Your Mother:  The woman who soothed your nightmares, washed your smelly socks, baked you a cake for your birthday, and eased you through your traumatic teenage years.  Buying her flowers and taking her out for brunch never seems sufficient – and yet, she’s perfectly tickled and happy with that show of affection!

Where did Mother’s Day start?  Originally, “Mother’s Day” wasn’t focused on human mothers, but rather was a celebration of goddesses. The earliest historical record of worshiping a “mother” deity is the Egyptian goddess Isis, who was considered the mother of all pharaohs.

Europe adopted a different kind of observation in later years.  The fourth Sunday of Lent honored “Mother Church”, or the church in which one was baptized.  By a clerical decree in the 1600s, England included mothers in the observance, calling it “Mothering Day.”  Household servants and track workers got to go home to visit their families, giving all a one-day reprieve from Lenten fasting, as it was traditional to have a family feast with Mom as the guest of honor.  She was showered with cakes and flowers with all of her children around her.

The first traditional American Mother’s Day was celebrated May 10, 1908, in Grafton, West Virginia.  Anna M. Jarvis was carrying on the work of her mother, who used Mother’s Day as a way to reunite families and neighbors who had been estranged by the Civil War.  Carnations were handed out to all the mothers attending the 1908 celebration, and even today white carnations are used to honor deceased mothers, while pink or red ones pay tribute to those still living.

No matter what type of flower you give or how you honor YOUR mother this Mother’s Day, Boesen the Florist has a design that will truly make Mom feel your love and appreciation!

The giving and receiving of flowers has been a tradition for many generations.  It used to be that your local florist knew your name, your wife’s name, and her favorite flower – so YOU didn’t have to worry about remembering!  But as time has progressed, local brick-and-mortar flower shops have become more and more scarce.  People are turning, instead, to 1-800 and online “warehouse” ordering to send flowers to their loved ones.

The lure of what seems to be a larger selection is what sucks people in to these call centers.  They think they are calling a HUGE floral warehouse with dozens of people standing around, just waiting for their order to come in so they can build it and send it immediately!

The reality, of course, is much different.  When you call these “warehouse” florists, you are getting a call center.  ONLY a call center.  There is no flower warehouse.  Just lines of cubicles filled with people answering the phone all day.  Most of them probably couldn’t tell you the difference between a daffodil and a daisy.  Once they get your order and your money, whoever you spoke with has nothing to do with you or your order again.

What happens when that order doesn’t get to the right place or at the right time?  What if that order gets lost in the shuffle and doesn’t end up anywhere?  Who carries the responsibility to make it right?

When you call your local florist, you KNOW you are talking to a knowledgeable person who knows plants and flowers and values YOU, the customer!  If you aren’t sure what type to send or what colors to use or what’s in season, you can rest assured that the person on the other end of the line will have the perfect suggestion!  Your local florist is just that – a florist who cares about your satisfaction!  A florist who recirculates your dollar in your community 8 times as opposed to only a possible 4 times with a call center.  YOUR money goes back to work in YOUR community to help keep other local businesses – run by your friends, family, and neighbors – in business!

Next time you need to send flowers, call your local Boesen the Florist!  Local florists work and live in your community and CARE about the reason you’re sending the flowers in the first place!  You can rest assured that if anything goes wrong and you aren’t completely satisfied with the quality of your order, Tom Boesen will stand behind his work and will do everything in his power to make it right for you!

Gone are the days where flower girls are expected to skip down the aisle tossing flower petals all about. In fact, some churches and venues are no longer permitting flower girls to throw petals. Many venues with hard flooring instead of carpet view the petals as a hazard that may cause someone to slip, trip and fall. While tossing petals is still very common for flower girls these days there are other options both floral and non for your special attendant.

A popular and lovely way to incorporate flowers into the girls look is with a floral crown or some other form of headpiece. What girl doesn’t like a crown?

Some brides are upset when they realize their flower girls won’t be able to throw petals down the aisle. A fun alternative is to have them carry pomanders or balls made out of flowers with a ribbon string. Also think about seeing if there is another area perhaps at your reception were it may be permitted for the little ones to toss a few petals, after all it is tradition right?

Some other non floral options include having your flower girl cary a sign announcing “Here comes the bride” or “Please turn off your cell phones”. These are both fun ideas but if you ask me a flower girl needs her flowers whether they be in her hair, on her wrists, or carried in a basket.

We recently received this wonderful comment on our Facebook Page from a satisfied customer!  We’re so pleased to have been a part of this great occasion!

Flowers I ordered for Mary for our 50th anniversary were beyond what we expected and made our celebration very special. I visited the Beaver store to place the order and the personnel there are very professional in their guidance to what I ordered!

Happy 50th Anniversary, Ted and Mary!  We wish you many more happy years together and hope you will consider Boesen the Florist for your future celebrations, as well!

It’s Prom season!  Undoubtedly, your teen (especially teen daughter) has been thinking about and planning for Prom since, oh, the day after Homecoming!  Most boys will have a date already lined up and most girls already have a dress picked out, if not hanging in their closets.

Boesen the Florist has teamed up with The Bloomin’ Blog to answer some important and frequently-asked questions regarding Prom corsages and boutonnieres!

1. What is a prom corsage?  The corsage is a small floral design typically worn by a girl on her wrist or close to her collar as an accessory to accent or match her prom dress.  The girl’s date will usually bring the flowers for her and there is much production around the pinning on or placement of the arrangement.
2. What is a boutonniere?  This is the small flower arrangement worn by the guys on the lapel of their tuxedo or suit coat.  Again, his date usually will get the boutonniere for him and it typically matches the style and colors of the girl’s corsage.
3. Do the corsage and boutonniere have to match?  Not necessarily.  Although it is common practice for the guy’s tie and/or cummerbund to match his date’s dress, there is no rule about this.  Usually the couple will match colors and styles, as it looks more stylish and put-together that way.
4. What wrist do you wear your corsage on?  Like wearing a watch, it’s commonly recognized as proper etiquette to wear it on the left wrist, although comfort is most important.
5. When do I need to order my prom flowers?  You can order your flowers any time!  It’s probably the best idea to order earlier rather than later, to make sure you will get what you really want.  Common practice – and courtesy – says at least two weeks before the event.
6. What do I need before I visit my local florist?  First – and most important – is a picture of your dress.  You can try to describe the color and style, but it’s best just to show it to your florist.  Be sure to bring along any pictures from the internet or magazines of styles you like and would like to use.

Your LOCAL florists at Boesen’s will work with you, personally, to create the perfect flower arrangement for your personality, your dress, your dancing style, and your dreams!  Call today to talk to one of our consultants!

A friend or loved one is under the weather.  You want to do something to make them feel better, but feel that there’s nothing you can do.  But that’s not necessarily true!

Sending flowers to an ailing sweetie has long been common practice, although you may think there’s no point and that it won’t help.  But think again!  While the thoughtfulness and beauty of flowers can be enough to uplift us, each flower has its own unique “energy” that can truly heal.  There is growing evidence that chromotherapy, the therapeutic use of color, actually affects people physiologically, mentally and emotionally.

So when you want to help someone feel better, what color should you send for the best results?  An article in The Bloomin’ Blog helped Boesen the Florist lay it out for you!

• Red – promotes feelings of energy and excitement, and gives a sense of protection.  The color red can pump your adrenaline, raise your blood pressure and heart rate, and make you want to MOVE.
• Orange – stimulates appetite and energizes nerves.  This color can encourage feelings of eagerness and happiness – and we all want that!
• Yellow – activates memory, purifies the body.  Sunshiny yellow brings on feelings of warmth and uplifts the spirit.
• Green – relieves tension, lowers blood pressure, helps alleviate depression. Green soothes and relaxes, brings on feelings of harmony and self-control.
• Blue – slows respiration and heart rate.  Blue promotes feelings of security, calm and soothing.
• Purple – encourages creativity and calms the mind and nerves.  Encourages feelings of spirituality and luxury.
• Brown – invokes a sense of order.  This color is earthy, wholesome and dependable.
• White – encourages mental clarity, purity, peace and enables fresh beginnings.
• Black – invokes a sense of potential and feelings of power, elegance and mystery.

Go ahead and send get well flowers!  Think of the situation or illness and what you want to bestow on your loved one, using this handy guide before you make your choice.  And for best results and satisfaction, call Boesen the Florist, your LOCAL florist!

Although we had a mild winter, I’m sure a lot of us are more than ready for SPRING!  Longer days, sunshine, green grass and leafy trees!  There’s no reason you can’t celebrate the season with some flowers from Boesen – for a friend or for yourself!  Here are some of the most popular colors for this spring, thanks to The Bloomin’ Blog!

• Yellow  When you see yellow flowers, whether they are daisies or roses or sunflowers, you automatically think of sunshine and warm weather!  Yellow is the color of cheer and happiness! The most common yellow spring flowers are tulips and daffodils, and the complimentary color to pair them with is purple.  Try not to smile when presented with a festive YELLOW bouquet!
• Pink  Long thought of as the color of love, pink has come to represent femininity and sweet youth.  There are many varieties of pink spring flowers, but some of the most common include asters, Gerbera daisies and lilies.  A particularly beautiful pairing with pink is a bright lime green, which is easy on the eyes and has a very calming influence.
• Purple  Violets, iris and hyacinth are the most common spring purples you may see this year.  Paired with complimentary yellow daisies, these fragrant blooms will really portray sophistication and royalty, as they have throughout history.

Soon, the cool spring days will grow longer and make way for the heat of summer.  Don’t wait to appreciate and enjoy the sweet scents and colors that spring showers bring!  Call Boesen the Florist to see the amazing designs we can do for you today!

Springtime brings the penultimate event for teenagers nationwide: PROM!  Girls and boys alike look forward to this season all year, where they get the chance to dress up and party down with their friends one last time before graduation and summer break.  The Bloomin’ Blog shares some great designs and fun ideas to get just the right corsage for you or your date!

•  Have FUN with it!  Prom is the perfect time to show your own style and, unlike weddings, pretty much anything goes! Take your favorite flower and make it into something fun and flirty – talk with a designer at Boesen’s about possible colors and decorations like glitter or gems.
• Play with color accents!  Your corsage doesn’t have to match your dress – why not use it as an embellishment and use complimentary colors to really make your dress POP!  Bring a picture of your dress into Boesen’s and let one of our designers work with you to make a brilliant corsage or boutonniere to really show you off!
• Bring a taste of the tropics to the Midwest!  Tropical flowers are bright colors and eye-catching shapes and just the right amount of ‘bling’ to accent any dress.  Whether you’re wearing fuschia, yellow or even black, there’s a gorgeous blossom to go along with it.  Let Boesen get creative and make a set of decorations including a corsage, boutonniere, and hair clip!

With Prom flowers, NOTHING is out of the question!  Whether you want to stand out and go bright and wild or you’d rather go with a classic and demure floral style, Boesen the Florist can make your Prom flowers the perfect look for your style!

Corsage photos courtesy of Bloomin’ Blog

While most people send flowers for happy occasions – a birthday, an anniversary, Valentine’s Day, a new job – many also send condolence arrangements when a loved one has passed.  But Bloomin’ Blog shares the story of similar circumstances that you might not think of as a reason to send flowers.

Those of us who own pets know that, while others may think it’s “only” a dog or “only” a cat, we know our pets are so much more than that.  For the owners whose pets greet them at the door every day with happy faces and purrs and wagging tails and many kisses, the loss of a pet is devastating.  Dogs and cats are our closest confidants, our best friends, and the ones who love us unconditionally.

While flowers can’t fill the hole left by the loss of a loved one, they can offer a bit of comfort.  Much like a hug, they don’t take the pain away, but they do lessen the heartache a bit.  Let Boesen the Florist help you show how much you care.

Is it time to celebrate another anniversary?  Already?! It seems like just yesterday you said “I do” with your bride and never looked back.  Each year you are grateful she keeps you around, and whether you send her flowers or deliver them yourself, that anniversary bouquet shows her how much you still care.

But perhaps this year you’re looking to do something a little more…exciting?  Maybe this year is a milestone, or you’re suddenly (finally?) empty-nesters and THIS year calls for something fun and new.  Bloomin’ Blog has this adventurous idea – and more – to share!

Surprise your sweetie by hand-delivering a beautiful anniversary bouquet and a card.  But this time, instead of just the card, include a treasure map!  It doesn’t matter if your 16 or 60, the sight of that big black “X” marking the promise of treasure brings out the adventurer in everyone!  Get creative with your, map, too – singe the edges of the paper, soak it in tea or coffee to give it a weathered look, or even cut the map into puzzle pieces, including clues to lead you to the next piece!

The treasure, of course, is up to you!  Is she a stay-at-home mom who never gets a moment to herself?  A candlelit bubble bath with a glass of wine and soothing music while you take the kids to a movie is a thoughtful idea.  Does she love little baubles and bangles?  Leave a small piece of jewelry with each puzzle piece, leading up to the new diamond earrings she’s had her eye on.  Maybe you’ve been busy with work, out of town frequently or keeping late hours.  Be waiting at the end of the treasure map with a romantic, private dinner and a completely empty schedule.

Whatever “treasure” you decide upon, you can be sure your partner’s eyes will light up with life and love knowing you cared enough to take the time to make this anniversary special.  Call Boesen the Florist for more romantic ideas!