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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. Continue reading [...]
Gilded Foliage makes Sensational Seasonal Accents
All that glitters is not gold, but it's certainly easy to add a bit of golden sparkles to your flower arrangements this winter. Aside from the glimmer and cheer a bit of gilded leaves will add to vases, garlands and wreaths, a simple can of florist's spray paint can add glitz to everything from pine cones to plain, plastic containers- transforming your home into a shining example of the holiday spirit. During the winter months, florist may have several different greens that have been gilded in gold or glitter available to add to any arrangement. If not, one small can of gold or silver floral spray paint (available at craft stores and some florists) is easy to apply and fun to use. Here are some tips for adding a bit of the Midas' touch to your holiday decor. Continue reading [...]
Kiss the Night Away Under Fresh Mistletoe
A symbol of the season, mistletoe is the iconic plant of Yuletide affection. Tied with a ribbon and hung above a door or threshold, tradition holds that lovers (or those who time their entrances wisely) smooch under the sprigs of mistletoe hung there. While this might make the plant a favorite for paramours, it is actually a slightly poisonous, parasitic plant that sucks the sap from trees in which it grows. How then did this leeching evergreen find its way down from the boughs of host trees an into the lore of Christmastime lovers? Continue reading [...]
Impress the In-Laws with Ivy
Few first impressions will ever be as important as the first time you meet the family you are marrying into. Whether you passed the interview with flying colors years ago or are meeting your potential in-laws for the first time this holiday season- come prepared. A plant is the perfect thing to bring if you are worried a bottle of wine might mark you as a boozer and a box of candy seems too trifling. Said to symbolize fidelity and tenacity in the language of flowers, ivy is a great choice for just this occasion. Long-lasting, steadfast and graceful in its growth, show your in-laws that you will be, too, with this potted plant that's sure to impress parents of a discerning nature. Continue reading [...]
3 Fantastic Foliage Options for Winter Flowers
Hothouse flowers grown in greenhouses around the world have made roses available in winter and tulips possible in fall, but the best part of fresh flowers can sometimes be bringing a bit of the season inside. For this reason, choosing flowers that are in season not only ensure they are at their freshest and most economical, but that they match the mood of the months as they go by. Like pages on a calender flipping by, the leaves around us grow, change colors and flutter to the ground each year. Choosing greens that reflect the season outside are a detail that is sometimes overlooked in flower arrangements, but can add so much to the decor when properly chosen and placed. Spring sprigs and lush summer leaves are easy to find, but choosing winter greens are not as much of a challenge as you may think. Here are three fabulous foliage choices for the coldest months of the year. Continue reading [...]
Heartwarming White Cyclamen for Winter’s Coldest Days
Winter came whalloping in this week for many parts of the country, covering fall-blooming flowers with snow and bringing down the temperatures to record-breaking lows. While the winter weather seemed a long time coming this year, with it comes the need to bring the outside in with a fresh bouquet or potted plant to remind us through the short, cold days and chilly nights that spring will come again. Consider the white cyclamen for a frigid day like today. Said to represent warmth in the Victorian language of flowers, its gracefully drooping white blooms and silver-streaked leaves will warm your heart and help you not mind being cooped up in the house on these chilly winter days. Continue reading [...]
Celebrate United Nations Day with a Peace Lily
Dedicated to world peace and the betterment of human society, the United Nations was created through a charter in 1945 and established on October 24th of 1948. Each year on this day, the anniversary is celebrated around the world in more than 100 member countries to mark the global organization's efforts toward mitigating poverty, hunger, conflict and other worldwide challenges. This year, send a message of solidarity with their humanitarian aims with a peace lily. Continue reading [...]
Send a Student off to College with a Colorful Croton Plant
As bags are being unpacked and books bought for the new semester, a splash of color in a drab dorm room or tiny apartment will bring a smile to your favorite college-bound kid's face and brighten up their academic year. The croton is the perfect houseplant for sending a student off to college and will be a welcome reminder of home. Easy to care for with cheerful, multicolored leaves, the croton will thrive in a sunny corner from orientation until finals week. Continue reading [...]
Ferns for a New Client
Before there were flowers or even bees and butterflies to pollinate them, ferns ruled the planet. A primordial plant that carpets the Earth to this day, ferns represent tenacity and abundance while filling a room with a lush sense of vivacity. Through twists and turns of evolutionary adaptations, ferns have feathered the world's biomes for more than a 100 million years and have diverged into more than 12,000 different species that inhabit 6 out of the 7 continents. Unlike lovely bouquets of flowers that bloom brightly and then fade, a potted fern shows a sense of longevity and stoicism without seaming stodgy. Show a new client that you and your company have staying power with the symbolic gift of one of these choice ferns. Continue reading [...]
DIY Dish Gardens are a Delightful Office Gift
Shopping for coworkers is never easy, but promotions, retirements, new babies and get well soon's happen a lot in a busy office. One of the joys of giving plants or flowers is that there is not an occasion when they won't be received as a thoughtful and appreciated gift. Flowers dazzle and delight for the week or two they remain fresh, but why not pick up something for your colleague that the whole office can enjoy for many years to come with a few houseplants? Green, indoor plants not only add aesthetic value, they are also shown to reduce indoor air pollution by filtering toxins out of the ambient air during the process of photosynthesis. A mixture of several different kinds of houseplants together in a container is called a dish garden, and whether your office is bright and sunny or a little limited on windows, these do it yourself combination of houseplants are easy to put together and sure to please. Continue reading [...]
DIY Fairy Gardens with these Fabulous Plants
Add a bit of magic to your house or garden by creating your own miniature landscape for sprites, fairies, nymphs or other otherworldly creatures. Choosing plants that stay small while adding color and texture to a terrarium, container or dish is the key to putting together a garden any fairy would be proud to call home. Great gifts for a child's birthday or retirement party, these do-it-yourself tips will help you get started building your very own fairy garden. Continue reading [...]
Best Flowers for Getting Over a Breakup
Into each life, a little heartbreak must fall, so when it does, be ready with a vase of Proteas. Sometimes called Sugarbushes, these amazing tropical stems come in a wide variety of colors and shapes and are one of the most unique flowers on Earth. The tall blooms are wild and exotic looking and come in a wide range of colors, sizes and textures. Their diversity will remind you that, while there are many more fish in the sea, there's just one of you- and she deserves flowers. Continue reading [...]
The Right Flowers for a New Home
Between the boxes and heavy lifting, the joy of moving into a new home can sometimes be overwhelming, but a lush and lovely potted heather plant sitting on the counter will be a welcome new homeowners won't soon forget. This small, soft-textured shrub represents wishes that have come true and protection in the language of flowers, which for many people is exactly the feeling they get stepping over the threshold of a house that now belongs to them. While the list of things to unpack and organize might stress the new homeowners out, the thoughtful gift of a heather plant will make them even more happy to have just moved in. Continue reading [...]
Eucalyptus in Flower Bouquets
Eucalyptus is a favored addition to bouquets because they are beautiful and wonderfully fragrant. They are used in a variety of decor, and are prized by brides who are having rustic weddings, as the eucalyptus' shade of green offers a gorgeous vintage feel, and the scent has aroma therapeutic properties. The scent of eucalyptus is used for many purposes in aromatherapy, such as in saunas and hospital rooms for its antiseptic properties, and it is great for personal use to perk you up if you are tired. Continue reading [...]
Rainforest Flowers for Bouquets and Vases
Give yourself, a loved one, or a hostess an instant virtual trip to the islands with a lovely bouquet of rainforest flowers! Rainforest flowers make the perfect bon voyage centerpiece for someone going off to the tropics, as well! Continue reading [...]