April Showers Bring May Flowers

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May is here and it is the perfect time to plant a perfect a Flower Garden to enjoy all Summer long!

Don't have room for a full garden at home?  This is some great advice for making your own window box garden!  

While Fall is a good time to plant longer growing plants like trees, small bushes, bulbs and some perennials, Spring is a perfect time to get started on a flower garden!

Here are a few steps to get you started:

1. Pick a Spot

Most flowers need about 6 hours a day of sunlight, so first you need to find a spot with plenty of room for them to grow.  You also want to make sure it is not a spot with lots of water run off (that is to say, at the top of a hill with nothing holding the soil) so that the seeds or soil do not wash away when it rains!  If you only have spots that are in direct sunlight all day, some of these flowering plants might do well!

If you only have land on a hill, a ledge or garden edging can be helpful to plan while you are designing the spot.

Large gardens are beautiful, but if you are starting off for the first time, pick a smaller spot so that you don't overwhelm yourself.  They are easy to do, but take some work.  So a spot about 25 - 30 square feet is good for a beginner! 

Make sure you are at least 3' from a house or fence, 20' from a large tree or 5' from a sizable bush, so you don't risk digging into any vital roots, and so your flowers have room to grow.

2. Clear The Ground

This is where you roll your sleeves up and get your hands dirty!  If the area is already cleared of grass and weeds, you can skip this step.  If not, you need to get digging - pull up the weeds and any plants growing that you did not want as part of your garden.  This includes grass.  Make sure to wear gloves if you are doing it by hand and watch out for ants getting on you. 

Remove all pieces of grass or weeds or anything that might start to grow again.  Using a spade or small gardening fork, turn the dirt at least eight inches deep, up to a foot if you can.  Remove any rocks or small items you dig up.

3. Prepare To Plant

Check with your local Department of Agriculture and treat your soil as needed.  You might need to add compost or packaged soil to fill in the ground as needed.  Some soils need to be pH balanced.  Find out what is best for the soil where you live.

4. Plant Your Flowers

If you are starting from seeds, be sure to water regularly.  If you are planting grown plants or seedlings, be sure to leave enough room to fill in some dirt on top of the roots once planted.  Follow instructions carefully on seed and plant packaging and be sure to space your plants with enough room for them all to get sunshine and to have room to grow.

5. Enjoy Your Flower Garden!

Watch your lovely flowers grow!  Be sure to cut them back or support them as needed as they get bigger.  Remember that many flowering plants will re-flower if the finished blooms are cut off.  Trim them back for several set of flowers per plant.  Make sure they get plenty of water and enjoy!

<3 

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!

Five Ways To Make Mother's Day Extra-Special For Mom

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With Mother's Day right around the corner, here are some last-minute tips to make the day extra special!

1. Don't Waste Your Money On Big Company Flower Purchases

These 5 tips from Fox News are probably the best advice I could give before you order.   And, with a 5-star Google and Facebook rating and wonderful hand-written Thank You notes from our customers, a selection of plants and Designer Specials, plus an awesome 15% off coupon, we are happy to take your order and make sure you get your money's worth!

2. Give Her Memories Along With Flowers

Do you live close enough to see Mom on Mother's Day?  Start her day off with a special delivery of her favorite flowers then take her out for her favorite lunch, but make it special!  For all those years she spent making sure you ate lunch, why not a picnic?  Or check out local deals and take her out to lunch or dinner!

3. Show Her You Were Listening

For the next few days before Mother's Day, take photos of yourself doing all things that she taught you!  Then on Friday or Saturday head to your local CVS or Walgreens or whatever the best local place is for same-day pickup an great deals on prints.  Then give her a stack of photographs tied with a ribbon for her to look at during the year and see what a great job she did raising you!

4. Send a Small Gift With Your Flowers

If your mom lives near Clearwater Beach or surrounding areas (St Pete, Dunedin, Largo, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, etc), we can deliver to her and add on an awesome small gift with the flowers, so you only have to go shopping once!  And if Mom doesn't live where we deliver, check out your local Flower Shop - many locally owned and run shops also offer things like balloons and small gifts to send along with a floral piece!

5. Make Her a Present to Give Her Along With Flowers

Not super crafty? There are lots of simple craft projects on Pinterest or just write her a hand-written letter on nice paper saying what she means to you.  

What is most important on Mother's Day is reminding Mom what she means to us and that we thank her for all she has put up with being a part of our lives!

<3 

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!

April Showers Bring May Flowers...

With adorable animals...

Because nothing say spring like a bunny...eating a flower...

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And a rose with any other puppy just isn't as sweet...

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Because we all want to stop and smell the flowers

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...Or eat them...

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spring calls for time to take a little pause...

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or paws...

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And of course, 

no Spring is complete without the original Flower!

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I hope you are having a wonderful Spring!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!

How To Make A Flower Basket!

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Last week, I gave all the items you need to get started on a flower DIY project.

The thing was, when I looked up making a DIY Flower Basket, I was really surprised at how many times I ended up getting articles on making a "Flower Girl Basket" (not the same thing!).

So this week I am laying out how to make an arrangement of flowers in a basket - a Flower Basket!

These are fantastic to make for the Holidays, but also great for the Springtime as well!

First - make sure you have all of your supplies!  You will need:

- time (set aside at least an hour for set up and clean up as well)

- a clean counter or table-top to work that is out of direct sunlight and cool (so the flowers don't wilt)

- flowers

- greenery

- a design

- a basket

- a bucket or sink to hold the flowers in water while you make the bouquet (also out of the sun and cool, so the flowers don't wilt)

- oasis (floral foam) and/or a plastic lining to line the basket as needed

- water

- scissors or gardening shears

- floral tape (green or clear, depending on the color of your basket and if it will be visible per your design)

- floral wire

- towels (paper or cloth to clean up spills)

- trash bin or trash bags

- ribbon (as needed for your design)

- hot glue and/or straight pins (for securing the ribbon to the basket as needed for your design)

For a design, you can refer back to here and here for the basics on how to arrange the flowers but the most basic points are to make sure to spread out the colors and ensure that the "face" of the flower is facing outwards.

The biggest things to keep in mind when making a Flower Basket are:

- Make sure to line the basket with a plastic or a bowl of some kind to hold the water

- If you are going to put a bow around the basket or the handle, so that it sits under the flowers, you might want to put it on first!  Also if you are going to weave ribbon through the basket at all, do this before putting anything inside, and be sure to hot glue or pin down any edges!

- Use a floral foam cut smaller than the inside of the basket so you have room to put pieces coming out of the sides

- Use lots of greenery or larger flowers (like hydrangea) along the edges to fill up where the floral foam is so that you can not see it when you are done

- If the basket has a handle, remember to fill flowers into the middle anyway so they go up to and around the handle, and don't dip under it (unless your design has them dip!)

The rest is just make the piece as you would any piece!

Comment with any questions or any tips I might have missed!  And feel free to tag @flowersbybridgt on any twitter posts or Flower Design By Bridget on any FB posts so I can see your handy work!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!

DIY Flower Supply Checklist

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There are tons of great DIY Flower Tips out there!  But not all of them lay out the tools clearly!  This week's blog is to help you with the supplies you need to get start on your own DIY project!

Remember, for all of these, you need to make sure you have set aside some time!  One of the things you are paying for when you hire someone is their time in doing the work - so before you get started on a DIY project, make sure you have carved out enough time to complete it!

That said, here are some basic items you will need for various DIY flower projects (along with some links to get you started)!  Much of these are very similar, but each item is listed for the various projects as needed so you can skip to the checklist that applies to you!

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1. A Centerpiece 

You will need:
- a clean counter or table-top to work that is out of direct sunlight and cool (so the flowers don't wilt)
- flowers
- greenery
- a design
- a bucket or sink to hold the flowers in water while you make the bouquet (also out of the sun and cool, so the flowers don't wilt)
- oasis (floral foam) and/or a plastic lining to line the container if it is not waterproof
- water
- scissors or gardening shears
- floral tape (green or clear, depending on if your final container is glass or not)
- floral wire
- towels (paper or cloth to clean up spills)
- trash bin or trash bags

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2.  A Bouquet 
You will need:
- a clean counter or table-top to work that is out of direct sunlight and cool (so the flowers don't wilt)
- flowers
- greenery
- a design
- a bucket or sink to hold the flowers in water while you make the bouquet (also out of the sun and cool, so the flowers don't wilt)
- (note: a friend to hold the bouquet while you make it is very helpful!  If you are working alone, you can always set it in a clear glass vase to get an idea as to how it looks from all sides)
- scissors or gardening shears
- water
- floral tape
- floral wire
- towels (paper or cloth to clean up spills)
- trash bin or trash bags
- ribbon
- hot glue and/or straight pins (for securing the ribbon around the bouquet)

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3. A Flower Basket

You will need:
- a clean counter or table-top to work that is out of direct sunlight and cool (so the flowers don't wilt)
- flowers
- greenery
- a design
- a basket
- a bucket or sink to hold the flowers in water while you make the bouquet (also out of the sun and cool, so the flowers don't wilt)
- oasis (floral foam) and/or a plastic lining to line the basket as needed
- water
- scissors or gardening shears
- floral tape (green or clear, depending on the color of your basket and if it will be visible per your design)
- floral wire
- towels (paper or cloth to clean up spills)
- trash bin or trash bags
- ribbon (as needed for your design)
- hot glue and/or straight pins (for securing the ribbon to the basket as needed for your design)

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4. A Potted Dish Garden 
You will need:
- a clean counter or table-top to work that is out of direct sunlight and cool (so the flowers and plants don't wilt)
- potted flowers
- potted plants
- potting soil
- a design
- stones or other decorative items as per your design
- a basket or dish to use as the potted garden
- a plastic lining to line the basket or dish as needed
- water
- scissors or gardening shears
- floral tape
- floral wire
- towels (paper or cloth to clean up spills)
- trash bin or trash bags
- ribbon (as needed for your design)
- hot glue and/or straight pins (for securing the ribbon to the basket or dish as needed for your design)

Before starting a DIY project, make sure to check these lists so you can be sure to enjoy creating a beautiful floral piece without being caught up to your elbows in flowers only to find you are missing something!  Don't forget to follow here for more DIY tips as well!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!

An Open Letter To Brides-To-Be

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Dear Bride-To-Be,

This is not your standard letter of congratulations. Though I do wish you the biggest congratulations!!

And it is not a checklist of things to do before your big day (although those are all extremely helpful!).

This is to you, yes, you.  If you are a Bride who is currently navigating through Bridal magazines and Facebook Groups and following the latest trends and Pantone colors - this is to tell you that your wedding is not the latest in keeping up with the Joneses.

While this might seem like something unusual coming from a wedding vendor, as we are supposed to be so interested in inflating your budget, this is to tell you that is not how it is supposed to be.

Your wedding should be about you, and your love, and the start of a new life together.

It sounds so easy to say, but it really is!

At the end of the day, it will have mostly been a blur, and all you will have are the photographs and few memories.  But what is most important is that you will be married and on the beginning of one of the greatest adventures of your life.

And that is all that really matters.  

For what it is worth coming from me, please don't hold any aspect of your wedding up to any standard other than "is it something that makes you happy?"

Because, in the end, the day really is about you and your love. And the people coming should be people who support that and would be as happy for you at an afternoon picnic as they would in the grand ballroom of a Paris hotel.

Maybe this does not apply to you reading this.  And if so, that is wonderful!

But if it does, just know that all of us - your caterer and your wedding planner and your photographer and your dress seller and your DJ and your florist - those of us really on your side, are all about making the day special for you!  And having it be the day you always dreamed about!!

Post in FB groups and ask questions.  But, please, don't ask the internet if your chosen colors are "right" or if your bouquet has the "correct" flowers.  

If you are working with a designer, or venue planner, or stylist or makeup artist (or florist), get their professional opinion if you want it.  Just don't forget that it is your day.  And if you want evergreen-themed centerpieces in July, or pink and gold in January, and you can find someone who can do it for you, or you can DIY it, within your realistic budget, go for it!  

There are no "Wedding Police" who will monitor if your silk flowers came from France or a Dollar Store, or from a florist.

I am happy to help with any flower questions!  You can always comment here or message my FB page.

Your day is about you and your love.

Never lose sight of that!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!

5 Things To Do With Flowers Now That Spring Is Here

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With Spring officially here, the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming!  While it's the perfect time to start keeping fresh flowers in your home, here are 5 other things to do with flowers now that the days are longer and the sun is warm and bright!

1. Start a flower garden

Now is the perfect time to till that soil and get those seedlings started.  Better Homes and Gardens has some great tips for getting a flower garden going, so what better time to select that part of the yard you have always been neglecting and fill it with some colorful flowers?  (Plus it is a great way to support bees!).  Don't live in a home with a yard?  A DIY window planter is a perfect way to wake up to fresh blooming flowers all summer long!

2. Go for a nature walk

We don't always notice, but most plants actually flower before they become green and leafy for summer.  That tree pollen has to come from somewhere!  So spend an afternoon on a nature walk and take the time to enjoy the tiny flowers blooming on the edges of the branches, in bushes and on the ground.  This is also a great way to go butterfly sighting, or watch the busy bees do their work!

3. Make a flower salad

Martha Stewart never fails with this amazing flower salad recipe.  While there are tons of edible flower recipes out there, see if you can come up with your own ways to include these edible beauties into your favorite recipes. 

4. Enjoy some floral ice pops

That's right - ice pops made with edible flowers and herbs.  Mix it up with some lavender mint or maybe add a splash of lemon to some rosemary and rose petals for a colorful and refreshing sugar-free treat when the sun starts to heat up!  

5. Embrace essential oils

Did you know that lavender oil is a natural way to combat headaches and even anxiety?  So while you're out there soaking up nature's sunshine, cool off with some lavender lemonade, or try a few drops in a relaxing bath at the end of a long day, or mix a teeny, tiny touch into a cup of earl grey tea in the morning.  Want to start off cool?  Pour the tea over a cup of ice after it has been sweetened (keep a metal spoon in the cup with ice so it doesn't crack when the hot tea is poured in) and enjoy a flowery sweet tea with your breakfast!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!