Valentine's Day Means "I Love You!"

For hundreds of years, Valentine's Day has been thought of as the romance holiday, or only for couples.  This is the day that you shower your significant other with flowers, chocolates, teddy bears and balloons, dine out or in, do something romantic, or even get engaged.  Love rules the day.

Why does Valentine's day have to be just for couples?  Why can't it be the day to express the love you have for others, such as a parent or child, your friend, co-worker or neighbor.  And ladies, don't forget the men in your life!  They deserve a show of your affection as well.

Bank of Flowers is your destination for Valentine's Day.  Our 2 locations, Menomonee Falls and Pewaukee are fully stocked with beautiful roses and other fresh flowers, gorgeous blooming plants, chocolates and caramels, romantic gifts, huggable teddy bears, and bright mylar balloons.  Daily deliveries are made to Pewaukee, Oconomowoc, all of the Lake Country area, Germantown, Menomonee Falls and throughout Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties.  Send flowers and candy to your mom, she can share the chocolates with dad.  Your 6 year old would love the teddy bear with the "I love you" balloon.  Your neighbor who lets out your dog would appreciate a vase of tulips. There are many types of love and many different flowers to show it!

For those of you true romantics, 6 Million couples are likely to get engaged on Valentine's Day, (according to an American Express report).  Bank of Flowers is here for you too.  We create custom wedding flowers as well!  So no matter what the "Love" occasion is, we're here to help you show it!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Luan Kurriger
~Manager, Pewaukee
Bank of Flowers

The Garden at Bank of Memories Pewaukee

In June 2009, owner Melissa Maas and the ladies of Pewaukee's Bank of Memories & Flowers planted a garden on the east side of the store.  Their efforts that year and every year since have produced a small but beautiful retreat for insects, wildlife and customers alike.  It has grown into a sustainable perennial garden that we harvest and use in arrangements and bouquets.  No pesticides are used on the flowers and the store's rain barrel uses runoff to water the garden.  As a matter of fact, when the shop's flower buckets are cleaned weekly, the week old flower water is used on the garden as well.

Every spring we are surprised by the daffodils and tulips pushing up through the dirt, and sometimes the snow (well, it is Wisconsin).  The first signs of spring like hyacinths and veronica, are then harvested in time for use in Prom and Mother's Day corsages.  The veronica and cottage yarrow sometimes bloom twice in a season.  Next in our time line are the peonies, my personal favorite.  These fresh fragrant peonies are a popular wedding flower.

Summer, of course, is the best time for the garden!  Hydrangea, Liatris, Lilies and Echinacea (cone flower) are in full bloom right now.  We love how lush and full the garden looks and hate to cut the flowers but nothing is better than being able to go out into the garden and pick the flowers we need for an order.  Our garden is also one of our favorite sections of store merchandise.  This summer we have a several Art Peace Poles, metal and glass rain gauges, and garden astrolabes.

In 2014, we decided to expand our gardens to the back side of the building and we added Astilbe, Tall Phlox and Echinacea.  More flowers for more arrangements.  I personally, am asking for the whole backyard to be a garden next year!  Wish me luck.  By the end of summer and into the fall, the leftover Coneflowers are used for their "pods" and the Sedum is finally blossoming and ready for use.  This year for Halloween our garden will be the home to families of ghosts, 3 different sizes of metal decorations for the yard.  I can't wait!  In late fall, we put the garden to bed.  We cut back those plants that need it and leave the rest as shelter and food for the birds.  At Christmas time, we decorate the garden with holiday yard art as well as different seasonal greens.  Some people have sugar plums dancing in their heads this time of year, we tend to have perennial plants dancing in ours.  Watch for new plants next summer!

Be sure when you drive by or stop in the Pewaukee store, give yourself some time to look at our garden. Like any "parent", we are proud of our garden and want to show off!

Luan M. Kurriger, Manager
Bank of Memories & Flowers, Pewaukee
262-695-9911
https://www.bankofmemories.com/

A Day For Mom!

Mothers are the hardest working, least appreciated people in our lives and Mother's Day is the perfect opportunity to show them just how much they mean to all of us.  Flowers help express our gratitude and thanks to the most important women in our lives, our Moms.

Ever since we were little we have given Mom flowers,  either the freshest dandelions from the lawn or the first bloom from her prized rose bush, flowers have been a mainstay in Mother's Day gifts.  Your local florist can help you choose the floral gift best suited for your mom, grandma or other special woman in your life. The staff at Bank of Memories & Flowers has many combined years of experience in choosing appropriate Mother's Day presents. 

Mom might like a simple  glass vase of flowers or she might like exquisite floral designs in a ceramic container, our designers can create exactly what your Mom prefers.  Perhaps Mom would like something living?  Our stores are stocked with a large array of green and blooming plants from peace lilies to kalanchoes, african violets to begonias.  Our orchid plants have just arrived and are absolutely gorgeous.   Air plants and succulents are currently very popular, we have a whole tree filled with glass globes filled with either of them.

You may say, "My Mom is not that interested in flowers".  That's fine, our Pewaukee location is filled with many other gifts.  Since our store is less than a mile from Pewaukee Lake, we have great lake gifts, signs, vases, mugs and even a boat to keep your drinks on ice.

Happy Mother's Day!

Luan Kurriger
Manager, Pewaukee Store
Bank of Memories & Flowers

Show Your Appreciation for Administrative Professional's Week!

Administrative Professional's Week is just around the corner!  It runs from April 24th - 30th.

Nothing says "Thank You" quite like beautiful fresh flowers, they really get everyone at the office talking!  This cute desktop design is a long-lasting, bold and bright arrangement in a sweet, compact design.

The gift of flowers is the perfect expression of gratitude.  For the busy business owner, taking a few minutes to give us a call and send flowers is a special gesture because your admin knows better than anyone, how busy your job is!  

Sending fresh flowers, lush dishgardens and green plants, or a vibrant blooming plant will not only brighten up the recipients day, it will bring a bit of cheer to everyone in the office this Administrative Professional's Week!     

Krista Roskopf

Menomonee Falls Store Manager

Bank of Memories & Flowers

Gifts Galore

 Not only is Bank of Memories & Flowers your go to destination for  flower bouquets, fresh floral arrangements, green and blooming plants for holidays, special days or no reason at all, we also stock a large selection of gifts, books, and cards.
I love this time of year, spring time is new merchandise time at the flower shop.  I especially love these adorable new baby signs shown nestled amongst the plants.  They make the perfect shower gift!

Our outdoors area is full of natural items like such as birds nests and manzanita branches while the scent of "Lodge" potpourri fills the air. The rabbits and squirrel figures have been very popular sellers!

We are carrying a wonderful line of books this spring.  "101 Ways to Say Thank You" has been flying off the shelf!  Looking for a great teacher gift?  We have several different wooden plaques for the teacher in your life.

Birds are trending right now, from song birds to owls.  Our owl cookie jars are a hoot!

The metal note holder shown has a bird at the top and can hold cards, reminders and honey do lists!

Among the new books are several journals and "list" books.  Not everyone is a journal writer, it can be intimidating to write paragraphs.  "One Line A Day: A Five Year Memory Book" is the journal for you. "Listography" prides itself on being "the ultimate journal for every list you'll ever need".  By far my favorite is "Books to Check Out, A Journal", a notebook to keep track of books you've read, favorite books and passages, and books borrowed. 

With Easter and Mother's Day on their way or birthdays or just because, Bank of Memories & Flowers has a gift for anyone and everyone on your list.  I can't wait to see what we get in next!    
                                    

Luan M. Kurriger, Manager
Bank of Memories & Flowers Pewaukee
262-695-9911
https://www.bankofmemories.com/

The Sweetest Day of the Year!

Here's a little history of Sweetest Day...a holiday founded and celebrated in the Midwest. Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October.  The very first Sweetest Day holiday was announced on October 8th, 1921 in Cleveland, Ohio by a committee of 12 confectioners.

The first holiday was not about giving gifts to your sweetheart, but to let the city's underprivileged know that they were not forgotten.  The confectioners announced the "Sweetest Day of the Year Committee" which handed out over 20,000 boxes of chocolates to Cleveland's newsboys, orphans, elderly, and the poor.

Local celebrities and movie stars assisted in handing out the sweet treats and goodies. Today, Sweetest Day is a day to spread love and sweetness to people in your life you care about.  So go ahead...spread the sweet this Saturday!

Boss's Day Gifts are a Snap!

Boss's Day is Friday, October 16th

Yes, it's here again...a day to say "Thank You" to your boss.  Many of us don't appreciate, or understand how hard it is to be the boss.  You see what goes on while you are there, but you may not get to see the hours they put in outside of work, or the struggles and headaches they go through each and every day.  Boss's day is a day to say how much you appreciate what they do!

Many of us are unsure what to get your boss, or what is an appropriate gift for a boss.  If you are looking for some inspiration...look to Bank of Memories & Flowers!

You can't go wrong with a lovely fresh hand-designed bouquet or a charming plant for their office.  Boss have a sweet tooth?  We carry amazing gourmet chocolates!  We also carry a selection of inspirational books, giftware, and more!  So give us a call and let us take the work and stress out of Boss's Day gift-giving!  Call early for best selection.  We can have your gift delivered anywhere in the Metro-Milwaukee area!   Happy Boss's Day!

~Wendy Walker, Floral Designer
Bank of Memories & Flowers

Air Plant Inspiration

Lately I've been incorporating more and more plants into my decor at home. There is always something about bringing green life into a space that automatically brightens up any room. What is my new obsession lately?!  Air plants. Tillandsia are nicknamed air plants because of their soil-free culture.  I love to elevate air plants to give them more of a modern display. Coming in many different colors and forms, no two plants are alike!

For guaranteed success, place air plants where they'll receive bright, indirect sunlight.  Too much sun can dry them out. They also will thrive on a counter or desk under fluorescent lights.  Once a week, simply submerge them for 20 minutes in water.  That's pretty much it for caring for these cool little guys!

The fun thing about air plants is that they look amazing when hanging or sitting in just about anything!  What a neat Christmas gift idea!  Stop in today at Bank of Memories & Flowers to see our beautiful air plant displays.

Krista Roskopf, Menomonee Falls manager

P.S. For more information and additional photos of various types of air plants, check out the article written by Better Homes & Gardens here.