Tip of the Week- Christmas Greens

The countdown to Christmas is on. I hope you are all getting your shopping done and decorations up in preparation for the season. This weeks post is going to be on Christmas Greenery. There are many different types of greens that are so fun this time of the year. The best thing about all Christmas greens is the fabulous aroma. It's like taking a walk through the woods.

There are many types of pine: Australian, Curly and our favorite Princess

Fir branches are the most traditional looking christmas green. It's the type that your christmas tree, wreaths and garlands are made from. Some varieties include Douglas and Noble.

Cedar has a great wispy quality that blends nicely with other christmas greens

We also need to give honorary mention to holly. It comes in plain green and the variegated variety. The red berries add to the overall feel of red and green that is so essential this time of year. Word of warning though it is extremely prickly!

Christmas greens are great in any holiday arrangement. They can be used in vased arrangements, centerpieces, designed to create shapes like trees, and made into wreaths. Add in flowers, ornaments, pinecones, candles and ribbon to create the best festive arrangements.

Don't forget to call today to order your holiday arrangements. Our expert florists are on hand to create the perfect arrangement to meet your needs.

Tip of the Week- Poinsettias

Hello all. We hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday last week. It's amazing that December is just a few days away! So for the next month our blog is going to focus on tips related to Christmas. This week's focus is on poinsettias.

The legend of the poinsettia is that a child was too poor to bring a gift to the Christ child. An angel told the child that the weeds it picked from the side of the road were an acceptable gift. As he presented the weeds to the infant child the weeds turned into the beautiful poinsettia.

Poinsettias are most commonly seen in red, but are being bred in an expanding range of colors. You can find poinsettias in pink, cream, white, marbled, pale green, and even orange.

Poinsettias can be pretty fickle. They like lots of sunlight and they like to stay warm, but not too warm, so keep them away from direct heat. They also don't fair well with really wet soil, so be careful not to over water.

Poinsettias are the perfect gift during this holiday season. They can brighten any home this holiday season. Don't forget to order yours today!!

Tip of the Week- Longest Lasting Flowers

Longest Lasting Flowers. Most people know that some flowers last longer than others. It is always nice to try to get the longest lasting flowers in order to get the biggest bang for your buck. It's important to remove any flowers or foliage that is wilted or dead from your arrangement as soon as possible in order to increase the longevity of all the remaining flowers. Listed below are some of the longer lasting flowers.

Carnations- Carns are some of the longest lasting flowers. They come in a large variety of colors and some even have a pleasant aroma. They also come in a mini variety with 3-5 blooms on a stem.

Alstromeria- Alstromeria are also referred to as Peruvian Lilies. They also come in a variety of colors and can last a long time.

Daisies or Chrysanthemums- Daisies and mums are fun casual flowers that add to any bouquet.

Lilies- Lilies can last a very long time, especially if you have multiple blooms on a stem. I had a bouquet of lilies last me for at least two weeks once. I trimmed off the dead blooms as needed and over the course of two weeks all of the other buds opened. Make sure you are following all care instructions.

Orchids- Orchids come in a wide variety of all shapes and sizes. They do tend to be a little pricier, but if they last longer it can be worth the extra cost.

Tropicals- Whether it's Birds of Paradise, Anthuriums, Protea, Pincushions, etc. All tropicals are fun and hardy. These also can be more costly, but so beautiful.

Sunflowers- Sunflowers are especially perfect this time of the year. They are so bright and sunny and work well in most fall combinations.

Greenery- Don't forget about greens. They are often underappreciated, but can sometimes last longer than a lot of flowers do.

The most important thing in making flowers last as long as possible is to follow all proper care instructions. See our blog post from several weeks ago for a full list of care instructions.

Don't forget that Thanksgiving is next week!! Make sure you don't forget to order a centerpiece for your holiday table.

Tip of the Week- Flower of the Month

Did you know that there is a flower for each month of the year? Well now you do! Here is a rundown of each month's flower.

January- Carnation or Snowdrop
February- Violet or Primrose
March- Daffodil
April- Sweet Pea or Daisy
May- Lily of the Valley
June- Rose or Honeysuckle
July- Larkspur or Water Lily
August- Gladiolus or Poppy
September- Aster or Morning Glory
October- Calendula or Cosmos
November- Chrysanthemum
December- Narcissus or Holly

Show off your new found knowledge by sending someone their birth flower for their birthday!

Tip of the Week- Color Meanings

Aren't you guys lucky, you get three weeks worth of tips in one day! As promised we'll show you the meanings of some of the most popular flowers. We chose to do these separately because the most popular flowers vary in meaning based on color.

Roses:

Red- love, passionate love, desire, respect

Pink- friendship, perfect happiness, grace, admiration, gratitude

Yellow- zealous, jealousy, friendship, joy, infidelity, apology, dying love

Orange- desire, passion, enthusiasm

White- purity, innocence, eternal love, virtue, humility

Peach- let's get together, closing the deal, desire

Lavendar- love at first sight, enchantment

Carnations:

Red- flashy, admiration, my heart aches for you, deep romantic love, passion

Pink- gratitude, i'll never forget you, a woman's love

Yellow- cheerful, rejection, you have disappointed me, disdain

White- remembrance, sweet and lovely, innocence, pure love, faithfulness, good luck

Purple- capriciousness, whimsical, changeable, unreliability, antipathy

Lilies:

Asiatic:

Yellow- I'm walking on air, false, happy

Orange- desire, passion, hatred and desdain, wealth, pride

White- virginity, purity, majesty, my first dream of love

Stargazers:

White- celebration, sympathy

Pink- ambition, wealth and prosperity

Tulips

Red- declaration of love, believe me, perfect love

Yellow- hopelessly in love, there's sunshine in your smile, cheerful thoughts

Pink- caring

White- forgiveness

Purple- royalty

While it's fun to learn the meanings of different colors, don't put too much credence in them. I wouldn't stop giving your special someone their favorite color of rose because it doesn't technically mean what you want it to mean. The important thing is for you to create your own special meanings with flowers.

Tip of the Week- Flower Meanings

So it hasn't been a week, but we have more tips that are ready to post, how exciting!

This week I thought we'd focus on something fun. Let's delve into the meaning of some flowers!

Daisy- represents innocence

Alstromeria- aspiring, friendship, devotion, wealth, prosperity and fortune

Snapdragon- deception, presumptuous, or gracious lady

Stock- promptness, lasting beauty, bonds of affection, symbol of a happy life and peaceful existence

Iris- inspiration, faith, hope, wisdom, valour, good news, cherished friendship. It's also symbolic of the rainbow and represents the eye of heaven.

Daffodil- chivalry, unrequited love, regard, respect

Hydrangea- perserverance, frigidness, heartlessness, vanity, thank you for understanding

Calla Lily- regal, majestic or magnificent beauty

As you can see some flowers have sweet meanings, while others can seem kind of harsh. The thing that all flowers have in common though is that they are beautiful. You will also notice that some of the most popular flowers are missing from this list. That's coming up next!

Tip of the Week- Flower Care

That's right! We are starting a new feature on our blog known as the tip of the week. Once a week we'll be posting various tips from plant care to wedding ideas and everything in-between.

This week's tips are on how to make your beautiful flowers last longer! There are so many things you can do, but here are a few suggestions.

1. Make sure you have a clean vase. Sometimes you receive flowers in a wrap or a box and it's up to you to arrange them. Starting with a clean vase will help prevent bacteria which can cause early wilting. If your flowers already come in a vase it's a good idea to occasionally take the flowers out and clean the vase.

2. Flowers receive their water supply through the end of their stems. Over time the bottom of the stem starts to seal itself up. Every couple of days take your flowers out of the water and give them a fresh trim. At an angle is best. Make sure you change the water when you're recutting the flowers so they get a fresh drink of nice clean water.

3. In most cases the flowers you receive from your local florist come with floral food already in the water, but you will need to change that water every couple of days. Since most people don't have a ready supply of floral food at their fingertips here are a couple homemade alternatives you can use. Sugar or soda are two good options. Also adding a small amount of bleach can also help prevent bacteria, just make sure you don't use too much.

4. Keep your floral arrangement away from extreme conditions. Placing your flowers in a position where heat or cold is blowing directly on them can cause rapid wilting. Taking the time to place them in a cooler environment while you're sleeping can also extend their life. If your refrigerater isn't big enough to hold your flowers try a basement or any other cooler room in your house. Just make sure it isn't below 40 degrees so your flowers don't freeze.

5. Another way to enjoy your flowers longer is to request flowers that aren't bloomed yet. Lilies are a great example of a flower that will keep on giving as each bud eventually opens. Make sure you remove any dead flowers from the arrangement as soon as possible because they emit a gas that will cause your other flowers to wilt faster.

We hope these tips help to improve the life of your flowers and look forward to seeing you in soon!