I hope that many who read this are chuckling because they know that Golden Pothos is actually one of the most versatile and popular houseplants. Easy to care for and pleasing to the eye, Golden Pothos is the exact opposite of Porthos, the colorful and arrogant character in the famous book by Alexandre Dumas.

Golden Pothos (Scindapsus aureus) plants are great gift ideas for those just getting started with gardening or caring for houseplants. When I say that Golden Pothos plant care is easy, I mean even black thumbs have a shot of maintaining a healthy plant. Golden Pothos plants thrive in the low light levels of a home, near windows, under bright fluorescent lights, or in the full light of the sun in a garden or as a patio plant. Pothos plants can be grown indoors or outdoors. They can be trained as climbers or cared for as houseplants.

I hardly think that it is a stretch to say that it is easy to grow Golden Pothos houseplants. Even watering your Golden Pothos requires minimal effort. Less is more because of a shallow root system. Because less soil must be penetrated to reach the roots, less water is required. The soil around Golden Pothos should be kept evenly moist but not wet so an occasional watering does wonders for the plant. Most pest and pathogen problems are causes of excessive watering or location and can be easily remedied.

For these reasons I say, "Bravo!" to sending a gift of Golden Pothos plants to your friends. Houseplant experts will enjoy going back to the basics. Beginners will enjoy learning the basics. Regardless of expertise, Golden Pothos are also popular for their beauty and dynamic addition to the décor of any room. How can anyone go wrong with this gift idea? Oh that's right. You can't.

Buy Golden Pothos houseplants from your local florist.

It may not be the sound of music that drives florists in California to create fabulous California poppy inspired designs, but it is definitely the appearance of a drop of golden sun that has helped the California poppy (Eschsholzia californica) become the state flower and a celebrated symbol of life in The Golden State. Adopted officially in 1903, the California poppy stands proudly with pop and zing as the California state flower. Californians celebrate the amazing flower with an annual Poppy Day each April but that’s not all.

The vibrant colors of the California poppy make it a perfect display as many people desire to surround themselves with beauty and art. California poppies grow wild throughout the state and create a background of lavish orange decoration. This bright golden color is the reason that the California poppy is also sometimes called la amapola (the flame flower), dormidera (drowsy one) or most commonly copa de oro (cup of gold).

As the state flower, California poppy (Eschsholzia californica) preservation is a key concern. For this reason, the California Poppy Reserve is a unique state park where the poppy is kept as close to a natural growth as possible. The poppy grows wildly here and thrives in the arid environment. Park workers at the California Poppy Reserve do not water or actively garden the more than 1700 acres of poppies. In fact, the only proactive action taking toward plentiful growth involves planned burns to deter natural fires.

Another unique fact about the California poppy is that it is illegal inside of the state to pick, destroy, or dig up the flower. No kidding! Visiting a local nursery may be the only legal way to pick up your pot of poppies (how many did Peter Piper pick?) but it is also a great way to enjoy the beauty of these inspiring blooms. Of course, you could also have your California florists create a flower arrangement inspired by the warm colors of the California poppy. It's a win-win situation.

Ask the Expert: is a peace lily poisonous to cats

i think my son's cat ate the tips of the leaves of my peace lily.  Emily

Ask The Expert: I have a Lucky Bamboo plant that is accumulating small webs and bugs on it.  What is the best treatment for that? Sheri

Start with a clean vase:

One of the first mistakes people make when they arrange their flowers at home is to start the process with a dirty vase. If you haven't cleaned the vase from the last time there were flowers in it, there could be bacteria or fungi in the vase that will cause your flowers to go down early.

A clean vase from your cupboard could also be a source of house dust. We all know that house dust contains all things that could be harmful to you, which are also potentially harmful to your flowers.

Be sure to start with a freshly washed vase every time and your flowers will last a lot longer!

Use lukewarm water and flower food:

Once you have a sparkling clean vase, the next step is to add water and flower food. Dragonfly Flowers On McPhillps should provides customers with one or two small packages of flower food with their bouquet purchase. When the flower was cut, it lost it's source of water and nutrients. The flower food provided by your local florist replaces these carbohydrates and sugars typically used by the flowers and stabilizes and lowers the pH of the water. Some contain microorganism inhibitors to stop fungi and bacteria from growing on the stems and some formulas even contain un-blockers for the stems.

Simply pour the flower food into the container and add water. Swirl the container to mix it up a bit and you are done!

Your flowers are hopefully still fresh and perky when you get them, but they have certainly been through the mill. Most flowers have traveled thousands of miles, been tossed around during shipping, handled 5-10 times and cut 2 or 3 times before they even get to you. You don't want to shock them even more with cold water when you get them, they have been through enough. Your flowers have likely been out of water for 30 minutes to a couple of hours by this time as well. Using warmer water allows them to drink much more efficiently as it slowly cools to room temperature. During this time, they are also sucking up valuable nutrients from your flower food.

Re-cut the stems - again:

You florist likely gave your flowers a fresh cut before they sent them to you, which allows them to drink more readily. Even though your flowers have been cut from their roots, where they typically get their nourishment and water, they still have the ability to draw water up the stems, which will keep their heads moist and nourished. It's always a good idea to re-cut your flowers when you get them home to make sure that the tubes in the stems are free and clear to draw as much water as possible.

You have probably heard that you should cut the flowers on an angle. This cutting the stems on an angle provides a greater area of the stem to contact the water, and allows it to drink more freely.

Try not to use scissors to cut the stems. Cutting the stems with scissors typically compresses the stem to some extent and in doing so, will limit it's ability to drink efficiently. A good sharp knife, like your florist uses, will do the trick!

Remove excess greens:

Your florist may or may not have removed the excess greens or leaves from the stems of your flowers. It's a good idea to strip away these greens and make sure they are not below the water line. The flowers don't drink through the leaves, and the large surface area of the greens provides ample space for bacteria and fungi to hitch a ride into the water and subsequently into the stems.

Display in the right area:

In order to keep your flowers looking their best for the longest period of time there are a few rules to follow for where you display them. The main points are, keep them away from excessive heat and in areas with little air movement. Heat and air movement both speed the evaporation of water from the flowers and make it more difficult for them to survive for longer periods of time.

Flower Display rules:

• Keep flowers away from drafts
• Don't display arrangements on the TV (Or any other warm place, such as close to a register)
• - Don't display fresh flowers in direct sunlight.
• - Don't display flower arrangements on top of the fridge or microwave.

These few simple tips can significantly lengthen the life of your arrangement and keep your flowers looking lovely for several weeks.

I won’t deny it. I'm a huge fan of color in the things that surround me. Deep reds, bright blues, the shades of green that inspire me to shout, "Catch me lucky charms!" and nearly every vivid color in the rainbow thrills me to the core. Upon reflection, it's probably this giddy effect that makes me love the "Rainbow of Blooms" arrangement almost to animated glee. Almost.

Dance it up with the "Rainbow of Blooms" vase arrangement!

I seem to recall merrily making my way down the hallway after seeing the colorful way that delphinium, carnations, lilies, roses, and alstroemeria were designed together in the arrangement. It's amazing! My love of carnations is by no means a secret but watch the hot pink carnations pop next to the striking blue delphinium or the yellow gerbera and roses. You're very likely to do a dance yourself or give some lucky recipient a reason to cha-cha in their living room over your tender expression of affection.

It's no surprise that someone familiar with the meanings of flower colors may become quite animated over the messages inside the "Rainbow of Blooms" arrangement. The yellow gerbera and roses express friendship and celebrate brilliance. The blue delphinium express peace, trust, and tranquility. Who wouldn't want to know how comfortable you feel around them? The pink carnations are fun as they represent romance, sweetness and sincerity. Give her these and you won’t have to say "I love you and I mean it" because you are already saying it with flowers. The greatest of these is love. Sending flowers says, "I love you." Sending flowers says, "I need you." Sending flowers says it all.