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Prom prep: we’ll help with corsages, boutonnieres and hand-held bouquets for the spring formal

Posted on by Neal

Every spring, hundreds of thousands of high school students take college admission exams.

Many of the juniors and seniors also will partake of another rite of passage, one that’s a lot more fun than hours of testing: prom.

But will selecting prom flowers be:

  1. Stressful
  2. Confusing
  3. Costly
  4. None of the above

You can color in the oval next to D if you work with Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts. We draw upon decades of helping high school students with prom prep. It’s quite possible that your parents or even your grandparents shopped for prom flowers with us when they were in school.

Whether you are attending prom with your significant other or with friends, flowers remain an integral part of the experience. We’re here to help you raise your flower-selection score. 

Prom primer

Prom is short for promenade, which describes a leisurely walk or a place for walking but also movements in ballet and ballroom dancing, according to USA Today.

Proms were modeled after debutante balls in high society, with the first ones traced to colleges and universities in the Northeast in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They were formal events meant to teach etiquette and manners and featured waltzes and other formal dances.

By the 1930s, according to history.com, proms had reached high schools and began to look more like the events we know today. Amy Best, in her book, “Prom Night: Youth, Schools and Popular Culture,” said they became “a democratized version of the debutante ball.” 

It gave anyone attending high school the sense that they, too, were making a formal entrance into society, “that they could transcend the boundaries of class,” Best wrote. “The message was that you did not have to be rich to wear a fancy frock, to be adorned with a corsage, or to waltz the night away.”

At Connells Maple Lee, we emphasize the specialness of prom and how flowers honor the people wearing them. We offer a wide selection of flowers, work with all budgets and are eager to discuss your specific needs.  

Meanwhile, here are some things to keep in mind:

Corsages and boutonnieres

These are the traditional prom favorites. Women typically wear a corsage, which is taken from the French “bouquet de corsage,” or flowers pinned to the upper part of the body. As spaghetti straps and strapless dresses become popular, the corsage moved to the wrist, to which it is tied.

Men often wear boutonnieres, also of French origin, meaning buttonhole. The boutonniere doesn’t go in the buttonhole but rather is pinned above it with the stem down.

Hand-held bouquets

Of late, the corsage’s popularity is being challenged by the hand-held bouquet, which has become a darling of TikTok. We’ve added more options to our lineup to capture what students are looking for. Something to consider is that while a hand-held bouquet can make a statement in photos, it may not be something a date wants to hold onto all night.

Complementary colors

Dresses come in an array of designer colors that aren’t always available in fresh-cut flowers. You can save yourself a lot of aggravation by picking complementary rather than aiming for an exact match.

Perhaps you don’t want the flowers to be as bold as the dress color. Consider tints or shades of the dress color: for instance, purple, lavender, magenta or orchid.

Contrasting colors

If you want a bold look, consider contrasting colors that also are complementary. These are opposites on the color wheel that provide a nice pop: for instance, red and green, yellow and purple, orange and blue. 

A nod to neutral

When in doubt, you can always stay neutral. The fact is that all-white continues to be our most popular corsage year after year, often accented with silver or gold to match jewelry instead of dress color.

Our staff is always available to assist with your prom needs. Of course, decisions about prom flowers come down to what you like and what your budget allows.

When you choose what’s appropriate for your prom experience, there are no wrong answers.

Self-care made simple: flowers

Posted on by Neal
The image shows a rose bouquet with multiple colors, including red, pink, yellow and orange.

Exercise, eat healthy, get plenty of sleep. These are among the most common means of practicing self-care, even if many of us struggle to achieve them daily.

Did you know that an even easier way to boost your physical and mental health is by including flowers in your everyday life? Academic researchers have linked flowers to happiness.

“Flowers aren’t just for making emotional statements at holidays or milestone moments,” said CEO Tom Royer. “Having them around on a regular basis improves our mental and emotional health.”

Researchers have noted that flowers can be a source of pleasure. Flowers are known to trigger the release of “happy” brain chemicals dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin.

While flowers won’t replace working out or eating well, they are beneficial to self-care.

Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey conducted a 10-month study of participants’ behavioral and emotional response to receiving flowers. Their report, “An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotion: Flowers,” found that flowers improve mood, help people make deep connections, and have an immediate positive effect on happiness.

On the heels of the Rutgers study, a researcher at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital looked at the “Home Ecology of Flowers.”

The research found that people living with flowers reported increased feelings of compassion and kindness toward others. By placing flowers in high visibility areas of their home, participants reported feeling less anxiety and worry.

Happiness at home carried over to the workplace where the individuals were happier and felt more enthusiasm and energy.

Reawaken a sense of purpose and possibility with these spring flowers

Posted on by Neal
Hyacinths of red, blue and yellow in a wicker basket are an example of popular spring flowers.

I

t seemed like New Year’s Eve fireworks had barely faded from view when suddenly it was the waning days of winter.

Maybe you lacked the time or the willpower to sustain the resolve with which you vowed to exercise more, eat better and generally become a better version of yourself.

Never fear. For a renewed sense of purpose, look no further than nature and Easter, those perennial symbols of rebirth and reawakening.

Spring means more sunlight, which allows plants to produce more food. The more food it has, the more that a plant grows. And as temperatures rise, plants grow more quickly.

Indoor inspiration

Of course, you can bring the sense of endless possibilities that spring flowers inspire by bringing them indoors. Here are four favorites that you will find in our stores:

Daffodils – These are one of the first plants to emerge each spring. They represent rebirth, new beginnings and hope. At Easter, we carry the bulb plant. Our customers love the bright yellow flower. Daffodils are a favorite of churches for decorating at Easter.

Hyacinth – The most fragrant of spring flowers, this is another one we carry in bulb form at Easter, in colors of white, pink or blue. They are available as a single bulb or pots of multiple bulbs. Bulb plants are a fun addition to a child’s Easter basket, allowing them to watch a plant’s life cycle.

Easter lily – The pure white flower symbolizes purity, rebirth and new beginnings and most often is associated with Christ’s resurrection. For those reasons, there’s a long tradition of giving Easter lilies as gifts and decorating churches with them. Although we don’t carry the Easter Lily plant year-round (and it typically isn’t used as a fresh-cut flower), we offer the white stargazer lily, which is similar in shape and sweet fragrance.

Tulips – This plant/flower symbolizes perfect and deep love. We carry the potted bulb during Easter, but we also offer fresh-cut tulips generally from January through April. Tulips are one of the few flowers that continue to grow after being cut and can stretch up to six inches or more.

If your New Year’s resolutions didn’t take hold, no worries. Spring and Easter can get you back on track, offering a sense of renewal.

Spring flowers offer convincing proof of that.

Valentine’s Day roses last longer when kept cool and watered

Posted on by Neal

The temperature spikes at Valentine’s Day, fueled by romantic fires and the flames of love.

But the roses you received to celebrate the holiday will last longest – a week or more – if you keep them away from heat sources, such as a vent or direct sunlight.

Before you go to bed, place the roses in an unheated room or garage (but not below 32 degrees as flowers can freeze), then put them back on display in the morning.

Water daily

It’s also important to give the roses plenty to drink. Even cut flowers get thirsty, so add water pretty much every day.

For roses in a vase:

  • If after five days or so the water is getting dirty, pull the roses out, re-cut the stems and put them back in the vase with fresh water.
  • Add a packet of floral preservative, available from your florist.If the water is relatively clean, leave it alone as it will have some preservative left in it.

For roses loose or in a box:

  • If the roses came with tubes on the stems, remove the tubes and re-cut the stems about 1 inch from the bottom. It is best to cut at an angle, which creates more surface area for water intake.
  • Place the roses in a vase with water that is room temperature to a little warm.
  • Add floral preservative to the water; you should have received a packet with the delivery.
  • Only change the water if it becomes noticeably dirty.

If roses don’t open

Within a day or two, your roses should begin to open. If not, remove them from the vase, re-cut the stems at an angle, and return them to the vase.

If they still do not open, re-cut the stems and float the flowers in a bath of water for an hour or two to rehydrate them. Then return them to the vase.

Most times, this will bring the roses around.

Just taking these steps, which require only minutes each day, you will have Valentine’s Day roses that look beautiful for a week or longer.

Red roses remain No. 1, but flower and gift options abound for Valentine’s Day

Posted on by Neal

Roses are red, my love, the old Bobby Vinton song begins.

But while red still rules for Valentine’s Day, roses come in a rainbow of colors. Rosier still is that when celebrating the holiday of love, flower, plant and gift options abound and at price points to satisfy any budget.

ROSES

Red roses signify love and admiration, so it’s no wonder that they are the quarterback in what is the floral industry’s version of football’s big game. Pink, white, mixed and yellow roses comprise the other most popular colors for Valentine’s Day, according to the Society of American Florists’ website aboutflowers.com.

Also note that roses can be purchased in varying quantities, sizes and presentations, offering customers a great deal of choice.

OTHER FLOWERS

Besides roses, popular Valentine’s Day flowers include tulips, carnations, alstroemeria, lilies. Connells Maple Lee offers a mixed bouquet comprising roses, mini hydrangea, daisy poms, carnations, mini carnations and caspia wrapped in a sleeve. Or consider garden mixes in shades of lavender, pink and white.

PLANTS

From reducing stress and anxiety to improving air quality and productivity, household plants are an easy, affordable way to bring natural beauty inside. Many plants are easy to care for, too, and can be placed in multiple spots around a home or office.

Succulents are drought resistant and fleshy for storing water, combining a striking appearance with minimal care. Dish gardens feature several different plants in a single container.  

CHOCOLATE

The ancient Aztecs believed chocolate was an aphrodisiac. The first heart-shaped box of chocolates debuted in 1861. Given that history, it’s easy to understand why chocolate is associated with love and romance and remains a popular Valentine’s Day option.

PLUSH AND BALLOONS

Soft and cuddly, classic and timeless, a symbol of love and affection, these are among the attributes that make a teddy bear or other stuffed animal a great Valentine’s Day gift for children and children at heart.

Another way to make hearts and spirits soar is with a colorful, fun and entertaining balloon. Some will even sing for you!

If you can’t pick just one option, Connells Maple Lee offers a combo featuring a plush white bear, heart-shaped mylar balloon and chocolate-covered pretzels.

FIGURINES

Another enduring expression of love, figurines are small carved or molded figures, collectible and a popular way to personalize a gift, often as an add-on to flowers.

Whatever your Valentine’s day needs, your florist will be happy to help. It’s always best to act early to ensure the most abundant selection.

Connells Maple Lee donates $1,830 to Mid-Ohio Food Collective

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From left, Craig Truax, director of corporate partnerships, Mid-Ohio Food Collective, and Andrew Royer, vice president of Ohio operations, Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts.

Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts has donated $1,830 to the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, which operates the largest food bank in Ohio.

Family-owned Connells Maple Lee earmarks $10 from each sale of its Admiration arrangement for charitable donations.

The Food Collective, which is based at 3960 Brookham Drive, Grove City, serves 20 counties.

“Mid-Ohio Food Collective distributes enough food daily to provide more than 182,000 meals,” said Craig Truax, director of corporate partnerships. “We wouldn’t be able to do this critical work without the support of our community and amazing partners like Connells Maple Lee.”

Tom Royer, CEO of Connells Maple Lee, noted that his company has enjoyed a long-time relationship with the Food Collective.

“We have great respect for the Food Collective’s mission and creative solutions toward ending hunger and building healthier communities,” Royer said. “We all benefit from those efforts, which is why we are honored to be associated with them.”

From romance to ‘thinking of you,’ rose colors carry more than a bouquet’s worth of meaning

Posted on by Neal

The writer Gertrude Stein’s line “a rose is a rose is a rose” is sometimes interpreted as meaning things are what they are.

But if you peel back the petals, figuratively speaking, roses reveal themselves to be full of intrigue. Not only are there more than 120 commercial varieties of roses, rose colors carry different meanings that lend themselves to widely varying intents.

Here are 10 colors and their myriad meanings:

Red: The most popular Valentine’s Day flower by far, red roses represent “love and admiration” of the romantic kind, ideal for a spouse or long-term partner.

“This may have started with Greek and Roman mythology—it was told that the red rose was created by the goddess of love, Aphrodite,” according to Parade. “The legend states that her tears and the blood of her lover, Adonis, watered the ground where roses appeared.”

Burgundy: Suggesting a passion even deeper than red roses, but also associated with loyalty and commitment.

Lavender: House Beautiful calls lavender “enchanting and magical” and arguably the most romantic roses of all. “They’re great for a budding romance.”

Orange: Friendship that is turning romantic. It’s an energetic and uplifting color, too, that can cheer up someone who is ill.

Yellow: Friendship, making it great for Galentine’s Day or generally brightening someone’s day.

Deep Pink: Gratitude and appreciation, deep pink is a gentler option than red, according to Reader’s Digest.

Medium Pink: Congratulations! “So if you have a daughter or friend who just accomplished something significant, medium pink roses could be the perfect gift,” Parade noted.

Light Pink: Appreciation or innocence, “perfect for giving to a friend or daughter ‘just because’ or with a ‘thinking of you’ note,” but also “a girlfriend in a new and budding relationship.” Meanwhile, House Beautiful said light pink roses also represent self-love, “making them a great gift to give yourself.”

Purple: Dual meanings: passion and infatuation, signifying the beginning of a romantic relationship; royalty, majesty and honor, appropriate for someone held in high regard.

White: Traditionally used in weddings and standing for “innocence, new beginnings and truth,” according to Parade. They are popular at graduations and baptisms.

Clearly, “a rose is a rose is a rose” is inaccurate when it comes to rose colors.

Whether you’re gifting roses for Valentine’s Day or another holiday, a special occasion, or some other reason, you’ll want to make sure that the color you buy sends the appropriate message.

When winter weighs you down, houseplants can lighten your mood

Posted on by Neal
Indoor plants make us happier and healthier, according to multiple studies. (Photo: Proven Winners)

A sense of gloom might hit you in the aftermath of the holiday season, but it’s probably not just because you put the string lights away.

There’s a link between shortened daylight hours in winter and seasonal depression. Some 4 to 6 percent of Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder, according to Washingtonian magazine, while more suffer from a lesser form known as the winter blues or winter doldrums.

Experts say that seeking out sunlight, a healthy diet, exercise, rest and the support of family and friends are ways to combat the doldrums.

Another way to improve your mood – in the winter but really year-round – is to bring nature into your home or workplace in the form of houseplants.

Multiple studies have found that indoor plants make us happier and healthier. It can take fewer than 20 minutes in the presence of plants to make us feel more at peace, according to the Washington Post.

“In one experiment, participants who spent even five to 10 minutes in a room with a few houseplants felt happier and more satisfied than those in a room without plants. In another study, participants felt more peaceful and positive after spending 15 minutes in a room close to a tall plant (about five feet) compared with other objects.”

Even post-pandemic, we spend most of our lives indoors. Houseplants make us feel more connected to the world outside and help our mental and physical health in many ways.

Reduce stress and anxiety

Time reported on a study in which researchers asked participants to re-pot a houseplant or complete a computer-based task.

“After working with plants, people reported feeling comfortable and soothed, and their blood pressure dropped. The computer task, on the other hand, caused them to feel uncomfortable and ‘artificial,’ and was associated with a spike in blood pressure and sympathetic nervous system activity.”

The stress hormone cortisol, which is found in saliva, decreases when we are around plants.

Reduce depression

Houseplant sales spiked during the pandemic, helping people with their depression, anxiety and “sad days” of isolation, according to one seller of succulents and air plants. That sentiment jibes with a study conducted during stay-at-home orders in Bulgaria. People who had houseplants or a garden “experienced fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who did not,” according to Time.

Introducing plants into your home enhances your mood and helps with loneliness and depression, NBC News reported, noting that “caring for a living thing gives us a purpose and is rewarding – especially when you see that living thing bloom and thrive.”

Improve air quality

Houseplants “essentially do the opposite of what we do when we breathe: release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide,” according to NBC News. “This not only freshens up the air, but also eliminates harmful toxins.”

NASA found that houseplants can remove up to 87 percent of air toxins in 24 hours.

Increase productivity

Multiple studies, according to Time, concluded that plants boost productivity: College students worked 12 percent faster when plants were added to a windowless computer lab; employees at a call center who had a view of plants made up to 7 percent more calls per hour than colleagues who couldn’t see plants; office workers were 15 percent more productive when plants were introduced into their workspace.

From Psychology Today: “Students and employees with a view of nature, either indoors or right outside their windows, were not only found to be more productive but also more alert, more attentive, more relaxed, in better moods, and less irritated by physical symptoms of allergies and asthma than their counterparts who had no views of plant life or other natural settings.”

Of course, winter eventually will give way to spring, but houseplants will ensure that you receive the benefits of nature no matter the time of year or the conditions outside.

Send love or welcome an early spring with fresh-cut tulips

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They inspired a speculative financial bubble in the 1600s and a hit song in the United States three centuries later.

Still today, tulips remain one of the most popular flowers in the world and a sure sign of spring when they rise from the ground in all of their beautiful bounty.

If you need a reprieve from the winter doldrums, one sure-fire way is to bring fresh-cut, colorful tulips into your home or workplace. What’s more, for their association with love, tulips are a popular choice as a Valentine’s Day gift.

Tulip mania

Royer’s Flowers & Gifts sources tulips from growers in the Netherlands, the world’s largest commercial producer of tulips. The capital city, Amsterdam, celebrates National Tulip Day on the third Saturday of January. The 2024 theme: Let’s Dance.

Part of the lily family, tulips arrived in the Netherlands in the 16th century from their native central Asia, where they grew wild in the mountain valleys where China and Tibet meet Afghanistan and Russia. The name “tulip” is said to come from a Turkish word for “turban,” suggesting a physical resemblance between the flower and the cloth headwear.

The arrival of tulips corresponded with Netherlands’ independence from Spain and what history.com called “a period of unmatched wealth” fueled by international trade. That wealth coincided with a fascination with so-called broken tulips, or bulbs that produced striped and speckled flowers.

If you experienced the fervor for Beanie Babies in the 1990s, you got a taste for the speculative fever, or tulip mania, that overtook the Netherlands, peaking in the winter of 1636-37.

Tulips with a “striated effect,” or that went from a single color to a feathery or flamelike pattern, became inexplicably valuable: The price of the most-prized bulbs matched the going rate for a nice house. It was only discovered in the 19th century that this unique feature resulted from a virus.

“But in the 17th century, this was still not understood,” according to the BBC, “and so, strangely enough diseased tulips, emblazoned with distinctive patterns, became more prized than healthy ones in the Dutch Republic.”

Tulip trickery

Tulip mania came and went, but tulips took root in the Netherlands. It’s what DutchGrown.com, a wholesale flower bulb exporter, credits to the country’s “beautiful sandy soil, and a century old tradition of being able to control water and make it do whatever we want.”

Specifically, it requires a bit of “tulip trickery,” making “bulbs believe they have been through a hot, dry summer and an arctic winter” and replicating their native habitat.

Tulips technically are perennials, but they struggle to act that way in the warmer United States.

“Plant a bulb in fall and even a novice gardener can expect to see a beautiful flower come spring,” according to AmericanMeadows.com. “But getting a tulip to perform well in the second or third year is another story.”

Because tulips are one of the easiest flowers to grow in a garden, most American consumers replant bulbs every year.

Several other tidbits about tulips:

  • Even as a cut stem, tulips will continue to grow in water, lasting seven days after they have bloomed.
  • They do best in full sun and, like sunflowers, are heliotropic, bending toward light throughout the day.
  • They come in a variety of colors rich in symbolism: pink, happiness and confidence; purple, royalty; yellow, cheerful thoughts; white, forgiveness.
  • Red is the symbol of everlasting love, which strikes at the heart of the 1929 chart-topping song, “Tiptoe through the Tulips,” which appeared in a movie called “Gold Diggers of Broadway.” (Cult artist Tiny Tim would turn it into a hit again in the 1960s.)

“And when I kiss you in the garden in the moonlight,” the song says, “Will you pardon me and tiptoe through the tulips with me?”

To get the most out of your poinsettia, treat it like the tropical plant it is

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If you’ve watched the classic TV version of “Frosty the Snowman,” your heart probably sank when he stepped out of the cold and snow and into a warm greenhouse.

He melted in the heat, only to come back to life when Santa opened the greenhouse door and let a cold draft of air in.

What you may not have noticed was that the greenhouse was filled with red poinsettias. For them, a cold draft is a dangerous thing.

“Poinsettias don’t like the cold, so you want to keep them away from drafty doors,” said Geoff Royer of Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts.

The juxtaposition of poinsettias, also known as “The Christmas Flower,” with cold and snow belies the fact that they are tropical plants, native to Mexico and Central America.

You must treat them as such if you want to get the most out of your poinsettia this holiday season.

National Poinsettia Day

Of course, December is synonymous with Christmas, but Dec. 12 is National Poinsettia Day. It commemorates the 1851 death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico and the man after whom poinsettias are named.

Poinsett introduced the plant to the United States in 1825, sending samples to friends in his native Charleston, S.C. Poinsettias made their public debut at a Philadelphia flower show in 1829.

For their first hundred years in America, poinsettias were mostly sold as cut flowers. That was until Paul Ecke, a southern California agriculturalist, created varieties that could be shipped in pots.

Poinsettias registered sales of $213.7 million last year, according to Axios, up 40 percent from 2020.

Care tips

But for all the popularity of poinsettias, how to care for them remains much less well known and bear repeating. In fact, we go over poinsettia care tips with our own staff in the lead-up to every holiday season.

Geoff Royer of Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts.

Unless you want to end up on someone’s naughty list, here’s what else you need to know to ensure your Christmas Flower lasts well into the new year.

  • Average room temperature is fine. Poinsettias can’t tolerate cold (including icy water) and can suffer from droopy leaves (a condition known as epinasty) if exposed to cold temperatures.
  • Epinasty also can result from a build-up of ethylene gas. Big-box retailers are notorious for leaving poinsettias in plastic sleeves, which trap ethylene and essentially ruin the plant.
  • Bright, ample light is best for the plant, mimicking conditions in Mexico.
  • Keep the plant moist but not sitting in water. Like people, poinsettias don’t like wet feet. The frequency and amount of water will vary depending upon the amount of sunlight, humidity and pot size to which the plant is exposed.
  • Poinsettias are sensitive plants, so you want to avoid banging them into things as they can bruise easily.

We wish you and your family a Happy Poinsettia Day and a Merry Christmas!