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Category: Special Occasions

Best gift ideas for St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on by Amber

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t typically thought of as a holiday where people give gifts, but these themed and thoughtful items are great for a fun surprise to make your favorite people smile.

They are also great options for host gifts if you are headed out for a party with friends or family. 

Here’s some St. Patrick’s Day gift inspiration:

Give them a rainbow

For the one who brings color into your life, gift them the rainbow with our colorful “Rainbow Smiles” arrangement. It’s a cheery way to show you care and a great decoration for the recipient to display for St. Patrick’s Day and beyond.

Themed Arrangements

A themed flower arrangement is a perfect gift option for the St. Patrick’s Day party host. They went through a lot of work to create a fun night for everyone and giving them flowers that will last weeks shows your appreciation.

We have two other St. Patrick’s Day themed flower arrangements: “Shamrock” and “Luck of the Irish”.

“Shamrock” features two sparkly clovers amongst yellow carnations, green mini hydrangea and white daisy poms.

“Luck of the Irish” is a more subtle nod to the holiday. It includes a gold-orange vase, similar to the color of gold in the pot at the end of the rainbow, and features a sunflower, green hydrangea and white and yellow daisy poms.

Snacks

If you’re looking to thank a party host, our Happy Flower & Candy Set featuring a “Thank you” plush flower is a good option. The host will need to refuel after the party and what better way than chocolate?

If you’re not sure what to bring to the St. Patrick’s Day party, try one of our snack baskets. There’s something for everyone to enjoy while they celebrate.

A Green Stuffed Animal

You’re never too old for a comforting and cute stuffed animal. Gift a green stuffed animal to keep with the St. Patrick’s Day theme. If you’re considering giving a gift basket, this would be a perfect addition. 

We have many plush options, but our Ryker Rex Plush is a great choice if you’re looking for an all-green stuffed friend.

How to Celebrate International Women’s Day

Posted on by Amber

International Women’s Day sometimes goes by without notice for many – men and women alike. However, the holiday, celebrated March 8, should be one you have noted on your calendar.

It’s right at the beginning of Women’s History Month and is the perfect excuse to uplift the women in your life. Taking the time to show them you care on March 8 will mean the world to them.

If you’re not sure how to celebrate, we’re here to help. Consider one, or multiple, of these options to help the important women you are surrounded by feel special.

Send them flowers

Everyone loves flowers. Sending the women in your life flowers, whether it’s your sister or significant other, is an easy, but meaningful, way to show you support and appreciate them. 

Send them a card

Include a note of gratitude and appreciation for everything they do with the flowers. Tell them how important they are in your life and the impact they have on you. 

Gift a plant to your mom or mother figure

If you’re looking for a gift for your mom or mother figure for International Women’s Day consider a plant. Include a note or card that says “Thank you for helping me grow” to thank them for the role they had in shaping you.

Gift self care items

Women work hard. Many wear multiple “hats” of being a full-time worker, mother, homemaker and more. Sometimes that can get overwhelming. In conjunction with helping ease their load however you can, consider giving them comfort items.

Some self-care gift ideas they might appreciate are blankets, tea, a snack basket or chocolates. 

It is important to acknowledge the contributions women make to our society everyday, but International Women’s Day is a good opportunity to uplift the special women in your life. Show them they are loved, appreciated and seen and that their hard work in helping make sure the world keeps turning doesn’t go unnoticed.

Ideas for Employee Appreciation Day

Posted on by Amber

Employee Appreciation Day, which is March 7 this year, is a time for companies to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of their workers.

Employers showing appreciation for their staff helps them to feel valued, enhances relationships and the work environment and can even increase productivity. If you’re looking for a meaningful way to say “thank you” to those who help make your business run we suggest considering these thoughtful options:

Flowers

You can never go wrong with flowers. If you’re worried about it being too personal, don’t be. There are flowers for every occasion.

You are also able to include a message for each arrangement to indicate your message. We also offer add-ons such as “Thank You” balloons and our “Thank You Plush Flower” to help share your gratitude.

We recommend these arrangements for employee appreciation day:

Plants

Plants are especially a great gift if your employees have offices with natural light. Adding a plant to office environments has been shown to increase concentration, decrease stress levels and improve overall worker satisfaction.

These plants are perfect to enhance the office environment:

Snacks

Powering through a workday is fueled by many with coffee and snacks. Help your employees keep their energy up and give them a gift they will love by supplying the snacks.

We have many different snack options that are great for thanking employees:

Tea

Some people prefer to get their caffeine for the workday through tea. If your employees prefer tea, consider gifting them a box of Tea Forte tea. 

Different types of teas have also been proven to reduce anxiety symptoms, which can be especially helpful in a high-stress work environment. Gifting tea to employees shows you understand the pressure they are under and care for their mental health.

A “Thank You” Figurine

Some people love to decorate their space at work to make it feel more comfortable and inviting. If you notice your employees have a lot of items on their desks, such as figurines, pictures, etc., they will probably appreciate something new to include in their workspace.

Willow Tree figures are very popular gifts with meaning. Each one corresponds to a message for the person it is being given to. Gifting one of these decorations will show your employees how much they mean to you.

We recommend these thoughtful Willow Tree figures:

It’s important to make sure your employees feel appreciated all year, but it’s nice to take a day and specifically shine a light on their hard work and dedication.

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Men

Posted on by Amber

Many think of Valentine’s Day as a day for men to do romantic gestures for the women in their lives, but they deserve to be celebrated too.

To help you find the perfect gift for your significant other, we’ve compiled a Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for Men:

Flowers

Men like flowers too. Just because it’s traditional for men to buy women flowers, many also appreciate a vase of fresh flowers. If you’re looking for something “less feminine” try these options – 

Plants

Is your man a plant dad? Give him a new plant for his collection. These Valentine’s-themed plants are perfect gifts that will last well beyond the holiday when taken care of properly.

Chocolate

Who doesn’t love chocolate? We have plenty of options for the sweet tooth in your life.

These are just a few of the options we have in store and online to treat your guy for Valentine’s Day. 

If you choose to order flowers to surprise your significant other, we have a special offer this year!  Have the flowers delivered between Feb. 8-13 and your recipient will receive a coupon for a free dozen roses that is redeemable in-store from March 1-31, 2025.

Plants that will bring you luck in the New Year

Posted on by Amber

A new year means a whole 365 days of new experiences and opportunities await. 

Of course, everyone wants to have a prosperous and successful year. According to certain beliefs, there are plants that can help with that. 

Growing and keeping these plants in your environment could supposedly make 2025 your luckiest year yet:

Peace Lily

Peace Lilies, which are not true lilies, are thought to bring peace to those who tend for them. Those who practice Feng Shui believe the Peace Lily harmonizes the energy whenever it is placed and gives feelings of hope to those in its presence.

Orchid

Orchids are hard to take care of. According to Southern Living, it is believed that caretakers of the plant will be rewarded with good fortune. Others say Orchids are a symbol of creativity and beauty, according to Good Housekeeping.

Philodendron

Feng shui practitioners believe having two philodendron plants in your home helps promote the balanced partnership you hope to achieve with those you live with, according to Good Housekeeping.

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamifolia)

The ZZ Plant is supposed to bring prosperity to its caretaker. In Feng Shui the ZZ Plant is said to elevate positive energy in relation to wealth and well-being. It is a very hardy plant and is nicknamed the “eternity plant” to symbolize endurance.

Consider adding one of these plants to your home or office to hopefully have your best year yet!

Host Gift Guide

Posted on by Amber

The season of family and friend gatherings has arrived with Thanksgiving just around the corner.

If you’re not hosting this year and want to show your appreciation to the host of the party but don’t know where to start or what is appropriate, we’ve got you covered. Whether it’s Friendsgiving at your besties or Thanksgiving at your aunt’s house, we have something to help you say thanks to the host for their hard work.

Host/Hostess gift guide:

Flowers 

A classic. It’s hard to go wrong with flowers, but how do you pick the perfect arrangement for the host? Consider going seasonal and giving them our Fall Bouquet filled with roses, sunflowers and carnations. Alternatively, you can give them a splash of color with our Garden Bouquet that features a vibrant hydrangea, daisy poms and mini carnations.

There’s a bouquet for every taste on our website, or you can stop at one of our stores and we’ll help you find just the right one for your host.

Chocolates 

We know after the big holiday meal no one wants to think about eating again for a year. However, the chocolates can be stored away for your host to enjoy at a later date. It will be a perfect snack for them later when the last thing they want to think about is going into the kitchen to prepare more food.

A serving board

If your host volunteered to host the gathering, chances are they are a party planner and typically have many people visit their home throughout the year. A serving board is perfect for them to have something cute and functional to display cheese and crackers. This board features a beautiful floral design and the sentiment “the sweet comfort of home”. It will show your appreciation to them for opening their home up to you.

A plant

Plants are the perfect addition to any home and your host will be able to appreciate your gift long after the holiday season. This is also a great gift for the host who has everything, because there is no such thing as too many plants. Consider gifting this Bromeliad Planter in a seasonal orange container or the timeless Friendship Garden.

A gift basket

Everyone loves a good gift basket. Our “Movie Night” basket is perfect for the movie buff while our snack basket will offer them plenty of treats to enjoy well after the special occasion.

Tea

Hosting is fun, but stressful. Give your host some tea to calm their nerves and offer them a little caffeine boost. The Jubilee collection from Tea Forte has a little bit of everything with 10 different blends. There’s something for every taste.

A decoration

If they are a decorator or a collector of trinkets, this Willow Tree figure, “With Gratitude” is a wonderful way to say thanks. The bright yellow flowers the figure is holding invoke joy and the message on the accompanying card will show your gratitude towards them. They will always remember the special occasion whenever they glance at the gift.

Jewelry

Is your host a fashionista? Then treat them to a new piece of jewelry. Consider the Isle of Skye abstract “joy” bracelet to express how being invited to their gathering and being in their company makes you feel.

When picking out a gift for your host, just keep in mind that it truly is the thought that counts. No matter what you chose, your host will be grateful for the acknowledgement of their hard work to put together the event.

Gift ideas for Boss’s Day

Posted on by Amber

Boss’s Day, Oct. 16, is a time to show the leadership at your job your appreciation. 

One way to thank your boss for their dedication to helping you grow in your career is with a small gift. Shopping for your boss can be challenging, however, especially if you don’t know them too well outside of the workplace.

To help you find the right gift for your boss we’ve compiled a Boss’s Day Gift Guide for you. These are gifts perfect for anyone.

Boss’s Day Gift Guide:

Retro Succulents

Plants have been shown to contribute to the well-being of employees, making this a perfect gift for the boss who has to put in long hours at the office. It will give them a connection to nature. 

The Retro Succulent dish garden is a good desk plant option. Succulents are easy to care for and the stylish, minimalist container adds a zen feeling to whatever space it is placed in.

Kork Succulent

Our Kork Succulent is another modern option to brighten up an office space. The neutral colors will blend in with any style and are a nice option for those with smaller work spaces.

Happy Face Succulent Garden

Add a pop of color with this mini succulent garden. The happy container will quickly brighten up an office.

Chocolate & Mug Gift Set

Help fuel your boss’s day with a new mug for their coffee and sweet treats from Hershey’s Chocolate.

Presentation Box of Tea – Wellbeing

Gift your boss a moment of relaxation with a collection of teas focused on wellness. There are three specifically curated herbal teas in this collection and two green teas.

Asher Milk Chocolate Pretzels

Keep it simple, but thoughtful with a bag of milk chocolate covered pretzels from Asher’s Chocolates, a family-owned business based in Souderton, Pennsylvania. Perfect for a boss who keeps a stocked snack drawer.

Flowers

You can’t go wrong with flowers. For Boss’s Day, we recommend our Tuscan, Small arrangement. It features a bold vase with cheery carnations and daisy poms. 

However you choose to honor your, they will appreciate the recognition for their hard work and dedication.

Garden roses are back and a popular option for weddings

Posted on by Neal


Garden roses, which once were the everyday rose sold by local flower shops, are back in their uniquely big and fragrant ways.
Their large blooms and strong scent not only distinguish them from today’s standard roses but also make them an increasingly popular option for weddings and other special occasions.
This is how Alexandra Farms in Bogota, Colombia, the source for most of the garden roses that Connells Maple Lee buys, toasts its product: “Garden roses are to roses what champagne is to wine.”

BRED FOR PERFORMANCE

Decades ago, Connells Maple Lee and other florists grew their own garden roses. What today is known as a standard or modern rose didn’t exist.
By the 1970s, however, an oil embargo made it prohibitively expensive for Connells Maple Lee and other domestic florists to heat their greenhouses. Meanwhile, Bogota, by virtue of lying on a plateau near the equator, enjoyed warm days and cool nights – or near-perfect conditions for rose production. (Today, the major rose-producing nations are Colombia, Ecuador and Kenya.)
But as with many things in life, there was a trade-off: The farther away growers were from florists, the hardier that roses (and other flowers) had to be to withstand the added time and rigors involved with shipping.
So, a choice had to be made between flower bloom size and fragrance on the one hand and vase life (or how long a flower lasts once it is cut) on the other. Garden roses have twice as many petals as standard roses, which manifests as significantly bigger blooms than standard rose blooms.
“In many cases,” according to Alexandra Farms, “you couldn’t get a garden rose with a long vase life if you wanted it also to have many petals or fragrance, so [growers] moved toward standard roses. Rather than getting more beauty or fragrance in the varieties they grew, they got longer vase life. In short, [roses] lost some of their charisma in favor of performance.”
Famed rose breeder David Austin changed that by developing a garden rose genetic line specifically for the cut-flower market.
“Now, garden roses are bred for performance in addition to their charismatic qualities,” according to Alexandra Farms, “so you can have the best of both worlds.”
Meanwhile, improvements in post-harvesting techniques – from hydration methods to anti-ethylene treatments (ethylene gas can promote premature flower death) to better packaging – “have enabled us to grow more productively and ship our cut flowers around the world,” according to Alexandra Farms.
The grower said it has tested more than 1,500 varieties of garden roses for beauty but also for shelf and vase life.

ALTERNATIVE TO PEONIES

Garden roses are available in almost every color that exists for standard roses. True to their champagne reputation, garden roses cost more than standard roses, but they are a cost-effective alternative to peonies.
Garden roses are sometimes described as having “powder puff” petals that mirror those of peonies and make them a good substitute when peonies aren’t available.
Peonies require frozen soil – and therefore seasons, Alexandra Farms explained. The plants must freeze in the ground for months in order to sprout in the spring. Based on time of year and availability, peonies can be considerably more expensive than garden roses, which are available year-round.
But Alexandra Farms, which grows 61 varieties of garden roses in Colombia, noted that garden roses don’t have to be limited to weddings and other special events.
They “can be used for anything including home décor, vase work, etc.,” according to the grower. “The garden roses grown at Alexandra Farms were bred and selected for longevity, as well as beauty. They are hardy and work well for any use.”

Great Prom Night Flower Tips And Suggestions

Posted on by josh

If you’d like to learn more about prom flowers or floral preservatives, you’ll enjoy the following resources. Call Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts at (614) 808-1693 to order your flowers today.

  • This webpage offers excellent tips for ordering and selecting prom flowers.
  • Read this article to learn why ordering prom flowers early is important.
  • Did you know corsages have been worn since the time of ancient Greece? Read about the fascinating history of corsages at this website.
  • Learn more about extending the life of fresh flowers and using floral preservatives by reading this article from the University of Minnesota.
  • Check out this article to learn about the types of prom flowers available.

Make Her Feel Beautiful on Prom Night: How to Pick the Perfect Corsage

Posted on by josh

After the dress, your date’s floral corsage is one of the most important elements of her prom night attire. An elegant corsage should be just the right size and compliment the color and style of her dress. Read this guide for choosing the perfect corsage so your date will feel like the prettiest girl at prom:

  • Ask Questions: Find out what color and style your date’s prom dress will be. If possible, get a picture of the dress or a sample of the fabric to take to your florist. By doing so, you can be sure you’re getting flowers and ribbon that match the dress perfectly.
  • Discover Her Tastes: Some girls love roses while other girls prefer carnations or more exotic flowers. Prom flowers are not limited to the traditional sweetheart roses. You can get corsages with orchids, daisies, alstromeria, and even hydrangeas. Ask your date what her favorite flower is, and then talk to your florist about incorporating that flower in an appropriate color.
  • Order Early: Certain flowers are in high demand at prom time and others must be special ordered. Speaking with your florist a couple weeks ahead of time will ensure you get exactly what you want.
  • Add Some Glitz: Ask your florist about pearls, beads, crystals, or rhinestones that can be added to your corsage. These accents give the flowers an extra special touch and add an element of elegance to your date’s ensemble.

If your prom date wants to surprise you with her dress, you can still order a stunning corsage. White or cream-colored flowers will go well with almost any dress, as will sheer iridescent ribbon.
For the perfect prom corsage this year, contact Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts. We’ll be happy to help you select the right corsage for your date. Give us a call at (614) 808-1693 for more information about how to order.