Order Direct and Save

Order Direct and Save

Here is the honest scoop on ordering flowers out-of-town.  I'm giving you this inside information because I think saving money is a wise idea, and you will get better service as well.

I think everyone is familiar with the wire services, such as FTD, Teleflora, etc.  Traditionally people would call their local florist and order flowers through them when they had to send out-of-town.

The the florist would contact another shop in that city and complete the order.  Unfortunately for the consumer, that would mean less value because the wire service would get a percentage of the order.

With the convenience of the internet and online ordering, you can simply order direct from the florist of your choice in any city, any time, anywhere.  Simply Google "florist in whatever city" and you will get a listing of the florists who service that area.  WAIT!  Make sure it is a LOCAL florist.  You don't want to use what we call an "order gatherer"--not really a florist, and not really in that city.  An order gatherer is a huge company that farms out the orders it gathers on the internet.  Notice in the picture the florists that are actually in that city are listed with an address and a number on the map.  

Pick one of these and you can be assured of good service and no added fees.

Each of these pins correspond with an address and phone number for a local florist on the Google listing.

Radiant Orchid

Radiant Orchid

One of the special joys of my childhood was getting a brand new box of crayons.  I think we all started out with a brand new box of 8 fat crayons, graduating up to the box of 16.  It was ultimate ecstasy to get the premium box of 152.  I used to melt them together and imagined myself being hired as Binney & Smith's newest color developer at age 10.  Color still excites me, and so now let me introduce Pantone's 2014 Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid! 

As you may know, the Pantone Color Institute 2013 Color of the Year was Emerald.  It served as a symbol of growth, renewal, and prosperity.  Pantone recently announced that Radiant Orchid is the 2014 Color of the Year, saying this about it, "An invitation to innovation, Radiant Orchid encourages expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today's society.  An enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health.  It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm."

The color of the year selection requires careful consideration and to arrive at the selection Pantone quite literally combs the world looking for color influences.

This can include the entertainment industry and films that are in production, traveling art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations, and other socio-economic conditions.  Influences may also stem from technology, availability of new textures and effects that impact color, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention.

For more than a decade, Pantone's Color of the Year has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home and industriall design, as well as product packaging and graphic design. 

A Sneak Peak of Spring

Growing Bulbs indoors

Growing bulbs indoors lets you enjoy the colors and fragrance of spring when it's still months away.  The key to success with indoor bulbs is to plan ahead.

Many people don't realize there are two types of bulbs for indoor growing:  those you need to chill and those you don't.  Here's how to tell the difference.

Bulb That Don't Need Chilling

These bulbs are native to warm climates, so they don't require a cooling period to trigger blooms.  Amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus both belong in this category.

You can grow these bulbs in a pot filled with soil, or just place them in a shallow bowl and use pebbles to hold the bulbs in place.   Add water, and they'll usually bloom just four weeks after "planting."  To help keep stems short and sturdy, start them out with indirect light and temperatures of about 50 degrees F for the first two weeks, then warmer, brighter conditions after that.  If you're growing your bulbs in a bowl with pebbles or marbles, the water should cover no more than the bottom quarter to third of the bulb.

I will explain about the bulbs that need chilling in tomorrow's post.  Until then, let's think SPRING!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!   2014

New Year's Day was a holiday for exchanging gifts and entertaining long before the custom became associated with Christmas.  From the 1840s until just before the turn of the century, New Year's Day was the visiting day for men and the receiving day for the ladies.  It was a gala time when everyone held open houses with enormous buffet feasts complete with table decorations.  All the ladies carried nosegays and tables were decorated in a lavish style to match the food with epergnes flowing with flowers.  Garlands and wreaths would be positioned decoratively throughout the "visiting room."

One writer from New York City noted the growing importance of New Year's Day to the florist:

     "Our sales of flowers for New Year's Day in 1844 amounted to hardly $200; and probably for the whole City of New York it did not exceed $1000.  Now it would probably be no exaggeration to say that New York pays $50,000 for its flowers for decoration on that day."  --Henderson Horticultural Progress, 1880.

After the turn of the century, New Year's Day was still a holiday but not as prominent a floral holiday after visiting day customs waned.  Today florists sell flowers for New Year's Day celebrations as they would any holiday party.

Tournament of Roses Parade  Flowers play an important part for one major celebration on New Year's Day--the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.  The first parade took place on January 1, 1886.  The members of the Valley Hunt Club, including Charles F. Hunt, the originator of the parade idea and founder of the club, decorated their carriages and buggies with real flowers and drove them through the street on their way to all the sporting events that day.  More than one hundred years later, this parade is still a remarkable floral occasion.