The Flower Blog

I love fonts! Lots and lots of fonts! Big fonts, little fonts, decorative font, distressed fonts, gothic ones, basic ones, script! name the category and I am betting I will love at least 100 sets of these fabulous characters in it!  Whew! That is a lot of excitement for something we see on daily basis isn't it?

What is the big fuss about fonts anyway? As a graphic designer, they serve an important role in my work. My job is to express information, ideas, and feelings through images, color, and font. Many times the information must be conveyed without using image at all. What do we have left but color and font? Sometimes not even full color but just black and white! Sounds a little boring, doesn't it? Not so long ago designers had a limited supply of fonts; we appreciated the subtle differences between Helvetica and Futura, Garamond and Goudy, but now? The world is our oyster! Thanks to font creation software and imaginative artists we have categories upon categories of fonts to meander through to find the perfect match for what we are thinking….

I know what you are thinking right now..."How does this relate to flowers?!"

Flowers aren't so different...there are millions of specimens; all having unique characteristics, some subtle, some obvious, all having the ability to express ideas, convey messages and feelings whether it be through a single stem of daisy poms or an entire spring bouquet.

One of my favorite examples of expression through flowers and fonts is how we bring them together for weddings through a theme.  You know when you have your theme; it may be colors, a favorite style or era, the newest trend, or maybe something of your own creation!

Again, endless possibilities!

Think about when you picked out or commissioned a designer to do your wedding invitations. Was there a certain font in the collection that stood out?

Where you thought "this is me! Oh this fits us! Just what I was looking for!"

It's so exciting when you find something which can express your ideas without having to say much, if anything at all. Again, flowers have the same capacity. A rose, for example. When I see a Vendela Rose, the word elegant comes to mind.

 

 

 

 

 

Take a rose of a different color, such as red, add a few orange stargazer lillies, a few stalks of purple status, and the once "elegant" rose is now part of a brilliant and bold bouquet!

 

 

 

 

 

Or consider yet another one, a few white roses mixed with some eucalyptus,  delphinium, cornflower, kale, thistle eryngium, tree fern and voila!. A soft whimsical bouquet to compliment a light and airy wedding dress for a summer wedding outdoors.

Isn't it amazing how a single rose can transform into an entire theme? Just like font lettering. One style of letter by itself can speak to you. Put together a meaningful word with these letters and there it is, your theme is created, your idea in motion. Now off to your local florist to find which flowers express the same message for the world to see what you're feeling on such a special day.

With the right floral combination, color, and creativity you can have your wedding theme pulled together as boldly, elegantly, whimsically, beautifully as you have always imagined! Not sure where to begin? Have an idea or certain theme in mind but not sure what direction to go next? Check out our wedding link to get your creative ideas flowing. The fine staff of Gillespie Florists will be delighted to help you out with your wedding plans. Good luck and happy matching!

The past couple of years I have been blogging about ‘Glee’ Prom and have received positive feedback. So here’s the scoop on what flowers our favorite characters wore to ‘Glee’ Prom 2013! First and foremost, I noticed there were way more characters on ‘Glee’ wearing prom flowers this season compared to past seasons; which as a florist, makes me very happy!

BrundleProm?

The theme for the 2013 ‘Glee’ Prom was BrundleProm? It was either BrundleProm or simply Junior/Senior Prom, which is a disappointment when looking back at past Prom themes. Unlike previous years, there was not a great variety in the types of flowers worn to the prom. The characters wore mostly carnations and roses on the inexpensive throw away elastic wristlets.  I did notice however, one or two of the main characters did wear keepsake bracelets!

Most Memorable Corsage

The most memorable corsage was Tina's; mostly because it was one of the few corsages in the entire show that looked like any care was put into putting it together.  This corsage outshone all the others with red sweetheart roses, black ribbon, white pearl beads, green leaves and a keepsake charcoal gray wristlet!

Since Tina was crowned queen of the BrundleProm, it’s not a surprise they put extra effort into having her wear a pretty corsage. Of coirse, it is unfortunate red slushy got dumped all over Tina while being crowned but her true friends took care of her, got her cleaned up so she could enjoy the rest of her prom as queen!

Favorite Corsage… or Not!

I  didn’t have a favorite corsage this year. There was much left to be desired when it came to the corsages worn by the lead characters. In previous seasons, they always had nice corsages which were different from everyone elses and even had some creativity put into them! This year, however, everyone was wearing one of two flower types: Carnations or Roses. Many corsages had inexpensive satin ribbon, elastic wristlets, and green leaves; making the final effect oversized and sloppy.

With that said, I LOVED the fact that almost every single person in the cast was wearing prom flowers! Even all the extras were wearing prom flowers! They had a scene where some of the Glee Club members were performing on stage and the crowd of high schoolers were jumping and dancing and you could see the corsages bouncing around on their wrists!  For that reason, Glee producers; you are forgiven for not putting more thought into your leads’ prom flowers!

Boutonnieres

Have you noticed they use the same boutonniere holder every year? (I’m probably the only person who notices but I’m just glad they are showing a holder at all.)  I believe Blaine was wearing it this year, a metal boutonniere holder with a carnation.  I’m kind of tired of seeing the same boutonniere holder every year, but admit they serve a great purpose.

Boutonniere holders are a lot easier to use than the traditional “pin-on” because you don’t get poked with a straight pin!

Past that, there’s not a lot to say about the boutonnieres of the BrundleProm. It was nice to see more guys wearing flowers this year!

Once Last Thing...

I don’t know if you noticed but they were using a hardy mum as part of the decor for the photo area. Did you know Hardy mums are only available in the Fall?  Now, it could be said that they were using a “Florist Mum” (a non-hardy mum grown in greenhouses year round), but the mum shown is way too big to be one of those. Which leads me to something that's been bugging me and if you follow Glee closely, it should bug you too! If you don’t, let me explain....

Last season ended mid-school year and this season picked back up after school winter break. For the show Glee, prom is taking place in early to mid spring, NOT the fall.  The reason why this bugs me is because at the end of last season and the beginning of this season, the show didn’t explain that they were splitting the school year up and making two seasons out of one school year. So, as I’m trying to piece this together, they show contradicting things like the hardy mum at prom!

All in all, I really enjoyed seeing all those Prom Flowers on one of my favorite shows.

In Indianapolis, our Prom season is a long way off but it’s never too early to think about what flowers will make your perfect prom! If you are a GleeK like me and want ‘Glee’ Prom flowers to accent your style, click below!

Over the last several years, I have seen a steady increase in customers who want to design their own arrangements.  The DIY revolution is not limited to one occasion as I have assisted customers with flower selections for weddings, receptions, large events/celebrations (recently a pastor at a church celebrated his 25th anniversary of service), birthdays, anniversaries, get well and even sympathy expressions.

DIY is not a new concept to Gillespie Florists.  As a matter of fact, Gillespie Florists has been offering our staple DIY bouquet (The Sunshine Bouquet) since 1975.  This simple, loose stem bouquet includes two stems of carnations, one stem of pomps (spray daisies or cushions), ½ stem of accent flower (babies breath, solidego, statice, limonium) and one stem of leatherfern for the unbelievable price of $3.95 each.  We sell dozens of Sunshine Bouquets each week to customers for every occasion.  We even have customers that purchase one or two Sunshine bouquets every week to have a few flowers at home to enjoy for themselves.

Did you know that you can bring your own vase into our store and fill it with flowers yourself at one of our design stations?  We provide the tools, water and flower preservative and you become the artist!  If you don’t have your own vase, no problem!  We have plenty of vases to choose from at the discounted, DIY rate!

Our second most popular DIY bouquet is the Take/Carry Out Dozen Rose Bouquet.  We offer two versions:  Dozen roses with Leatherfern for $19.95 or dozen roses with Leatherfern and a stem of babies breath for $22.95 (prices will vary with seasonal availability).  Our most popular color of rose is red, of course, but did you know that we offer a variety of colors of roses?  Depending on our inventory, we stock white, yellow, pink and other novelty rose colors, all for the low DIY prices mentioned above!

DIY weddings have steadily increased since 2009.  Brides on a budget are taking the world by storm, researching options online, arming themselves with the knowledge and skills to have gorgeous weddings, while staying within their budget.  The most common DIY aspect of a wedding is the reception centerpieces.  However, I have worked with brides who have designed their own bouquets for themselves and their bridesmaids, designed their own corsages and boutonnieres and designed their own ceremony and reception décor.  A tip for DIY brides:  Design practice bouquets a few months ahead of time.  This will help you know how many flowers you will need, how much time you need to plan for on your busy wedding week and discover any problems/issues/design changes BEFORE the week of your wedding!  

Interested in DIY flowers?  Stop by and speak with one of our friendly sales representatives to walk you through our 500 square foot cooler to start designing your own bouquet!

Mission impossible:  Plan a wedding from nearly 4,000 miles away from the site of the ceremony.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to plan every detail of your wedding, which is to take place in Indiana, while living and working in Alaska!  This was a REAL scenario for us a few months ago.  I have worked with out of town brides before, but this was certainly the greatest distance I had experienced!  

With the technology available to us today, working with brides from out of town is not an impossible mission.  As a matter of fact, it can be a very positive and rewarding experience! Of course, I prefer to meet brides face to face.  However, in the case of 4K miles, a bride just can’t hop a flight to Indy at a moment’s notice!  Therefore, the bride and I worked together to create an open line of communication and plan her flower selection down to the finest details.

Our bride, who lives and works in Alaska, contacted me about the possibility of designing the flowers for her wedding.  She inquired as to whether or not we could work with her from such a distance. Fortunately, this bride was able to meet with me in person during a visit to Indianapolis a several months prior to her wedding.  At that time, I was able to show her samples and begin planning her order with her in person.  After our meeting, we corresponded via email, sharing photos and samples of flowers digitally.  Over the course of several months, the bride and I kept in close contact via email.  

Finally, the weekend of the wedding arrived!  The bride came to our store to preview the completed/designed wedding flower order the day before her wedding.  The arrangements turned out wonderfully and she was pleased with the result of our coordinated efforts.  I really must give the bride most of the credit, she was fantastic to work with and corresponded with me frequently so we could have all the details worked out in advance.

If you are planning a wedding from across town or out of town, never fear! We are able to accommodate any distance (even 4K miles!) with a little help from technology.  

Ready to start planning your wedding or just have some questions? Contact Sarah, our wedding specialist, by clicking below!

I wear “a lot of hats” in the flower business, but one of the most important aspects of my job is to maintain a high standard of quality in the fresh cut flower products that we offer.  To that end, I test fresh cut flowers from different vendors, under different conditions, throughout the year to make sure that Gillespie Florists offers the best products year round.

How do I test fresh cut flowers?  Several ways, actually!  It seems like a pretty cut and dry (no pun intended) subject, but there can be complex situations in which our flowers are placed.  

The most common placement of fresh cut flowers are in a clear glass vase with water and flower food (FloraLife or Aqua Plus are our two favorites).  Several times throughout the year, I test the vase life of our most popular varieties of flowers (roses, carnations, gerbera, pom pons and lilies) with different brands of flower food and even common household items that can be used to prolong vase life (i.e. sugar, sprite, aspirin, alum, etc.).  It is interesting to experiment with the flower food in various conditions (heat, sunlight, cold, dim lighting, indoors, outdoors, etc.) to see if the vase life is effected. I have even changed up the type of water I have used to test the cut flowers (tap water versus bottled water; clean water versus water with sediment in it).

Another way that I test flowers is to design sample arrangements for events ahead of time to see how the flowers will behave in a particular environment.  For example, we recently had a wedding featuring composite style rose bouquets.  Several weeks before the wedding, we designed samples and tested them over a course of a week.  I specifically was interested in the longevity of the bouquets since they would be completely out of water (and designed using petals, so there was no stem either)!  It was really interesting to see how well the bouquets held up, both in and out of refrigeration.  And surprisingly, the samples held up for a much longer period of time than I would have guessed!  

I have a wedding coming up soon that features hydrangeas, lilies and calla lilies for centerpieces.  Because of the particular design, we have created some unique ways to provide a water source for these flowers in a small amount of space.  As you can see from this photo, one of our test designs did not work out very well!

The good news is that the other did work out, so we are armed with the knowledge of how to prepare the centerpieces and NOT experience failure at the most critical time:  the day of the event!!!

Additional experiments that I have conducted compare varieties and grades of flowers against one another.  For example, the vase life of a Freedom rose versus a Forever Young rose. Both roses are a rich red color, but it can be surprising that they open (bloom) differently and have different vase lives.  I test fancy grade versus select grade carnations or alstroemeria frequently.  I also test identical products from different vendors to see if a particular flower has a better vase life.  For example, I have studied gerbera from Rosa Flora versus Maximum.

Fresh flowers are much more predictable in their longevity as compared to 25 years ago.  Advancements in science have contributed greatly to the quality of the fresh cut flower products available today.  I believe it is important, however, to test our flowers year round to have peace of mind, knowing that our product is the freshest and most beautiful in the Indianapolis area.

Check out our selection of well tested bouquets by clicking below!

I wrote a blog recently that we had starting carrying a new line of Windchimes! I also said at that time we would soon be offering these new windchimes on our website. Well the wait is over! We have a great selection of windchimes on our website that I would love to introduce to you!

Some of the windchimes we offer are from local vendors and some are from QMT Windchimes. 

QMT Windchimes has been manufacturing hand-tuned wind chimes right here in the USA for over 30 years. They manufacture their chimes in Manassas Park, Virginia and use raw materials from American lumber and aluminum suppliers! They manufacture over 600 varieties of wind chimes!

Below is what we offer online from QMT:

Arias & Arias Elite

For more than twenty years, the Arias have been built to last the test of time.  The wood components are redwood with a penetrating oil-resin finish. The aluminum is anodized or powder-coated to stand up to the elements, and everything is held together with a strong cord.  Durable and weather-resistant, they will provide you years of enjoyment. They have an earthy, natural look that will easily become part of the scenery in your landscape. Whether in gentle breezes or strong winds, the Arias chimes will generate beautiful music to surround your home.

Sentimental Reflection Wind Chime

This wind chime is a part of the Arias collection by QMT windchimes. This wind chime is a part of the Arias collection by QMT. It is 24 inches long and has four bronze tubes. These wind chimes are hand tuned for optimum sound quality. This product is delivered on a handcrafted black metal stand made locally in Indiana! We also include in the presentation a beautiful red bow with streaming ribbons!

Peaceful Blessings Wind Chime

Also part of the Arias collection. It is 33 inches long and has six silver tubes. These wind chimes are hand tuned for optimum sound quality. This product is delivered on a handcrafted black metal stand made locally in Indiana! We also include in the presentation a beautiful lime green bow  with streaming ribbons!

Happy Remembrance Wind Chime

This wind chime is a part of the Arias Elite collection by QMT. This windchime is 24 inches long and has eight green tubes. These wind chimes are hand tuned for optimum sound quality. This product is delivered on a handcrafted black metal stand made locally in Indiana! We also include in the presentation a beautiful lavender bow with streaming ribbons!

Heartfelt Wind Chime

Also a part of the Arias Elite collection. It is 24 inches long and has eight black tubes. These wind chimes are hand tuned for optimum sound quality. This product is delivered on a handcrafted black metal stand made locally in Indiana! We also include in the presentation a beautiful rust colored bow with streaming ribbons!

We have more windchimes we want to add to the website and hope to add Weatherland and Shenandoah Melodies soon!

Wind chimes are a wonderful gift to send to someone for many reasons! You can have us box it in one of our white gift boxes wrapped with tissue and a bow, have us deliver it on one of our hand crafted wind chime easel stands with a bow and trailing ribbons or have us incorporate it into a large plant or bouquet! With wind chimes ranging in size from 12” - 67”, we will have the right size for you! Call us at 317.273.1100 for more details!

We have even more options on our website! Click below to check them out!

One of the most popular trends in fashion during the last several years has been flesh-tone, skin tone or nude colors.  At the on-set of this trend, I had difficulty sourcing flowers in these colors and often resorted to over-spraying flowers (lightly coating a flower with spray paint formulated for flowers).  Tinting flowers is not a bad practice, it’s just not one of my favorite techniques (the smell of the fumes and the uneven/inconsistent color are my top two reasons to stay away from paint).  As with any trend, the more mainstream it becomes, the more products are developed to meet the demand of the trend.  Lucky for florists and consumers alike, growers at the farm-level developed some wonderful options in flesh tones to accompany the nude fashion trend!

One of the most popular roses right now is Quicksand.  This beauty actually has a hint of very pale pink with a warm, sandy overtone.  I have seen this rose used in tandem with lavender, pale pink, peach and ivory for a subtle contrast.

A unique blend of mocha and ivory, Leonidas roses have been popular with autumn weddings for years.  The nude trend loves this rose, as seen in this bridal bouquet.  
Pale peach has been around for quite a while.  One of my favorite pale peach roses is the aromatic Osiana rose.  One of my favorite Gerbera is Pacific, pictured here in a bridesmaid’s bouquet. 

Another pale peach option that I have designed corsages with recently is a miniature rose called Chablis. This unique spray rose is dominantly pale peach with hints of ivory at the base of the petal. 

Vendela roses are a warm ivory tone, which I have working with for several years.  They are making an impact with the nude trend as a lighter, contrasting color.   

New on the scene, but trendy all the same, are Amnesia roses.  This unique lavender rose is very romantic with hints of taupe undertones.  Seen here with Antique hydrangea and pale pink roses, this combination hints at nude tones, without being completely colorless.

Check out our selection of online wedding products by clicking below!

Ready to start planning your dream wedding? Contact our Wedding Specialist!

Now that Prom season is officially over here at Gillespie Florists, I like to print product analysis reports to see what we sold more or less of to help me order supplies for next year’s Proms! Then I like to share our Top Five Bestsellers on our blog for all of those inquiring minds!

5. Vamped - This corsage is very popular because we use different types of ribbon that dangles down to one side of the corsage. The Vamped wrist corsage includes: red sweetheart roses, red rhinestones, silver micro-wire, black glitter ribbon, black glitter leaves, two different types of red ribbon and a keepsake silver bracelet! Item # 11PN07

4. Platinum - This corsage includes: white dendrobium orchids, black feathers, green and black leaves, rhinestones, silver and green ribbon and keepsake a bracelet! Dendrobium orchids have delicate look to them but hold up really well for prom! Other types of orchids are more sensitive than others and be torn very easily so when ordering your prom flowers make sure ask how the orchid will hold up if you use a different variety!  #12PN03

3. Sugar Sugar - The Sugar Sugar fresh flower ring is created with a pink sweetheart rose, wax flower, beads and a few rhinestones! We make this with an elastic band so this ring is a “one size fits all” item! Some girls get a flower ring as well as a corsage and some wear just the ring to make a more clean look.  #13PN07

2. Mardi Gras - Be the life of the party with the Mardi Gras wrist corsage! This corsage is done in Ben Davis High School Purple and White colors and includes purple orchids, white sweetheart roses, purple ribbon, purple wire, silver beads,  black glitter leaves and a keepsake bracelet! Customers really love the mixture of roses and orchids!

1. Pandora - The Pandora corsage has been a best selling corsage for two years!. This corsage is designed with three orange sweetheart roses, purple & lime green glitter ribbon, blue & sea foam green feathers, blue, turquoise & green silk leaves, blue & green wire on a keepsake Bracelet. I think this corsage is liked so well because we use many elements to give if depth and interest!

When looking at the types of flowers being used rather than the specific design chosen by the customer; we sell more sweetheart rose corsages than anything else!

Check out our entire selection of Prom Flowers by clicking below!

Check out our latest Prom Video!

As I watch the rain falling outside, I imagine the trees, grass, flowers, etc. joyfully drinking up the cool rain drops.  The plants look refreshed in the steady rain, especially after several days of sunny, warm weather.  However, I see a large peony bush, which yesterday was full of large, perfect peony blooms, now lying against the ground, the blooms beaten and bruised by the heavy rain.  This sight reminds me of the problem with peonies.

As our state flower, peonies are a very popular flower in Indiana.  Over the last couple of years, I have seen an increased popularity of peonies in wedding celebrations.  Peonies are large, fragrant blooms, which lend themselves to simple, yet elegant bouquets for the bride and her bridesmaids.  So, what’s the problem?  Peonies have an extremely short season of availability.  Local peonies are only available for about 3-4 weeks a year, depending on the weather.  With the heavy rain today and with more heavy rain expected over the weekend, the season will be coming to an abrupt close for the local crops.  Local growers keep a close eye on the weather forecast to try and preserve as much of their crops for as long as possible.  If heavy rain is forecasted, the growers will harvest the peonies a little early.  They can then place them in water with floral preservative, and store them in a refrigerator, cooler or very cool environment, until they sell the blooms to a local florist.  

Peak season for the local peonies this year is now (late May).  Last year, the peak season was in April!  This is because in March, we had steady temperatures in the mid 80’s.  This year, our weather remained cooler than normal for April and even the beginning of May.  Generally speaking, the peak of our local peony season is around Mother’s Day.  Last year, the peak occurred early and this year the peak occurred late.  Therefore, another problem with peonies is trying to include them in an event (such as a wedding), not knowing if they will be available at the time of the event.  

Before you scrap peonies from you wedding plan altogether, here are some tips that I share with brides when I learn of their interest in peonies for their wedding.  

1. Plan the date of your wedding to coincide with peony season.  If you really wish to include fresh cut peonies in your wedding, plan your wedding early in the spring.  Peonies are not available in the summer and fall months.  Peonies are available from other countries in the late winter, which increases the probability of their availability.  Keep in mind, however, imported flowers are much more expensive due to the packaging and cost of shipping.

2. Have an alternative plan in place.  If weather affects the availability of the peony for your planned event, be sure to have another option ready to go, just in case.  I suggest garden roses (large headed, fragrant roses) or hydrangea.  

3. Source some “silk” (fake) peonies.  The silks that are produced now are very high quality compared to silks 20 years ago.  There are even times when I suggest silk flowers over fresh flowers if a particular color of flower is not available in nature.  On a number of occasions, I have designed fresh bouquets with silk accents to achieve the desired color or texture.

4. Cold storage.  Have the peonies on hand a week or two before you need them and keep them in water and cold storage.  We store flowers in our 500 square foot cooler at a chilly 34-36 degrees to keep them fresh for days.

Mother Nature does not always cooperate with our plans.  However, with a little planning, the problem with peonies can be minimized.

Check out some of our wedding creations by click below!

A couple years ago, we at Gillespie Florists thought it would be fun to have a Prom King & Queen Contest and have been having it every year since! Prom customers only needed to post their picture on our Facebook Fan Page wearing our flowers! We then asked our Facebook fans to "Like" their favorite picture or make a positive comment about it to determine the winner. We had several people enter but there can be only one winner!

And the Winner is...

Miranda wore a three-sweetheart rose corsage similar to the one pictured here. Miranda’s was yellow, black & silver and looked great with Darrien's matching sweetheart rose boutonniere!

As a Thank You to everyone who entered the contest, we want to offer you a free Sunshine Bouquet! Just stop in the store any time, give us your name and we will give you your Sunshine!

Those Contestants are:


Cole & Morgan
Nick Fallen Adams

Thanks again to everyone who entered the contest! Until next year!