flower blog

With the Fourth of July falling next Friday, you may soon find yourself entertaining out-of-towners. What better way to welcome them than with flowers? Now how did you know I was gonna say that? ;)

But seriously flowers have more to offer than just the fact that they’re easy on the eyes. If you haven’t had time to get those new curtains or repaint the bathroom, put a fun summer bouquet in the room and no one will notice!

“It’s a quick way to spot-decorate when you’re having company,” says Marie Ackerman, who runs Teleflora's Education Center in Oklahoma City. “Put some flowers in the guests’ room and in their bathroom and they’ll really feel special. It doesn’t cost much and it really makes a big impact. This is the perfect time of year to buy fresh flowers.”



Of course, red, white and blue flowers would be a natural. When you buy one of Teleflora's 12 patriotic bouquets, Teleflora will donate 10% of the purchase price to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. This non-profit organization has provided more than $21 million in assistance to our nation’s wounded heroes and families. The partnership will continue through the end of the year.

Or go for something more exotic.

Marie suggests long-lasting tropicals like pin-cushion protea or orchids of any type. Another option is to select some simple foliage: an arrangement of simple but striking leaves, say, or a vase of three split-leaf philodendron. Like tropicals, they’re long lasting and will make a strong visual impact.

Flower Fact of the Day: Vancouver, B.C. will host the first-ever World Rose Convention in June, 2009. To find out more, visit: worldrose-vancouver2009.com.
 

Dahlias are stars of the summer, so enjoy them while you can. Can't believe it's almost July! Here are some tips on taking care of dahlias as cut flowers, courtesy of Alan Fisher of the American Dahlia Society dahlia.org.

   
Photo courtesy of the American Dahlia Society

1. Dahlias need a lot of water to support their many petals.

2. Their stems are hollow and will clog if there is a lack of fresh water or if the water contains bacteria. So make sure you use a clean vase without any residue.

3. To sterilize the vase, use a bottle brush and soap, rinse it clean and dry it upside down. You may also want to disinfect it using a solution that is 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.

4. Cut-flower food will help the dahlias last. They typically look good for 4-5 days.

5. If you are using a solution of water and food, change it every two days.

6. If the vase contains just plain water, change the water every day. Cut about an inch off the stems of the dahlias before reinserting. You can also take the end of a sharp knife and put a tiny hole into the stem, just under the water line. This will let air out and force the water to go higher.

Flower Fact of the Day: The Chicago Flower & Garden Show will be back on Navy Pier next March 7-15. The show was held on the pier for 10 years before moving to Rosemont for the past two years. Read more at: chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-flower-show-returns-bothjun27,0,3955648.story.
 

The dahlia has an allure and mystery like no other flower. After all, it lends its name to Hollywood’s most famous unsolved case: the January 1947 murder of aspiring starlet Beth Short, just 22 years old.

Beth, a Massachusetts native, who was trying make her way in Tinseltown, was known to friends and admirers as the Black Dahlia. Though not much is known for sure about her, it’s clear that she had a fondness for eccentricity. She often dressed in black, wore geisha-like makeup and tucked a flower in her hair.

Beth Short

After “The Blue Dahlia” movie came out in 1946, friends in Long Beach decided that Beth should be dubbed The Black Dahlia. The comparison was both apt and eerie because the movie (starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, and written by Raymond Chandler) is a classic film noir. Beth followed her own doomed path within months of the film’s release.

Chandler got the name “Blue Dahlia” from a Charles Baudelaire prose poem, "Invitation to the Voyage," in which he refers to black roses, blue dahlias and other absurdities, such as loving a woman who would love him back. ;)

That interesting tidbit comes from Black Dahlia aficionado Richard Schave. Richard and his wife Kim Cooper run offbeat bus tours of Los Angeles, retracing the steps of people like Beth Short, Raymond Chandler and many others.

Or as they put it on esotouric.com: “Our tour themes are provocative and complex, but never dry, mixing crime and social history, rock and roll and architecture, literature and film, fine art and urban studies into a simmering stew.”

I recently took the Dahlia Tour and it was both fascinating and fun. Beth Short's murderer was never brought to justice, but theories abound as to the culprit's identity.

Was it a jealous boyfriend or movie mogul? Some have suggested that it was a mafia hit ordered by a wealthy LA businessman. Others argue it was a prominent doctor Beth met through her sister. Still others maintain that a random psychopath was responsible for her grisly death.

It's unlikely that there will ever be definitive answers in the Black Dahlia case. To me, the most intriguing question isn't whodunnit, but rather who was Beth Short and what was she like? 

Flower Fact of the Day: A new flower pot takes in solar power so it can glow at night. It’s pretty cool! See for yourself at: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/22/solar-powered-glowing-flower-pot-does-just-that.