There are Angels even in Los Angeles!

There are Angels in Los Angeles

As a local Santa Monica florist for almost 30 years, we have serviced our community and designed many flowers for endless occasions, happy and sad.   We have been able to celebrate and comfort all the milestones of our many cherished client's lives.   

Ruby roses and purple butterfly orchid arrangement

We have been here to help the shy teenager to pick out the perfect flowers for a first prom date.  Later send flowers to express his affection to a new found love interest.  Have the honor to design the flowers for the wedding, send flowers for anniversaries, birthdays, Valentine's Day and just because he wants to see her smile.  They later become parents and share many baby pictures with us.  

Garden roses and dahlia bridal bouquet

Several young fathers come in with the new addition or many small ones to pick out Mommy's first Mother's day flowers.  In order to keep the children entertain we offer a balloon and have become to be known as the balloon store.  We help choose a wrist corsage for their first father/daughter dance.  We have made countless nosegays for little girls first dance recitals from proud parents and friends.

As for the sad times, we have cried and hugged many of those in our community.  We breath some light into their lives with beautiful  floral tributes in memory of a loved-one during difficult times.   

Open Heart Sympathy wreath

Recently we had a very sad occurrence.  One of our families lost their Mother,  two young girls 18 and 19 years old.  They had recently lost their Father just a few months earlier.  Even though still sadden by their loss, their mother decided to still have a 50th birthday party. A party she was joyfully planning for months with her now deceased husband and family.  The week of her  party she passed away.   

The young ladies called our shop to inquire about flowers for the funeral.  They wanted standing sprays for the service as well as several centerpieces for the meal after the service with limited funds.  We told them we would work it out with their limited budget in making the flowers beautiful.  

Later that day the young sisters came in to discuss the items they were needing.  At the same time we had a woman in the shop deciding on what gift she wanted to send to her friend in Europe.  As the sisters cried and our manager tried to hold back her tears, they re-told her their heart-wrenching story as they choose the flowers for the funeral and meal.

 When they were about to pay for the flowers,  the woman looking at flowers for her friend asked to speak to the Manager.  The woman told our manager that she would pay for all the flowers for the funeral and the after meal.  The woman thought we were going above and beyond to help the mourning sisters.  When we told the sisters,  tearfully they hugged and thanked the generous stranger.  

Later I asked my manager, who knows all our clients if the lady had been here before, she told me she had never see her before.  We looked at our list of clients and this was the first time she ever purchased flowers from our shop. 

God had sent an Angel from heaven to help these sisters.  What are the chances?  There are Angel even in Los Angeles!

  

   

Flower Arrangements Designs and Our Story

Our Store Front at 1722 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405

This store has been in the same location since the mid 1940's.

We are a local florist that has been in the same neighborhood for over 60 years.  There has been a few owners over the years but our family have owned this flower shop for almost 30 years.   The longest owners in the history of this florist.  

When we came into the flower business in the mid-80's, we had no idea of the family atmosphere and the support our Santa Monica community and loyal clients has given us.    We have seen the impact our flowers has given our clients during the most important life occasions - marriages, births, birthdays, anniversaries, proms, holidays and sympathy.  Many of our clients - we can say are friends and have become part of our florist family.

One of our happy couples before their wedding

at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica.  The Bride wanted a 

simple cluster of white mini-callas and a matching 

boutonniere for the Groom.

Over the years we have grown in our skill and offerings to express our clients feeling with beautifully designed flowers.  We take our job very serious.  We want our floral designs to express our client's sentiments of  joy, comfort, gratitude, congratulatory, excitement, sympathy or apology to a wife, sister, mother, father, child, love-one, friend, acquaintance or business associate.    

One of our contemporary designs above.  This design has large white callas, green anthriums, white and purple  phalaenopsis orchids and purple freesias.  

We have won many national, international and state floral competition design awards over the years with our designs.  Our shop has the distinction of having the only member of the prestigious American Institute of Floral Design in Santa Monica.  AIFD is a international organization and has about 1000 members world-wide.  In the Los Angeles area there are less than 10 members that have the skill to belong to this organization.  

A square vase with a selection of pink roses, tulips and light pink hydrangeas.  A simple arrangement for a new baby, birthday or any occasion that you want to put a smile on someone.

Here is just a small sample of the work we do here at Edelweiss Flower Boutique.

Send Your Love on Valentine’s Day with Floral Delivery in Los Angeles

Send Your Love on Valentine’s Day with Floral Delivery in Los Angeles

Ultimate Roses Bouquet

Ever wondered why we send flowers and celebrate Valentine’s Day? It all can be traced to the Roman celebration of Lupercalia that was celebrated on February 15. Honoring the gods Faunus and Lupercus, along with the founders of Rome, Romulus, and Remus, Lupercalia festivities included a bountiful feast as well as the pairing of young men and women.

The young men would draw women’s names from a box and the two would be coupled together until the next year’s celebration. The pairing of these couples has set the tone for today’s holiday. It didn’t gain its current name, Valentine’s Day, until Valentine, an area priest, came into the picture.

The Emperor Claudius II handed down a decree that soldiers must remain bachelors, believing if they were engaged or married they would be unable to concentrate on fighting. Valentine was a romantic and disobeyed the emperor by secretly performing marriage ceremonies. Because of his actions, Valentine was put to death on the date of February 14. Valentine was named St. Valentine after his death and, as Christianity spread throughout Rome, the priests moved the celebration of Lupercalia from February 15 to February 14 and renamed it St. Valentine’s Day in his honor.

Historically, flowers have represented fertility, love, marriage, and romance. During these earlier times, speaking in the language of flowers (Fluorography), flourished since courtship was severely prohibited. Lovers would communicate through flowers for weeks, sometimes even months. To this day, sending flowers, especially roses, to that special someone on Valentine’s Day is extra meaningful because it represents eternal love.
Area florists in Los Angeles have just what you need for this Valentine’s Day. There are many to choose from, all offering beautiful arrangements that are bound to put a smile on someone’s face. The easiest way to do this in the Los Angeles area is through floral delivery. There are several ways to get floral delivery in Los Angeles. You can visit a florist shop, place an order over the phone, or shop the Internet for a vast variety of selections. Most florists in Los Angeles offer same-day, hand delivery.

Going into the store of a florist in Los Angeles enables you to browse through their pre-arranged bouquets, along with accessories such as candy, balloons, and cards. You may also choose to create your own special arrangement. You can choose from many different styles, vases, and pick out just the right flowers you want in your arrangement.

More Valentine’s Day Bouquets from Edelweiss Flower Boutique, A Los Angeles Florist

Arranging for floral delivery can be perfect for the person who just doesn’t have the time to spend shopping. On the phone, the florist will tell you what arrangements they have, prices, and the deal of the day, and he or she can even customize the attached card for you.
Using the Internet is another convenient option. Most florists in Los Angeles have a website that is very user-friendly. You can browse through all of the merchandise, conveniently place your order online, and rest assured your delivery will be made that same day.

No matter which option you choose to buy that special someone flowers for Valentine’s Day, choose Los Angeles flower delivery service for a convenient way to show someone you care.
For colorful arrangements and impeccable service, choose a trusted floral source. For over 60 years, Edelweiss Flower Boutique has been serving the Los Angeles area with gorgeous, award-winning floral arrangements and delivery. See all of our intricate designs, some of which have appeared in popular magazine publications, by clicking here…make your Valentine’s Day delivery arrangements today for all of the special people in your life!

Contact us today!  310-452-1377 or online. 

Wedding at the Lodge - Edelweiss Flower Boutique - Elizabeth Seiji AIFD

Reprinted with permission.
A wedding at the lodge

The epitome of a destination wedding, this featured event by Liz is situated at the Biltmore forest Country Club in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Groom is a Hollywood producer claiming many projects of note including the biographies of famous people.

The location is lush and green. The venue has a country lodge feel and since it was in the fall months, flowers chosen were of that color theme. 

The large fireplace in the main dining room had to be decorated with ladders and installing done on site. Tall johnson grass harvested in the fields add a whimsicle "fresh from the field" air to the design. The beautiful hunting lodge decor of the dining room with the imposing fireplace.

A lush display of flowers in a footed compote. Swirls of bittersweet add a forested autumnal feel for this entry guest book table.

A dramatic cake cascade of flowers flows onto an ocean of blossoms. Accent swirls are created by individual insertions of hypericum berries.

Elizabeth Seiji AIFD and

Edelweiss Flower Boutique

Success through Innovation, Internet and Involvement

Elizabeth Seiji AIFD can point to a handful of professional practices that she firmly believes have boosted the success of her shop in Santa Monica. The amazing thing is that her practices and philosophies are incredibly basic tricks of many trades and professions. To succeed, it sometimes seems, one needs to step outside the shop. Take Liz's belief that industry networking" is crucial to the success of the entrepreneurial florist-designer. Operating in a vacuum and ignoring industry opportunities. Her participation at a competitive level demonstrates another of her business success philosophies: Competition is good for the floral soul.

Elizabeth believes her broad network of florist friends, cultivated over 22 years of entering design contests and volunteering on floral event planning committees, has taught her, through the experiences of colleagues and herself, how to manage her floral business more efficiently. Being involved is a big key to continuous learning.

"Competition is what made me a better florist," she says. "It’s valuable experience; it’s fun and it doesn’t matter if you win or lose."

Although she has never won the top spot in a CSFA "Top Ten" contest, she did win Top Ten’s second place, the 1998 Carik Cup and several FTD competitions.

But perhaps the biggest competition Elizabeth experienced was when she dedicated herself to become a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers. It was a huge achievement for this former Hawaiian who majored in Bio-Chemistry and Plant Morphology at UCLA.

Posted by SouthWest Regional Chapter AIFD at

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Summer Flowers-Meet Helianthus Annuus, the Sunflower

Table of Citrus Theme Sunflower arrangements displayed
Robinson's Gardens Beverly Hills, CA.

A native of North America, the sunflower’s Latin botanical name is Helianthus Annuus.  The best known of these bold, cheery flowers grows as an annual and is a member of the largest floral family, the Asteraceae family which includes Daisies, Chrysanthemums, Gerberas, Asters, Cosmos, etc.  
                                                                                         The ancient Peruvian Incan sun worshippers attached it with meanings of "wishes & loyalty".   This flower was revered by many cultures, deriving its name from the Greek word heliosanthos, helios, meaning "sun," and anthos, meaning "flower.  


Homage and Devotion are other meanings of this flower.  It is known as the "3rd wedding anniversary flower" and the state flower of Kansas.

Sunflowers with bronze center
petals

Vase with "Teddy Bear"
Sunflowers

In the summer months sunflowers are abundant in California and other parts of the United States. California is the largest grower of fresh cut flowers in the country.  Our flower shop is so lucky to be located in California.  In the summer when sunflowers are at their seasonal peak, we have so many varieties of sunflowers available to our clients.  We have sunflowers with the traditional or common "black eyes" or centers. They can come with green centers, bronze petals, burgundy petals, bi-color yellow and bronze petals like the picture on the left.  We also have "Teddy Bear" sunflowers--are fun with lots of little golden yellow petals.  Our shop does carry the traditional sunflower with the black centers throughout most of the year.  



Vase life is from 7-14 days depending on variety. Remove bottom leaves if present, re-cut stems under water and place into a vase of warm water and fresh flower food provided by our flower shop. If no flower food is available, then place your sunflowers into a bleach solution (6-8 drops per quart) with a small amount of clear sweetened soda (seven-up works wonders).  Change water daily and re-cut your flowers for best results.  Keep any flowers you have in a cool place in your home or office.  Do not put any flowers next to a sunny hot window!  The best vase life is obtained in flower food solutions which should be provided with your purchase from a professional florist that cares about their product and clients.


Our shop, Edelweiss Flower Boutique, uses sunflowers in numerous floral designs.  Most feel sunflowers cannot be elegant, but as you can see elegance is not a problem.  The floral arrangement below can be used for a wedding, or as an accent decor for garden party or event.  

Elegant arrangement of sunflowers, roses and hydrangeas 

Colorful modern arrangement of sunflowers
burgundy dahlias, orange roses and orchids

Traditional sunflower arrangement

Sunflowers & mini gerberas
on a wedding cake

Sunflower Bridal Bouquet

Garland of sunflowers, roses & other
flowers

Your sunflower design can be modern and colorful or you can have a traditional pitcher of sunflowers.  We use sunflowers for bridal bouquets, to decorate wedding cakes and garlands... the possibilities are endless.   

Victorian Wedding Flowers - Some thoughts and ideas...

Garden Rose & Peony Wedding Centerpiece

We did flowers for a wedding recently that had a "Victorian" theme.  The location of the wedding was in Santa Monica at the Victorian House.  A beautiful Victorian Home on Main Street made into a romantic event site.

The Bride requested peonies for her mid-summer wedding, as professionals we let her know that peonies might not be available so late in the season.  English garden roses was suggested as a substitution if the peonies were in bad condition or unobtainable.  Since our industry is at the mercy of the seasons there are times when curtain flowers are very, very scarce or just not available.  

Well "luck" was on our side! The Peonies for her wedding arrived and they were beautiful.  Our lucky bride, not only had peonies, she also had garden roses in her bridal bouquet, brides maids and ceremony flowers.

We use a "vintage" birdcage with pink peonies, pink & white garden roses, mauve hydrangeas and hybrid delphiniums.  English garden style is the use of "cottage" flowers in a luscious, soft, formal yet relaxed look. We also used Queen Anne's Lace to add a soft romantic feel to our floral composition.   Two of these garden floral designs were placed on pedestals on opposite sides where the wedding couple said their marriage vows.
The Bride also wanted the herb lavender incorporated in her wedding flowers.  She loved the fragrance and  it reminded her of France.  We found French Lavender to compete the theme. Lavender was in everything including the Groom's and Groomsmen's boutonnieres.

Fragrance was also a bonus with our selection of flowers  chosen for this wedding.  We feel flowers should touch as many senses as possible.  Sight is the first impression, most women will remember if the flowers were beautiful or ugly.  After a week, most that attended the wedding will forget what they ate at the wedding.  If the flowers were beautiful, many will remember it for months and years!  Fragrance is discovered soon after and adds to the beauty of the flowers.  Wonderful fragrances can send someone to very memorable milestones in one's life.  Every time this bride smells peonies, lavender and garden roses it will transport her back to the events of her wedding day.  We love gardenias, as their intoxicating fragrance can fill a room. A fragrance so wonderful, the bride and groom remembers this flower with thoughts of romance forever.  Men in particular are attracted to this blossom along with Tuberose which has a similar Jasmine-like fragrance. 

Flowers and floral artisans who have the knowledge of best varieties can make this possible.  Like a chef who knows which combination of ingredients can make a spectacular meal, a professional florist with a passion for their craft can make memories with every stem.  We are constantly seeking out new and wonderful varieties along with classic blooms to make this possible.

On the day of the event when everything was set ready to take pictures of our hard work, the camera quickly ran out of battery charge and the only pictures we have is the above ceremony flowers.  What a bummer!  Hopefully we will be able to get pictures from the photographer.  To be continued.... : )

Summer Flowers - Gloriosa Lilies, beautiful, long-lasting, pre-ordering is a must!

Summer Beauties meet Gloriosa Lilies

Gloriosa Rathchildiana
(from my garden)

Gloriosa lilies are cherished by floral designers all over the world for its very exotic look.  Stunning in form and vibrant in color, this flower is commonly used in contemporary arrangements, tropical arrangements and wedding work.  In its fresh-cut form gloriosa lily is cut in 2 ways:  with the vine intact - with 3 or more blossoms on the vine with stems at least 18-24" long or as single stemmed flowers with stems 6-8" long.  Cut Gloriosa typically has a long vase life of 5-10 days.  In our shop this flower's vase life has exceeded a week or more, especially the long stemmed vine form.   The price of this flower will vary widely from month to month whether if found in its short stem or long vine form.

Yellow Gloriosa Lily

Gloriosa Boutonniere

Native to the tropical regions of Asia and Africa, this stunning flower is also known as the "climbing lily" or "flame lily".   This summer bloomer is available from July to October.  A member of the lily family yet unlike their close cousins (the asiatic lily) this lily climbs upward with the aid of tendrils on the tips of the leaves which can attach themselves to most anything.  Available year-round from sources in Holland but locally grown seasonally in the summer is when this flower is at it's greatest glory and when it is most abundant.  Of course, in the winter this flower is rather scarce and very pricey. 

Roses, dahlias &
gloriosa lilies in a
modern flower design

Orders for this lily must be made in advance since it is shipped only a few times a week in limited quantities.  Since it is often a rare commodity, when in season one should enjoy its beauty or share it with those who appreciate its living art form.

When our florist, Edelweisss Flower Boutique-Santa Monica - uses gloriosa lilies in our flower designs we express the dramatic nature of its vibrant petals.  This flower visually has so much natural movement and flow, particularly when used within arrangements.  From everyday floral designs to wedding bouquets ultilizing the form and beauty of this unique flower one can create very powerful compositional expressions in a client's flower arrangements.

To the left is a summer bridal bouquet using orange gloriosa lilies with large orange dahlias - petals edged with white, red spray roses, orange roses and yellow mokara orchids all tied off with an orange wired- ribbon.  Notice this bouquet plays off the texture of the petals of the gloriosa lily and the dahlias.