Monday, December 22, 2008

Giving Flowers To Filipino Men

Traditionally, males give flowers to females as a symbol of their love and affection. The delicate form, the subtle scent, and the pure color of any flower can liven up a room---or a heart. Giving flowers is indeed one of the most romantic gestures a man can offer to the special woman in his life not only as a sign of love but also of gratitude and appreciation.

Some of the best flowers in the world can be found right here in the Philippines, and not only that---Filipinos are known to be one of the most romantic people in the world. Where else would a woman want to be? It is no wonder that during anniversaries, Valentine's Day, or just about any occasion that can serve as an excuse, flowers in the Philippines are always there to cheer up women from all walks of life.

But why should girls have all the fun? They can also give flowers to their Special Others! Indeed, it isn't common practice, but isn't an act that's both different and spontaneous more special? The flowers mean as much---as symbols of love and gratitude---but in a totally unique and thus, more meaningful context. Men may like to act all macho and indifferent, but a bunch of nice flowers may just be the exact thing a woman needs to melt their hearts!

Here are some tips for the girls about giving flowers to men:

1.) You can ditch the pink, fancy, curly ribbons in favor of something more simple and straightforward, something that is more appropriate for men. Try elegant green, red, or dark blue wraps for the flowers.
2.) Tuck in a nice card that says it all!
3.) Of course, you can just handpick your flowers if you have a garden; this gives an unforgettable personal touch. If you don't have a garden though, there are many florists in the Philippines (both walk-in and online) that have extensive collections from which you can choose. They will even be happy to wrap the flowers for you and they sell cards as well.
4.) You can make the flower delivery yourself, but you can also have the flowers delivered by the florist to his office or even to his own home for that extra element of surprise. For professional flower shops, delivery of the flowers should be a breeze.

You might be a little apprehensive about the idea, but we assure you that giving flowers need not be something that only the guys do. Offering beautiful flowers is just as eloquent as giving a passionate letter or a simple touch of the hand. Giving flowers is not something confined to gender stereotypes. Ultimately, it is the feeling behind the gesture that counts. So ladies, go for it! You just might be surprised by his reaction.

This article was written by Timothy Spencer for Island Rose - Send Gifts to the Philippines. We hope you enjoyed this article and encourage you to visit our website. Through Island Rose, you can avail of Flower Delivery Philippines or simply browse through our blog for more informative articles.

Exotic flowers in the Philippines

The Philippines is renowned as one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The tropical archipelago is well-known for its beautiful tourist spots, beautiful people, and of course---beautiful flowers! There are several unique species that can be found only in the Philippines. These exotic flowers grow almost anywhere in the hot and moist environment of the country, from well-trimmed hedges to the natural setting of the countryside to the wild, vacant lots smack in the middle of the metropolis.

One of the most distinctive flowers that can be found in the Philippines is what is locally known as the sampaguita. It is the national flower of the country due to its popularity among the natives and its deep involvement in the local culture and traditions. Its American name is Arabian Jasmine while its botanical term is jasminum sambac, being a species of jasmine with small, white, heavily-scented flowers indigenous in South Asia, specifically in Southeast Asia. Its distinctive fragrance is one that is known by every Filipino. In fact, the flower is so popular that it is usually sold on the streets stringed together like a necklace to use as a cheap car air freshener or as a tribute to statues of saints in Churches and in homes. It grows almost anywhere, loving the heat, and does not require a lot of fussing.

Another exotic flower found in the Philippines is the hibiscus or rosemallow which in the vernacular is called gumamela. The shrub is a popular ornamental plant in the country with brightly-colored, five-petaled blooms in red, yellow, pink, purple, white, orange, and various other color combinations. Aside from being an ornamental plant grown in most gardens and hedges in the country, it is also used as a medicinal plant. Gumamela leaves and flowers are used to treat coughs, fever, dysentery, UTI, headaches, swelling, bronchitis, high blood and other common maladies. There are very few flowers in the Philippines cannot equal the medicinal value of the Gumamela.

The ylang-ylang flower is a small, greenish yellow flower which has petals that extend like a starfish. The name is derived from either two Tagalog words----ilang, or “wilderness”, and ilang-ilan, or “rare” It is widely known for its essential oil used in aromatherapy, lowering blood pressure, treating skin problems and as an aphrodisiac.

The sampaguita, gumamela and ylang-ylang are only some of the most popular exotic flowers in the Philippines. There are virtually thousands of other unique flowers that serve to highlight the breathtaking beauty of the Philippines. It may be a small country, but flowers in the Philippines are some of the best and most captivating in the world.

This article was written by Timothy Spencer for Island Rose - Flowers Philippines. We hope you enjoyed this article and encourage you to visit our website. Through Island Rose, you can avail of Flower Delivery Philippines or simply browse through our blog for more informative articles.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Elegant Osiana Roses

Maintaining relationships with friends and loved ones is never an easy task. It involves a lot of tricky time management and good memory to keep all our relationships intact and well-oiled! If you're the type of person who has a bad memory and who doesn't have the talent for fixing your schedule to spend time with the important people in your life, you're probably in big trouble. Not all of us have secretaries or personal assistants to do the fussing for us, unfortunately. Sometimes we wish there's a sneaky trick that we can pull off from our sleeves just like the magicians do for when we're a tight spot that we didn't expect we'd find ourselves in.

Here's the sneaky trick: you should have a gift ready for any occasion. Finding THE gift may be pretty hard, but fear not. Here's a gift which is perfect for friends, family, lovers, business partners, or just casual acquaintances. You can give it on birthdays, anniversaries, christenings, or any celebration for that matter. It's distinct enough to be remembered by the celebrant even though it's all-purpose since it's more on the unique side of gift-giving. What it is? Apricot roses.

Apricot roses can mean anything: from its slightly peach tint that conveys sociability and friendship, modesty, appreciation, admiration and sympathy to its orange tint that denotes enthusiasm and desire. Apricot roses have no exact meaning, so you can give it as a gift for any occasion (or even when there's no occasion).

Now that we have determined what gift to give, we should choose where to buy it. If you want the best apricot roses out in the market, try Island Rose's Osiana. It's the name for their apricot hybrid tea rose that has tall and straight stems that measure 55-70cm. The rose is of the large-flowered variety, with a good vase life that can last up to a week and a half, if taken care of properly.

The best part about giving Osiana as a gift is that you don't need to worry about being hassled by delivery since their service is fast and efficient. All you have to do is log on to their website, provide the necessary information, and wait a few days for the delivery. You will receive Osiana on your (or your recipient's) doorstep straight from the farm.

If you're out for awesome gift ideas, try Osiana. Your recipient will definitely appreciate it as a table centerpiece or a living room ornament that will remind them of your extra effort in making them feel special.

This article was written by Timothy Spencer for Island Rose - Flower Shop Philippines. We hope you enjoyed this article and encourage you to visit our website. Through Island Rose, you can send Gifts to Philippines or simply browse through our blog for more informative articles.

Flower Giving in the Philippines

In centuries past, giving flowers was common practice. A man does not wait for an occasion to give flowers to the woman that he loves. In fact, just visiting her at home merits enough reason to give her a nice bouquet of flowers! Nowadays though, giving flowers seems to be a dying art. It might be because good flowers are ridiculously expensive and sometimes hard to find. Because of this, some people see flowers as an unnecessary luxury since they only last a week or two. They feel that the money can be better spent on other material objects or a really nice dinner.

Consider: a good bouquet of high-quality flowers in the Philippines can cost up to thousands of pesos. The money can buy someone a cellphone, at least three bestselling hardbound books, classy jewelry, a to-die-for pair of shoes or a flattering dress. Why buy flowers? They don’t last long in the humid and unpredictable climate in the Philippines. Buying them seems to be more than a little impractical does it not?

Yes, but look at it this way: flowers are uniquely beautiful. They have this quality of making any woman feel special that, say, a pair of shoes doesn’t have. Maybe it’s the rarity of receiving flowers in the first place that makes giving it more unforgettable. Nonetheless, the effect cannot be denied. They may be expensive and they may not last long, but giving flowers is the best way to a woman’s heart.

The people in the Philippines are considered as some of the most romantic in the world. We are emotionally deep and expressive of our feelings. Giving flowers should be second nature and yet, we don’t seem to do it that often! If we are going to do it rarely anyway, we should try to get the best. For a while, try to forget the expense and “impracticality”. For once, make your girl feel extra special by giving a beautiful bouquet of red roses on a dinner date. There’s no need to wait for an occasion to manifest your undying love, after all (if it is undying love) so visit the nearest flower shop and buy those blooms! If you’re a bit busy, there are tons of flower shops online where you can order flowers and have them delivered straight to your door.

The practice of giving flowers has been around for centuries and there’s a good reason. Flowers symbolize love so eloquently like no other in the world---and that is why they will never go out of style.

This article was written by Timothy Spencer for Island Rose - Florist Philippines. We hope you enjoyed this article and encourage you to visit our website. Through Island Rose, you can find high quality Roses Philippines or simply browse through our blog for more informative articles.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Pink Noblesse Roses

Saying an honest “Thank You” seems to be a dying art. Not to say that people today are less grateful than they used to be, but sometimes they don't even think of being grateful since the rules have changed. For example, passing fare while riding a jeepney here in the Philippines used to merit a heartfelt “Salamat Po!” from a tired commuter. Now, though, since the act has become such a common practice, people don't bother to say their thanks anymore. It's considered a duty that you pass the fare and the change to fellow commuters. Why should anyone say thank you?

It's the same with our friends, family, and lover. We feel that they have the obligation to do certain things for us like helping us out on a project, paying for our tuition fees, or going out on a date. Since we feel that these things are their obligations to us, we don't even think of saying “Thank You.” Much as we hate to admit it, we take too many things for granted nowadays because of our busy schedules or plain insensitivity. Take your pick. Failing to say thank you in cases such as those mentioned already would not hurt the people concerned, but think about it: expressing your gratitude would make them feel loads better than if you don't.

Just a simple “Thank You” can make anyone's day, especially if you mean it. You don't need to wait for an occasion to write a note or a card to express your thanks---the more random the day, the better your token serves as a special tribute to the person. You can buy a gift and pop it on top of your friend's desk with a short “Thank You” note for that time she gave you a ride home after work and you'll see how much the effort is worth it when she smiles. You can even give salmon (or deep) pink roses to convey “Thank You” to your parents for, oh, so many reasons!

Aside from the usual tokens, give deep pink roses to say “Thank You” to the people that matter to you. If you're looking for the perfect salmon-pink colored rose, visit Island Rose and check out Noblesse. Noblesse is a hybrid tea rose that has long, straight stems and a very good vase life. Island Rose can deliver Noblesse to your doorstep so you don't have to worry about being hassled since their service is fast and efficient, and what's more, the roses come straight from the farm! Put a smile on the faces of your loved ones today and give a Noblesse to make their day extra-nice.

This article was written by Timothy Spencer for Island Rose - Flowers Philippines. We hope you enjoyed this article and encourage you to visit our website. Through Island Rose, you can send Flowers to Philippines or simply browse through our blog for more informative articles.

Aalsmeer Flower Auction

If you’ve always wondered where your store-bought cut flowers came from, it’s highly likely that your florist had them flown all the way from The Netherlands.

In the town of Aalsmeer, not far from the bustling city of Amsterdam, is the Aalsmeer Flower auction, the world’s largest flower auction. Established in 1928, over 7 billion cut flowers (half of which are roses) and over 150 million plants are sold every year to buyers around the world. Most of the flowers in the Aalsmeer auction house are grown by local producers, but some are imported from countries like Kenya, Zambia, and Israel.

The Aalsmeer auction house itself is the largest commercial center in the world, with a floor space of over 846,000 square meters. To put things into perspective - that’s about the size of nine football fields, all under one roof. Inside the auction house are carts and carts of all sorts of flowers, from amaranths to zinnias.

The flower auction begins when each cart is shown to the bidders one at a time. The moment a cart is displayed, the large timing clock on the wall starts ticking. As the time falls from 100, so does the price of the cart. The first person who places a bid gets the cart at that price. However, those who wait too long hoping to get a lower price fail to win the item if others are willing to pay more for it.

Losing bidders still have the chance to get some of the flowers in every cart. In each cart are a number of containers, and whoever wins the bid for the cart can choose to take all or just one of the containers. If there are any containers left, the second highest bidder gets to take some or all of the remaining ones. This goes on until all the containers in the cart are sold.

Once a cart is empty, the individual containers are taken and placed onto the cart of the florist who bought them. If, for instance, Florist A bought five containers of sunflowers, these would be placed in Florist A’s cart.

Open on Mondays to Fridays, the Aalsmeer auction house also welcomes flower growers and tourists who would like to witness the largest flower auction in the world. Aalsmeer auctions begin at 6:30 a.m., but the hustle and bustle of transporting, importing, and selling flowers happens round the clock.

This article was written by Timothy Spencer for Island Rose - Flower Delivery Philippines. We hope you enjoyed this article and encourage you to visit our website. Through Island Rose, you can Deliver Flowers to Philippines or simply browse through our blog for more informative articles.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Choosing the right flower supplier

The competition in the cut flower trade is definitely strong due to a steady demand from the market, especially during occasions such as Valentine's Day, the wedding month of June and the Christmas Season. There are several companies from which a budding or distinguished florist shop can choose---indeed, the options are varied and almost all of them seem promising. Of course, a florist wants only the best for his or her shop. But how does a florist know which flower supplier to get out of all the ones out there?

It is important to choose the right flower supplier since their services can make or unmake a florist. For example, a late delivery or a batch of limp flowers can easily ruin a business, no matter how established. One must be cautious in order to preserve the initial investment in the business and one of the things to really look out for are good flower suppliers. Thus, here are some points to evaluate in choosing the right supplier for your shop:

1. Quality: What do the flowers look like? Are they carefully cut and without any sign of rot? Does the company have quality control? Make sure to inquire about this, first and foremost. Ask to be shown some flowers and as much as possible, don't settle for pictures only.
2. Freshness: Are the flowers fresh? How long do they stay fresh? Costumers want to enjoy their flowers as long as possible. Flowers wilting just after two to three days of delivery is bad for business.
3. Experience: How long has the supplier been in business? Experience speaks for itself. An established supplier will save you the headache of fine-tuning not only the products but the services too in start-up companies.
4. Staff: Are their staff professional? The flower supplier must have a thoroughly trained staff who can help you on the spot. A good staff can save both you and your supplier time ironing out details and solving complaints from both sides.
5. Delivery service: How fast do they deliver? Flowers are fragile things, prone to crushing, rot, and disease. Shipment should not take long so that the flowers will remain fresh.

There are other details to consider, but these are some of the general ones. Remember, a reliable flower supplier for your florist shop can make your business grow. Make a very careful choice so that you only have the best for your costumers.

This article was written by Timothy Spencer for Island Rose - Flowers Philippines. We hope you enjoyed this article and encourage you to visit our website. Through Island Rose, you can find Florist Philippines or simply browse through our blog for more informative articles.

Caring for the Sick

We take care of ourselves the best way we know how by eating well, crossing streets carefully, driving with caution, and taking vitamins. There are infinite ways to take care of our precious health. It is the single most important asset that we have since our success and happiness in life ultimately depend on whether we can get out of bed to work and to be with the people that we love.

However, we all know that getting sick is sometimes unavoidable. It may be due to an accident or disease---there are several causes---but it is a fact of life that most of us are inhibited by sickness at some point in our lives. Some, for the rest of their lives. This causes stress and tension between family members as the cost of medical care is ridiculously expensive here in the Philippines (more so in other countries though). The sick person is not only affected physically but emotionally as well. Depression and boredom cannot be helped, especially if the person has been bedridden for some time. In worse cases, hopelessness by both the sick person and his or her family ensues. This is a sad fact of life.

How do we prevent this depression, this boredom, this hopelessness by the sick? If we know a sick person whom we care about, there are simple ways to pep him or her up. How? By giving flowers! Doing this may not be as final as a clean bill of health, but flowers are excellent cheer-uppers. Their bright colors can light up a whole room and their fragrance can chase out the noxious smell of medication and staleness in the room. The profound positive psychological effect of giving flowers to a person who is sick may be just what he or she needs in the midst of misery.

Make your sick loved one feel special by giving flowers everyday. There are several types of flowers, but roses are fool-proof; more importantly, they are easily available anywhere in the Philippines. To buy roses here in the Philippines, you can walk in at a florist's shop or visit online shops that offer efficient delivery.

Giving light pink roses say that you admire and sympathize with the person. Giving peach roses, on the other hand, conveys sociability and friendship. Red, of course, says that you love the person very much. You don't need to give a bouquet of roses everyday. One stalk can make all the difference. Imagine it at the bedside when your sick loved one wakes up in the morning and even you will feel a bit lighter!

Add a personal note to the single rose or bouquet of roses. Make the person feel extra special by consoling and assuring him or her that you will be there throughout his or her sickness. The flower is just an exclamation point to how you feel. Remember, show that you care for the person---giving flowers just makes it all the more beautiful.

This article was written by Timothy Spencer for Island Rose - Send Gifts to the Philippines. We hope you enjoyed this article and encourage you to visit our website. Through Island Rose, you can send Flowers Philippines or simply browse through our blog for more informative articles.