Pollen Nation

Send flowers that are useful as well as beautiful

Mothers’ (and others’) necessities have inspired the invention of a range of flower-shaped presents at Serenata Flowers.

New babies, new homes and new beginnings are some of Britain’s top flower-sending occasions, but many of our customers have told us of their desire to include a little something useful along with the beautiful blooms they’ve chosen. Now there’s a new kind of ‘bouquet’ that offers utility and beauty in one.

For baby, there are beanies, booties and bodysuits cleverly rolled into blossoms to create fabric flowers, which are then arranged with ribbons, bows and silk buds and tied together in stylish cellophane wraps. For those who’ve just moved to a new abode, domestic bliss comes in the form of a bouquet of flowers made from household essentials such as dishcloths, dusters and rubber gloves. And for those that are tying the knot, there’s a bouquet of 100% cotton napkins folded to create an arum lily effect — bring on the dinner parties!

 

Tags: gifts, flowers, Christmas, Serenata

Bears, but no sore heads for online shoppers this Christmas

If you surf down to the florist today, you’re in for a big surprise, for every bear with huggable fuzz has gathered there for certain because that’s where you can order them from for Christmas…

With the festive season just around the corner, we've expanded our traditional offering of fresh-cut flowers to include a selection of quality children’s toys.

From traditional teddies that boast all the requisite characteristics of the collector’s classic of tomorrow to resilient plush playmates ready for toddler-style rough-and-tumble, our new range is fully CE and EN71 certified and machine washable.

Prices start at just £19.99, and the toys can be ordered online for next-weekday delivery to any mainland UK address — to be sent on their own or with a bouquet.

And because we know that lovable, huggable new best friends aren’t just for Christmas, we’ve made it possible for you to grow your ursine circle of friends whenever you fancy — the range of fuzzy buddies will be available to purchase on our website throughout the new year.

Tags: teddy bears, flowers, Christmas, Serenata

My little peony and friends

Petal-packed double flowers, peonies carry an unmistakable calling card – a gorgeous fragrance that is simply the sweetest of the summer season. And the arrival of four new peony bouquets heralds the start of the summer flowers season here at Serenata.

Peonies have a very short flowering season and are generally only available between late May and early July. The flowers come in a range of colours from pure white, soft rose and pale peach to deep pink and dark maroon. Peonies are thirsty and require you to regularly top up the vase with water.

Cultivated for over 2,000 years in China, where their name sho yu translates as 'most beautiful', peonies are a popular motif in Eastern fabric design and wood carvings. In Japan, the first peony blooms are so revered that individual shelters are sometimes constructed around each flower to protect it from the snow. The Greeks, however, saw them as more protecting than in need of protection, believing the plants could cure an array of ailments; no self-respecting  monastery garden was without a peony bush.

Tags: flowers, florist, peonies, Serenata Flowers

Christmas flowers are here

Nature’s own festive decorations embody the cheeriness of the season, conjuring up images of wind-rouged cheeks, cheeky nips of sloe gin and gingerly given kisses beneath the mistletoe.

Red Robin Christmas flower arrangement from SerenataFlowers.com

Visit our Christmas Flowers category for more inspiration...

Tags: flowers, florist, Christmas flowers

Be your own florist

If the prospect of hunting through B-grade blossoms at the supermarket fills you with dread, you’ll take a shining to Serenata’s new field-fresh range of flowers straight from the growers.

Tulips, roses, freesias, gerberas and cymbidium orchids: all the stems are quality checked by our florists – but otherwise unfiddled with – and packed into a sturdy Serenata flower box before being sent to their specified destination. So you can arrive home to a package of your favourite flowers ready to be groomed (an angled snip off the stems and a stripping of some leaves) and arranged as you like them best.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could have a go at making your own hand-tie with these easy-to-follow instructions.

And the best thing about it? All the super-fresh flowers in this range cost less than £25, including delivery.

Tags: flowers, floristry, flower arranging, tulips, gerberas, roses, cymbidium orchids, freesias

First taste of winter at SerenataFlowers.com

It’s dark before 5 o’clock, cyclists fingers are thawed, and Londoners are mimicking snake charmers as they wrap their scarves in ever more elaborate styles – three sure signs that winter is on its way.

Two other far more pleasant omens of the imminence of winter are the appearance of Nut Cracker and Russian Princess, the first debutantes of our winter range.

More gorgeous are creations due out later in the month – and they promise to be a treat for fans of the great Soviet storytellers and Baltic aristocracy.

Tags: flowers, winter

Eco-maniacs of the world, unite – and send organic flowers

Combining your lust for the good life and your lust for luxury has just got easier. We’ve launched a new range of organic flowers – so now you can not only give someone flowers, you can give something back to the Earth.

Big Happy Planet bouquet of organic flowers

Our two Happy Planet organic bouquets are created entirely with flowers that have been grown to strict organic standards by green-fingered, green-conscious farmers who squirm at the thought of chemical nasties and toxic floricultural procedures. And we can understand why, when the natural alternatives – organic manure, biological weed killing and crop rotation – yield such gorgeous results.

Certified 100% organic, the eco-friendly bouquets contain superlative-quality flowers lovingly wrapped in environmentally benign Kraft paper. So they not only look good, they should make you feel good, too.

Send a single rose spectacular

Our four new floral arrangements designed to accentuate the beautiful simplicity of a single rose stem will leave lovers across the land spoilt for choice. What’ll it be tonight – red, pink, yellow or white? Well, that depends on the colour of your love…

If you’re tickled by the giddiness of new emotions or seeking perfect happiness, the candy-coloured Aqua rose is the sweetest choice.

If you’re not getting noticed by the frosty flirt who’s on-off cold-hearted coquetry sends delightful shivers down your spine, you could try and catch their eye with an elegant white Avalanche rose that says ‘I am worthy of you’. Just be wary if they send it back once it has withered – that will mean you only made a transient impression.

If you’re feeling fiery and fervent and there’s no pussyfooting about the fact that someone makes you purr, a bold red Grand Prix rose tells someone they’re the cat’s whiskers in those three little words everyone wants to hear: I love you.

If the green-eyed monster has clogged your heart, send the yellow Ilios rose that speaks of jealousy and infidelity. Paradoxically, the yellow rose also glows with the warmth of friendship and embodies the message ‘you are beautiful’ – so be sure to state your true intentions on the card.

After all, the meaning of flowers is very open to debate, and it’s the meaning you intend to convey that’s most important of all.

Tags: flowers, single rose, meaning of roses

Pick of the Bunch – White Lilies

Cast your imagination back 3000 years... kinda tricky, isn’t it? Looking at some white lilies may help, though – they’ve inspired storytellers, poets and artists since 1580 BC. But that by no means makes them behind the times.

As symbols of purity and sweetness, the spectacular ivory trumpets have been the floral guests of honour at occasions hosted by the cognoscenti of cool. Divas also demand them in their dressing room, so you can rest assured you’ll impress any princess with a gift of these spectacular, long-lasting flowers.

Tags: white lilies, fresh flowers