Archive for December, 2008
Posted on December 31, 2008 with No Comments
Flowers will soon be available in vending machines the same way that soda and chips are now.
Linda Kyllo is the mastermind behind this idea, she has already set up refrigerated machine in Rochester at the Apache Mall. She fills the machine with new arrangements of silk, dried and fresh flowers daily and there are usually 16 arrangements to choose from.
Prices range from $5 to $40 depending on the selections available on a particular day. The machine even accepts credit cards.
Kyllo says the reason she decided to set up a flower vending machine was, “I thought a vending machine would be a good venue for flowers, because I don’t have a true store front.”
Kyllo is a jack of all trades as she is also a hair stylist at local salon and at home.
[Via: Post-Bulletin]
Posted on December 30, 2008 with No Comments
If you are stuck for ideas on what to buy to your flower-loving friends for Christmas, there is the Primula flowering tea set that will make any fan of blooms happy.
This tea set consists of a 40-ounce clear glass tea pot and canister full of various flowering teas.
The way these flowering teas work is that you put a flower into your pot then pour boiled water over it. The flower made up of tea leaves blooms in various designs, and looks exactly like a flower. It creates a beautiful splash of colour and gives off an wonderful aromas. Of course, the warm flavourful tea afterwards is not to be forgotten.
The tea flowers can be re-used a couple times within a day, and additional tea flowers can be bought in stores.
This is a wonderful way to bring the warmth of a summer garden indoors.
[Via: CNet]
Posted on December 29, 2008 with No Comments
The poinsettia is nearly a cliche symbol for Christmas, it is a strange and beautiful plant that was first discovered by the Aztecs in southern Mexico. It has been a standard Christmas plant for the last 150 years.
The poinsettia is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the first to ship this flower to his South Carolina plantation. He did not see much positive feedback in terms of the scrubby little plant he had brought, and would be quite surprised by its popularity today.
Today, this plant comes in a plethora of colours from white to blue and there is a variety of shapes and sizes. This flower has even earned a day of its own – National Poinsettia Day.
There are many holiday plants available, but this bloom remains the number one favourite in the United States, even though it is traditionally only sold for six weeks of the year.
No matter what kind of poinsettia you get, it is important to keep it warm, never letting the temperature around it drop below 72 degrees. It is especially important to remember to keep the plant warm while you are delivering it.
[Via: mlive.com]
Posted on December 27, 2008 with No Comments
There has been a rising interest in do-it-yourself flowers, which is why FiftyFlowers has announced a line of wholesale flowers that are combined into holiday packages. You can choose from various mixes of fresh cut flowers in red, white, green, gold and silver colours for making your holiday arrangements.
The holiday season really gets people interested in decorating their homes with festive and beautiful decorations. Flowers are usually the first and best choice as they add life to your home with their scent and colour. There are even flowers available for express delivery with many colours and bloom types to choose from.
Liza Roeser Atwood, the spokeswoman for FiftyFlowers says, “Amaryllis is the traditional flower for the holidays, and Baby’s breath will add that one-of-a-kind look for certain holiday decoration ideas.”
Furthermore, natural garlands have become very popular for this season. They are usually decorated with flowers and ornaments. Their texture and congeniality can add a burst of colour to any home.
Posted on December 26, 2008 with No Comments
When you think of flowers, winter does not really come to mind. However, the Phipps’ Winter Flower Show is trying to change this.
When it is cold and dark outside, people really need the sight of beautiful and cheery flowers. The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden is offering a warm atmosphere for admiring these works of nature. The Winter Flower Show, opened today is full of Christmas cheer, the trees are decorated, there are multi-coloured poinsettias, thousands of bright lights and even Santa comes to visit.
Michele Frey McCann, Phipps’ exhibit manager and designer says, “I think this time of year, you need a break from a lot of the activities that are going on. Bring your family and friends to enjoy the flowers.”
[Via: Pittsburgh Tribune Review]
Posted on December 25, 2008 with No Comments
It is time to start thinking about spring 2009. Especially, if you were looking at your neighbors beautiful tulips and daffodils enviously last year, having forgotten to plant your own.
Bulbs can usually be found in garden centers by early autumn, and can be planted up until the holidays in milder climates. It is important to get your bulbs as soon as possible as garden centers still sell bulbs, but the selection is getting sparse. The bulbs need to be put into the ground or pots because they need the cool moist months of winter to develop strong roots, which will help them support their foliage and flowers.
Some bulbs need extreme cold to bring out their best, which milder climates do not supply. Tulips, hyacinths and other such flowers need to have a period during which the bulbs are chilled. They need to be put in the refrigerator for about 12 weeks, to give them something similar to a dormant winter.
It is important not to put bulbs beside ripening fruit, because fruit gives off ethylene gas that damages or kills flower buds inside the bulbs.
Chilling your flowers is an especially good idea if you want them to bloom a bit earlier, but it is best to consult a gardening book on this topic.
[Via: San Jose Mercury News]
Posted on December 24, 2008 with No Comments
People usually use poinsettias or garlands for holiday decorating. Although winter is not the season for gardening there are several flowers which can be “forced” to bloom indoors, like tulips and amaryllis. This can add a new twist of colour to your holiday decorations and gifts, with a small reminder of spring.
Arlene Reid and her husband Glenn own Glenhaven Greenhouses in Broadway. Arlene says, “both are a lovely gift. I think they are really fun.” Reid thinks that bulbs are truly a thoughtful gift, especially for people like her mother-in-law, who like to spend time indoors and at home.
Reid says, “It changes every day a bit and she can watch it growing as well as enjoy it as it starts to bud and goes into bloom, and then when it fades, she can actually save the bulbs and plant them in her garden.”
The large, colourful amaryllis, available in red, white and pink, is the best gift for those who are not at home in world of gardening.
“It’s rally fun and it gives me, someone who loves plants, a wonderful feeling of, they too can feel what I feel every day. All gardeners feel that. It’s wonderful accomplishment to be able to say, ‘I grew my own little plant in my house,’” Reid added.
[Via: DNRonline.com]
Posted on December 23, 2008 with No Comments
The home of an elderly was recently raided because one of the plants in their garden smelled like cannabis.
Ivor and Margaret Wiltshire were quite shocked to see their door kicked down on return from holidays. Their garage and house had been searched from top to bottom.
The police did not manage to find anything and went home empty-handed, the smell was caused by a flower that is called Moss Phlox.
This is not the first time the potted plant had been mistaken for marijuana.
A few days before the police raided the Wiltshire’s house, their neighbors were attacked by a gang in Halloween masks, demanding that they give them weed.
Ivor is 77 and a retired engineer, he got rid of the Phlox and received an apology from the police, who claimed that the raid was following “other investigations.”
Ivor, having no sense of smell was quite surprised saying, “We can’t believe such a small plant has caused so much trouble.”
[Via: The Sun]
Posted on December 22, 2008 with No Comments
It is time to forget the modern blue and gold versions of poinsettias as the classic rosy shades are making a comeback. This year reds and whites will be filling garden centers.
Over the past few years, poinsettias have been, colourful, spray-painted and decorated with glitter. Trendy and young buyers were especially interested in these versions of this Christmas flower. Blue, orange, fuchsia, lilac, yellow, turquoise, gold and silver were in high demand.
Krystal Keistler, the annuals/indoor plant area manager at Echter’s Greenhouse and Garden, in suburban Denver says, “these are not you grandma’s poinsettias, funky and fun these fantastic colours will liven your surroundings for months to come.”
However market experts say that people are more sentimental this year and would prefer to purchase things that are more customary. The most popular varieties are Dark Red, Silent Night, Crimson Red, Lipstick Pink and Polly’s Pink.
There are nearly 100 varieties of this plant available, and growers are constantly coming up with new and unique colours.
If you care for your poinsettias properly you can probably keep them blooming until Valentine’s day.
[Via: modbee.com]
Posted on December 16, 2008 with 2 Comments
One of the best ways to give your guests a warm welcome during the Christmas season is to hang a homemade wreath on the door.
This decoration is extremely easy to make, and if you have the time you can make a base on your own. But it is much easier to simply buy a pre-made base.
Holly and dried flowers mixed with cranberries are the hit for this year.
Items need to be grouped into threes or fives making your wreath more interesting and creating texture.
Hanging your wreath is probably the trickiest part. One way you can do it is to insert thick florist wire into the back, twisting the ends together to form a loop. On wooden doors you can hang the wreath on a nail, if you have a glass door there are suction hooks available…
[Via: Sunday Mail]
