The Meaning of Sending Roses

Everyone knows that sending red roses to your spouse or significant other is a way of telling them that you love them. But if you walk into Wildflower Florist, you’ll see that we have a huge selection of different colored roses. What do all these colors mean? Is it just as romantic to send her yellow roses as it is red ones? The answer to that is absolutely not! Below is a list of the most commonly colored roses and what they mean.

Red, of course, does mean love, passion, and beauty, but it can also mean respect or courage. Red roses are the most popular roses, and they’re also the most traditional. Sending someone red roses is one way of telling them that you’re in love.

Yellow roses, on the other hand, stand for friendship, joy, or happiness. They’re a way of saying “I care about you, but I’m not romantically in love with you.” Sending yellow roses to your spouse on your anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or birthday, then, doesn’t really convey your love.

Pink roses are perfect for thank you gifts since they convey appreciation, admiration, and grace, and thankfulness. Pink roses are great for sending to someone who has done you a favor or as a way of telling someone you are grateful they are in your life.

The white rose stands for innocence, charm, and purity. This is one of the reasons why it’s often carried as part of the Bridal bouquet and used in wedding arrangements.

Orange roses, while not sent as often as red roses, convey a sense of desire. They do not mean love, so they’re more appropriate during the beginning of a relationship than for an anniversary. They may also mean admiration or enthusiasm.

Purple or lavender roses aren’t sent as often as other roses. This is because they mean love at first sight. They’re a great rose to give on the second or third date to say that you’re smitten and that you want to move ahead in the relationship. They’re also a nice alternative to the more traditional red rose.

You can, of course, mix roses of different colors together. Some of these combinations have very specific meanings. Red and white mixed roses, for example, stands for unity and is a great arrangement for an anniversary. Mixing yellow and orange roses says you have passionate thoughts for the recipient. Red and yellow is a fancy, colorful way of saying congratulations.

The number of roses you send has significance, too. Most of us are familiar with the traditional dozen red roses. This bouquet means romantic love, just like the red rose.

If you send two dozen roses, you’re saying that you love someone so much that the standard bouquet just isn’t enough. “I’m yours forever” is what this is saying.

Another way of saying “I love you” in a simple, understated way is with a long stemmed rose. Alone or in a vase with two or three others, the long stemmed rose conveys your love, your thanks, or, in the case of a bouquet, can mean that you will always remember the recipient.

Of course, while knowing the meaning of the different colors is handy, especially if your spouse knows the meanings, too, you don’t always have to go by them. If your significant other loves the color purple, for example, going with a dozen purple roses for Valentine’s Day may have more of an impact that the traditional red roses. It’s all about knowing what the recipient likes—sometimes, breaking tradition is the right way to go.

Decorate With Fresh Flowers

Decorating with fresh flowers or with flowers sent to you via a florist is a wonderful way of brightening up your home. These flowers can make any room look cheerier, especially if you’re ill or need a pick-me-up. However, there’s more to decorating with fresh flowers than simply putting them in a vase and setting them around the room.

If you’re decorating with fresh flowers, the first thing to do is decide which flowers to cut. This will be limited by the flowers you’re growing, of course. After you’ve selected the blooms you want, you have to select a vase to arrange them in. The vase you select can make your arrangement look larger than it really is or it can draw attention to itself. If you don’t want the vase attracting attention, go with a small, clear one.

On the other hand, if you’re decorating with an arrangement you received from a florist, you don’t have the option of selecting the vase. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of it. Many people love the fact that they’ve received flowers for someone, and they want to be sure that everyone who visits their home sees the flowers. They often put their flowers on the kitchen counter, on their dining room table, or on their coffee table. While these are all perfectly fine options, they may not really capture the beauty of the arrangement.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve arranged fresh flowers yourself or received a bouquet from someone—you still want the flowers to look great. One of the ways of showing off your flowers is to use them as a dining room table centerpiece, yes, but this isn’t always the best way. Another option is to place the flowers on an end table that gets a lot of sunlight. If you open up the curtains or blinds and really let the sun stream in, you’ll create a gorgeous display. This is especially true if your flowers are in a nice crystal vase that captures the light.

If you have an entryway to your home that has space for a small table, this is another area that’s great for flowers. Imagine someone walking into your home to be greeted by the sight of a dozen red roses or a bright summer spread. It’s a nice way of saying hello to your guests, and it’s sure to leave an impression.

If you’re decorating for a party, you might want to create several arrangements of fresh flowers. These arrangements can all be similar, or you can make each one unique. Consider putting one on the buffet table, one at each table where your guests are eating, or place them on your mantle to add some color to the gathering. Coordinate the colors of the flowers with your dishes or your napkins is a nice way of integrating them into your party theme.

Fresh flowers aren’t restricted to your home, of course. You can always cut some and take them to your office. This is a great way of adding some color and a personal touch to your workspace. These bright flowers may not always fit on your desk, but you can always arrange them on the windowsill or on a bookshelf. You can even put them on top of one of those ugly gray filing cabinets if you can’t find any other place.

These are just a few ideas of things you can do with fresh flowers. Remember, there’s no wrong way of decorating with flowers, so be creative! You don’t even have to use a vase. Sometimes, lying freshly cut flowers along your table or floating blooms in a bowl of water works much better than a traditional arrangement. No matter how you decorate, adding fresh flowers or a bouquet from a florist to any room can really liven up any area.

How to Care for Flowers During the Summer

The summer months can be incredibly hot, especially if you live in the southern United States. These months are great for barbequing, swimming, and having a lot of fun outdoors, and these months are also a great time for flowers. Your flowerbeds will come alive with vibrant blooms that are simply exploding with color. However, as the hot months continue, especially if there’s very little rain, you’ll find that your vivacious flowers start to droop and fade away. If this is the case with your flowers, don’t despair. By following some of these tips for caring for your flowers during the hot summer months, you can keep your flowerbeds looking great even when the temperature hits the triple digits.

The first tip is obvious: make certain to keep your flowers watered! This is easiest if you have a sprinkler system installed in your yard. If you don’t, you’ll have to water them yourself with the hose or watering can. However, you don’t want to go out in the heat of the day to do your watering. Instead, water in the evening. This has two benefits: first, it’s cooler so you’re not so hot, and second, the water doesn’t evaporate in the afternoon sun, so more of it gets to your plants and flowers.

It’s also important to deadhead (cut off the dead blooms) your flowers after they are done blooming. This not only keeps your flowerbeds looking nice but it also helps the flowers themselves. In fact, if you have flowers that bloom a couple of times during the summer, such as rose bushes, deadheading them can make their second blooming much more spectacular.

Another tip is to cut back any of your blooming perennials. Like deadheading, this can make your flowerbeds look tidier, and it will also help encourage new growth in the flowers themselves.

Don’t forget the fertilizer. Fertilizing your plants during the summer will keep them healthy and blooming. Adding a layer of compost to your flowerbeds every now and then is also a great idea, especially since compost breaks down more quickly in the heat. This means the nutrients get into the ground (and, thus, the flowers) faster.

Of course, in some parts of the country, you’ve got more to worry about than just the heat. If you live in an area prone to storms, hurricanes, or tornadoes, your flowers can really take a beating. There’s not a lot you can do to protect them from hurricanes and tornadoes, but if you know a heavy storm is coming, you can at least bring in any potted plants. Those planted in your flowerbeds, however, may be at the mercy of the storm. You can cover your flowers with lightweight tarps or plastic covers weighed down with rocks, but even this may not work if the storm is really powerful.

Want to know more about growing summer flowers? The blogs below provide even more information.

The Unicaca Blog has some tips on planting summer flowers.

More tips on selecting flowers and preparing the soil for planting in the early summer can be found on the Indoor Wall Fountains blog.

Finally, the High Density Gardening Blog has a list of great flowers to plant in the summer plus more helpful tips.