Tulip Season!

As we dive into the heart of Winter, we look forward to the Season of the Tulip.  We will be getting this season's first tulips in this Monday, January 9th and hopefully throughout the rest of March! We will be getting both locally-grown and Oregon tulips.

Boulder Blooms' tulip care tips:

• Remove the foliage that would be under water and clean out the dirt that might get stuck around the creases of stem and leaves 
• Use clean vases and fresh, cold water 
• Recut the stems every couple of days and change the water frequently 
• Keep them in a cool room out of direct sunlight for longevity 
• Tulips are known for their continuously changing stems, so watch as they continue to grow towards the light even after being cut

For more information on tulip care, check out the Big Y: http://www.bigy.com/content/flrl/prep/care_cuttulips.php

Tulip History and Symbolism: 

"Originally from Persia and Turkey, tulips were brought to Europe in the 16th century, where they got their common name from the Turkish word for gauze (with which turbans were wrapped) - reflecting the turban-like appearance of a tulip in full bloom.  By the 17th century, the popularity of tulips, particularly in the Netherlands, became so great that the price of a single bulb soared to new heights, causing markets to crash and putting into motion "tulip mania." 

Although different tulip colors carry distinct meanings: 

Yellow tulips symbolizing cheerful thoughts 

White conveying forgiveness 

Purple representing royalty 

A Turkish legend may be responsible for the red tulip's symbolism. The story goes that a prince named Farhad was love struck by a maiden named Shirin.  When Farhad learned that Shirin had been killed, he was so overcome with grief that he killed himself - riding his horse over the edge of a cliff.  It's said that a scarlet tulip sprang up from each droplet of his blood, giving the red tulip the meaning "perfect love." 

The 11th wedding anniversary flower, it's said that the tulip’s velvety black center represents a lover's heart, darkened by the heat of passion. With the power to rival roses in their red variety and the sweet charm to express simple joy when yellow, it’s no wonder that in addition to all its other symbolism, in the language of flowers, a tulip bouquet represents elegance and grace."

- http://www.teleflora.com/tulips/flowers-plants/tulip-detail.asp

This Week's Surprise... (01/09/2012 - 01/16/2012)

Come into Boulder Blooms for a free bunch of tulips or have them delivered for $25 (valid for deliveries in Boulder Proper) 

Art... Unveiled.

Join Boulder Blooms at our new sister store, Art of the Flower, for a Floral Art show on December 10th at 4:00.

Art of the Flower is located right next to The Sink on The Hill in Boulder at 1165 13th Street.

The show will be up from December 10th through December 12th.

We will have live music, hors d'oeuvres and cocktails at our reception on the 10th!

Donations to the Fourmile Fire

Through Wednesday September 15th, Boulder Blooms and Art of the Flower will be contributing 10% of every order to victims of the Fourmile Fires. 

Donations will be made to Foothills United Way a local organization with a fund to directly aid local residents. 

From their website:"Foothills United Way's Fourmile Canyon Relief Fund: The fund will be administered by Foothills United Way working in collaboration with service providers in the community to aid in long term recovery. the full extent of the purpose of the fund will be determined as the scope of the damage from the fire is known. It is expected to be used for such things as temporary/transitional housing and medical/health needs among others." 

 

Read more here to find out how you can help of where to get help if you have been affected by this event. Colorado Daily

Gearing Up For Fall

With school starting on Monday, we have been working really hard getting our location on the Hill ready for the students' return. We have in new, modern furniture, which has provided us with wonderful ways to display our flowers, plants, and sorority merchandise. The black furniture contrasts against our turquoise wall, giving the store a vibrant, contemporary feel that we are very excited about.

You'll have to come check it out!

 Succulent in a cork container

Ornamental pepper plant

A money tree

a dendrobium orchid plant

 scented votive candles and interesting bud vases with bamboo

We are also thrilled to begin working the the sororities again! Every year we provide the flowers to decorate the sorority houses during their recruitment. We also prepare all of the arrangements for each new member who joins a sorority on initiation night.

Here are some photos of our sorority merchandise.

Alpha Phi and Alpha Chi Omega

Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Kappa Kappa Gamma

Pi Beta Phi and Delta Delta Delta

Gamma Phi Beta

Alpha Delta Chi and Chi Omega

We also have been passing out coupons for a free plant since Thursday. Tons of people, especially new CU students, have been stopping in to see the new shop and get their free plant! They have their choice between a small green plant or a small succulent. These plants require little water and bright light, so they are perfect for dorm rooms and college students.

So far, everyone is loving the new shop!

  These guys were really enthusiastic about their free plant.

Teila Nlanchfield (left) and Erin McMahon (right) were also stoked about their free plants. Thanks for stopping in everyone!

The Steinberg Wedding on June 26th

Jessica Steinberg has a really sweet, romantic story behind her wedding flowers. She graduated from CU last year (2009), and we made her a lei for graduation out of these blue and purple orchids. Jesse, her husband, proposed to her the day of graduation while she was wearing the lei. Jessica chose these orchids for her wedding because they had such a special meaning for her. We loved the location, the colors, and the flowers in this wedding. She had two different types of centerpieces, aisle arrangements, a chuppa arrangement, cake flowers, cocktail table arrangements, bar arrangements, and of course boutonnieres, corsages, and bouquets. As promised in the last post, here are some photos from the Steinberg wedding on June 26th. Thanks to Jeremy Tatelman for coming along for the journey just to take photos of our work!

We were all ready to light a bunch of candles. From left to right: Clara, Sarah G, Shannon, Matt, Jerrica, Sarah L, Jenny, Teresa

 

We love each other (and being silly)!

Our Busiest Wedding Weekend: June 25th-June 27th 2010

Hello All!

Well, this past weekend was super busy for the entire crew at Boulder Blooms. We had two of our most involved weddings of the season. Six people, Sarah G, Matt, Teresa, Shannon, Christina, and Abby, delivered and set up a wedding on Friday at the ever-elegant Lionscrest Manor. Eight people, Sarah G, Teresa, Clara, Jerrica, Jenny, Matt, Sarah L, and Shannon, delivered a much different wedding on Saturday at the Mile High Station in Denver.

The wedding at Lionscrest complemented the decor beautifully; flowers were pure white with subtle touches of blush pink. The next day in Denver we got to play with a much different color scheme, using vibrant blue, deep purple, and glossy black accents with lots of candlelight in a contemporary, urban venue.

Take a moment to scroll through the wedding at Lionscrest Manor! The photos from the other wedding will be posted soon.

Art of the Flower by Boulder Blooms

Hey everyone! Our new shop has been up and running for about 4 weeks now, and we are loving the new store. Here are some photos of it for those of you who have not been in to see us yet. 

Entrance to the new shop. We love being right next to the Sink!

Summer bouquets for only $10

Our work station and cooler full of summer flowers

The lovely, cosy sitting area

Our chalkboard wall where you can write, say, and draw what you want!

The entrance to the sorority gift and plant room

The plants and stuffed animals

The sorority gift side. This room is not finished but it will be complete with new furniture and gift items starting in August!

A beautiful orchid plant. We use these phalaenopsis orchids for our "Contemporary Orchid."

Boulder Blooms Plants

Other Eco-Friendly Boulder Businesses

Being Boulder's eco-friendly florist, we love when we get to interact with other eco-friendly businesses. Being "Green" is the core of who we are at Boulder Blooms. Check out our website to read more about Our Green Idea. Boulder happens to be the Mecca of eco-friendly practices in Colorado and in America. If you have chosen us as your florist because of our eco-friendly practices, you should consider using some of these businesses because they appreciate and take care of the Earth in the same way we do. 


The West End Tavern:
Located in the heart of downtown, the West End Tavern is known for being one of Boulder's best kept secrets. It is a great place to get some good grub, and they also have wonderful live bands occasionally. Their rooftop area is also an extrordinary place to dine because it overlooks Boulder's trademark: the Flatirons. All of their paper products, straws, and trash bags are recyclable or compostable, and all of their electricity is offset with windpower... now that's being green! Check out their website for more information.West End Tavern Eco-Practices

Bloomin Flower Cards:
We love Bloomin Flower Cards! We carry some of their special greeting cards, and we have paired with them to create our own special bookmarks with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, which says "The Earth laughs in flowers." They manufacture "earth-friendly, handmade, seeded greeting cards." By using post-consumer shred paper, soy-based inks, organic pigments, and green manufacturing processes, Bloomin Flower Cards is the epitome of a local green business. Read more to learn about Bloomin Flower Cards.


REI:
REI is one of every outdoor-fanatic's favorite spots. Being one of America's most effective and functional co-ops, REI truly embodies the spirit of being a locally-owned, family stores. They won the eco-cycle award with us last year, and we could not be more thrilled that they are part of the Boulder community. REI annually cares for the Earth in the same way we do by donating millions of dollars to support conservation efforts. They also teach children environmental ethics and practice being green at all of their locations, reducing their environmental footprint. Learn more about REI.

Boulder Valley Credit Union:
The Boulder Valley Credit Union is the only financial institution in Boulder who strives to live "green." Their main branch is powered by solar energy. They partner with eco-cycle, like we do, to recycle and compost everything they can. They sponsor local tree-plantings with the Boulder Valley School District. The really cool thing they do at Boulder Valley Credit Union is offer eco-friendy pricing and incentives to members on products like fuel-effieient cars and solar panel additions to their homes. Click on this link to learn more about their eco efforts, eco offerings, and their eco partners.