Macho Macho Man

Dear Flourgal,

I was thinking about sending my boyfriend flowers for a just because. He has done so much for me recently, and I'd thought it would be a nice thing, but I think he may think it's a little girly, or be embarrassed at the office. He works in a stressful office, and I'm unsure if it would be appropriate or not. Please help!

Sincerely,
Love Guru, San Francisco, CA
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Hi Love Guru,

That's so sweet that you want to surprise your man, and guess what? They love getting flowers too! In fact, I'd say that about 1/3 of all of my flower deliveries are to men from their loved ones, and colleagues for any occasion- from saying thank you for that referral to happy anniversary. Men enjoy all the same things that we do; massages and flowers and candles, these are universal pleasures.
One option would be to send a potted orchid, which is nice because it will last for a couple of months. When ordering flowers, tell them you want something masculine. What this means to the florist may be interpreted many ways however.
Go for "jewel tones" of deep reds, burgundy, deep yellows, greens, and dark purples. Nice flowers to match that scheme would be caspadia, Bells of Ireland, sunflowers, roses, orchids, lisianthus, statice, eucalyptus pods, and coxcomb. Ask for something in a square vase with either stems showing or lined with leaves.
Another fun option would be to do a mix of blues, whites, and yellows (also appropriate for a baby boy) in a vase lined with sliced lemons or limes.
My personal preference is for a wood box filled with sections of jewel tones or all whites and greens, a touch of moss, and very low. A pave of all black bacarra (as close to black as you can get) roses in a simple black ceramic vase would be beautiful as well.

From,
Flourgal

I get by with a little help from my...succulents

Dear Flourgal,

I've been seeing succulents everywhere, and want to get on board. Do you have any tips for how to incorporate them in my house? Mostly I find them on wedding blogs, and like the style.

From,
Lost in Translation, Los Angeles, CA
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Dear Lost in Translation,

Succulents are exotic, and put a twist on flower arrangements, which is why there is such a huge trend right now. Even though I've killed ivy (yes, it's true!), I have never killed a succulent. Okay, that's a lie, but they usually last at least 5-6 months for me before they die. They require very little water, and like the sun as opposed to the lovely orchid.
There are many ways to incorporate these little gems. First off, if you live by a flower mart, I'd say scour the place as they are very cheap. Even at nursery's you will find them to be fairly inexpensive, depending on the region. Tiny 1'' pots should cost about $0.99-$1.99 depending on variety, smalls about $4.95 and so on.
For your home, a mock-atrium arrangement is nice for something modern. Take a glass vase in an usual shape (martini, brandy, round bowl, etc) and fill the bottom with sand- you can buy packages at Michael's in any color, but I prefer white or beige. Place the various sized succulents in terra cota pots or hot glue sheet moss to the outside of the container to conceal it, and fit snugly inside the vase. Accent it with curly willow or moss balls, sea shells, or large river rocks. Voila! I also like to put tiny succulents in very small ceramic vases and place them in my bathroom and kitchen. Hope that helps!

From,
Flourgal