Starting at only $44.95, the sweet Thoughts consists fo a graceful heart of bear grass… tied with purple waxflower blossoms… forms a heart that appears to float above the velvety red roses in this delightful bouquet, arranged in a ruby-red cube vase. Send this beautiful floral arrangement to someone you love, and they’ll think sweet thoughts about you! Red roses and purple waxflower accented with variegated pittosporum and bear grass arrive in a red glass cube vase. (choice of colors)

Romantic Valentine’s Poetry:

Shall I Compare Thee

Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day?
Thou are more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d:
But thy eternal Summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
William Shakespeare

More than 100 million roses are sold at Valentine’s Day. Of cut flower purchases, Valentine’s Day ranks #1, making it the number one holiday for many florists.

Of Valentine’s floral purchases, 64% are made by men and 36% by women. What are they buying?

78% Cut flowers
15% Flowering houseplants
5% Outdoor bedding and garden plants
2% Green plants
Of cut flowers purchased, 45% are roses, 34% mixed flowers, 13% carnations, and 8% other single flower types. Of roses purchased, 74% are red, 10% pink, 5% peach/salmon, 3% yellow, 2% white, 4% mixed colors, 2% other. For whom are they buying?
Men:
84% wife/significant other
4% friend
5% mother
3% daughter
5% other
Women:
24% mother
19% husband/significant other
13% daughter
14% self
12% friend
6% parents
2% grandmother
1% sister
9% other

Source: Society of American Florists Survey results are from a nationwide survey of 481 men and 534 women conducted by Bruskin/Goldring Research

Love is very patient and kind,
never jealous or envious,
never boastful or proud,
never haughty or selfish or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable or touchy.
It does not hold grudges
and will hardly even notice
when others do it wrong.
It is never glad about injustice,
but rejoices whenever truth wins out.
If you love someone you
will be loyal to him
no matter what the cost.
You will always believe in him,
Always expect the best of him
and always stand your ground
in defending him.
All the special gifts
and powers from God
will someday come to an end,
but love goes on forever.
Living Bible I Corinthians 13:4-8

Check out Valentines Traditions Around the World and  Even More Valentine Traditions Around the World

A simple case of supply and demand -  Valentine’s Day inspires the heaviest demand for long-stemmed roses, and several rosebuds must be sacrificed to create a single long-stemmed rose. After the Christmas season demand for red roses is filled, growers need 50-70 days to produce enough roses for Valentine’s Day. Winter’s shorter daylight hours and higher energy costs hamper efforts to grow large rose crops. Inclement weather often requires extreme measures to ensure that flowers are delivered in time. To fulfill the tremendous number of orders for Valentine’s Day flowers, florists have to hire additional help, work longer hours and acquire extra delivery vehicles and drivers. In order to meet the heavy consumer demand for Valentine’s Day roses, imports have played a much bigger role in recent years. 

In short, roses in February are every bit as special as you would expect. 

Be sure to order Roses for Your Someone Special this week. Don’t wait until Valentine’s Day to send your Valentine a dozen roses, a romantic vase arrangement and more!

My Mistress’ Eyes

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, white and red,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks,
And in some perfumes there is more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go:
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
And yet by heaven I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
Shakespeare, sonnet CXXX

Take the Valentine Quiz and test your knowledge of Valentine’s Day…

1. What did people used to believe would happen if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day?

2. Who imprisoned Valentine?

3. Why was he imprisoned?

4. On what date was Valentine supposedly executed?

5. How many Valentine cards will be bought in a year?

6. Name 2 countries, other than the U.S., that celebrate Valentine’s Day.

7. In Roman mythology, February 14th is associated with which goddess?

8. What custom does the saying “He wears his heart on his sleeve” come from?

9. What is the flower associated with Valentine’s Day?

10. When did Hallmark make its first Valentine Card?

Bonus question:

How do you write I Love You in German? In French?  In Spanish? In Italian? In Portuguese? In Cantonese?

Get the answers here: http://www.tulipstalk.com/valentine-quiz-answers/

Check out Tulips Talk Valentine’s Day Trivia ~ http://www.tulipstalk.com/valentine-trivia-2/

Despite occasional grumblings that it was invented by the greeting card industry, Valentine’s Day actually has a long, rich history. Its earliest origins derive from a pagan festival called Lupercalia, in which Romans called upon the god Lupercus to keep the wolves away. As part of the festivities, Roman girls wrote their names on a slip of paper and placed them in a jar for the boys to draw from. The matches were supposed to be sweethearts until the next Lupercalia.

Lupercalia evolved into Valentine’s Day after Emperor Claudius II, believing married men would prefer staying with their families to fighting his wars, decreed that Roman soldiers were forbidden to wed. According to legend, a priest named Valentine conducted secret marriage ceremonies in defiance of the edict. On February 14, the eve of Lupercalia, he was beheaded for his crime.

After Valentine was sanctified, Christian priests adapted the pagan holiday, moving it back a day to honor him.

Remember to order your Valentine’s Day flowers early! Check out the Eden Florist website today for a selection of Valentine’s flowers, baskets, plants and balloons.  Or call 954-981-5515.

Check out Valentine’s Traditions Around the World

Arabic: Kul ‘aam u antum salimoun

Brazilian: Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo means “Good Parties and Happy New Year”

Chinese: Chu Shen Tan

Czechoslavakia: Scastny Novy Rok

Dutch: Gullukkig Niuw Jaar

Finnish: Onnellista Uutta Vuotta

French: Bonne Annee

German: Prosit Neujahr

Greek: Eftecheezmaenos o Kaenooryos hronos

Hebrew: L’Shannah Tovah Tikatevu

Hindi: Niya Saa Moobaarak

Irish (Gaelic): Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit

Italian: Buon Capodanno

Khmer: Sua Sdei tfnam tmei

Laotian: Sabai dee pee mai

Polish: Szczesliwego Nowego Roku

Portuguese: Feliz Ano Novo

Russian: S Novim Godom

Serbo-Croatian: Scecna nova godina

Spanish: Feliz Ano Neuvo  and Prospero Ano Nuevo

Turkish: Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun

Vietnamese: Cung-Chuc Tan-Xuan

Want to translate something? Check out www.FreeTranslation.com.

Order flowers for New Years, in January or anytime at www.EdenFlorist.com

In Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, and Mexico, those with hopes of traveling in the New Year carry a suitcase around the house at midnight

In China on New Year they burn crackers to scare the evil spirits

The doors and windows of every home in China are sealed with paper to keep the evil demons out

The Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year’s Day will bring good fortune.

The hog, and its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity.

Cabbage is another “good luck” vegetable that is consumed on New Year’s Day by many.

Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency.

The ancient Persians gave New Year’s gifts of eggs, which symbolized productiveness

Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes “coming full circle,” completing a year’s cycle.

In China, many people wear in the new year a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you

Did you know that a raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top

In Burma there is a three day New Year festival called Maha Thingyan, which is celebrated with prayers, fasting and fun.

In Denmark old dishes are saved year around to throw at the homes where their friends live on New Years Eve ~ many dishes = many friends

In Northern Portugal children go caroling from home to home and are given treats and coins

In Switzerland people believe good luck comes from letting a drop of cream land on the floor New Years Day.

Ditch New Years Resolutions Day is January 17th, generally when most people abandon theirs

Check out http://www.fathertimes.net/recipes.htm for great New Years Recipes

Check out New Year Songs http://www.fathertimes.net/songs.htm

To order flowers for New Years, visit: www.EdenFlorist.com today!

The first New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square happened in 1907

The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hoshana

Auld Lang Syne means time gone by

The largest annual New Year’s Eve celebrations happens in Sydney Australia

More than 80,000 fireworks are set off from the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Hogmanay is the celebration of the new years Scottish style

The centenary clock is lowered at 23:59:48 on new years eve in Madrid Spain

Tournament of Roses it the most popular New Year’s Day parade

Pasadena’s Valley hunt clubs first tournament of roses parade took place in 1890

New York’s Waterford crystal ball weighs 1,070 pounds

In Flagstaff Arizona a pine cone dropped on New Year’s eve

Bangor Main drops a purple beach ball decorated with Christmas lights

In Seattle, the New Years countdown done with an elevator

The Chinese New Year is known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival

Apples and Honey are eaten to symbolize a sweet new year in Rosh Hashanah

Thailand celebrates from April 13 to 15 by throwing water

In the ancient Roman calendar the new year began on March 1st

The first new year holiday observed was celebrated in Babylon about 4000 years ago

The baby was first used to symbolize the New Year in Greece around 600 BC

In Colombia, Cuba and Puerto Rico families stuff a life-size male doll with things that have bad memories or sadness associated with them, and then dress it up in old clothes from each family member. At the stroke of midnight, ‘Mr. Old Year’ is set on fire.

In Spain people eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight (one each time the clock chimes) on New Year’s Eve

In Japan, Buddhist temple bells are rung 108 times at midnight

In Brazil people wear white clothes on New Year’s Eve to bring good luck and peace for the year to follow

In Greece children leave their shoes by the fireside on New Year’s Day in hopes that Saint Basil will come and fill their shoes with gifts.

Want to send Flowers on New Years Day? Visit: www.EdenFlorist.com today!

Pantone has just announced PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, an inviting, luminous hue, as the Color of the Year for 2010. Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise inspires thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.

In many cultures, Turquoise is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that to many people, Turquoise represents an escape, taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting – even if it is only a fantasy.

Whether envisioned as a tranquil ocean surrounding a tropical island or a protective stone warding off evil spirits, Turquoise is a color that most people respond to positively. It is universally flattering, has appeal for men and women, and translates easily to fashion and interiors. With both warm and cool undertones, Turquoise pairs nicely with any other color in the spectrum. Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, complements reds and pinks, creates a classic maritime look with deep blues, livens up all other greens, and is especially trend-setting with yellow-greens.

For more information read the Panetone press release here: http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=20706&ca=10

To view the archives for Past Colors of the Year visit the News page and click on the TRENDS Section: http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=20707&ca=10

Can you guess the flowers in the following verses?

This is a multiple choice Trivia Contest. Leave your replies in the comments section.  We will have a random drawing on January 10th and announce the “winner” via linkedin, facebook and twitter. The winner will receive a copy of your choice of one of three books.  Really Imporatnt Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me by Cynthia Copeland Lewis, Witty Words from Wise Women by BJ Gallagher or Hugs from Heaven ~ The Christmas Story

#1
Goddess of the rainbow, I;
Am graceful in the spring;
My petals droop like butterflies;
I lend the colour to your eyes;
My praises poets sing.

Lilac
Lily
Iris
Pansy

#2
My name means “star”; my flowers bright;
Are shaggy as a lion;
Like daisy and chrysanthemum;
My blossoms thrive in gentle sun;
I am the cheerful kind.

aster
dandelion
tulip
hostia

#3
I am treasure of the Mother;
Spicy scents I hold;
My blossoms cheer you, every one;
I smile to see my merry sun;
I’m decked in shades of gold.

mallow
black eyed susan
marigold
sunflower

#4
My name will speak of cleanliness;
I never flaunt my hues;
My scent redolent of an age;
When blooms in linen chests were laid;
Then I was always used.

lily
lavender
pansy
boronia

#5
Wear me in your next corsage;
Expensive and exotic;
Sophisticated colour scheme;
My spots and streaks may sometimes seem;
Amazingly quixotic.

rose
carnation
hollyhock
orchid

#6
I am shy; I live in shade;
My blooms are fine and small;
My name’s a colour, loved by most;
Of tiny blooms I am the toast;
My scent enchanting all.

anemone
violet
daisy
poppy

#7
I’m sometimes called a poppy;
But my name is hard to spell;
I wear a pointed hood of green;
To hide my orange petals’ sheen;
Yet I am bold as well.

rhododendrum
convolvulous
larkspur
Escholtzia

(source: FunTrivia.com)