07 May Ask a Floral Designer: This Mother’s Day, Give Her the Best Bouquet Ever

“Most people don’t want to just click and order flowers for their moms. They want something special and unique, like her,” says Carlos Franco, owner and lead designer of Green Fresh Florals in San Diego, the same flower shop that created the Parisian-inspired installation we swooned over at the Art Alive party.

This year, Carlos notes, gift-givers are moving away from online delivery behemoths like 1-800-Flowers and are opting instead for a more holistic approach to Mother’s Day. “We will talk to them about her personality, what colors she surrounds herself with, if she has a garden, [and] what is in it,” he says. “These kind of questions allow us to personalize each arrangement.”

We dropped by the shop — a sunlit, romantic space where audacious blooms pop against the black-and-white setting — to discover what arrangements in particular are destined for these lucky moms.

The designers arrange for local delivery and also whip up floral symphonies on the spot. During our visit we found a bouquet for every Mother’s Day style: from ladylike garden roses with “a sweet, fresh-picked feel” (and birch-lined planter!) to giftable vertical gardens to an ingenious arrangement with flowering kale and asparagus. Hey, she was always telling us to eat our vegetables…

For the Earth Mother:

Tulips, hyacinth and lilies of the valley are always a big hit. But for the mom who lives for her edible garden, the shop can whip up a bouquet with some unlikely stunners…

Behold — a bouquet with asparagus, flowering kale and lilac. “It has that wild, garden-y effect, like you went and picked it from the garden yourself,” says designer Carla Bassi.

For the Romantic/Classic Mom:

At this shop that combines “classic European with a modern twist,” garden roses mingle with Dutch ruffled tulips in a birch-lined pot.

“In an arrangement, peonies are soft, romantic and traditional — classic Mother’s Day,” says Carla. “You have turkey on Thanksgiving, and peonies and roses on Mother’s Day.” (Photo credit: Carlos Franco)

For the Outside-the-Box Mom:

To go outside the box, you must…step into the box! The shop’s bamboo boxes are carved in-house and arranged to order with tillandsia, roses, moss and hyacinth, just to name a few.

They also double as miniature vertical walls. Here, designer and store manager Travis Rogers gives us the tour.

Echeveria and aeonium in a perky yellow box will remind her of you year-round.

For the Girl’s Girl:

These purses are a big seller. They’re made of preserved moss and are planted with succulents and fescue.

For the Artist Mom:

Icelandic poppies with moody stems are ideal for the mom with a soft spot for Van Gogh. Opium poppy bulbs (rear) will add a whiff of danger to the bouquet.

For the Bibliophile Mom:

Hang some succulent orbs in front of her curio cabinet…

…or give her something green for her bookshelf, by way of potted ivy, unruly moss, terrarium-enclosed aloe and staghorn ferns.

What types of flora tickle your mom’s fancy?

Green Fresh Florals, 3785 4th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103, 619-544-0504