Fret not, dear blog reader. I have your answer.

The September birth month flowers are the aster and the morning glory. Oh yeah, beautiful and meaningful. Good stuff. If you were a reader last year you may remember "Mark September With An Aster-isk", our friendly reminder blog about the birth month flower of September. You may also remember that September can be quite a headache for my family! With three birthdays on the same day stuff gets really crazy toward the middle of the month.

Mom is great. She's one of my favorite people in the whole world and I'd be lost without her. That's a great (and true) sentiment for the card, but you can't really package that. Oh wait, yes you can! It may not come in a box but a birthday bouquet with aster is a package that she'll be happy to receive! I'm thinking that showing it off to her friends at work will be fun for her given the type of women she works with. If I can make her day better, why not? So this year I'm sending Mom the gift that she loved last year — asters.

Ask Your Florist About Aster This September

Now the other Virgo in my life is a bit harder. I tend to stop by game stores a lot when shopping for him but I'm pretty tired of staring at electronics. By the time I muster up the courage to go shopping, the last place I want to be is somewhere that will take a lot of time. Plus, I can never remember which games he has so I get a gift card. It's a little impersonal (or so he said last year) so I don't want to repeat that experience.

My Love may be brutally honest but he has a point so I'm sending him aster flowers instead. It's kind of payback for the comment about the gift card. Plus, his daughter loves playing with flowers and dirt and bugs and grass so we'll have a lot of fun planting morning glory in the backyard. This may not be the ideal way to send birth month flowers of September. Given that not everyone lives in a fairytale world of romance and lollipops, I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds this a funny alternative.

Regardless of your intent, you really can't go wrong with birth month flowers. They're just too cool! Plus they're really unique so  you don't have to worry about someone copying your idea. It's all yours. Be your own with aster and morning glory this September.

Lucky Bamboo Pot Option

Ask the Expert: Re-plant my Lucky Bamboo
As you can see from the pictures my lucky bamboo plant has (I think) all but outgrown its original glass planter.
I would like to re-plant it in the new planter (see picture).
Will it look okay in this new planter?
Can I use rocks to fill it (along with the small pebbles it came with) and if so what kind of rocks I should use?
Clean and wash them?
What else do I need to be aware of?
Thanks
JD

Plant Expert Reply:

I think the lucky bamboo will look fine in the crytal shoe.  You have two options: 1) You can place river rock pebbles in the container.  You will need to wash the rock first with warm soapy water and then rinse them before placing them in the shoe. 2) Don't place any pebbles in the container - I have had lucky bamboo in a vase without pebbles.

When you transfer the lucky bamboo use distilled water.  You might lightly prine the roots at this time. The lucky bamboo may go into transplant shock for a couple of weeks. Don't panic just let it be and it will come out of it.

Ask the Expert: When will my Phalaenopsis Orchid Bloom?
I bought a (indoor) Phalaenopsis Orchid plant that looked rather sad with its' droopy leaves and no flowers on a Lowe's discount table for a $1.
Took it home and with some TLC it has perked up quite a bit.
It has a long brown stem (like a skinny branch) growing out of the plant base.
No blooms whatsoever, so do I cut the stem off and would another one grow in its' place?
When would I expect some flowers?
Also, does this plant get root bound? I can see through the clear plastic (small) pot all these green thick "roots" seem crowded.

Never owned a Orchid before as I have heard they are hard plants to take care of.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Would a photo help? If so I can send one to you.
Thanks
JD

Plant Expert Reply:

Phalaeopsis orchids are not too difficult to grow.  In fact at the nursery, we basically ignore them.  However there are a few things you will want to do:

Proper Light:  Phalaeopsis need bright indirect light.  Directly across from a south facing window is the best.  You can also exposed it to 12 hours of fluorescent light if natural light isn't available. Your orchid will have bright green leaves if it is getting adequate light.

Adequate Water & Nutrients: As for water, you will need to let it dry almost completely before you water it.  You will need to fertilize it once a month with a fertilizer specially blended for orchids.

Proper Maintainence:   Bloom stalks are normally pruned.  If the plant has healthy thick green leaves that are not wrinkled or drooping, you cut the bloom stalk just below the lowest bloom.  The plant should then send out a new flowering branch.  If you stalk is not healthy, cut the stalk all the way down and be sure to water and fertilize properly as the plant recovers. When an orchid is this damaged, it can take up to a year before it will bloom again.

Hopefully this information will help you bring your Phalaeopsis orchid back to it's glory. Oh as for the roots - it is perfectly acceptable for the roots to show.

White Flower Hymenocallis harrisiana

Ask the Expert: identify night bloomer
the flower blooms randomly every few years & starts blooming @ dusk & completes a bloom cycle in ~5 minutes.  i'd appreciate you identifying it & providing any online info that is available about it.  thanks - ed johnston

Plant Expert Reply:

You have a type of Hymenocallis probably a Peruvian daffodil (Hymenocallis harrisiana) or a Spider lily (Hymenocallis acutifolia).  The plants all in the Amaryllidacaea family.  They are bulbous perennials.

Different species of this plant have different blooming cycles. The first hymenocallis will bloom in spring followed by summer blooming ones and finally autumn blooming ones. You can find them in a native habitat in  United States from Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, south to the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas. They are also found in Mexico, Central America and South America.

You can find more information about hymenocallis at http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=HYLI.

Ask the Expert: Can we get hydrangeas shipped to AZ in Oct?
If so, guestimated cost & how can we get the color we want? S

Plant Expert Reply:

Hydrangea are available in October.  If you are a florist or an event planner looking for a source of wholeale hydrangeas , FGmarket.com has several hydrangea suppliers who will ship hydrangeas July through December. I would contact one of them for pricing and color availability.  Hydrangeas on the wholesale level will run around the $7.50 mark.

I don't there will be any problem having hydrangeas shipped to Arizona in October.  Be sure to properly hydrate the hydrangeas when your receive them.

If you need hydrangeas but don't qualify to buy them wholesale, contact a local Arizona florist who can sell them to you by the stem.  The price will be much higher at the retail level.

Caitlin

If you saw someone stealing something from a child, wouldn't you want to stop them?  Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis steals the carefree life a of a child.  It needs to be stopped.

With the help of  the 2008 Arthritis Foundation Child of the Year (Caitlin Ryan), Cowboy Flowers , a  Jacksonville, Oregon florist is doing more than fighting  arthritis. They are sending a message of faith, hope, truth, friendship, purity, strength and awareness all in a beautiful bouquet.

How does one bouquet filled with sunny yellows, perfect pinks, pure whites, and soothing blues accomplish such a big task?

The answer to the question begins with 11 year old Caitlin, who has had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since the age of 3.  Despite an up-hill battle with arthritis and a hip replacement, she is a happy and creative pre-teen with an eye for floral design.  Add in a visit to Cowboy Flowers and Barb Wallgren, who recognized an opportunity to mentor a budding floral designer.  Equipped with a heartfelt passion and an array of fresh flowers, this formidable team created a bouquet representing the essence of every  person fighting arthritis.

Besides beauty, each flower in the arrangement has a hidden meaning: yellow spray chrysanthemum (hope), white chrysanthemum (truth), pink gerbera (purity & strength),  pink carnation (I'll never forget you) and the blue iris (faith & friendship).  The cheerful beauty of this flower arrangement will give every recipient sheer enjoyment as it subtly fights arthritis.

How is this bouquet fighting arthritis? Cowboy Flowers is putting their money where their heart is with this bouquet.  They are donating $10.00 for each “Bugs Beautiful Bouquet” sold.  So anyone sending flowers can send someone fresh flowers and fight arthritis at the same time by ordering a "Bugs Beautiful Bouquet".

When asked why Cowboy Flowers would put time and effort into this project, Barb replied "When you see the beauty in a child like Caitlin and know the battles she has fought, you have to do something to help.  We have been fortunate to have wonderful customers (community). It is only right that we give something back."

I think the reason is more than Barb's humble reply.  This flower shop sees the bigger picture - making the world a better place.

Let me preface it all by saying that I see hundreds of wonderful flowers arrangements every month. My personal tastes aside, there are florists all over the country that are knock-down-drag-out awesome at floral design. I was going through the Flower Shop Network Facebook page one day and found one of those florists. Color me impressed by Every Blooming Thing in Akron, Ohio! Wow.

Here's a little preview of what grabbed my attention like a bargain hungry shopper at an outlet mall.

For one thing, putting flowers in a margarita cup the way they did is fun, quirky, flirtatious, mirrors the fun of the season, and unique. Add to it that he features a lot of carnations in this arrangement and you can see why my eyes widened.

Scott and the gang at Every Blooming Thing are always using unique vases and backdrops to make their flowers come to life in a big way. Take the tall contemporary arrangement in a square red glass vase for instance. That by itself is beautiful for many reasons. Place the flowers in front of a zebra striped wall and you really have a fun arrangement!

They also make back to school gifts fun. Even if it's not for a back to school gift, you can't help but love the "cute factor" that the mug arrangement has. This particular arrangement is placed in a cat mug but I'd like to think that dog people like me can get something every bit as adorable. Knowing Scott and Every Blooming Thing, I'm sure of it!

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to make of the arrangement featuring delphinium, white calla lilies, a spot of hydrangea and blue iris. I was instantly taken to it but couldn't explain why for a very long time. The shapes that these flowers mimic, the deep colors, and the unique style of the arrangement just scream "buy this for a guy!!"

I wouldn't count out Every Blooming Thing for traditional arrangements either. Just take a look at the flowers in the white square basket. Isn't it fun?! It uses a great mixture of flowers so there are many textures, shapes, styles and colors to love. However, Scott works them all together into one amazing piece.

There are many florists touted for customer service. While I could go on and on about the same for Every Blooming Thing, I'd rather give kudos for the excellent floral design. Great job!

Ask the Expert: I found this and was wondering what it was

Spider Lily

I found this flower on the side of the road and have never seen one like it. Can you tell me what type of flower it is?
Thank you. Suzanne

Plant Expert Reply:

The lovely white flower is commonly called Spider Lily.  It is a Hymenocallis. I'm not sure which Hymenocallis it is.  It could be one of the following: Hymenocallis lirisome, Hymenocallis littoralis or Hymenocallis occidentalis.  They usually bloom summer through autumn.

Fiery Red Gladiolus For Your Virgo!

Everyone knows I adore my charming, vivacious Virgo. He's one-in-a-million for sure even if he is also a million headaches. Know what I mean? The virgo in my life deserves something incredible for his birthday. It has to be special and sweet. Since he shares a birthday with my mother, it has to be something unique so that they don't feel like they're getting the same thing. What a hassle!

Hassle/problem solved this year. Regular readers probably remember me touting zodiac flowers for virgos last year. I know from personal experience how incredible those gifts went over so I'm looking for a repeat performance this year! Though their birthday isn't until September, if you have someone in your life born between August 21 and September 21, you have a virgo on your hands! When you want a cool birthday gift without a lot of trouble, contact your local florist and mention these Virgo zodiac flowers.

• Forget-me-nots
• Gladiolus
• Monkshood
• Hypericum
• Chrysanthemum
• Violet
• Ivy
• Eucalyptus (even filler flowers count!)

Sending zodiac flowers to your virgo this year? Don't forget to stop back by and let us know how it turned out!

Claiming your Bing Local listing is another of the FREE services that you can use to make your shop's presence known and control the information that search engines see about your flower shop. It's as simple as that. Flower Shop Network is always looking for new and easy ways to promote your shop so we have created this visual guide and tutorial Read the rest of this entry »