Enter today to win a night of romance for you and your Special Valentine from Boesen The Florist!

Boesen the Florist is teaming up with some prominent Des Moines businesses to offer you the chance to be the doting hero (or heroine) this Valentine’s Day!

Starting Wednesday February 1st, through Friday February 10th, visit Boesen.com and download their FREE FloralApp™ for your smartphone.  With that download, your name is entered in a drawing to win an amazing Valentine’s Day prize package valued at over $450!

This package includes:

• One dozen gorgeous, long-stem red roses from Boesen the Florist;
• Dinner for two at the charming Café di Scala;
• An overnight stay in a suite at the beautiful Suites of 800 Locust!

You can have the roses delivered to your sweetheart anywhere in central Iowa on Valentine’s Day, and then get ready for a wonderful weekend!

A table for two is reserved at Café di Scala for 7:00 pm on Saturday February 18th, where you’ll be able to share a gourmet meal and the best wine in Des Moines.

Suites of 800 Locust will have a private whirlpool suite ready for your arrival.  This dreamy suite includes a whirlpool tub and wet bar for your enjoyment and relaxation, plus a full made-to-order hot breakfast in the morning.

With a fantastic, romantic Valentine’s Day Getaway package like this one, you’re bound to want better odds of winning!

Once you download the Free FloralApp™ and get your first entry to the drawing, be sure to use your new FloralApp™ to send flowers and gifts to everyone on your Valentine’s Day list – your mother, sister, daughter, mother-in-law, cousin – and get an additional drawing entry for EACH order made with your FloralApp™!

Everyone wins and YOU look like Superman!

*The winner will be notified by phone and email on February 12th, with an announcement on February 13th through Twitter, Facebook, and a blog post on FlowersDesMoines.com.

Reservations have been made for 7:00 pm, February 18th at Café di Scala and The Suites of 800 Locust, but the flowers can be delivered ON Valentine’s Day or picked up by the winner and delivered personally.

Thank you! And GOOD LUCK!!

Now, CLICK HERE to go to the FLORAL APP DOWNLOAD PAGE!

Our creative friends over at the Meredith Corporation in Des Moines always have great ideas when it comes to celebrating the holidays. Today’s tips are inspired by one of their latest posts on their Better Homes & Gardens blog. Why stick with a traditional vase to display those Valentine’s Day blooms this year?

Their first tip is to place roses in a compote dish

Take the bulk of your bouquet and cluster the flowers in a compote dish, anchoring the stems with pebbles, or creating a multilevel arrangement by cutting the stems to varying lengths.

We honestly weren’t quite sure what a compote dish was ourselves, but it looks to be similar to a candy dish. Some quick research on dictionary.com confirmed that a compote dish is often used for serving fruit, nuts, candy. How cute would your roses look in a compote dish anchored by some conversation candy hearts for a festive Valentine’s Day display?

Another idea is to display your roses with seashells. I never would have thought of doing this myself, but the bold red color provides such a nice contrast against the natural look of the shells. You can even fill the shell with water to keep the arrangement fresh.

Finally display those remaining blooms in your favorite stemware. Utilizing pieces from different collections and of different height will create a unique and visually appealing look for your arrangement. Don’t just stop with stemware. Your new bouquet would look lovely in a teapot or another favorite china piece as well.

Christmas and New Year’s are popular times for men to “pop the question” – you’re surrounded by friends and family, already feeling happy and full of love, not to mention you’re both dressed up and looking good for any photo opportunities!  But now that the holidays are over, you’re faced with the daunting task of making the day you’ve dreamed of into a reality – and you start to panic.

While there are many details to attend to, it doesn’t have to run or RUIN your life!  Your wedding should be beautiful, fun, and a day FOR and ABOUT you and your love.  Boesen the Florist has many tips, hints and checklists to help guide you through the planning process with your relationships – and your sanity! – intact!

1. Start with the wedding checklist.  The last thing you want is to be caught off-guard one month before the big day with no one lined up to do your hair or with no money left for gifts for the attendants.  This Checklist will start you off on the right foot with time frames and budget outlines.
2. Pick a date – and a venue.  Depending on the time of year you’ve chosen for your wedding, your first choice may not be available!  Some venues are booking dates more than a year in advance!  Be sure to have several options in mind and physically check out at least three venues before reserving one.
3. Start a scrapbook/file/folder of ideas.  At Boesen the Florist, we can reproduce any floral design you want for your wedding!  Keep a notebook or collection of magazine clippings of dress designs, venue size and decor, flower arrangements and anything else you want included in your special day.  It’s YOUR day, so be specific about what you want!

While you will be told there are traditions to follow, and things you “have” to do, always remember this is YOUR special day and should reflect the story and journey you and your fiance have taken.  You are sharing your love and joy with your guests – be sure your wedding will make you joyful!

At Boesen the Florist you don’t just get flowers, you get the chance to receive professional help in planning your wedding.  That’s over 87 years of experience just for you.  Come in and take what we’ve learned and we’ll be sure you have only the best businesses help make your wedding a success without the stress!

Valentine’s Day is both hated and loved by many of us. Sometimes, dubbed singles-awareness day, Valentine’s Day is often viewed as a holiday for lovebirds and card makers to celebrate, but Valentine’s Day doesn’t  just have to be for couples anymore. It’s about being thankful and recognizing those who make your life that much better. Make sure you don’t forget ALL of your loved ones come February 14th. Recognize all of those close to your heart, your parents, siblings, children, friends, and grandparents! Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be all about romantic love this year.

Here are a few gift ideas for your other loves of your life!

Send your student away at college a “Junk” Food Bucket for them to snack on during one of those late night study sessions or maybe cookies are more their forte? You can even send them a health snack with one of our Fruit Baskets.

Cheer up the dorm room, retirement home or office with a balloon bouquet to make their day.

Send a Sunshine Bouquet or Pink Roses to your mom, sister, aunt, or mother-in-law.

With so many ways to say I Love You and so many special people to remind, let us help you find the perfect gift for all of your special someone’s this Valentine’s.

Too often men are overlooked on Valentine’s Day with all the focus and attention going to the ladies in their lives. Make his Valentine’s Day just as special as yours this year with our help. Sure, shopping for your man can be hard but taking the time to really plan out something special for him will make his day.

So maybe he isn’t longing for a dozen roses on Valentine’s Day, there are many other ways to send him a little something that says “I Love You”. It truly is the thought that counts here! Perhaps your Valentine’s Day plans are heading out to your favorite restaurant, a movie or a couples massage. Make your plans more fun with the element of surprise. Whether it’s clues throughout the day or little gifts, adding a little surprise to the day will make the events that much more fun.

Send him a Valentine’s Day Balloon Bouquet at work or satisfy his sweet tooth with our “Junk” Food Bucket. Tell him he’s hot stuff with our Fire Engine Bouquet or plan a romantic night in for two with dinner featuring or lobster or delicious steak and make things extra special with some beautiful rose petals.

Sound too mushy or cheesy? Make him the most envied man at the office with the “I’d rather be golfing” gift set, a gift that is sure to get some use come Spring, if he can wait that long!

Whether he’s a tough guy or soft at heart, let the man in your life know he means the world to you with a thoughtful and unique gift from your neighborhood Boesen the Florist!

Weddings are a favorite and a specialty here at Boesen the Florist.  We have consultants to help with every bit of the planning, from venues and caterers to flowers and DJs.

Not everyone wants to relinquish the control of this all-important day.  Many couples are looking for ways to cut costs while still having the wedding of their dreams.  One way to do that is DIY, or Do-It-Yourself flowers, where the wedding party designs and arranges the bouquets, boutonnieres and decorations.

Watch Jane, from our Ingersoll location, as she assembles an amazing bridal bouquet, or follow the tips below to create the perfect design for YOUR wedding!

• Once you’ve selected your color scheme, start looking for the flowers you want to use.  To save money, select flowers that are in season.  It’s also visually stunning to select different textures, bloom sizes, and color shades – even if you’re using one “color” for your bouquet, you can get different hues to add some variety.
• Once you’ve chosen your flowers, prepare them for the bouquet by stripping them of leaves.  While it’s acceptable to keep some greenery on the stems, it’s  best to remove it all for a cleaner, more polished look.  Extra leaves in the middle of the stems can make the bundle too bulky and will most likely be covered.
• If using roses in your bouquet, still remove the leaves, but also the thorns and the outer petals on the blooms.  Removing the outer petals will give the roses a fresher, more compact look as well as showing the cleanest, most vibrant color.
• As you start building your bouquet, try to distribute the different flowers evenly around the whole spray.  You don’t want to have all of your roses bunched together in one spot, for example.  Be sure to showcase the different shades and shapes from all angles.
• Once you have them placed the way you want them, trim the stems.  It doesn’t matter what length the stems are – bouquets are equally incredible whether the stems are short or long – but they should all be the SAME length to make the bouquet neat and clean-looking.
• Use green floral tape to bind the bouquet together.  You can get this tape at most craft stores or floral shops, and a little can go a long way.  Once the flowers are secured, wrap some ribbon that matches your dress around the stalks, over the tape, securing the ribbon with pins.  Be sure to stick the pins in with the tips buried up inside the bundle of stems, for safety.

Planning a wedding shower can sometimes be more innovative than planning an entire wedding day, though paying attention to details is just as important as the big day itself.

Make sure to discuss what type of shower the bride-to-be prefers. The possibilities could include a couple’s party (inside or outside?), a formal outing at a restaurant, or a gift shower for specific items such as lingerie, kitchen items, or linens.

Once you choose the date, place and time for the wedding shower, the invitations should be sent at least six weeks before the date of the shower. You’ll want to consider the details and prepare the invitation card carefully.

When it comes to selecting a wedding shower invitation style, there are a wide variety of different styles to choose from. Wording of the wedding shower invitation will go a long way in setting the tone for the event.

For more helpful tips in planning your wedding day (or shower), call Details By Boesen and make sure to download our free Wedding Days ebook – only from Boesen the Florist.

The flower may be the oldest and most natural adornment for the hair.

Wearing flowers in the hair first became popular in Europe during the Victorian era. This was when each flower had a meaning expressed by type, color, and even how it was held. The flower also made you smell sweet another desirable trait in the Victorian era. Today flowers are still worn by women in their hair and men on their lapel at weddings. It is also popular for teens to exchange boutonnières and corsages at prom.

For your wedding you may want to consider incorporating flowers in your hair, the bridesmaids or the flower girls. This is a great way to give the wedding a theme. You can use the same flower as worn on the lapel of the groomsmen or of similar color. Often, the flower girl will wear a halo of blooms on her head as well as carrying a basket of petals.

Don’t be afraid to use flowers in striking and unique ways on your wedding day. Please feel free to contact Boesen to schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable event planners.

Flowers and a wedding fit for a Duchess. 

An estimated two billion people watched the royal wedding between Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton on April 29^th. The floral theme for their wedding was described by Kate as paying tribute to “the language of flowers.” Kate’s bouquet of white flowers was elegant, natural and simple. It was a shield-shaped wired design containing lily of the valley (which in the language of flowers means return to happiness), hyacinth (constancy of love) sweet William (gallantry), ivy (fidelity, marriage, affection) and myrtle (emblem of marriage and tradition).

Picture Credit: Hugo Burnand (Official Royal Wedding Photograph)

One can easily duplicate or use Kate’s bouquet as inspiration for their own wedding. The bouquet’s shape would be simple to reproduce as a teardrop cascade, which is a bit shorter and smaller cascade. The only issue a bride may encounter would be the use of lily of the valley, a heat sensitive seasonal spring bloom. A good substitute for this flower may be freesia or baby’s breath.

The wedding was held inside Westminster Abby a beautifuly majestic church that is almost 800 years old. The church was filled with a variety of white and cream flowers including wisteria, lilac, azaleas, rhododendrons and Chinese gooseberry. To recreate the look of the English country garden there was also eight 20-foot high trees placed along the aisle.

Now you too can capture whatever piece of the royal wedding you like and recreate it to fit with you and your grooms taste. Please feel free to contact Boesen to schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable event planners.

As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, wedding season is in full swing for central Iowa brides and grooms. While we think personal taste should always be reflected in your decisions we are always happy to consult you on your wedding. Every season there are new style trends and Boesen knows how to incorporate them tastefully for your wedding.

Yellow and Gray: Looks elegant and modern

Olive and Honeysuckle: Tropical with white and khaki anchor colors
Honeysuckle – named 2011 color of the year by Pantone

Red and LIGHT Blue: Think red dahlias and a bit retro or vintage, you don’t want to make it USA themed (unless you’re THAT patriotic)

Other colors that are making a comeback in 2011 include:

If you have questions concerning wedding planning or how to even get started, please check out our wedding packages and give us a call when you’re ready to make that moment mean more!