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Simply Gardening
by Doug Green
Flowers

Feb. 14, 2000 -- This is a head's up call for the flower buyers out there. Now, I know that its mostly the guys who do the buying on Valentines Day so this is a brief pointer on buying flowers for that special someone. The first rule is to "Do it". Yes, in order to win her heart, you actually have to purchase the flowers, not just dream about it. If you haven't figured out this romance thing yet, let me simply say that keeping it alive and thriving is the key. And, while I can't comment on the other things you might do, I can tell you that giving flowers is one of the easiest and most effective ways to a woman's heart.

Giving flowers is a romantic thing to do. And, if you aren't sure of what kind of flowers to give her for the occasion or the stage of your romance, take heed my fellow travellers because here's some guidelines.

If you're going out on a first date, a small mixed bouquet of soft, fragrant flowers will win the day. The emphasis here is on fragrant so look for bouquets that contain freesia, soft white or pink roses, fragrant tulips (such as the soft-pink, double ‘Angelique'), and anemones. If your florist has some mimosa, have them add this because in the secret language of flowers, mimosa stands for secret admiration. Now, here's a guy tip that will make your life ever so much easier in a few months. Have your florist make a note of what's in this bouquet. Many good florists will keep this on record but if not, you should make a record of it and put it in your wallet. In six months from now, when you want to say "you're special", send her the same bouquet.

You'll drive her nuts. She'll remember that you sent her that bouquet (she'll even remember what was in it) but she'll go nuts trying to figure out how you remembered. Plus she'll be so pleased with the thought that she'll think you're special too.

Did you screw up somehow? Try sending her a bouquet or pot of hyacinths. These wonderful fragrant flowers are the flower of peace. These have a great social history, starting with Madame de Pompadour and Napoleon's Josephine who used the powerful scent of the hyacinth to launch the French perfume industry. Even though perfume never went out of style, I'm pleased to tell you that hyacinths are making a style comeback at the moment.

Got a wedding anniversary coming up? The perfect way to your mate's heart is to take (secretly, you don't want to ruin this surprise) a picture of your wedding to your local florist. They should be able to duplicate your bride's flower arrangement (which should be in the picture). Now, this will be a stunner. Don't tell your love how you remembered (put the picture back in the frame) but do present it to her over the breakfast you're going to make her. This will be an anniversary to remember.

If you are considering a marriage proposal then you are really looking at the largest bouquet of flowers you can afford and they're going to be all white and made up of those associated with weddings. We're talking fragrant lilies, gardenia, stephanotis and lily-of-the-valley. Naturally, you'll make sure that there's a few tendrils of ivy hanging around. For the uninitiated, ivy is the floral symbol of fidelity.

If you already have a great relationship, then a Valentine's Day bouquet of tulips might be your best option. Try one of two options here. The first is go for straight passion by using nothing but masses of fiery red tulips. This flower message is one that says she's "your perfect lover". If you add a few white tulips into the red mass, you are signifying that there is unity in your relationship. Hmmm, stick with the red guys, a complex message like unity in a relationship might not be believable.

How hard can it be to buy flowers? Not very. You can get them at the grocery store if you're in a hurry. If you want to make a great impression though, wander over to the florist's stall or store. There are hundreds of different kinds of flowers available at this time of year and you can pick whatever strikes your fancy. I gotta tell you that buying flowers is a whole lot easier than buying lingerie - you don't have to look over your shoulder all the time to see if anybody is watching you in the store - and no sales clerk gives you that "special" smile when you're buying flowers. Just pick out what you like the look of - that special someone will be all the more impressed that you chose the flowers yourself. If you like them, the odds are that so will she. Alternately, you can use the ideas above.

The last thought I'll leave you with is that you can't go wrong with flowers. However you pick them, wherever you purchase them, just do it. And, you don't have to thank me for the advice.

Get your gardening questions answered at the Simple Gifts Farm web site... or click here to write to Doug Green!

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