Fiddling with the zodiac signs to create an awesome gift idea can be loads of fun. I have several special occasions to celebrate in August so gift ideas run short as July winds to a close. Thankfully for all, my father has reached the age where it is forbidden for another year to mention his fifty-something birthday. The good people in my family still like to make everyone feel special on their birthday so we tend to sneak-attack him with a gift that he can’t refuse; all the while chocking it up to a random present or involving my family in the celebration of my anniversary (also the 28th).

I struggle to find a flower arrangement that will satisfy the rugged tastes of the men in my life but the brilliant thing about fathers is that it truly is the thought that counts. For many years my father would send a single carnation to my sister and me on Valentines Day. Because of this, last year I sent him a single carnation along with his favorite John Wayne movie newly printed onto DVD. We’d both seen “El Dorado” at least one hundred times and a single flower is kind of boring alone. However, it was the understood memories of both that made Daddy forget the law against celebrating his birthday and enjoy the day with his family.

This year is a bit different. I’ve decided to do for Dad’s birthday what I did for my mother but with an extra special touch. I looked up the birth month flowers for August which are gladiolas and poppy. Not wanting to give poppy to my pappy this year, I asked my local florist if she could create a very manly arrangement using gladiolus as the focal flowers. This will be easy because the flower meanings of gladiolus are strength of character, sincerity and generosity. My father embodies these qualities better than most. Gladiolus are also the flower of the gladiators. Who doesn’t think of their father as the strongest man in the world?

Because my father loves certain war medals, I ebayed my heart out until I found the one that he talks about almost incessantly. My florist June and I have discussed a wonderful arrangement that includes his favorite medal amidst a batch of his birth month flowers. This year I’m absolutely certain that August will be a month of surprises and one that Dad will enjoy with us again. I’m hoping that he’ll forget the young-at-heart 50+ and become like a kid again when he sees his unique birthday gift.

When I think of houseplants that are easy to care for, simple for beginners to gardening, and rather enjoyable to behold, I count Mother-in-law’s Tongue among the tally. This starter houseplant is amazing! It is tolerant of slight neglect, only needs to be watered moderately, prefers partial shade but can survive in full Arkansas sun (the proof is in the picture), and grows quickly so that I have a beautiful plant to look upon for months at a time! Thankfully, I’ve discovered that you can also buy Mother-In-Law’s Tongue houseplants for nearly anyone because of just how simple it is to care for them!

I’ll admit it. I traded a green thumb for other talents. While I still contend that the powers that be have brilliantly gifted me with these, it does my heart no good to enjoy a home with pitiful-looking houseplants. For people like me who have had to earn our gardening merits, a really great basic is the Mother-In-Law’s Tongue houseplant. With the ability to produce beautiful white to cream-colored blooms next to the bold interweaving of light and dark green striped leaves, Mother-In-Law’s Tongue beautifully completes the décor of any home or garden.

Also known as Snake Plant or by its scientific name, Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii, Mother-In-Law’s Tongue delivers boldly striped beauty in a very proud fashion for homes needing a subtle dash of attitude in the home décor. Unfortunately, my house is filled to the brim with this type of confident charm and our houseplants need only add casual visual appeal. The good news for me is that Mother-In-Law’s Tongue houseplants can be stylish, subtle, casual, bold, decorated creatively, or used just to add color to a bland room. The sky, rather the ceiling I suppose, is the limit with Snake Plant houseplants.

My good friend Jamie Jamison Adams of the Ask The Expert blogs has proven that Mother-In-Law’s Tongue is also a very sustainable garden plant. Even better! Arkansas heat can sometimes feel like Calcutta in July only more humid. Though typically thriving in indirect light, Jamie’s Sansevieria plant accents her garden and has bloomed nicely in full sun and a healthy dose of Arkansas heat. While Jamie is an expert plant care provider, experienced gardeners, beginning gardeners and everyone in between should feel at ease with caring for Mother-In-Law’s Tongue plants. Busy lives seem only to be getting busier. For the busiest of us all, these plants are simple and hardly time-consuming, in other words, perfect houseplants!

Buy Sansevieria For Your Garden!

Flower Shop Network is always excited to receive positive feedback about our florist and flower shop friends. Sheila Fitzgerald, owner of Blooms in Omaha Nebraska, recently received some recognition from Floral Management magazine. Highlighting her quality leadership, growth in a challenging market, and innovative approach to business strategy, it is no wonder that I sat down the article and fought back the urge to plan a trip to Omaha.

In May of 2004 Ms. Fitzgerald moved from a career in military contracting to owning and operating Blooms. Despite large competition among Omaha, Nebraska florists, Ms. Fitzgerald and her team of nine employees have set themselves apart as one of the leading designers of quality fresh and silk flowers for corporate events, weddings and events and more. With 80 weddings on the books for 2008, an equally heavy corporate flowers demand, and on-site classes to educate customers about floral design, there is no stopping this powerhouse florist and her on-the-ball employees.

Partly responsible for the large growth of Blooms is the innovative approach to business strategy and leadership set up from the beginning by Ms. Fitzgerald who prides herself on having a quality over quantity outlook. Rather than focusing on large numbers of single-time customers, Ms. Fitzgerald caters to a niche market of visitors. The positive word-of-mouth generated from this level of attention and quality has garnered much respect and popularity for Blooms. And why shouldn’t it? When you take the time to treat every customer as a special guest and every special guest as royalty, desirability spreads like wildfire among the throngs of Nebraskans looking to brighten up their lives through flowers.

Flower Shop Network would like to congratulate Ms. Fitzgerald and her team on a job well done! Keep up the great work!

We’ve all been there. The beautiful terrarium gift from a friend resides on the mantle, the piano, a table, a shelf, or somewhere around the house but mostly because terrarium plant care is lost on us. Luckily for those of us with a less than green thumb, terrariums are very easy to care for. Terrariums thrive best with slight neglect, normal amounts of light, and almost no watering and fertilization. The easy care of terrariums make them wonderful gifts for houseplant beginners as well as experienced planters.

Plant care for terrariums is pretty simple. Leave it alone! Neglect it for a while! Terrariums tend to recycle their own moisture so it is essential not to over water the plants. Check the water level of the soil monthly and apply more water when the soil has become almost completely dry. Terrariums are self-contained for the most part because they live off of the moisture and nutrients already present. Therefore, replenishing the soil is rarely necessary but may be done from time to time by scraping off the top layer of soil and replacing with a fresh layer of well-draining potting soil. This will keep the appearance of the houseplants in royal order while maintaining a healthy plant. Care for terrariums by placing them in areas with a moderate amount of light but never direct sunlight. If you can read by the light, your terrarium plant can live off of it. Pruning your terrarium is also easy. Simply pinch off new plant growth for a bushier appearance once the plant has nearly reached its desired height. That’s it! It’s as simple as that.

There are several plants suitable for terrariums. Fittonia (Nerve Plant), Podocarpus (Buddhist Pine), Creeping Fig, Sinningia, Boxus (Boxwood), miniature African Violets, several small palms, many small ferns and more are appropriate for small to medium terrariums. Some larger houseplants are also suitable for medium to large terrariums. Philodendron, one of the most popular houseplants, does very well in large terrariums. Golden Pothos houseplant care gains a new level of excitement inside large plant terrariums. Arboricola, tall palms, Dracaena plants, and Prayer Plant are just a few of the plants that perform beautifully in terrariums.

Looking to buy plant terrariums for a friend? Florists are now adding terrariums to the product mix. Terrariums make great gifts for loved ones in a variety of ages. Aquarium terrariums are a fantastic way to recycle those unused glass boxes by turning them into fantastic terrariums for kids. After all, it’s never too early to perk a child’s interest in science and nature. Glass terrariums beautifully accent a variety of home décor styles so you can never go wrong with this gift idea when you see terrariums for sale. Contact your local flower shop for more great terrarium gift ideas and care information. Oh, and fret no longer. That terrarium is now in good hands!

Ask the Expert: How many African violets in a 8″ azalea pot?

I have some new plants that I have started, they are now in 4″ pots and ready to be planted; but don’t know how many to plant in the 8′ pot. I know they prefer to be root bound; and the azalea pots are the best for growing the african violets.

African Violets

Ask the Expert: Indoor Palm Tree

I recently purchased an indoor palm tree (about 6ft now).  After about two weeks in my home a few of the leaves are turning yellow.  I water it once a week.  Can you help?  Thanks.

How do fresh flowers by the stem and a square vase make a great birthday gift? Well for me is it incorporates everything I love: geometric shapes, flowers and the personal efforts of my husband.

Every year Neal gives me flowers for my birthday but there is always some kind of twist to the arrangement. One year he had our florist create a flower arrangement in a beautiful vase that had a bright abstract pattern. The vase still sits on my kitchen buffet reminding me of that birthday every time I look at it. Another time my birthday arrangement arrived with a crystal wine stopper uniquely placed among the flowers and foliage. So this year I wasn’t sure what to expect. So I waited all day for the florist to deliver my birthday flowers but at 5pm I still was flowerless. I assumed that Neal, after years of sending me flower arrangements for my birthday, had decided to give me something different. I left work and sped home to see what was in store for my birthday. As I entered the living room I saw this:

These gorgeous peach colored roses were sweetly arranged in my favorite square vase. Neal’s special twist this year was to actually make my birthday flower arrangement. He had hoped to gather flowers from our own garden to create the arrangement. He had actually done this a week before when it was our turn at church to provide the alter flowers. Below is a picture of that arrangement. It contains Casablanca lilies, Balloon flower blooms and Baptisia foliage all from our garden.

However our garden, like all gardens, doesn’t always cooperate and he didn’t have anything to work with this week. So Neal popped into our local florist and picked up the roses and came home to work his magic. We can always count on our local florist to provide us with fresh flowers that we can take home. That’s the great thing about local florists, they have fresh flowers all of the time. Most florists will let you buy them by the stem or they will create an arrangement for you to take home or to be delivered.

I was glad that Neal continued the tradition of giving me flowers on my birthday. My flower memories are very precious to me and these flowers will rank among the top. So how do fresh flowers by the stem and a square vase make a great birthday gift? They create a flower memory that includes the wonder of flowers in a uniqueness container and the knowledge that someone really loves you.

Who doesn’t want to have a reason to visit sunny, entertaining Phoenix, Arizona? Florists are gathering this year at the Black Canyon Conference Center for the Arizona State Florists Association 2008 Expo to be held July 27, 2008. Arizona florists have the perfect opportunity to network while welcoming other florists to their wonderful state! ASFA members have worked to ensure a fantastic schedule for this year’s one day expo. From beginning to closing there is something entertaining and educational happening. Thankfully for traveling florists, the Conference Center is located in front of a Marriott Courtyard for florists to catch their breath after an exciting and busy day. There is no shortage of good reasons to visit the 2008 ASFA EXPO so get to it!

If pictures are worth a thousand words, how many words are flowers worth? Every individual attaches some special memory or memories to the many types of flowers in their lives. Whether it was the focal flower in the bouquet that he delivered with the engagement ring, the sympathy flowers that made mourning easier, or simply the creative gesture of a loved one who somehow just knew that a little boost would turn the day around, there are thousands of memories to delve into when we pass flowers in the grocery store, garden, or local flower shop.

Some flowers, though, have very particular flower meanings and can be sent to express a very specific feeling or message. The birth month flower of August is gladiolus so which better to share? This beautiful, tall blossoming flower represents some very pleasant flower meanings making a gladiolus arrangement the perfect gift to send a message to a guy or a girl!

Express sincerity with a gladiolus bouquet. Sometimes it takes just that little extra to push through the “yes” decisions in our minds. Being completely sure of the sincerity of the sender is the difference between “99% sure that you’re the one for me” and “I’d follow you to the ends of the earth.” Avoid any confusion by ensuring your sincerity with an arrangement of gladiolus.

Express strength of character with gladiolus flowers. Integrity, strong ethics and values, and high moral fiber are qualities that every person looks for in a partner. Make your best qualities shine through. Highlight those strong qualities in another person who needs reassurance of their wonderful self. Gladiolus are the perfect flowers for subtly expressing strength of character.

Sincerity and strength of character are wonderful character traits. Why not put them on display with the help of a fresh gladiolus arrangement from your local florist? The catalog of personal memories along with the flower meanings of gladiolus and many other flowers truly does beg the question…how many words are pictures of flowers worth?

Gladiolus arrangements envigorate any summer day!

Florists from across the nation will enjoy the Louisiana State Florists Association 2008 Convention and Trade Show. Join Lafayette, Louisiana florists at the River Oaks Convention Center on July 26 and 27, 2008 for what is destined to be “A Wedding Extravaganza.” The annual LSFA Convention, Design Show, and Trade Fair is always the premier floral industry event in Louisiana. Florists young and older come together to learn, meet new people, network, and grow their businesses. If having a great time while getting your name known in the floral industry sounds like fun, this convention is for you!

Take advantage of booth space this year by setting up a booth of your own. Interested parties may contact the River Oaks Convention Center for more information about amenities or visit the LSFA Convention website for exhibitor information. Why not go for it? This is a fantastic opportunity to really intrigue fellow florists, floral designers, and trades people who have gathered together for the same reasons. Stand out in the crowd. Make a bold statement. Whatever you call it, take advantage of the incredible opportunity to really draw attention to your business. Mark your calendars now to join fellow florists at the 2008 LSFA Convention.