Do you know where tea comes from? We do. It’s derived from the leaves of the tea camellia plant, Camellia sinensis. That plant first graced our shores in the 1600s, but wasn’t cultivated here until much later. Even here at daFlores that heritage is apparent: in a few of our gift baskets you’ll find sachets of gourmet tea!

We suppose that the ornamental versions would have gotten here sooner or later, but mixed in with those early tea camellias were a few that you couldn’t drink and it’s those, like Camellia japonica, that became beloved of growers in the warmer states.

Camellias flower brightly in pinks, whites, purples and mix-and-match. They grow tall and vine beautifully, which means you can train them into living fences. These gorgeous flowers come in simple forms and big, fluffy, many-petaled forms that look a bit like carnations. They also need a bit of warmth, so they grow just beautifully in Alabama.

Over the years, growers have perfected thousands of varieties of camellias. Some are cold hardy enough to survive zone 5 or 6 winters, but mostly they nestle in temperate to warm areas. There’s even a camellia society and growers who list hundreds of “introductions.”

Not all flowers are really suitable for bouquets. At daFlores, we guarantee that our flowers will last for a year, and camellias are too delicate to withstand such a promise. That doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate the huge variety of flowers around us.

If you need a stunning bouquet for a loved one, we can always help with that. Our all-occasion offerings pair with seasonal gifts for Valentine’s Day and the holidays – among others. And we work only with the best florists who commit to a high standard of quality and experience. Whether you want to send flowers to Alabama or any of our dozens of additional countries, daFlores is the place to come.

Go out into the desert and you’ll quickly realize that, while everything looks the same from a distance, there’s a huge variety of plants when you get up-close and personal. However, with the cholla cactus, you might wish to keep a respectful distance while admiring this interesting plant.

Cholla, pronounced “cho-ya,” look a little like trees in that they have a variety of thin branches. These branches look a little furry but, close up, you realize that the fur is very prickly. (In fact, the prickly pear is also a type of cholla, but we’ll talk about that another day.)

There are around 20 chollas in the opuntia, or cactus,  family. They are special in that their spines, called glochids, have a papery covering that is colored red or yellow. You really, really don’t want to brush up against a cholla and, if you have a dog, keep him safely on a leash around these plants. The spines comes off at the drop of a hat and quickly lodge in your skin. In fact, one of the reasons the jumping cholla is so called is that the spines appear to “jump” at you!

The cylindrical stems of most chollas are, upon closer inspection, jointed. These joints are multi-tasking: they produce flowers, store water and feed the plant through photosynthesis (the spines on any cactus are actually desert-adapted leaves).

There appears to be a cholla for every occasion. They grow in most western deserts, down low and up as high as eight thousand feet. They grow together in clusters. You might be able to find out information about flowering times through Bureau of Land Management or National Park Service offices. The range is from April to June, usually, and you’ll see these inhospitable-looking plants bloom orange or yellow-green.

DaFlores.com doesn’t sell cacti in any shape or form. But we do appreciate each blossom for what it is: a precious thing that’s utterly beautiful. Each year, we shape thousands of blooms into exquisite arrangements so you can tell your loved ones Happy Birthday, Get Well Soon or just plain, “Hello.” We work with only the best local florists to bring you flower arrangements across the globe…even in the Southwest. Send flowers to the Dominican Republic or any other country in the Americas with daFlores.com

It’s not that Valentine’s Day can’t be any day you choose. It can, of course. It’s just that Valentine’s Day is just a few days away. You heard us! Valentine’s Day is sneakily located next Monday, on the 14th of February. (It was that date last year, as well. How about that?)

That leaves you only a few more days to organize the perfect Valentine’s Day surprise.

Whether you just started dating and want to impress someone, or whether you’ve decided that spontaneity is better than planning, we at daFlores.com can help. Our team of expert, local florists is on hand and ready to lovingly assemble the best flowers you’ll ever see. And they’re all delivered right to the door. How cool is that?

First, a reminder why ordering from daFlores is the best. We never recycle flowers. If they weren’t planted the morning the bouquet is crafted, we don’t use them. That’s one of the rules for all our florists. But that’s ok. They’ve all been in business so long and love making Valentine’s Day flower arrangements so much that they wouldn’t dream of recycling or cutting corners in any case. It’s a matter of pride!

To order Valentine’s Day flowers from daFlores and to send them to dozens of  countries, first visit daFlores.com and set your language. We’ve translated into lots of different languages for your convenience. Then pick the country where your flowers will be delivered. You’ll see a selection of beautiful Valentine’s Day, all fitted out with ribbons or vases or elegant boxes. Pick the one you want, fill out the details and supply a credit card number. Easy!

We’ll take good care of your Valentine’s Day flower delivery. Our team will create the freshest, most fragrant and gorgeous and delightful flowers your loved ones have ever seen. They will go right to the doorstep. You can add extras like a vase, chocolates, wine, sweet plush toys or balloons – whatever you want. Or you can take advantage of some of our classic combinations.

Whether you want to send a hundred red roses or know your sweetheart would prefer sunny sunflowers, we can do that for you. Just, please, don’t forget that the clock really is ticking and  if you wait much longer, it will be too late to send anything but symbolic Valentine’s Day flowers.

Valentine's Day Roses

Chocolates are a classic way to tell your sweetheart that you’re sweet on her. When you browse our Valentine’s Day roses, you’ll quickly notice that several of our beautiful gifts already have chocolates, thoughtfully incorporated into the gift. You can also send chocolate-equipped gift baskets, lovingly made up and wrapped with expert care.

But did you know that you can add chocolates to any Valentine’s Day roses, too? You’re not at all restricted to our chocolatey gifts. You can pick any of our flower arrangements and, at checkout, opt to add a classy box of chocolates. To arrange chocolates with your Valentine’s Day roses, just check the box where prompted and you have a ready-made, awesome gift.

Chocolate isn’t the only thing that you can add to your Valentine’s Day roses. We have cheerful balloons with messages of love, sweet plush teddy bears and classic wine, too. Just make your selection and we’ll take care of the rest with classic daFlores attention to detail.

Valentine’s Day roses are the ultimate gift but you can personalize your flowers and make them special. You know best what is going to go down well. Just add what you need and we’ll make sure your Valentine’s Day roses are beautifully presented and garden-fresh. In fact, we won’t work with a florist unless they promise to use fresh flowers every single morning.

With so much to choose from, you can give your Valentine’s Day roses that very special, personal twist. We deliver to dozens of countries so, no matter where you are on Valentine’s Day, you can rest assured that the roses and gifts we send will be the best she’s ever seen. And with bilingual service online and by phone, we’re always on hand to help you pick out the right accessories for your Valentine’s Day roses. To send flowers to Bogota or any other city in the Americas please visit daFlores.com

Valentine’s Day roses from daFlores – in fact, any flowers we send on your behalf – are guaranteed to last for at least a week. With a bit of care and attention, they can last even longer. But what if you want your Valentine’s Day gift to last year-round?

Valentine's Day Roses

Well, we still highly recommend our Valentine’s Day roses. They come in all sizes, from elegant stems presented in a vase to huge sprays of two dozen or more roses. But you can also add a personal gift to your selection to make it extra-special. Wine, chocolates and more are all available – but we have a couple of longer-lasting gifts, too.

One of our Valentine’s Day add-ons is a cute, sweet teddy bear. We have a few arrangements that already incorporate this cheerful character with his heart-shaped paws and big warm heart. But you can add this teddy bear to your Valentine’s Day bouquet with a simple click of your mouse.

Our quality teddy bear makes the gift of Valentine’s Day roses that much sweeter. Once the holiday is over and done with, he’ll be there in her home, reminding her of you year-round. Adding a teddy bear to your Valentine’s Day roses is a whimsical way to tell her of your love.

DaFlores offers a selection of add-ons for Valentine’s Day roses and all our flowers. We work with great, experienced florists to bring fresh flowers to the doorstep. But you can personalize the gift according to her tastes when you add a teddy bear to your Valentine’s Day roses. To send flowers to Bogota o any other city in the Americas please visit daFlores.com

And, whether you’re together all the time or spend sad times apart, she can hold the teddy bear close and think of you and your loving gift of Valentine’s Day roses.  With our romantic plush teddy bear, it can really be Valentine’s Day all year long.

It’s sometimes hard to let go of the summer, with its bright colors and warm, relaxing weather. But the Fall has its charms too, in the gorgeous shades of falling leaves, the golds and oranges that usher in winter holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just round the corner, but if you’re feeling a bit blue, why not celebrate the season with beautiful flowers?

The official start of Fall is September 21, but nature doesn’t listen to humanity’s “official” dates. Any time the weather is getting colder and your thoughts turn to warm drinks, you can consider it Fall.

There are two approaches you can take when adding fall flowers to your home: Either bring Fall in and welcome it, or stave it off a little longer with some brighter colors.

Golds, yellows, oranges and bronzes are your traditional fall colors, echoing what’s going on indoors. Set against a warming candle or next to a carved pumpkin, fall-themed flowers from daFlores add natural cheer. Just the act of receiving a delightful decoration will make your loved ones smile. Look to orange roses, sunflowers and our special Fall arrangements for this gift.

But if you want to brighten up the cold, then try something different. We still have sunflowers, lilies, fiery tropical flowers and rich red roses. Choose those warm colors to bring light to a table and your family’s faces. Send these flowers just because, or to bless a Fall birthday or other celebration. Just because winter is taking away your garden, doesn’t mean that you should live without flowers.

No matter what you choose, daFlores will look after you from beginning to end. On our website, pick your language from several choices, then select the country where you’ll be sending your beautiful Fall flowers. You can make your selections based on price or occasion. Add extras like vases or chocolates if you wish. Then fill out the details and we’ll arrange for an experienced florist to hand-craft your flowers and deliver them to the door.

No matter what the season, we at daFlores only ever use flowers that were growing fresh that morning. Send flowers for Fall and celebrate life in a beautiful way.

National Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15, the independence day for five different Latin American countries. Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador all declared independence on September 15, 1821.

It’s because of this fact, and of other South American countries also celebrating independence days during September, that Ronald Reagan signed the month into law in 1988.

The National Hispanic Heritage Month lasts a full 30 days, ending on October 15. Through the United States, many celebrations are held and South American heroes honored. Schools run special classes and programs. Museums, like the Smithsonian, put on special displays. If you detect a theme here, it’s that this time of year is special.

DaFlores has its roots in Colombia, of course, and we started off as a company that worked within the Americas. We’ve grown in leaps and bounds, and are now expanding into Europe and Asia. We honor the over 48 million people of Hispanic heritage who now live in the United States.

While the national celebrations focus on the famous people, the movers-and-shakers and the groups of people who suffered hardships and fought for liberties, we at home can honor our own families’ movers and shakers too. Is there a teacher in your community who has fought hard for education and understanding? Has a local ombudsman gone the extra mile? Consider thanking these people with a personal note and token of appreciation.

At daFlores, we have a wide selection of all-occasion flowers that would be a perfect way to say thanks. Tropical flowers, gift baskets and more are all perfectly appropriate. White and yellow roses are all there to show honor and appreciation. A bottle of wine can be enjoyed at a later date; while our flowers are guaranteed to stay fresh for a week, it’s nice to have something left over to enjoy at the end. To send flowers to Colombia or any other country in the Americas please visit daFlores.com

Meaning of Pink Roses by daFlores.com

Around 150 species of roses, in the rosa family, exist in nature. Early roses tended to be pink, white and magenta and they grow all over the northern hemisphere. It’s believed that the Chinese were the first to cultivate roses, something like five thousand years ago. The Romans also liked them, growing these flowers in the Middle East. Not only were they decorative, they were used as confetti, to brew medicine, and for perfume. Romans even started public rose gardens in the south of Rome.

Medicinal uses

In Persia, what we know now as Iran, rose oil and oil of attar were made from damask roses. These were highly sought-after commodities. The Greeks scented olive oil to use as perfume, as disease repellents and to bless their dead. Rosa gallica officinalis cropped up for the first time in the 1200s, and was turned into all sorts of powders and potions to cure all sorts of ills. (It probably didn’t do much good, but at least it smelled better than most medicine.)

Roses as money

In the seventeenth century, roses became popular enough to be counted as legal tender. They were used for rose water, perfume and just as flowers. You could actually barter with roses and pay bills with them. Josephine, Napoleon’s wife, established a huge rose garden at Chateau de Malmaison, near Paris.

What about pink roses?

Pink roses, the large blossoms that we tend to think of today, didn’t start to emerge until the late eighteenth century. Rose breeders started hybridizing natural roses to see what they could come up with. Well, we all know the answer to that one!

The color “rose” is a gentle pink. “Rosy-cheeked” implies health and vigor, and is a popular girl’s name.

Old-fashioned roses

The first modern rose is said to have been La France, introduced in 1867 (yes, it took growers that long to develop our big, stunning blossoms). La France, incidentally, is a pale pink large-blossom rose.

An Old Garden Rose is of a type that existed before that time. Damask roses belong to this class and arose as a natural cross between two species. Parson’s Pink China roses were introduced in 1793. There are many, many more varieties of pink roses, old-fashioned and modern. In more recent times, a revival of interest in these old garden roses has resulted in modern hybrids.

The meaning of pink roses

So now we come to the meaning of pink roses. They’re a gentler alternative to the passion or red roses in a romantic relationship. Pink roses speak of affection and can be sent to your beloved and also to female friends and family. Great for mom, each exquisite pink rose is a reminder of caring and remembrance. Light pink roses means gracefulness, admiration and sympathy, while you can express appreciation and gratitude with darker pink roses.  To send flowers to Lima or any other city in Latin America please visit daFlores.com

Hot summer days bring people out into the garden, whether it’s to cool off after a long day’s work or to enjoy a barbecue. When planning a summer-themed garden, you can go several routes, either evoking the hot summer days with fiery reds and oranges or offsetting them with delicate white and silver blossoms. Or you can create an aromatic night garden that can be enjoyed in the balmy hours after sunset.

Fragrant summer gardens to enjoy in the evening

Roses are at their fullest and most beautiful in summer, their fragrant blossoms releasing heady perfume into the air. Wisteria, star jasmine and lavender are also highly aromatic, creating a delightful aroma that’s as slow and warm as the sun. Plant these on your deck and let them delight your senses on those hot summer evenings.

Contrasting hot and cold in your summer garden

For a garden to enjoy all summer long, consider combining cold and hot colors. Tropical plants thrive in the warmth and often have vivid, impressive colors. Even if you keep them in containers, they can enjoy a stint in the fresh summer’s air. Birds of paradise, sunflowers and golden marigolds are all sun-worshipers and evoke the warmth.

White roses, lilies and daisies also add freshness to your summer garden. The combination of hot and cold colors creates contrast and beauty in your yard. They’re easy to grow and readily available, building an oasis for your gathers and relaxation.

Bringing the bounty of summer to your doorstop with a daFlores flower delivery

You can send someone the gift of summer with a daFlores flower delivery. Our garden-fresh flowers are picked every morning and combined into stunning bouquets to make someone’s day. Our tropical flowers, roses and gerbera daisies are literally second to none. Enviar flores a Colombia.

No matter whether someone’s garden is tiny or huge, the flower delivery you send will delight and impress. With daFlores, you can let your loved ones bring the summer home with a fresh flower delivery.

A system administrator is the technical person who holds things together at your company. The sysadmin will make backups, check server logs for problems and keeps on top of things. Your sysadmin wields technical powers, the very thoughts of which make lesser mortals quake in fear.

National System Administrator Appreciation Day is on July 30 this year and we reckon that flowers are a great way to send thanks for all this often-nocturnal person does. The typical systems administrator shrinks into the background, keeping things running smoothly. Because you work during the day, he or she often works at night. You might want to plan a celebration for sometime in the late afternoon, the time when your two work days are more likely to coincide.

Systems administrators are more often than not men, though of course there are lady sysadmins too. We at daFlores have always said that flowers aren’t just for the ladies, though. Tropical flowers and orchids are a great choice for a system administrator, offering elegance without being overtly feminine. You can also add a box of chocolates, bottle or wine or even a basket of fruit. DaFlores can take care of all these options.

To organize a treat for National System Administrator Day,  just visit the daFlores.com website and pick a country for delivery. Then browse through the options by price range or style. Fill out the details and we’ll take care of the rest. Have the flowers delivered to the door of your office and then place our beautiful, tasteful arrangement on his chair. (There’s a good chance you won’t be able to see the desk as it’s covered in wires, components and computers.)

Flowers for National System Administrator Day are a great way to think outside the box.  Your sysadmin will appreciate the gesture and the uncommon recognition. These under-appreciated people are really the glue that keeps your IT department working. Honor them with the freshest, most beautiful National System Administrator Day flowers from daFlores.