Fall Fun Event Alert!!!

If you're looking for a festive way to finish off fall and get in the mood for the holidays, consider spending the day touring beautifully decorated homes and shopping in a pop-up boutique for winter trends, all for a good cause!

The Children's Hospital Association North Oaks Guild I is happy to announce its 2017 Home for the Holidays Home Tour and Boutique, and Hummingbird Floral and Gifts is pleased to once again take part in decorating a home for the tour.

With your tax-deductible donation of $35 you will receive a ticket for this event offered on both the 17th and 18th of November from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  Several homes throughout North Oaks will have received makeovers.  Our theme this year is 'Dr. Seuss meets the gnomes', so expect unusual, creative, and colorful designs to take over an already beautiful house.  Besides being incredible to look at, we have decorated with the season's hottest trends so you can get ideas for your own home makeover!

A gnome you might find at our home!

After the home tour, participants will be able to browse a pop-up boutique, where Hummingbird Floral and Gifts will be offering some of the pieces used to decorate the home and lots more!

There will be an optional buffet luncheon at the North Oaks Golf Club for $25, and reservations should be made to the club at 651-484-8585

All proceeds from the ticket sales for this event will benefit the Children's Hospital of Minnesota, an incredible organization benefiting children and families.

If you'd like to get involved with this charity, tour dazzling homes, and find some wonderful boutique items, you can buy tickets online at northoakshometour.org or stop by the shop to pick them up.

So mark your calendars for Friday, November 17 or Saturday, November 18 for a fun filled day!

5 Tips for a Pro Bouquet!

We've all been there-you want to buy flowers for someone but have no idea where to start when it comes to designing.  So, here's a step by step guide to put together a bouquet like a seasoned pro (and maybe even impress our designers, too!)

Tip 1: Have a theme.

A one or two word theme will help narrow down your flower choices.  For example, a 'celebration' theme will usually include brighter colors and interesting shapes, while a 'traditional anniversary' will use classic flowers like red roses. 

Tip 2: Know your colors.

One fun way to put together a bouquet is by having a main color.  You could use oranges and reds for a fall theme, or soft purples and pinks to celebrate a birth.  TIP: Some colors aren't widespread in flowers.  Blue is very rare in natural flowers, so to get a blue bouquet you may end up with artificially painted blooms.

Tip 3: Have one favorite.

Designers can come up with bouquets without needing a single flower suggestion from you, but if you know someone's favorite flower (or least favorite!), it will help shape the design.  Also helpful: knowing any allergies someone might have to things like stargazer lilies, which have a scent.

Tip 4: Know your height.

If you're purchasing a bouquet for someone, make sure they have a vase that will fit the flowers you're buying.  Tall flowers may need to be cut to fit a shorter vase.

Tip 5: Be open to interpretation. 

Designers love creating unique bouquets.  A few guidelines help, but giving them creative freedom will allow them to put together a brand new design that likely has never been seen before!  Give us an idea of what you're looking for, then let us loose in the cooler for a great bouquet!

So there you go, five tips to putting together the perfect bouquet!  What's the best bouquet you've ever received?  Let us know in a comment below.

-Your flower-loving friends at Hummingbird Floral and Gift.

What's in season?

With dozens of different flower varieties, each with their own growing schedule, it can be hard to know what flowers are in season.  So, we want to help you out with a master list of common flowers and when they are in season.

Usually available year-round (sometimes things like hurricanes or bad weather an delay deliveries):

-Roses
-Mums
-Daisies
-Larksburg
-Snapdragon
-Carnations
-Lilies
-Alstromaria
-Spray roses

Available during the spring:

-Tulips
-Peonies
-Daffodils

Available during the summer:

-Sunflowers
-Hydrangeas
-Peony
-Daisy
-Most common garden-type flowers

Available during the fall:

-Sunflowers
-Mums
-Broomcorn
-Feathergrass
-Red eye roses

Available during the winter
-Most berries
-Eucalyptus
-Seasonal greens

So now you know which flowers are in season!  Stop on by all year and see the unique flowers we have in stock!

-Your flower-loving friends at Hummingbird Floral and Gift

Fall succulents

Succulents are quickly becoming fall's biggest trend.  Let's look at some of the ways these little plants are making a big splash in fall styles.

Weddings:  Succulents are used in boutonnieres, table settings, even bouquets!

Incorporating succulents in the bouquets and boutonnieres made for a striking Fall wedding! Congratulations again to Lance and Gina! #succulents #succulentweddings

A post shared by Hummingbird Floral and Gifts (@hummingbirdfloral) on Oct 6, 2017 at 2:33pm PDT

Homegoods: Succulents are making an appearance in a variety of forms.  For those who would like a hardy plant, silk succulents can be placed anywhere in a home.  An unexpected look we're loving is a succulent placed in a ceramic or glass pumpkin as a stem!

Succulents aren't just for Summer! Come and visit us at the shop to see how you can incorporate succulents into your own home décor this Fall! 🌿🍁

A post shared by Hummingbird Floral and Gifts (@hummingbirdfloral) on Oct 6, 2017 at 2:46pm PDT

So next time you come to the shop take a peek at the succulents-fall's exciting surprise!

-Your flower-loving friends at Hummingbird Floral and Gift

Product feature: Forest Life Creations

Certainly one of the most unique shops we've seen recently is Dean Robertson's Forest Life Creations, a small company specializing in incredible earrings made from reclaimed wood. 

These earrings use the natural edge of the wood to create crosses.

Dean's earrings are spectacular.  Using reclaimed wood from a variety of sources, he finds the most interesting patterns and designs to cut into unusual earring shapes.  The earrings are lightweight and carefully hand crafted in America so shoppers can be sure that not only will their new jewelry be high-quality, but made by someone passionate about their craft.

One pair of earrings made with resin

Dean also uses colored resin between pieces of wood to give amazing color to earrings when the sun shines through.  

You can find Dean on his etsy or on Facebook

We are very happy to carry Forest Life Creations in our store and hope that you'll find an amazing pair of earrings next time you stop by.

-Your flower-loving friends at Hummingbird Floral and Gift.