Native flowers make a lovely arrangement

The Lush Begonias

The fourth of the big four of summer-flowering bulbs (dahlias, lilies and gladioluses) is the tuberous begonia, widely popular like the other three but for different reasons. Tuberous begonias bear flowers more varied and colorful than most other summer-flowering bulbs. Some resemble roses, others camellias, others carnations; they come in flower sizes up to 10 inches across and in a brilliant sunset of colors from yellow and orange to pink and red, with pure white thrown in. And they can be kept in bloom even longer than lilies. They can be started indoors and brought outside to flower on a porch or patio from spring until frost. Begonias are also very popular choices if you want to send flowers Netherby to a friend or loved one. Moreover, since tuberous begonias are among the most colorful of shade-tolerant plants, they provide bright beauty for enjoyment at close range on a shady terrace or under trees, where most people like to sit on hot summer days. Among my favorites are hanging-basket begonias, B. tuberhybrida pendula, which can be hung from an eave or a low tree branch to provide a cascade of glowing hues in the shade of early evening. Tuberous begonias are virtually disease free, can be grown in pots or in wire or plastic containers, and produce an extraordinary harvest of blossoms that inevitably become a focal point, on a patio, next to a front door or wherever else they are placed.

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 Mt Wellington, handle gently as they tend to become very brittle.

Pew ends . .


Everyone loves pew ends. They guide the bride down the aisle to the altar; they make the scene complete, and they help to give the church a fairytale appearance. In addition, pew ends are expected to be a low-cost item, and they can be a good way of using up short flowers.

Traditional style

If the wedding is in a traditional church or cathedral, the flowers are generally massed, with little space left between them and with lots of foliage. The typical arrangements to choose for the occasion would be large triangle-shaped pedestals, and the pew ends would be in keeping with these. Again, they would be triangular in shape, but in this case with the length running down the design, and with flowers and foliage massed together.

Modern style

In a modern building, it is far more appropriate to make the arrangements modern. Use bold flowers and leaves, and lots of space. Here again, the pew ends would echo the larger arrangements. Getting the flowers delivered South Birmingham to the church on time is also a critical factor to take into consideration.

Arranging those cut flowers

Ideally, you would already own a vase or two. If you don't, purchase a large glass one, the wider it is at the top, the better. Then drop large hints to your nearest and dearest that you would like to practise your flower-arranging skills. Or send yourself a bouquet. Or send one to your sister or best friend or mother and hope she returns the favour.

A bouquet usually contains enough flowers to fill two vases. Arrange the larger flowers at the back and the smaller ones at the sides and the front. Don't be afraid to mix colours, flowers love to show off, and the more striking the arrangement the better. Never cram a vase too full. Better two vases with plenty of space than one overflowing. Wrap the ribbon that came with the bouquet around your vase. Check your own garden for greenery, if none came with your bouquet. Use half of the packet of flower food straight away, mix it with the vase water and save the rest for the water change. If you didn't receive any flower food with your bouquet, phone up your local Rusholme florist shop and complain!

Manly Colours?

There are no hard and fast rules about what colors are appropriate for each gender but it ia best to stay away from the more feminine associated colors such as pink, and the lighter pastel shades. There is no need to settle for the fail-safe blue, though, use a little creative imagination here. Choose, instead, flowers in strong, vivid and monochromatic hues like bright yellow, intense orange, fiery red and royal gold to ensure your man looks upon them as being a masculine gift within his North University Park flower delivery . Whatever you end up choosing for your man I'm sure he'll appreciate the effort and sentiment of the floral gift.

Wedding Reception Flowers

Floral arrangements are a great way to carry a consistent theme throughout your Australian wedding experience, which is very important when planning your big day. There is nothing more beautiful (bride excepted of course) than a reception venue decorated in the same theme as your bridal bouquets. You can't of course, trust this important job to just any old florist. We strongly recommend you use a flower delivery Crosshill expert with many years of experience in providing fresh flowers to Australia. Flowers, whether you're sending them online, or purchasing for your wedding day send such an important message, that you just have to get it right. There is no second chance if the flowers arrive on your wedding day not as you had expected. Communication between yourself and your florist is vital to ensure that everyone is happy on the big day.

Mounting Flowers onto a Backing Board

Once your material is com­pletely dry, it is time to mount it onto a backing board. Select a mounting board of linen, velour or velvet, or a matting board of the type used by pic­ture framers. You can use a sil­icone adhesive, which can be purchased at a Eastham flower shop, to mount the flowers onto the backing board. If the flowers are small and delicate, a pair of tweezers will help to position them on the board. Avoid using household glues because they can cause discoloration after framing.

Working with silicone adhesives can be messy, so some people prefer to place the flowers onto the backing board and cover them with a sheet of clear contact paper. Start by cutting a sheet of contact paper slightly larger than the back­board. Adhere the top of the contact paper to your working surface or table. Slowly smooth the contact paper downward and outward over the flowers on the backboard. Work slowly because the petals will often jump off the backboard due to the static nature of the plastic contact paper.

Floral Ball or Kissing Ball


Traditional kissing balls were covered with mistletoe. They hung in doorways or from chan­deliers during the Christmas holidays. Many Pentwyn florists sell round floral forms to use as a base for these quaint balls. Cover the form with a base ma­terial such as sweet Annie (or, of course, mistletoe). Then add colorful flowers and possibly ribbon. If you'd like to hang the dried flower ball from a door­way or chandelier, tie a length of ribbon or string around the ball or secure it to the ball with a long, straight pin. The floral ball can also be used sitting in a pretty bowl or dish. Remem­ber to keep the flowers in scale with the size of the floral foam ball and the container that it will finally sit in.

Flower arrangement for the speaker's table

This impressive arrangement is designed for a guest speaker’s table at a business, civic or social function, when it can be used to hide notes, or conceal microphones. The arrangement may also be positioned on a top table at other occasions, such as a luncheon, banquet, or wedding reception. The design should draw the eye to the top table.

Initially, this may appear to be a faced design, but in fact it must look attractive from all angles and the materials should be placed on different levels. Position the design at the centre of the table, close to the front edge. Flowers and foliage should then trail over the edge if the florist Harlem has done a good job arranging this. The speaker and other VIPs should be able to see over the arrangement, however, and it must not hide them from their audience.

How about this?
Whilst we aim to provide you with a never ending supply of flower facts, you may like to check out The Florist's Blog if you want even more! You can never have too many tips and facts when you love flowers, or wish to have a career in the floral industry.

Take a break from the daily grind and send some flowers

Dried Arrangement Advantage

Working with dried flowers can be challeng­ing because they are very brittle and apt to break easily. Their colors also tend to be more subtle than those of fresh flowers, and will fade even further with age and exposure to light. However, dried flower arranging has advantages over fresh flower arranging, too. One advantage is that you can take several days to create a dried arrangement. You will also have a good selection of plant material from which to choose. Mix and match beauties of all seasons, such as a spring-flowering branch of dogwood with the gorgeous roses of summer and even the dried hydrangea of autumn. It is always fun to create such mixed-season arrangements be­cause they truly are tributes to the beauty and variety of your garden, and others will greatly appreciate this when you have the flowers delivered Moree to them.

Packing them in


Good packaging protects flowers during transit from distant countries, ensuring they arrive at the florist’s shop in good condition with the minimum of damage. Thanks to the packaging methods now used by growers and exporters, flowers always arrive at the florist in peak condition. Many flowers are now aqua packed, or wet packed, for transport. This is an excellent method, as the stem ends do not dry out and instead have a constant supply of water and flower preservative.

Most spray carnations are now sold in buckets enclosed by a box to keep them upright. For many years, orchids have had test tubes with a small reservoir of water attached to stem ends, and freesias are often supplied with a wad of damp absorbent paper attached. These methods ensure that flowers delivered Western Springs reach the florist in optimal condition.

Florists can fake them too, ladies . .

Your wedding can still retain all of its elegance when you use silk wedding flowers. And you will likely get a better price on a variety of flowers, especially roses, if you choose fake flowers. Most floral shops offer silk flower arrangements, and you can visit your regular florists and look at fake floral bouquets, boutonnières, and corsages. Additionally, you can ask about buying individual flowers or small table arrangements. It is also possible to have large arrangements made and delivered to the wedding or reception location using fake flowers (but keeping the arrangements small and simple so you can pick them up will save you more money). If you do not have time to pick them up your florist will send flowers Acton over to you. Give silk a thought when planning your wedding day, and not just for your underwear!

Elegant Formality

When the furnishings of a room are traditional in style, roses generally look best in an arrangement that reflects the quiet dignity of their surroundings. Colors that harmonize and blend into one another are better than sharp contrasts, and a good choice for a container is a footed vase or urn that lifts the flowers Tower Hamlets above the surface on which they stand. When foliage seems called for, choose one that is ornamental in form, like spiral eucalyptus.

For example, perhaps imagine that you have a table in front of a low-keyed French painting. An open and deliberately simple arrangement of Queen Elizabeth and Regal Gold roses in a china shell would create an island of serenity in an object-filled environment.

Best loved flowers - Dahlia

Characteristics: Dahlias come in a variety of sizes, shapes and foliage colors. The showy flowers bloom from midsummer to frost. Dahlia flowers range in size from large dinner-plate size to tiny pompons less than 2 inches across. Single, double, cactus, pompon, peony and quilled flowers types are available by Lodge Hill flower delivery in most areas. Foliage comes in medium to dark green and deep bur­gundy. There are dwarf varieties with large 2- to 3-inch flowers for the front of the border, medium-height varieties for the middle, and tall varieties for the back of the border. The tall varieties can also be grown as a floral hedge. Some continue blooming late in the fall after light frost and right up to heavy frost. In warmer climates dahlias will overwinter.


The smaller double or pompon dahlia varieties make wonderful dried flowers. Try Burpee's 'Pompon Dahlias Mixed', which bloom in white, pale pink, yellow, orange and red.

Gift Wrapped cut flowers

A lovely selection of flowers, with carefully chosen foliage, professionally arranged in cellophane and trimmed with an attractive ribbon bow, is a gift suitable for many occasions, including birthdays or anniversaries, and makes a charming way of saying ‘Get well soon’ or ‘Thank you’.

Almost any type of flower can be gift wrapped and flowers delivered Halesowen beautifully packaged. Rolls of cellophane can be fitted on a rack with serrated edges for easy cutting, and you can then take lengths as required. The latest range includes cellophanes decorated with hearts, flowers, stars or company names, as well as coloured types, which can be coordinated with the flowers.

Gardening in the North

If you have moved recently to a northern or mountainous climate, you may be distressed to see how much it limits the growing of some of your favorite trees, shrubs and flowers Ty Glas. You will also find, however, that there are many wonderful woody plants that thrive there, and that the climate is ideal for most annuals and herbaceous perennials. Many species grow best and bloom over longer periods in areas where summers are cool and evening dews are heavy. Frigid winter temperatures do not affect perennials as much as they do woody plants, because their tops die down before winter, and snow often mulches the roots. Indeed the North offers many colorful possibilities for your flowers and other plants.

Funeral flowers ease pain

At a time of such sorrow comfort can be taken from the thoughts of others and many people find that flowers help express their feelings. It's not always easy to find the right words to convey your sorrow and condolences, so a well thought out floral bouquet or wreath can be the ideal way to express your sentiments. You can't bring back a dearly departed loved one, and you can't ease the deep grief experienced by their close friends and family, but if you send flowers City Centre to the funeral you are helping in some small way.

Disbudding

While cutting helps maintain or increase the number of flowers La Grange a rosebush bears, another technique can control the size of blossoms on hybrid teas and similar varieties. "Disbudding," which requires removal of all but the top flower buds on each stem, concentrates the plant's energy into the remaining buds. The results are fewer but much larger blooms. Disbud while the flower buds growing from the base of a leaf are still very small; about a quarter of an inch long. They are then so soft that you can snap them off with a finger without leaving an unsightly stub.

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