Spring showers bring Mother's Day flowers

Mother’s Day is a week away. There’s only one objective and a million ways to do it: Show your mom you love her.

Whether it’s French toast and champagne in bed, her signature scent, an oversized homemade card or an exquisite bouquet of fresh flowers, give her a token from the heart.

Paige Anderson, who owns Sweet Pea Designs floral shop with her husband, Gary, is partial to flowers — understandably so.

“Some moms have everything,” she aid. “Flowers are always something that make people happy because they’re bright and cheery and they smell great.”

After having her first child, who is a senior this year at Battle Mountain High School, Paige felt that it was important to be at home to raise her children, so she quit her day job and went to work from home. She began arranging dried flowers and permanent botanicals and after a friend requested flowers for their wedding, she turned it into a business.

Last year, with her kids old enough to take care of themselves, Paige decided to expand her flower power when Special Events’ shop space became available in Eagle-Vail. Tired of his construction job, “it was wearing me out,” Gary, who had been helping Paige behind the scenes for years, traded in his hard hat for a green thumb. Their kids are even running around the shop these days — a true family affair.

So this Mother’s Day, Paige is the perfect person to offer tips on ordering flowers. What does she prefer? “I like it all, but I never get flowers unless I give them to myself,” she said.

When you order the flowers

“It’s a nice idea to find out if your mother has a favorite flower and if not a favorite flower, a favorite color,” Paige suggests.

Color schemes for Mother’s Day often lean toward a pastel palette or a bright, vibrant bouquet. Also ask yourself, where will the arrangement be placed? As a centerpiece, on a dresser in a bedroom, on an end table?

“It’s a good idea to have a budget in mind, too,” said Joy Bagwell, who arranges flowers at Sweet Pea Designs.

To make the holiday message extra special, give your mother flowers in a keepsake container, Paige recommends.

If you’re on a budget

Blooming plants are a great idea if you’re on a budget.

“Most of them are under $35 and they’re nice because they last longer,” Paige said.

Azalias are the biggest seller. They come in white, salmon, pink, lavender and various shades thereof. Begonias are another beautiful blooming plant and can last up to several months if properly cared for. From pastels to brights, begonias bloom in shades of white, peach, pink, salmon, red and yellow.

If you want to stick with flowers, buy a mixed bunch wrapped and arrange them yourself. You can also bring in your own vase, drop it off and spend a few dollars more on the flowers themselves.

If you’re on a budget

Blooming plants are a great idea if you’re on a budget.

“Most of them are under $35 and they’re nice because they last longer,” Paige said.

Azalias are the biggest seller. They come in white, salmon, pink, lavender and various shades thereof. Begonias are another beautiful blooming plant and can last up to several months if properly cared for. From pastels to brights, begonias bloom in shades of white, peach, pink, salmon, red and yellow.

If you want to stick with flowers, buy a mixed bunch wrapped and arrange them yourself. You can also bring in your own vase, drop it off and spend a few dollars more on the flowers themselves.

If money’s not an issue

Paige suggests a bouquet of roses, French tulips and Oriental lilies if money’s not an issue.

French tulips have a larger head, a longer stem and are highly sought-after, especially by hotels. Oriental lilies such as Casablanca or stargazer are extravagant and exotic. They come from Thailand or Hawaii. A tip for lilies, pull the stamens off. This not only avoids staining, it makes the flower last longer by forcing water into the bud above the bloom.

“It’s always nice to do an oversized mixed bouquet that has some fragrance to it,” Paige said.

What’s in bloom?

Spring flowers, Paige said, like tulips, freesia, anemones and ranunculus are in bloom in May. Flowers in bloom are usually priced lower and are at their peak of freshness.

It’s no secret that tulips, which come in a sparkling rainbow of colors like red, pink, salmon, scarlet, yellow, orange, blue and violet, are one of the more celebrated reminders of spring. But tulips are a bit mysterious for other reasons.

“They have a mind of their own,” Paige said. “They continue to grow once they’re cut. They’ll grow as much as 2 inches. They move toward the light. They often open during the day and close at night.”

Freesia, also in season, comes in a variety of colors and is very fragrant. Anemones, which look like pansies, bloom in vibrant colors that you don’t get in a lot of flowers. Ranunculus look like roses and are long-lasting.

Trends in flowers

Pave style, as in pave diamond, is highly requested arrangements, where the flowers stop at the same height all across the top.

Garden-picked is always popular, Paige said, and of course, here in the Rockies, “wildflower arrangements have been forever popular.” Since it is illegal to pick wildflowers in the High Country, the shop offers the same flowers such as delphinium, larkspur, monkshood and solidago

Keep flowers

Even though the flowers are cut, they still need a little TLC.

Paige recommends keeping the vase full to the top with water. Change the water if it looks dirty or every 2-3 days (purified water is better than tap water). Ask for extra flower food to add when you change the water. Cut the stems every other time you change the water. Use a sharp knife to cut stems not scissors, as the double blade closes pores that allow water into the plant.

But more importantly than caring for the flowers on Mother’s Day ... “Take good care of your mom,” Paige said. “She’s the only one you have.”

Staff Writer Laura A. Ball can be reached at 748-2939 or laball@vaildaily.com.

Vail, Colorado