Posted on August 24, 2010 with No Comments
Even though the sun is shining and memories are still fresh from the holidays, the cool chilly days of autumn are just around the corner. For those who love the warm days of summer, this is something that may even be a bit difficult to acknowledge.
The flowers are a good cure for many ailments, especially if you are experiencing some end-of-summer blues. The best way to give yourself a boost is to choose colours that are bright.
One of the best flowers to serve this purpose is the gerbera. It is available in a variety of bright colours, and it is a relatively hardy flower so it will maintain the cheerful mood for quite a while. One great choice is the Gerbera Festival bouquet. It is all but lacking colour, and it is an instant pick-me-up, you will have a smile on that special loved ones face in no time!
Another great choice is the sunflower, at the beginning of autumn they are truly at their best. Flowers24hours.co.uk, has a beautiful arrangement called Golden Secrets. This is a bouquet that is great in its simplicity. The classic sunflowers combined with exotic anthuriums are a great reminder of the colourful nature of summer.
There are also bouquets available to remind you of the sun itself! Vincent is a burst of yellow and a beautifully wrapped sunflower combination.
Finally the Malvina is truly a great way to celebrate the last warm days of summer. It is a combination of yellow and orange blooms, with beautiful green foliage to frame their brightness, the wicker basket container will fit well into an indoor or outdoor setting.
Even though cooler days are coming we can still hang onto the joys of summer!
Sources:
http://www.iflorist.co.uk/news-Autumn-flowers-provide-cheer-800028353.aspx
Posted on August 11, 2010 with No Comments
Britain in Bloom has almost become a cut-throat competition, it is an event that is not taken lightly.
The results of the competition are beautiful, blooming and colourful flowers. But this beauty is the result of a lot of hard work and commitment. It is quite the task to get a town or city blooming, gardens can easily sabotaged by pests or people with bad intentions.
The Royal Horticultural Society judges, do their part of the job during August as a part of Britain in Bloom. There are 66 finalists in the competition and two weeks of this summer month are spent on judging the entrants.
Competitors have to fulfil strict criteria, they have to show environmental responsibility and community involvement. How the cities compare to each other only comes in second.
The trickiest part of the competition is to keep plants at their best. One town, Cayton, actually had guards posted around their flower, after they had been attacked with weedkiller. Though rare, there have been some attempts to sabotage gardens of competitors. However, if vandalism does happen to affect the appearance of the town, this is taken into consideration during judging.
If you are not taking part in this competition, send some blooms to the homes of Britain!
In the Rose Fountain there is a beautiful fountain arrangement of roses and calla lilies, sure to take someone specials breath away. Send a special message with the floral card included.
The Summer Night’s Dream is a perfect bouquet for this time of year. It is a light and creamy combination of arum lilies, white roses and exotic foliage, and a reminder of warm summer nights.
The Melody is a special bouquet as it is so unique. This arrangement is a rare combination of gerberas and snake grass. It is perfect for someone who prefers the modern and stylish.
Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/wear/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8868000/8868887.stm
Posted on July 19, 2010 with 1 Comment
The gerbera is a flower that is often overlooked. Its bright colours and open blooms just seem to exude happiness.
The gerbera is closely related to the sunflower and belongs to the same family. It is a very popular plant and is most often used as a garden plant or in cut flower arrangements.
After the rose, carnation, chrysanthemum and tulip the gerbera is the most popular plant in the world.
There are many gerbera arrangements availble at Flowers24hours.co.uk., to suite just about any taste or mood. This is a great flower to give in the summer as it will only improve an individual’s general mood, and it is quite hardy so it can withstand summer heat a little better than other flowers.
The soft tones of the Peaches bouquet is sure to fit any colour scheme, you can’t go wrong with this arrangement. If you are looking to give a gift to a younger recipient: My First Handbag, inludes a felt handbag with gliter flowers, as well as a comb and mirror set. To make a little girl feel a bit more grown up!
The bright variety of colours in Fresh as a Daisy, are sure to catch your recipients eye. The green foliage found in this arrangement only adds to the contrast of colours. For someone who likes simple beauty, Bliss is the perfect gift, this arrangement is really a focus on colour, including only gerberas.
Finally, one of my personal favourites is the Potted Gerbera arrangement. This bouquet really puts a focus on the flowers themselves. Hand-tied gerberas are placed in a simple tin bucket, they are sure to brighten up any spot you place them!
Sources:
http://simplylaur.blogspot.com/2010/06/gorgeous-gerberas.html
Posted on July 12, 2010 with No Comments
The notion of flowers blooming at night is not one that is new, yet it can seem entirely pointless at times. You come to wonder what purpose they can possibly serve by blooming so late.
But night-blooming flowers do really serve the purpose they have been given. They are not pollinated by bees, but by other nocturnal creatures.
In the modern world they might not be all that pointless after all, because many people work evenings or nights, and they might just need the refreshment of a night-blooming flower.
Not all night-blooming flowers actually bloom at night, some spread their flowers just a bit after sun-set.
One really great experiment would be to plant some night blooming flowers, to impress guests when summer garden parties extend into the night. Some night-blooming flowers are the moonflower vine, the evening primrose, Night Blooming Cereus, and — the name might deceive — daylilies.
White flowers also have a way of extending light long after the sun has set. They can be a great decoration for an outdoor setting, as they will stay visible much longer than a darker shade of flower.
The contrast of a white against green is really brought to focus in the Illusion arrangement. The flowers have been preserved so you can be sure they will stay beautiful, even in an outdoor area. This arrangement has added elegance and style.
Heavenly Fanfare also brings across the glowing beauty of white. Tall stalks of amaryllis stand in a beautiful vase, with ostrich feathers framing the arrangement for added touch of beauty.
Another great summer gift is the Stylish Flower Tray. This tray features pretty white rose and gerbera blooms, and could easily adorn the outdoor table-top of someone special!
Sources:
http://www.xomba.com/flowers_night
Posted on June 2, 2010 with 1 Comment
When I have a beautiful plant or bouquet of flowers, I am never really sure where to put them in the house, whether or not they will get too much or too little sunlight.
The east side of a house or apartment is ideal for flowers and plants, which do not require a lot of sunlight. Just because a flower does not require much light does not mean that it will not give you a beautiful and colourful display. With that being said, there are far more plants and flowers that require full sunlight to bloom at their best.
But this does not mean that city gardeners need to fall into despair, there are still many ways to keep your plants and flowers thriving and colourful, even if there is a limited amount of sunlight due to other buildings.
However, there are a few flowers and plants that need to be ruled out; you will definitely not be able to grow, roses, daisies or tomatoes.
It might take a bit of trial and error to figure out which plants do well without much sunlight, or with only morning light.
Other than their position in your home, plants that require little sunlight and those that require a lot, still need to be treated the same. It is a good idea to feed them weekly with plant feed or fertilizer. A certain level of moisture also needs to be maintained, but make sure never to go overboard.
If you are planning to give a friend or a loved one the gift of a potted plant or flower, don’t be shy to give them a few tips on how to take care of the plant afterwards! Flowers24hours.co.uk, can have your gift delivered anywhere in the UK and same-day in London. There are a variety of potted plants to choose from anything from Cactus, Exotic Plants, Green Plants, Orchid Plants, Planted Arrangements, Seasonal Plants and Single Plants.
Sources:
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=140011&catid=188
Posted on May 17, 2010 with 2 Comments
We all love flowers to some extent, some of us more than others. But there are few of who could call ourselves “a lunatic on bulbs,“ as poet Emily Dickinson once did. It was not a rarity to see her out in the garden at night, which raised the eyebrows of more than one neighbour.
As a tribute to her love of flowers the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, is soon to open a new exhibit, “Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers.” This exhibit is to combine the two major aspects of her life, a love of horticulture and poetry. Dickinson’s garden was a major inspiration to her poetry and in this exhibit flowers will be scattered with her poetry.
With some research an creativity her garden in Amherst Massachusetts, has been recreated. Dickinson truly related to her flowers, she often called herself Daisy, which she felt to be a representation of innocence. While she felt that other flowers like roses and jasmine were a reminder of friends she felt attached to.
You can show your love of flowers or an attachment to a special person with a bouquet of flowers, and you can simply add one Dickinson’s poems to the card to make the gift more special.
Flowers24hours.co.uk., has a number of beautiful bouquets, with cards included so you can get your message across. One great arrangement is the Edwardian Bouquet, which is a beautiful assortment of the mix of beautiful foliage and blossoms, will take you back to days long gone. The floral card included could be a great place to include some heartfelt poetry.
Another beautiful and soft arrangement is the Cream Blush, the light colours can fit any home, with a floral card included. The Rose Fountain, as its name suggests, is a fountain of beautiful roses and calla lilies, it is breath of freshness, ideal for getting your message across.
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Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/arts/design/30dickinson.html
Posted on May 4, 2010 with No Comments
One of the simplest ways a man can let a woman know how he is feeling is to give her a beautiful arrangement of flowers. It is simple, really, a gift that pleases just about sense, first the eyes and nose.
We would almost assume that flowers were created for us. But, in fact, they owe their beauty to a need for reproduction. Just as we use them to please our partners, their colour and scent is meant for attracting partners of their own kind.
Flowers have been around for about 130 million years, when dinosaurs were still stomping around on this earth. Flowers were actually a very important development in plant life. Flowers are actually an advertisement to bees, the more elaborate and colourful they are, the more bees they attract, and the further their pollen is spread.
The various colours that flowers put on display are owed to chemistry, different amounts of chemicals in the petals, bring out different colours. This goes for the fragrance of a flower as well. Some chemicals that the flower creates evaporate, creating the flower’s scent.
The beauty of flowers is not as simple as we might assume! But the message we send with them is often quite simple; it is one of appreciation or affection. One of the simplest gestures in the world is to send the gift of flowers. Flowers24hours.co.uk can help you have flowers sent to a loved one with just a few clicks.
The gift of flowers does not have to be elaborate. A simple arrangement like Couture Roses, can make just as great an impact with its beautiful roses placed in a lovely heart shaped box, will make your feelings clear.
If you have really important event coming up, add a little something extra to a small hand tied bouquet. The Wine, Duck & Bouquet gift is a combination of joyful Gerberas, fruity red wine and Cottage Delight’s Duck Pate.
Flowers may have a long history, but they can make someone happy in an instant!
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Sources:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/12/AR2010041203222.html
Posted on April 29, 2010 with No Comments
The Chelsea Flower Show is only a month away preparations are already under way and tensions are high. But it seems that organizers are going to experience a few bumps along the way, as things are going exactly as planned. Mother nature is not doing her part to help, as this years winter was colder than usual and blooms have been held back by about three weeks. This could make for a show with a lot less colour, unfortunately!
This has been the coldest winter in Britain over the past 31 years. With this show being one of the most important horticultural events in the country, exhibitors are feeling fairly anxious about the fact that their flowers might not be popping up in time.
Many competitors are having to improvise, by changing some of their designs or moving plants into hot houses. This has also lead to a lot of additional work.
The director of all Royal Horticultural Society shows, Stephen Bennett says that the look of the show will definitely be taking on a new appearance, as a result of the harsh winter. But he is taking a more positive approach to the subject. With flowers blooming later, they will also be very fresh, which means that altogether the show will have a new fresh look.
The flowers that we might be missing at the show are irisis, begonias and dahlias. As these flowers are proving the most difficult for growers to manipulate.
All we can do is hope for the best. As it is such an important show on such a large scale, it is sure to impress, even if some of our own favourites might not be blooming this year.
If you just can’t wait for the show to begin, why not have some flowers delivered to your home or to a special person. Flowers24hours.co.uk, can help you have your blooms to the exact place and time you need, the day you order them. Try some of our featured bouquets like the Mellow Yellow, a sophisticated yet joyful arrangement of roses, bringing the brightness of spring inside. Another great choice is the LaBoheme, a bouquet of wonderfully scented lilies that is sure to bring a smile to your loved ones face. Finally, our twist on the usual bouquet of red roses is the Apricot & Cream bouquet.
Sources:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/chelseaflowershow/7624235/Cold-weather-puts-Chelsea-Flower-Show-on-a-knife-edge.html
Posted on April 26, 2010 with No Comments
We recently sent out a beautiful custom made arrangement of phalaenopsis, in a vase filled with hydrangea. In a addition to being a treat for the eyes, this popular orchid is beautiful let yet simple.
Among orchids, phalaenopsis is one of the most popular. There are several reasons for this, with the first being its adaptability to the home. The blooms of this flower last for quite a long time, anywhere from weeks to months. They are available in a variety of colours and can easily be cared for in the home or office.
They mainly flower in at the end of winter and early spring, though they can be found through most of the year.
They do not need an enormous amount of light to flourish. Bright light is ideal, and be sure to avoid direct sunlight.
If you decide on a potted phalaenopsis, you will not need to worry too much about watering, if this plant is watered regularly it should not dry out. One great trick is to place the plant on a tray of moist pebbles, in order to provide some extra humidity, which this plant really likes! The phalaenopsis plant should be re-potted once a year or every two years. This should be done in late spring, once the flowering season has ended.
Flowers24hours.co.uk, has various orchids to choose from, whether you are looking for a potted plant or a lovely arrangement.
If you want to give your loved ones the joy of taking care of this popular bloom, surprise them with the gift of the Phalaenopsis Orchid, in its potted version. If you looking to really express your love the Delicate Touch, the feathered pink heart and delicate phalaenopsis, will make your message clear. This flower will bloom for quite a long, making your thoughtful gesture last a little longer!
If you know the person you are hoping to surprise, is not exactly a green thumb. I think a simple arrangement of phalaenopsis like the Moderna or Simply Orchids, can make a wonderful gift!
Sources:
http://www.orchids.org/culture/phalsBeginner.pdf
Posted on April 14, 2010 with 2 Comments
There are probably more types and varieties of flowers out there, in nature, than we can imagine. But we would never expect to look under the washing machine, to find one of the rarest flowers in the world.
The Udumbara flower, is one of the rarest flowers in the world. According to Buddhist legend this is a flower that blooms only once every 3000 years.
One Udumbara flower was recently found by a Chinese nun in one of the most unlikely places, underneath the washing machine!
The tiny flower measures only 1mm in diameter, which further reduces the chances of finding this flower.
Miao Wei, 50, was cleaning her home in Lushan Mountain, Jiangxi province, China, when she found some of these little white flowers under her washing machine.
She first assumed that the tiny, barely visible stems of the flower were the eggs of a worm. It was only the next day that she discovered that the ‘worms’ had grown 18 tiny flowers, which had a pleasant smell.
It is a belief of the temples in the area that this flower is a product of the miraculous Youtan Poluo flower. The meaning of ‘Udumbara’ in Sanskrit is “an auspicious flower from heaven.“
This flower is certainly one that will never be arranged in a bouquet! But this does not mean that our regular flowers are any less special, in fact, this little flower can make us appreciate what we have available a bit more. Imagine every flower bloomed just once every 3000 years? Life would be quite drab without lovely bouquets and plants to fill our lives.
Brighten up your life or that of someone special, with one of the most beautiful gifts nature has to offer, a bouquet of flowers. Flowers24hours.co.uk., can help you get them delivered on the date and time you need.
Sources:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7345137/Rare-Buddhist-flower-found-under-nuns-washing-machine.html
The Udumbara Flower - Copyright Flikr dinesh_valke
