Valentine's Day Preview

It's February which means we're getting ready here at Best Wishes Floral for Valentine's Day!  If you're looking for something to let your wife, husband, partner, friends, and the special people in your life know you are thinking of them with love.  Whether you're looking to make a romantic gesture or just hoping to brighten their day, we've got what you need to make it happen.  Here's a peek at some of the arrows in Cupid's quiver.

Our locally grown Len Busch Roses continue to be utmost in lasting, fragrant, beautiful roses you'll find anywhere in the Midwest.  Here are a dozen long-stemmed red LBR's arranged in our traditional style with leather leaf fern, seeded eucalyptus and delicate white and purple limonium as an accent flower.  Guarding this symbol of romance and passion is one of our cute mini teddy bears, made by Ganz, which are just about the softest little guys on earth!  Available in 4 different sizes and a variety of colors.

Here's a close-up view of the limonium we like to use to accent our roses and other arrangements.

Another dozen roses, seen here in a red vase.  Remember we will gladly help you reuse and recycle your vase collection from home, just bring them in and we'll fill them for you.

Another dozen Len Busch Roses, this vibrant pink color is named Orlando, which is appropriately evocative of the tropical climes we are all longing for this time of year.

Here's a cute arrangement that would be appropriate for a host of Valentines.  Two red Len Busch Roses in a cube vase with seeded eucalyptus, green hydrangea, pink waxflower, and a little heart tucked in.  Adding the Hammond's Candy Cane Crunch dark chocolate bar makes just one more sense this gift will stimulate.  We have the Hammond's bars in 5 delicious flavors, and carry the gourmet boxes in 4, 9, and 16 pieces.  Sometimes the surest way to someone's heart is through their taste buds!

Here's an order that went out today and is a perfect example of a bright, cheery mix of fresh cut flowers that we specialize in putting together here at Best Wishes.  The yellow and red Len Busch Roses are the rich center to the arrangement that includes yellow alstroemeria, hot pink spray roses, lavender stock, magnenta dianthus, bupleurum, and limonium.

Birds of paradise and purple cymbidium orchids provide a beautiful tropical style in this arrangement.  

We have a selection of orchid plants in stock right now, as well, and they are a great gift anytime of year.  The white phalenopsis is blooming beautifully, and the miniature plants are about the cutest things.  We are happy to share our expertise in caring for all of our live plants and fresh cut flowers anytime!

Details of those orchid blooms.

This red kalanchoe plant is beautifully vibrant and would be perfect to liven up anyone's office, desk, or home and remind them that Spring is on its way.

Our bulb gardens are just getting started, maximizing the time you'll enjoy them this spring.  The larger ones include iris, daffodil, tulips and hyacinth, and the small sized ones will bloom with iris and daffodils.  They're quite easy to take care of, just keep them moist and let them have a bit of sun.  Keeping them in cooler temperatures will extend the blooming time as well.

Here's a fun dish garden that will add a pop of spring freshness to any space (provided its above freezing).  A spathiphyllum paired with a few other green plants and some silk blooms so that there will always be some color to gaze at.

A bit larger version of the dish garden above, with some purple passion included.

This large silk flower arrangement is not only impossible to kill and will last forever, those yellow forsythia stems actually light up!  Add a natural glow to your living room or bedroom you can enjoy year-round.  Suggested card message: "You light up my life."

Our super soft plush animals are lining the shelves, ready to add a cuddle to your gift.

Whatever the occasion that will be candle-lit on Valentines (a bath, a movie on the couch) these crystal-encrusted votive-holders will make it 100% more elegant.

We will be here and ready to help you for extended hours next week, Monday - Thursday, 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. so be sure to give us a call make your Valentine's Day special!

Holiday 2012 Retrospective

As we prepare for one of our busiest days here at Best Wishes Floral (Valentine's), here's a quick document of what we were up to in the 2012 holiday season.  It was an adventure setting up our newly remodeled space for Christmas and Hanukkah, playing with all the new ways we can use our ceiling, for example.

These hanging lanterns with their nice glass cylinder vases inside have all kinds of possibilities for home decor.  Either hung from the ceiling or placed on a shelf or table, you'll have all kinds of fun filling them with interesting textures and shapes.  Here, we've strung some Christmas lights through them and filled them with brightly colored wire balls and then adorned them with this great natural-looking snowy garland.

Mark models our fun light-up headbands and Undercover Santa glasses.  These are certainly a way to brighten your holiday gathering.  When you're tired of decorating the tree, decorate your head!

This was a simple artificial arrangement we put together for a customer who wanted to use some of the beautiful light-up birch branches we carry.  A festive look that lights up the often very dark winter nights.

This arrangement went to one of our weekly standing orders, and this is what it looked like after a week!  Evergreens paired with green hydrangea, red alstroemeria, silver seeded eucalyptus, some leucadendron, and red curly ting stuck through shiny green wire balls.

Another of our weekly standing order, this one shot on location at Doolittle's Woodfire Grill in Golden Valley.  Besides the incredible food and great service, its worth the weekly trip alone to check out our flowers next to the host stand!  This is giant purple kale, purple stock, yellow lily, and Peruvian star alstroemeria, accented with curly willow.

This was a trio of table arrangements for a holiday party.  Each was complimentary and unique, bringing a bright festive feel with the gold Italian ruscus, and fresh white freesia, heather, and snapdragons.

For one of our lucky customers that receives a weekly flower bouquet.  A bubble bowl with river rocks, hydrangea, hot pink spray roses, yellow gerbera, dark brown myrtle and those beautiful coral colored succulent flower spikes.  This is simple but has lots of visual interest to enjoy.

This arrangement had almost a desert/southwest flair with the cactus-like evergreens accenting the Douglas fir, fresh hydrangea and carnations.  Very unique and long lasting.

A wreath with matching garland for the mantle.

Valentine's Day Is Next Week!

This Tuesday is Valentine's Day, and Best Wishes is here to help you express your love for that special someone, or those special people in your life.  We're getting stocked up on red roses for the traditional symbol of romantic love, a dozen long-stemmed beauties like the ones seen above.  Our roses are a cut above the ones you'd find at the gas station or grocery store, as they are fresh from Len Busch Roses in Plymouth, MN, and cared for from the moment we receive them and arrange them, to when we hand them off to you.

We have an awesome selection of gourmet chocolates to go along with your "I Love You" greetings, most of them locally made!  From unique flavors like Licorice Bite and Dark Salted Caramel to standard Milk Chocolate, these bars and truffles are delicious!

Besides roses, we make all sorts of flower arrangements to make all those loved ones in your life feel special, or to give to yourself to brighten up your home or desk at work.

In the shop right now we have all kinds of great plants, cards, gifts, and decor items.  These little orchid plants are pretty much the cutest thing, and gift that will last for years.  The flower spikes will grow back!

As well as the orchid cuties, we have a few incredible orchid plants in the shop with lots of really unique blossoms.  They are not your typical phalenopsis!

We'll be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. this Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, then open early in the morning 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Monday and Tuesday so you can come in before or after you head to work.  

Have a Happy Valentine's Day! xoxo

Holiday Open House & PRISM Food Drive 2011

This year's Holiday Open House and PRISM Food Drive has been off to a great start today, with all of our gifts and decorations on display to get you ready for the holiday season.  Here is a taste of what you'll find in the shop to get you in a holiday mood.

These are fun and festive Christmas shimmer lights, larger versions of the Mini Shimmers we carry year-round.  The Santa seen here has a mechanism to give him a jolly wobble when the mesmerizing LED lights fade in different colors to light the snow-globe-style shimmering glitter.  Also available in the bobble-heads are adorable Snowmen.

These shimmer-lamps utilize a lava-lamp style heat effect to give the glitter suspension a relaxing flow as the LED lights illuminate from within.  Plug them into your wall outlet and you'll have a festive light show for your friends and family while you're decking your halls.

This year we stocked up on sweet stocking stuffers that will be a great treat for everyone, young and old.  Pictured here are our giant-sized candy canes in 8 flavors from classic peppermint to tropical banana.  The always popular Jo's peppermint bark and traditional Ribbon Candy in 3 flavors.  We also have local chocolates by B.T. McElrath and Funky Chunky, made in NE Minneapolis and Edina, respectively.

We carry decor and gifts for our friends who celebrate Hanukkah, from the fun decorative plates seen here, to all sorts of shelf-fillers and candle holders that will gracefully compliment your Menorah.

Don't forget our wide selection of plants and cut flower arrangements, like the Poinsettias, Mums, and Orchid plants seen here.  Order your Thanksgiving centerpieces today, and you'll have a beautiful conversation piece to celebrate and feast around.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, here are some of the fabulous turkey-day decorations we carry, from the glass decorative platters to these truly amazing sparkly leaves in great seasonal colors.

Who is that?  Why its our friend Andy, modeling the hilarious and useful UNDERCOVER SANTA glasses.  Styled after the classic Groucho Marx gag disguises, these are sure to light up your next holiday gathering.  Just don't let your new beard dip into the egg nog!

On the heels of our popular Halloween headbands, we have hilarious new Christmas Headbands in 5 styles, modeled here by Best Wishes pal Jason.  In addition to this Snowman style, you can quickly decorate your cranium with Ornaments, Presents, a Tiny Tim Top Hat, and a Christmas Tree!  A perfect compliment to don with your ugly sweater (or cute one).

Each year we remember those who are less fortunate by hosting a food drive for the local PRISM food shelf.  We have collected over 3 huge barrels worth, and the open house isn't even half over!  We continue accepting donations until Thanksgiving, so drop by before then and you'll receive a very special gift.

The Open House goes today until 6, and tomorrow from 9am to 6pm.  Complimentary coffee and holiday cookies are yours for the taking when you come on down!  We can't wait to see you and help get your gift list sorted.

Feliz and Mazel,
Best Wishes