Archive for July, 2008
Posted on July 31, 2008 with No Comments
There are a few new developments in the world of hydrangeas. These flowers give us lovely and luscious blooms each summer, with this summer being an exception as they are appearing in pink.
This flower is usually known for its blue coloured flowers, but this year the pink variety will be grabbing all the attention.
There is a “big leaf,” group of hydrangeas which includes the most typical examples of the flower including; “Pia,” “Alpengluhen,” “Shira,” “Hamburg,” “Masja,” “Forever Pink,” “Princess Beatrix,” and “Venice Raven.” However, they have all taken on the new stunning pink shades.
There is also an entirely new series of flowers called “City Line.” Each type of flower in this group is named after a particular European city – “Paris,” “Berlin,” “Vienna” and “Venice.” This group of flowers varies in tone from fuchsia to bubblegum pink.
These new hybrid versions of the hydrangea are a bit sturdier than their original counterparts.
To help these flowers have the brightest colour, lime needs to be added to their soil several times a year.
[Via: canada.com]
Posted on July 30, 2008 with No Comments
Five of the most common reasons people send flowers are to say thank you, I’m sorry, congratulations, get well and express sympathy.
* Thank You
Ask your florist for an arrangement conveying a casual, hand-picked feeling, to say thank you with a very personal touch. In addition to a beautiful statement of thanks, the accompanying note card can say everything that is too hard to say in person.
* I’m Sorry
Flowers are the traditional gift to get out of the doghouse because they easily make the statement, “I was wrong.” To apologize with sincerity, ask your florist for a nostalgic arrangement, using a blend of delicate warm and cool lavenders and pinks. Having opened the door to forgiveness, follow the delivery up with a phone call.
* Congratulations
A bouquet of bold, contrasting colors is a fun-loving, playful way to say “Congratulations,” “Welcome home,” or “Great job.” You can even get creative with the container. For example, if a friend just got a new job, ask your florist to put the bouquet in a fun coffee mug or desk tidy.
* Sympathy
It’s never easy comforting someone who has lost a loved one, but flowers can say what is often difficult to ex press in words. Flowers are usually sent to the funeral home to provide warmth and beauty to the service. If a service is not planned, experts recommend sending condolences to the bereaved person’s home.
* Get Well
Choose a serene color scheme of light shades of green, misty blues and other cool hues to provide a moment of calm and let someone who is ill know you’re thinking of them. When sending flowers to a hospital, it’s helpful to have the name of the hospital, the patient’s name and room number ready for your florist. It’s also good to know the hospital’s flower policy as some hospitals accept no fresh flowers, only fruit or other gifts.
Posted on July 30, 2008 with No Comments
An Edinburgh botanist has just been honoured by the Saudi government for decades of conservation work in the country. He is now nicknamed Florist of Arabia.
Tony Miller, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s specialist on the flora of Arabia, was presented with a honorary plaque from Prince Bander Bin Saud Bin Mohammad, on behalf of the country’s National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD).
The ornate centrepiece is a model of the head of an Arabian Oryx, a species of antelope saved from extinction and now increasing in numbers, thanks to a successful breeding and conservation programme.
Mr Miller is currently advising NCWCD on several conservation projects in Saudi Arabia, and is liaising with Arabian plant and wildlife specialists to help develop plans to preserve wildlife in its natural habitats and to assist with the establishment of protected areas and reserves.
He has also worked on establishing a detailed database of local plants, and listing the most endangered species to ensure their protection.
On receiving the award he said: “I feel very honoured to have been given this award in recognition of the extensive research I have undertaken into the flora of Saudi Arabia. It is a vast and very diverse country with around 3500 plant species. I am pleased myself and colleagues at RBGE will be involved in the exciting work that NCWCD.”
Mr Miller is working on the project with fellow botanist Dr Sabina Knees, RBGE’s researcher on the flora of Arabia and their colleagues Sophie Neale and Matt Hall.
He was also instrumental in putting together the “Soqotra : Land of the Dragon’s Blood Tree” which recently opened in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a. The exhibition focuses on the islands which lie in the Gulf of Aden between the Horn of Africa and Arabia, and in particular the strange super-sized succulent trees which scientists now believe may hold important clues about the ecology of the entire Mediterranean and Middle-eastern region.
The exhibition was first premiered at RBGE in 2006, where its first visitors were Prince Charles and Camilla.
RBGE director of science professor Mary Gibby, who joined Mr Miller at the exhibition’s opening in Saudi Arabia, said: “Tony is leading a very productive research programme on the flora of the Arabian peninsula and for over 25 years has been working actively with biologists, conservationists and government officials to raise knowledge and understanding.
“His expertise and these collaborations are helping to secure the long-term conservation of Important Plant Areas in the region.
“I welcome the recognition of his work by Prince Bander Bin Saud Bin Mohammad.”
via Flowerweb 07-29-2008
Posted on July 30, 2008 with No Comments
It is very unlikely that you would associate the dirty and difficult work of mining with flowers. As part of an environmental project, Doncaster schoolchildren decided to celebrate this difficult profession with a colourful display of flowers.
These youngsters created a flower bed that depicted a coal truck.
The students go assistance by staff from Doncaster Council’s east area neighbourhood to support team. The cabinet member for Doncaster Council Patrick Wilson said, “I would like to congratulate everyone who has taken part. This is a wonderful educational and environmental project for our children to have been involved in.”
“Not only have they been able to learn about mining history and their cultural heritage but they have created a fantastic display that can be enjoyed by the whole community.”
The students from this area have already done similar projects with the neighbourhood team and it is very likely that these kinds of projects will be spreading to other areas as well.
[Via: TheStar]
Posted on July 29, 2008 with No Comments
All throughout the UK the Flower Show season is upon us!
Check your local press and you might be lucky enough to find a flower show near you this weekend.
Shows can include displays by dogs, archery, clowns and stiltwalkers; sales of bric-a-brac ; funfairs; crafts but always important is the main flower growing competition.
Local rivalries can burn on for years over who has the better dahlias or sweetpeas, best pot plant display or best floral arrangement. There is never any valuable prizes, just the glory of victory.
And what is there for us non-competitors? A fine day out in summer with plenty to do and see!
Posted on July 29, 2008 with No Comments
Flowers are a great gift for a new mother.
The day after Angelina Jolie’s twins were born, she received another special delivery: Flowers from each of her children!
Maddox, 6, Pax, 4, Zahara, 3, and 2-year-old Shiloh (accompanied by proud dad Brad Pitt) each handed mom a single flower, much to the joy of hospital staff at Fondation Lenval in Nice, France.
“It was a blessed sight,” one staffer says in the newest issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.
“I had a lump in my throat,” the staffer adds.
Still no official world on when Jolie will leave the hospital.
When she does, she’ll have plenty of flowers to brighten up the family’s $70 million rented house in nearby Miraval, France.
In addition to the blossoms brought by her kids, the actress received so many bouquets that hospital staff had to store them in her security guards’ rooms.
Posted on July 29, 2008 with No Comments
The Oakthrift Corporation has come up with a new and innovative idea – cards with seeds in them.
This card is called “The Plant-It” and it is a paper card that has seeds embedded into it. The card is made of 100% re-cycled paper, the inks are soy-base, and pigments are completely organic and grow into flowers when planted.
This product has seen a lot of success in the United States and is set to be introduced in Britain in September.
The way “The Plant-It” works is that a paper card is impregnated with wild flower seeds through a unique manufacturing process. When this card is planted, the paper actually acts like mulch for the seeds. Once your special someone is done with the card they can just plant indoors or outdoors and wait for the beautiful flowers to grow.
This is a neat way to promote an environmentally friendly lifestyle and organisations can also use these cards, literature, bookmarks and flyers to demonstrate that they are environmentally responsible. The possibilities with this paper are unlimited as it can be cut and moulded into any shape.
[Via: MarketWatch]
Posted on July 28, 2008 with No Comments
According to a press briefing this Tuesday Beijing has prepared 40 million potted flowers which will be decorating streets and Olympic venues.
The flowers will be placed around the Olympic village and hotels, as well as the airport expressway, ring roads, Tiananmen Square and other Olympic venues.
Wang Sumei, vice director of Beijing Landscape Forestation Bureau said, “July and August are usually the hard time for flowers. We picked over 20 kinds of heat-resistant flowers from more than 500 species of seasonable flowers to decorate the city, including chrysanthemum and salvia.”
Beijing has planned to have a “green” Olympics, with about 30 million rosebushes and arbores being planted in the past 8 years. The city has seen its green space increased by some 10,000 hectares with the addition of 22.7 million trees an 46.5 million square meter lawn.
The city used to have 36 percent green coverage and now this number has increased to 43 percent.
[Via: China View]
Posted on July 26, 2008 with No Comments
By this time in the summer, most flowers in the garden have bloomed and from this point onward only maintenance is required.
However, you may feel that your garden is starting to lack energy. There are some plant combination that can revitalize your garden.
Combining foliage and flowers, especially a bit more foliage as it is vibrant for a long time, can really add some life to your garden even after the flowers have died.
Deciduous shrubs should be taken advantage of in July. The so-called smoke bush (Cotinus) has the most variety of colours so it is the best choice for a faded garden. It comes in purple, mint-green, and a golden colour — when combined with contrasting flowers they can make quite a sight.
Also, your potted garden can be rearranged giving it a fresh look. Usually this is the time of year that nurseries have sales on perennials. Plants are usually in full bloom at this time so they will most likely be ready for your garden.
This is an excellent time to get flower supplies for next year as nurseries all over the country are holding sales.
[Via: seattlepi.com]
Posted on July 25, 2008 with No Comments
Gardening doesn’t take much time and it can do a lot of good for your mind and your body.
You don’t have to have a big yard to create a wonderful garden. By using containers you can grow flowers, vegetables and herbs, according to Nora Bryan, a garden consultant from Calgary.
Container gardening and hanging baskets are the best solution when you are faced with a small space. They also help in adding some extra colour to your garden.
For those gardeners that are getting older, the use of containers allows them to avoid crawling through flower beds.
Cilla McMullan, Calgary Horticultural Society member says, “They don’t have to bend so much and (containers) are more accessible.”
McMullan also stresses that the plants that you select are also essential to the outcome of your garden. She says, “The important thing is to make sure you buy plants that work for that kind of area as far as sun or shade is concerned.”
[Via: canada.com]
