Sunday, March 22, 2009

Electing to support your local florist

Dried Flowers


There are many methods that we can use to dry flowers, and we discuss one of these here. As always, if you have any doubts, always call your local flower delivery Cooks Hill expert for some sound advice.



Air-drying, also known as "hang and dry" method, is the oldest and simplest method for preserving flowers. The flowers are collected, tied and then hung upside down in a warm, dry place. Since the flowers are dried in air, the method is referred to as "air-drying". This needs to be done in a darkened room to help retain the color of the flowers. Flowers such as baby's breath, cattail, celosia, dock, goldenrod, heather and pussy willow preserve well when stored this way. Blue and yellow flowers retain their color whereas pink flowers tend to fade miserably.


It's a rewarding hobby to get into, and one that I thoroughly recommend. A wonderful stress buster for those of us we lead a hectic lifestyle and just want to perform a relaxing task in our leisure time.


Constructing Flower Sprays

Collect all the materials and prepare the base by gluing a third of a brick of foam into the tray and then securing it with pot tape. Soak the foam briefly in water. If you are using a prepared spray tray with handle, just soak it in water for several minutes.

With the handle facing you, create a pear- shaped outline by inserting the foliage low down in the foam. The rounded end covers the handle. The main focal flower, which is also the tallest and is single-leg mounted for security, is placed two-thirds down the foam. Other focal flowers may be wired and mounted if necessary. Starting at the outline, add flowers in a diagonal line — buds at the outer edge and open flowers in the centre.


Add flowers and foliage on all levels, making an elevated profile. Recess some shorter- stemmed flowers and foliage to conceal the foam and provide visual depth. Finally (and just before the flower delivery Timaru), put the spray on the floor to check that the foliage and smaller flowers appear to radiate from the main flowers. If there are any gaps, fill in with a flower or piece of foliage, then lightly spray with water before storing.

Online care

Flowers are a great gift for any occasion but no one wants to feel cheated into paying for something they didn't receive. Trading online is all about trust, and without trust no online company will survive for very long. The internet has certainly leveled the playing field in all walks of life, with even the smallest of companies now being able to compete on a national and even global scale. The same is true of florists, and anyone going into the business of sending flowers San Lorenzo. Remember to listen to your instincts when placing flower orders online, and where ever possible, stay local. You usually tend to get a better deal if you contact a local florist directly rather than going through some faceless national order collection service.



The Unique Lily

Symbol of purity, perfection, and flawless beauty, striking in its variety of form, color, fragrance, and seasons of flowering, the lily is unique among all cultivated plants. In its almost endless variation it is rivaled only by the orchid. In its ease of culture, its endurance and vitality, it must be compared to the daffodil, the tulip, and the iris. All over America, all over Europe, in gardens new and old, in a Redbridge flower shop, lilies are flowering, year after year, with little or no care. Who has not seen clumps of fine lilies- perhaps of the old Tiger Lily, the Candlestick Lily, or of the pure white Madonna Lily- in old farm gardens where they must have been at home for many years? Who among us has not driven along the highways of our country to be startled and arrested by the sight of some glowing yellow or orange flowers, lilies, shaped like toy balloons, like temple bells, swaying in the wind? Here they grow among grasses and low shrubs, under trees, in sunshine and shade. Here they live and multiply.

Bulbs to Grow Indoors


Of all the bulbs that will flower out of season indoors, the easiest and most rewarding to grow are the three types that I will describe: tender tazetta narcissuses such as the paper-white type as well as the Grand Soleil d'Or and Chinese sacred lily, the amaryllises of the genus Hippeastrum and such hardy spring bulbs as crocuses, tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and squills. All can provide bright flowers during the dark months, from December or January to early spring. But each type has its own habits and needs. Tazetta narcissuses, for example, can be grown without soil, but these bulbs exhaust themselves and are not worth saving after they bloom, a point to keep in mind if you plan to have the flowers delivered Clifton. Amaryllises and spring bulbs, on the other hand, are best grown in an enriched potting mixture. The amaryllises may be kept as house plants for years; it is good practice to hose out some of the soil each spring and replace it without disturbing the roots. Hardy spring bulbs can be brought into flower indoors only once, but they may be knocked out of their pots when the leaves have matured and set in the garden the following fall to return to their normal outdoor blooming habits.


A Carnation Buttonhole

A carnation buttonhole today is almost always a sign that a wedding is either about to take place or has just taken place. Years ago, it was commonplace to see a gentleman with a red carnation in the lapel of his jacket, inserted through the buttonhole into a specially-designed little glass or silver phial of water.

A carnation is still a very popular choice of buttonhole for both men and ladies, but nowadays white and pink are the colours most frequently ordered. There are many types of foliage that can be used, but Asparagus setaceus remains the most popular foliage for carnation buttonholes.

At weddings in the 1930s and 1940s, the bride’s mother could be recognized by the number of carnations in her corsage — two or three at least, with plenty of fern and heavy tin foil. Today, carnation buttonholes are much more tailored, and green tape provides a discreet finish. Always check that the buttonholes are completely finishied prior to the flower delivery Bromsgrove being despatched.



Bulbous Plants

All bulbous plants share one characteristic that sets them apart from other plants: a self-contained, highly developed food-storage mechanism that has adapted itself, bud and all, to live underground. You have probably seen many bulbous plants in a Culverhouse Cross flower shop. Other plants have evolved in strange habitats (epiphytic orchids thrive high in trees, seaweed flourishes in the ocean) but bulbs alone are able to provide nourishment for themselves in the most diverse kinds of soil. Even after lying dormant for months, enduring drought, frost or searing heat, bulbs can spring back to life and continue their species when conditions improve. Through the miracle of adaptation, they survive and revive in all manner of environments. The violet-blue blossoms of chionodoxa grow in the mountain snows of Asia Minor, calla lilies bloom in the marshlands of tropical Africa, and colocasia (elephant’s-ear) burgeons on the islands of the South Pacific; all of these environments, and others less harsh, provide the necessary temperature and moisture for the particular bulbs they harbor.


Funeral Thoughts

Floral tributes can be arranged into the shapes of letters to spell out a name or phrase. Be careful when choosing what to put here, especially where nicknames are concerned. Maybe the name you knew the person as affectionately was not the preferred name for the family. Always respect the wishes of the immediate family. Chrysanthemums are most effective for this kind of arrangement, and again matching the edged ribbon to a complimentary colour scheme. The flowers can be arranged beautifully, and there are numerous complimentary colour schemes that you could use. Red and cream go well together as an example, as does yellow and pale green foliage. You can send flowers
St Michaels
in almost any colour combination you can think of.


Surefire way to a girl's heart


If you really want to earn the brownie points and reap the benefit of all the comments and accolades given to your lady, send her flowers at work. Very few women get flowers at work and the ones that don’t get them will make a huge fuss over them. Don’t wait for a special occasion, sending flowers randomly means so much more. Think of how it will make her feel when they ask, “Is it your birthday or anniversary or something?” and she replies,” No - he just loves me.”



Women remember this kind of gesture for a very long time, and you're sure to be in the good books for quite some time after sending flowers to her work. If you want to impress her with your romantic nature, then you can't go wrong sending some beautiful flowers. Contact your local
North Jim Hogg Florist
and get the ball rolling guys!

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