Ask the Expert: I have been told that color blocking for flowers is an excellent way to
display assortment of flower please reply   Tari Hendrie

Tari,

Color blocking is an excellent flower display strategy. It is especially helpful when you are creating venues in your store. Color blocking is a technique in which a mass quantity of color is used to create a dramatic or eye catching effect. This is a creative, yet simple, way to display cut fresh flowers, blooming plants or bedding plants. It is, also, a flexible and versatile way to display an assortment of flowers. You can create beautiful flower displays by grouping flowers of the same color with different size blooms and textures. The intense concentration of color will draw attention to the flowers while the assorted textures will create depth and interest. Grouping buckets of gerberas, gladiolus, roses and lilies (all some shade of orange) around a grouping of cobalt blue vases or glazed pottery will create a display that will draw the customers to, both, the flowers and the containers.

Another form of color blocking is to create a display of color bands. This involves using multiple flower color groupings side by side; grouping either complimentary or contrasting colors together depending on the effect you desire. While giving them a “wow” factor that entices them to select more flowers, this type of flower display shows customers how colors relate to each other.

Ask the Expert: orchid question

I am helping a friend with her wedding flowers. She wants to have phalaeonpsis orchids in a cascade bouquet. If I make a cascade bouquet and have to wire in some flowers (they would have no water source) how long can she expect them to last. She needs to have it made on a Friday to transport 1 1/2 hours to another town. Then the wedding is not until 4:00pm Saturday. Will the bouquet hold up for this amount of time? Thanks! Shellie

Shellie,

With the time and transportation issues, I would not take a chance on using Phalaenopsis orchids without a water source. However, there maybe one or two solutions to your problem. You can soak chenelle stems (pipe cleaners) in water and insert them in the Read the rest of Cascading Orchid Bouquet - Designing Without A Water Source »

Ask the Expert: My Bamboo seems to have this white powdery stuff at the base of the leaves (and stalk). I wash it off but it just comes back. What could it be? Should I discard this entire plant? Cynthia

Cynthia,

Could the powdery substance be more of a sticky cottony substance? There is an insect called Cottony Cushion Scale that can effect lucky bamboo. Although it doesn’t look like a typical insect, it is an insect with a complete life cycle. Since it has more than one phase to its life cycle, you may be eliminating only the adults; thus causing a “re-occurrence”. You will need to clean, both, the container and the lucky bamboo. Use soapy water to clean the container and any pebbles or rocks. Rinse the container throughly. Take a wet soapy rag and wipe the lucky bamboo stalk from top to bottom; then take a clean wet rag and wipe the lucky bamboo again. Place the lucky bamboo back in the container and fill with distilled water. This process should remove the eggs and the adults, therefore stopping any re-occurrence issues. If you have a particularly difficult infestation of cottony scale, you may need to use insecticidal soap. Best of luck.

Ask the Expert: I have had a Lucky Bamboo plant on my desk at work for about 4 years. It is now 5 feet tall. Can I trim the Bamboo without killing the plant? It has
certainly been a conversation piece. Thank you in advance. Renee

Renee,

You can trim your lucky bamboo and create new stalks in the process. You will need some rooting hormone from your local garden center. Begin by deciding how tall you want your lucky bamboo to be then find a node around that height. Nodes are the raised rings on the stalk. Cut the stalk about an inch above the node. New growth will appear from the cut in a few weeks - after a couple of days later start misting your stalks lightly every couple of days to encourage the new growth. Don’t fertilize for a couple of weeks.

Now you will have a lucky bamboo stalk that has no roots. Dip the cut end of this piece of lucky bamboo in rooting hormone and let dry over night. Place the unrooted stalks in water and patiently wait for the roots to form. In no time, you will have new lucky bamboo stalks. Don’t Fertilize until roots are well established.

You might want to take time to read the Caring For Lucky Bamboo Plants newsletter or our Caring For Lucky Bamboo - Dracaena sanderiana Tips.

Back in December, Central Square News (the Central Square Florist blog) addressed the issue of “In Lieu of Flowers” concerning funeral flowers. It seems the question concerning the appropriateness of sending sympathy flowers surfaces over and over again. The 2003 Flower Shop Network newsletter – In Lieu of Flowers addressed the importance of flowers in the bereavement process. In fact, there have been many studies that prove the importance of flowers during times of emotional stress. But, I realized that the reason this question comes up, time and time again, is that people are uncomfortable with funerals and don’t want to make any mistake when it comes to showing their sympathy and support.

Understanding some of the terminology used in obituaries can help elevate some of the questions people have concerning funerals and what is appropriate. As Central Square Florist explains the term “in lieu of flowers” gives you the option of sending a donation instead of flowers – it is acceptable to give both, flowers and a donation. This phrase, however, does not state that the family does not want flowers. If flowers are not wanted at the service, the term “please omit” will be used.

Flowers are one of the most thought ways to express your sympathy, but ordering funeral flowers can be a frightening experience for some. Not all families deal with funerals the same way. When I was growing up, my parents didn’t believe that children should be exposed to funerals. As a result, I was unprepared the first time I needed to send flowers to a funeral. I was in college and a friend was killed in a car accident. I remember calling the local florist shop; I rambled on about needing flowers, not knowing what was appropriate or what information the florist needed; luckily the florist was very patient – walking me through all the steps and making suggestions. It would have been helpful to have some kind of guide.

As always, Flower Shop Network tries to give it’s reader pertained information about anything concerning flowers. In fact, the FSN Funeral Flower Etiquette newsletter discusses everything from the types of funeral flowers to the appropriateness of sympathy flowers based on culture. Although the newsletter is very helpful, I found that InLieuOfFlowers.info had a couple of really neat tribute guides. The Tribute Preference by State lists five types of floral sympathy categories (baskets - sprays - arrangements - wreaths, hearts & crosses - green and blooming plants) and then lists the categories in order of frequencies for each state. The Tribute Guide by Relationship lists the type of floral piece and which is appropriate to send by relationship.

So although “In Lieu of Flowers” is an option when you need to convey your sympathy remember it doesn’t mean no flowers. Flowers truly touch the heart and give comfort, so don’t be afraid to send flowers. If you are unsure of what kind of funeral flowers to send,

Talk to a local florist, read the FSN newsletters or check out the sympathy guides at InLieuOfFlower.info. If you have funeral flower questions, I’m always here to answer them. Remember, the funeral flowers you send will give convey a message of comfort and support in a difficult and emotional time.

Once I was selected by the Nielsen rating group to log my TV habits. When they got my logbook I’m sure they thought – we have some weird weather fetish person here. Most of my entries included the weather channel. When you have a nursery and landscaping business, weather is your friend and enemy, knowing what the weather is doing 24hours a day is very important. We have the weather channel on all day long at the nursery; before we had cable at the nursery my father-in-law would call us every few hours with a weather update. So when I saw the report about the snow in the Northeast, I could really relate to the people in the story. One man in Smithfield, Rhode Island was concerned about his pine trees bending under the weight of the snow – we have to worry about the weight of snow on our greenhouses. Kids were having a blast sledding on the snow – the guys at the nursery love to have snowball fights. But, a gentleman in Andover, Massachusetts made the comment that hit home with me; he said, “I’m tied of the snow – enough is enough – I’m ready for summer”. Winter, despite its glistening beauty when it snows, is usually a gloomy season in which everyone longs for warm sunny days

When I start to get the winter blues, I spend the whole day in the greenhouse working with the green plants and colorful flowers that we are growing for the spring season. Instead of exhaustion at the end of the day, I am energized and excited. This feeling of euphoria gave me an idea a couple of years ago. My mother absolutely hates winter and gets the winter blues easily. So, I started sending her flowers when I noticed the winter blues creeping up on her. Since I began this experiment, I’ve noticed my mother doesn’t seem to mind winter, quite as much. I would love to take credit for curing the winter blues with flowers, but using flowers to stimulate happiness isn’t my invention. Over the decades, many studies have proven that Flowers = Happiness. You can ask any flower delivery driver - when you deliver the flowers what is the expression on the face of the recipient? – and the driver will reply, a smile.

So, what does sending a flower bouquet have to do with the weather across the nation? The weather - along with a multitude of other things - is causing a winter blues epidemic. What the nation needs right now is a positive attitude and a feeling of happiness. Maybe if everyone across the nation sends flowers to someone else this winter, we can stop the epidemic from spreading and create a feeling of euphoria. Or if you feel like the man in Andover, call your local florist and give yourself a little happiness by having flowers delivered to your home or office.

Here’s my effort to send some happiness your way

Ask the Expert: Why did my peace lily quit blooming? My peace lily is green and bushy and healthy but lately it has stopped blooming. The leaves are still a dark green and NOT turning yellow or black. New leaves continue to grow. I water it according to my moisture meter and I distilled water. Is there a problem or is just resting through winter? Susan

Ask the Expert: Where can I find a flower related to each month? Betty

Betty,

Here are a list of birth month flowers.

• January - carnations or snowdrops
• February - violets or primrose
• March - jonquil - daffodils - narcissus
• April - sweet pea or daisy - gerbera daisy
• May - Lily of the Valley
• June - rose
• July - larkspur - delphinum
• August - gladiolus or poppy
• September - aster or morning glory
• October - marigold - calendula
• November - Chrysanthemum
• December - Paper white narcissus or poinsettia

There are, also, flowers associated with the astrological months. Let me know if you want a list of those as well. I have attached some picture of particular birth month flowers.

Carnations

Daffodils
Gerbera daisy

Rose

Gladiolus

Aster

Chrysanthemum

Poinsettia

I know the Northeast Floral Expo is over a month away, but Flower Shop Network is buzzing with preparations for their journey to Hartford, Connecticut. One of the top florist trade shows, the Northeast Floral Expo will be held February 29^th thru March 2^nd.

After a long and hectic Valentine’s Day, this florist trade show is a refreshing change of pace. Florists, from over 15 states, will be inspired and educated by an array of international designers during the four design show sessions. Many fantastic learning opportunities are available for florists at the expo. Florists can learn the fundamentals of creating excellence, both in design and in their day-to-day operations, at the business clinics and workshops. Valuable how-to-tips are demonstrated right on the Trade Fair floor and free to all attendees. These how-to demonstrations are interesting as well as educational. The spectacular displays at the Trade Fair will introduce florists to incredible new products and ideas. In fact, Flower Shop Network has one of the most popular booths at the Northeast Floral Expo.

Great information and products aren’t the only thing in store for florists attending the Expo. Local Connecticut florists and Southern New England florists can display their flower arrangements. Connecticut Florists Association members can participate in a floral design competition. The 2008 CFA Floral Design Competition will have two divisions. The first division is open to any beginner to semi-experienced CFA member. The second is the “best of the best” competition. Previous winners of the state competition will via for the title of Floral Designer of the Year 2008. Probably, the most exciting aspect of the Northeast Floral Expo is the opportunity to network with other florists at one of the workshops, competitions, on the Trade Fair floor or at the banquet.

The Flower Shop Network Sales Co-coordinators are looking forward to meeting up with old friends and excited about meeting new ones. So mark you calendar – that’s February 29^th through March 2^nd – We hope to see you there.

For non-florists the Northeast Floral Expo is sharing the Connecticut Convention Center with the Connecticut Home & Remodeling Show. Florists attending the Expo receive a pass for the Home Show - in return the Home Show attendees are invited to the state floral design competition and the local floral displays at the expo.

Ask the Expert: Lucky Bamboo Spirals

I just purchased two stalks with lovely matching spirals below their leaves. How do I create these spirals again when I cut the tall stalks and want to start a new plant?  Betty