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January 29, 2008 | out and about

A floral find on the Oregon coast

by Karin - Merchandising

I visited the beautiful Oregon coast recently and was surprised to find, as I drove into the city of Brookings, that I was in the “Home of Winter Flowers.” Good timing! Since the light was getting low, I quickly found the botanical garden in the middle of town to see what I could find. Soon I was surrounded by a variety of flowering plants, many of which are native to the area.

Brookings, Oregon sign
White flowering plant
Red bell-shaped flowers
Purple flowering plant  


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January 15, 2008 | out and about

Japanese garden is a hidden gem

by Karin - Merchandising

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
There is a hidden gem on the campus of California State University, Long Beach, called the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden csulb.edu/7Ejgarden/history.html. Dedicated by Mr. Miller’s widow, Loraine Miller Collins, in his memory in 1981, this garden offers beauty and serenity to visitors whether they are taking a study break, attending an event such as a wedding or just enjoying the view.

Ed Lovell served as master architect for the design, which includes traditional Japanese plants, lanterns, blooming flowers, bridges and a koi pond.

And bamboo is a key feature of this garden. Loraine Miller Collins is quoted on the Web site as saying: “There is an old proverb that says, 'Bamboo bends but never breaks.' It is my hope that as you leave your tour of the garden, you will find in your heart that proverb, and the day will be filled with joy.”
 


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January 08, 2008 | out and about

Daisy bloom is cause for double-take

by Karin - Merchandising

Conjoined flowers
This unusual sight caught my eye as I rushed by the flower garden at the entrance to the Los Angeles Arboretum on a recent weekend. In a patch filled with gerbera daisies in a multitude of colors was a set of conjoined flowers. Back at my computer, I searched the web to see if others had captured this phenomenon, and I found a similar photo on Flikr.
 


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December 18, 2007 | out and about

Same-day floral delivery a super holiday treat

by Karin - Merchandising

Red roses, carnations, cedar, pine, oregonia and holly holiday flower arrangement 
I love shopping online. It is a rare week when a box of clothing, books, jewelry, décor or gourmet food does not arrive at my doorstep. But it was not until I started working at Teleflora that it occurred to me to order fresh floral arrangements for myself online.
Last weekend I ordered this beautiful Ice Petals centerpiece from Teleflora.com for same-day delivery. What a convenience! Within a couple of hours, my local florist delivered a perfect, artistic, hand-designed centerpiece that was ready to be placed in the center or my dining room table. When my guests arrived, they loved it.

This is a very busy time of year, especially for the 20,000 florists in the Teleflora network who are working long hours to brighten their customers’ holidays.
 


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November 28, 2007 | out and about

Floral field of dreams: Goldsmith Seeds’ HQ

by Karin - Merchandising

Flower field at Goldsmith Seeds

I was driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles recently, and decided to explore some out-of-the-way country roads. As I was driving into Gilroy, a bright array of colors, which turned out to be a large flower field, caught my eye. I quickly learned that this was Goldsmith Seeds’ headquarters, and the flower field is where they experiment with breeding new types of hybrid flowers. Their grounds, which are open to the public, include beautifully manicured gardens as well. Needless to say, the amateur photographer and flower lover in me had a field day.