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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.

The name cornucopia comes from the Latin word that translates as “horn of plenty”. The tradition dates back thousands of years to the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The tale originated with the god Zeus and his nanny, a beloved goat whose charmed horn was said to bring riches to those possessed it.

In the modern world, the cornucopia has come to represent an abundant harvest. In the United States, the cornucopia is commonly used as decor to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. It is often filled to overflowing with fruits, vegetables, and seasonal flowers.

Making a cornucopia centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table is a fun and simple project. The horn-shaped baskets, usually made of wicker, are sold at craft stores everywhere. Depending on the size of your table, you can choose from an array of sizes suitable for every home.

Because the cornucopia is a symbol of the harvest season, it is appropriate to display it throughout the autumn months. Not just for Thanksgiving, the cornucopia makes a beautiful decoration from September through the start of the holiday season.

When choosing flowers for your cornucopia, traditional fall colors are the most popular. Look for chrysanthemums in shades of yellow, orange, and rust. Roses in yellow, deep red, and peach hues are also festive this time of year. Cheery sunflowers make a bold display and are found in yellow, orange, and burgundy colors. After you have placed your flowers, fill in small spaces with bright bunches of berries.

If you wish to use your cornucopia for longer than just the Thanksgiving holiday, you will need to periodically add water to your flowers. Place them in small vessels that are easily hidden by the basket. Floral foam designed to hold water is a great way to arrange the stems and cut down on the frequency of waterings. Floral foam is readily available at craft stores and may also be sold by your local florist.

Another option for a long-lasting cornucopia is to use dried flowers in the display. This eliminates the need for watering and ensures that the flowers will last throughout the season. Dried leaves from local trees also exhibit brilliant colors in the fall. They would make a striking addition to your basket.

Because the horn of plenty is associated with a rich harvest, be sure to include fruits and vegetables in your display. Bright red and green apples are a colorful choice and will remain firm for several weeks. Other long-lived options include whole pomegranates, small pumpkins or gourds, and dried decorative corn cobs.

For a short-term display, tender fruits and vegetables will work well. Heirloom tomatoes, with their unique colors and shapes, would be beautiful here. If you are only using your cornucopia for a day or two, try bunches of grapes draped artfully in the curves of the basket.

Whether you display your harvest decor for a few days or a few months, you can easily create your own show-stopping centerpiece. Choose flowers and fruits that coordinate with your Thanksgiving plates and napkins, or customize a cornucopia to celebrate all season long. Either way, your one-of-a-kind cornucopia will wow your family and friends!

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.

Spider mums are named for their long, curled outer petals that resemble legs. Spider mums are available in many colors, including autumnal shades of red, yellow, and bronze. These unusual chrysanthemums would make a perfect backdrop for a little artificial spider.

Chartreuse button mums are known for their bright, apple green blossoms. They bring to mind the color of slime, or maybe the skin tone of Frankenstein’s monster. Button mums have petite flowers (about one inch across) that grow in clusters that are ideal for floral arrangements.

Traditionally a symbol of death, black roses are a classic Halloween staple. Some roses are dyed black by the florist. Others are a very deep, rich shade of burgundy. Rumor has it that a true black rose grows in Turkey or Tibet. Regardless of the origin of the black rose, the haunting meaning has been the same for hundreds of years. Black roses are especially spooky when they are dried and used in floral arrangements.

Blood red lilies are another great choice for eerie decor. If you can find red tiger lilies, the spots on the petals will resemble drops of blood. The large, gracefully curved flowers will be a stunning focal point for a Halloween bouquet. Try draping artificial cobwebs over these crimson beauties for a stunning showcase.

Many of us think of yellow blooms when we think of sunflowers. Actually, sunflowers also grow in brilliant shades of red, orange and rust. These classic autumn hues are a bold addition to your Halloween arrangement. The individual, wavy petals on sunflowers often resemble little flames. Sunflowers are another flower that have a haunting look when they are dried.

For a truly unusual focal point in your decor, consider bromeliads with their tall stalks of spiky leaves. Many bromeliads feature bright red leaves that will blend seamlessly with your most fantastic Halloween decorations. These unique, low-maintenance houseplants will live well beyond the fall season and add a brilliant touch of color to your home.

Don’t forget to accent your Halloween flowers with extra touches like autumn berries. Pyracantha and St. John’s wort berries are two bright, colorful options. Mini pumpkins or gourds (fresh or faux) also make fun additions to your spooky blooms. Whatever flowers you choose, have fun and Happy Haunting!

Welcome Autumn with Chrysanthemums

As warm weather gives way to cooler days, we begin to see chrysanthemums everywhere. These hardy plants, 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.

Chrysanthemums are readily found in nurseries and garden centers. You may even find them at your local grocery store, along with pumpkins and corn stalks. Mums make an excellent autumnal decoration, as they bloom in warm shades of reds, yellows, and purples that reflect the hues of the changing leaves on trees.

In the United States we associate mums with the start of fall, Halloween, and everything pumpkin spice flavored. However, in many nations, chrysanthemums have a more somber meaning. In some European and Asian countries, certain mums are used almost exclusively for funerals and grave markers. These mums are usually white in color to symbolize grieving.

There are thirteen main types of chrysanthemums, determined mostly by the shape of the flowers. There are countless variations in size and color as well, with thousands of individual varieties being officially recognized by the National Chrysanthemum Society.

Some of the most common types of chrysanthemums are cushion, with a mounded flower shape, and spider mums, with dangling petals reminiscent of legs. The quill mum has petals that are tube-shaped, and button mums have petite flowers growing on the stems in a natural bouquet shape.

One of the most popular uses of chrysanthemums worldwide is to dry the flowers and make them into tea. This practice is said to have begun in China around one thousand years ago, and remains widespread to this day. Chrysanthemum tea is served both hot and iced year-round, and is frequently sweetened with honey.

All chrysanthemum flowers are edible but they exhibit nearly as many flavors as there are types of blossoms! Some mums have a peppery flavor, some are tart, and some are thought to taste like honey. If you’re making your own tea, be sure your mums are clean and chemical-free before drying them.

If you know someone who loves everything associated with autumn, chrysanthemums will make a wonderful gift. As part of a holiday display or planted in a flower bed, mums deliver a brilliant splash of color late in the growing season. When other plants are winding down, mums are in full bloom to brighten a friend’s day with jewel-like colors.

Flowers for Summer: Send Flowers That Purify Indoor Air

During summer, many people spend a great deal of time indoors because it’s too hot to be outside. With the air-conditioning on, you may feel nice and comfortable. But, things could turn around if you’re constantly breathing stale and recycled air.

Don’t set yourself up for getting sick during a season that’s all about having fun! Put some air-filtering flowers inside your home to stay healthy.

While you’re at it, send some to a friend or loved one, as a gift to say “Hi” and to let them know “I’m wishing you health.”

Here are some great flowers to keep indoor air healthy.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Peace Lily is an evergreen that’s easy to take care of. It requires little light or water to thrive, which makes is a perfect inside plant. You can buy Peace Lilies at many garden stores and they’re simple to grow in a garden. NASA analyzed houseplants and found that Peace Lily was the most efficient plant at removing airborne VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Florist’s Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum moriforlium)

This flower is often called Florist’s daisy and Hardy Garden Mum. It’s a houseplant and popular perennial that many already have in their home. It loves direct sunlight and needs an adequate amount of water, so keep it by a window and watch it’s moisture level. With the right care, Florist’s Chrysanthemum will blossom up in a house or place of business, and help cleanse the air of toxic chemicals.

* Note – These flowers are poisonous to animals, so keep them up high if you have furry companions living with you.

Flamingo Lily (Anthurium andraeanum)

Commonly called Flamingo Lily, Anthurium andraeanum is a stunning evergreen that’s mostly know for it’s beautiful flowers. The NASA Clean Air Study noted that the Flamingo Lily was especially effective at ridding dangerous airborne formaldehyde and ammonia from inside air.

Flowers are perfect companions to humidifiers and electric air purifiers in a home or office, and depending on the circumstances, they can purify air entirely on their own. They sure look pretty doing it, too.

Flowers to Say “Thank You”

Saying “thank you” with flowers can be an easy, creative, and unexpected way to say “Thank you.” It’s easy for the giver, and it’s always a delight for the recipient.

If you’re looking for the perfect flowers to say “thank you,” we have a few suggestions. Whether you want to offer your appreciation to your child’s teacher, a neighbor who house sat for you, or a friend who took care of you when you were ill, you have many beautiful choices for “thank you” flowers to give.

The following are some flowers for saying “thank you” that we especially love:

Sweet Peas

What better way to say “thank you” for doing something sweet than sending sweet peas. Sweet peas can say “thank you” for concert tickets, a job referral, excellent ongoing service, or help with an event. These beauties smell just as sweet and wonderful as they look.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are flowers given to say “thank you for understanding.” They’re ideal to send to someone who has helped you through a tough time physically, emotionally, or financially. These blossoms come in pink, blue, peach, and white. They’re economical if you’re on a budget because you only need one or two blooms to fill up a vase.

Chrysanthemums

To say “thank you” to a friend, choose chrysanthemums. These flowers are cheerful and they represent joy. To show how joyful and thankful you are for a special friendship, give these blooms.

In addition to the flowers we’ve mentioned, you can say “thank you” by offering bellflowers, irises, or roses. Of course, any flower that you give with your whole heart will be a beautiful sentiment of gratitude.

 

long-lasting flowers

Long-Lasting Holiday Flowers

Wondering what blooms you can give that will last your flower recipient more than couple of days? There are several.

Giving flowers often takes a lot of time and money, so it’s nice to think that your gift will provide pleasure for someone for longer than 48 hours. Of course, your giftee will likely remember your thoughtful deed after the flowers are gone, but it’s still fun to find flowers that might live for a week or longer.

We’ve put together a list of some flowers that are known for living in a vase for up to four weeks. Many of them can last for a year or more, if planted in a garden.

When you want to give flowers that last, choose the following:

Orchid

Orchids are exotic flowers that look stunning and have an impressive life span. Most orchids can live for up to three weeks in a vase, but cymbidiums are especially robust. Their petals are less prone to damage, so give these flowers to someone special if you want to offer blooms that will sustain life for nearly a month (or many months when placed in the ground). A word of advice, your giftee should change an orchid’s vase water every two days to keep it living for a long time.

Carnation

There are a few reasons why carnations are a popular flower for gifting. They’re cheery and colorful, budget-friendly, and long lasting. Carnations can live for two to three weeks in a vase. To keep them thriving for this long, it’s best to pluck off petals or leaves that would appear below the water line and pick off dead petals frequently.

Chrysanthemums

It’s difficult to beat a chrysanthemum when it comes to flower longevity. These blossoms can last up to 30 days! They demand clean vase water every day, though, which is something your gift recipient might want to know about. We love chrysanthemums because they live a long time and they come in many gorgeous colors.

It’s easy to send all of these long-lasting flowers to someone by using a local brick-and-mortar florist or an online floral retailer. All of these flowers are abundant throughout the year, so you should be able to gift someone with them for any occasion. Enjoy sending these long-lasting flowers, and while you’re buying them, consider picking up some for yourself.

4 Charming Floral Imports from China to Celebrate the New Year

Today is the official start of the Year of the Sheep!
With one of the oldest human cultures in the world, the Chinese New Year tradition is the most important of the year and is celebrated by millions of people around the globe. Based on a lunar calendar and lasting for 15 days, many people travel home to be with family, eat special food and attend celebrations with fireworks, performances and friends. If you want to start the Year of the Sheep off on the right foot, consider decorating your home or bringing a gift of one of these important flowers that were first cultivated in ancient China.

ChrysanthemumMums
One of the most revered flowers of the Song Dynasty, there is evidence that the mum has been cultivated in China as far back as the 15th century BCE. Depicted in paintings, pottery and fabric art, the mum became a flower associated with several different holidays and in the Chinese culture and was an important export to other parts of Asia where it shows up in everything from traditional flower arranging to soup. A popular flower both in gardens and in vases, there are hundreds of different sizes, shapes and colors of chrysanthemums to choose from these days. Consider choosing the frilly Fuji or spider mum for this occasion, which has long, trailing petals surrounding wide center. Hardy, inexpensive and available year-round- it’s easy to find one that fits for this New Year celebration.

Roses
While the hybrid tea rose is right at home in and English garden, the first cultivars of today’s modern rose came from careful breeding of the wild five-petaled rose found in China. The whole rose family, Rosaceae, which contains many commercially (and culinarily) important plants such as the apple, pear and strawberry, all have east Asia as their center of origin.

Peony
Peony
Surrounded by myth and legends, this spring-flowering phenomena of a plant is said to symbolize riches and honors. The peony is considered to by one of the longest-used flowers in eastern culture and many cultivars have been created over the years and exported around the globe. The large blooms are a profusion of petals in white, pink or magenta. Consider just one or two stems to bring in the new year and welcome spring.

BambooBamboo
While technically more of a grass than a flower, the stalks of bamboo have a long and important history in China. Used to build everything from aquaducts to bridges, this plant provided material that helped to build civilization. Now retired to more of an ornamental role, there are a variety of sizes and shapes to choose from. Easy to care for and tolerant of low-light conditions, a few stems of bamboo will grow all Year of the Sheep long.

5 Flowers for Fat Tuesday

Every February, Mardi Gras gives us a chance to kick convention to the curb and fatten up with a day of drinking and debauchery before settling in to the Lenten season of austerity and repentance. Around the world, versions of this crazy carnival are happening in the streets with dancing, parades and elaborate costumes. Traditional colors of purple, gold and green decorate the streets and perhaps a King Cake on your kitchen table. Whether you celebrate this Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday for religious purposes, or simply want to have a good time, here are 5 flowers perfect for letting you laissez le bon temps rouler.

LisianthusLisianthus
These delightfully delicate flowers unfurl from the buds of lisianthus like crepe paper from a parade float. One of the truest shades of purple you can find in the natural world, these gorgeous stems are whimsical and festive with several blooms on long, nodding stems. Consider making a few buds into a beautiful boutonniere for the day or placing several stems, trimmed short, in a round, glass bowl. They look amazing on their own or else gussied up with a bit of green hypericum berry and a gold ribbon for the festivities.

Bells of Irelandbells of ireland seashells
Tall, green and bizarrely shaped, these wacky flowers add height and dimension to an arrangement. With hardy stems as long as 2 to 3 feet, these sturdy flowers will hold up well for days and can be worked into elaborate forms or simply plopped in a tall, glass vase. Both stem and blooms of this flower are a true shape of green. Small green “bells” open up from bottom to top, some with tiny white flowers inside, and taper off at the top. This strange and unusual bloom will last long after the party is over.

Purple Carnations
A new cultivar of this old-fashioned standby now comes in a shocking shade of purple. “Moonlight” carnations, as they are called, are a great addition to your Mardi Gras decor and are now available through florist around the country. Hardy like traditional carnations, this bloom is a great choice of flower for a day of feasting and carrying on.

Green Kermit Mums
Absolutely charming, like the Muppet Show mister frog they are named for, the compact, green kermit mum is a must for your Fat Tuesday flower arrangement. Long lasting and economical, this round flower is more densely petaled than traditional mums and has blooms about the size of a large coin across on long stems. Consider mixing these with the purple lisianthus or simply beheading the blooms from the stems and throwing them about in lieu of beads.

DahliasDahlia
Wildly impractical this time of year, the firework effect of large dahlia flowers will be expensive, opulent and completely out of season for February. That said, these bright and explosive flowers have petals in every color of the rainbow and come in sizes as big as a dinner plate. If you want to go big on a day made for excess, perhaps these are the best choice.

3 Fabulously Affordable Flowers You Should Resolve to Keep On Hand in 2015

Fresh flowers are a little bit of luxury most people reserve for special occasions and events, but recent studies from several leading research universities confirm that just looking at a vase of flowers can have a positive impact on emotions, creativity and productivity. Perhaps 2015 is the year you begin to incorporate fresh flowers into your health routine and budget a tiny bit each week towards this simple pick-me-up that can positively influence everyone in the room. Whether you start adding blooms to a little vase on your breakfast table or bring in an arrangement to the front office for the whole crew to enjoy, there are quite a few flowers available these days that will look fresh all week without biting into your budget. Try one of these three fabulously affordable flowers that will bring you 52 weeks of awesome in 2015.

AlstroemeriaAlstroemeria
The working man’s lily, Alstroemeria, also called Peruvian lily, is one of the most under priced flowers on the market these days. Stems are tall, straight and stately- reaching lengths of 2 feet tall at times and making this flower a perfect pick for a tall, glass vase. Each stem is topped with 3 to 5 individual flowers that are smaller than traditional lilies, but have come in a wild array of colors with 3 petals that have an almost tiger-stripped pattern on the inside. Exotic looking, but also appropriate for almost every season, Alstroemeria is almost always sold in bunches of 6 to 10 stems and rarely for more than $7 at a time, ringing in at less than a dollar a stem. In a vase of fresh water, these stems will stay fresh for almost two weeks at a time.

ChrysanthemumsMums
Few flowers are as easy on the eye and the wallet as mums. Coming in absolutely every color in the rainbow except blue, these daisies are long-lasting and lovely mixed with other flowers or on their own. Smaller pom-pom mums are available year-round in colors from white to green and larger varieties like the Fuji or spider mums come with long, elegant petals. Try mixing several different kinds in a shorter vase using seasonal colors for a look and smell that make it hard not to smile.

IrisIris
Sold while still tightly closed, it’s easy to overlook these ample blooms. The kind typically sold in bunches at florist and grocery stores are surprisingly affordable, at less than a dollar a stem, and look great in a vase without any other greens or fuss. Once taken out of the floral cooler and placed at room temperature, blooms will open up slowly over the next few days to reveal a striking color of blue or purple with a yellow throat and last for the next week and a half.

Along with your list of other resolutions, be sure to add a few fresh stems to 2015!

Pick Up Some Mums for Mother-In-Law Day

We are all born with at least one mother, but many of us pick up another along the way through marriage. If you’ve been lucky enough to score a good one, celebrate on Sunday, October 26th during Mother-in-Law Day with a bouquet of chrysanthemums. These fall flowers are at their prime this time of year and come in a wide array of colors, shapes and sizes. Whether she thinks you hung the moon or is the type to complain that you hung it crookedly, flowers as elegant and diverse as the mum are sure to please anyone- even someone that can be a bit hard to please at times.

Native to Asia, the chrysanthemum has a long history of cultivation in both China and Japan, where there are several festivals in which it plays a big part. Found in art, sculpture, literature and even printed onto coins throughout the ancient Orient, the mum slowly made its way west and into tombs of kings and emperors and onto the lapels of gentleman. Today, the mum is most heavily cultivated in parts of Central and South America, where they are grown in a dazzling array of colors and sizes for fresh cut flowers. From festivals in Colombia where chrysanthemums line the streets and color the elaborate floats in parades to hillside greenhouses in Guatemala, where large bouquets are carried by hand to the markets, this flower fills the world with color and class and has done so for hundreds of generations.

When choosing mums, you have over 40 different species and hundreds of different varieties. Many have a traditional “daisy” look, with a center “eye” surrounded by petals. If your mom-in-law is a bit of a traditionalist, try the typical Marguerite daisy, which has white petals and a yellow center. If your spouse’s mom is a bit more eccentric, the long, frilly petals of the Fuji or spider mums are certainly going to catch her eye. The wide range of colors of the pom-pom mums make it possible to pick out her favorite hue. The best part of all- each stem rings up for less than a dollar, making it easy to fill a vase without emptying your wallet.

Perhaps your mother-in-law never thought your marriage would last, but a bouquet of mums will last for two weeks or more in a vase with fresh water. Surprise her with flowers and she’ll remember exactly why her kid married you in the first place.

A Touching Bouquet for International Teacher’s Day

Falling on October 5th this year, World Teacher’s Day has been held annually since 1994 to commemorate education professionals around the world for their contribution in preparing future generations for success. Few professions touch as many lives as teaching, though this time of year is often so busy it is hard for many teachers to remember why, exactly, they decided to go into education in the first place. Teaching takes patience, creativity, a thick skin, and a whole lot of love. Return the love this October 5th by planning a very special flower delivery for your child’s homeroom teacher or the educator in your life. By bringing in a flower for each student to walk into the classroom with to hand to the teacher, you will help create a bouquet they will never forget. Here are 3 different stems that are hardy, affordable and easy to create a lovely bouquet with- one flower at a time.

Mini Gerber DaisiesGerber Daisy
Bright, colorful and cheery, these stems are a little sturdier than they look and cost less than a dollar each. In flashy yellows, pinks, reds and oranges, these delightful daisies have a dark or yellow center and pretty petals that radiate outwards. Students will have an easy time with these leafless stems and a good florist can add a clear piece of a straw to reenforce the flower heads so they stay upright for many days after the special delivery. They look great in a vase of water on their own or you can add leatherleaf fern or other greens for your teacher’s desk.

CarnationsCarnation
With new colors like purple and yellow, carnations are a long- lasting and lovely flower that hold up well in tiny hands. Along with the traditional pink, white and red, carnations can also come in stripped and two-toned colors these days as well. Consider handing the students all sorts of colors for a rainbow that is sure to delight. Alternatively, using all white carnations, the teacher can add a bit of food coloring for an impromptu science experiment later on in the week.

ChrysanthemumsMums
With thick, sturdy stems and plenty of colors to choose from, these flowers are also at their prime in the fall. Sold in bunches of 5-10 stems for less than $5, chrysanthemums are extremely economical and will last for more than a week in a vase. Choose several bunches in different colors and pass out to students at the start of the day to hand to teacher when they walk in a room to make a bouquet that will absolutely make their World Teacher’s Day.

Wish Someone a Return to Health with the Hardy Chrysanthemum

As the days grow shorter and the nights turn chilly, the tender flowers of summer tend to fade and go dormant- not so, the hardy chrysanthemum. As summer turns to fall, these short-day loving plants begin to awaken and bloom as the winds begin to sharpen and the frosts start to enclose both buds and branches. What better harbinger of health than the chrysanthemum, symbolic of long life, optimism and mirth in the language of flowers. A pot of mums to plant in the garden or a vase of these bright and cheerful flowers on the bedside are the perfect way to help someone be once again hearty and hale.

Mums are a perennial favorite for fall and can often be found as potted plants at florists, garden centers and grocers from August to October. Sold in every size from small containers that are only 3 inches to several gallons, mums are an excellent buy this time of year. The simple plastic containers they are sold in back be easily converted into a stunning gift with a little gold foil or a well placed bow and card holder. Count on spending only a couple of dollars for a beautiful, blooming plant that can grow for a month or more inside. Best of all, when folks are feeling better, these can be planted outside where they will come back each year.

Mums are a member of the sunflower family and come in a wide range of colors and sizes. Cultivated for perhaps thousands of years, this flower has quite a diversity of forms and can be grown as both a landscape or potted plant as well as a stunning cut flower. For a vase arrangement, consider the pomp and circumstance of the larger Fuji, football or spider mums. With long stems and large, ornate blooms that last for weeks, these are the perfect pick for a bedside flower arrangement. Consider mixing them with red or green hypericum berries or a bit of soft alstroemeria for a lovely look that will last. For bringing a bit of the outside in, nothing beats the hardy mums that come in colors that mirror fall foliage. They are the perfect gift for someone who may not be well enough to enjoy the alluring autumn colors on their own outside, but will help encourage them to get well soon so as not to miss this stunning season.

Restore Trust with White Chrysanthemums

In business, in love, and in life in general, being able to trust someone is the foundation of any relationship. Learning how to trust comes easily for some, but can be a challenge for many- particularly if they have been let down before. What can take years to build can be lost in a moment and the truly worthy recognize the need to restore this sense of trust before any true rebuilding of a damaged relationship can begin. If you’ve let someone in your life down, be it a client, a colleague or someone a little bit closer to your heart, you will have some work ahead of you to restore their trust in you. Begin the journey with a token gesture of white chrysanthemums.

In the language of flowers, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of “truth” and “trust.” In Victorian times, flowers were used as messages when words simply wouldn’t do and these days can help you to send a symbolic message when the words are hard to say. A somewhat humble flower, the chrysanthemum is the perfect choice when the flash and pompousness of other showy blooms seems inappropriate. The simple loveliness of this repentant flower is subtle but still quite stunning. There are over 40 different species of “mums” and you have several varieties of white ones to choose from.

The large and elegant Fuji mum (sometimes called a Spider mum) has very long, numerous petals that swoop upward towards the center and trail downward around the edges. The Fuji mum usually has one radiant bloom per stem that can reach lengths of 1 to 3 feet. The blooms themselves can reach 4 to 6 inches across and can last for more than a week in fresh water. A bunch of 6 to 8 stems will fill a large vase and look lovely with seeded eucalyptus as greens. The tall stems range in price from $1 to $2 each; a small price to pay towards restoring trust.

The smaller pompom and cushion mums have quite a bit of diversity. Some have yellow, daisy-like centers and others are flatter and fuller with no center. These varieties tend to have several smaller blooms on each stem and a soft, fresh green scent. Pair them with the willowy blooms of white alstroemeria and the silvery foliage of dusty miller for a smaller vase arrangement or centerpiece.

Few words are harder to say than “I’m sorry,” but those come more easily than the first tenuous steps towards mending a broken trust. Soften the path towards reconciliation with the simple blooms of the white chrysanthemum.

5 Best Flowers for a Best Friend’s Birthday

“A single rose can be my garden, a single friend, my world”- Leo Buscaglia

Few things in life are as singularly pleasing as the love and companionship of a true friend. The opportunities to let them know how much you value them come at least once a year on their birthdays when you can let the language of flowers tell them just how much you appreciate having them in your life. The following five flowers are ways to say “thank you for your friendship” in the Victorian language of floriography.

Pink RosesRose
If you only give a single flower to express your friendship, make it a pink rose. With a wide ranging color spectrum to choose from, you’ll be sure to find the perfect match for your BFF. Deep fuchsias to pretty in pink pastels make it a lovely solitary flower wrapped together with greens or mixed with a variety of other hues of roses in a small vase. Pleasant-smelling and easy on the eye, these flowers are the perfect pick for a friend’s birthday.

IvyIvy
Whether used as a green along with other flowers or trellised on a wire in a pot, ivy is a fabulous way to thank a friend for always being there. The glossy-leafed, vining ivy plant is a symbol of fidelity in many cultures and is a lovely houseplant that is very easy to grow. Send it over with a sweet card and a bow to remind your friend that you value what they bring to your life.

ChrysanthemumThanksgiving flowers
Available all year round in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, the mum is a sunny, sunflower-relative that will add cheer and gaiety to a birthday arrangement. Consider the daisy-like varieties with a yellow center or the larger Fuji mums for a bit of flare.

Yellow TulipTulip
Tulips are the perfect springtime flower, and their popularity has helped ensure that they are now usually available year round and in a variety of colors. Yellow tulips send the message “thank you for being a friend” and will let your BFF know they are golden in your books.

ZinniaZinnia
When we are young, our friends are neighbors who live down the street, but as we grow older, our lives are such that our BFF’s may live several time zones away. The bright and beautiful zinnia is the perfect flower to send friends in absentia to let them know you still think of them out their birthday.

Pick a World Class Flower for your World Cup Party

Whether you call it soccer or football, it’s hard not to score big with the football mum at your next World Cup watching party. If you only get the chance to celebrate your favorite teams once every four years, make it special by adding a centerpiece that’s worthy of your starting line-up using this unusual type of chrysanthemum. Colorful, large, festive and sturdy, these blooms will look fresh until long after the semi-finals and add cheer to the room whether your team wins or not.

Football mums are a cultivar of chrysanthemum that look like they’re on steroids. Over 4 to 6 inches in diameter, these beauties have been bred for size. Historically, the origin of the mum is China, but they were brought to the West in the 17th century and selectively hybridized for color and size. In America, the fall-blooming mum took on special meaning as a Homecoming flower in the early 20th century and began to be thought of as a good-luck charm when worn to sports games. While this meaning is more commonly associated with passing around the pigskin, there’s no reason not to include it in your soccer celebrations this year as teams from around the world meet to play a little footy.

Compared to your typical garden mum, the football mum is in a league of its own. Not only larger in size, this flower has lots more petals that curve out and then inward, giving it a globe-like appearance. Towards the center, the petals are closely spaced while the petals towards the outside open up and flatten out a bit. Most are a solid color, but there are some varieties that have petals that are a different shade on the bottom than on the top, giving them a more dynamic appearance that is sure to score a goal with your guests.

One of the best reasons to include the football mum at your World Cup celebration is the variety of colors it comes in. White, red and green ones are available if you are cheering for the Italian team or the bright orange ones that perfectly match the jerseys from the Netherlands. In fact, the only color they don’t come in is blue- so you’ll just have to find yourself a blue vase.

Football mums are easy to grow in the garden and are available all year round from your local florist, so pick some up today and score points with these awesome flowers!

6 Summertime Flowers that can Handle the Heat

Some summer days can really sizzle, cooking fresh cut flowers to a handful of wilted greens, but with all the lovely stems available when the weather is warm, summer is a great time to buy flowers. Choosing the right stems for when temperatures flare can be a challenge now that flowers can be flown in from around the world no matter what the season. Whether you are looking for the perfect bloom for a June wedding, a July birthday, or an August anniversary, these 6 stems will look fresh and fabulous on even the most sweltering days of summer.

Orchids
Their delicate petals may make them look fragile, but their tropical origins make many members of this diverse group of blooms hardy on the hottest of days. The mokara, dendrobium and cymbidium orchids come in a wide variety of colors and sizes and stay cool in even the muggiest of days. Keep them moist and they’ll keep their petals held high all day long as a corsage, boutonniere or vase arrangement.

Zinnias
Summer-bloomers, the vibrant petals of this large bloom are cheerful and have a certain wildflower look. Mix them in a bouquet with sweet peas and lilies and their sturdy stems will help hold these daintier flowers upright all day. Orange, yellow, pink and red, a mix of colorful zinnias looks like fireworks for your Fourth of July picnic. Put them in a mason jar for centerpieces at a wedding for a natural, outdoorsy look or pin one behind your ear for a festive night out.

Chrysanthemum
Technically a fall flower, this autumn bloomer is available year round and will look fresh any time of year. One of the most versatile of flowers, this sunflower family member is also one of the most affordable at your local florist. With every color of the rainbow (except blue), you can find a mum to match just about anything.

Gladiola
These long, strong, summer stems are gorgeous in a vase and will last for many days, no matter what the temperature. A natural pick for summer, these blooms open up along a stem that can reach over 3 feet and can come in vibrant shades of red, pink and even green. They look outstanding in a tall, glass vase in a solid color, or mixed together with a variety of colors for a festive feel.

Roses
Forget what you’ve heard about the tenderness of roses- these blooms were made for long, hot nights. While it is true that roses last longer in cooler temperatures, most will put up with a day or two of sizzling temps if you pick them fresh. Avoid white ones, which can sometimes brown when it’s steamy outside, and pick a deep, buttery yellow or hot pink one, which smells best carried on the breeze of a hot summer night.

Delightful Daisies: Many Kinds Mean Many Meanings

common daisyThere are two types of daisy flowers, though you’ll only commonly find one of them in a florist, or in a flower bouquet or arrangement. The daisy you’ll find most often in nature, though rarely in the florist, is the Common Daisy, also known as the Lawn Daisy or sometimes English Daisy. This daisy flower is native to much of Europe, though now widely naturalised to the Americas as well. Your British author remembers as a young child making daisy chains out of the small daisies growing on our lawn, and maybe you remember doing something similar too. The name daisy is thought to be a corruption of “day’s eye“, because the whole daisy head closes up at night, opening again with the morning sun.

safflowerThe Common Daisy is perhaps the archetypal daisy, the one that comes first to mind whenever we think of a daisy flower, but it is only one member of the Asteraceae family (also known also as the aster, daisy, or sunflower family), the second largest family of flowering plants in the plant kingdom, with approximately 23,000 recognized species. In your daily life, you’ll see many members of the aster family, including lettuce, chicory, globe and Jerusalem artichokes, sunflower and safflower, chamomile, calendula, echinacea and tarragon. Dandelions are a member of the aster family too.

Many members of the aster family are grown as ornamental plants and some, for example the sunflower and goldenrod, are grown as “honey plants” for beekeepers, or for those who like to attract bees to their gardens. And many of the aster family – and this is why you’re on this site to begin with, I’m sure – are grown for their beauty as cut flowers. Some examples of the common aster family flowers are below, along with the most common meanings. Generally, daisies mean innocence and purity, loyal or all-conquering love, or “I’ll never tell”. For more detail, click on the name of the flower in the left column to learn more about it and its specific meanings.

Chrysanthemum Cheerfulness, optimism, rest, truth, long life, joy
Gerbera Beauty and innocence
Calendula Joy
Dahlia Dignity and good taste, forever
Zinnia Thoughts of absent friends, lasting friendship and affection, thinking of you

Which Cut Flowers Last The Longest?

Which cut flowers last the longest, and how can you prevent cut flowers wilting and fading? If you’re looking for cut flowers that keep the longest, along with some tips and tricks for how to get the best out of your blooms, read on.

The three most popular cut flowers in the United States for the last several years have been roses, carnations and chrysanthemums. How do these favorites fare for longevity?

  • pink rose, which cut flowers last the longestFresh roses have a vase life of 7 to 10 days, if you keep them in cool water. Here’s a tip if you need them to bloom open in time for an occasion: if you buy them from a florist, gently squeeze the bud. If there’s lots of give, don’t buy it. You want firm, tight buds. If you need to have them bloom quickly, put them in slightly warmed water when you get them home.
  • carnations pink, meaning of flowers, keeping cut flowers alive longer, long-lasting cut flowersCarnations can last for between two and three weeks. Remove foliage below the water level, and keep what foliage remains out of direct sunlight. To encourage them to last a little longer, you can ruffle your fingers through the petals.
  • chrysanthemum purple, language of flowers, long-lasting flowersChrysanthemums can last as long as a month, but you have to keep the water clean (they’re quite susceptible to water-borne bacteria, while will have them fade and wilt pretty quickly if you’re not on top of it.) Some find that gently scraping the bottom inch or two of the stem helps with water uptake, helping to keep the blooms fresher.

Orchids are long-lasting, as long as you follow the usual basic care for all cut flowers (every day or two, trim the stems and change the water). You should expect about three weeks life for a fresh orchid. The gladiolas has a vase life of about two weeks, which you can extend a little by thinning out the fading blooms. Another popular flower with a good life span is the lily, which has a vase life of about two weeks. You can extend this if you remove the pollen as the blooms open – this also prevents staining. As the first set of lily blooms fade and brown, pinch them off to encourage the second set to blossom.

You can read our other flower keeping tips which will help you take care of your cut flowers, ensuring that you get enjoyment for the maximum duration, with only minimal effort.

Fun Flowers and Plants for St. Patrick's Day

Choose the Right Flowers for St. Patrick’s Day

Green is the color of St. Patrick’s Day, and the green shamrock has been worn since the 17th Century in celebration of the day. It is said that during St. Patrick’s life, in the 5th Century, he used the three-leaved shamrock to teach the Christian trinity to the pre-Christian Pagan and polytheistic Irish.

From quiet beginnings as a religious holiday, St. Patrick’s Day has become a world-wide celebration of all things Irish, with its observance increasing in line with the increasing influence of Ireland as an economy, and recognition of Ireland’s culture and that it is a vibrant and historic country, with a long and rich heritage. The diaspora of Irish citizens, from the 18th Century on, has led to as many as 80 million people around the world who claim Irish descent, 45 million in the United States alone. So there’s a ready global population who’ll be celebrating, in one way or another, on March 17th.

What flowers would be most appropriate to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? If you want to stay with the dual themes of green and Ireland, you could pick some of the flowers that are grown in Ireland:

  • Easter Lilies, Amaryllis and Lilies bloom in a wide variety of colors, on top of rich dark green stem and leaves
  • rose greenRoses bloom in a wide range of colors too; there’s even a green variety (Rosa chinensis ‘Viridiflora”), that’s difficult to find. Not only are they difficult to find in a florist; the rose flower is a delicate apple color, and can sometimes be camouflaged by the surrounding foliage.
  • chrysanthemum greenChrysanthemums can also be found in a delightful lime green color, though you may have to shop around for them, or purchase them online. You should check to see if they’re grown green (through hybridization), dyed (which usually means sprayed with a green dye), or tinted (which usually means placed in green-colored water, which gets soaked up through the stem.

Note: Our recommended online florist offers a “basket of dreams” floral arrangement that is a study in green of St. Patrick’s Day flowers. Same day delivery too.

  • bells of irelandThe shell flower, or Molucca Balm, is also known as Bells of Ireland, and though native to Western Asia also grows in Ireland. It is a striking and dramatic plant, growing up to 3 feet tall, with small white or pink flowers, very fragrant, almost hidden by the large green bell-shaped leaves. Alone or in an arrangement, Bells of Ireland would surely make an impression.

Our favorite florist sells a bouquet with lots of greenery that includes Bells of Ireland.

cymbidium orchid greenTo bouquets or arrangements including these flowers you can also add other, maybe seasonal flowers that accentuate any blooms. Picking different shape blossoms, or supporting colors will add visual interest to the arrangement, and leaving on more greenery than usual, in the form of stems or foliage, will help to accentuate the green theme for which you’re going. Of course, you can also consider a basket of green plants, rather than cut flowers. And one final alternative is to find a glorious, elegant orchid; the cymbidium orchid, often used as wedding flowers, comes in a variety of greens, from pale to a rich, dark, grass color.

Whatever your flower choice for this coming St. Patrick’s Day, celebrate safely and in style, enjoying good craic. Sláinte mhaith!

Funeral Flowers: How to Express Sympathy, Send Condolences and Offer Solace

The hurt and pain of losing a loved one often has friends and family of the bereaved not knowing how to act or what to say; sometimes even being present doesn’t seem to help – as sensitive as you try to be, you may say the wrong thing, and nothing seems to help ease the suffering of the bereaved. Even the truest and most supportive friend may find themselves in this position. Most peoples around the world use funeral flowers to express sympathy for the bereaved and for those grieving. Flowers add beauty to a service or visitation, and offer comfort, solace and a measure of peace and hope to those who were close to the deceased.

funeral flowers, sympathy flowers, bereavement flowersIn advance of the visitation you can send flowers to the funeral home, mortuary, or place of worship; sprays, wreaths or casket sprays are appropriate here. Be sensitive to the religion of the deceased; most religions accept flowers as part of the funeral tradition, though Mormon funerals do not accept crosses. Followers of Judaism receive flowers at the home of a close family member, after the funeral, never before (since they serve as a reminder of the life recently lost.) Orthodox Jews and Muslims may not welcome flowers at all. Hindu funerals don’t include flowers (though they’re welcome as a symbol of love and concern.) Buddhists do not appreciate red flowers, but other colors are welcome. To be safe, ask a family member or person arranging the funeral what’s the most appropriate action here.

funeral flowers, sympathy flowers, bereavement flowersA spray, sometimes called a standing spray, is a floral arrangement that’s usually placed on an easel, and is designed in such a way as to be viewed from one side only. A wide variety of flowers is appropriate for sprays and wreaths; from light colored traditional flowers that symbolize peace (for example lilies) , to bright colors and contemporary flowers. Standing sprays often celebrate a life of accomplishment, and wreaths signify eternal life; choosing flowers and colors, perhaps arranged in a shape meaningful to the deceased, is an ideal way to give thanks for the life of the departed. Also appropriate for the funeral home or mortuary is a traditional arrangement, often in a basket or a vase. Flowers from the visitation will be transported to the memorial service or grave site, so please, please, please, ensure your arrangement arrives at the mortuary or funeral home well in advance of the service. If your arrangement won’t arrive in time for the first visitation, arrange for it to be sent directly to the memorial service.

If sending flowers for the service itself, always send them so they arrive in time, so they don’t inconvenience. These arrangements can also include the favorite flowers of the deceased, in their favorite color if available. Larger flowers are often preferred for floral arrangements at the service; these may include roses, Orientals, tulips, stock, chrysanthemums, carnations, lilies, and gladiolas. Casket sprays are traditionally provided by the closest family members.

peace lily, funeral flowers, sympathy flowers, bereavement flowersAfter the service you may want to send flowers in a basket or vase, or another floral gift, to the home or office of the bereaved. A popular gift at this time is a flowering plant, which will last longer than a floral arrangement, and offer peace and solace to the bereaved for longer. A peace lily would be appropriate here as a sympathy plant. Whatever flowers you send, they’re sure to give comfort and solace, and offer emotional support to the bereaved, especially when coupled with a written message expressing your heartfelt condolences.

Our favorite online florist sells some graceful sympathy flowers, including a graceful floral tribute arrangement and a comforting peace lily in a basket. They offer same day delivery in the US and Canada.

November Flowers

chrysanthemum, birth month flower november, chrysanthThe birth month flower for November is the chrysanthemum, a flower with 3500 years of history. Around 1500 BC the chrysanthemum was being cultivated in China, and from here it has become one of the most recognized flowers around the world, carrying many different meanings.

chrysanthemum pink, meaning of flowersFrom its first cultivation in China as a flowering herb, the chrysanthemum was introduced to Japan around the 8th Century AD, where a stylized version of the flower is used to this day as the Imperial Seal; the chrysanthemum also gives its name to the throne (the physical throne as well as the virtual throne of the monarchy and the head of state.) After the chrysanthemum was brought to Europe, around the 17th Century, the great botanist Carl Linnaeus named it after the Greek words for golden (the native, natural color) and flower; nowadays, after centuries of cultivation and hybridization, chrysanthemums grow in a variety of shapes, and come in a wide range of colors, from white, through yellow, to red and purple.

chrysanthemum purple, language of flowers, november birth month flowersMums (a common abbreviation) have a long culinary as well as decorative history. In China, white or yellow flowers are boiled to make a sweet tea, often used medicinally as a restorative. The leaves are often used in many Asian cuisines, boiled or steamed, and often added to soups and stews. A favorite dish of this (British, but now US-resident) author is hae-mul-tang, a spicy Korean stew of assorted seafood to which chrysanthemum leaves are added just before serving. Delicious!

The general flower meaning for the chrysanthemum is one of optimism, and great happiness or joy. There are also specific meanings associated with some colors:

Red : love
White : truth, or loyal love (but see note below)
Yellow : slighted or spurned love

chrysanthemum, november flowers, birth month flowersWhite chrysanthemums have a meaning which changes as you change culture and country. In the US, white mums mean truth or loyalty. This is not the case in several European countries, where they are symbols of bereavement and will only be found at funerals and grave sites (this is true in France, Italy, some Balkan states, and Poland, for example.) Similarly, many East Asian cultures (for example, China, Japan and Korea) these flowers symbolize grief and sorrow.

November flowers are available in a “basket of dreams” arrangement from our recommended online florist; this arrangement includes green spider chrysanthemums that really set the fall scene.

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