Floral and Food Trends Archives

This Plant Decor Trend Just Keeps Growing

I don’t know if you have noticed but houseplants are back in a BIG way! It’s true what they say about everything “old is new again”. The last time people were this plant crazy was back in the 70’s. This time around however, there is a new affection for cactus, succulents, and air plants. If you don’t believe me just do a quick search on Pinterest, where according to Garden Media’s 2019 Plant Trends Report, searches for indoor plants are up 90% compared to previous years. And at the top of that search list is “succulents”.

At the recent International Floriculture Expo – the largest floral B2B trade show in North America – in Miami Beach, this trend was obvious by the increased number of plant focused vendors. And these are not your mama’s old plants! Here are just a few of the fun, unique, and easy to care for plants that will be coming to a shop near soon! Or you can go to the plant collection at 1-800 Flowers.com, where you will find the latest varieties in unique containers to gift yourself or to send to a friend!

If you are super adventurous and want to take your plant collection to the next level, then hop on the “Plants as Art” bandwagon. Here’s a little inspiration from the Expo to get you started!

Even the lobby of the hotel that I was staying at during the Expo was beautifully decorated with “plants as art”!

And in response to all the buzz, around succulents and air plants in particular, the 1-800 Flowers retail location in Carle Place, NY held a Creative Workshop for their customers and friends. Each attendee made their own succulent garden and air plant drift wood sculpture. As you can see from the photos below that everyone had a great time while learning new skills and getting some tips from the pros at 1-800 Flowers!

If you’d like to attend a DIY class at 1-800 Flowers, click here – Creative Workshops – to learn about all upcoming events:

What Pairs Best with Rosé Wine?

Once the weather starts to warm up, rosé becomes a go-to drink for many oenophiles — and it’s easy to see why. Wine lovers like that it’s not as heavy as red wine but still packs enough punch to bring out the flavors of grilled meats.

If you’re planning a brunch, lunch, or dinner party this summer — and you really should! — make sure you have the best rosé wine and food pairings to make your gathering a smashing success.

rose wine and cheese with sausage and grapes outdoors

Making rosé wine

Contrary to popular belief, rosé isn’t a blend of white and red wine; rather, think of it as being one step away from red. To give red wine its bold color, winemakers add plenty of red grape skins to the batch. With rosé wine, they simply add fewer red skins or don’t allow juice to sit in the skins for as long.

The result is a wine with the body of a red wine but the crisp, refreshing nature of a white. Needless to say, it’s the best of both worlds.

5 different types of rosés

Most of us call any wine with a pink tint to it rosé. While that’s not technically wrong, it’s also not totally right. Just like red and white wine, there are dozens of different types of rosés you can enjoy. Depending on what you’re eating, some rosés will complement your meal better than others.

Light off-dry rosés

Like its name implies, a light off-dry rosé is best for lighter meals. Summer salads, rice dishes, and spiced curries pair well with very dry rosés.

Medium dry rosés

In addition to the foods that light, off-dry rosé pairs well with, medium dry rosé goes well with sweeter foods and desserts. Chocolate, fruit, cakes, and cookies have the perfect amount of sweetness to bring out the many flavors in dry rosés.

rose pairings with friends toasting at an outdoor meal

Fruity rosés

Fruity rosés tend to be more hit or miss with people — either you really love them or you really don’t. If you’re in the former group, consider yourself lucky, because fruity rosés (and fruity wines in general) go well with many different foods, including seafood (lobster, seared salmon, tuna), duck, lamb, and white cheeses, such as brie.

Full-bodied fruity rosés

Have you yet to find a food that’s too spicy for you? If so, you’ll love a full-bodied fruity rosé. With the body of a red and lightness of a white, these rosés go nicely with heavily seasoned Mexican or Indian food.

Sparkling rosé

As one of the most versatile sparkling wines, sparkling rosé tastes delicious with nearly every light appetizer and dessert on. If you’re pairing it with cheese and crackers, choose white cheeses, such as brie, and prosciutto. For dessert, try it with chocolate covered berries.

For the most part, any of the above-mentioned foods will go well with any glass of rosé. But, with our help, you can enjoy the best of the best pairings.

Now that your meal is perfect, don’t forget to decorate the table with rosé’s favorite flower — roses!

How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Chocolate covered strawberries are a delicious treat, but did you know they’re also super simple to make? We visited our floral (and fruit) studio to watch them being made and couldn’t help but share how good they look. While chocolate dipped strawberries are great for romantic occasions like anniversaries and Valentine’s Day, I’d like to argue that they’re perfect for any day!

Wash strawberries.
Delicately dry strawberries by patting them with a paper towel.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave in 30-second intervals , stirring in between until chocolate is smooth (We use Simply Chocolate!).