Maybe you’ve heard of Ramat Rahel, the site of an ancient palace in the Judah of Biblical times. Archaeologists, scientists and gardeners have worked together to create the technological equivalent of a miracle. The 2,500-year-old royal garden has been recreated, its form put together based on excavated pollen. The result is full of exotic flowers and ancient color.

Figs growing on a tree

Ramat Rahel lies above Jerusalem, about halfway between old Bethlehem and Jerusalem. For nearly 1600 years people have lived here, gardening, living and working. Archaeologists discovered the garden and could only imagine what it looked like, but the team work done to recreate it has brought the site back to life.

Ancient people gardened for joy and food, just as we do today. This garden used rainwater and distributed it through irrigation systems. This special site had pools and water features. And, above all, it had trapped pollen that dates back 1400 years. Beautiful flowers and fruit trees from both near and far were found in the special site.

Poplar, willow and myrtle, grapes, figs and olives were all part of the mix…as were nut trees like walnut and citron (also known as Persian apples). It seems that even in ancient time, exotic trees and beautiful plants were treasured.

Can you imagine what it must be like to work on a site like this, to bring what was only legend before into the here and now? Everyone who loves gardens can find something to enjoy in a project like Ramat Rahel. Vivid flowers and luscious, healthy fruit, then and now, are among the world’s greatest treasures. No wonder those ancient people kept their gardens so green and lush; and no wonder that today, they’ve been recreated…because they can.

Spring is just around the corner; in some parts of the world, the loveliest season is here already. Spring starts in the far southern parts of the northern hemisphere and pushes up shoots from bulbs. We’ll soon be seeing tulips in daFlores’ flower stores, lovely, colorful bells that they are. In the desert southwest, the flowers keep close to the ground to protect themselves from harsh winds, but they are definitely around.

A delivery of sunflowers from daFlores brightens the way for spring.

Once February is out of the way, and maybe a last bit of snow and ice, we can start to think about spring-time flowers, Easter and even Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom (unlike many countries in the Americas, the British celebration is timed to fall near Easter). While Easter doesn’t come until April this year, next Tuesday marks Shrove Tuesday, known as Carnival and Fat Tuesday in some parts of the world. All these celebrations make us think of renewal, rebirth and, if you’ll forgive us a little play on words, a spring back in our steps.

If you’re ready for some color in your home, why not order a bouquet of fresh spring flowers for your table? We offer arrangements already beautifully presented in vases, or ribbon-tied bouquets that you can place in a favorite container. Bright yellows and oranges are wonderful ways to welcome back the light and the longer, warmer days, or you can take a softer approach with different shades of pink. Some of our loveliest colors are in the tropical flower section of our site.

If you know someone who’s struggling with the last vestiges of those winter blues, a gorgeous flower arrangement is a sure and thoughtful way to let them know you’re thinking of them. From sunflowers to daisies and, a little later, tulips and even roses, you can bring a little spring cheer into the house to chase away the winter cold.

spring flowers, spring flower delivery, Easter flowers, Easter flower delivery, send flowers for Easter, Mardi Gras flowers, just-because flowers

DaFlores.com welcomed its 350,000th Facebook “like” in the last day or so. How cool is that? When we first started on Facebook, around two years ago, “Likes” were still called “Friends” or “Fans” and we had no inkling of how fast we’d grow. We’ve been steadily marking each milestone as we go along, and yet it’s only a few weeks since we marked the 300,000th like.

A big thank-you from daFlores

We’re so proud to serve you on Facebook! It’s our job to be as helpful as possible to you, and we’ve always believed that we should be where our customers are. You’ve thanked us with your presence and your comments, and we’ve learned from what you have to say. But our growth on Facebook has been really very exciting, and we’re looking forward to getting to know you better.

So what can you get out of a visit to the daFlores Facebook page? Well, we introduced our first Facebook app to let you send virtual flowers for free, any day of the year. Facebook is where daFlores presents specials and gives you heads-ups about new beautiful flowers. We even run giveaways from time to time, and answer questions.

We have 24-hour customer service in Spanish and English. (Our Facebook page is in Spanish.) Not only do we have local toll-free numbers, we have online support by email and even live chat. Customer service is our first priority and it’s why we see happy customers come back over and over again. There aren’t many companies that promise 100 percent satisfaction to both you and the recipient of your gift.

So, let’s raise a glass to our 350,000 fans on Facebook, and another to the next 350,000. We appreciate each and every one of you, and look forward to serving you again in the future.

In just an hour or so, Valentine’s Day is coming to the Americas; it’s already there in Europe and Asia. We hope you’ll enjoy this annual festival of love, romance, and friendship, and that you’ve gotten all your dream flowers ordered and on the way. For daFlores.com, this is always an exceptionally busy time of year, but it’s also one of our favorites. The Valentine’s Day holiday has something to offer everyone: What’s not to like in a day dedicated to expressing love?

DaFlores wishes you a very happy Valentine's Day in 2012! (Image source: Morguefile.com)

Whether you’ve got a family of kids’ party planned or are having a special Valentine’s Day with your beloved, we’re grateful to have you as our customers. We are passionate about flowers, and passionate about making you happy. Not for nothing do we say that we’re in the business of bringing you smiles.

It’s been kind of fun taking our look at the different ways people express their Valentine’s Day wishes. From Girl Scout-led babysitting to trips to see veterans to games (and the daFlores app) you can play on Facebook, there are dozens of non-traditional ways to celebrate the day. We hope you enjoyed the series too, and would love to hear your thoughts.

As we hang up our hats for the nights and our team of expert florists heaves a collective, satisfied sigh, we wish you the best Valentine’s Day ever. Remember, even through this night our team is on hand to assist with your questions. It’s too late to order for Valentine’s Day, but you can arrange day-after flowers or a week-after bonus bouquet. There are as many ways to celebrate this holiday as there are people, and we look forward to serving you with stunning fresh bouquets in the weeks and months to come.

Whether you’ve arranged Valentine’s Day flowers or not, why not take advantage of daFlores’ week-long freshness guarantee and order flowers for after Valentine’s Day too? Whether you arrange for an extra set of flowers to arrive the day after Valentine’s Day or schedule them for a week after, you can extend the love and delight for another week at least.

The day after Volunteer is a great time to cheer someone up with an extra bouquet of sunflowers!

Our secret is that we only work with florists who guarantee they’ll use fresh flowers daily. That, in turn, allows us to keep our promise to you that our flowers will remain fresh for a week. (With care, our customers report that they can last longer even that that.) We always guarantee our work with a truly generous offer: If you or your loved one isn’t absolutely delighted with our Valentine’ Day flowers, we’ll work with you to fix the problem. We do this because we’re a family-owned, service-oriented company that cares about your happiness.

You can schedule your post-Valentine’s Day flowers when you order; the only day we don’t deliver is Sunday. Pick the country where flowers will go, then browse through our selections. Roses are always a safe bet for Valentine’s Day flowers, but you can follow up a rose gift with any of our lovely, colorful mixed bouquets. Spring is just around the corner now, and you can pick lovely gerbera daisies or cheerful sunflowers to follow up with a spring-like gift.

Our ordering system is set up to filter by price, occasion and flower style, so you can quickly and conveniently find your way to just the right flowers. Customize with balloons, wine or chocolates; we even have sweet teddy bears. Valentine’s Day is only one day a year, but love and romance are flames that can be kindled year-round. We hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s Valentine’s Day series, and look forward to delivering your flowers in the future.

If you’re short on something to do this weekend, and want to enjoy a little bit of Valentine’s Day fun, look to your local museum.

Non-traditional Valentine's Day flowers work too.

Across the country this weekend, dozens of museums and art galleries are holding special events to celebrate Valentine’s Day (and, of course, raise money). A couple of weeks ago, we showed you how an art gallery was running a special singles’ night; others take the approach more of a family day out that introduces kids to the museum’s work.

One example is Temecula Valley Museum in southern California, which has curated an exhibition to show the history of Valentine’s Day and let kids play with arts and crafts materials. There’s also a talk on St. Valentine himself. If there was every a fun way to introduce your children to the joys of both Valentine’s Day and museums in general, it’s through an event like this.

Browse through the events section of your local newspaper or what’s-on paper and we’re sure that you’ll find something Valentine’s Day-related to do this weekend. As the last weekend before Valentine’s Day—that’s on Tuesday, folks—it’s your last opportunity to celebrate the holiday of love and friendship.

DaFlores is now winding down the Valentine’s Day season. If you still need to arrange some Valentine’s Day, you can still order, but time is definitely running out! Check with us to make sure our florists are still accepting orders. But, if not, stay tuned over the next few days for some ideas about post-Valentine’s Day events and celebrations.

Whatever you decide to do, remember that daFlores works only with experts who commit to fresh flowers daily, and we visit all the florists in our team individually. We’re a hands-on, family-run company that would love to serve you with amazing Valentine’s Day flowers and gifts, both now and in the future.

Let’s step back a moment to our series about Valentine’s Day celebrations, and talk about chocolate beer.

No, really; chocolate beer.

If you're short on ideas for what to send this Valentine's Day, a gift basket makes for a wonderful night in.

Kansas City, Missouri recently went crazy for a new beer, Boulevard Chocolate Ale. It ran out just as soon as stores got it in. There must be some kind of a beer grapevine in the city, because that magical beer was harder to come by than snow in a Florida July. You can just imagine what was going through everyone’s minds: “Wow, my boyfriend would really love that. Well, maybe I would really love that, too.”

The special beer was (is?) produced by Boulevard Brewing Company in conjunction with Christopher Elbow, fine purveyor of chocolates. In the end, shops had to put limits on per-person sales and the marriage of fine chocolates and fine brew couldn’t happen fast enough.

Now, we’re not suggesting that you go to Kansas City to pick up your chocolate brew. Actually, if you look around, you can find a few companies that make a version (it’s quite nice, actually). At this time of year, you might be out of luck—sort of like leaving your Valentine’s Day purchasing to the last minute. But you know, you can always pick up a nice case of local beer and pair it with some chocolates.

We at daFlores are not fine purveyors of beer, though we do have some other gifts and solutions. You can also always pair a bouquet with chocolates and wine, for example, for a different take on the Valentine’s Day question.

Just like the chocolate beer of Kansas City, it’s getting late in the day and supply can’t always meet demand. Order in the next couple of days, though, and daFlores’ expert florists will move heaven and earth to get you your flowers for Valentine’s Day. And when they come, they’ll be every bit as satisfying, fresh and wonderful as you’d expect from daFlores.com.

Valentine’s Day is just one week away! It’s not too late to order beautiful, fresh flowers from daFlores, but if you want to be certain that you’re getting exactly what you ordered, now is the time to take care of business. We can deliver gifts and flowers to homes, hotels and office buildings, so no matter where your loved one is this Valentine’s Day, we can find him or her for you.

It's not too late to send flowers and gifts in time for Valentine's Day 2012!

Let’s take a look at why daFlores is your best choice for Valentine’s Day flowers and roses in 2012:

• We only work with experienced florists who’ve had 10 years or more of experience
• We’ve been in the business of bringing smiles since the year 2000
• We personally visit all our florists to make sure they meet our standards
• We’re a leading flower delivery company in the Americas, and we have a widening network in Europe and Asia, too
• All our florists commit to fresh flowers daily, which means we guarantee your flowers will stay fresh for at least a week.

And then there’s our legendary customer service:

• Our friendly team is on call to answer questions about Valentine’s Day and other flowers, 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• We have bilingual (Spanish and English) customer service and country-specific phone numbers
• We offer telephone, live chat and email customer service
• We’ve translated our website into a number of different languages to help you and your loved ones order
• We have a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on Valentine’s Day flowers and more. If you and your loved one are not delighted, we’ll work with you until the problem is fixed.

To order Valentine’s Day flowers for your loved one in 2012, pick the country where flowers will be delivered, click the Valentine’s Day button or “occasion” drop-down list, and browse through our gorgeous roses and flowers. You won’t be disappointed!

A new book explains the science of kissing, we hear. Author and noted scientist Sheril Kirshenbaum, has actually taken the trouble to catalog the physical and chemical responses in the body to a romantic (or passionate) kiss… and then to write a book about it. “The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us” will be published just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Whether you're the artsy kind, the scientific, or a bit of both, flowers bring joy on Valentine's Day.

We know that kissing is important, because that’s what Valentine’s Day is for. We didn’t know that there was a book about it, though. The body might do one thing for a romance, but the fire still needs to be stoked. That’s why we have flowers that you can send to your loved ones, and why the letter X signifies a kiss.

There’s more to a kiss than hormones, beating hearts and biology. There’s an emotional aspect too, which is why sending Valentine’s Day flowers and gifts is such an important thing. Call it the art of the kiss, if you like! If you’re trying to kindle or keep alive a romance, you need to look at the whole story, not just the nuts and bolts. On the other hand, we know people for whom science and learning is the biggest adventure of all. If that describes you and your loved one, you could pair up beautiful flowers with a beautifully wrapped copy of the book.

The joy of all this is that everyone’s different. And you know best what your loved one will adore. At daFlores, we’ve seen romance in every shape and form, and we’re proud to be the facilitators of wonderful kisses. It’s our job to bring you and your loved ones smiles and, whether that means an intriguing book about kisses or the kisses themselves… we wish you joy. And we’re tickled pink that the publication date coincides with Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day brings a new diversion to Facebook, namely Angry Birds. The famous Smartphone game has a new venue, and it’s all being done just in time for Valentine’s Day. Because, after all, nothing says “I love you” more than round birds throwing piglets. Or maybe it’s the other way around.

On Valentine's Day, you can settle in for a fun game of Angry Birds...with wine, chocolates and flowers from daFlores.

There’s something really hilarious about the concept of the Angry Birds game, not to mention the timing of its release. In our look around the Internet for Valentine’s Day ideas this year, this is one that really stands out, and on so many different levels. In Britain, an “angry bird” would mean your girlfriend or wife whom you didn’t treat properly on Valentine’s Day.

Obviously, if you have an angry bird of that kind on your hands, you didn’t look to daFlores.com for your Valentine’s Day needs. With a network of florists across the Americas and parts of Asia and Europe too, there’s no excuse to not send the freshest, most beautiful flowers on Valentine’s Day.

Of course, games are fun to play with your sweetie, too. Chances are this game will have teams, so you can play on Facebook with your loved ones. And when you’re done playing, don’t forget to check out the daFlores.com Facebook page, too. We have our very own app where you can send virtual flowers to anyone you want. Valentine’s Day can be as serious as you make it, but it can also be a fun and light-hearted way to show your affection.

No matter what you end up doing on February 14, we hope you have a fun and wonderful day. And when it comes to fresh flowers that are guaranteed to last a week, turn to the family-owned company daFlores for 24-hour service, great selections and happiness this Valentine’s Day.