“Why” we are a florist is to challenge our imagination, spread interconnectedness in the community, and to do our part in preserving our planet.

The next step we are taking towards sustainability and preserving our planet is phasing out balloons. When we read about the negative consequences of latex balloons, mylar balloons, and helium, we decided not to purchase any new balloons. We will sell the inventory that we have, but you’ll see popular balloons disappearing as options on our website. The first selection we have run out of is our generic Happy Birthday balloons. We do still have a few milestone birthday balloons such as Sweet 16, 40^th, and 50^th, and “Over the Hill.” Just call us to find out what we still have in stock!

If you’re interested in what we’ve learned about balloons and helium, here are some of the statistics that went into our decision:

• Balloons can travel hundreds of miles before they land–which can be in the ocean, lakes, forests, or prairies. Wildlife gets entangled in the strings or ingests the balloons and strings causing injury and death. (https://wildlifecenter.org/help-advice/wildlife-issues/balloon-releases)
• Mylar balloons (the shiny foil balloons) never break down; they just become smaller and smaller pieces of microplastics. Latex balloons eventually break down, but it takes months, and they often affect wildlife before they have a chance of biodegrading. (https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/balloons-environmental-impact/)
• Balloons cause power outages affecting thousands each year, including in our own Arlington, VA. (https://www.arlnow.com/2022/04/20/balloons-caused-large-power-outage-in-arlington-yesterday/)
• “Helium is a nonrenewable resource with many crucial industrial, medical and scientific uses, such as in MRIs, superconductors and weather balloons. The U.S. is fortunate to be rich in helium; we produce 40% of the gas worldwide. But there is a global helium shortage, and projections of future helium demand indicate that we will face serious limitations in the helium supply within only a few decades.” (https://www.caryinstitute.org/news-insights/feature/helium-balloons-impose-toll-our-air-land-and-sea)
• As of 2021, it is illegal to release balloons in the Commonwealth of Virginia. “It is unlawful for any individual 16 years of age or older or other person to intentionally release, discard, or cause to be released or discarded outdoors any balloon made of a nonbiodegradable or nonphotodegradable material or any material that requires more than five minutes’ contact with air or water to degrade. Any person convicted of a violation of this section is liable for a civil penalty of $25 per balloon released or discarded…” (https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title29.1/chapter5/section29.1-556.1/)

Despite phasing out balloons as part of our commitment towards sustainable practices, we have partnered with several like-minded local family-owned businesses for alternative add-on offerings. Check out our River-Sea Chocolate selections, our Grace+Love Candle selections, and our Tea for All Reasons selections!

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River-Sea Chocolates is all of that! They are located just around the corner from us so we were able to tour their bean-to-bar factory, meet the owners, and try their delicious, small-batch, artisanal chocolates. We think you’ll agree that adding one of their chocolate bars or sampler gift boxes to your flower arrangement order is that decadent touch that you can’t get anywhere else!

Each chocolate purchase supports the Amazon River cleanup project called Projeto SUPaneiro in the Amazon Delta region where owner, Mariano, grew up and where his family still lives. As an avid standup paddle boarder (SUP), Margie loves this idea! Even more exciting is the way River-Sea transports their beans to the US. “River-Sea’s first shipment of cacao was the very first Sail Cargo shipment allowed in the USA since motorized cargo became the convention! Over 100 years!”

Why is this exciting? “The shipping industry accounts for over 80% of the world’s trade volume and 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.” ~United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

According to River-Sea, “Sail transport reduces carbon emissions by 99% over conventional cargo transport, while providing a more nimble and efficient sustainable solution for trade.”

But don’t take our word for it! Add one of our River-Sea Chocolates to your order and let us know what you think!

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Why We Chose Grace+Love Candle Company

We were looking for candles from a shop that has a philosophy similar to ours—locally owned and operated, offering a quality product, community-oriented, and focused on sustainability. Grace+Love is owned by the wife and husband duo of Natalie and Jamahl Grace based in Loudoun County. One of their missions is to donate funds towards minority education. You can read about their inspiring story here!

How are Grace+Love Candles Made?

The entire collection is vegan friendly and cruelty free, using domestically grown soy wax, phthalate free fragrances, and lead-free cotton wicks. What does that mean for you?

Soy wax burns clean (no blackened walls) with no toxins, carcinogens, or pollutants. Derived from soybeans, soy wax is a renewable resource and supports American farmers. It’s also biodegradable so it cleans up nicely with just soap and water. Soy wax also burns at a lower temperature than paraffin which means your candle will last longer!

Our Current Fragrances

We’re starting with five fragrances which we believe offer a nice selection of floral, fruity, and earthy. Click on each photo for more information!

Give us a call and let us know what you think! We’re eager for your feedback!

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The type of arrangement you choose will most likely be dictated by where the arrangement will be. For the holidays, arrangements generally fall into four categories: low profile, garlands, tall focal, and short focal.

Types of Arrangements

Low profile are perfect for centerpieces and are low to allow guests to talk to each other across the table. Depending on the table shape and length, they can be round or long. Candles and/or lanterns can also be incorporated into these types of arrangements.

Garlands are a great option if you have a very long table or are working within a budget. If you need most of your table space for dishes, you might want to choose a thinner garland that just adds a line of texture down the middle of your table. Garlands can be all or mostly greenery such as ruscus, eucalyptus, pine, or cedar. From there, you can add woodier herbs such as rosemary and thyme, pine cones, or flowers to pick up the colors in your room or add seasonal festivity.

A tall focal arrangement is perfect on a table in a large foyer to welcome guests or in the corner of the buffet table. You could go with appropriate holiday colors or choose a palette that compliments the home or room that the arrangement is in. These type of arrangements can be three-sided so the flat side backs up against a wall or all-the-way-around. The all-the-way-around variety, when tall enough, can be used as a centerpiece as it allows people to see under the arrangement while talking to other guests.

A small focal arrangement is a good choice for smaller entryways, a guest room, a powder room, or anywhere that you would like to add a pop of color and a festive spirit. These can also be used as centerpieces for smaller/round tables, or several can be used for longer tables.

Thanksgiving Flowers

I love Thanksgiving arrangements because of all the fun textural items that can be added. Mango calla lilies, red roses, orange gerbera daisies, bronze mums, and burgundy dahlias, bring gorgeous fall tones. Add a combination of cat tails, chocolate queen ann’s lace, wheat, dried lotus pods, hypericum berries, salidago, or bupleurum, and you have a unique arrangement from fall’s bounty.

Christmas Flowers

Of course red and green reign supreme in Christmas Arrangements, and mother nature has no shortage of offerings. Almost every flower comes in red such as roses, gerbera daisies, lilies, mums, and carnations. The winter season adds another layer of dark greenery that look and smell like Christmas–pine, cedar, spruce, fir, and juniper. Put these together in unique and whimsical ways. Maybe add beautiful white calla lilies for a more romantic contrast or sparkly ornaments and “ting ting” for playful festivity, and you’ve got a special arrangement to grace your home for the holiday!

Hanukkah Flowers

Mother nature doesn’t have a lot of flowers that are naturally blue, but what she does have are beautiful! Blue delphinium bring a bright royal blue that lends height and dimension to arrangements. Hydrangea come in dark and light blue hues, offer a lot of bang for the buck, and lend an elegant garden-style touch. Blue thistle is long lasting and adds fun texture, or you could try white anemones with their gorgeous blue centers. Whether you’re looking for a tall focal arrangement or a shorter centerpiece, there are plenty of holiday flowers to choose from!

Of course we are here to help! Just give us a call, and we’ll help you come up with the perfect holiday flowers!

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Dahlias

To me, there is no flower more “fall” than a dahlia! These beautiful, round blooms come in a wide variety of colors from pale whites and creams to deep, rich burgundies! Dahlias are sure to add a unique touch to any arrangement when used as a focal flower.

Celosia

There are three varieties of celosia–coxcomb, plume, and spicata–and each is well-loved here at Fantasy Florist! The wide variation in shape and color makes celosia a versatile choice for arrangements, and it can be used for almost any occasion! 

Marigolds

The namesake golden color of marigolds is the perfect complement to a warm, rich fall color scheme! These flowers add a touch of brightness and contrast to the deep reds and browns that herald the fall. They also have a unique fragrance!

Strawflower

If you’re looking for a more unique fall filler, strawflower is one of our favorites! This small flower comes in a wide array of colors and hues, and its distinct texture helps it stand out among the autumn blooms. It’s a natural complement to other fall flowers!

Zinnias

Last in the alphabet but certainly not least, the zinnia is a fantastic flower to add to any fall arrangement! Like the dahlia, it comes in many colors, but it’s smaller and more rounded. It’s well suited to arrangements both big and small!

If these flowers are calling your name, then good news! All of these fall flowers are available from local farms through our partnership with Old Dominion Flower Cooperative. Whether it’s an autumn birthday, a back-to-school gift, or just because you love the fall, order your autumnal arrangement today!

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Single-use plastics are notoriously bad for not only our wildlife and the environment, they are bad for anyone that consumes the wildlife that ingest these plastics. We’ve eliminated one more single-use plastic from our shop, and we’re recycling in the process! Have you ever turned a rose upside-down to preserve it and noticed just how strong the stem becomes when it’s dried? We noticed that too!

It takes a bit of effort and vigilance, but the environment is so worth each sustainable step we can take. We often cut our long stem rose stems to accommodate shorter arrangements or remove them altogether for rose petal orders. Instead of throwing them away, we are saving these stems, drying them, and making slits at one end to hold the envelopes that carry message cards and care instructions.

The next time you receive an arrangement from us, you can compost the sustainable card holder right along with the flowers and greenery!

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There are a few flowers that actually start blooming before spring. Anemones, amaryllis, and ranunculus are all winter flowers, and all three stay vibrant in the spring. Hellebores, an evergreen plant, also blooms during March, and daffodils and poppies both start waking up around this time. 

As we drift later into April and the weather warms up, you’ll start to see some garden favorites! Bleeding hearts, bluebells, and bachelor buttons bring unique touches to arrangements, and they flourish in April. For a very short time this month–only a week or two–lilacs also blossom. And if there’s one flower that symbolizes spring, it’s tulips! April brings a vast variety of tulips to the shop, and each one is uniquely beautiful!

After winter, early spring flowers are truly Mother Nature’s gift to us. Our Spring Designer’s Choice is a perfect way to enjoy this gift!

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The flowers in Breath of the Wild largely serve as materials used for boosting Link’s abilities or upgrading his armor. They’re found all across Hyrule, though they vary considerably in scarcity and value. Today, I’d like to look at six of these flowers and compare them to their real-world counterparts, if any. Some are a little more fantastical than others! 

Starting off easy, there are two flowers in the game that have very obvious real-world counterparts: swift violets and mighty thistles. Swift violets, used for boosting speed, closely resemble…well, violets. On the other hand, attack-boosting mighty thistles don’t look exactly like our thistles. While they look somewhat like a closed thistle bud, the bright orange color and sharp, pointy tip is distinctly out of this world. 

Armoranths, ingested for a defense boost, are a little more obscure. The round, compact bulbs in the game look nothing like draping amaranthus. However, they look a lot like gomphrena (albeit a bit larger,) and another name for gomphrena is globe amaranth. Unlike armoranths, gomphrena comes in quite a few different colors, and while it’s theoretically edible, the texture of the flowers makes them better suited for tea.

Blue nightshade, used to help Link move quietly and stealthily, is a bit of a misnomer. While both blue nightshade and real-world nightshade have drooping buds, real-world nightshade is more often found in purple and white with a distinct, spiky shape to its petals. Blue nightshade more closely resembles a lily of the valley with the color of a bluebell. Notably, however, neither flower glows in the dark like blue nightshade does in-game.

Safflina, which comes in three varieties and increases Link’s resistance to different elements, was difficult to identify. The plant has a name that reminds me of safflower or saffron. However, neither flower looks like any type of safflina; safflower is a short, thistle-like flower, and saffron’s flowers are large and wide, not tall and thin. Safflina more closely resembles salvia in both its shape and the colors it’s found in. The names are similar, but just different enough to throw you for a loop!

Finally, perhaps the most important flower in Breath of the Wild is the silent princess. It is one of the most scarce materials in the game, only found in certain remote locations on the map. It also carries symbolic weight, representing the one and only Princess Zelda and appearing in the game’s logo. The five-pointed bloom resembles nightshade, ironically more than blue nightshade does. The coloration of the plant is reminiscent of a stargazer lily, albeit blue instead of pink. Its closest match in both color and shape is columbine. It’s perhaps fitting that a flower so magical and special in the world of Hyrule has no exact match to be found in our own world. 

Breath of the Wild has so many little details to create this world, and the variety of plants and flowers you can pick up is just one of them. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is scheduled for release on May 12th, 2023 with, hopefully, even more Hylian wildflowers. In the meantime, if you’d like a bouquet of not-quite-Hylian wildflowers, just give us a call!

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Most of our red roses are sourced from Colombia and Ecuador. Rose production for Valentine’s Day begins as early as October, with growers cutting back their plants to maximize their yield for Valentine’s Day. According to Virgin Farms’ interview with Rafael Santillán, an Ecuadorian flower farmer, “Throughout the year, about 1 to 1.1 roses are produced per plant, per month. For Valentine’s Day, three red roses per plant are produced for the Valentine’s Day harvest…”

After the roses are harvested, they’re transported to the airport in vehicles with controlled temperatures of between 35-39 F. Since the flowers are out of water, this helps prevent them from wilting.  According to the Miami International Airport, MIA receives 91% of the flowers flown into the US. From January 1st through February 14th, 1.4 billion floral stems will travel through the Miami International Airport, with over 30 cargo planes arriving daily. Once the flowers arrive, they’re inspected by border control for disease and parasites, then sent off to florists and wholesalers in all corners of the nation.

Because so many more red roses are needed for Valentine’s Day compared to other times of the year, the farmers have to start harvesting them early. Red roses start arriving in the US in the beginning of January for Valentine’s Day. This means they could be out of water for 2-4 weeks. During the year, we carefully source our roses to ensure they are long-lasting. We just can’t make that guarantee for red roses during Valentine’s Day because of how far ahead they need to be harvested. 

If you’re looking for something romantic and want to try something different than traditional Valentine’s Day Red Roses, maybe choose roses in another beautiful color such as lavender or pink. Of course you can never go wrong with our ever popular Valentine’s Designer’s Choice! Our designers are incredibly skilled at creating unique and beautiful arrangements using a variety of flowers that are both in season and locally sourced, even during the winter. We can, of course, still include beautiful red roses with other flowers for a very romantic design! Here are just a few examples of what our designers can do!

Photo credits: CBS News, Fantasy Floral

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I’ve never been the type to make New Years’ Resolutions. If I do, I always start strong on January 1st…and fall flat on January 2nd. So instead, I’ve started thinking about my goals more abstractly, in a wider sense that can be applied to almost everything with ease. I’m able to meet the goals I set because the end result is flexible and open to interpretation.

I also try to use the last year as a jumping off point; if a certain thing went well for me this year, it’s a way to congratulate myself and keep doing that thing well.  For example, this year, I’ve let my creativity and sensibility as an artist grow thanks to learning how to design flower arrangements. I want to keep that creativity up in the new year, so my goal will be to do as many artistic and creative things as I can, whenever I get the opportunity to do so.

Above all, though, I find it important to think about the impact I want to make on the world around me. This year has shown me that more than anything, a simple act of kindness can turn someone’s day around. This morning, I was pulled over on the highway due to a minor fender bender, and I was freaking out a fair bit while on the phone with my mother. A gentleman pulled over and asked if there was anything I needed; even though I ended up turning him away, his patient smile and kind words were enough to settle my nerves and get the car moving. 

This year, I want to be like that gentleman who pulled over for me. My biggest goal is to be kind, whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself. I want to make sure that if there’s someone in need of a friendly smile and some gentle words, I’ll be able to give it to them. I hope that the year ahead is one of peace, and I hope that we all get a chance to give and receive some kindness.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from all of us at Fantasy Floral!

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