Posts filed under 'Books about Flowers'
…Book by my good friend Pam Archer.
It’s called 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before You Planned Your Wedding. And it’s the best! It is small, simple to read and filled with bite-sized tips to help you including Doing Your Homework, Budgetting, Who to Invite, Using a Wedding Planner, Using Professionals (instead of your friends and relatives – unless of course they take pictures, do video, do flowers, etc. for a living), Personalizing your wedding, Your Husband, and even some tips for “The Morning After” when you are actually married!
I may be a little partial to the book, because I contributed a small essay to one of the chapters about the question most often asked of a florist “will my bouquet be beautiful?” My flip answer was “we charge extra for beautiful.” But seriously the real answer is when it truly reflects the brides taste and choice and is done to her specifications then of course it will be beautiful. Even though beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, our ultimate goal with any wedding or event is to be a small part of making it the most beautiful day of a bride and groom’s life and that means, yes it will be beautiful!
Let’s face it, when you hire professionals to create the perfect wedding including your florist, then it is our job to do our job. Create beautiful, professionally designed floral pieces that add to the overall event. Of course, budgetting and seasonality are certainly things to consider when planning your floral decor. We may not be able to make a $1,000 budget look like $10,000 but we can certainly help any bride get the most for their investment.
99 Things You Wish You Knew Before You Planned Your Wedding also includes A Budget Guide, A Flower Checklist and a Resource Section to help any budget concious, creative bride plan the perfect wedding!
Go here to order: http://www.99-series.com/wedding.html.
And if you are planning a wedding in South Florida Give Eden Florist a Call at 800-966-3336 or 954-981-5515. We will be happy to work with you!
April 3rd, 2013
There’s a new book in town and it is amazing! It is calledThe Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self by my good friend Lynn Serafinn ~ Personal Transformation Coach
Here’s an excerpt from her book: Daffodils – The Principle of Becoming
We all associate springtime with new beginnings. After a long, barren winter of hiding under the earth, the flowers begin to emerge one at a time. Here in the UK, the first flower of spring is the daffodil. This week, I took two lovely long walks in different parts of town here in Bedford—one along the River Great Ouse, and the other through Bedford Park, a beautiful Victorian park that is much loved by us Bedfordians. Daffodils were bursting with bright yellow everywhere I walked, especially in one wooded section of the Park, which was actually the inspiration for the setting of one of the stories in my upcoming book, The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self. And when these brilliant flowers make an appearance, they really make an appearance. Never satisfied with being just a flower or two here and there, daffodils usually come in the hundreds when you find them. And what a glorious site they are. Their yellow colour and their unique shape makes you feel just as if the sun itself had decided to incarnate right there in the woods and burst into a thousand tiny suns. It is the true announcement that spring has come, and that new life is brewing all around us.
In my book, I use the daffodil as the symbol for “The Principle of Becoming”. “Becoming” means all that is continually evolving, growing and changing within us. Many of us fear change, but we all inwardly know that without change in our lives, we stagnate and die. Change is where innovation, imagination and creativity are born. It is the source of spontaneity, laughter and, ultimately, joy. “Becoming” therefore is the principle of regeneration and rebirth. No rebirth is able to take place without letting go of something else. In the case of the daffodils, they release themselves from the hidden safety of the earth, to take their chances in the open air of the late winter in the barren world above, before any of the other flowers dare attempt to poke their heads out. They do not wait to see if other flowers survive the ordeal first. They may look like light and cheerful flowers, and indeed they are; but in my view, they are also the most courageous.
We can learn from the daffodils by seeing that their glory lies in the fact that they took that bold chance, and are protected from harm, even when an unseasonable snowfall comes along. Like them, we can learn how to make courageous decisions in our lives by sensing when the time is right, and trusting the universe to carry us safely to our destination. It is when we procrastinate due to fear—of the unknown, of failure, of the judgement of others, or so many other things—that we often miss the opportunity the world is offering us. If the daffodil does not bloom in the spring, it has to wait until another year rolls around. Fear is inevitable in life. But fear itself is not our obstacle; it is merely an emotion. The real obstacle comes when we allow that fear to paralyse our own ability to grow. To master “The Principle of Becoming”, which is the lesson of the daffodil, we have to learn how to be comfortable with our own fears, and simply fall backwards into trust, for the greater purpose of feeling fully alive and bringing joy to the world.
This spring, when you see the daffodils, learn this vital lesson from them. Your glory in life begins the moment you hear the call of your own awakening and decide to take the chance to blossom, even in the face of your own fears. It is then when you too will take on the beauty of a thousand suns.
You can learn more about the lessons from the four flowers when you purchase my book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self. It’s coming to Amazon on Tuesday 7 April 2009. AND if you join the “launch countdown”, you can find out how to receive 25 beautiful mind-body-spirit gifts donated by over 20 of my friends and colleagues, just for buying the book the day of the launch. Visit http://tinyurl.com/lynn-bonus for complete information. And be sure to keep an eye out for daffodils this week.
April 2nd, 2013
Here are a few more wedding traditions and customs for your big day…
Bridal Gown ~ Wearing white originated with Queen Victoria who went against tradition and had a white dress made for her ceremony. Up to that point, royalty wore silver and commoners wore blue. Blue was worn in ancient times because it was the symbol of purity. The Spanish tradition was to wear black silk dresses to symbolize devotion until death.
! Bridal Veil ~ Wearing a veil is thought to have originated long before the gown. Romans, very fond of pre-arranged marriages, covered the bride’s face with a veil so that the groom could not see her face. This was to keep the groom from backing out of the marriage if he did not like what he saw. It is also thought that the veil signified protection from evil spirits that might be around on the wedding day.
! Bridesmaids ~ Ancient Egyptians believed that when a couple was to marry, evil spirits would come and ruin the atmosphere and joviality of the day with black magic and trickery. The Bridesmaids were very important to the Bride’s well being. Their function was to be clothed in similarly extravagant attire to confuse the evil spirits. Since the evil spirits couldn’t distinguish the bride from the maids they didn’t know whom to “pick on,” and would leave them alone.
! Bridal Flowers ~ If having Bridesmaids were not enough to ward off the evil spirits, the bride would carry pungent flowers and herbs to drive the evil spirits away. This tradition was expanded during Roman times by having the bride and groom wear garlands of flowers to signify their new life and the hope of a fertile union.! Bridal Gown ~ Wearing white originated with Queen Victoria who went against tradition and had a white dress made for her ceremony. Up to that point, royalty wore silver and commoners wore blue. Blue was worn in ancient times because it was the symbol of purity. The Spanish tradition was to wear black silk dresses to symbolize devotion until death.
! Bridal Veil ~ Wearing a veil is thought to have originated long before the gown. Romans, very fond of pre-arranged marriages, covered the bride’s face with a veil so that the groom could not see her face. This was to keep the groom from backing out of the marriage if he did not like what he saw. It is also thought that the veil signified protection from evil spirits that might be around on the wedding day.
! Bridesmaids ~ Ancient Egyptians believed that when a couple was to marry, evil spirits would come and ruin the atmosphere and joviality of the day with black magic and trickery. The Bridesmaids were very important to the Bride’s well being. Their function was to be clothed in similarly extravagant attire to confuse the evil spirits. Since the evil spirits couldn’t distinguish the bride from the maids they didn’t know whom to “pick on,” and would leave them alone.
! Bridal Flowers ~ If having Bridesmaids were not enough to ward off the evil spirits, the bride would carry pungent flowers and herbs to drive the evil spirits away. This tradition was expanded during Roman times by having the bride and groom wear garlands of flowers to signify their new life and the hope of a fertile union.
*Excerpt from
“Yes, is only the Beginning.” If you are planning a wedding this is the perfect Wedding planner for you – and it’s FREE! Just leave a comment below and WE will email you the link to grab it.
When choosing flowers for you wedding in South Florida be sure to give Eden Florist a call at 954-981-5515 or 800-966-3336, the shop voted BEST Florist in Broward County by the Herald 5 years in a row. And Top Three florist in South Florida by WSVN Channel 7!
June 5th, 2010
Ribbons & Flowers
Florists’ Review, Berwick Offray and Lion Ribbon have joined forces to bring you an exciting new book that combines ribbons with flowers in projects for a variety of seasons and holidays. Here you will find our favorite design ideas and techniques in a how-to format, with the goals of encouraging you to re-create these designs and/or inspiring you to craft your own unique interpretations. 40 projects with easy-to-follow, step-by-step how-to instructions. Softcover. 98 pages.
To grab your copy, visit Florists Review Magazine
March 31st, 2009
International Floral Annual By International Floral Art 2008. It’s evolutionary and revolutionary and at present the only publication that shows the world what floral design is, has become and where it’s going. A must have.
In a recent issue of Flowers & magazine the Floral Annual Book was reviewed. I was blown away by the quality and depth of designs and just had to share with my readers. So I emailed the publishers and asked if they would send me some photos from the conent. That is what you see below. 
International Floral Art. Hooray! This is another superb edition (perhaps the best yet) ~ 158 designers from 28 countries showing stunning compositions it’s a heady banquet. Quirky works, some stealthily classically, old wine in new glasses, unclassifiable, entertaining, never seen before, disturbing, gorgeous, bizarre. It’s a rocking 290 page world of ikebana meets commercial meets flower lovers who collide with florisSt and cooperate with designers who ALL invite land art, body art and natural art into a floral, vegetal and vibrant new world of design. It’s evolutionary and revolutionary and at present the only publication that shows the world what floral design is, has become and where it’s going. A must have.
The International Floral Art 08/09 edition is a publication of Stichting Kunstboek (ISBN 978-90-5856-270-8) and the cost is 59.59 Euros. This beautifully illustrated coffee table book is a true work of art.
You can read more about it at: http://www.floralannual.com/
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January 16th, 2009
More about the psychological benefits of flowers
Dr. Edward Bach, surgeon and doctor of homeopathy believed that the mind played a key role in a person’s health. Having identified 38 negative states of mind, Bach began a mission to discover remedies for them. Leaving a thriving medical practice the good doctor devoted himself to making remedies from plants and flowers found along the English countryside. He developed tinctures made of those plants and flowers which he mixed with brandy. Bach firmly believed that he could treat states of mind, like anxiety, fear, uncertainty and restlessness with his creations.
The book “The Bach Flower Remedies” (available at Amazon.com for $9.97) is an overview of the natural remedies that have become legendary for their effective treatment of common conditions.
June 2nd, 2008
