home »

Comment 2

October 07, 2009 | flower facts

Mystery movie flower is in fact fictitious

by Blogger


For those who saw the movie “Love Happens” and were wondering about the reference to “phlangium,” ... Read More


Comment 1

September 16, 2008 | florist in the spotlight

Pentagon community continues to heal and flowers are part of the process

by Blogger


This guest post comes courtesy of Paul Brockway, an owner of Conklyn's Florist conklyns.com in Virginia.

Last week marked the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. On that day, Conklyn's Florist in the Pentagon Concourse was open as usual. When sirens filled the air signaling an evacuation of the building, our staff rushed out of the building without any knowledge of the terrorist air attack on the opposite side of the building. General chaos ensued.

Eventually, the physically unscathed occupants of the building returned to work. But even after seven years, the mood of the building is not the same as it was before 9/11 and it may not ever be the same for anyone who was working that day.

Flowers at Pentagon memorial

It is now seven years later and the first of three national memorials pentagonmemorial.org is complete. Dedicated by President George W. Bush, the Pentagon memorial honors the 184 people who perished when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building.

When we volunteered to provide flowers for the ceremony, the initial response was that they could use a few small designs in front of a single podium on one side of the stage.

Frankly, I think the event planners were so overwhelmed with the details of this huge event that flowers were not on the radar. But big ceremonies, especially memorial ceremonies, need flowers as part of the healing process.

With a donation of flowers from Teleflora and hours of work by Conklyn's staff, we arrived at the memorial site with blooms to decorate the entire stage: impressive arrangements of white lilies, roses and carnations.

Flowers at Pentagon memorial

Working through the night, we gave the stage the beauty and comfort that only flowers can provide. As a final touch, we put a white rose bouquet just below the ceremonial bell used during the reading of the names of those who died.

The ceremony was broadcast around the world and featured speeches by President Bush, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

It was an honor and a pleasure to be able to contribute to this moving ceremony. As part of the Pentagon community, participating is part of the healing process for us too.
 


Comment 3

March 28, 2008 | flower facts

Free advice from award-winning florists

by Blogger

Florist at Philly Flower Show

Florist at Philly Flower Show

Top: Flowers by David at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Above: Robertson's Flowers at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

I recently wrote about two flower stores, both part of the Teleflora network of florists, who won major awards at the Philly Flower Show theflowershow.com: Flowers by David (David and Robin Heller) flowersbydavid.com and Robertson’s Flowers (Karina Keff and Greg Funk) robertsonsflowers.com.

Their work is truly inspirational and impressive, especially given that Karina and Greg were first-timers at the show.

So, I asked these experts to share their top three rules of thumb for arranging flowers.

David Heller's were:
• Do what you like.
• Work simply: Sometimes a single flower can say more than a jumble.
• Have fun and enjoy yourself.

Robin Heller offered the following:
• Buy fresh flowers from a florist.
• Work by color group. Think of flowers as an accent to colors in your home.
• Work simply.

And Karina Keff suggests the following for spring:
• Use all one kind of flower, this makes more of statement, plus this way they all die at the same time.

• Create a lovely spring mix with bulb flowers in floral foam and include some real bulbs in it. This gives a great effect and after the arrangement dies you can plant the bulbs and enjoy it even longer.

• Get a 5”-wide and 10”-high clear glass cylinder and plant a small 4” bulb plant in it. Cover the dirt with green moss. This way you don't spend a lot of money and, as the plant starts growing inside the vase, it has support so it doesn't go all over the place. Smart and decorative as well.

Flower Fact of the Day: Dwarf plants aren't necessarily smaller versions, they just grow more slowly. 
 


Comment

March 05, 2008 | floral trends

Floral designer shares tips for flower arranging

by Blogger

Plum Blossom
Today I’m traveling to the Philly Flower Show, where I hope to gather lots of news and great ways to incorporate flowers into your life.

One of the first things that springs to mind is flower arranging. So, to get the ball rolling on that topic, I asked Beth O'Reilly, AIFD, of The Flower Studio in Austin, Texas, to share some of her tips.

The Flower Studio creates strikingly elegant and highly original arrangements. See for yourself at cobyneal.com. Here’s what Beth recommends:

Keep your designs clean and uncluttered. Overstuffing and using too much greenery and filler flower can make the design too busy. Strip off any foliage on stems that hit the water source. This keeps the design from looking messy and will also make your arrangement last longer by cutting back on the amount of bacteria that can grow in the water.

A casual bouquet of loosely designed flowers is always appealing. Cut stem lengths gradually until you’ve achieved the right height for your design. You can even design this kind of arrangement in your hand as if you had been out picking them in the garden.

Create a focal point. Try to incorporate a focal area within the arrangement by utilizing larger flowers or grouping smaller flowers. This creates interest and draws the viewer into the design.

Care for your flowers properly. Before arranging flowers, it is important to hydrate them properly. A fresh cut with quick insertion into the water along with at least 45 minutes of drinking time is a good rule of thumb. When designing, always give each stem a fresh cut before insertion. Changing the water daily and re-cutting the stems will make your arrangements last twice as long. Flower preservative can also be used in the water to keep your blooms lasting even longer.

Good designs take experience and practice. Try following the principles and elements of design. Principles are: scale, proportion, balance (symmetry), rhythm (pattern and movement), emphasis (focal point), variety, contrast, and unity. Elements are: shape, space, line, texture, direction, value, and color. Keep these in mind as you work toward more complicated designs and techniques.

If you've recently designed a great floral arrangement, send a picture to Flower Blog. We'd love to see it!
 


Comment 1

December 12, 2007 | flower facts

How to give your poinsettias some TLC

by Blogger

Red poinsettia plant

Today is National Poinsettia Day. Do you know why?

Poinsettias are a woody shrub native to Mexico and were brought to the United States in 1825 by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Poinsett died Dec. 12, 1851.

Flower shops around the country are filled with these festive blooms, symbols of the Christmas holiday. More than 60 million poinsettia plants are sold annually.

With proper care, a poinsettia can last through the entire holiday season. Here's how to nurture one:

Light
Place the plant in indirect sunlight for at least six hours per day.

Temperature
Avoid cold drafts or excessive heat. Keep the plant in a warm room with temperatures between 68-70° F. Never place one on a television!

Poinsettias are sensitive to temperatures below 50° F – cold temperatures can cause the bracts to discolor or fall from the plant. (The colorful part of the plant that most people think is the flower is called a “bract” which is really a colorful modified leaf. The flowers of a poinsettia are the yellow cyathias in the center.)

Water
Water a poinsettia when the soil feels dry to the touch. Always remove the plant from decorative pot wrappings or pot covers before watering it in your sink. Allow excess water to drain completely before placing the plant back in its decorative covering.
Health concerns and benefits
Contrary to popular belief, the poinsettia is not poisonous. As with all ornamental plants, poinsettias are not intended for human or animal consumption. Poinsettias, like many indoor plants, are helpful in removing indoor pollutants from the air and producing oxygen for a cleaner environment.