Aah, Valentine’s Day – that most important of gift-giving romantic holidays – is almost upon us. As the calendar flips to February, a young man’s fancy turns to…..distress! Finding that special valentine for your sweetie can be a daunting task. The savvy male know he’ll be judged by this selection for the rest of the year, so he better get it right (and look thoughtful in the process).

McAdams Floral may have the purr-fect solution. The way to a girl’s heart is through her pet’s love. New to their exclusive Valentine offerings this year are “Puppy Love” and Cat’s Meow”. Valentine toys and treats are cleverly wrapped up in cute ceramic pet bowls that are sure to impress the finickiest feline or bow-wow.

Speaking of impressed…..when one of these thoughtful pet goodies arrives alongside her beautiful bouquet of roses, she’ll know he’s a one-of-a-kind romantic guy. She may even send him a Valentine’s beer basket in return…..now that’s SWEET. To view “Puppy Love” or Cat’s Meow”, or any of McAdams Floral’s Exclusive Valentines ….visit them online at www.mcadamsfloral.com.

1913 - Corsage bouquets, like this one made of violets, were favored gifts from early admirers.

Today, Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest floral holidays of the Year. However, the tradition of giving flowers to a loved one did not originate with the February 14th holiday. In fact, a major marketing effort launched in 1911 introduced flowers as a popular gift enjoyed by many. This was credited with making flowers the Valentine’s Day gift of choice and they remain so to this day.

PAPER LACE CARDS

Prior to World War 1 (1914), St. Valentine’s Day, as it was commonly called then, was celebrated by the exchanging of paper lace cards with one’s beloved. The practice of giving flowers to express Valentine’s Day sentiments didn’t begin to catch on until the mid-1910, and grew slowly at first.
In the January 30, 1913 issue of The Weekly Florists’ Review, an article stated “Of all the obvious things of this world, the appropriateness of flowers for Valentine’s [Day] is most perfectly plain.” It needs not argument…..because flowers and hearts go naturally together.

That year, florists in Columbus, Ohio tried out newspaper advertising featuring the slogan, “Let Flowers Be Your Valentine.” These early marketing efforts brought flowers to the forefront, and Valentine’s Day flower sales continued to increase over the years.

ROSES WERE RARE

Prior to about 1930, floral valentines were typically of a single flower type and were arranged into corsage bouquets. Violets, sweet peas, and lilies-of-the-valley were most often selected for the holiday. Spring flowers such as stocks, acacia stems, and pussy willows were also popular, as were spring flowering hyacinths, daffodils, and tulip plants.

It wasn’t until the early 1930s that roses were in demand for the special day. Starting around 1927, rose sales increased gradually for several years and eventually, the rose eclipsed all other flowers in Valentine’s Day sales. By 1940, roses and carnations were considered traditional for Valentine’s Day.

SYMBOLS OF LOVE

As flowers became the accepted form of Valentine’s Day expression, accessories quickly became important design elements. Hearts, lovebirds, and Cupids were commonly tied to basket handles, featured in display windows, and added into arrangements and potted plants.

Novelty containers, especially heart-shaped ones, were all the rage throughout the 1920s and ‘30s. As a result, loose arrangements, in vases, bowls, and baskets, became more common, and the popularity of the corsage bouquet began to wane. By the late 1940s, the gathered, single-flower corsage bouquets of violets or sweet peas had been virtually eliminated from holiday tradition, although body corsages remained fashionable Valentine’s Day gifts until the 1950s.

Despite product diversification and the many flower varieties available for the February holiday, no other flower or product has rivaled the popularity of the red rose for Valentine’s Day; of course, that remains true today. Over the years, mixed arrangements, particularly those featuring premium flowers such as orchids and lilies, have captured some of the holiday market, but red roses seem truly to be unshakable Valentine’s Day icons.

Article adapted from “Holidays,” a chapter written by Dianne Noland in A Centennial History of the American Florist, published by Florists’ Review.

Having lost his father from Cancer, Clay Atchison with McAdams Floral supports the “Stand Up For Cancer” by donating 10% of the purchase price of every Stand Up To Cancer Bouquet. Through the gift of flowers to a friend, loved one, or a cancer survivor… we can all be a part of the movement to help push Cancer research forward.

A Stand Up To Cancer TV fundraising event will be simulcast on ABC, CBS, and NBC on September 5th with each broadcasting company donating one hour of commercial free fundraising broadcast time.

Cancer claims one person every minute of every day in the US, each year it takes the lives of more than a half a million people.

*Your “Valentine” is the center of attention at the workplace, while others are still waiting and hoping.

*They know you thought of them early - it’s not a “last minute” effort.

*Over 800 deliveries will be made from 8-5:30 on Feb 14th….buy sending early, your Valentine will feel loved all day.

*A “Just Couldn’t Wait Til the 14th” Valentine heart will be attached to your Valentine flowers or gift.

Remember - The unexpected generates more excitement, and gets more points (hint, hint)!

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McAdams Floral, Victoria TX, is one of a select group of florists launching the Hollywood Bloom spiral and charm….and innovative new product that can “charm” your roses.

The patented spiral decoratively wraps around the head of any rose and displays a special charm. The sterling silver plated charm encapsulates the personalized message, emotion, event or milestone celebrated with the flowers, …..and provides a keepsake that can be used in a variety of ways and kept forever.

During Valentines, McAdams Floral is offering a large variety of heart charms to help make the Valentines Roses even more memorable.

As Valentine’s Day approaches…it’s less than a month away after all, I’m committed to making it easier for you to share the love on what is often the most stressful romantic holiday. Valentine’s Day can put a lot of strain on a relationship. Expectations, on the part of both men and women, often run wild.

My solution is to stretch the 24 hours of February 14th into 168 hours of Valentine’s Week.

Why?

To allow for more creativity, more options in gift giving, and, more opportunity to express your love. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
According to statistics, Valentine’s Day is a procrastinator’s delight, in that most cards, candy and flowers are purchased at the last minute. Both as a florist, and as a husband, Clay agrees. Unfortunately, those who wait until the last minute often find their selection is now limited and, in the case of florists, the delivery schedule has been filled.
Why not send your romantic bouquet on Monday, February 11th?

It’s a wonderful way to start the week and set the stage for a romantic Valentine’s Day. Not to mention, you’ll be her heart’s champion.

Your sweetheart will know you thought of her early and didn’t wait until the last minute to buy her Valentine gift, reiterates Clay. Besides, your early thoughtfulness will impress her co-workers and win you some “bonus” points for being such a romantic guy!
Valentine’s Week gives you not just 24 hours to “get it right,” but 168 hours to express your feelings.
I think this year you could start the Valentine countdown on Monday, February 11th, and close the celebration that Saturday or Sunday night, with a romantic evening for two. It’s a win-win lover’s strategy – and I say that from personal experience! Just ask my wife.
Clay

McAdams Floral
Telephone Number: 361-575-2307
Fax Number: 361-575-2557
Email Address: clay@mcadamsfloral.com
Web site address: www.mcadamsfloral.com

Bromeliads are a tropical plant certain to catch a customer’s eye. The elegant favorites have exotic shapes, bright and bold colors, are long lasting, and require little care. Can a plant get any better than that?

Busy customers find that live plants not only add instant beauty to their home but also provide an important connection with nature. Bromeliads’ unique styles and striking colors add great sizzle wherever they are placed, making them an ideal and easy-to-use decorating detail. Because they are available in a wide range of shapes, colors, sizes, and varieties, bromeliads are excellent choices when offering plants for seasonal themes, no matter which season is approaching.

These plants are long-lived, some producing flowers or flower stalks which last for months while others show off their colors on their leaves. They do well in interior or exterior settings, require little care and have a natural resistance to most pets and diseases. They seem to adapt to whatever environment they inhabit. Not only are customers attracted to bromeliads as home decor, these eye-appealing plants do well promoted as gifts, especially for the person who has everything.

Responding to the great consumer appeal of bromeliads, 10 new varieties were showcased at the Tropical Plant Industy Exhibition’s New Plant display by various growers. Bolder, brighter colors make the new bromeliads varieties even more irresistible for brightening up a room, porch, patio or garden. To see the entire selection of 2007 TPIE New Plant varieties, including the 10 new bromeliads featured, visit www.tpie.org.

Though the idea of setting aside a day to honor mothers might seem to have ancient roots, our observance of Mother’s Day is not quite a century old. Fact is, 2007 will mark the 99th anniversary of the first observance of Mother’s Day.

This holiday originated from the efforts of Miss Anna Jarvis – a West Virginia school teacher and a devoted daughter – who believed that grown children were preoccupied with their own families and too often neglected their mothers. On May 10, 1908, two years after her own mother’s death, Miss Jarvis convinced Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, WV, to hold the first Mother’s Day Service. The service was attended by over 400 children and their mothers. At the conclusion of that service, Miss Jarvis presented each mother and child with a flower: a carnation, her own mother’s favorite. It launched a Mother’s Day tradition.

The House of Representatives quickly passed a Mother’s Day resolution, but the resolution stalled in the Senate. Villages and towns, cities and states, began unofficial Mother’s Day observances. By 1914, to dissent on the Mother’s Day issues seemed not only cynical, but un-American. Finally, the Senate approved the legislation, and on May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Although Miss Jarvis intended Mother’s Day to be religious observance, now Americans purchase millions of floral bouquets and gifts in celebration of their mothers.

McAdams Floral is now Blogging!

We believe this new feature on McAdamsFloral.com will help keep our customer’s informed on our new products and services, as well as covering topics like Care & Handling of flowers and plants. If you have any topic request, please feel free to contact us at sales@mcadamsfloral.com!

For my very first blog post, I thought I would mention that we were fortunate to be interviewed by Steve Broussard of KAVU Channel 25 on Valentines Eve. If by chance you missed the 10pm news on later Valentines Eve, you can see us “in action�? by clicking the “Press�? category on McAdamsFloral.com.

Take care, Clay