Distinctive

So, what’s hot for floral trends in 2008?  The trends for 2008-2009 were unveiled at the AIFD’s (American Institute of Floral Design) “The Edge of Paradise” Symposium in Palm Desert in the summer of 2007. At that time, with the input from leading floral stylists and floral product designers, they arrived at the 2008 floral forecast.  Based on various factors, the following 5 factors are the lead in for 2008 floral trends.

“Habitat”

A concern for the Earth, gentler, yellowed greens dominate, with touches of blue yielding a calm and natural feeling. Flowers and plants of interesting form and texture are showcased. "Habitat" provides a restful, serene and studious environment that communicates one’s ecological values, respecting the delicate balance between the Earth and its people.  Below are some of the flowers that enact the habitat style:

Rose
‘Monte Cassino’ Aster
Calla
Hydrangea
Gladiola
Tulip
Hyacinth

"Nocturne"

"Nocturne" exudes luxury and opulence with a darker edge. This provocative, urban palette is inspired by haute couture and celebrity culture. Lustrous hues of greyed purples, plums and roses combine in overflowing arrangements that bring together deeply coloured flowers with powerful silhouettes. "Nocturne" expresses elegance and luxury.  Below are some of the flowers that enact the habitat style:

Rose
Cattleya Orchid
Japhet Orchid
Phalaenopsis Orchid
Asiatic Lily
Miniature Calla
Gerbera
Gladiolus

"Whisper"
A tranquil, calming aura floats through "Whisper," with neutral, hushed tones of creams, grays and blues. Stronger earth tones, such as brown and charcoal, provide a base, and a hint of dusty coral and shimmery copper add punch. "Whisper" invites us to settle in and let tranquility and texture envelop our senses.  Below are some of the flowers that enact the habitat style:

Rose
LA Hybrid Lily
Protea
Peony
Anthurium
Dahlia

“Nomad”

The bright colours of tribal handicrafts from around the globe populate this trend, from golden oranges and saturated blues to deep fuschias and browntinged reds.  "Nomad" celebrates the wanderlust in each of us while the global influences that shape our world in a vivid, exciting palette.  Below are some of the flowers that enact the habitat style:

Gerbera
Iris
Rose
Asiatic Lily
Parrot Tulip
Miniature Calla
Sunflower

"Chinoiserie"

"Chinoiserie" (pronounced shen-wah’-zeh-ree), a French term describing European interpretations of Chinese style from the 17th and 18th centuries, reflects China’s influence as a world power and Westerners’ fascination with the country, the site of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. This update features a midtone colour palette encompassing dominant pink-toned reds as well as lighter purples and greens as complements. "Chinoiserie" offers a new take on cultured style and beauty with its exotic sophistication.  Below are some of the flowers that enact the habitat style:

Chrysanthemum
Cymbidium Orchid
Oriental Lily
Calla
Rose
Gladiolus
Gerbera
Tulip
Snapdragon

So what does this all mean?  Well to start we can see reoccurring favourites populate the 2008 floral trends guide, the rose, gladioli, orchids and lilies are just but a few.  However, the type of flower is not the only thing, the top 5 trends are based on colours and moods of these various favourites.  The distinction of trendy colours, as well as the mood these colours and flowers represent is what catapults them into the various category trends.  What we are learning is that in our everyday, our moods and the colours we select depict how we feel, flowers have always been considered a “feel good” gift.  For spring ‘08, models became walking bouquets of roses, peonies, and pansies – to name a few. The season itself was the obvious inspiration for this blossoming trend, with designers displaying vibrant illustrations and blurred hothouse motifs in their delightful fashions. Flower lovers will swathe themselves in large, graphic floral prints, while those allergic to the impact of oversized patterns can opt for a quieter take on the flowery trend by choosing summery dresses and silky scarves in mid-sized prints.  Flowers are everywhere in our daily lives, and now you can customize your “feel good” surprise with a unique twist of colours, which actually have meanings!

By Michelle

http://bloomex.ca

Did you know that a Statistics Canada survey found that:

1)     More than one-third of working Canadians cited too many demands or hours as the most common source of workplace stress,

2)     Fifteen percent cited poor interpersonal relations,

3)     13 percent cited risk of accident and injury,

4)     Depression is expected to rank second only to heart disease as the leading cause of disability worldwide by 2020,

5)     Depression affects one-tenth of the population, including one-tenth of all employees,

6)     Depressive disorders account for 30 to 40 percent of all medical plan dollars paid for mental illness.

Employees under stress can show a wide range of symptoms; from irritability, poor concentration and decision-making, to fatigue, heart disease, digestive problems, and high blood pressure or back pain.  Stress can compromise the immune system, making a person more prone to infections and communicable illnesses, and can trigger depression. Working Canadians feel most stressed by jobs that keep them at work too long or make too many demands on their time. Sources of stress also varied between men and women, men were less likely than women to feel stress as a result of too many hours or demands. 

Only 1 in every 3 people suffering from depression obtains proper treatment. For those who do, the success rate is very high, 80-90%.  Many times, the onset of depression can be reduced if not eliminated by incorporating natural therapies such as flowers.

Multiple studies show that a flower-filled environments helps people relax, raises pain tolerance for people with chronic disorders, and triggers uplifting emotions like happiness. Flowers are also able to enhance good feelings such as life satisfaction and also affect how people behave in a social situation. One of these studies, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, found that regular exposure to natural environments such as gardens helps people recover from the ill effects of stress more quickly.

Research from Kansas State University’s Department of Horticulture finds that colorful flowers work more effectively than green foliage alone to reduce tension. "Flowers are symbolically and emotionally integrated with human life," says Eunhee Kim, the research assistant professor at Kansas State who led the studies.

A natural and beneficial mood stimulator, flowers are said to:

1)     Immediately alter moods to create happiness and pleasure.

2)     Tingle the senses with their natural exotic fragrances

3)     People who receive flowers are more likely to be less anxious, depressed and restless. They experience enjoyment and are more fulfilled with their lives than those who have not received flowers.

4)     Create personal bonds with others, flowers make people feel loved and cherished, resulting in heightened sociability and happiness

5)     Brighten up spaces and create a sharing ambience. People are likely to place their flowers in areas where everyone can see and enjoy them, creating a less anxious environment, adding to communication amongst co-workers, and overall happy attitudes.  Even the grumpiest of persons couldn’t resist the natural beauty of flowers and their intoxicating scents.

With such a compelling argument, there’s no reason why we should let stress get the better of us. Take the time to send a loved one flowers at work, not only will it make them happy and excited, but it will make you feel good to know that you have taken 1 step in reducing the stress of a special someone by improving their mood, productivity and health, which in return will lower your stress levels resulting in that “feel good” feeling.  See the difference the power of flowers can make! 

JANUARY- The Carnation

Carnation flowers are a common flower used for ceremonial events and symbolism. According to Christian legend, carnations first appeared on Earth as Jesus carried the Cross. The Virgin Mary shed tears at Jesus’ plight, and carnations sprang up from where her tears fell. Thus the pink carnation became the symbol of a mother’s undying love, and in 1907 was chosen by Ann Jarvis as the emblem of Mother’s Day, now observed in the United States and Canada on the second Sunday in May. Coming mainly in shades of white, red and pink, the carnation was once used as a ceremonial crown in certain events of Ancient Greek Society.  The carnation is a long time favourite for cutting and adding to certain home floral arrangements and bouquets.

FEBRUARY- The Iris

Iris express peace of mind, Friendship, Faith, Hope, and Wisdom.

Iris is a genus of flowering plants with showy flowers that takes its name from the Latin word for rainbow. There are many species of Iris, widely distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone. Their habitats are very varied and range from cold regions into the grassy slopes, meadowlands, stream banks and deserts of Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa, Asia and across North America. Elevation is of not much importance.

MARCH- The Daffodil

Daffodils, the flower symbolizing friendship, are one of the most popular flowers exclusively due to their unmatched beauty.  Daffodils belong to the genus Narcissus.  Daffodil flowers have a trumpet-shaped structure set against a star-shaped background

Often the trumpet is in a contrasting colour from the background. The name Daffodils includes the cluster-flowered yellow Jonquils and the White Narcissi.

Daffodils are native mainly to the Mediterranean region, in particular to the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Northern Africa and the Middle East.

APRIL- The Daisy

The Daisy is the flower bringer of good fortune and blissful pleasure.

It is thought that the name "daisy" is a corruption of "day’s eye", because the whole head closes at night and opens in the morning.

The most common characteristic of all these plants, is that what in common dialect might be called a "flower", is an inflorescence or flower head; a densely packed cluster of many small, individual flowers, usually called florets (meaning "small flowers").  Often considered a weed on lawns, though many also value the appearance of the flowers. Several cultivars and hybrids have been selected with much larger flower heads up to 5-6 cm diameter and with light pink to purple-red ray florets.

MAY- Lily of the Valley

Lily can mean many things including purity, majesty, beauty, sweetness and humility. The stems grow to 15-30 cm tall, with one or two leaves (10-25 cm long), flowering stems have two leaves and 5-15 flowers on the stem apex. The flowers are white, bell-shaped, and sweetly scented; flowering is in late spring, in mild winters in early March.  The flower is also known as Our Lady’s tears since, according to Christian legend, the tears Mary shed at the cross turned to Lilies of the Valley. Traditionally, Lily of the Valley is sold in the streets of France on May 1. Lily of the Valley became the national flower of Finland in 1967.

JUNE- The Rose

Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. ‘Rose’ means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).  The rose is the national flower of England and the United States.  Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are sometimes made into jam, jelly and marmalade or brewed for tea, mainly for their vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce oil used in skin products.

JULY- The Larkspur

Larkspurs have laughter and relaxation energy, much like people born in July.  The flower has five petals that grow together to form a hollow flower with a spur at the end, which gives the plant its name. The seeds are small and shiny black.  The plant was connected to Saint Odile and in popular medicine used against eye-diseases. It was one of the herbs used on the feast of St. John and us such warded against lightning. In Transylvania, it was used to keep witches from the stables, probably because of its blue colour.

AUGUST- The Gladiolus

The flower of the Gladiators. Strength of character, sincerity, generosity, are traits symbolized in the Gladiolus.

The genus Gladiolus comprises 260 species, 250 of which are native to sub-Saharan Africa, mostly South Africa. About 10 species are native to Eurasia. The impressive flower spikes of Gladioli come in a wide array of beautiful colours.  Gladiolus flowers open beginning at the base of the spike and continue upward.  The Gladiolus flower signifies remembrance. It also expresses infatuation, telling the receiver that he or she “pierces the heart”.

SEPTEMBER- The Aster

The word Aster is of Greek derivation and refers to the Star like flowers that can be white, red, pink, purple, lavender and blue, mostly with yellow centres.  Asters are actually 1 - 1.5 - inch flowers. An Aster flower is actually a collection of very tiny tubular flowers, grouped together in a central disk, and surrounded by so-called ray flowers or petals, e.g., Sunflower. There are over 600 species of asters, the most popular being the Monte Casino. Ancient societies believed that the odour of its leaves, when burnt, drove away evil.

OCTOBER- The Marigold

Sacred affection is shown with the marigold.

A myth describing which seems to be creation of the marigold is mentioned in the story of Clytie and Apollo.  The marigolds, genus Calendula L., are a genus of about 20 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family, native to Mexico and Central America, the Mediterranean region and Macaronesia.

The leaves of this plant are 5-18 cm long, simple, and usually roughly hairy. The flower heads range from pale yellow to deep orange, and are 3-7 cm across, with both ray florets and disc florets. The petals of the Pot Marigold are spicy and are edible, added to dishes as a garnish.

NOVEMBER- The Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums were cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. The flower was introduced into Japan probably in the 8th century AD, and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal. There is a "Festival of Happiness" in Japan that celebrates the flower.

Yellow or white chrysanthemum flowers are boiled to make a sweet drink in some parts of Asia. Chrysanthemum tea has many medicinal uses, including an aid in recovery from influenza.  Chrysanthemum plants have been shown to reduce indoor air pollution by the NASA Clean Air Study. 

DECEMBER- The Poinsettia

The December birth flower is the Poinsettia, which equals celebration, success, reassurance, and good cheer

A Mexican legend explains how poinsettias came to be associated with Christmas. Apparently, a child who could not afford a gift to offer to Christ on Christmas Eve picked some weeds from the side of a road. The child was told that a humble gift, if given in love, would be acceptable in God’s eyes. When brought into the church, the weeds bloomed into red and green flowers and the congregation felt they had witnessed a Christmas miracle. 

http://bloomex.ca

It’s that time of the year, with the housing industry booming, many people are buying their first homes.  The excitement of such a large commitment is often celebrated with House warming parties, to celebrate the transition into the newly acquired home.  Consider alternatives to picture frames, candles, and kitchen appliances that other guests have most likely purchased. Next time you’re thinking of what to buy as a housewarming gift, here are some unique ideas that will please any homeowner.

 

Personalize it.

ü       Is she a coffee lover?

Surprise the coffee lovers in your life with a sensational gift basket containing everything they need to enjoy a luxurious coffee break! Try baskets that contain a variety of coffees or teas such as:

 

-Espresso Black Coffee
-Private Label Bloomex Coffee
-Napoleon Mozart Coffee
-Pack of Instant Coffee
-Flavored Colombian Coffee
-Ground Espresso Coffee
-Premium Chocolate Bar
-Assorted Chocolate Truffles
-Premium Dark Chocolate Bar

ü       Is she a chocolate lover? 

For the chocolate-lover on your list, look no further than a decadent basket full of the good stuff. Look for baskets that have gourmet wafer, almonds, chocolate and truffles.

These are just some items a chocolate lover’s gift basket should include:
-Extra Large Box of Premium Chocolate
-Assorted Belgian Truffle
-Large Chocolate Cookies
-Chocolate Classic Truffles
-Milk Chocolate Bar
-Dark Chocolate Bar
-Hazelnut Chocolate Bar
-Premium Imported Chocolate Bar
-Cookies Double Chocolate
-Nut Chocolate Bar
-Assorted Premium Chocolate Cookie
-Box of Premium Truffles
-Chocolate Covered Cookie Sticks

 

ü       A healthy alternative…a fruit basket!

 

This delicious gift should start with a bountiful collection of all time favorite fruits. Packed full with fresh and exotic premium quality fruits such as.

· Green D’Anjou Pears
· Red D’Anjou Pear
· Fuji Apples
· Strawberries
· Royal Navel Oranges
· Large Pineapple
· Extra Large Plums
· Premium Peaches
· Premium Kiwi
· Branches of Large Grapes
· Sweet Melon

 

ü       Or how about a gourmet gift basket

 

Try something different like a gourmet basket is filled with truffles, unique tea, cookies, gourmet cheese, crackers, premium chocolate and nuts.

ü       House plants are perfect way to give a breath of fresh air

 

For a new home, consider getting a lovely house plant like a Peace Lily, Schfflera, or Palm Tree.  Not only do these make wonderful gifts, but they also are known for cleaning common airborne gases and solvents out of our breathing air, creating fresh oxygenated air.

ü       Flowering house plants are always a big hit

 

Try pink azaleas, orchids, bromeliad or kalanchoe plants.  They are very easy to maintain, they last a long time.  As well, their blooming flowers will brighten up the new house with colors and scents, giving a warm essence to the new home.

ü       Instead of a regular houseplant, why not get a lucky bamboo or bonsai tree?

The number of bamboo stalks signifies good fortune: three stalks signify happiness, five stalks signify wealth and seven stalks, good health

ü       Bouquets and arranged flowers

 

No matter what type of flower it is, they have a way of bringing smiles and happiness.  Flowers emit sweet erotic smells which will compliment any new house.  The array of colors is endless, beatifying a new home.  Trendy and highly admired flowers such as Calla Lilies, Orchids, Sunflowers are just a few that would make a great impression.

 

Published 2008