This week, a good friend giddily texted me a photo of a pretty flower arrangement sitting on his desk at work, delivered via his new-ish love interest.
“People think flowers are cliché, but they’re totally not,” I wrote him back. “Totally not,” he agreed. “They’re totally awesome. My coworkers are jealous.” His happy-high—his first flower delivery!—was contagious.
I started thinking of all the times my husband has sent me flowers—the day after we decided to run away to Maui to get married, a giant pile of exotic purple orchids landed on my desk at work. On our first wedding anniversary, I got my first bouquet of red roses. I blush just thinking about it, actually: saving the red-rose cliché made it so not cliché. He had always sent me beautiful arrangements before, but never those. I know he’s sent me a few arrangements here, too, at the very desk I write this post from. I know that because I have saved the little cards from each delivery. One was on my first day on the job: “Good luck on your first day as style editor!” Another reads: “Just because I love you,” and I’m pretty sure he sent them while our beloved cockapoo was very sick (and we were making the excruciating decision to put her to sleep). They’ve been romantic, encouraging, thoughtful, and kind. They’ve worked—every single time. It makes me wonder how the idea has become cliché when there are so many women who have looked on longingly and said to me, “Wow, I’ve never gotten flowers before.” (And men, who’ve been afraid to say so.) P.S. Thanks, honey, for sending me flowers.
This is all a very long lead-up to an important point: One of my very favorite florists in town has revamped her website. Amy Backman, who owns Spruce Flowers & Home, and who has impeccable taste, now offers e-commerce of her lovingly edited goods, and easy ways to order flowers to be delivered to the friend or love or secretly admired of your choice. I love her vision on the site: “We believe that living with flowers does something for the soul. Stirring the senses and enhancing life. We believe in the beauty of simplicity, in thoughtful, organic designs. And, living with good design whether it be terrariums, statement vases, or fine fragrance is just plain good for us.” Agreed, Spruce!
Here’s another little snippet of brilliance, especially for you forgetful types out there: Spruce offers a program called “Celebrating with Flowers,” which basically takes all the work out of remembering to send them at the right time. You select three dates throughout the year to send arrangements; you select a few words to describe the style of arrangements you prefer (pastel, tall, modern, classic, bold), and you select the price point that you feel comfortable paying. Spruce does the rest.
Spruce also offers similar programs for businesses who’d like fresh flowers for their office (note to bosses: it boosts productivity and creativity!) and people who want to live with fresh arrangements in their home, à la Martha Stewart. They’ll even come consult and take a peek at your home to make sure they send perfectly stated arrangements.
And finally, you can see some of the gorgeous arrangements Spruce has created for special events and weddings in a portfolio.
So whether you want to finally buy one of those dang terrariums (I still love those!), or let your secretly admired know about your intentions…or maybe you need a good way to say “I’m sorry”…you can do it all from the new site. And don’t forget you can actually go in the store and get arrangement lessons at the Flower Bar.
And I promise, it’s not at all cliché. It’s pretty-fying. It’s happy-fying. It’s loving. It’s something we could all use once in a while—and the memories linger. Trust me.
Spruce Flowers & Home
4751 Chicago Ave. S., Mpls.
Hours: Mon-Sat, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
612-767-1101, sprucemn.com
