1-800-FLOWERS Archives

How the Chocolate Roses by Fleur de Chocolate Came to Be

Jennifer Simon estimates she’s brought “hundreds or thousands” of beautiful, eatable, and giftable products to market throughout her 25-year career in merchandising. And her latest launch, Chocolate Roses by Fleur de Chocolate, combines all three into one gorgeous, delicious, and ready-to-ship package.

The inspiration to create these hat boxes full of confectionar y roses came to Simon in March 2023. During a meeting with a New Jersey-based partner, the Chocolate Covered Company, she had her interest piqued by a set of mock-ups for roses made from Belgian chocolate. She instantly recognized a product opportunity for the company. “It was like this perfect synergy,” says Simon, product development director at 1-800-Flowers.com. “Here, we have flowers, but they’re made out of Belgian chocolate, so it’s just like another type of flower.”

The designs took a page from a growing trend overseas of remarkably realistic-looking “floral arrangements” that were actually made of chocolate. In certain parts of Eastern Europe, Simon explains, “confectionary florists are very popular. There are little boutiques that have handmade, very elaborate flowers out of chocolate, which they wrap up like a bouquet of flowers.”

Simon was taken by these confectionery works of art, and she knew they would be a hit with customers here in the States, where the trend had yet to take off.

At this point, however, she and her team were working with just 3D-printed models of the sweet roses. So, they got to work on making their vision a reality.

Bringing the chocolate roses to life

Because Simon’s flowers would be delivered by mail, the first hurdle to clear was devising a packing plan that would keep the blooms intact and at a safe temperature while preserving the dramatic unboxing experience.

Simon loved the elegant look and feel of the hat boxes sometimes used to package chocolate and real floral bouquets in Belgium and other European countries, and she sought to preserve that nod to the product’s origin in the 1-800-Flowers.com version. “Packaging the Fleur De Chocolate roses this way makes them look like fresh roses in a hat box, which you sometimes find at a high-end floral boutique,” Simon says.

Packaging decided, it was on to the next challenge: transit. The folks at the Chocolate Covered Company developed a proprietary bloom holder shaped like a miniature plastic test tube that grasps the stem of each chocolate rose. These pieces keep the bouquet in place during delivery to ensure the floral display is in the same shape when it arrives at its destination as it is when it leaves the chocolatier’s.

fleur de chocolate roses vday luxe square

The final step was molding the chocolate roses themselves. The social media-worthy confectionary flowers popping up in Eastern Europe were individually hand molded, but this wasn’t an option for Simon, given the scale of 1-800-Flowers.com’s business. Instead, the product team created chocolate rose-shaped silicone molds to make production on a mass level possible, Simon says.

The process of creating a full bouquet of chocolate roses, Simon notes, is still much slower than that of factory-dispensed chocolates. “The chocolate is poured into the silicone molds by hand,” she explains. “After they set, the artisans unwrap them [from the molds].” Each flower is then individually wrapped in cellophane and secured with a bloom holder. The result of this handmade process is that no two Fleur De Chocolate roses are identical.

A debut hit

Once the chocolatiers at the Chocolate Covered Company generated enough inventory of the roses — about nine months after Simon saw her first mock-up — the first five Fleur De Chocolate Rose products went live on 1-800-Flowers.com.

The roses come in milk, dark, and white chocolate, and in a range of colors. The lighter colors, such as pink and lavender, are made from white chocolate dyed with food coloring; the deeper red roses are made from a blend of pink white chocolate and dark chocolate.

fleur de chocolate roses mothers day square

Each box comes in three sizes: Ultimate (featuring 60 stems), Deluxe (40 stems), and Classic (21 stems). And don’t worry about finishing your bouquet right away — the chocolate roses will stay fresh for up to 45 days if kept in a cool, dry place.

The multicolored sets of chocolate roses make an eye-catching gift for any occasion. The latest launch, Springtime Blooms, includes pastel pinks and purples just in time for Mother’s Day or graduations. The classic Love & Romance collection is a thoughtful gift for a special someone, and the Birthday Wishes bouquet would be a welcome surprise on a friend’s big day. (It also happens to be the best seller, according to Simon.)

The products made such a splash after their launch at the end of 2023 that Simon and her team plan to expand the flower and flavor offerings. They’re working on blooming daisies and sunflowers, which will make great gifts for baby showers, anniversaries, and housewarming parties.

Next up in the flavor department? Arrangements made up entirely of white, milk, or dark chocolate roses to, as Simon puts it, “satisfy the purists.”

She says, “We will be adding versions that reach our true chocolate lovers.”

Reflections on Memorial Day & the Importance of Remembrance

Written by our Founder and CEO, our Celebrations Pulse Sunday Letters aim to engage with our community. From sharing stories to welcoming your ideas, we want to help you to express, connect, and celebrate the important people in your life.

This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. It’s when we dust off and fire up barbecues, remove pool covers, and find more than a few bargains at stores. Families and friends gather in backyards or on beaches to celebrate the return of warm weather with hamburgers, hotdogs, and, perhaps, even a few cold beverages.

Amid all the celebrations, it’s important not to forget the holiday’s solemn purpose, which is to honor the sacrifices of the men and women who gave up their lives for our country. Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day traces its roots to the 1860s, when citizens placed flowers on the graves of soldiers killed during the Civil War. After World War I, the name changed to Memorial Day and it came to be known as a day to honor fallen soldiers from all U.S. wars.

Photo of a woman decorating a grave with flag for Memorial Day

Rituals, traditions, and celebrations around remembrance – whether for fallen soldiers or a beloved family member – help define our communities and connect us to our shared history.

How remembrance rituals tie us together

On Monday, the President and military leaders will place a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldiers in Arlington, Virginia. Across the country, flags and flowers will be placed at the final resting spot of fallen soldiers across the country. The day will also be marked by ceremonies at veterans halls and with parades on Main Streets.

Our colleagues at 1-800-FLOWERS recently spoke with Dr. Bill Hoy, a professor of medical humanities at Baylor University who has studied acts of remembrance across cultures and throughout history. He has found that they’ve been remarkably similar around the world for thousands of years.

One such common act is the placement of significant symbols during a memorial service. “Flowers are an extraordinary example,” Hoy says. “My colleagues found that 20,000 to 60,000 years ago, vegetation was arranged in symbolic patterns, such as around the head. This was the perfect purposeful placing of flora in the grave.”

Another theme is the gathering of community. Hoy’s research shows that modern wakes and funerals that pull together family and friends are rooted in history. “Virtually no society allows the bereaved to go it alone — they always gather around them, offering aid, support, encouragement. Humans are a pack animal, especially in times of crisis,” he explains.

These and other themes he’s identified occur whether it’s a family grieving the loss of a loved one or a community remembering its fallen soldiers on Memorial Day.

The importance of community remembrance

Local and national memorials and monuments often incorporate traditional acts of remembrance on a very large scale. “Erecting a statue or building a monument is a ritual and an action. We do something,” Hoy explains. “We don’t want to forget the past and what happened — we want to tell the story to the next generation.”

Hoy says he loves visiting museums and memorials in Washington, D.C., and watching families and school trips talking about what a particular monument represents. “I saunter up behind them and listen,” he says. “Museums and monuments and memorials give us a way to tell a story, and it’s an emotionally safe way to hold an emotion.”

Activities like those that occur on Memorial Day forge connections between the past and the present, says Jennifer Egert, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in New York City.

“A visual gesture such candle lighting, laying of a wreath, parades — these provide clear, participatory experiences that often represent distant events and in doing so, help us connect to these past events in the present moment,” she says.

Celebrating community connections

It’s comforting that we have such a strong bond across generations, people, and times. In fact, when we are remembering our loved ones or our soldiers, we’re part of a global community, sharing our sadness but also our strength as we forge ahead, living our lives the best way we can.

Even as Memorial Day connects us with our past, it also reinforces our connections to the present. It gives us a reason to celebrate the bonds we share with our neighbors, families, and friends – the communities our soldiers fought so bravely to preserve.

All the Best,

Chris & Jim

Discover Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’ Inspired Plant Collection

We collaborated with Disney to celebrate the film’s release of Disney’s Jungle Cruise, now playing in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access. Subscription and additional fee required.

Shop our plant collection for plants inspired by Disney’s Jungle Cruise and enter for a chance to win† a private screening for up to 100 guests!

Join fan favorites Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt for the adventure of a lifetime on Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” a rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.

Jaume Collet-Serra directs the film, which stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, with Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti. John Davis, John Fox, Beau Flynn, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia, are the producers, with Scott Sheldon and Doug Merrifield serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Michael Green and Glenn Ficarra & John Requa and the screen story is by John Norville & Josh Goldstein and Glenn Ficarra & John Requa. Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” now playing in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access.

†No purchase necessary to enter or win. Only legal residents of the 50 US/DC 18 years old or older are eligible to win. Sweepstakes ends 8/13/2021. Winners will be randomly selected. Odds of winning will depend on the number of valid entries. The total value of all prizes is $1,500- $4,000 USD. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules for complete details.

Disney's Jungle Cruise | Official Trailer

Want to still treat your loved one to Disney inspired gifts? Shop our collection of Disney gifts including decorative floral bouquets, home accessories, outdoor gifts and sweet treats!

Celebrations Community

Chef Anita Lo Is On an Insatiable Search for Inspiration and Flavor

Anita Lo has become one of the most established and respected chefs in the country by embracing the adage “you only live once.” Her guiding principle of wringing the most out of every day has taken her far. First female guest chef to cook a state dinner at the White House. Top Chef Master. Michelin-starred chef.

“I find inspiration everywhere,” Anita says. “I read a lot. I travel. I can get inspiration from trying a new food I haven’t had before, or just by hearing about an interesting technique that I want to try making my own.”

Anita’s worldview has propelled her career and taken her around the world. Indeed, her quest for new flavors, cultures, and experiences — from fishing in Alaska to culinary trips to Senegal — has helped her become one of the leading voices in the modern culinary movement.

What a long, delicious trip it’s been

The love of food — and embracing new adventures — instilled in her by her early family life helped launch Anita on a journey of flavors and experiences that continues even today.

A first-generation Chinese American, Anita was always a foodie, sampling a variety of foods from an early age. She grew up in Birmingham, Michigan — a tiny suburb 30 minutes north of Detroit — in a family where she fostered her lifelong love of unique and unexpected flavors. It started with her Malaysian mom, who was an “excellent cook.” She was always prepping one food or another, Anita says, whether it was different Asian cuisines or even fried chicken. Anita also grew up with several nannies from different cultures: one such nanny was a Hungarian woman who regularly cooked paprika-laced dishes. “I feel fortunate to have had such a multicultural culinary upbringing,” she says.

Anita’s relationship with food has changed over the years. “I’ve been peppering my diet with some of the things that I’ve loved,” she explains. “I used to make my mother’s chicken curry quite often when I was in college, and then I just stopped. Recently I’ve been making it quite often.”

Along with food, travel was a huge part of Anita’s childhood. There were family trips to the Canadian border, sampling “anything Asian” along the way, treks to Cape Cod in the summer (“I remember every year I’d ask for the same meal for my birthday,” she recalls with a laugh — “lobster, steamers, and corn”), and regular vacations to Europe.

When Anita was in college, majoring in French at Columbia University, she decided to study abroad in Paris, and that trip changed her life. She enrolled in a cooking class at a local culinary school — one class led to several and suddenly her passion for cooking exploded. She decided she wanted to be a chef, so she quit college and enrolled at École Ritz Escoffier, a famed culinary institution in Paris, and she graduated with honors.

After mastering French techniques as an intern for a who’s who of Parisian cuisine (Guy Savoy and Michel Rostang, among others), Anita returned to New York, where she worked for more star chefs, including David Bouley. Always hungry for change and adventure, she next decided to work for herself and opened a string of critically acclaimed restaurants, from a dumpling bar to an Asian barbecue joint to the contemporary American Annisa (“women” in Arabic), which earned the coveted Michelin star.

Anita reveled in the experience of creating each location and its distinct menu. “It was an amazing time,” she recalls. “It was wonderful to create my little restaurant family and sit down with my staff every day and have dinner. It was so fulfilling working with everybody, teaching them, and seeing them succeed — knowing they were becoming better cooks. The whole process was very rewarding.”

Feeding her motivation

Anita appreciates how different — and perhaps unconventional — situations can change the way she thinks about food and also challenge her cooking skills in surprising ways. Both of those boxes were checked when Anita competed against the best chefs on television, first defeating Mario Batali on Iron Chef America, then coming in fourth out of 24 world-class contestants on Top Chef Masters.

“I feel fortunate to have had such a multicultural culinary upbringing.”

A different cooking challenge put her in the history books, though. In 2015 Anita became the first female guest chef to cook for a state dinner at the White House, when she prepared a four-course meal for the Obamas and visiting Chinese president Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan.

For that dinner, Anita worked alongside White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford and White House pastry chef Susan Morrison. She whipped up wild mushroom soup with black truffle; butter-poached Maine lobster served with spinach, shiitakes, and leek rice-noodle rolls; and grilled Colorado lamb garnished with garlic fried milk and baby broccoli. For dessert, she made a poppy-seed bread-and-butter pudding with Meyer lemon curd and lychee sorbet.

Anita Lo State Dinner — *From left to right: Susan Morrison, Mary Attea, Anita Lo, and Cristeta Comerford at the White House State Dinner, Sept. 25, 2015. Courtesy Barack Obama Presidential Library*

Among numerous career highlights, Anita says becoming a vocal advocate and supporter of emerging LGBTQ chefs is one of the steps along her journey that she’s most proud of.

“When I was growing up, there were no gay people on television,” she says. “It can be really hard to be gay sometimes. There are still lots of pockets of the United States where it’s not OK being gay. Representation matters. I’m fortunate and thankful that I have a platform and that I get to use it to help and inspire other people.”

Roads not yet taken

As for future plans, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Anita had begun working with Tour de Forks, a high-end, boutique culinary travel company that helps travelers discover unique destinations through the lenses of history, culture, and cuisine.

“Leading these culinary tours around the planet and doing the research beforehand and teaching classes during the trip combines so many of the things I enjoy,” she says. “I’m hoping we can start doing them again in the fall.”

She’s also looking for her next restaurant project, and maybe writing another cookbook when the time feels right. She’s already written two: Solo and Cooking Without Borders. Until then, she is perfectly happy just to be in her own kitchen, tinkering with techniques and trying new dishes as the mood hits.

“In the end, my love of cooking is what really keeps me going,” she says.

The Joy of Coloring

“Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings, the artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.” Wassily Kandinsky

“I look out the window sometimes to seek the color of the shadows and the different greens in the trees, but when I get ready to paint I just close my eyes and imagine a scene.” Grandma Moses

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” Georgia O’Keeffe

Right now, we all have feelings that there are no words for. And hours to fill throughout the day, trying not to think about what’s happening and how we feel about it!

So, I turned to the masters for inspiration and guidance. And I remembered the post I had done for grandparent’s day a while back, about coloring being a great activity for grandparents and grandchildren to do together. It included printable coloring pages of two of 1-800 Flowers best-selling flower arrangements that I thought would be perfect to share with you again now.

Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness. While a person is coloring the brain experiences relief by entering a meditative state. Therefore, I would say coloring pictures of flowers is a win-win!

I printed them out myself and let me tell you I really got into it! I pulled out all my art supplies and just had fun with it! As you can see from this shot I can be quarantined for a year in my house and not run out of craft and art supplies! Luckily I can still share ideas and inspiration with you on an ongoing basis without ever leaving the house!

Dual Brush pens work nicely for filling in very quickly and adding lots of saturated color with the flexible brush end.

And allows fine detailing with the fine point end! I like the Tombow brand of pens and they have great info, ideas, and printables on their site too.

I also layered in with watercolor paint, watercolor pencils, and just a dap of metallic paint!

I was so excited by my finished pieces and couldn’t wait to show them off to my grandkids on Facetime. They were very impressed! I printed out copies for each of them and included in their weekly goody bags that my husband and I drop on their porches. I told them to send me a photo when they’re done so I can see how they expressed themselves through coloring.

I would love to see yours’s too!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE GARDEN BOUQUET.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SUNFLOWER BOUQUET.

Literary Characters Named After Flowers

While it may not always seem like it, a lot goes into naming a book character. It has to be memorable but not outlandish, beautiful but not vain, and fitting without being too obvious. So it makes sense that authors often name their characters after flowers and plants. After all, plants have been used for centuries to convey symbolism and, most importantly, emotion — and isn’t the very purpose of books to make us feel something? From young to old, charming to awkward, heroine to villain, below are a few of our favorite literary characters’ flower-inspired names.

Lily Owens

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Lily is no stranger to adversity. After losing her mother at a young age and suffering at the hand of her abusive father, she finds the strength to run away with her caregiver and start a new life. Despite what her name might suggest, she’s not nearly as delicate as readers first assume.

Katniss Everdeen

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

Named after the katniss plant, which is commonly referred to as the “arrowhead plant,” perhaps no woman on this list is as appropriately named as Katniss Everdeen. While the plant most obviously relates to her amazing archery skills, it also symbolizes Katniss’ ability to protect and provide for her family, since the plant can also be eaten. Her name is also a nod to something Katniss’ father used to tell her when she was younger, that “…as long as you can find yourself, you’ll never starve.”

Fern Arable

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

Charlotte’s Web is about a lot more than just a girl and her pig. In this traditional coming-of-age story, we watch as Fern grows from a spunky little girl to an awkward teenager. For decades, ferns played a major role in Native American medicine and have been used to treat everything from tuberculosis to snake bites. So it’s only fitting that Fern, who saves her beloved pig Wilbur, is named after a plant that has likely saved the lives of thousands.

Daisy Buchanan

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Unlike the many other ladies on this list, who embody their floral name in mind, body, and spirit, Daisy is one of the least connected to her name. Though she’s beautiful and alluring, like a daisy, the similarities end there, as she’s also cold, vindictive, and headstrong.

Primrose Everdeen

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins certainly enjoyed a good floral-inspired name. During the Victorian Era, giving someone a primrose flower meant, “I can’t live without you.” When Katniss hears her sister’s name called for the Hunger Games, this is certainly the thought going through her mind before she utters the now famous phrase, “I volunteer as tribute.”

Narcissa Malfoy

The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter fans have long debated whether or not Narcissa’s name is fitting for her. While yes, she’s a Death Eater and servant to Voldemort (sorry, He Who Shall Not Be Named), she’s not as narcissistic as her name implies. Upon learning that Voldemort intends to kill her son, Draco, she breaks her allegiance to him and ultimately protects her family from being slaughtered. Perhaps that’s the real meaning behind her plant-inspired name, narcissus, which symbolizes a brighter future ahead.

Susie Salmon

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Having trouble finding the floral inspiration in her name? Don’t feel too bad — it’s not nearly as obvious as the others. But Susie actually means lily or lotus. It was the Greeks who popularized the belief that lilies symbolize purity, chastity, and virtue — words often used to describe children. At just fourteen years old, Susie is assaulted and murdered by her neighbor, and the book follows her recounting the events from the afterlife. Despite the horrors she endured on Earth, Susie still maintains the qualities of a lily for eternity.

1-800-Flowers Wants to Know…

…who is your wonder woman? Tell us on our Facebook on September 5th to 6th & enter for a chance to win!

Power, courage and grace, we all have a wonder woman in our lives! TELL US about her on the 1-800-Flowers Facebook page and enter for a chance to win a (1) digital copy of the Wonder Woman movie, (2) a wonderful floral arrangement, and (3) a one year membership to our Celebrations Passport program to receive free shipping/no service charge on gifts from our family of brands.

Here’s how to enter:

Visit the 1-800-Flowers Facebook page.
Read the sweepstakes rules here and be sure to like our first comment to show us that you read them.
On our Wonder Woman post, TELL US about your wonder woman and be sure to include #sweepstakes in your answer in order to be eligible to win.
- Entry Period: 12:01 am EDT September 5, 2017 – 11:59 pm EDT September 6, 2017
Ten winners will then be randomly selected.

You can own Wonder Woman digitally now by visiting bit.ly/WonderWomanFilm, and on Blu-Ray™ on September 19th.

We can’t wait to hear about all of your wonder women! Best of luck!

1800Flowers | USS Intrepid’s 2014 Memorial Day

Memorial Day is Monday, May 26, 2014 and is a day to remember America’s bravest who protect the United States of America.

Every year on the final Monday in May, men, women, and children gather to commemorate and salute the fallen heroes of the United States military. While Memorial Day originally started as a day of remembrance for those who died solely in the Civil War, the occasion has extended to include all of those who we have lost during their time in the military. Some choose to commemorate their military heroes by visiting cemeteries, attending parades, or by holding private gatherings in their home to pay tribute to their lost loved ones.

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum salutes our lost heroes in a yearly Memorial Day Ceremony. This honorary event is filled with red, white, and blue displays as well as educational activities for attendants of all ages. 1-800-Flowers.com is proud to continue its annual tradition in taking part in the Intrepid’s Memorial Day observances with floral wreath donations; a custom 1-800-Flowers.com has been part of for over a decade.
The actual event will take place on Memorial Day on May 26 2014 and is part of the Intrepid’s salute to Summer Fleet Week program. The event begins at 10:00 a.m at the USS Intrepid’s Pier 86 in New York City. This year’s activities include a “What is Memorial Day?” informational tour, as well as a special three-volley rifle salute and unfurling of a 100-foot American flag.

The spectacular wreaths proudly donated by 1-800-Flowers.com are featured in the observances and are specially created for this event. The wreaths are measured at over 30 inches in diameter and are adorned with freshly cut red, white, and blue flowers. They are then finished with a beautifully complementary bow and presented for all to see before they are customarily released into the water.

“It is truly an honor to participate in the annual Memorial Day Ceremony,” says Chris McCann, 1-800-Flowers.com President. “Our caring team is passionate about helping the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum honor and recognize our fallen soldiers each year.”

The Memorial Day event is free and open to the public. Attendees of all ages are welcome, so if you’re looking for a great way to honor the fallen American patriots, visit the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on May 26, 2014! You can find more information on the event at IntrepidMuseum.org.