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Currently we have over 1400 pins on almost 90 boards!  We use our Pintrest to inspire ourselves and others.  We have pictures of past weddings, boards for wedding inspiration, Pins for future brides, Homecoming/Prom ideas, and so much more!  If you are looking for some Pinspiration join us and make sure to follow our boards.  We would love to see what inspires you!

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Sending Flowers to The Hospital

Looking to make someone feel better faster?  Flowers are the way to go.  Over the years many studies have been conducted and flowers have been found to aid in the healing process.  

Here are a few things to know when sending flowers to the hospital.

What to tell your florist ~ Full name of recipient, Name of Hospital, Room Number, and any known restrictions.  

• Full name - The full name of the person the flowers are being delivered too may sound like a given.  But the fact is, some people are sending to a friend or relative of a friend and may not know this information.  To make sure they find the right person it's best to have the full name of the recipient available to your florist.  
• Name of Hospital - Many town have more than one hospital, big cities can have dozens.  Be sure you know the name of the hospital and the division of that hospital if it has many branches.  Some hospitals may have a heart and lung center, a cancer center, or a children's hospital.  It's best to know which location the flowers are to be delivered too.  An address to that facility would also aid the florist in delivery.
• Room Number - Many hospitals will not give out room numbers because of privacy laws.  If the patient signs the privacy statement then the room number can not be disclosed, they are unable to even tell us if the person is a patient.  If you are able to get the room number for the patient it will help in the delivery process.
• Restrictions - Some patients that have allergies, or have undergone certain procedures are not able to have flowers in their room.  Normally the flowers can be held at the nurses station for the patient until they can have them.  On other occasions family members will take them home to enjoy them until the patient is released.  We have found that ICU patients normally are not allowed flowers.  The rooms are small and the doctors and nurses need room to move around the equipment.

Other things to consider ~ 

• Release Date- New mother's are released from the hospital soon after delivery.  It's best to order flowers for delivery as soon as the Mom is admitted.  This way the flowers can be delivered before the Mom and new baby are released to go home.
• Same Day Surgery - Some same day surgery patients may never get a room of their own.  Without a room number flowers can go undelivered.  If the recipient is having same day surgery it may be best to send flowers directly to their home.
• Delivery Times - Hospitals normally have specific times that flowers can be delivered.  Our local hospitals, here in Decatur, use a volunteer system to take flowers to the rooms.  If possible order flowers the day before you would like them delivered to be sure your florist does not miss cut off times.

To order flowers for delivery in Decatur Illinois see our website here.  We can help make someones day brighter! 

Our Favorite Fall Flowers

Sunflowers ~ One of our favorite flowers for late summer and early fall.  They come in so many varieties and sizes you never know what will come through our doors.  We love the died ones, deep reds and oranges.  We love the dark eyes (pictured here) and light eyes too.  One of our favorite sunflower arrangements can be found here.

Solidago ~ This makes for a great filler flower in fall arrangements.  It has small tight blooms and it looks amazing with fall colors.  We enjoy working with solidago and adding it to baskets and vases.  We also do a lot of wedding work with these blissful blooms.  Solidago is also available in tinted colors like red and orange.  What fun!

Mums ~ Fall wouldn't be Fall without Mums!  We enjoy all of the many colors available to us all season long.  Deep burgundy's, rich oranges, vivid yellows, and bold purples.  So many different options when creating in floral design.  From weddings to sympathy tributes fall mums play a big role.  We will have these beautiful blooms available all fall long, and you may even find them on our $5 Friday special!  

Circus Roses ~ These may be available all year long, but our favorite season to use them is FALL.  The rich yellow with burgundy edging is perfect in fall designs.  We like to mix them in vases, baskets, and of course wedding bouquets.  To see them in action in a wedding bouquet check out bride Michelle's bouquet on Pintrest. 


So now you know some of our favorite fall flowers, what are some of yours?  We would love to hear from you.  Just leave a comment in the section below.  Also be sure to see our website to see what all we are creating with these beautiful blooms!

Workshops & Classes

Did you know that The Secret Garden offers classes in floral design?  We sure do.  If you are wanting to have some fun with silk flowers, fresh flowers, or learn the Principals and Elements of design this is the place to be.  Classes started over the summer and will continue into the fall.  You can see some of the things we have created on our Facebook page HERE.  

We also have more classes coming up.  If you want to see our full class list just click HERE.

This fall we plan on adding even more classes so be sure to check back with us.  We will have a live pumpkin class where we will create a design in a pumpkin.  The plan is to also have a deco mesh wreath class.  Around Thanksgiving we will have a centerpiece class.  And between Thanksgiving and Christmas we will host a few different classes at the shop.

We would love to hear from you as to what you would like us to host a class on.  You never know we may just have what you are looking for!