In this issue:

• April Fool's Day Trivia
• Mille deFleur Flower Arranging Style
• A Mother's Day Arrangement to Make
• Tell us what you think
• Become and affiliate and earn 50% Commission

April Fool's day Trivia

Well, we all have been, at some point.  Let's face it, these days April Fool's Day jokes run rampant.  Nobody is safe on April first.  If your family and friends don't get you, the newspapers, TV or Internet will.  Why do we delight in harassing each other so much on April Fools Day, though? 

Well, perhaps Mark Twain said it best.  He said, of April Fool's Day: 

“The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.” 

People like to have fun and April Fool's Day gives us an excuse to do that.  Granted, it is often at the expense of others, but the prank war continues, nonetheless.  It is a war that has probably been waged since man began, but April Fool's Day itself can be traced back to the 1500's. 

Great Pranks Throughout History: 

Of course, there have been some great pranks throughout history.  In fact, they seem to get bigger and better each year.  One of the most scary was way back in World War I, actually.  You wouldn't think that you could or should play a prank using bombing planes in the middle of a war, but the French found a way. 

Their strategy was to bomb German soldiers, but without the bombs.  Instead, they loaded their plains with footballs.  Each football had a note proclaiming “APRIL FOOL!”.  Whether the Germans found that amusing or insulting is anyone's guess. 

The Swiss also had their fun.  In 1957 they actually advertised that farmers could expect a great spaghetti crop that year.  The BBC news broadcast was actually believed and drew in several phone calls and questions.  When asked how to grow spaghetti, the BBC's answer was to put some in a tomato sauce tin and hope.  The number of people who fell for it was astounding. 

The USA was also home to several unique April Fool's Day pranks.  There are two that really stand out, though.  One was when the NPR radio show featured “Richard Nixon” proclaiming "I didn't do anything wrong, and I won't do it again." and announcing that he was running for a second term.  Listeners took it quite seriously, until it was later revealed that famous comedian Rich Little was actually impersonating Nixon on the program and the whole thing was a hoax. 

Of course, there was also the great Wisconsin Capitol Building hoax of 1933.  The “Madison Capital-Times” announced the story on April Fool's Day.  The capitol building had collapsed due to some explosions.  They were said to have stemmed from “gas, generated through many weeks of verbose debate” between Assembly and Senate committee members.  Nobody would buy that story, right?  Wrong!  Many people were upset by it, especially since there actually had been an explosion in that building a few years prior. 

While not all of those pranks were tasteful, you have to admit that they were funny.  That's what April Fool's Day is all about, these days.  It has evolved a lot since the 1500's.  Now it's just an excuse to have a good time.  So, are you an April Fool?

The Mille De Fleur Flower Arrangement 

When it comes to floral design, you often think of careful arrangements in elaborate shapes or color patterns.  The Mille De Fleur style is a bit different though.  It is used to achieve a more natural look. 

History Of The Name: 

You see, the name “Mille De Fleur” translates to “a thousand flowers”.  The arrangement got its name because it can utilize so many different types of flowers and do so all at once.  When the flowers are placed in a vase, they give the appearance of garden flowers being plucked and combined in a vase.  It's important for the design to use multiple flower types and colors. 

Interestingly, the design name is spelled in a variety of ways.  The name “Mille de Fleur” seems to be the most widely accepted.  However, other variations include “Mille Fleur” and “Mille DeFleur”. 

History Of  The Arrangement Itself: 

The arrangement style itself seems to have begun in France, back in the fifteenth century.  By the seventeenth century, the design was being prominently featured in many Dutch paintings.  However, interestingly, the Dutch didn't really start using the actual floral arrangements in Mille De Fleur style until much later than that. 

Flemish designs in the Mille De Fleur pattern haven't always featured just flowers, either.  In fact, fruits were and still are very popular in Mille De Fleur arrangements.  Not only that, but the arrangements could also be focused on other novelty items.  Birds' nests were popular.  Arrangements could also in twigs, pods and other features. 

Basic Design Elements: 

Regardless of what other things are used in Mille De Fleur arrangements, as the name suggests, it's the flowers that really make the arrangements pop.  Some of the basic design elements of Mille De Fleur arrangements include a variety of colors, a variety of flower textures and sizes and an over all round, oval or fan-shaped appearance, when complete. 

Design Planning: 

Mille De Fleur arrangements are designed to look a bit unplanned.  The idea is to make the flowers look like they were naturally just pulled from the garden, but to do so with style.  Different flower sizes can be used, but the largest flowers should be in the center.  Smaller flowers should gradually spread outward.  It's also important to intersperse colors and textures that may seem random, but are appealing to the eye.

Although the flowers usually follow a radial line in a Mille De Fleur arrangement, it's important not to get too caught up in precision or lines.  Most people consider Mille De Fleur arrangements to be more casual and less stuffy. 

Applications: 

A Simple Easter or Mother's Day Arrangement (A Mille De Fleur design)

Get your instruction to prepare this arrangement here.