The Bourkes Journal
Stories, guides & inspiration
Flower meanings, delivery guides and ideas for every occasion — from our florists to you.
Floral Meaning
Australia's Most Popular Flowers (and When to Send)
A florist's honest run-down of the blooms Australians order most, what each one says, and the occasions and seasons they suit.
Floral Meaning
Australia's Most Popular Flowers (and When to Send)
A florist's honest run-down of the blooms Australians order most, what each one says, and the occasions and seasons they suit.
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Occasions
Sending Flowers After the Loss of a Pet
A florist's guide to sending flowers when a pet dies: why it's fitting, which soft blooms to choose, what to write, and sending to the home.
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Guides
Corporate & Office Flowers: A Practical Guide
A florist's practical guide to ordering flowers for your business, from reception arrangements and recurring deliveries to client gifting, congratulations and sympathy sent on the company's behalf.
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Guides
Flower Subscriptions in Australia: How They Work
A plain-spoken guide to what a flower subscription is, who it genuinely suits, and how recurring deliveries actually work.
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Guides
Chocolate Bouquets: What They Are and When to Send
A florist's plain guide to what a chocolate bouquet really is, the occasions it suits, and how we pair fresh blooms with a sweet add-on.
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Floral Meaning
Sunflower Colours and What Each One Means
What each sunflower shade says, from classic yellow to burnished red, and the occasions each one suits.
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Floral Meaning
Carnation Colours and What Each One Means
A florist's plain-spoken guide to what red, pink and white carnations mean and the occasions each colour suits best.
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Floral Meaning
Dahlia Colours and Their Meanings: A Florist's Guide
What each dahlia colour symbolises, and why these bold blooms shine in Australian late-summer and autumn arrangements.
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Floral Meaning
Posies: Their Meaning and When to Send One
What a posy is, where it comes from, and the everyday moments a small hand-tied bunch suits best.
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Floral Meaning
Flowers That Symbolise Friendship: What to Send
The blooms that quietly say "thank you for being you" — and the moments worth sending them for.
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Floral Meaning
Forget-Me-Nots: Meaning and How to Use Them
What forget-me-nots symbolise, and where these tiny blue blooms belong in romance, remembrance and weddings.
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Floral Meaning
Pink Flowers: Meaning and the Best Ones to Send
A florist's guide to what pink blooms convey and the best ones to send, occasion by occasion.
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Guides
Purple Flowers: Meaning and When to Choose Them
What purple blooms symbolise and the standout varieties our florists reach for when a gift needs to feel that bit more special.
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Guides
The Best Flowers to Gift for Any Occasion
A florist's shortlist of near-universal giftable blooms, plus how to match a flower to the moment when you're not sure what to send.
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Guides
Floriade: A Guide to Canberra's Spring Flower Festival
A florist's guide to Floriade — when Canberra's spring flower festival runs, what to see, and the blooms that make it sing.
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Floral Meaning
Wedding Anniversary Flowers by Year: The Complete Guide
Every wedding anniversary has a traditional flower, from the 1st to the 50th. A florist’s year-by-year guide — and how to turn the tradition into a thoughtful gift.
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Guides
The New Baby Flower Guide: What to Send a Newborn (and the New Parents)
A florist’s guide to new baby flowers — what suits a hospital versus home, gifts for the new mum, and how to send a warm welcome the same day.
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Guides
The Congratulations Flower Guide: New Job, Graduation, Engagement & More
A florist’s guide to congratulations flowers — what to send for a new job, graduation, new home or engagement, and how to deliver the celebration same day.
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Etiquette
Sending Flowers to Hospital: A Simple Guide to Getting It Right
Which wards allow flowers, what to send to a bedside, and the exact details that get a delivery to the right patient. A florist’s practical guide to hospital flowers.
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Etiquette
What to Write in an Anniversary Card: 45 Messages for Every Couple
From your own partner to your parents’ golden anniversary, a florist’s guide to anniversary card messages that feel personal — romantic, funny, milestone and more.
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Guides
The Best Flowers to Say Thank You
A florist’s guide to thank-you flowers — which blooms express gratitude best, what suits a colleague versus a friend, and how to send them same day.
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Guides
How to Apologise With Flowers (and Actually Mean It)
Flowers can open a door words can’t — if you do it right. A florist’s honest guide to apology flowers: what to send, what to avoid, and how to make amends.
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Guides
The Sympathy Flower Guide: What to Send and How to Choose
A florist’s complete guide to choosing sympathy and funeral flowers — which arrangements suit a home versus a service, what each bloom means, and how to send them same day with care.
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Guides
The Get Well Flower Guide: What to Send to Lift Someone’s Spirits
A florist’s guide to choosing get well flowers that genuinely cheer someone up — the best blooms, what suits a hospital versus home, and how to send them same day.
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Floral Meaning
Rose Colour Meanings: What Every Colour Really Says
Red for love, yellow for friendship — but the full story is richer. A florist’s guide to what each rose colour means, so you send exactly the right message.
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Etiquette
What to Write in a New Baby Card: 40 Warm Messages
Congratulating new parents? A florist’s guide to new baby card messages — for a girl, a boy, the new mum, and sweet, funny and heartfelt lines to borrow.
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Etiquette
What to Write in a Congratulations Card: 40 Messages for Every Win
New job, graduation, engagement or new home — a florist’s guide to congratulations card messages that feel genuine and proud, with lines to borrow.
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Guides
Milestone Birthday Flowers: How to Mark an 18th, 21st, 30th, 50th and Beyond
The big birthdays deserve more than a quick bunch. A florist’s guide to choosing milestone birthday flowers by age — how grand to go, what suits each decade, and how to make it land.
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Etiquette
What to Write in a Get Well Card: 40 Warm, Sincere Messages
Stuck on what to say? A florist’s guide to get well card messages that feel genuine — for friends, family, colleagues and serious illness, plus funny lines that land.
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Etiquette
What to Write in a Thank You Card: 40 Messages for Any Situation
A florist’s guide to thank-you card messages — for gifts, help, hospitality and work, plus sincere and short lines that actually feel personal.
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Etiquette
What to Write in an Apology Card: Sincere Messages That Work
Saying sorry is hard. A florist’s guide to apology card messages — sincere, short and excuse-free lines for partners, friends and family that actually help.
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Etiquette
What to Write on a Sympathy Card: 40 Heartfelt Messages
Lost for words? A florist’s guide to writing a sympathy card that actually comforts — what to say, what to avoid, and forty sincere messages you can use or adapt.
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Etiquette
What to Write in a Birthday Card: 50 Messages for Anyone
Stuck on what to write? A florist’s guide to birthday card messages that actually feel personal — for partners, parents, friends and colleagues, plus funny, milestone and belated lines.
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Floral Meaning
How Many Roses Should You Send? The Meaning Behind the Number
One rose or a hundred? The number of roses carries its own message. A florist’s guide to what each count means, so your bouquet says exactly what you intend.
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Floral Meaning
Birth Month Flowers: The Bloom for Every Month and What It Means
Every month has its own birth flower, each with a meaning worth knowing. A florist’s guide to all twelve — and how to turn one into a birthday gift that feels genuinely personal.
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Guides
Mother’s Day Flower Guide: How to Choose the Perfect Bouquet for Mum
A florist’s guide to choosing Mother’s Day flowers — how to match the bouquet to her style, when to order, and the blooms that last longest.
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Guides
Valentine’s Day Flower Guide: Roses, Romance and What to Send
From a dozen red roses to modern vase arrangements — how to choose Valentine’s flowers that say exactly what you mean, and why ordering early matters.
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Guides
Birthday Flower Guide: The Best Blooms to Send for Any Birthday
Bright, generous birthday flowers for everyone on your list — how to pick by personality, what works for a milestone, and how to send them same day.
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Floral Meaning
The Meaning of Sympathy Flowers: Lilies, White Roses and More
What sympathy and funeral flowers have meant across cultures and centuries — the symbolism of lilies, roses, chrysanthemums and carnations, and how to choose with that meaning in mind.
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Occasions
The Best Flowers to Send for a New Baby (From a Florist Who’s Sent Thousands)
Soft, safe, celebratory picks for a newborn — the blooms that last, the keepsake gift new parents love, and how to get flowers to the hospital or home.
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Etiquette
Sympathy Flower Etiquette: What to Send, Where, and What to Say
A working florist’s guide to choosing sympathy and funeral flowers with confidence — home versus service, which blooms are fitting, cultural considerations, and how to word the card.
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Growing Tips
7 Plants That Flower All Year Round in Sydney
A florist’s pick of hardy, reliable plants suited to Sydney’s climate — so you have something in bloom, and something to cut for the vase, in every season.
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Floral Meaning
Fertility & Florals: The Blooms Long Believed to Symbolise New Life
The flowers cultures around the world have associated with fertility, abundance and hope — their history, their meaning, and how to gift them with genuine thought.
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