Staying Green in the Wholesale Flower Industry
As stated in the latest issue of the SAF (Society of American Florists) publication Floral Management, the Green movement in the wholesale flower industry is alive and well. The Florverde® certification for the Columbian flower industry is more than 12 years old. With...
From Russia with Love?
In the Northeast, we enjoy four distinct seasons. I try to take in the individual beauty of each season, and to fully appreciate the wonderful changes happening around me. I find that I dress, decorate, and even cook seasonally. Certain flowers call out to me at...
Really Wild Flowers
Our family owns a vacation home in the Catskill Mountains. We love our summer treks to “The Cabin”, where we all enjoy the blissful peace and solitude found in this place. While some of us enjoy swimming, fishing, and catching snakes (especially our son!), I...
Weed-Whacking Calla Lilies
Crazy as it may seem to Americans, the Calla Lily is considered a weed in many of the African countries where it originated. Also known as the Pig Lily in South Africa, it grows in large clumps and must be cleared before construction projects can begin. Grown from a...
The Peony Alternative
So you are getting married in September and have decided you are having peonies on all the tables and for your bridal bouquet - completely without the consent of the peonies... a slight problem as recently discussed in Pursuing the Peony. But panic not - for there is...
Pursuing the Peony
One of the most sought-after flowers for weddings, the spectacular peony causes nervousness for many the bride and their flower arrangers. The huge, long-lasting blooms come in dozens of shades of pink, red and white and make stunning bridal bouquets and...
More About Color in Fresh Flower Bouquets and Arrangements
We had a post not too long ago about “Hue”, which is what most of us mean when we say “color”: red, blue, purple, yellow, etc. (Have a look at the Blooms By The Box Flower Color Wheel!) You can combine different colors to really swing the mood of your arrangements...
The Gladiolus makes a Comeback
I was recently in a discount cosmetics store with my 15 year old daughter. We purchased a number of things including an old fragrance that was one of my grandmother’s (and probably yours) favorites. The saleslady looked at us in a funny way and asked for whom were we...
Very Cool Color Tool For Flower Arranging!
OK, this really wasn't meant for flowers. But it's fun...if you like this sort of thing. 🙂 (I do!) Found this really cool toy on WebsiteTips.com. Clearly, meant for web work (!). But I do that too, and really, at the end of the day, a palette's-a-palette's... right?...
The Art of Cut Flower Speculation
When you think about it, how many products do you buy that are guaranteed to become worthless in a week or two? Sure that steak you bought needs to be eaten soon - but you could freeze it. And yes, Christmas trees are not too valuable on December 26 th - but that only...
Handling Spiders
When I used to think of Spider Mums, I always used to think of my Mom’s 1961 wedding bouquet. It looked pretty, but sort of “dated”, and caused me to never once use Spider Mums in any flower arrangements! While I was walking recently through the floral department at...
Designing Fresh Flower Arrangements: Working the Flower Color Wheel
One of the first things that come to mind when planning flower arrangements or bouquets is the COLOR. It’s one of the fundamental elements of any type of design, as important as Form (shape of the flowers and the overall arrangement) and Texture (from smooth and sleek...
Fundraising with Flowers
Carnations and roses are the most popular fundraising flower. Carnations are very inexpensive, easy to work with, and are last a week or more. They come in a variety of colors with red, white and pink being the most popular for fundraising. They can be purchased in...
The Persnickety Hydrangea
One of the BEST selling and most popular flowers for wedding arrangements, the hydrangea has many fine characteristics. They are grown in hot houses and are thus available year-round. Hydrangea come in three or more sizes from mini to jumbo. They are available...