Florist News

Rose Tubs
For summer, roses can be grown in a tub and do very well and it is useful to have them in tubs if you have a small area with nowhere else to put them. Then again, petunias, geraniums, lobelia, tobacco plants, begonias are all excellent subjects for a patio garden. Lilies in summer followed by pots of hydrangeas all give good colour range and a different look which makes the area interesting all the year round.
Another plant not usually considered as a pot plant but very effective, is sedum and ‘Autumn Joy’ gives a mass of colour for many weeks from September until the frost. And the butterflies just love these flowers Victoria Park, especially when they are in full bloom.

Buttonholes and Boutonnieres
These normally take the form of one large flower, such as a carnation or rose, with perhaps a small piece of foliage. The most popular foliage is Asparagus setaceus, but there is nothing wrong in using the natural foliage, such as rose or carnation leaves, or even including hedera in the flower delivery Westminster.
These are usually a bunch of small and dainty flowers grouped together — white heather, convalleria or stephanotis, for example.
Every wedding is individual, and as florists, we should surely encourage variety and small personal touches; this makes our jobs more interesting and each occasion unique and memorable.

Wedding Designs
Weddings are gloriously busy and happy occasions, and one of the joys of being a florist is that you can be involved in the preparations for a wedding almost every week. The range of designs required for each wedding is wide, and this is one reason why the florist must have so many skills at her fingertips. The bride, bridesmaids, ushers, mums, relatives, church and reception — all these people and places will require flowers.
That said, weddings can be very simple affairs, and it is not unknown for the bride to pop into the florist just half an hour before the service. A pretty handtied bouquet is just right for such an occasion, and can be assembled very quickly. Generally, however, the bride and her mother, bridesmaids and groom will all arrive at the florist to discuss the choice of Cambridge Park flowers and designs some months before the ceremony. The florist’s role is to show the range of designs and blossoms that will be available when the wedding is to take place. Advice on individual preferences and colour choice is all part of the service.
Bridal bouquets must be carefully planned. If the flowers are to give their full value, the style of design, the materials being used, and their placement are important considerations. The flowers and foliage must be perfect and well-conditioned to withstand the rigours of the day.
When the wedding flowers arrive on the day, beautifully packaged, they will add that special touch to an occasion that would be incomplete without them. Today’s bride walks in the footsteps of maidens of olden days who carried ears of wheat in their hands and ‘corones’ of flowers in their hair.

A pretty flower - Tulipa (tulip)
Characteristics: Everyone knows the tulip family for its gorgeous garden stars blooming in late spring. There are many different types of tulips besides the popular cup-shaped hybrids. Explore "peony-flowered," lily-flowered, fringed, "parrot," and the many double-flowered varieties. If properly planned, a garden can have tulips in continual bloom for two months or more.
Cultural Information: Well-drained, light, rich humus is the best soil for tulips. They are also fond of lime. It is helpful to scatter Holland Bulb Booster, which can be purchased from a Blairdardie flower shop, on top of soil at the rate recommended by the manufacturer. Water it in at planting time and every fall thereafter. Water very well to start the roots growing in fall. Replace tulips every year if you want the same number of bulbs, as in a formal planting.
Harvesting/Drying: Tulip drying is for the courageous. Silica gel is the only successful method. Carefully place the tulip face up into a paper cup slightly larger than the diameter of a cup-shaped tulip. Gently pour the silica to encircle and cover the tulip. For double tulips shaped like peonies or roses, follow the instructions for drying peonies and roses in silica gel.

What can you do with those faded blooms?

First of all, don’t throw them away. At the very least, cut them up and add them to the compost pile. Semi-fresh or partially faded flowers, depending on how you look at them, also have a second life in crafts and as edible flowers. Just remember, if you’re planning to use them in food, make sure they are truly edible and free of chemicals.

• Dry flowers and petals for use in sachets, wreaths, and aromatherapy projects.
• Bake edible flowers such as roses and calendula in cakes, breads and cookies.
• Press flowers for making personalized note cards.
• Add flowers to herbal vinegars.
• Preserve edible flowers (viola, pansies) in sugar and use them to decorate cakes.
• Use edible flowers as garnishes in salads, casseroles, and soups.

So there are lots of ways to keep your flowers looking fresh, as well as making the most of them when they reach the end of their lifespan. Check out your local Burnage Florist regularly for bargains.

Bulbs: Edible and Toxic
Bulbous plants are among the most popular of foodstuffs. Onions, potatoes and radishes are staples of the modern kitchen. South American Indians eat starchy roots of a species of canna, and Pacific Islanders build their diet around the tubers of Colocasia esculenta, known as elephant's-ear or taro.
But many other bulbs found in a Lake Balboa flower shop are deadly poisons, among them autumn crocus (Colchicum) and lily of the valley (Convallaria). Others such as crinums, glory lilies (Gloriosa), ranunculuses and zephyr lilies (Zephyranthes) are toxic in varying degrees. And yet one poisonous bulb is an important foodstuff in South America. It is cassava (Manihot esculenta), a tuber that contains deadly amounts of prussic acid until cooked; after cooking it can be ground into a coarse meal or made into tapioca pudding, both of which are perfectly safe, nutritious foods.

Extending and Adapting Designs
A different and distinctive look can be achieved simply by changing the materials in a design. As we know, floral materials provide the look and feel of an arrangement. When substituting, use materials similar to the original project to ensure a similar look; however, if the materials vary greatly from the original, the design will vary accordingly.
Now make the choices of flowers and ribbon in the appropriate colors, using material lists as a guide to the number of stems needed. Hold the stems together, along with the ribbon, to make sure you like the result. If the feeling of the arrangement remains the same, the base can also remain. However, if it’s been changed from a romantic design to a woodsy or natural piece, make sure the base reflects this new look.
Throughout many design books, the authors have provided several pieces for each theme with the thought that people decorate in a certain style or look for gifts, not just with one design selected for Pleasant Grove flower delivery. If even more pieces are needed to carry that look throughout the entire homes of your friends or loved ones, they can be added easily. Consider combining two themes, making sure the look of both will blend well, and then use similar materials to coordinate the pieces.

Topiary Materials
In the original garden topiary, fresh box was sculptured into geometric shapes and lifelike animal forms. These days, the florist has an endless supply of fresh and dried materials from which to choose. Styles can be very imaginative, with one, two or three placements. Forms vary from cones and spheres to free-style groups. Natural support stems range from a single piece of wood, such as birch, to several pieces of wood grouped together, or stems of willow used in a twisted effect. For an impressive tree, a large multi-stemmed branch will provide an interesting structure and give imposing height.
Special designs
Sculptured trees of dried and preserved materials can be individually designed for specialist clothes, furniture, shoe/handbag, kitchen utensil and food shops (to name but a few), as well as for offices, leisure centres and beauty or hairdressing salons.
Such designs might be suggested as an alternative contract arrangement to complement the core business of having flowers delivered Missouri City. Hotel corridors and bedrooms are perfect settings for topiary trees, as are private homes.

Mixing Colors
Because silk, preserved and dried flowers can be found in nearly any color range, knowledge of a color wheel will help tremendously in floral designing. Once focal colors are established, adding in accent colors becomes the next challenge. If you aren’t sure which color would be best, consulting the color wheel helps in determining the desired color range.
A good color wheel contains information and examples of color hues, tints, tones and shades as well as the basic information. This allows you to see how colors of the same or varying values would look when combined. Or how contrasting colors can work together to produce a harmonious arrangement.
Oftentimes the current season will be the determining factor in the colors used within certain projects; spring seems to lend itself to pastel arrangements, while fall seems to call for more striking arrangements. As a florist Hunts Point, my tendency is to use monochromatic or analogous color schemes simply because I am comfortable with those colors and the blended look they provide. However, experimenting with complementary colors often produces striking and pretty designs. They are nice surprises which encourage further explorations of the many possibilities involved in mixing colors in the floral designing process.

Need more?
This information is brought to you by the Flower Baron. Another great resource for flower and florist information is Flower Fact File.

Lunaria annua (money plant, Pope's money, honesty)
Characteristics: The money plant is an old-fashioned garden plant grown for its showy seedpods. It is best grown in an informal setting or meadow. The small clusters of flowers are violet or white in color. A standard of Victorian European parlors, this lovely plant was not grown in America until the 1930s. It produces circular seedpods that dry into translucent silvery discs. These pods are extremely decorative and useful in dried arrangements.
Cultural Information: The money plant is easily grown from direct sown seed. In early summer, biennial plants need to be seeded where they will flower the following summer.
Harvesting/Drying: This plant needs very little drying time. Pick the silvery white seedpods when dry and papery. Remove the outer brownish discs (the outer seed cover) by gently rubbing. A lovely silvery disc will be uncovered. Air-dry in an upright or hanging position until stems are dry. If you choose to have these flowers delivered Niddrie, handle gently as they tend to become very brittle.

Aristocrats of the Garden
In planting lilies, few home gardeners want, or can afford, to duplicate the vast displays seen in public arboretums and parks. This is just as well; lilies have often been called the aristocrats of the garden, and like aristocrats they are used to standing alone. They are striking in small groups, particularly if their statuesque stalks and bright, sculptured flowers Picton are highlighted against a dark background of evergreens. But wherever a few lilies stand, they still draw the eye, and for this reason the taller varieties can be used with stunning effect to terminate a garden vista.

General aftercare advice
Flower care is quite straightforward, provided these basic points are remembered: buy high quality flowers from a reliable supplier; use clean equipment; cut all stems with a sharp knife; use tepid water and a flower nutrient, and follow the correct cold storage procedures. Research into post-harvest care continues, alongside the development of new cultivars and improved methods of growing. Florists must keep informed of new techniques and methods of prolonging the life of cut flowers and foliages. Finally, consumer education will lead to longer lasting flowers. Aftercare advice and personal tips are generally welcomed by the public. Petal flowers, whether they take the form of a small bunch of daffodils or a large gift arrangement, should leave the shop with care instructions and flower food. The more customers see flowers as a good buy, the more flowers will become part of everybody’s weekly shop and we'll begin to see a regular flower delivery Wythall for everyone.

Easy Informality
When roses are used for decorating informal settings (a porch, a patio, a sunroom) color combinations can be bolder and brighter and a more varied choice of flowers Denton can be used with them. But in one respect casual rose arrangements require special care. They are more likely to be placed in locations where they will be seen in the round. For this reason they should be designed to look well from any direction one happens to approach them.
An exuberant bouquet for a sunny room that looks out over a garden would look wonderful by combining pink and yellow roses with a multicolored array of other flowers like snapdragons, petunias and delphiniums, all contained in a glass vase.

One of my favourite flowers - Ageratum houstonia­num (floss flower)
Characteristics: Originally from Mexico and Central America, ageratums thrive in hot summer weather as long as they are well watered. The range of blues, from soft, clear blues and powder blues to rich, dark blues, make ageratums very popular annuals.
There are dwarf, compact and tall, upright varieties. The compact varieties form mounds of fuzzy, tufted blossoms that bloom from early summer to fall. Two excellent dwarf varie­ties are ‘Blue Danube’ and ‘Pink Powder-Puff’, which both make very showy edging plants. However, 'Blue Horizon', a taller variety, is better for use in drying and is conveniently available for Hermon flower delivery in many areas.
Cultural Information: Agera­tums thrive in well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. They can be propagated from cuttings, but most are grown from seed. The seed requires light to germinate, so simply press the seed lightly into a moist planting formula. The young plants are very tender and initial growth is slow. After transplanting into the garden, pinch back to encourage full­ness. On parts of the West Coast where winters are mild, seed can be planted in late summer for fall bloom. Space dwarf varieties 6 inches apart, tall varieties 12 inches.

A beautiful flower - Anethum graveolens (dill)
Characteristics: Dill graces a garden with feathery foliage and lovely pale yellow, umbrella­-shaped flowers. It has long wisps of bluish-green leaves with feathery tips, like fennel. Standing about 3 feet high, it should be planted toward the back of the garden border. In this position it can provide a wonderful backdrop for shorter plants. Try using this attractive herb in both your flower and vegetable gardens.
Cultural Information: Dill is a heavy feeder, so the soil should be rich and well drained. Pre­pare the soil in early spring by adding compost and well-rotted cow manure. It is best to direct sow seed in spring; dill does not like to be transplanted. Thin seedlings to 10 inches apart when the plants are 2 inches tall. For a continuous supply, plant seed bought from a florist Polmadie every three weeks throughout the growing season. Choose the garden spot carefully, as dill tends to re-seed, returning year after year. Germination will take 10 to 21 days, at temperatures of 65° F.
Harvesting/Drying: Harvest flower heads when they have been fully open for only about one day and before they have matured. Hang in a dry, warm, airy place out of sun, to retain color. The dried flower heads hold their distinctive scent after drying. Dill adds a light, airy look to dried arrangements.

Christmas Tree
You can buy a tree-shaped form made of Styrofoam, wire or grapevines from a florist Litherland. Dried material can be tucked into the forms or glued on top of them. Use a base material (such as moss, artemisia or baby's breath) first and then add the more colorful flowers as accents. Another method is to purchase a live small tree to use on a tabletop or mantel. Wire together tiny bunches of dried flowers and attach them to the tree. Individ­ual rosebuds, sprigs of baby's breath and colorful dried berries are also nice accents. For a final touch, you might add tiny colored bows or tiny wrapped packages.

Winter Arrangements
Flowers associated with winter include hellebores which, although not generally available as a cut flower, can be purchased as pot plants. This is also true of the poinsettia, which will last much longer if the roots can be retained. Poinsettias are now available in pinks and creamy whites as well as scarlet, and combine beautifully with red carnations and carnation sprays.
The early spring flowers Cathays can be teamed with some of the flowering winter branches, such as witch hazel or Viburnum x bodnantense. The first narcissi and tulips appear in winter and these and other spring flowers help to brighten the dark winter days. The spicy scent of hyacinths makes them a favourite, and the delicate beauty of snowdrops is a very special pleasure.

Pink Rose Myth
It is said in Greek mythology that after unfairly attaining the right to be the protector of women, Rhoanthe was turned into a pink rose by the God Apollo. In view of this circumstance, pink roses were said to have symbolized pain, extreme suffering and even death. However, as time goes on, the meaning behind pink roses has evolved significantly.
Modern meaning
Today, pink roses no longer have negative connotations to them. The pink rose is now a symbol of a new romance that has yet to bloom into full passion. Pink roses can also be used to signify joy and sweet affection, as well as wishing luck upon others. Graceful and elegant, pink roses can be divided into two categories – light pink roses and dark pink roses.
It is said that light pink roses symbolizes gentleness and admiration and they can also be used to express sympathy. This is why they are a very common choice for funeral arrangements according to a professional we use to get our flowers delivered Woodrow that we spoke to recently. Dark pink roses however are the very symbols of gratitude and appreciation. It is said that by tradition, dark pink roses were sent as an expression of thanks.

Can't get enough aye?
Ok, so you need even more facts, tips and information on flowers? Well, you're in luck, just head over to The Florist's Blog for more great information. Say hi from us as you browse through their mountain of flower and florist tips.

The Ancient Rose
It should be reassuring to remember that roses were growing long before there were human hands to tend to their needs. Fossil roses, found in rock formations in Colorado and Oregon, proved that wild roses date back 40 million years. They apparently originated in central Asia and spread all over the northern hemisphere, but inexplicably never crossed the equator; no truly wild roses have been discovered in the southern hemisphere. Almost everywhere else, however, wild roses can be found growing, often under difficult conditions; in the arctic cold of Alaska and Siberia, in the heat of India and North Africa. Wild roses grow in every state in the U.S., and without much doubt there are some close to your home wherever you live. Roses are all around us; everywhere you go you can send flowers Heidelberg Heights to someone you love.

Creating harmony with colour
Colour, although we may not always acknowledge this, plays an important part in our lives, but whereas we may spend a considerable time coordinating the colours in our living rooms and bedrooms, we tend to think that all flowers will go together.
The effect of colour can he noted by florists, as flowers are often used to help to create an atmosphere or mood. Red is an exciting and warm colour; it can also be aggressive. Blue is almost the opposite, being cool and quiet. Violet is rich and somber in some surroundings, while yellow is cheerful and warm. Orange is also warm and hospitable; green can be refreshing, and dark green is relaxing. Green, in any case, is the natural accompaniment to most flowers.
Colours are never seen in isolation in normal life; there are always surrounding colours, and they react with each other, for lighter or darker, for louder or quieter, for better or worse.
The way in which artificial light affects flower colours is important to florists. White fluorescent light makes blue look brighter, while ordinary light bulbs turn it to a rather depressing purplish grey. White, pink and orange look reasonably good in artificial light. Each time you decorate a marquee, take notes on the effect of diffused light on the flowers, as it is difficult to remember such details in the mind’s eye. Create your flower delivery Takapuna with these points in mind for the best results.
When designing, use flowers with strong hues and bright colours towards the centre, and paler tints and tones at the outer edges. This will give visual stability as well as impact. A gentle gradation of colour is a subtle way of leading the eye into and through the design.
A colour wheel is a good aid to heighten your awareness of colour. If you have only thought about colour in general terms, a wheel will increase your confidence in using colour. Successful colour harmonies give assurance, and can lead to more complex and challenging ways of using colour in flower designs.

Flower Containers
Glass
Glass containers vary widely and range from beautifully designed vases to decanters, goblets, fish bowls and medicine or chemistry bottles. Look for shapes which offer a firm, heavy base and if they are wide-necked, allow room to conceal netting under the flowers.
A glass specimen vase can be the ideal container to display a single bloom. Choose one with a firm, solid base which is not too tall, as they can easily topple over. A brandy balloon can be ideal for a bunch of tiny blooms like violets. Tied lightly together and placed in the centre of the glass they will look very pretty and will last longer than usual in the moist atmosphere created by the balloon shape.
Glass must be kept clean and polished. Scrub containers well after use with soapy water, as a spotless vase will reduce the problem of wilting. Water- marks can occur and should be removed regularly otherwise they could become permanent. A piece of lemon dipped in salt will help to remove stains. Get some advice from your reseller the next time you have flowers delivered Galt.
Ceramics
From art deco to modem or antique, or from fine porcelain to slab pottery the variety is endless. Ceramics are usually easy to use and weighty enough not to topple over once an arrangement is in place. They offer the advantage that no stems can be seen and they obscure wire, foam or any other fixatives from view.
Simple shapes and plain colours are however much easier to work with than vases with patterns or a mix of bright lollipop colours. If you only have room for a few vases, stick to simple shapes and plain shades such as off-white, grey, green and pewter.
If you are fortunate enough to have some lovely antique vases with flowers and other decoration painted on them, use simple arrangements that pick up the colours on the vase and either harmonise or contrast boldly with the pattern.

A Deceptive Blue Rose
Despite the great assortment of colors among roses (which include everything from the palest white to a purplish red so dark it appears almost black) there are some hues that have never been grown. Blue, for example, is missing from the rose spectrum (although there are lavender and purple roses).
The quest for a blue rose has long intrigued (and frustrated) Bermondsey florists and rose gardeners alike. In 1955, just such a plant was advertised by an enterprising con man in St. Louis, Missouri. But thousands of buyers soon learned to their dismay that his so-called blue rose was merely a red variety whose blooms took on a bluish cast only as they died; the charlatan was eventually jailed for using the mails to defraud. Honest efforts to develop a truly blue rose have not been successful to date.

Save some cash

By using silk flowers at your wedding you can cut your floral costs by between $100 and $800, depending on how many flowers, and what kinds of flowers, you were planning to use. Opt to do the table arrangements of your flowers, keeping them simple, and you can cut your flower related wedding costs by another $100 to $300. Some people save as much as $1,000 or more just by going with the fake flowers and doing most of the arrangements themselves. Silk wedding flowers often look as good as the real thing. It is impossible to tell the difference from far away, and even up close, a good fake flower looks very nice. You can also arrange to have your flower delivery Blaise Hamlet before the big day as the flowers will not wilt. Long after the wedding day they will look just as beautiful as when you first saw them.

Avoid Wedding woes

There is such a huge range of choices available when it comes to wedding flowers that it is easy to become overwhelmed by it all. Do you want the formal look of roses and orchids, or the more casual feel of wildflowers with a seasonal garden style bouquet? What colors do you want, what size and shape of bouquet for yourself and your attendants? The best place to start, and its free, is to visit your local library and look at books and magazines for ideas on flower styles and trends. Doing a little homework before meeting with an Little Aston florist can be a great help for you and the florist.

White roses and funerals
White roses are versatile such that they can be used to celebrate happy occasions such as weddings, or to offer condolences at a funeral. White roses are a symbol of honour, heavenliness, spiritual love and respect; which is why they are perfect to remember loved ones who have already passed on. White roses are also a symbol of a holy and spiritual union between the departed soul and God in heaven. If you have a funeral flower arrangement to send always check out the latest seasonal blooms with your local florist to get the best value when you get your flowers delivered Adamsdown. Of course you're not limited to white roses when selecting your funeral arrangement, but they are a popular choice for many. I tend to go for the white rose for funeral purchases because of the reasons mentioned above.

Glues
Tacky craft glue effectively secures stems in floral foam. Dip the cut stem into glue, then insert it into the project. Gluing keeps stems from twisting in or dislodging from the foam, ruining established design lines.
Hot or low temperature glue guns are handy for floral designing, and they can be purchased in a West Derby flower shop. The low temperature gun is safer, but not as secure as hot glue when used on items preserved with glycerin. Apply glue to the stem end, then insert it into the foam or onto the base. Hold the item for a moment until the glue sets. Glue sticks are available in different formulas; make sure you use the correct stick for the job and the gun.
Glue pans, which hold a pool of melted glue at a constant temperature, are useful when you have a lot of gluing to do. They let you keep one hand free by allowing you to dip the stems.

Transporting and Looking after your Flowers

Many Oak Ridge North florists now deliver bouquets already arranged in a strong bag of water which can be kept for a while as they are - this kind of arrangement should be left undisturbed until you get it home. If the bouquet you receive hasn't been supplied like this then keep in mind these simple instructions...
The hours until you leave for home can cause your flowers to wilt and drop their petals, and shorten their vase life considerably. So firstly, find a sink, put in the plug, and stand up your bouquet in water until you leave for home. If this isn't possible, a bucket or washing up bowl will do. Whatever your method, your flowers need a drink of water, and fast. Remember to wrap something wet around the bottom of your flowers if the journey home is going to be a long one - a towel is good for this. Then place the wrapped end in a plastic bag so you don't spoil your clothes.

Need more?
This information is brought to you by the Flower Baron. Another great resource for flower and florist information is Florist Facts.