All posts by Florist Margarette
Geraniums: Two Floral Families with Striking Flowers
Pelargonium is a broad family that encompasses many cheerful flowers. Whether you choose bedding geraniums or hardy cranesbill, these plants are a lovely gift for a spring birthday, graduation, or Mother's Day. From annuals to perennials to succulents, there's a member of the geranium family sure to please everyone. Continue reading [...]
Festive Flowers for a Dazzling Winter Bouquet or Centerpiece
Winter is full of holidays and family gatherings that fill us with happiness and gratitude. Whatever you celebrate, a wintery bouquet will be a cheerful addition to any decor. Continue reading [...]
Forcing Flower Bulbs For the Holiday Season
Forcing flower bulbs is a method of cooling and gradually re-warming bulbs so that they will bloom indoors, outside of their normal season. In the cool days of winter, these flowers make a wonderful, low-maintenance gift for anyone, including gardeners and floral enthusiasts. Continue reading [...]
Spruce Up Your Holiday Home with Poinsettias
The cheerful poinsettia is a classic Christmas decoration that is beloved around the world. The poinsettia has been associated with Christmas since the 1600s. The plants are indigenous to dry forests in Central America, where legends have long told of a young girl bringing the crimson blooms to a church as a gift for the baby Jesus. Continue reading [...]
Easy Embellishments for a Winter Wonderland Bouquet
Adding non-floral accents to a bouquet is a fun way to customize your flower arrangement. There are lots of festive options available at craft stores or online retailers. With cool weather right around the corner, here are some ways to turn any bouquet into one fit for a winter wonderland. Continue reading [...]
Saffron: The Treasure of the Fall-Blooming Crocus
The purple fall-blooming crocus is a celebrated member of the iris family. Not only does it have graceful, lavender-colored blooms, but this particular type of crocus has a treasure inside: saffron. Continue reading [...]
Accent Your Flowers With Unexpected Embellishments
Some of the most interesting floral arrangements contain more than just flowers. They may be accented with non-floral items to add color, texture, and height to the bouquet. Continue reading [...]
Flowers to Honor Those Who Have Served Their Country
Flowers can be used to send many messages to our friends and loved ones. An important sentiment that we shouldn't overlook is appreciation for members of the armed services. Continue reading [...]
Friend Feeling Blue? The Right Flowers Will Send a Caring Message
If a friend or a loved one is going through a tough time, flowers may be the perfect way to express your caring and support. Let them know that you're thinking of them and wishing them well with a thoughtful floral arrangement. Continue reading [...]
How to Incorporate Edible Flowers into your Holiday Meals
If you want to make your holiday dishes tasty and unique, add edible flowers. From sides and entrees to desserts, there are numerous ways to use these delicious blooms to enhance your cooking. Continue reading [...]
Celebrate Thanksgiving with Flowers Native to the US
For a fun and authentic approach to Thanksgiving decor, create floral arrangements that feature flowers native to the United States. Most of these plants should be available at a well-stocked florist, and many may even be in your own garden. Continue reading [...]
Create a Harvest Vase from a Pumpkin, Apple, or Gourd
A fun way to celebrate autumn is by crafting floral arrangements that use seasonal fruits as a natural vase. We can use the abundance of apples, pumpkins, and gourds to create festive containers for cheerful bouquets. Continue reading [...]
Hydrangeas Bring Year-Round Interest to the Garden and Home
Hydrangeas are charming, oversized flowers composed of clusters of petite four-petaled blossoms. While they are quite popular today, this wasn't always the case. These blooming beauties once held a variety of unsavory meanings! Continue reading [...]
Celebrate the Harvest Season with a Floral Cornucopia
The cornucopia is a traditional symbol of a bountiful harvest. This beloved hallmark of the harvest season has long been associated with a plentiful yield. Filled with flowers and produce, the cornucopia proudly displays the best of the year's crops. Continue reading [...]
Spooky Blooms for Halloween
Many of us love to decorate for Halloween. In the United States, Halloween is second only to Christmas for money spent on holiday decor. If you want to incorporate flowers into your creepy adornments, there are lots of festive choices. Continue reading [...]
Make Your Own Potpourri with Dried Flowers
Gifts from the garden make wonderful gestures because they're personal and unique. If you're searching for the perfect present for a flower lover, consider making potpourri with your own dried flowers. Continue reading [...]
Create a Harvest Wreath from Your Garden
The autumn garden is full of vibrant colors that can be preserved by crafting a harvest wreath. Continue reading [...]
Use Floral Photographs to Create Unique Gifts
You can easily create custom items using your own photos of beloved flowers and plants. These photo creations allow you to give a gift that will stay beautiful long after a fresh flower would have faded. Continue reading [...]
Pressed Flower Jewelry Makes Treasured Blooms Last for Years
By preserving blooms, you can create a piece of jewelry that keeps meaningful flowers looking beautiful for years to come. Continue reading [...]
Thoughtful DIY Gifts Made with Dried Flowers
As the growing season winds down and the holiday season approaches, our minds turn to gift-giving. What could be more thoughtful than a gift from your garden? Using dried and pressed flowers, you can craft unique floral-themed items for the special people in your life.
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With a Little Imagination, Almost Anything Can Be a Vase
You've found the right flowers to give for a special occasion. But have you found the right vase? A vase not only holds and complements the flowers, but it is also a gift in itself long after the flowers are gone. Continue reading [...]
Edible Squash Blossoms to Share with Family and Friends
Do you have dozens of new squash blooms late in the growing season? It may be too late for those flowers to develop into fruits, but that doesn't mean they have to go to waste. Squash blossoms are edible and can be incorporated into a delicious harvest dinner.
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Drying Flowers Can Make your Beautiful Bouquet Last for Years
A bouquet of cut flowers makes a thoughtful gift for any occasion. Whether they're for a birthday, anniversary, or just because, flowers send a message of beauty and affection. The main drawback to a floral arrangement is that many cut flowers last only a week or so in the vase. The good news is that there are many easy ways to preserve flowers so that they last indefinitely.
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A Longer Life for Your Perfect Floral Gift
If you've ever received flowers as a gift for any special occasion, you probably wished you could make them last longer than just a few days. Luckily, there are several tips and tricks to extend the life of flowers in a vase. Continue reading [...]
Stonecrop Brings “Autumn Joy” to the Garden
Stonecrop is a family of around 500 varieties of succulent plants that will add low-maintenance color and interest to your fall garden. Continue reading [...]
Low-Light Houseplants to Brighten Your Room
We love houseplants for their countless benefits to both our physical and emotional well-being. A bit of fresh greenery indoors can improve the air quality, make us feel more calm, and may even boost our recuperative powers. An indoor plant can be a welcome addition to nearly any room, even those with very little sunlight. Continue reading [...]
Loving those Leaves: Plants with Showstopping Foliage
When picturing plants in our minds, we often envision colorful flowers. But there are many plant species whose leaves are the star of the show. Continue reading [...]
Gorgeous Green Blooms to Light Up the Room
When we think of flowering plants, we usually visualize green leaves with blooms in shades of pretty pastels and brilliant jewel tones. But did you know that there are many varieties of plants that have natural green flowers? Continue reading [...]
Japanese Anemones Shine in the Autumn Garden
As days grow shorter and summer blooms begin to fade, Japanese anemones come into their full glory. With oversized leaves and tall stems bearing charming flowers, Japanese anemones make a bold statement in your autumn garden. Continue reading [...]
Welcome Autumn with Chrysanthemums
Hardy chrysanthemums, also called mums, are a beacon of autumn in North America. Blooming in late summer through mid-fall, mums add a pop of color when other garden plants are dying back for the year. Continue reading [...]
“Exploding” Jewelweed is Popping with Fun
Jewelweed is a yellow or orange flowering plant whose claim to fame is that the ripe seed pods "explode" or burst open when touched. Much to the delight of children and fun-loving adults, these plants have a quite entertaining method of dispersing their seeds. Continue reading [...]
Venus Flytrap: The Perfect Gift for Curious Kids
The Venus flytrap is the most mysterious and notorious of house plants. These carnivorous plants were made famous (or infamous) in the cult classic movie "Little Shop of Horrors" and have been intriguing curious kids for decades ever since. Continue reading [...]
Easy-care Houseplants Send Well Wishes for Years
Low-maintenance houseplants are thoughtful gifts that don't require too much care. Whether you choose a flowering plant, a plant with a legend attached, or one that helps to heal, your gift recipient will appreciate your well wishes for years to come. Continue reading [...]
Prickly Cacti Make Perfect Presents
With over 1500 varieties, cacti are distinctive members of the succulent family. This diverse, yet easily identifiable, group of plants has become nearly synonymous with southwestern culture throughout the Americas.
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Flavored with Flowers: Herbal Teas and Tisanes
Herbal tea is a beverage that doesn't contain any actual tea leaves. Also called tisane, these drinks are naturally caffeine-free and can be served either hot or cold. Tisanes can be used for their health benefits or simply for refreshment. Continue reading [...]
Cool Desserts with a Floral Twist
A fun way to add pizzazz to desserts is to infuse them with edible flowers. Adding both flavor and color, edible flowers can take a common snack and make it truly extraordinary. Continue reading [...]
Make it Yourself: Flower Infused Salt and Sugar
If your herb garden is overflowing and you'd like a unique way to share your harvest, consider making infused salt or sugar. Using the flowers and leaves from popular culinary herbs allows you to create thoughtful and fun gifts with little effort. Continue reading [...]
Make it Yourself: Flower Infused Vinegars and Oils
You may be familiar with chili-infused oil and tarragon-infused vinegar. But did you know that many herb flowers can be used to add flavor to condiments? Not only are the leaves and seeds of herb plants edible, many have flowers that impart delicious flavor as well. Continue reading [...]
Patriotic Petals: Check Out these National Flowers
The majority of the world's countries have a national flower that is meaningful to its people. These emblems may have been chosen by popular consensus, government selection, or a long-standing tradition in the history of the nation. Most national flowers are indigenous to the area that they represent. Many have played a role in a region's culture for hundreds of years or more. In general, the national flower is beloved by the people it embodies. Continue reading [...]
Statice, Feverfew, Baby’s Breath, and More: Festive Filler Flowers that Stand on Their Own
Filler flowers are flowers that add volume and texture to floral arrangements. They may tend to be muted in color and may not have a strong fragrance. Nevertheless, many filler flowers are beautiful enough to stand on their own or as a focal point in a floral design.
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Fragrant Lilacs Symbolize Remembrance
The flowering lilac is a bush that seems to be everywhere in the spring in North America. The lilac's early bloom time makes it a welcome sight after a long winter. Its clusters of small blooms and sweet fragrance make it easily recognizable as a symbol of the season of renewal.
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The Magnolia’s Long History of Symbolizing Grace and Beauty
The stately magnolia has been admired as a symbol of beauty and nobility for countless centuries. In fact, fossils indicate that the magnolia tree and its blooms have remained nearly unchanged for the last 100 million years! Continue reading [...]
Ranunculus Flowers are Whisper-Thin Gems in Your Garden
Ranunculus flowers are known for their brilliant colors and layers of paper-thin petals. They belong to the botanical family of the same name, which encompasses more then five hundred species. Continue reading [...]
Buttercups are Sunshine in Flower Form
Buttercups are brilliant yellow members of the ranunculus family. Buttercups make up nearly one fifth of the species of this family. There are variations in the number of petals and where the flowers grow, but almost all varieties share the distinctive butter-yellow petals for which they are named. Continue reading [...]
Delphinium and Larkspur Send a Message of Heroism
The statuesque delphinium is easily recognizable for its tall spike of five-petaled flowers. One of the birth flowers for July, these flowers are named for the Latin word for dolphin and their history goes back several thousand years. Continue reading [...]
The Many Meanings of Dahlias
As a cut flower or in the garden, the bold dahlia always makes a statement. The dahlia family boasts thousands of hybrids, making it possible to find the perfect flower for someone special. Continue reading [...]
Graceful Orchids are Perfect for Gift-Giving
Orchids have been highly prized since the time of the ancient Romans. Aside from the beauty of the flowers, orchids have several practical uses as well. There are medicinal and culinary applications that have long-standing traditions across the world. Continue reading [...]
The Stately Gladiolus Represents Integrity and Passion
The gladiolus flower is best known for its tall spikes of ruffled blooms. These stems can reach two to four feet in length with blossoms blooming in succession from the bottom up. Gladioli are a member of the Iris family and originated in Africa and the Mediterranean several thousand years ago. Continue reading [...]
Use Orange Flower Water to Create a Sweet Gift
Orange blossom water has diverse uses in cosmetic, culinary and aromatherapy applications. Orange flower water has been popular in Middle Eastern culture for centuries and has been highly valued by the French since the time of Marie Antoinette. Continue reading [...]
Hibiscus is a Bold Statement of Beauty
Hibiscus are a family of five-petaled flowering plants often associated with exotic tropical locales. The hibiscus flower is considered to be quite feminine, as the petals are often ruffled and come in warm shades of reds, pinks, and lavenders. Continue reading [...]
Rose Water is an Essential Gift for Rose Lovers
Roses have been cultivated for medicinal, culinary and cosmetic uses for over two thousand years. Steam-distilling methods have been used to extract the essential rose oil throughout most of this time. The by-product of this technique is rose water, a versatile liquid that can be used in culinary, beauty, and even religious applications. Continue reading [...]
A Gift of Irises Sends a Regal Message
Irises are a popular cut flower, often found in mixed arrangements with roses or lilies. They are also quite striking on their own. Dating back several thousand years, the iris flower has long been associated with both royalty and heaven. Continue reading [...]
Floral Perfume is a Bouquet You Can Carry with You
If you know someone special who loves flowers, consider giving them the gift of a floral perfume. With a floral perfume, they can carry their favorite flower's fragrance with them throughout the day. Continue reading [...]
Alstroemeria is the Right Flower for a Dear Friend
Popular in cut floral arrangements, alstroemeria are small lily-like flowers that are native to South America. They are one of the most common cut flowers in Europe with an increasing following in the United States. Continue reading [...]
Freesia is the Right Flower to Give to Someone Sweet
Freesia is a popular multi-bloom flower with a distinctive sweet scent. Freesia is available in gentle pastel colors such as white, yellow, pink and lavender. It is among the most popular choices for floral bouquets. Continue reading [...]
The Long History of Snapdragons as Cut Flowers
Snapdragons have been a popular cut flower for thousands of years. Snapdragons have long been highly regarded for both their beauty and the legends that accompanied them. Continue reading [...]
Daisies Send a Message of Good Cheer
Daisies, both wild and cultivated, have a rich history of folklore and symbolism. The word daisy comes from the Old English "day's eye" because the petals open at dawn and close at dusk. Continue reading [...]
The AeroGarden is the Right Gift for Growing Flowers Indoors
Many people love growing flowers but have little or no green space in which to plant them. Others live in an area where their garden is dormant throughout the winter. An ideal gift for both of these gardeners is the AeroGarden and its companion seed kits. Continue reading [...]
Bonsai is the Right Gift for the Patient Gardener
Bonsai refers to a tree or shrub that is grown in a shallow vessel and pruned to retain a compact form. This process can take years or even decades to achieve the desired result. It is said to promote inner peace and tranquility.
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Lily of the Valley is the Right Flower for Special May Occasions
Lilies of the valley are the traditional flower for the month of May. This tradition began in the 1560s when King Charles IX of France was given a stem of lily of the valley as a May Day gift. The flower has since been said to bring good luck. Continue reading [...]
A Flowering Herb Garden is the Right Gift for Someone who Loves to Cook
Many gardeners who love to cook grow an herb garden. Few things make more of a flavor impact than fresh herbs. But did you know that many classic herbs also have edible flowers?
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The Right Perennial Blooms to Give for Mother’s Day
As Mother's Day approaches, many of us are looking for flowering gifts for loved ones. But many moms say they feel bad when the flowers fade after a few brief days of blooming. Consider giving them a perennial flowering plant instead of cut flowers. Continue reading [...]
Violets: A Popular Gift Since Ancient Times
Violets have been given as gifts of affection for hundreds of years. There are numerous myths about their creation and their significance as gifts going back at least two thousand years. Continue reading [...]
Helleborus is an Early Messenger of Spring
Helleborus makes a thoughtful gift to a loved one's garden by providing color in winter and early spring. Usually found in shades of pinks and purples, their shape resembles a wild rose. Continue reading [...]
Daffodils Mean a Gift of Sunshine
Daffodils are considered by many to be an iconic symbol of spring thanks to their brilliant colors and fresh scent. Daffodils mean a gift of sunshine because of their cheerful colors in early spring. Continue reading [...]
Forsythia are Beacons of Springtime
Forsythia are beacons of springtime. When the branches and buds start to turn a brilliant shade of yellow, we know that warmer weather is right around the corner. Continue reading [...]
Tulips and Their Meanings as Gifts
Tulips are so beautiful that one bulb was once worth one hundred times the annual wage of many of Holland’s residents. At the height of Tulip Mania in the mid-1600s, these highly coveted bulbs were exchanged for large quantities of food and livestock. Continue reading [...]
A History of Flowers as Gifts
There is a long tradition of giving flowers as gifts throughout history. People across the world have been using flowers to express their sentiments for thousands of years. In ancient Greece, Rome and China, flowers were believed to be divinely inspired and were laden with meaning when given as a gift. Continue reading [...]
The Right Flowers
