Ready to give yourself a break between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day? These upcoming flower shows are perfectly scheduled so that you’re not missing any excitement back at the flower shop but you ARE enjoying the excitement at the show!

The Super Floral Show 2009 is being hosted June 9-12 in Atlanta Georgia. Florists here know how much fun it is to network with other Atlanta florists as well as the many talented florists and designers who come in from across the country for this well-respected show. The planners of the Super Floral Show 2009 understand what you want most from this show. For that reason, expect to get your money’s worth all in one day! You can enjoy the exhibitor floor from Wednesday (June 10) through Friday (June 12), but be prepared to learn if you come on Wednesday! This day features  a keynote breakfast, exhibitor displays, education sessions and a keynote lunch. What a day! Whether in the Atlanta area or not, check out the Super Floral Show. Get ready for a good time!

The Florida State Florists Association Convention 2009 (what a mouthful!) is also taking place this week. In fact, the show starts tomorrow (June 5) and runs through June 7 in St. Petersburg Florida. Florists are welcome to attend this show and bring along their learning caps. Each day is filled with fun things to do, networking with other local florists and designers, educational sessions–and did I mention that it’s in St Petersburg? A sunny day on the beach and a day with flower sounds like fun! If it sounds like fun to you to, pack your bags for the FSFA Convention 2009. What are you waiting for? Sun, sand and Florida’s best flower show await!

Spent Bloom Of Allium - Wild Onion

Ask the Expert: Plant Identification
Found this rather odd plant growing in my yard.  To be honest, when it first came up I thought it was wild onions.  It just kept getting taller and taller, however, and because it was growing in an area that wasn’t creating a problem, I let it go to see what it would become.  Eventually it grew to a height well over two feet.  A single green stem extends from the ground and the stem is very woody and strong.  The wild morning glories, in fact, are using them for a trellis.  It developed a ball shaped “bud” at the very top of the stem that looked almost like a spire on old, Russian architecture.  When it bloomed, it looked like one of those crazy cans of peanuts with the spring loaded worm in it.  Here is a picture of it after it bloomed.  Gina

Plant Expert Reply:

First, I love your description.  So many times, people have a hard time describing the plant that needs identification.  With your description, I could have idenitified it immediately without a picture.

What you have is a plant from the Allium genus.  Most of the plants in this genus are some kind of “wild” onion or “wild” garlic and considered undesirable by many.  However, several species are used in English garden or herb gardens.  Without a picture of the bloom, it is hard to determine which species you have.  If  I had to guess by height and look of stem only, it would be  Allium caeruleum, Allium cristophii, Allium x hollandicum, Allium nigrum, Allium paniculatum, Allium roseum, Allium schoenoprasum, Allium sensecens, or Allium sphaerocephalon.

If you didn’t plant it specifically, I would recommend pulling it up and getting rid of it.  The seed will sprout all over the place. If you like the look of the plant and want to keep it,  you can keep it contained with a little maintenance.

Anyone who has stepped into a flower shop knows what a lily is. However, very few people know about the Sego Lily, Utah’s state flower.

Photo courtesy 50states.com

Don’t let the name fool you!! The Sego Lily is not a lily at all (does not belong to the Lilium genus). Still, the Sego Lily (Calochortus gunnisonii) is a beautiful wildflower from which much inspiration can be drawn. The flowers are white, lilac or yellow. Pretty enough but what really captures the eye is the center of the flower which has touches of crimson and yellow. It looks almost as if a fire has been lit and extends into white-hot flames. With a look like this, the Sego Lily inspires designs laced with passion, beauty, dimension, color and fervor.

The Story of The Utah State Flower

The Utah state flower has been inspiring Utah florists as the official state floral emblem since 1911. Before this, the Sego Lily was being used in a rather unconventional but lifesaving way. Kate C. Snow, president of the Utah Pioneers, wrote a letter in 1930 describing how early Utah pioneers in the mid 1800s were forced to scavage for food. They discovered that the soft, bulbous root of the Sego Lily could be eaten. Many survived using this interesting flower as sustinence. This effect on Utah’s history was a deciding factor for legislators who declared the Sego Lily Utah’s state flower after the turn of the century.

Strange but cool. Unique but beautiful. That’s why I think all florists will find something inspiring to love about the Sego Lily.

It’s the time of the year when tropical flower arrangements are hot, hot items in the flower shop. Birds of paradise, orchids, protea, anthuriums, dendrobium and other exotic tropical flowers are big ticket flowers used in a wide variety of tropical arrangements. One of my favorite tropical flowers is the bird of paradise. It’s a stunning beauty that brings so much to any tropical arrangement. For this reason, I recently asked Regina Berryman (AIFD, AAF) to show me some of her design techniques for creating beautiful tropical flower arrangements using bird of paradise. Here is her technique for opening bird of paradise to reveal its finest qualities.

Bird of Paradise Tropical Flowers Arrangement

Opening Bird of Paradise To Reveal High Quality

Regina has worked with tropical flowers for many years now. Being less experienced with tropical flowers, Regina decided to show me how to open bird of paradise in a way that reveals its best quality and eliminates any flaws from shipping or packaging. First, place the stem of the bird of paradise firmly between your legs. Place both thumbs on the crease (the opening) and gently pry the crease open. Next place your thumbs together under the “heart” and raise your thumbs at the same time. This allows you to raise the beautiful part of the flower out of its shell and strip it of the lower quality flowers.

Next, oddly enough, strip the lower quality flowers. These are the light orange to white colored flowers that are next to or against the more brightly colored orange/red flowers. Since the vibrantly colored flowers give bird of paradise its appeal, strip the less colorful ones by taking a firm hold, gently pulling straight back toward the stem, then pulling the flower straight out once you have loosened it enough to be removed all at once. If you do not pull toward the stem, you run the risk of ripping the flower toward the tightly clustered base instead of removing it.

To open bird of paradise, place both thumbs on the crease (opening).

Place thumbs together under the flowers and pull up.

Unfold and separate each piece.

Loosen and strip by pulling toward stem then straight out.

Now you're ready to create a beautiful tropical flower arrangement!

Don’t Just Pick The Flowers! Use The Whole Garden!

Lemons & Flowers From Belvedere Flowers

Looking for a unique way to add interest to a flower arrangements? Take a hint from Mother Nature by utilizing everything that grows in the garden to create unique and fun arrangements. Gardens contain a multitude of wonderful flowers as well as fruits and vegetables.

Sometimes we forget how noteworthy fruit and vegetables can be used as decorations, or as gifts in the form of  “floral arrangements”.  By marrying the items found in gardens with fresh cut flowers, you can create unique and fabulous designs. For example, try something as simple as roses and statice with green grapes draping over a container. The mixture of the roses with the grapes is less formal, but conveys a bit of garden whimsy.

What I enjoy about adding fruits or vegetables to flower designs is the ability to blend different textures, colors and smells into my table centerpieces.  I recently had a dinner party and was serving  Mexican food, lots of spicy Mexican food.  My florist designed a centerpiece using bright red cayenne chili peppers along with red roses, grapes and red apples.  The peppers, grapes and apples made the arrangement pop from the table.  Everyone commented on the wonderful idea of incorporating fruits and vegetables.

Taking  A Cue From The Farmers Market.

Flower Arrangement with Kale

Open yourself up to new ideas and creations by thinking outside the standard florist cooler. Browse your local fruit stands or grocery centers for unconventional ideas to use in arrangements.  Fall is a great time to experiment with gourds.  Try using small gourds, both round and elongated styles, with oranges in a clear tall vase to hold fresh flowers.  You won’t need floral foam because your gourds and oranges do the trick.

Another fantastic garden option is kale, which comes in a variety of beautiful colors. The colorful ones are often referred to as flowering kale. All flowering kales are edible like the garden varieties, making it a superb item for use in fruit and flower arrangements.

Imagine joining a bright, white-colored flowering kale with the deep green of  broccoli florets and bright orange baby carrots all in an edible arrangement. This is a great way to treat your Mother on Mothers day with an edible gift you both can share.

Edible Flower Arrangements

Most of us have seen edible flowers, such as pansies used as wedding cakes decorations. In fact, edible flowers have been used in the catering industry for a very long time.  Just like fruits and vegetables, edible flowers can be used to add a special touch of beauty or uniqueness.

More and more florists are using veggies and fruits to spice up their arrangements and to add texture as well. Vegetables and fruits are becoming more common in floral designs. Often you see fruits and vegetables used in silk flower arrangements because the colors and textures work well with different types of flora.  The use of fresh fruits and vegetables is growing more common. Fresh fruit and vegetables offer you a wide variety to draw from for inspiration and work your creative magic.

Sure you can eat them…But mostly they are for admiring.

Fruit & Flowers Arrangement From Apple Blossoms Floral Design

When using fruits and vegetables in arrangements, most often the idea is not to eat them but to enjoy the unique idea of fruits and vegetables as floral arrangements.  If you decide to use or send edible flowers with edible fruits and vegetables in an arrangement, be sure they are indeed edible. Some flowers are not edible or may have an unpleasant taste.  You can find charts that tell you which flowers are edible as well as their taste. I highly recommend checking charts. Just as I used flowering kale and broccoli with carrots for a Mother’s Day gift suggestion, some people may not be aware that flowering kale is edible. Be sure to insert a note that tells the receiver about the arrangement. That note should include care instructions and if the arrangement is for admiring, eating or both.

Yes! You can make a “flower” arrangement by using fruit.

These types of arrangements can be edible! Just wrap them in colorful cellophane to keep them moist prior to delivery.  Edible fruit arrangements are easy to make. They just take some time and some creativity, and cookie cutters to make some “fruit flowers”. Or you can do as I do. I have my local florist make them for me. Not all florists, will make these types of edible arrangements, but it’s worth a phone call to see if they will.

Fruit & Flowers By Kings Creek Flowers

The art of flower design takes on a new perspective, a whole new pizzazz when you add an element of fruit or vegetables.  Enhancing your arrangements by adding the unexpected, shows design flair, as well as creativity. Don’t be afraid of fruits and vegetables.  Maybe you don’t like to eat fruit or vegetables, but don’t deny yourself the beauty found in veggies or the brilliant colors found in fruits. Use them in a colorful fruit and flower arrangement.

I don’t like brussels sprouts but using them as a base to add some light green color with pink roses in a topiary style is one way I can enjoy brussels sprouts. So contact your local florist to get a dose of healthy fruits and vegetables in your flower arrangements, today.

A special thanks goes to Belvedere Flowers for the picture of their Fresh Lemonade arrangement. A special thanks to King Creek Flowers for the fruity reception centerpiece photo. A special thanks to Apple Blossoms Floral Design for the fruit and flower arrangement photo.

Whether you are a Havertown PA Florist, a Miami Florist, a Tampa florist or one of the fine florists across the U.S. and Canada, Flower Shop Network would love to see pictures of your fabulous arrangements.  You can send pictures to jadams@flowershopnetwork.com.

Polyantha or Rugosa Rose

Ask the Expert: What is this BEAUTIFUL hot pink shrub??
My friend’s neighbor has this outrageous flowering shrub.  I’ve never seen one like it.  It’s not an azalea.  The flowers are big the leaves are dark.  Patty

Reply:

I believe what you have is a either a polyantha or rugosa rose.  When most people think of roses, the hybrid tea that is often used in floral arrangements is the one that comes to mind.  However the rose family is very large and has members that come in all shapes and sizes.  The ployantha and the rugosa roses are closley related to the old wild roses and are used as blooming shrubs in landscapes.

Variegata Weigela

Ask the Expert: Can you help identify this plant
We bought this plant last year and did not keep the tag and can’t remember what it was. It has bloomed so beautifully this year and are hoping to find out what it is so we can purchase more like it. Can you please help us identify the plant? I has been in bloom for about a week now.
Thank you! Cheryl

Reply:

You have a variegated weigela which is a shrub that attracts hummingbirds.

Ask the Expert: lucky bamboo is putting out a nasty smell like dirty aquarium water.
i have had them @5 years and they are @4′ high, curly, and now some leaves are turning yellow, and 1 stalk is drying up
Location has not changed in 5 years and I change the water several times a year, now the water is turning black
THANKS Patti

Reply:

You are getting either a fungal, algae or bacteria build up.  Wash the container with hot soapy water and rinse thorughly. Fill with fresh distilled water. Wipe down all of your Dracaena sanderiana (lucky bamboo) and look for fungal lesions on the stalks. Remove any stalk that has any indication of disease.  If the lesions are only in one area and you have healthy stalks above or below the lesions, you can start a new plant.  I would not start the new plants in the same container.

Good luck and keep me posted.

Corny lines aside, this is an awesome flower arrangement. I took one glimpse at the “Artistic Tribute” flower arrangement for Fathers Day and was taken back to memories of Daddy and me. You don’t have to twist my arm. I’ll share them with you. *smile*

"Artistic Tribute" Fathers Day Flowers

My dad is a big fan of architecture. Aside from military aircraft and Sherlock Holmes, it’s the only discussable thing we really have in common. Frank Lloyd Wright has been the subject of many conversations between us. We’ve often planned a trip to Falling Water. Pennsylvania is quite out of the way this year but I still want to let Dad know that we have a mutual interest. I want him to know that I love architecture the same way that he does and look forward to celebrating amazing pieces with him during a daddy-daughter road trip.

So why the blather about architecture? Take a look at the “Artistic Tribute” arrangement and you’re hooked. It is loaded with beauty. Its form stands out, grabs attention, and loudly portrays the best things about clean lines and linear form. This is not your average flower arrangement. This is a man’s flower arrangement. My dad being the John Wayne type anyway, I know he’ll appreciate this Fathers Day gift from his little girl.

Now what to put on the card?

Speaking of card messages, Fathers Day is June 21st. View several Fathers Day enclosure card messages to send with your gifts.

Cottony Cushion Scale

Ask the Expert: what is the cottony/cob webby build up?
I have a Anthirium I have had it for a few monthes and it has been doing fantastic until i discovered That i was over watering it. I have now cut down on watering it and have been keeping a very close eye on it and it seems as though over night it has some sort of web like build up in the almost dead bloom. I guess it might be dust but it really doesn’t look like it and for it to build up that fast, I just want to know if this is normal, if i should remove it, or cut the bloom off altogether. Tiffany

Spider Mite Webbing

Reply:

I am attaching pictures to help with identification.  If it looks like the first picture (from Arizona Cooperative Extension) which is cottony cushion scale, you will need an insecticide that is safe for houseplants.  Your local garden center should have Fetilome whitefly & mealbug killer for houseplant - or at least something similar.

The second photo (from CSU/Denver County  Extension Master Gardener) is caused by a spider mite. You will need an insecticide that will get rid of spider mites. Again, your local garden center should have this product.

Hopefully your problem looks like one of these.  There are many insects that can cause this problem.  This ususally happens when the plant has been in a stressful situation like over-watering.  Once you apply the proper insecticide and correct the water issue the plant will bounce right back.

Good Luck and keep me posted.