MY FAVOURITE DAY IN FEBRUARY IS FEBRUARY 17

Welcome to February! While the most well known day in February is Valentine’s Day on the 14th, my favourite day in February is the 17th - Random Acts of Kindness Day.

‘Growing in popularity, Random Acts of Kindness Day is celebrated by individuals, groups, and organisations to encourage acts of kindness. Giving flowers on this day to those you know - or a complete stranger - is one way you can participate and makes someone else’s day a little bit brighter.’ (Excerpt from A BOUQUET OF WORDS Express Yourself Through the Language of Flowers.)

There are so many ways you can perform a random act of kindness - but I am going to focus on how you can specifically incorporate flowers into the day. We’ll look at two scenarios - the random act of kindness of giving flowers to someone you know and the random act of kindness of giving flowers to a stranger.

Giving flowers to a friend or family member seems like a very natural thing to do, but usually when we give them it is for a specific reason - a birthday or anniversary, to send get well wishes, in sympathy, in congratulations, or to say thank you. But this February 17, why not choose a friend or family member and give them flowers for not one of the usual reasons, but for an unusual reason - one they won’t be expecting. You could say ‘I admire you’ with carnations (admiration); ‘I love your energy’ with orange tulips (enthusiasm); ‘You’re always so much fun’ with a pink hyacinth (playfulness); or ‘Friends forever’ with a kalanchoe plant (lasting affection).

Giving flowers to someone you don’t know (or don’t know well) doesn’t mean you can’t give flowers with a message, the message would just be more general. You could say ‘Have a nice day’ by giving peonies (happy life); ‘Here’s a little something to brighten your day’ with gerberas (cheerfulness); ‘I wish you well’ with allium (good fortune); or just spread a message of kindness by giving some bluebells (kindness). 

But whatever your message, don’t forget to attach a note to your flowers with the meaning - that’s very important.

A final note - you do not need a big budget to perform Random Acts of Kindness with flowers  on February 17. ‘A single stem, an abundant bouquet, or anything in between can all be successful at sharing your sentiments.’ (Tip from A BOUQUET OF WORDS Express Yourself Through the Language of Flowers.)

I’d love to hear your random acts of kindness ideas. Please share in the comments.

Let’s get the world speaking the language of flowers!

EMBRACE THE NEW YEAR

As the new year approaches, like many other people I am thinking of what I want to accomplish in 2025. These last few days of 2024 are the perfect time to make your plans so you can begin working toward your goals right on January 1. 

I know professionally I have set a few goals for myself. None of them will be easy for me to accomplish, but I am excited to put in the work and see the results. Here are three of my goals:

1 - Get the world speaking the language of flowers

2 - Have the first draft of my second book finished by June 30, 2025

3 - Attend another conference with friends from the ‘writing world’ for continued learning, some good times, and memory-making moments, too!

A suggestion for you starting in January, is to make 2025 a ‘flower-filled’ year. This can include having flowers in your own home, gifting flowers to others, or perhaps starting your very own flower garden (even if that means pots on your patio). (Excerpt from ‘A Bouquet of Words’.)

There are many benefits to having flowers in your life including the mood-boosting impact they have (just a hint to what book #2 will be about!).

So let’s embrace this new year! It’s full of new beginnings (daffodil). Make sure you keep your life balanced (hellebore), and stay dedicated (hyacinth) to obtaining your hopes (snowdrop) and wishes (dandelion).

Wishing you a happy life (peony).

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS

We have had the April showers, so now it’s time for the May flowers.

Whether you want to treat someone you know well, try and reconnect with someone you haven’t seen for a while, or reach out to someone for the first time, May is filled with many special dates you can use to build connections with others through flowers. 

MARK THESE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR:

• NATIONAL FLOWER ARRANGING DAY: First Friday (May 3, 2024)

• GREENERY DAY: May 4

• NATIONAL HERB DAY: First Sunday (May 5, 2024)

• IRIS DAY: May 8

• MOTHER’S DAY: Second Sunday (May 12, 2024)

• WATER A FLOWER DAY: May 30

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT YOU CAN DO ON THESE DAYS:

NATIONAL FLOWER ARRANGING DAY: Contact your local florist and see if they have any flower arranging workshops scheduled. Or get a group of friends together and book a private event.

GREENERY DAY: Greenery plays an important role in bouquets. It makes them more appealing and gives a feeling of freshness, life and renewal. (In A BOUQUET OF WORDS you can find a list of 10 popular types of greenery and their meanings, as well as the significance each colour has.)

NATIONAL HERB DAY: Give the gift of a fresh herb container garden. (In A BOUQUET OF WORDS you can find a list of 12 flowering herbs and their meanings.) 

IRIS DAY: Iris has the meaning of faith, hope, wisdom. If irises aren’t in bloom where you are on this date, you could send a card to someone with a lovely image of an iris

MOTHER’S DAY: My favourite day of the year! Giving a bouquet of carnations would be a lovely gesture as carnations are the official flower for Mother’s Day (and a pink carnation is especially appropriate as it has the meaning of ‘Mother’s Love’). A bouquet of your mum’s favourite flowers or flowers in her favourite colour would also be great.

WATER A FLOWER DAY: A flowering indoor plant would make a great gift on this day. (In A BOUQUET OF WORDS you can find a list of 10 of the most common flowering houseplants along with their meanings) 

If you are interested in A BOUQUET OF WORDS click HERE for the link to order. I also share a lot of information about the language of flowers on my instagram account @marykelava

HAVE FUN SHARING MAY FLOWERS WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Wishing you a great month. Mary x

MARCH NEED TO KNOW NEWS

March is a great month for flowers as all the spring blooms start to arrive. In this month’s blog post I will share with you:

• March’s birth month flower and it’s meaning

• March’s zodiac flowers and their meanings

• March’s flower gift giving days

• March’s national flower dates

I will also answer an FAQ about the language of flowers.

MARCH FLOWER INFORMATION: Birth Month Flower: Daffodil - New beginnings

Zodiac flowers: Pisces (February 19-March 20) Water lily - Purity of heart; Aries (March 21-April 19) Honeysuckle - Pure happiness

March Flower Gift Giving Days: March 8 - International Women’s Day March 31 - Easter

March National Flower Dates: March 3 - National Peach blossom Day (Peach blossom - Generosity) March 12 - Plant a flower day March 21 - National Fragrance Day

FAQ Question: I don’t have a big budget. Am I still able to create meaningful flowers using the language of flowers? Answer: Yes! Part of the beauty of using the language of flowers is that it works equally well for a single flower stem, a small bunch of flowers, a bountiful bouquet, or a grand arrangement.

There is so much to learn about the language of flowers and how you can use it to make gifts more personalised, events more memorable, and gardens more meaningful. My book, A BOUQUET OF WORDS, is packed full of information and will show you a new way to incorporate flowers in your everyday life. 

Click HERE to order A BOUQUET OF WORDS Express Yourself Through the Language of Flowers.

It's National 'What' Day?

It’s been a while since I have done a blog post. I’ve had lots going on with the release of my book A BOUQUET OF WORDS Express Yourself Through the Language of Flowers. 

Everything about writing and publishing a book has been a new experience for me. I’ve learned so much including that once the book is written and published the work is not done. Now it’s time for marketing! (I’m working on that.)

What I want to share with you today is some upcoming dates that you might find interesting. 

It’s all the rage nowadays to have ‘National Days’. You can find days for everything from ‘National Creative Ice Cream Flavours Day’ (July 1st), ‘National Pet Rock Day’ (September 1), to ‘National Joy Day’ -  which isn’t about being joyful, but about celebrating everyone with the name ‘Joy’ (December 7)!

It’s no different when it comes to flowers. Several have their own ‘National’ day.

There are three in the upcoming months. These are great days to share flowers with others and introduce them to the language of flowers. In November and December you have:

November 10: National Forget-me-not Day

Forget-me-not - Remembrance

While forget-me-nots are not in bloom at this time of year, you could find a card with an image of these delicate blue flowers and send them to someone to let them know you are thinking of them.

December 12:National Poinsettia Day

Poinsettia - Good cheer

If you are attending a holiday party, a poinsettia with its meaning of ‘good cheer’ makes the perfect hostess gift.

December 19: National Holly Day

Holly - Domestic happiness 

Do you know anyone getting married or moving into a new home? Giving a bunch of holly would be a wonderful symbolic gesture

In A Bouquet of Words you will find a calendar of ‘National Flower Days’ throughout the year. 

(I guess I squeezed in a bit of marketing with that last sentence 🙂.)

Click HERE to order A BOUQUET OF WORDS Express Yourself Through the Language of Flowers

7 Reasons Why Flowers Make the Perfect Gift

Throughout history and across all cultures, flowers have been given as gifts. In fact around the world, one of the most popular gifts to give is flowers. The reasons why:

1 - Flowers suit every occasion. I can’t think of anything else versatile enough to say ‘happy birthday’, 'congratulations', ‘thank you’, ‘I’m sorry’, ‘get well soon’, or even just ‘I’m thinking of you’.

2 - Flowers are available in a wide price range so they suit every budget. If an abundant bouquet is out of your price range, a small posy or single stem also lets someone know you are thinking of them.

3 - You can plan your gift of flowers in advance, or arrange on short notice. Florists will take orders weeks - even months - in advance, but you can also pop into your local flower shop, grocer, or corner store to pick up a premade bouquet for a last minute gift.

4 - You can arrange for flower delivery anywhere in the world. You could use a company like Teleflora, but when possible I prefer to deal directly with a florist local to the area.

5 - Flowers are appropriate for someone you know well, or someone you’ve never met before. You can choose someone’s favourite flowers when you know their preferences, but equally as nice is to just choose a bouquet to surprise someone with.

6 - The wide variety of flowers available and the different ways they can be presented, means every floral gift can be unique. You could go as simple and classic as a single stem of red rose, a beautifully wrapped mixed bouquet of seasonal flowers, an elaborate tabletop arrangement, or anything (and everything) in between. 

7 - Flowers have been scientifically proven to lift people’s spirits. Perhaps the best reason of all why flowers make the perfect gift!

6 Floral Gift Ideas For Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is one of the busiest days in the floral industry - and rightly so. Flowers are a wonderful way to show your love and appreciation. In this post, I’m going to share with you 6 floral gift ideas for Mother’s Day.

1 - A Meaningful Bouquet:

A big bunch of flowers will always be warmly received, but this Mother’s Day why not add another layer to your floral gift with a ‘meaningful’ bouquet.

Every flower has a meaning attached to it. Once you know what those meanings are, you can choose the perfect flower for every occasion. 

For Mother’s Day, try picking flowers with meanings that fit your mum’s characteristics or pick flowers with meanings that convey the message you want to send to her. 

Here are some suggestions:

Tulip - perfect love

Peony - happy life

Lisianthus - appreciation/gratitude

Lily - beauty

Lavender - devotion

Gladiolus - strength of character

Gerbera - cheerfulness

Freesia - friendship

Carnation (pink) - gratitude/mother’s love

Baby’s breath - everlasting love

Alstroemeria - friendship/devotion

You can also combine meaningful flowers, with your mum’s favourite flower, or with flowers in her favourite colour. 

2 - Your Mum + You + Flowers:

Every month has one or two flowers associated with it - their birth month flower. Create a  bouquet with a combination of your mum’s birth month flower and yours. (If you’d like to know any of the birth month flowers, comment below and I’ll let you know.)

3 - Flower Shop Visit:

Instead of delivering flowers to your mum, why not visit a florist together and let her pick out the flowers.

4 - Flower Arranging Workshop:

Many florists now offer flower arranging workshops. Treat your mum to one and at the same time, you’ll be supporting a local business.

5 - Subscription service:

There are now companies who deliver boxes of  locally grown flowers directly to your door. This would be a great treat for your mum. She’d have the convenience of the flowers being delivered directly to her, but still have the fun of getting to arrange them herself. You can learn more about subscription services in my post ‘Flower Delivery - The Easy Way’.

6 - Vase + Gift Certificate:

Choose a beautiful vase for your mum and give it to her with a certificate saying you’ll fill the vase with flowers every month for a year.

Fresh flowers are an instant mood booster and create memories that last a lifetime. If you’d like to add another ‘layer’ to your floral gift you could consider the following:

•  A card with a picture of your mum’s favourite flower

•  A floral scented bath or beauty product

•  Some floral scented candles

•  A book on flowers or flower related topics. 

Top 6 Flowers for Easter and Their Meanings

Every flower has a meaning attached to it. When you know what those meanings are, you can make flower choices that are perfect for every occasion. Here are six meaningful flowers for Easter:

1 Lily:

A white lily is a very traditional flower for Easter. They represent hope and love.

2 Daffodils:

As one of the first flowers to bloom in spring, daffodils have the meaning of new beginnings and rebirth - very symbolic for Easter.

3 Crocus:

When crocus bloom in early spring you can’t help but smile, the meanings of gladness and mirth are a perfect fit.

4 Gerbera Daisy:

Gerberas, with their daisy-like faces blooming in an array of colours, are considered a happy flower. Gerbera's meaning is cheerfulness.

5 - Iris:

An iris has three main petals. Their meaning has three parts - faith, hope and wisdom.

6 - Tulips:

The general meaning of tulips is perfect love, but every colour also has it’s own meaning: red - declaration of love, pink - caring, purple - royalty, yellow - joy; white - purity.

Suggestion for Easter bouquet:

My Easter bouquet would be a mix of simple, seasonal, spring flowers. Tulips and daffodils plus a few pussy willows - like little bunny tails.

To note:

Daffodils contain a sap that leaks into the water and clogs up the stems of other flowers causing them to wilt quickly. To avoid this happening, cut the daffodils stems and place them in a bucket of water. After several hours, take the daffodils out of the water but do not recut the stems. Place them straight into the vase of mixed flowers.

Meaningful Flowers for Anniversaries

Anniversaries are important moments in life, and what better way to celebrate a special day than with a big, beautiful bouquet of meaningful flowers. 

Traditionally when we think of anniversaries we think of marriage; but you can also celebrate anniversaries of friendships, years in business, or any other important milestones in life. 

Whatever the anniversary is, flowers are a wonderful way to acknowledge it, and choosing flowers that have specific meanings will make that acknowledgment even more special.  Here are my suggestions for anniversary flowers.

Flowers for first ten anniversary years:

Every anniversary year has a flower assigned to it. This is a great place to start when choosing flowers.

1st - Carnation - Affection; 2nd - Lily of the valley - Return to happiness; 3rd - Sunflower - Adoration; 4th - Hydrangea - Perseverance; 5th - Daisy - Innocence; 6th - Calla lily - Magnificent beauty; 7th - Freesia - Friendship; 8th - Lilac - Memories of first love; 9th - Bird of Paradise - Magnificence; 10th - Daffodil - New beginnings

Flowers with special meanings:

Next think of what the anniversary is for, and what message you want to send. Here are flower suggestions for four types of anniversaries: 

Marriage: Celebrating your anniversary is a way to remember one of the most important days of your life and to reflect on your life as a couple and the individual attributes that you love and admire about each other. Roses, with their meaning of love, are always popular for a wedding anniversary bouquet, but there are plenty of other choices.

Ranunculus - Radiant charm; Carnation - Affection; Sunflower - Adoration; Calla lily - Magnificent beauty; Freesia - Friendship; Lilac - Memories of first love; Stock - Lasting beauty; Alstroemeria - Devotion

Years in business: Only half of new businesses survive the first five years, so every year you are open deserves to be celebrated. You can also use the day to thank your employees, customers, and family and friends who have supported you.

Allium - Prosperity; Peony - Good fortune; Hollyhock - Ambition; Alstroemeria - Devotion; Pink roses - Appreciation; Hydrangea - Perseverance

Remembering the passing of a loved one: Recognizing the passing of a loved one on an annual basis gives us a chance to remember everything we loved about them, keeping that connection between past and present.

Forget-me-not - Memories; Poppy - Remembrance; Cosmos - Peacefulness; Pink Carnation - I will always remember you; Zinnia - Thoughts of an absent friend

Success in stopping an addiction: Stopping a harmful addiction is no easy feat. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication and is something worth acknowledging each year.

Chamomile - Energy in diversity; Borage - Courage; Clematis - Mental beauty; Aster - Patience

Whatever anniversary you’re celebrating, I hope you’ll be inspired by this list of meaningful flowers for anniversaries when deciding what flowers you’ll choose for the occasion.

If you would like to know the flower for an anniversary after 10 years, or like a flower suggestion for a specific type of anniversary, please let me know in the comments below and I’d be happy to help you.

A Flower-Filled New Year's Resolution

Happy New Year!

I never used to make a new year’s resolution, but in the past couple of years, I’ve found it a fun thing to do. Today I’m going to encourage you to make this specific resolution - ‘Have a flower-filled year’.

Let me tell you why this is a great resolution for the upcoming year, and all the things you can do to make it come true. At the end, I'll share my personal resolution for 2021.

Why having a flower-filled year is a great resolution for you:

Common sense tells us that flowers make us happy, but scientific research proves it. Study after study shows that flowers improve our mood, brighten our environment, decrease our anxiety, improve our sleep, increase our productivity, and strengthen our memory. There’s no doubt about it – flowers make us happier and healthier!

How to be successful in having a flower-filled year:

It’s great to have a resolution, but if you don’t stick to it, there’s really not much point. The good thing about this specific resolution of having a flower-filled year is you can keep it as simple as you want while still reaping the benefits. There’s no need to complicate things and get stressed about not having the time or money to have flowers around you. There are so many ways you can use flowers that are easy and affordable and all will help you be successful in having a flower-filled year. The best way for you to learn about these things just happens to be connected with what my new year’s resolution is all about.

My 2021 New Year’s Resolution:

To provide information and inspiration on all things floral, all year long.

All year long I will share information and inspiration on all things floral that will help you to keep your new year’s resolution of having a flower-filled year.

My blog will focus on everything you need to know to create a life-long habit of having flowers in your life. My Instagram account will keep you up-to-date on my blog and include several posts each week that will bring you ideas and joy on all things floral.

If you haven’t already subscribed to my blog, you can go to my website to sign up, and then be alerted every Monday when there’s a new blog post. You can find me on Instagram @thefloralprescription.

I hope you’ll take on this challenge for the new year, and I can’t wait to help you be successful. Are you up for the challenge?

How to Make Fresh Flowers Look Festive at Christmastime

Poinsettias are the most well-known flower at Christmas time. In fact, they’re now as much a symbol of Christmas as stockings or a decorated tree. But Christmas florals can be so much more than this traditional potted plant. 

Here are 4 ways to make fresh flowers look festive during this holiday season:

1 - Winter wonderland: No matter where you live or what your climate is, you can embrace a snowy look by creating an all-white arrangement. Use a clear glass vase or a white ceramic container to complete the look.

2 -Woodland inspiration: Go for a walk and forage branches, pine cones, and bits of bark. Mix these in with some neutral coloured flowers to create a nature-inspired seasonal arrangement. And if you have a few toys or ornaments of woodland creatures add them in to complete the look.

3 - Sparkle it up: It’s the holidays which makes it the right time for adding a bit of sparkle to your flower arrangements. I have two favourite ways to do this. First - lightly mist your flowers with water and then sprinkle with glitter. The water will help the glitter to stick, and then when the light hits it, your flowers will shine. A little goes a long way so be light-handed when adding the glitter. Second - use a metallic vase. Copper, bronze, gold, silver, and rose gold all work to add a bit of glitz to make your arrangement twinkle for all your festivities.

 4-  Make it personal: Think of ways to take the traditional red, white, and green of Christmas, and give it a personal twist. For example, if you love Hawaii, consider adding in some tropical flowers; use a vase that’s been passed down from generation to generation; incorporate a special ornament, or even try something as simple as mixing in some flowers in your favourite colour. (For me, this means adding in pink flowers - you wouldn’t believe how well this works and how happy it makes me every time I see my arrangement!)

Flowers to use in winter arrangements: Ranunculus, roses, hellebores, carnations, amaryllis, paperwhites, poinsettias, white lilies, and white anemone. Add in snowberries, cotton, eucalyptus, and winter greenery.

Top tip: Most people don’t realize you can use poinsettias as a cut flower in an arrangement, but you certainly can. Before you do, however, there is one trick you need to know. 

When you cut the stem of the poinsettia, sap will ooze out of it. To keep the bloom from wilting you need to seal the end of the stem before placing it in your vase of water. 

You can seal the stem one of two ways. First, pour water that is just below the boiling point into a cup. As soon as you’ve cut the poinsettias stem, dip it in the heated water for a few seconds and then quickly place it into your vase of cool water. Your second option is to hold the cut end of the stem over a flame for a few seconds which will seal the end, making it ready to use. Either method will work and I hope you’ll give it a try. Using a poinsettia in a fresh flower arrangement is a really nice alternative to only having them as a potted plant. Let me know how it works for you.

Wishing all of you the very best this holiday season. xo

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 

Flowers. They’re part of all the big occasions in our lives, from birth to death. We recognize the joy they bring us during celebrations, and the comfort they bring us during times of sorrow. But for some reason, when it comes to having flowers in our everyday life, they can be thought of as frivolous or a waste of money. The truth is, flowers have a positive impact on our well-being all the time and we should have them in our lives every day. That’s what ‘The Floral Prescription’, is all about, using flowers to make our lives - and the lives of those around us - happier and healthier every day of the year.

As a new year begins I thought it would be the perfect time to give you an overview of what I’ll be sharing with you in the upcoming weeks and months.

The Whys: There have been a lot of studies on the positive effect flowers have on our mental, physical and emotional well-being. Without getting too ‘sciencey’ about it, we’ll delve deeper into this research and the actual reasons why flowers are good for us.

The Practicalities: I think many people would like to have flowers in their home and workplace but believe they don’t have the money to do so.  One of my main goals for this year is to show you that flowers can be affordable. I’ll share with you all the budget-friendly ways you can have flowers in your daily life, and give you tons of tips and tricks on how to care for flowers, helping them to have a longer vase life.

Bonuses: I love how flowers play a role in all areas of life. I’ll shower you with information on edible flowers, floral scented bath and beauty products, flowers in art, music and literature, flowers for special occasions, the language of flowers, travel destinations with a floral focus, and everything and anything floral related.

And for little pops of floral inspiration throughout the week, all you need to do is follow @thefloralprescription on Instagram.

If you have anything you’d like to know about, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d love to hear from you.