The Lowly Carnation

Carnation...January's Birthday Flower

As early as 1870, the carnation was one of the florists' most frequently used "bread and butter" flowers.  Its Victorian Era popularity was no doubt key to its selection in 1904 as the flagship flower for the newly instituted observance of Mother's Day. In 1900 President McKinley wore a carnation in his lapel each day.  His birthday, January 29, was officially established as "Carnation Day."  

The carnation is an example of a "mass flower," meaning a single, rounded flower at the top of a stem used for adding volume to a design.

Carnations are sometimes used in a "basing technique," a finishing of the foundation of a composition with intricate, textured details, which provide a decorative surface from which the composition of the design emerges.

In Victorian times, the carnation stood for fascination; deep red was a sign of a love stricken heart, and red for love.  Yet, if the carnation was striped, it meant love's refusal.

Today many people do not like the carnation, preferring more exotic blossoms.  This is perhaps because it is inexpensive and commonly used (and over-used) in wire-service arrangements during busy holiday times.  But the carnation, when used creatively, adds a unique texture to flower arrangements, as well as it's trademark spicy fragrance.  

DIY Thanksgiving

A few ideas for doing your own Thanksgiving Tablescape

It seems like Thanksgiving creeps up on us.  Well, here are some ideas that I hope will inspire you to create a beautiful table for family feast.  I get a lot of my design inspiration from nature.  This fall the colors were more subtle.  I woke up one morning after a rain to a deck filled with yellow-green leaves.  These against the backdrop of wet tree bark got me thinking about that green/cream/chocolate brown combination.  I am seeing the white pumpkins everywhere, so my idea of a beautiful tablescape this year would be yellow-green, white, and chocolate brown.

Use your imagination and put together a collection of items in your favorite color scheme.  You don't have to use just flowers.  Thrift stores are filled with items that your grandmother might have used, and these somehow have been forgotten over the years.  A soup tureen and an elevated cake plate are perfect for displaying pumpkins, gourds, dried wheat, leaves, or whatever you may find still growing in your yard.  

Drop a candle down into a glass vase, and surround it with some nuts or acorns, and you have a perfect accent.  Spread a few pumpkins around--the miniature ones work great for this.  

Try using a burlap table runner underneath your placemats.  Tie your napkins with jute for a natural look.  You can make place cards and attach them to miniature pumpkins.

For a real simple solution, just fill a vase with fresh or dried wheat.  There will still be room for the turkey and all the trimmings.  Your beautiful table will be as memorable as the meal!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Are you STUCK?

How to remove hot glue

Hot glue is the go-to adhesive for a lot of things floral.  But it can be almost impossible to remove it, or to remove the object it is holding in place.  Sometimes when I'm designing a piece for a funeral, and have been asked to personalize it with a figurine or some other item, I will use hot glue to hold it in place so it doesn't fall out in transport or--worse yet-- in the service.  But when you get that item home and would like to display it, you find it is a hot-gluey mess to get rid of.  No worries!  Simply use a paint brush or Q-tip to apply some rubbing alcohol to the glue, and it will completely dissolve.  No mess guaranteed!  Or if you don't want to try this yourself, bring it to me and I will do it.  

Locally-Grown

Given the heightened awareness of the green movement and buying local, we are now offering our simplified beautiful bouquet of all domestic-grown flowers.  Like trendy farm-to-table restaurants, we want to offer flowers that have been sourced from American farms, available in recycled vases or simply wrapped in eco-friendly burlap.  When Americans are asked where flowers come from, 85% say they don't know, but 55% say that if the did know, they would prefer to buy American.

California grows about 75% of all the flowers grown in the United States.  California growers think Americans will feel good about buying more flowers if they know the story behind those flowers.  California is growing some of the most intriguing and diverse flowers on the market.  When production of carnations and roses fled to South America, California growers sought alternative crops, such as premium lilies, garden roses, proteas, berries, grasses, dahlias, gerberas, and many other varieties you won't find in the grocery store.  

When it come to environmental and social responsibility, regulations in the state of California set the bar very high--and many California growers go beyond those standards.  Water recycling, energy conservation, and pest control via integrated pest management, with only minimal use of pesticides, are all common practice on California flower farms.  

Advocates for California flowers draw inspiration from the growing strength of the "buy local" and farm-to-table movements.

Yes We Can!

Yes We Can!

We recognize today's consumer has less time and more demands on their available time.  We also realize flowers aren't an absolute necessity, but they sure make life a lot more beautiful.  Having said that, I wanted to let you know what we have done to make ordering flowers easier.  You can order from our website 24/7.  Just go to www.greeneflorist.com and make a selection.  If you would rather speak to a live person, I make a point to have my phone with me at all times, so if you don't mind an occasional dog bark in the background, I am happy to hear from you most anytime.  OK, after midnight, you will get my voicemail, but we all need to sleep, right?  

Our delivery policy is changing to make it easier for you too.
If you call in the afternoon and need delivery the same day,
we will accommodate you.  For instance, if you
call at 2:30 and need flowers delivered the same day,
we offer a special "Rush Delivery" for $19.99.

It's our Birthday!

It's our Birthday!   We are 26 this week!

We sold our first flower on August 27, 1987 in the little shop that was formerly Shew's Flowers.  Our first delivery vehicle was a 1979 green Bonneville with the back seat removed.  This business started on a wing and a prayer, a lot of hope and faith and a few ideas, and many long hours,  but thanks to all of our fine customers and loyal friends, we celebrate 26 years this week!  
    Thank you to all our fine customers!   You are all the best!  

    Looking forward to many more years of continued service

Can I customize a flower arrangement?

can I customize a flower arrangement?

To honor the life of a gardener, a stepping stone plaque was added to this floral arrangement.



A gate is symbolic of entrance into Heaven.



Angel statuary is a comforting touch in a floral tribute.



A vegetative arrangement complete with fishing line and fish honor the life of an avid fisherman.

Personalization is a way of designing a floral arrangement containing a theme that characterizes a person's life or interests.  Many times we are asked to design a floral arrangement around a favorite flower, a sport, or a hobby.  These added touches make a statement about the person you honor and provide a bit of comfort to the bereaved family. 

 

How long do flowers last?

HOW LONG DO FLOWERS LAST???????

Occasionally I get asked this question, and there really are a lot of valid answers.  Depending on the varieties, flowers on average will last 5-7 days.  There are a number of factors to take into consideration.  I have a few "behind the scenes" practices that help the longevity of your flowers.  First I like to only buy from trusted vendors who consistently provide the freshest-from-the-farm flowers.  When they reach the cutting room here, they are cut underwater and then hydrated in a solution that provides nutrients and kills bacteria.  They are stored in sterilized buckets in a sterile, high-humidity cooler at 34 degrees.

After YOU get them, you simply need to make sure the water level is kept up in a vase so that all stems are submerged. 

Most proteas keep their beautiful appearance when dried.  The fresh arrangement itself will last around 10 days.  Then the flowers will dry and you can continue to enjoy them as a dried arrangement. 

Varieties of Garden Roses

Varieties of Garden Roses

 Keira  A beautiful blend of blush pink and cream with peachy highlights.  Medium fragrance.L


Darcey  Raspberry red rosettes that gradually deepen to rich purple.  Light fruity fragrance.


Kate  Long buds gradually open to raspberry pink rosettes.  Delightful, fruity fragrance.



Patience  Creamy buds open to buttermilk rosettes.  Old rose and myrrh fragrance.
 

Phoebe  Warm, rose pink blooms with a slightly cupped formation.  Delicious fruity fragrance.

MirandaRose pink rosettes with attractive, green streaked outer petals.  Delicate fruity fragrance.







Cymbeline  Deep pink blooms with a traditional old rose quartered style.  Classic myrrh fragrance.


 

Flower Care

Cut flowers don't have to be here today and gone tomorrow. A little knowledge goes a long way for postharvest flower care to help extend the life of the flower.

In the field, garden or greenhouse, plants nourish their flowers, allowing them to grow and develop. When you cut the flower from its plant, it loses that nourishment. So Floralife developed Fresh Flower Food to mimic the flower's original environment, allowing it to fully develop, or open.

Fresh flower food helps flowers by:

• Providing food in the form of sugars to keep the flowers alive. Just like people, flowers get energy from carbohydrates.
• Helping lower pH, which keeps the water/food conducting system in flowers working at maximum efficiency.
• Unplugging stems to allow better flow to the flowers.

 

Some basic steps for proper care of fresh cut flowers include the following:

1. Begin with a clean vase. If possible, do not use water from a water softener for your flowers. The salt content may decrease the life of some flowers.
2. Always add Floralife® Flower Food to the water, following the instructions on the packet or label. Floralife® Flower Food hydrates and nourishes flowers for your customers’ maximum enjoyment.
3. Remove all of the foliage below the water line to prevent the foliage from decaying. This also keeps the water cleaner and the stems free flowing.
4. Give all flowers a fresh cut before placing them into flower food solution. This helps ensure hydration.
5. Flowers will live longer if not placed in direct sunlight, in a draft or on top of a TV.
6. Replenish the vase or container with a Floralife® Flower Food solution as needed, due to water uptake and evaporation.

 

Vegetative Design

Vegetative Design

A naturalistic design style in which flowers and plant materials are placed as they would grow in nature.  Materials used should be those found together in nature with emphasis placed on climactic, seasonal, geographical, and topographical compatibility.  In this example, which was designed to commemorate the life of a fisherman, flowers and plants were chosen that would be found growing along waterways.  Some designer license is used in this case to add more color to the arrangement.  A small fishing pole with a catch, and birch logs are also included in the design.  

Different Styles of Floral Designs

 M A S S

Mass designs utilize a quantity of materials with little or no negative space.  Mass designs are generally associated with certain historical periods, traditional and geometric shapes.  They usually have radial stem placement,








LINE DESIGN

A floral arrangement in which lines are emphasized
over form, characterized by an openness in silhouette
and featuring relatively more negative space
than a mass design.



Summer Bounty

Summer Bounty

 I sometimes am asked "are my favorite flowers available?"  Just as in the words of a song--"it's 5 o'clock somewhere..."  yes--your favorite flowers are available.  Fortunately we have sources from all over the world where flowers that may not be in season locally, are in season!  And with all our shipping options, we are able to get them in quickly.  These favorite varieties are from California.  Montbretia, purple coneflower, pin-cushion proteas, purple butterfly bush, and blushing bride.  Ask about your favorites--we are always happy to bring in special varieties.

What's Trending

What's Trending

The seasons of the year influence what is available and what is trending.  In spring we have bulb gardens with exposed roots in glass, or vases of blooming branches.  In summer we enjoy all the variety of flowers that grow in gardens--sunflowers, coneflowers, zinnia, cottage yarrow, accented with Dusty Miller, hosta leaves and ornamental grasses.  Check out Pinterest boards and you will see garden-style bouquets in the ever-popular Mason jars--especially nice if you can find the old ones at thrift stores and in auctions.  The shabby-chic look of combining burlap and lace has made its appearance even in the most elegant weddings. 

 

Succulents have been in the spotlight for the past year and are trending very strongly this summer.  They are available in so many interesting sizes and shapes, require so little care, and are used to accent bouquets in both sympathy and wedding and event work. 

* * * * * * * * * 

 

 

 

 

 

Retro Plants--Back to the '70's

Retro Plants—Back to the ‘70’s

The 1970s was a “groovy” bohemian and eclectic decade that brings to mind bell-bottom jeans, shag carpeting, beanbag chairs, faux-fur furniture, and green plants—sometimes in windowsills, in offices, hanging from macramé plant-hangers.  The eco-green trend has people looking for unusual and collectible specimen plants.  Consumers are looking for a way to differentiate their living or working spaces, and plants are one of the more trend-on ways to do it.

 

The benefits of plants

 

You don’t have to be an environmental psychologist to understand that plants look attractive. But dig a little deeper beneath their beauty and you’ll discover that the benefits of interior landscaping go far beyond the aesthetic.

Recent research tells us that interior plants are good for buildings and people in a variety of subtle ways. Interior landscaping plays a vital role in providing a pleasant and tranquil environment in which to move, work or relax.

Plants help reduce stress and create a feeling of well-being

Most of us know instinctively that being close to greenery makes us feel more at ease with our surroundings. We experience less stress when there are plants around us. Buildings are quieter and more relaxed but, at the same time, more stimulating and interesting.

People in offices are more productive, take fewer sick days, make fewer mistakes. And they are happier when interior landscaping enhances their environment.

Patients in hospitals benefit greatly from being more in touch with nature. There is even evidence showing students perform better in improved learning environments.

Plants help improve air quality

There is general agreement amongst scientists that plants improve the indoor environment and are useful in fighting the modern phenomenon of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS).

 

No specific cause of SBS has been identified but poor air quality, excessive background noise and inadequate control of light and humidity are all thought to be important factors.

 

 

Plants help lower background noise

Plants have long been used to reduce noise from busy roads. More recently, research has shown another benefit: interior plants can help to reduce background noise levels inside buildings, too.

***************************************************************************

Now that I have hopefully got your plant juices flowing, I want to introduce a brand new plant start-up that will be opening soon.   http://www.epottingshed.com/   will offer a wide variety of unusual and sustainable plants complete with eco-friendly containers shipped right to your door.  Log on and type in your email address and you will be notified as soon as the site is live.    

 **********************************************