Lilium has carried Jellycat plush toys in the shop for several years. We love their unique designs and high quality craftsmanship, and they make perfect gifts for baby showers, birthdays and holidays. While we knew kids loved receiving Jellycats, we didn’t anticipate the increased interest from the teen and young adult (Generation Z) crowd. Thanks to social media platforms like TikTok, Jellycats are all the rage, and have become quite collectable.

what’s the big deal?

Jellycats are not your average plush toy. They are so very cuddly, made with luxury fabrics and stuffed just enough to be floppy and squeezable. Their designs range from classic teddy bears and long-eared bunnies to sea creatures, insects and dragons. The company’s Amuseable line brings everyday objects like food, plants, sports equipment, and holiday icons to life with cheerful smiles and adorable dangling legs and feet.

We started getting phone calls before Christmas this year from parents looking for specific Jellycats, not for their young children, but for their teens and young adults. TikTok, in particular, is filled with video content of Gen Zs showing off their latest Jellycat acquisition. Jellycat introduces two new collections per year, but they also retire about 75-100 plush designs per year. This creates even greater demand for the rare and hard to find Jellycat.

Jellycats have become quite collectable. There are websites for collectors that feature databases to help fans manage their collections. The company has experienced a 59% increase in online searches over the past year, with 639,000 searches per month.

HOLIDAY favorites

Jellycat releases new holiday styles each year, and most are sold out well before the holiday. Lilium will offer the Bashful Red Love Heart Bunny and Amuseable Pink and White Marshmallows for Valentine’s Day 2024. Quantities are limited, so don’t wait to place your order, or stop by in person to claim them for your own.

New to our collection

Lilium is pleased to offer a large selection of Jellycats, including bunnies, bears, kangaroos, koalas, cows and hippos. 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, so don’t miss out on Drake the Dragon (retired in 2021) and Snow Dragon. We are adding several NEW Jellycats to our inventory, including Finnegan Frog, Bashful Lamb, Fuddlewuddle Lion and Bashful Wolf.

Stop by Lilium and meet our menagerie of wonderful Jellycat creatures. Take one or two home to add to your own collection!


The world’s leading prognosticator of color trends, the Pantone Color Institute, has announced the 2024 Color of the Year: Peach Fuzz. Following last year’s vibrant pick, Viva Magenta, this year the Pantone Institute has opted for a softer, warmer, velvety hue.

This isn’t the peach of the ’80s (often paired with Seafoam Green). Peach Fuzz (Pantone #13-1023) evokes not only a color, but a texture. According to the Pantone website, “Visually arresting and inviting, Peach Fuzz is a nurturing peach tone that inspires us to instinctively want to reach out and touch. Conveying a message of tactility that comes through in sueded, velvety, quilted, and furry textures, luxuriously soothing and soft to the touch, Peach Fuzz is an enveloping peach hue that awakens our senses to the comforting presence of tactility and cocooned warmth.”

25 YEARS OF COLOR INFLUENCE

In 2024, Pantone’s Color of the Year program celebrates 25 years of highlighting the role color plays in our lives. The Color of the Year impacts fashion, cosmetics, home furnishings, product design and packaging, multimedia design and commercial interiors, to name a few. Today, the program is a globally-recognized barometer of color trends.

The Color of the Year selection is the result of ongoing discussions among Pantone Color Institute team members. They represent a wide range of design, cultural and geographical backgrounds. The common thread is expertise in color and design, and the ability to see the world through the “lens of color.”

That’s why I liken them to being color anthropologists. They have this intuitive ability to connect all that is taking place in the world and translate it into the language of color. What especially impresses me about the Pantone Color of the Year selection process is that although our Pantone Color Institute members reside in disparate locations and are involved in differing areas of design, we are always able to come to a consensus.

Laurie pressman, vice president

PEACHES ARE ALWAYS IN SEASON

You might think of peach as a spring or summer color, but it is actually versatile year-round. Some of our favorite fall arrangements include peach blooms.


brides pick PEACHes year-round

Peach is a very versatile color in the floral realm. Whether it’s peaches and creams, peaches with bright summer blooms, or peaches mixed with fall dahlias and grassy textures, brides are favoring peach hues for their ceremony and reception florals.


peachy blooms

Peach is plentiful in the floral world. Roses, dahlias, ranunculus, tulips and many other varieties are available in peach hues. It is an easy color to incorporate into a number of color palettes. As you can see below, peach can complement brights or muted tones just as easily as it works with rich jewel tones.

Contact Lilium at 817-481-1565,or visit our web site at www.liliumflorals.com to explore the use of this year’s color trends.

It is said that art imitates life. In reality, however, art isn’t the imitator, but rather the influencer. Art impacts our culture in many ways, through literature, music, architecture, and design (including floral design). At Lilium, our tagline is “The Art of Flowers.” We truly feel that floral design is an art form, and we are often inspired by the art world. Five of the most influential art movements include: Baroque (Dutch Still Life), Abstract Expressionism, Cubism, Pop Art and Impressionism. Each of these genres provides unique inspiration for our floral designers.

Baroque (dutch still life)

Baroque art flourished in the 17th and 18th Century throughout Europe. It is most often associated with excessive ornamentation and emotion, usually depicting great drama, with rich, deep color, intense light and dark shadows. The Baroque genre, however, encompasses many sub-categories of art, including Dutch Still Life. Dutch artists like Rembrandt van Rijn (known simply as Rembrandt), Johannes Vermeer and Vincent Van Gough are the most widely known artists of the Dutch Golden Age.

Also part of the Dutch movement was Rachel Ruysch, known for her floral still life paintings. In the 17th Century, the Netherlands became a prominent importer of exotic plants from around the world. Wealthy merchants collected species and passed them from grower to grower, giving birth to the cut flower market. Flowers became appreciated for their fragrance and beauty, not simply for their medicinal properties. Flower paintings became an expression of wealth. They generally featured dark backgrounds, with a variety of rich, vibrant stems arranged in an organic, flowing design.

We are inspired by the variety of flowers seen in the paintings. The flowers often seen in the paintings showcased the full blooms and long drapey stems—which really creates an appreciation for each flower. Using the full length of the stem of a tulip is a great way to showcase its natural beauty. Lilium’s designers’ interpretation of this style features more than a dozen varieties of flowers and foliage, including parrot tulips from Holland.

Cubism

Made popular in the early 20th Century by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, Cubism art is marked by geometric shapes painted to represent reality in a fragmented and abstract way. Most often, these works feature a flat, two-dimensional surface. Featured objects are broken up and reassembled in an abstract form. It aims to show the observer all of the possible viewpoints of an object all at once, resulting in an altered reality. This revolutionary style of painting ignored traditional shading, dimension and perspective in order to depict a multi-faceted view.

Pablo Picasso’s Harlequin Playing Guitar (1918)

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

Pablo Picasso

In floral design terms, Cubism art can be interpreted with simple, geometric shapes and interlocking planes. We like using reeds, branches and varieties of greenery to capture this style.

Abstract Expressionism

This post-World War II art movement is rooted in America (specifically, New York). Abstract Expressionism is marked by “spontaneous” creation, in that art comes from the unconscious mind. Artists like Jackson Pollock and Morris Louis used large gestures to spontaneously create large abstract paintings, reflecting whatever the artist was feeling in that moment.

Interpreting Abstract Expressionism in floral design gives us a great deal of freedom to be creative. We can have fun with texture, color and shape. Flowers like Birds of Paradise, Anthurium and Ginger provide pops of color and unique shapes.

Pop Art

The Pop Art movement came about in the United Kingdom and United States in the mid- to late-1950s. In a departure from traditional subjects, pop artists chose objects from popular culture: advertising, comic books, logos, or common everyday objects. Artists most recognized in the Pop Art movement include Eduardo Paolozzi, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, David Hockney and Andy Warhol.

Translating pop art vibes into floral design can be a lot of fun. We can use unconventional vessels, like product cans, tins or jars. However, inspiration doesn’t have to be literal. Our version of Pop Art shown here feature florals in bold, contrasting colors arranged in a playful way that catches the eye.

iMPRESSIONISM

Impressionism was a revolutionary movement that emerged in France in the late 19th Century. Inspired by photography, impressionist painters such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro sought to capture light, color and movement in natural and urban settings. Impressionist works were often painted outdoors rather than in a studio.

Impressionism is characterized by short, but visible, brush strokes that capture the essence of a subject, not the details. Color is applied side by side, with as little mixing as possible, making the colors appear even more vibrant.

Floral interpretation of Impressionism might include soft, garden-style arrangements. Designs may be linear to mimic landscapes. Analogous colors represent a blend of color and form.

The Masters, painters who were ground breakers in their medium more than a century ago, and those who have left their mark on the art world since, continue to influence what we do at Lilium. While they worked in oils, watercolors, and acrylics, our medium is flowers, greenery and texture. Nature provides the most stunning color palette. The result is what we consider “the art of flowers.”

The protea is one of the oldest species of flower, believed to date back 300 million years. Botanist Carl Linnaeus named the protea for the Greek god Proteus, known for his ability to change shape at will. Like its namesake, the protea comes in many different shapes and varieties. To date, horticulturists have identified around 1400 species.

The protea has many uniquely adapted qualities. It has a hearty stalk that extends deep underground, which is the plant’s defense mechanism against wildfires. The underground stems have dormant buds that will produce new growth after a fire. Since bush fires are a common occurrence in the plant’s native environment, it is well designed to survive and reproduce. Further, protea actually need fire, as it causes the flowers to release their seeds.

Protea are also known as sugarbushes, due to the large amount of nectar they produce. The nectar can be directly consumed or made into a syrup. The syrup is said to taste similar to maple syrup, with a fruity after-taste.

King Protea

The king protea, or giant protea, makes a stunning focal point in any floral arrangement. Resembling a crown, the king protea reigns as the largest of the protea species. It is the national flower of South Africa, where it grows naturally along the Cape of Good Hope. The bloom maintains its importance in the country, even appearing on official documents like passports and birth certificates, as well as their coins.

Growers in the southern United States have successfully cultivated the plant, which is great news for U.S. florists. Our friends at Maui Floral say cut king protea can last up to 16 days with proper care. They need a good-sized vase and plenty of water. Their life span can be extended by trimming the stems once a day and placing back into the water.

mink protea

Mink protea have a cup shaped flower head. Its bracts (colorful leaves that are often mistaken for petals), characteristically have a black fringe on the tips. It ranges in color from dark pink to creamy green or white.

pincushion protea

When you hear the word, “pincushion,” you might picture a bright red cloth tomato filled with some abrasive material to store pins and keep them sharp. While the Pincushion Protea may resemble this common sewing tool, its “pins” are actually individual petals. Upon first glance, it appears to be a single flower, but in fact, it is a composite bloom, made up of many small flowers and colourful bracts. 

Lilium sources these blooms from Hawaii, and sometimes California, They are generally available in yellow, orange and red hues. Pincushion protea pair well with other tropical stems in floral arrangements. They make a striking addition to traditional arrangements as well.

Banksia

Another protea variety you’ll find in a Lilium arrangement is banksia. These tropical beauties are easily identified by their leaves, which feature a serrated edge. Banksia are commonly found in shades of yellow or green, but they may also produce striking red, pink and orange blooms.

The plant is named for Sir Joseph Banks, who in 1770 first collected specimens in Botany Bay on the Australian coast. Like its fellow protea species, banksia relies on fire to prompt a release of seeds. It is now cultivated in the U.S. in California and Hawaii.

At Lilium, our tagline is “The Art of Flowers.” We source our fresh product from all over the world to offer our clients something unique, something they won’t find from other floral retailers. We are a custom shop, with an ever-changing inventory of fresh blooms and foliage. We love the unique qualities protea offer, and how they can be incorporated into beautiful artistic arrangements. Let us create living art for you today by calling 817-481-1565 or visiting us online at www.liliumflorals.com

The Pantone Color Institute, the most respected predictor of color trends, has spoken, and they have welcomed us all to the “Magentaverse.” Viva Magenta, color 18-1750 on the Pantone chart, is from the red family. The color is thought to promote a joyous and optimistic celebration. Reds are power colors, and Viva Magenta is a bright, crimson shade that balances boldness with a feeling of fun.

 “Viva Magenta welcomes anyone and everyone with the same verve for life and rebellious spirit. It is a color that is audacious, full of wit and inclusive of all,” according to Pantone.

natural meets digital

The “Magentaverse” reference is a play on the metaverse terminology. The metaverse is a digital reality that combines all aspects of social media, online gaming and virtual reality. Viva Magenta is expected to bring natural roots to this virtual world as much as to the real world of design, fashion, home decor, and a wide range of consumer goods.

In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real. PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family and is inspired by the red cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known.

Leatrice eiseman, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PANTONE COLOR INSTITUTE

color collaborations

The Pantone Color Institute collaborates with companies around the world to feature the Color of the Year in their products. The Color of the Year is like the ultimate influencer. Studies have shown that color impacts 85% of buying decisions. As soon as the winning color is announced, corporate creatives jump to work to integrate the trend into their product lines and market it to consumers. A rapid response to color trends gives manufacturers and retailers an edge over their competition. After all, in just 11 months, another color will be selected, and we start over again!

Today we are living in a unique multi-dimensional environment, one that combines physical and virtual. Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, explains, “As a result, space has been created where we are free to explore and be accepted for exactly who we feel we are, whether it be in a cybernetic universe, a conventional space, or a magical blend of both.”

what colors pair WELL with magenta?

When the Pantone Color Institute selected its pick for 2023, they also created a palette of coordinating colors. According to Pantone, the colors that best complement Viva Magenta are Pale Dogwood, Gray Sand, Gray Lilac, Pale Khaki, Fields of Rye, Agate Gray and Plein Air.

Some interior designers took this advice to heart, allowing Viva Magenta to be the star against more muted hues. In other cases, designers doubled down on the vibrant color by pairing it with another bold shade such as emerald, plum, or black.

bold florals

Florists are reacting positively to Pantone’s announcement, as nature offers many beautiful blooms that celebrate the 2023 Color of the Year. Roses, peonies, orchids, calla lilies, dahlias, ranunculus and hydrangea are only a few of the flowers available in a magenta hue.

“I think magenta is a beautiful color,” said Lilium designer Taylor Pritchett Zender. “I am excited to see the bold color used in weddings and events this year.”

Contact Lilium at 817-481-1565 or visit www.liliumflorals.com to see how you can enter the “Magentaverse” in 2023 with bold and beautiful florals.

Featured header photo courtesy of Rio Roses

We are all familiar with the sights and sounds of the Christmas season, but what about the smell of Christmas? Often, the scent associated with an event or place is what creates a lasting sensory memory. If Christmas had a signature scent, what would it be? Perhaps one or more of the following comes immediately to mind:

  • Pine, Fir, and Cedar
  • Freshly-baked sugar cookies
  • Peppermint
  • Gingerbread
  • Cinnamon, Cloves, Orange and Ginger (mulled wine)
  • Hot chocolate

create a scented environment

Familiar and comforting scents of the season will make your guests feel welcome, and perhaps a bit nostalgic. Nothing beats the real deal when it comes to scents. Use fresh cut greens when you can, bake the cookies and gingerbread, or simmer aromatics in a pot on the stove. If those options aren’t feasible, however, there are many ways to create a holiday environment.

candles AND DIFFUSERS

With so many to choose from, candles and reed diffusers are an easy way to distribute holiday scents throughout your space. You can find just about any favorite scent of the season in this format. At Lilium, we carry Lafco candles and diffusers, with Frosted Pine, Crimson Berry, Cinnamon Bark, Golden Chestnut, Hazelnut Torrone, Spiced Pomander, Woodland Spruce, Champagne Holiday and Winter Currant among our favorites around the holidays.

SCENTED POMANDER BALLS

Another easy way to bring holiday fragrance into the home is by making your own pomander balls. It can be a fun activity for the family as well. All you need is oranges, toothpicks and whole cloves. Simply press the cloves into the orange rind (making a small hole with a toothpick will make it easier) in whatever creative pattern you choose. You can place the finished pomander balls into a festive centerpiece, or add some ribbon and hang them on your Christmas tree.

Fresh pomander balls will only last 4-7 days, but can be dried in a dehydrator and reused next year!

SWAP OUT HAND SOAPS

Replace your favorite sink-side hand soaps with holiday scented soaps. Whether you choose crisp peppermint, a sweet baking scent, or freshly cut pine, you’ll get a burst of the holiday spirit every time you wash your hands.

diffuse and blend essential oils

Essential oils can be incorporated in a number of ways to distribute seasonal scents throughout your home. Of course, the easiest way to disperse the fragrance is with a diffuser specifically for essential oils. Another option: if you have a tart warmer (traditionally used for wax melts), it works beautifully as a diffuser for your favorite essential oils. Simply place some coconut oil in the bowl area and add a few drops of essential oil.

Make a diffuser ornament for your artificial Christmas tree using evergreen oils to simulate a fresh cut tree. Use air-dry clay and your favorite holiday cookie cutter to make an ornament. When dry, the clay is the perfect medium for diffusing the essential oil.

Homemade ornament diffuser

What could be more “Christmas-y” than Frankincense? If you aren’t familiar with this scent, it is rich, fresh and woody with notes of fruit and spice. Other spicy essential oils, such as ginger, clove and cinnamon blend beautifully with a milder scent, like orange. Create your own Christmas blend and place a few drops on a container of pine cones or unscented potpourri. So many options to consider!

While showing hospitality to your family and friends this holiday season, make sure they remember the smell of Christmas in your home.

Fall is finally here! It has happened… temperatures have dropped, and there is a crisp, cool feeling in the air. In Texas, although the calendar says it is autumn in September, we still have weeks of summer ahead of us. We count the days until we can bid farewell to triple digit temperatures and say hello to all things pumpkin… spice, pie, lattes, patches… and sweater weather! Fall brings with it a beauty and atmosphere all its own, with its own celebrations and traditions unlike any other season.

nature’s transformation

As with each season, autumn announces its arrival throughout nature. One of my favorite sites is the beautiful variety in the color of the leaves. The reds, yellows, oranges, greens, golds and browns dot the landscape and put on quite a show. Avid “leaf lookers” plan October trips to New England to bask in their famous fall landscapes. In Texas, our leaves take a little longer to turn, but we can look forward to striking foliage in November.

all things pumpkin

Autumn also brings the previously mentioned pumpkin harvest, along with other gourds and berries. The variety of pumpkins alone is amazing. Traditional “Jack-o-lantern” orange pumpkins are plentiful, but the addition of Italian Stripe, Cinderella, White Casper, Jarrahdale, Fairytale, One Too Many , Crown Prince, and Knucklehead (just to name a few) offer colors and textures to create stunning fall displays.

thanksgiving – celebrating a bountiful harvest

One traditional symbol of autumn is the cornucopia, or horn of plenty, which symbolizes an abundance of nourishment. Today, it is closely tied to our Thanksgiving holiday, where we express gratitude for the harvest and God’s provision. The first Thanksgiving celebrated the fall harvest with a festival between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, and in 1941, the US Congress permanently established observation of the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November.

We’ve added a few traditions since that first celebration. Perhaps your family/friends might start the day watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade while waiting for the turkey to come out of the oven. At our house, we gather around a jigsaw puzzle that takes all day to complete. Some retreat outside to toss a football or challenge one another to a game of cornhole. After way too many helpings from our feast, some find a spot to nap, while others indulge in a slice (or two) of pie while watching football on television. There are always one or two who are seriously plotting their holiday shopping strategy for the following day, Black Friday.

No matter how the day is celebrated, it’s a day when we draw close to one another. Family and friends who may be scattered near and far come together for this day. Unlike any other holiday in the U.S., Thanksgiving is a day specifically set aside to acknowledge our blessings and the One who gave them to us.

Home Decor

With such a plentiful selection provided by nature, it is easy to bring the season inside to decorate the home. This can be as simple as gathering acorns, pine cones, and leafy branches from your yard and arranging them in your favorite containers, or pulling together an assortment of mini pumpkins on any table. Fill a shallow bowl with small gourds, nuts and seasonal fruits and vegetables to create your own modern-day cornucopia.

If you want to take your Thanksgiving table up a notch, delight your guests with floral arrangements that incorporate the season’s vibrant hues and textures.

Fall floral arrangements are as much about textures as about the colors. Lilium designers pull in touches of autumn, like bittersweet berries, ilex berries, lotus pods, bullit allium and thistle. These are easily paired with fall gourds, ornamental kale and artichokes, as well as traditional florals like hydrangea, roses, orchids, lilies and seasonal dahlias. Dried grasses and colorful leaves add even more to the festive fall presentation.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it isn’t too early to think about a centerpiece for your holiday table. Lilium will be delivering arrangements throughout the DFW area through Wednesday, November 23. Call early for the best selection: 817-481-1565, or place your order online at: www.liliumflorals.com.

When we take orders for floral arrangements, we usually start with the basics… recipient’s name, phone number, delivery date, delivery address. The conversation is rolling along nicely until we get to a certain point: the card message. Nothing brings the process to a halt like a customer trying to decide what to say to the recipient. Often, the sender will ask us for suggestions. While messages are personal and there is no “template” for what to say, generally, the card message should come from the heart and be appropriate for the occasion. We have compiled a few ideas to consider on your next floral order.

short and sweet

Floral enclosure cards are small, roughly two inches by four inches. Lilium enclosure cards feature our logo on front, with our contact information and floral care recommendations on the back. That allows for a short message and signature. Perhaps you can say, “how do I love thee,” but there will not be enough space to “let me count the ways.” Concise messages can still effectively express your thoughts, feelings and well wishes.

what’s the occasion?

Because we are frequently asked to assist in composing a card message, we have a little experience in this area. Some occasions lend themselves to creativity, while others are best simply stated. Following are a few suggestions, arranged by occasion:

Birthdays
  • Celebrating you
  • May all of your birthday wishes come true
  • Cheers to you on your birthday
  • The day you were born is cause for celebration
  • You’re not getting older, you’re getting better
  • Love on your birthday and every day
  • Don’t count the years, count the blessings
  • Wishing you a very happy birthday… and many more
  • Hugs, kisses and birthday wishes
ANNIVERSARY
  • Thank you for loving me like no one else
  • Every year with you is sweeter than the last
  • Celebrating us
  • Happiness isn’t perfect until it is shared
  • I love you for who you are and who I am when I’m with you
  • Your love is all I need. Happy anniversary
  • You take my breath away today and every day
  • Looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you
  • Every day is an adventure, every year better than the last
  • May this anniversary reflect all the special moments you’ve shared, and all the wonderful moments to come
sympathy
  • With love and sympathy
  • Thinking of you in these difficult times
  • Sharing in your sorrow
  • With loving memories
  • May happy memories fill the sadness in your heart
  • You are in our thoughts and prayers
  • With heartfelt condolences
  • Thinking of you as you celebrate _____’s incredible life
  • _______ will be greatly missed
cheer up/just because
  • I hope these flowers brighten your day
  • Sending joy your way today
  • I hope these ruin a perfectly bad day
  • For the best reason of all – none
  • May your day be as wonderful as you are
get well
  • Wishing you a speedy recovery
  • Hang in there, and get well soon
  • Sending hugs and get well wishes
  • All this for a few days off work? Get well soon
  • We are here for you every step of the way
new baby
  • Congratulations on your newest blessing. Can’t wait to meet him/her
  • A beautiful miracle for your family. Congratulations
  • Congratulations on your new little one
  • Welcome to the world, ________. Congratulations to Mom & Dad
  • Congratulations on your bundle of joy
  • Sleep is overrated, babies are not. Congratulations

There are, of course, many reasons to send flowers that are not represented here, but we’ve tried to highlight the most frequent requests. Feel free to inject your own personality, a privately-shared joke, pet nickname, etc. While card messages should be personal, be discriminating about how much personal information to include in your message. Keep in mind that the shop sales staff, floral designers and delivery drivers can all see your message on the work order/delivery ticket. We’ve just about heard it all… sometimes more than we wanted to know. Lilium’s policy is to be discreet and protect our clients’ privacy. However, some messages are best delivered by you, in person.

At Lilium, we think our beautiful custom arrangements send a message all on their own, but we understand that the recipient will want to know who sent them. So, the next time you have a reason to send flowers, Lilium staff will be standing by to help you select the perfect arrangement, paired with the perfect card message. 817-481-1565. www.liliumflorals.com

For the first time in its history, the Pantone Color Institute created a new color as its Color of the Year. Very Peri, described as a vibrant periwinkle blue with violet and red undertones, was invented especially for the honor. That’s right, none of the 1,114 existing Pantone colors were deserving of the 2022 crown.

“It was really important for us to come up with a new color, because we have a very new vision of the world now,” Pantone Color Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman recently told CNN in an interview. In choosing the color(s) of the year, the Institute considers global events. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to influence their choices. In 2021, for only the second time, two colors were selected: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating (bright yellow). The colors symbolized emergence from a dreary time into a brighter future. Likewise, the Institute felt that Very Peri was a hopeful and happy shade that created a feeling of newness.

As we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection of PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family, encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time with its violet undertone, Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expressions.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute

Digital influences

In addition to world events, Pantone studies the entertainment industry, art, fashion, design, travel and lifestyles for emerging trends. This year, technology played an integral part in their choice as our lives are increasingly tied to the digital realm, or metaverse. The color is found in platforms from the Fortnite video game to Zoom call backgrounds. To further promote the tech theme, Pantone partnered with Microsoft to launch Very Peri as a series of wallpapers, PowerPoint palettes, and even a Teams camera filter. 


peri partners

To give you a little inspiration for incorporating Very Peri into your world, Pantone provides suggested palettes. The color can be the star of the show among neutrals. It also serves as a complement to brighter hues.


Benjamin Moore paint company’s Color Preview collection includes Scandinavian Blue, which closely resembles Very Peri. They suggest pairing the color with a creamy white and silvery pale blue shade.


Peri weddinG?

Apart from the actual periwinkle flower (vinca), the blue-purple Very Peri color is rare in fresh florals. If you’ve fallen in love with the color and want to use it in your upcoming wedding, Lilium designers recommend incorporating the shade in your reception linens, invitations/announcements, bridesmaid dresses and accessories. It’s easier to coordinate florals to compliment the periwinkle tones than to find flowers in that specific shade. As shown in the suggested palettes above, there are many ways to build a color story around Very Peri.

Orchids are the most varied species of flower on the planet. It’s difficult to even pinpoint a number of varieties, as new ones are discovered each year, but there are an estimated 25,000 species in the orchid family. Orchids grow naturally in tropical climates, but many varieties can be cultivated in the U.S., and with a healthy green thumb, can be maintained as house plants.

When you visualize an orchid, the phalaenopsis orchid likely comes to mind. It is frequently found at garden centers, florists, and even supermarkets. It is fairly easy to grow, even for a beginner. Phalaenopsis orchids can be found in a wide variety of colors, from pure white, pinks and purples to apricot, orange, salmon, and yellow.

ORCHID CARE

Lilium customers frequently ask about how to care for potted orchids. When we deliver a potted orchid, we include an Orchid Care card with general instructions. We recommend placing the plant in bright indirect light. Fill a spray bottle with about 5 ounces of room-temperature water. Gently lift the leaves and mist the roots. Do not spray the leaves or flowers. Allow soil to dry out completely before watering again. Orchids do not like to stand in water. After the blooming cycle is over, continue to mist weekly to encourage future blooms.

There are some conflicting opinions about watering methods. Some orchid sellers and websites recommend watering orchids using ice cubes. Using ice cubes allows water to slowly drip onto the roots as the ice melts. However, orchids are tropical plants that grow in warm climates, so they are not naturally acclimated to freezing temperatures. If ice directly touches the roots, it will damage them. We recommend the misting method, using tepid water.

Orchid roots are unusual. The roots are thick compared to finely webbed roots on other plants, and they are intended to be open to the air and not buried in potting soil.  Orchid roots have a special covering called velamen, which acts as a sponge absorbing water and nutrients for the orchid. For most orchids, the roots are green when newly hydrated, silver-green, or white when healthy, but dry. Mushy, limp orchid roots indicate overwatering. Likewise, the roots should not be tan or brittle – this signals underwatering.


BLOOM cycle

In spite of the vast variety of orchids in the world, every orchid has something in common: it is bilateral symmetric, meaning it has mirroring halves. If you divide any orchid bloom from top to bottom, you will have two identical halves.

Most orchid plants bloom just once a year. Blooms last, on average, six to eight weeks. Many will discard the bare plant, or replace it with a blooming one. However, orchids will rebloom given care and patience. After blooms drop, prune the dead stems and nodes (yellow, brown or shriveled in appearance). The dead stems will not produce blooms, and may inhibit new growth. Water the plant just as you do when it is blooming, every one to two weeks, allowing it to dry out between watering. Patience will be rewarded with new blooms in eight to 12 months.

cut orchids

With their striking colors, patterns and shapes, orchids often steal the show in fresh arrangements. They are equally at home in tropical arrangements, or paired with more traditional florals like roses, hydrangea and tulips. Lilium designers love to incorporate orchids of all colors and varieties into custom arrangements.

  • Vased arrangement with succulents


FUN FACTS ABOUT ORCHIDS

Vanilla Planifolia
  • Vanilla comes from orchids (Vanilla Planifolia), and is the only variety of orchid yielding an edible product.
  • Orchids grow on every continent except Antarctica
  • Orchids are hypoallergenic (their pollen is not airborne)
  • The tallest species of orchid is the Sobralia altissima in Peru, which can grow 44 feet tall
  • Orchid seeds are about the size of a dust particle, so it can take years for an orchid to bloom from seeds.
  • According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the record is 91 blooms on a single plant.