Archive for April, 2009
Posted on April 30, 2009 with No Comments
Most of us have a few old cell phones lying around and maybe a couple cables that we really do not need. One company, Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, recently put on a promotion called “Flowers for Phones.”
The idea is very simple, the company set up stands in a couple parks throughout the city, where old used cell phones were collected in exchange for beautiful potted daffodils. For most people this is a fairly good trade for a pile of junk they haven’t known what to do with.
It has been estimated that there are about 500 million used cell phones throughout the country, they are potentially harmful to the environment and to their owners. This is one cheap and easy way to solve this problem. Every model and make of mobile phones is accepted, as well as batteries, chargers and accessories…
[Via: dcist.com, Image from flowershopnetwork.com]
Posted on April 30, 2009 with No Comments
Big congratulations to Candy and Daniel on their wedding!
We’ve been sending flowers to Candy from Daniel since the beginning of their relationship in 2006 – Daniel was living overseas and has been using our company to send his beloved flowers and gifts once a month or so since! We’ve now had news that they are happily married and both living in London! No doubt it was all down to our floristry! Just kidding! 
Congrats again you two and best wishes from all of us here at Flowers24Hours.co.uk!
Posted on April 29, 2009 with No Comments
There are three words you should keep in mind if you want to make your planters exciting for spring and summer: thrillers, fillers and spillers — according to Landscape Garden Center greenhouse team leader, Amanda Gimbel.
Spillers make planters more interesting, thrillers create drama and height in pots, and fillers give a bit of impact.
It is also important to get organized and make a plan before you go out shopping for your flowers. The colours you pick for your pots should be your favourites or something that matches your house. If you place solid coloured pots in front of your home, the eye will be drawn to your front door. But you can also use the same colour of flower in one pot but in different shades to add a bit of spice.
However, Gimbel says, “If you’ve got a tough spot and found a plant that works, you might want to stick with what works.”
Also, there is no need to over do it. If you restrain yourself you will actually end up making more stylish arrangements. A pot with only two varieties of flowers can be simply stunning.
[Via: ArgusLeader.com]
Posted on April 29, 2009 with 1 Comment
We’ve all heard of the typical burglar who comes in the night, breaks into your house and steals your lifelong trophies and possessions, but how many of us have heard of flower poaching?
For homeowners in Rockridge, Oakland, this is a common occurrence. Each year, dedicated gardeners in Rockridge spend their time and effort planting beautiful front gardens of lilies, hydrangeas and rose beds – only to wake up to find them missing! And to make matters worse, their Dogwood and Japanese maple trees get stripped completely bare! Apparently some are even dug up by their roots and taken away in the night! Dogwood’s grow over six foot tall! Amazing what some people can do if there’s money involved!
One homeowner has even said, “Every time I look at the tree in bloom it breaks my heart because I know it’s going to be poached,” but what can the police do? After residents’ searching local florists and marketplaces to find no evidence it seems this flower poaching is not only on the increase but also, to the outrage of the local community, a very low priority for the local police!
A pity really to see such beautiful neighbourhoods being destroyed by people looking to make an easy dollar. The best idea would probably be for the residents’ to implement their own off-the-house CCTV system to catch these guys in action! Good Luck with finding the poachers, Rockridge!
(29.04.09, Parks, R. East Bay Express)
Posted on April 28, 2009 with No Comments
Having a flower garden has a lot of benefits, especially when birds and other animals begin visiting it, putting on a show for gardeners.
Kathi and Michael Rock have experienced such displays in their Madison, Wisconsin garden. When they moved to the house they worked hard to transform their simple backyard into a flower and feeder paradise, more specifically to attract their favourite bird – the hummingbird.
Kathi Rock said, “I think the way it started is, we began gardening for hummingbirds about a year after we got married. We were so excited about it, we decided we wanted to give a program for people in our neighborhood.”
Since then, the Rocks have become experts on hummingbirds, experimenting with flowers and plants to see which ones attract more birds. They have also given many presentations on the information they have collected.
Their most important piece of advice is to make your garden very secluded, as this is what hummingbirds prefer. And it is very important to use both feeders and flowers to attract them. “I think if we would have just one or the other, that we definitely wouldn’t have been as successful. The feeders really fill in on the days when the flowers are unavailable, such as when it’s a cold or rainy day, for example, in early autumn, and that’s when we have the most hummingbirds in the year.”
[Via: NorwichBulletin]
Posted on April 27, 2009 with No Comments
Not all of the flowers that April showers bring are welcome in our gardens.
Dandelions are one of these blooms that have few friends and many enemies. There are some people who really enjoy seeing the little yellow flowers in their gardens, feeling that they are the true sign of spring.
Then there are others who know that dandelions are both delicious and nutritious if harvested before the flower blooms. Finally, there are even a few dandelion fans that make and drink a dandelion wine.
However, most gardeners absolutely hate them, considering them weeds that should be get rid of. Some even consider them an insult to their abilities in gardening. They are a bit of a pest as they host some plant diseases like aster yellows, which affects black-eyed Susan and other related flowers.
Every gardener has to make the decision to appreciate them or to fight against them. The best way to control this “weed” is proper watering, fertilizing and mowing.
[Via: CourierPress]
Posted on April 27, 2009 with No Comments
The ‘Titan Arum’, is due to bloom in Kew Gardens, just outside of London, in the next few days! Blooming only once every 6-7 years, it emits a phenomenal stench that has been likened to rotten flesh, hence it’s nickname the ‘Corpse Flower’, given by its native country, Indonesia. Amazingly, there are two seperate plants due to bloom at the same time, so you’ll be in for a stinking experience!
This special plant can grow over 3 metres tall and is related, suprisingly, to the tiny in comparison cuckoo pint and calla lily! These phallic plants produce pink and cream flowers while blooming and when they are ready to begin pollinating, they begin to emit the awful smell that it has become famous for. This ‘fragrance’ is released to invite carrion-eating beetles and flesh flies to pollinate the plant. The spadix’s warmth also increases to match human body temperature, which is believed by scientists that it assists the illusion that helps attract flesh eating insects.
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, homes 12 of these stomach turning flowers in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, amongst many other tropical varieties, so if enduring these foul smells isn’t something you’re too keen on, you may want to consider visiting their other areas while the kids witness these striking plants in action!
Posted on April 25, 2009 with 1 Comment
If you don’t have time to plant a garden, get an iPhone. This phone has been equipped with and interesting new application from SnappyTouch, and it gives phone users the opportunity to create a garden with their handset.
The application is called Flower Garden, and it is seeing the same popularity as other applications like Koi Pond and Pocket God.
This virtual garden allows you to plant different kinds of seeds, water them and watch them grow. Some of the flowers begin to grow right away, but other take time, care and patience.
Once your flowers have grown, you can even cut them and send them to your friends as an electronic bouquet.
[Via: MacRumors]
Posted on April 24, 2009 with No Comments
The state of the economy is going to have an effect on all of our spending habits, and that includes the money we spend on mom this Mother’s Day. We are spending less on everything — including clothing, jewelry and even flowers.
Though there is no reason for moms to worry as people will not forget to appreciate the most important person in their life, Phil Rist, executive vice president at BIGresearch says, “No one will forgot celebrating Mother’s Day because of the bad economy, but they will put careful thought into what they buy and how much they spend.”
This might mean a bit of an increase in flower purchases, as fewer people will be reaching deep into their pockets this year…
[Via: Wall Street Journal, Image from GalleryLevel]
Posted on April 23, 2009 with No Comments
The winters in Chicago can sometimes stretch out for a longer than what’s easy to bear. In the current economic climate many feel that it is a bit of a splurge to buy flowers to brighten up their lives.
One way to be around flowers and to keep costs down is to explore the world of garden clubs.
Mt. Greenwood Garden Club is one of these places, which for a minimal $12 a year allows its members to exchange perennials, heirlooms and seeds. Members are also given the opportunity to get gardening tips from other members and professionals.
The Club’s president Kim Pratt says, “We bring in master gardeners and guest speakers that teach techniques on how to till your land and how to build wildlife refuges.”
For example, Pratt has added some flowers to her garden, which attract hummingbirds. She says, “It’s very exciting. It’s the first time I have seen one up close.”
Mary Burns, who is the the vice president of the club, says, “If you come with three plants, you’ll live with three plants.”
With all the workshops and opportunities to consult with other gardeners, joining this kind of club can eventually save a gardener thousands of dollars a year.
[Via: Chicago Tribune, Image from CollegePublisher]
