Bad Customer Service | Image: jezebel.com

In the past, you might have worried a little about to whom she might complain. With today’s social media options, however, your concern should be tenfold. You cannot afford to have any disgruntled customers! In a recent survey by ClickFox, 16 percent of respondents said they would post negative comments after a bad customer-service experience compared to only 8 percent who said they would post a positive review.

Furthermore, while 52 percent of unhappy customers spout off to family and friends, an even more astounding 32 percent will stop doing business altogether with the company that wronged them. And when customers take to social media to air their discontent, more than 60 percent of consumers are influenced by these detrimental comments.

This just goes to show how serious the negative repercussions of bad customer service can be. So if you weren’t nervous in the past when a disgruntled customer left your shop or got off the phone, you certainly should be paying attention to these issues now. If you don’t, the situation could quickly spiral out of control, and the consequences could be devastating to your shop’s reputation.

The infographic below should give you a good idea of what customers hate the most about bad customer service and how they might react.

Image originally posted on Zengage, The Zendesk Blog

We hope you found this infographic interesting and that it will serve as a reminder of the importance of maintaining good customer relations at all times. If you aren’t already active on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+, we highly recommend you look into doing so. Setting up a profile on these sites is not difficult and will definitely help you manage any customer-service issues that make their way into the public domain.

And, as a bonus, if done correctly, these channels can become an additional source of business for your flower shop and help create awareness around your brand. (We will write more about this aspect in upcoming articles.)

If you have any experience of your own with managing customer-service online, or you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

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2. How Big is the e-Commerce Industry Really?
3. Flower Grower to Consumer in 24 hours: FloraHolland

Rose & Calla Lily Silk Flowers

Why Silk Flowers?

Choosing flowers as the focus of a wedding is always popular because flowers create a natural, charming and romantic aura for an already beautiful event. But choosing wedding decor that includes flora can have certain drawbacks, such as the cost of favourite flowers that may be out of season, the expense and difficulty of incorporating live plants, wilting and dropping leaves, etc. If any of these factors affect your wedding, you may want to consider incorporating silk or artificial plants into your event.

(Consider the couple who longs for a summer or spring wedding with the perfect climate and a bounty of gorgeous blossoms — but, for whatever reason, must plan a wedding during winter or autumn. That bride and groom can still create a gardenlike setting — even an indoor forest with a canopy of trees such as those that adorned Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding at Westminster Abbey — for their special event by taking advantage of the benefits that artificial offerings provide.)

Lots of Accessorizing Options

A stately entrance of artificial topiaries at your wedding.

Because they are unaffected by seasonal influences, silk flowering trees or artificial flower trees, wreaths, garlands, trellises, topiaries and table arrangements can be the perfect answer to accessorizing your wedding. And forget about the days of tacky-looking faux plants. Silk offerings today have undergone a renaissance; their quality is far superior to the materials used in the past. In fact, you can easily mistake today’s artificial options for the real thing.

Ambiance From Romantic to Royal

With so many choices of designs, styles and colors, silk florals can adorn your wedding venue just as beautifully as real flowers. Consider some of these options:

• Fuchsia or lilac bougainvilleas overflowing on reception tables.

• Cherry blossom or rose artificial topiaries lining the aisle for a romantic theme.

• Purple wisteria trees surrounding the bridal table with a royal aura.

• Lush, flowering hedges that greet guests and create a country ambiance.

• Sumptuous arrangements of orchids, lilies or other exotic flowers bedecking the altar.

• Lavish garlands of jasmine or magnolias draping the pews.

• Quaint grapevine and violet wreaths decorating the church and reception doors.

Lush silk arrangements will brighten up any event.

Faux Plants, Real Solutions

Despite their very real appearance, artificial plants offer the distinct advantage of not wilting or dropping leaves. Thus, you can be assured that your wedding’s setting won’t be spoiled. You can also customize flowering plants according to your choice and preferences, thus giving you the opportunity to plan any desired theme. Another bonus? After the wedding festivities have ended, you can use the silk trees or flowers to decorate your home or office interiors.

Let your imagination soar as you discuss all the floral options with your florist, no matter what time of the year it is. Today’s sophisticated artificial flowers offer the perfect option to create the wedding of your dreams.

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

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Online Shopping

Perhaps one of the most significant developments in this “age of the internet” is our ability to buy virtually anything online, from flowers to gifts, to clothing, accessories, software and even our groceries. Yes, there is no doubt that online shopping, otherwise known as e-Commerce has become an integral part of our lives.

But Just How Big is e-Commerce Really?

The e-commerce sector continues with a double-digit growth year over year. Since many of you have online florists or you have your own flower or gifting website to support your bricks and mortar florist business, and if you don’t, you should seriously be thinking about getting one… we thought we would share some interesting statistics with you about online shopping and the e-Commerce industry. Conversion rate optimization specialist Invesp has created this great infographic that highlights some interesting facts about the E-commerce industry, its growth and the latest trends, and gives us a good idea of how big e-Commerce really is…

The e-Commerce Infographic

Infographic by Invesp

If you are viewing this article in an email, click here to see the infographic.

History of the Internet

In 1979 – Michael Aldrich invented Online Shopping

In 1990 – Tim Berners-Lee created the first World Wide Web server and browser

In 1994 – Pizza Hut Offers online ordering on their Web Page

Netscape launches the first commercial Browser called Navigator

In 1995 – Amazon starts selling Books Online

E-bay is founded by Pierre Omidyar as AuctionWeb.

Interesting Facts

• More than 85% of online population has used the internet to purchase something.
• More than 50% of the online population has shopped online more than once.
• 73% of Consumers prefer Online Shopping because it saves time
• Global e-Commerce sales are growing by more than 19% a year and will be at almost $1.4 trillion by 2015
• e-Commerce Sales in US are growing at 10% a year and will grow to $279 billion by 2015
• There are more than 178.5 million consumers in the USA and will grow to 201.1 million by 2015
• 54% of online shoppers are of the age group 18-30 years
• 75% of online shoppers use credit/debit cards for online shopping
• India is the highest growing and Portugal the least growing e-Commerce country right now
• Residents of North Dakota spend the highest percentage (16.9%) of their income on online shopping whereas residents of Maine spend the least percentage (1.83%) of their income on online shopping
• Illinois has the lowest average shipping time of 2.55 days, whereas Hawaii has the highest average shipping time – 4.10 days for online orders
• 40% of the items that are sold online are Books
• The Mobile e-Commerce market is growing year over year and will be more than 23.8 Billion by 2015

It has always been vital for businesses to be present wherever their customers are, and clearly more and more customers are turning to online shopping.

So how about you? Have you already got a strong online presence? Are you investing in e-Commerce for your bricks and mortar business? Tell us about your own online strategy in the comments below, and if you have any questions regarding e-Commerce or an online strategy for your business, ask away…

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like” button, “Tweet” button or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

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From a nursery in Holland to an apartment in Paris within 24 hours… How do they do it?

FloraHolland is the largest flower market on earth. With 4 000 employees, 3 000 customers and exporters, 120 000 transactions per day and 12 billion units of flowers and plants traded per year, they own a staggering 60% of the worldwide flower and plant export market!

We all love receiving flowers… whether it’s for a birthday, anniversary, wedding, graduation, or that special person expressing their love. So without a doubt, flowers play an important role in our world.

We found this 10 min video which was commissioned by FloraHolland very interesting (if you are reading this article in an email, you may need to read it on our website to see the video). We think you will be as amazed as we are, so we decided to share it with you. Grab a coffee, make yourself comfortable and click the play button…

Solving the Complicated Logistics Puzzle

In case you can’t watch the video, here is a short summary…

FloraHolland offers growers and customers a network of six national and international marketplaces (Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk, Rijnsburg, Venlo, Bleiswijk and Eelde), a national intermediary organization called FloraHolland Connect and an internationally active import department.

To keep up with the fast changing trends, FloraHolland helps the grower develop new ideas and offers advice on the practical implementation of these ideas.

FloraHolland’s auction is like a complicated logistics puzzle, which has to be solved as fast as possible day in day out. They assemble millions of flowers from Holland as well as from the rest of the world, so that they can appear on the auction clocks each day.

The flower auction is where supply and demand comes together and traders whose customers are located all over the world buy their flowers here. Within an hour of the trader placing his bid, they are ready to be shipped internationally, and not long after, the flowers are already a part of a French bouquet.

There are two ways for a grower of flowers and plants to sell his products, either via the auction clock using a daily price, or by mediation where FloraHolland mediates between the grower and the buyer and sets concrete price agreements.

FloraHolland also source some of their roses from Kenya, which make their way to the customer via the six FloraHolland markets mentioned above. They even offer a trucking and tracing service of the temperature during transport from the nursery to the auction.

Upon arrival, all flowers and plants are checked for quality, freshness and maturity before the auction.

The flowers and plants can also be bought remotely through a process called remote buying. Buyers can bid on flowers just as if they were at the auction itself. They often buy large amounts of flowers for customers such as supermarkets in this way.

Interesting Stats Extracted from the Video

• 8 000 Growers

• 5 000 Members

• 4 000 Employees

• 3 000 Customers / Exporters

• 4 Billion Euros in Sales

• 13 Auction Rooms

• 42 Auction Clocks

• 270 000 Auction Trolleys

• 200 000 000 Packaging Units (buckets, trays, boxes)

• 120 000 Transactions per day

• 60 Import Countries

• 140 Export Countries

• 20 000 Different types of Flowers and Plants

• 12 Billion Units of Flowers and Plants traded per Year

• 60% of the Worldwide Export of Flowers and Plants

We think this video was a great initiative and we applaud FloraHolland for giving us a peek behind the scenes of what must be the most powerful gear in the floral industry.

PS: Let us know what you thought of the video in the comments, and if you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like” button or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

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Moms don’t expect much from us, yet they are always ready to give us the world, and have likely been doing this for most of our lives. Well Mothers Day, which falls on the second Sunday of May each year, is the perfect opportunity to treat your mother to something very special to show her just how much she is appreciated.

This year Mother’s Day falls on the 13^th of May and to help get your creative juices flowing, we have put together a list of great Mothers Day gift ideas which we hope will inspire you on your quest to spoil your mom.

#1  Send Her Flowers

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A classic Mothers Day gift is the gift of flowers. You can’t go wrong by sending her favourite flowers whether roses, carnations or lilies in a beautifully arranged flower basket, vase or terracotta pot, especially if you can’t be with her on this special day. Here are some excellent flower ideas: Stylish Ideas for Mother’s Day Flowers.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Mothers Day Flowers

#2  For the Creative Mom

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If your mother enjoys arts and crafts like beading, card making and scrapbooking, show her you’re interested by joining her for a class or take her shopping for beads, special paper and scrapbooking materials. Spending quality time together doing something she loves will mean the world to her.

#3  Picnic in the Park

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Plan a well organised picnic in the park or botanical gardens. Pack her favourite food and snacks. She will love the fresh air and time she gets to spend with you. Alternatively, take her out to her favourite restaurant.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Picnic Menu Ideas

#5  Mother’s Day Weekend Away

If you live in another town or city, buy her an aeroplane ticket to visit you, or surprise her by organizing for you and all your brothers and sisters to spend Mother’s Day weekend with her.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Student Flights

#4  Pamper Hamper or Gift Set

Buy her a gorgeous pamper gift hamper with luscious, aromatic, soothing bath products to enable her to relax and unwind.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Mothers Day Gift Hampers

#6  Midlands Meander

Spoil your mother with a trip through the Midlands meander if you live in Durban or near Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. Stop at the little stalls along the way, and be sure to visit the Howick Waterfall and take her somewhere for lunch, tea, cakes or scones etc.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Midlands Meander

#7  Make a Scrapbook or Photo Album

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Collect recent pictures from all your moms’ children and grandchildren and compile a lovely photo album or scrapbook with all the pictures and any other tit bits you can put together.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Scrapbooking Ideas

#8  A Mother’s Day at the Spa

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A lovely way to spoil your mother is to treat her to a day of pampering at the Spa. To make it even more meaningful, clean her house or give her bedroom a make-over, buy new linen, bedside tables, lamps, add nice photo frames with pictures of all her children or hang her favourite art on the wall while she is away.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Mangwanani African Spa

#9  Mothers Day Cruise

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If you can afford it, and want to treat your mother to the holiday of a lifetime, book her on a luxury cruise to an exotic destination. Many tour operators put great Mothers Day cruise packages together, so do a search on the internet for Mothers Day Specials in your area. If you are in South Africa, we definitely recommend a cruise on the MSC Melody from Durban with stopovers in Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius and then back to Durban. Bookings are now open for the 2011/12 season and you can grab a special 40% early booking discount!

Florist Chronicles recommends: MSC Melody

#10  Give the Gift of Time

Finally, one of the most meaningful gifts you can give your mother is the gift of time. Just simply do something with your mom that you never have the time to do or have been avoiding because it doesn’t interest you or seems like too much effort. Life is short; we must appreciate every opportunity we get to spend with the people we love.

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Well we hope you enjoyed this article, and that we were able to inspire you with these ideas for Mothers Day. Just remember, the perfect Mothers Day gift that will mean the most to your mom probably isn’t the most expensive or elaborate one. Think along the lines of doing something that you can’t or don’t normally do for her or with her. Not only will you be spending precious quality time with her, but you will also be creating memories that will last forever…

As we always say, “THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!”

Hey, we’d love to hear your own Mothers Day ideas, so please share them with us in the comments box below, or come back after Mothers Day and tell us what you ended up doing. If you are a Mom, what would the perfect Mothers Day be for you?

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

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There are few things in this world more delightful and pleasing to the soul than a beautiful bouquet of fresh cut flowers. Their vibrant colours and often unique character will brighten up any room or office space. So it goes without saying that you would want your lovely flowers to last as long as possible, which is why we’ve put this easy to follow list of flower care tips together for you to get your flowers off to a running start and keep them blooming for longer.

What to Look for When Selecting Fresh Cut Flowers

Make sure the flowers look clean and healthy.

When selecting flowers, look for flowers with upright, firm petals and buds beginning to open. Yellow, spotted or drooping leaves are signs of age.

Avoid flowers with broken stems or drooping buds.

The flower stems should be green and smooth, and not slimy.

The water should smell fresh.

More tips for choosing fresh flowers…

Putting them into the Vase

Keep your cut flowers cool, until you can get them into water.

Cut the stems about two to three centimetres from the end while they are under water (this is to avoid air getting into the water-conducting tissues, which blocks the cells).

Make sure your vase and cutting tools are clean.

Remove any leaves that will be below the water surface.

Use the packet of flower food or preservative that came with your flowers (if you don’t have any, we will show you how to make your own at the end of this article).

Bonus Tip
Place your freshly cut flower stems in warm water (roughly 40 degrees Celsius) and the preservative to ensure maximum water uptake. This process is called hardening.

Caring for Your Cut Flowers

Keep your cut flowers out of direct sunlight and drafts.

Keep them away from fresh produce. Fruit such as apples produce ethylene gas, a hormone that causes senescence, or aging in Cut Flowers.

Change the water frequently (Every other day).

Cut the stems as described above, each time you change the water.

Good Choices for Long Lasting Cut Flowers

Alstroemerias (6-14 days)
A very popular flower, even though most people don’t know them by name. However they are sensitive to fluoride in water and ethylene gas. Keep them away from fresh produce.

Lilies (7-14 days)
Choose bunches with a few slightly opened lower buds. Remove the anthers to prevent allergies and pollen from coming in contact with your clothing and staining them.

Delphiniums (7-14 days)
You can’t beat Delphiniums for shades of blue and purple. Like Alstroemeria, these are sensitive to ethylene gas.

Carnations (7-14 days)
Carnations are extremely dependable and come in many varieties and colours.

Roses (6-12 days)
A classic, and with over 20,000 varieties, they never get boring.

Sunflowers (6-12 days)
Generally available in late summer. Sunflowers can be top heavy, so use a sturdy vase that can support them.

Make your own Flower Preservative

If you don’t have a commercial flower preservative, making your own mix at home can be as effective as the commercial preservatives and it’s easy to make.

1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon household bleach
2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
1 litre of lukewarm water
OR
3 pinches (0.3g) of citric acid

Well, we hope these tips have been helpful and that you will now be able to enjoy the beauty of your flowers for that much longer…

If you have questions about caring for your flowers, or you have some tricks of your own that have worked for you, please share them with us in the comments section below.

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2. 3 Easy Techniques to Create Black Flowers
3. Halloween Party Ideas: 9 Tips to Create Ghostly Decor

Once a year, on the 14^th of February, we are treated to a very special day – a day full of romance, red roses, hearts, and the opportunity to express our undying love to our partners… BUT… there’s nothing like breaking tradition to add a bit of surprise and delight to your relationship! So to nudge you in the right direction, and get you thinking “out of the box”, we have put together this list of unique Valentines Day ideas to inspire you and awaken the romantic in you.

If you don’t like any of these ideas, that’s perfectly fine, but hopefully they will at least inspire you to conjure up your own creative Valentines Day gift. We just want you to have a really special Valentines Day this year… So here goes…

#1  Propose to her on the London Eye

Photograph by User:Diliff

Lift her right off her feet by popping the big question while gazing across London on the largest observation wheel in the world. To ensure the experience is truly special, hire a private pod with Champagne and truffles. Friends of ours actually did this recently, and well, what can we say – it was a HUGE success…

If London is out of your reach, choose a place that both you and your partner love.  Perhaps where you had your first date or kiss, or even the spot where you both like to enjoy your favourite sunset.

Florist Chronicles recommends: The London Eye

#2  Romantic Hot Air Balloon Trip

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If you are looking for a romantic, yet thrilling way to spend Valentine’s Day, I can wholeheartedly recommend hot air ballooning. Words cannot describe the feeling of gently lifting off the ground in complete silence, except for the occasional burst of flame from the burner. If you can afford to do so, take the romantic package for two and make sure you have Champagne and your partner’s favourite treats on board. While not the cheapest way to spend Valentine’s Day, this one is a guaranteed winner if neither of you has done this before.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Hot Air Ballooning

#3  Give Her a Real Bear

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If you or your partner have a soft spot for endangered animals, and you want to make a difference, while at the same time being different, you can adopt an endangered animal such as a Panda or a Polar Bear. You can of course adopt other endangered animals, but I think you get why the bear might be most appropriate in this case…  What better way to break away from the predictable teddy bear gift, while still doing something positive for our fragile planet at the same time?

Florist Chronicles recommends: Adopt a Polar Bear

#4  Bouquet of Flowers

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Well, we wouldn’t be a very good florist website if we didn’t include flowers in this list somewhere, so while not the most original or unique Valentines Day gift, it still has the potential to bring plenty of joy and appreciation. Besides, there are many ways to be creative and different when giving flowers. Instead of just getting her a bouquet of red roses, you could buy or make up a special Valentines arrangement consisting of red roses, a cute teddy bear, a heart shaped balloon and chocolates. Perhaps even add a bottle of Champagne so you can celebrate. If you can’t think of anything creative yourself, ask your florist to help you.

Tip:
Red roses and red flowers in general are very expensive around Valentines Day, so if your budget is tight, consider buying her other flowers such as Lilies, Carnations or Gerbera Daisies instead. You could say you were just trying to be different…

Florist Chronicles recommends: Valentines Day Flowers

#5  Horse Riding on the Beach

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Getting back to the romantic side of things, horse riding on the beach at sunset is a sure-fire way to win her heart, while enjoying an exciting outdoor adventure.  You could make the experience even more special by incorporating it with a well thought out picnic, provided you can get the operator to accommodate your special wishes. You could plan it so that the two of you are sipping Champagne on a picnic blanket watching the sun set… Nuf said…

Florist Chronicles recommends: Horse Riding on the Beach

#6  Cookie Jar or Heart Shaped Balloons with Messages

If you are on a tight budget and you can’t splash out on expensive gifts, no problem, try this… Fill a cookie jar with a selection of your most secret desires, little love notes or gift coupons. Alternatively, you can put your messages or coupons together with an assortment of love candies inside heart shaped balloons… Then blow the balloons up and tie them together with a ribbon. Make the love notes meaningful and special by telling your partner how much they mean to you and how you feel about them. Use gift coupons as a fun, interactive way to make each other’s dreams and fantasies come true. Your gift coupons could contain special surprises like a sensual full body massage, a romantic candlelit bubble bath, kisses from head to toe, a meal at your favourite restaurant etc. You can take turns plucking a coupon out of the jar or popping a balloon, and then fulfilling what the coupon says…

#7  Romantic Weekend Away at Oribi Gorge

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Definitely not for the faint hearted, but if you are looking for a more adventurous way to spend Valentine’s Day, and want to give the gift of exhilarating experience, take your partner on a romantic weekend to Oribi Gorge near Port Shepstone in South Africa. There are a number of exciting adventures on offer, like a zip-line, abseiling, white water rafting, horse riding and hiking / MTB trails.

But the ultimate prize is to conquer the highest gorge swing in the world! In the words of the operator themselves, you will hurl yourself (or simply step) off the edge of a waterfall to swing into the gaping depths of the gorge – 165m (55 Storeys). Unbelievable! And yes, I can vouch for that, having done this exact swing on Valentine’s Day two years ago.  By doing this swing, you will be giving your partner an experience they will never forget, with a feeling of total euphoria and accomplishment that will linger for a long time. But a word of caution…be very sure that your partner will be up for the challenge.  Naturally anyone, no matter how brave, will be nervous to do something like this, but do not expect your partner to follow through with it. Be ready with a fall back plan such as horse riding, hiking or mountain biking.

Tip
Pay a few bucks extra and have a video made of the jump including the before and after moments. This way you guys will be able to show off to friends and family, and it makes for a great memento.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Oribi Gorge Swing

#8  Bloukrans Bungee Jump

Photograph courtesy of Mama’s Minutia

If the highest gorge swing in the world isn’t enough to get the adrenalin pumping through your veins, and you both enjoy living life on the edge (or should I say off the edge), then why not try the highest bungee jump in the world? At 216m, in one of the most scenic parts of South Africa, the garden route, the king of all bungee jumps will surely not disappoint. And to top it off, you will either be staying in Plettenberg Bay or Knysna, both of which can make for a very romantic weekend.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Bloukrans Bungee Jump

#9  Romantic Dinner at Home

Photograph by Kim Thunder

If your budget restricts you from going out to a fancy restaurant, you could treat your partner to a romantic candlelit dinner for two at home. You should both dress to the nines, taking great care in your appearance. Then instead of going out to an expensive restaurant, create a romantic table setting with candles and cook a fabulous meal. Start or finish the evening off with a candlelit bath, soothing music and Champagne. You can even offer your partner a sensual massage afterwards to really make them feel special.

#10  Winter Holiday in the Snow

Photograph by Kim Thunder

If you live near the mountains in a winter region or you can afford an overseas trip, then a snowed in weekend in a log cabin, cuddling in front of a wood fireplace, is the perfect way to kindle the romance in your relationship. Skiing, snowboarding or tobogganing during the day time will add an element of excitement and fun to your already perfectly romantic holiday.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Winter Holiday

#11  Day of Shopping

Every girl loves to shop, and most guys hate it, so a nice way to treat your girlfriend or wife would be to indulge her with a full day’s shopping. Go with her and let her try on clothes to her heart’s content. Have her model them for you and pick out the perfect evening ensemble. Then take her out on the town so she can show off her new outfit and feel great about herself.

#12  Gift Basket with her Favourite Treats

Another nice idea that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, but will demonstrate how in sync you are with your partners tastes, is to buy or make her a gourmet gift basket containing all her favourite treats and snacks. Top it off with a card containing a beautifully handwritten message and perhaps even a lovely bouquet of flowers.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Gift Baskets

#13  Wine Tasting

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If your partner has an appreciation for the finer things in life, such as good wine, then wine tasting along the wine route would be a nice way to spend Valentines Day together. You get to walk through beautiful vineyards, visit gorgeous colonial farm houses, and drink and be merry together. What more could one ask for?

Tip:
Don’t drive yourselves. Instead, plan ahead and arrange alternative transport. This way you can both let your hair down together with no worries whatsoever…

Florist Chronicles recommends: The Wine Route

#14  Day at a Luxury Spa for Two

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Our list of great Valentines Day ideas would never be complete without listing one of the most relaxing and indulgent ways of spending Valentines Day together. Instead of just giving your partner a gift certificate to go to the spa alone though, make sure you book a half day or full day package for both of you. This way you get to be pampered and spoiled in each other’s company. Most spas will have special Valentines Day pamper packages, which should ensure you get a touch of romance thrown in, but make sure you book well in advance, as demand will be high.

Florist Chronicles recommends: Mangwanani African Spa

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Well there you have it… We hope you enjoyed this article, and that you found one or two gems to try out this Valentines Day. Remember, it isn’t about the size of the gift or how expensive it is. The most valuable gift you can give someone in this fast paced world we live in is the gift of time. Be creative and do something thoughtful that you normally wouldn’t take the time to do, and make sure that whatever you choose to do, you do it together as a couple.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!

Hey, we’d love to hear about your own creative ideas, so please share them with us in the comments box below, or come back after Valentines Day and tell us what you ended up doing and how it went.

PS: If you liked this article, please help us spread the word by sharing it with the world using the share icons below. And if you want to read more articles like this one, please subscribe to our website by clicking the link below. We appreciate your support.

Subscribe to Updates

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1. Mothers Day Gift Ideas: 10 Great Ways to Spoil Her
2. Valentines Roses May Make Her Swoon, but Tulips Can for Less
3. Create Your Own Unique Valentine’s Day Flower Arrangement

What can you expect?

In the coming weeks you can expect to see a series of posts revolving around general tips and ideas for creating your own flower arrangements, some great tricks for caring for your flowers, and even some prudent advice on where and how to buy flowers. Oh, and we might throw in a Valentine’s Day post or two…

Then as soon as we have built up a nice foundation of quality articles, we will begin inviting select florists who have proven themselves in the industry as influential leaders in their respective markets, to contribute to this site. This will ensure that our readers (hopefully you) will enjoy a diverse range of unique styles and advice, covering a wide range of interesting topics.

Staying in the loop

We are sure that if you are interested in flowers, home crafts or love pleasing people with creative gifts, you will find our website engaging and worth following. So to ensure that you are kept up to date on all the latest articles, you can subscribe yourself either by entering your email address in the Subscribe to Updates box, or by subscribing to our RSS feed.

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We looking forward to welcoming you to our community.

The Florist Chronicles Team

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