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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Ranunculus

When people ask me for a budget-friendly flower that is similar to peonies, I always suggest ranunculus. It’s a smaller flower but has the same delicate look that peonies have. Ranunculus comes in lots of fun colors, and each bloom within the bunch will be slightly different. Some blooms will be darker, some lighter, and some will have picotee edging.

Blooming Viburnum

The smell of viburnum flowers is the smell of spring in Virginia for me. When you walk through the woods in early spring, I think viburnum is the predominant scent. They are a lovely, lacey flower that look like a cross between hydrangea and Queen Anne’s lace.

Mini Calla Lilies

I’ve planted these around my yard. They come back each spring and change in color as they mature. In arrangements, they had great texture and provide fun focal points.

Tulips

Tulips are probably the quintessential spring flower. They are one of the first flowers to emerge after winter and come in all different colors and textures. They are also one of the few flowers that continue to grow after they are cut so you have to use them strategically in arrangements. I joke that tulips are like kids–they keep growing and have a mind of their own.

Stock

I’ve never understood why this wonderful flower has such a blah name. Stock comes in beautiful spring colors and adds height and dimension to arrangements. I often see our designers composing a beautiful arrangement. One of the last elements they’ll add is stock, and the arrangement comes to life!

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Focal Flowers

Each arrangement starts with the stars of the arrangement. Right now, my favorite flowers are ranunculus and dahlias so those will definitely be in the garden. Unfortunately in this area, neither flower survives the winter. Dahlias are tubers so you can dig the tubers up, store them in a cool dry place for the winter, and then plant them again in the spring. So I’m told! Last year was the first time I planted dahlias and then dug them up before winter. I’ll keep you posted on how successful I am at replanting and growing them this spring!

Vertical Flowers

My favorite arrangements also include tall slender flowers. This year I’m going to try gladiolas and snapdragons. I planted gladiolas in my front yard last year. Supposedly gladiolas can survive the winter in Northern Virginia. I’ll let you know if they come back up! I’ll plant more gladiolas in my cut flower garden so I’ll know if I can leave the bulbs in the ground or dig them up at the end of the season.

Accent Flowers

Finally, every arrangement needs what I call, “pops of whimsy.” These are flowers that are added for texture, height, and color. I’m going to start with bupleurum, billy balls, veronica, and scabiosa. Bupleurum adds a light airy feeling. Billy balls are just fun! Veronica and scabiosa will take a ho-hum arrangement to wow with their stunning colors and textures.

Stay tuned for updates and hopefully photos of fun arrangements from my cut flower garden!

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Valentine’s Day at Fantasy Floral is like opening day on Broadway. It’s months of planning. Perfecting methods of dispatching. Hiring extra people for the week. Advertising through phone calls and social media and sprucing up our well-known decorated trailer on the circle. Decorating the shop with everything hearts and romantic red and passionate pink. Cleaning boxes and boxes of flowers that arrive daily. Lowering the temperature of the shop to a balmy 50 degrees so it becomes one big flower cooler. All leading up to Valentine’s Day morning when we turn on the shop lights, don our headsets, and start directing designers, front of the house assistants, and delivery drivers to help over 200 customers express their love and gratitude for the special people in their lives. It’s happy chaos spent with some of my favorite people!

Wonderful Stories

My favorite part of this process is taking orders. I get to hear the most wonderful stories! One gentleman always orders a blue carnation to be included in whatever arrangement he sends to his wife because the first bouquet he gave her was blue carnations. Another gentleman always orders a “designer’s choice” arrangement that includes two red roses that represent him and his wife. A dad who retired and moved to Florida always orders pink Valentine’s Day arrangements for his two daughters that still live in the area; we take photos of the arrangements each year so we make sure they are always different and unique. We have followed one couple’s journey through Valentine’s Day arrangements; he sent the first arrangement when they first started dating; last year they got engaged; this year the card read, “To my wonderful fiancée and soon to be my bride.”

Fantasy Floral Family

Our customers become a part of our Fantasy Floral family. We are part of the celebrations, and we are part of the remembrances. We share in the joy of new daughters and grandsons, and we share hugs when loved ones pass. We’ve even been able to play hero when 800 number or web-based florists failed to show up, or other shops are closed. I did our last delivery this Valentine’s Day at 9:30pm to a weary traveler whose husband wanted to cheer her up when she got to her hotel. I now view Valentine’s Day through this lens.

Before I started managing the flower shop, Valentine’s Day was just a commercial holiday to be avoided. The care with which people choose certain flowers and colors and why, and the care with which people compose the perfect card message, make me realize that sometimes we all need that reminder to tell the people in our lives how special and loved they are. Valentine’s Day is that nudge for many people. Sure, it is a commercial holiday, but the individual experiences are deeply personal and full of expressions of love and gratitude.

That’s a Wrap!

Because our customers are part of our family, each order, especially Valentine’s Day orders, are deeply personal for us as well. We know the huge trust each customer is putting in us to fulfill their vision and expression flawlessly. I never tire of the warm-fuzzy feeling I get when the dispatch board is clear, the last cuttings are swept up, and we turn off the lights at the end of an exhausting day and week. That is the wonderful part about small family businesses like ours. When you place your Valentine’s Day order, or any order, with us, we’ll treat you like the valued family that you are!

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