Store where we created a large floral display and will be selling plants and small arrangements which is different than what we have done in years past.  Here's a small taste of what we installed today, we will be posting a full set of photos next week but we strongly urge you to go see (and smell) this in person.  The entire museum will be filled with flowers and people, and it is one of our favorite FREE events in the Twin Cities of the entire year.

Bear grass is trailing down from the stunning arrangement over an array of bright blooming plants and fresh cut flowers, each ready to take home with you after your visit.

Just a slice of all the different flowers in this huge arrangement, including thistle, Asiatic and calla lilies, helleborus, leucadendron, tulips, orchids and more!

Despite the activity downtown, we will be open at the shop for all of our regular business hours, taking/making orders for Prom this weekend.  Here's a few samples of recent ones we have made.  Up top is a wrist corsage with spray roses, blue hydrangea and light blue rhinestones, which is a good example of what we typically make for Prom wristlets.  On the bottom left is a pin-on corsage that was made for a wedding shower featuring orange spray roses, red alstroemeria and iris.  A bit different than the standard look, this could easily be made as a wrist corsage as well, and is a good example of the more creative and distinct side of what we can make.  The last one on the bottom right is a unique boutonniere for a customer that wanted an option other than the traditional rose.  We instead used white freesia, ranunculus and blue delphinium with some branching sweet huck for a stylish look.

Administrative Professionals Day

Next Wednesday, the 24th, is Administrative Professionals Day, and we have just what you need to show your appreciation for everyone in your office.  To make things easy we decided to feature a few arrangements here to illustrate the cheery, colorful, fresh-cut flowers that will perfectly fit on the recipient's desk, and brighten their day.

The two shots above are in 4" cube vases, and feature a bright, beautiful all-around presentation that will certainly show appreciation for all the people working hard to make your office function.  Available in the $25-$35 range, as pictured above is $30, not including delivery.  Feel free to tell us the colors and flowers you'd like to see, and we will do our best to accommodate your preference.

This is the same as above, only in a larger 5" cube vase, which holds a few more stems.  These can be made in the $40 - $60 range, as pictured above is $50.  Beautiful with fresh springy tulips, gerbera daisies, spray roses, alstroemeria, stock, hydrangea, and solidago.  Again, let us know your color/flower choices and we will make it to order!

This beautiful arrangement is in one of our large ginger vases, and features all the bright hues and spring-season flowers you would want to make a co-worker or employee feel appreciated.  As shown, this arrangement is $50, and can be made in this size vase for $45-$70.  We also carry medium (6 1/4") and small (5") sized ginger vases that can be made in the $25-$40 and $20-$30 ranges, respectively.

Don't forget, next weekend is Art In Bloom at MIA in Minneapolis, look here next week for updates!  Since it will be a busy week for us, we'd love to take your orders ASAP, though we always help the last-minute types as well!☺

Spring(?) Update

Looking at the weather outside its been hard to hold out hope for Summer, or any sign of Spring, but we have all sorts of ideas to help remind you warmer weather is actually on its way, bringing with it the lush sights and smells of nature in bloom.  Above is a large arrangement we made for a funeral, putting together a large ivy plant and a colorful burst of fresh cut flowers.

Here is a fresh cut arrangement we made for another funeral, a glorious splash of colorful flowers that bring to mind the rebirth that is Spring.  Cherry blossoms and forsythia branches accent the locally-grown red and yellow roses, orange tulips and orange and pink lilies.

A vase of fresh-cuts with our locally-grown Len Busch lilies, alstro and gerbera daisies.

Bright Spring colors like these are sure to chase away the Winter blues and blahs.  This arrangement has yellow freesia that has a lovely peppery aroma distinct from other floral scents.  Its paired with some Asiatic lilies and waxflower that also provide a beautiful fresh flower smell.  Then throw in some hydrangea, alstromeria and a rose for some vibrant hues.

We have a nice selection of blooming plants available in-store, and are able to order most popular green and blooming plants.  These blooming gerbera plants were sent out as centerpieces for an event, a simple idea that provided a nice pop of color and vitality to the tables.

The 4-inch blooming gerberas are really cute, and are sending up all sorts of new blooms!

Tulips have become a symbol of the beginning of spring because they are often the first plants to pop up with colorful blooms in the early months of the season.  We have plenty of them at Best Wishes this time of year, and are great in small desk arrangements as well as large splashy buffet table arrangements.

This big arrangement of tulips and two varieties of myrtle was prepared for our neighbor Doolittle's weekly standing order.

An elegant birthday bouquet with iris, roses, gerbera, alstroemeria, lily, statice and waxflower.  The branchy sweet huck adds texture and character.

This was made for a get-well-soon gift.  The orange ranunculus and yellow freesia are contrasted with the vivid pinks and purples in the spray roses, alstroemeria, waxflower and calla lily, all gathered into a bubble bowl that is the perfect size for a bedside table.

We send and receive orders through the Teleflora network, and occasionally an order comes through for one of their products where we must make substitutions in the recipe due to what is available in-store.  The above picture was what we were aiming for and below is what we came up with.

Subbing out the blue asters for some blue iris did wonders!

Lovely bi-color gerbera daisies, a very cool dark green peperomia, and an adorable little terrarium.

Dish gardens can be the perfect antidote to the current lack-of-springness in the air, since they sit on your desk at work or on your table in the living room and have the lushness of a verdant forest in some tropical (or arid) place.  They are quite easy to maintain and take care of and should last at least a year before they need to be replanted.  We're always happy to share our plant care tips with our customers, just drop in and ask!

Spring is the time for succulent dish gardens, and these easy-to-care-for creations are beautiful for the home or office.

Don't forget that next week, Wednesday the 24th is Administrative Professionals Day!  We will post specials here on our blog later this week.  Also, Art in Bloom at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is coming up next week and we are working with them in an exciting new capacity this year so look for that announcement next week.