I enjoy the Belvedere Flowers blog because there is always something interesting happening at the flower shop! The florists at Belvedere Flowers in Havertown Pennsylvania create some very ingenious designs. Here’s one of the ones that caught a friend’s attention who quickly passed the link to me. I fell in love with its unique charm. I think you will too.

It’s a fresh flower purse for Mother’s Day. Let me emphasize this for effect. It’s a fresh…flower…Purse. It’s too cool! What it is is a moss covered basket shaped like a purse and filled to the brim with beautiful fresh flowers like cymbidium orchids, roses, heather and gerbera daisies. My nose is liking this already!

This video shows off the first of many fresh flower purses created by Belvedere Flowers for Mother’s Day. I say that because it’s too cute a Mother’s Day gift idea not to catch on quickly. Check it out!

Zodiac flowers are fun, especially for Taurus. This fun zodiac sign is represented by a bull. How cool is that?! When I think of a bull, I picture the same qualities that most people would assign to these animals. Bulls are usually calm animals when left alone. They are stubborn, powerful, bold, and tenacious when provoked to such. I know plenty of people like that and I was surprised just how many have a birthday between April 21st and May 20th (that makes them a Taurus).

It’s hard to find unique gifts every year. Most of the Bloomin’ Blog followers know that I’ve been on a fresh flower kick. Why not? It’s as much fun for the sender to send flowers with a unique twist as it is for the recipient to receive an interesting birthday gift. Two perks in one–I say go for it!

"Fashionable Father’s Day Bouquet"

Taurus zodiac flowers (also called astrological flowers) are violets, iris, sweet pea, lilac and lavender. You can also enjoy aster, lily of the valley, scented stock, sweet william and fruit bearing trees for a Taurus birthday. Flower arrangements like the “Fashionable Fathers Day Bouquet” at left are perfect for Taurus birthdays. Don’t let the title fool you—this bouquet of iris and daisies go over well all year!

You know your birthday boy or girl the best. Deciding which flowers to send will be a breeze! Simply contact your local florist to create a unique birthday gift that your friend will love.

Please Note: Zodiac flowers are assigned to each of the 12 astrological signs. There is no cosmic magic associated with zodiac flowers. There is no spell cast over astrological flowers. Zodiac flowers are just a fun way to acknowledge something that helps group people together, gives them something in common–their zodiac sign.

Ask The Expert:I’ve had a LUCKY BAMBOO for about 6 months and it was growing like crazy. I thought it was time to repot it. Well, since then the stalks are turning yellow. I haven”t had trouble in the past. I used bottled water an small stones, like the ones it came with. I would appreciate your thoughts.  Thank you, Dianne Deis

Reply:
If you added new stones but didn’t wash them first, there may have been a residue that the lucky bamboo didn’t like. Was the bottled water used the same kind you always used? Some bottled waters have additives that the lucky bamboo doesn’t like, which is why I normally recommend distilled water. Did you move it to a different location? Sometimes this can cause a problem. Watch your stem. If it starts to soften, you will need to propagate a new plants and throw the afflicted part away.

Drooping Peace Lily

Ask the Expert: Peace Lily Drooping
Hi there,

I woke up this morning and found my Peace Lily drooping severely, although all the leaves are still in green color.

I bought the plant about a couple of weeks ago. It is about 1 feet high and the condition of the plant was very good.

I was told that once a week of watering is enough; placing a tray under the pot and pour water in the tray. I was not sure and am still not sure how much water I should give to the plant. Because after the first watering I checked the soil, it was still dry. So, I gave a little bit of water time after time but the soil condition was the same.

Then, this morning the plant was showing the sign of watering.

Could you tellme what should I do?

I”m glad I found this website. Taka

Reply:

Over-watering and under-watering will cause a peace lily(spathiphyllum) to wilt (droop).  When it comes to watering once a week should be enough provided that you give it adequate water.  You can water one of two ways:  Give it water until it starts to  over-flow into the saucer or you can water and then do a moisture test.  You want your soil to be moist but not soggy at all times.  This means that if you stick your finger into the soil about a knuckle deep and remove some of it that you can roll the soil into a ball.  When you squeeze this soil ball it should not produce a lot of water just a slight amount.

Another thing that will cause a peace lily to droop is temperature changes.  If your plant is directly under an air vent the drastic change in temperature when the air comes on will cause the plant to droop.

Check both of those conditions.  Once you correct the situation it should take a week or so for the plant to recover.  Be patient and give it time.

Ask the Expert: My question is about the Lucky Bamboo Plant
Should you remove those little gold twists ties that the plant comes with? Cindy

Reply:

If the twist ties are binding into the plant, I would remove them.  However, if they are purely decoration and not interferring in the growth of the plant I would leave them be.

Ask The Expert: Do hyacinths multiply? When is the best time and method to move them? Patty

Reply:

Yes, they produce offshoots that can be removed during the dormant season.  The dormant season for hyacinths is summer.  The best way is to dig up your hyacinths and remove the offshoots and place the parent bulb right back into the ground.  You can either plant the offshoots at that time or wait until later.  If you are not immediately planting the offshoots, you will need to clean all soil off of the bulb and keep in a moist free envorionment with good air circulation.

Ask The Expert: i have a lucky bamboo. and had always used bottled water ,which it seemed to love. then i had slacked and was using city water and noticed it started to turn yellow. so i went and bought spring water again. it started turning more yellow.i read other concerns on this page and went and got distilled. so i have now cleaned the marbles and plant in this water. an filled it with distilled. i even checked bugs nothing.should i got off the yellow leaves? and should i cut the long stem down as well that the yellow leaves were growing off of? i did notice as well that one of the stocks was not as green its not mushy. what else can i do and how long will it take for me to notice if its doing better? Sabrina

Reply:

Lucky Bamboo is very sensitive to many chemicals and tap water has two that lucky bamboo really hates: Chlorine and Fluoride. Both of these chemicals can cause yellowing and other problems in lucky bamboo.  That is why it likes bottled water or distilled water.  You can use tap water but not fresh from the tap.  Always let it set out in an open container for 24hrs before ou use it.  At this point I would remove the yellow leaves.  Usually, once they turn yellow they won’t turn back to green.  However, I would only trim your stem if it starts to go soft.  It will take a week or two before you see improvement, so keep a close eye on it for a while.  Good luck and keep me posted.

You’d be surprised how many people do not include a return address when sending sympathy flowers. This could be for many reasons and no one is at fault. However, including an address with sympathy flowers has many benefits. The next time you send flowers to express condolences, ask your local florist to include an address where you can be reached in the future. Here’s why:

• “That will make it seem like I want to be thanked.” Not really. It’s a very courteous gesture that will not be perceived as polite and prudent In fact, it’s somewhat expected.
• Once the family has had a few days to grieve, most tend to send “thank you” cards to those who have expressed their sympathies. Whether or not this seems necessary to the sender, it is polite to include an address just in case.
• In lieu of “thank  you” cards, many people try to contact the sender by phone or in person. Though they probably have this information, including an address and perhaps phone number will make it easier for the recipient to contact you after the services have ended. If your address is included with the sympathy flowers, the recipient will not have to go far to find your information whether he or she has it or not.

This kind of simple convenience goes a long way to someone who has just lost someone that they love. It’s a hassle to do even the slightest chores. Even though things have usually settled by the time this type of contact is made, it is still easier to have things laid out nice and neat in front of them.

If you are a florist, remember to ask for an address where the sender can be reached. This is not a must-have as far as sending sympathy flowers goes, of course. However, there will be far fewer troublesome phone calls after the service. Many who do not receive word that the flowers were received like to call the florist to verify delivery. Some call the recipient. Making sure to include an address with the enclosure card is one way to avoid this hassle for everyone.

There’s a lot going on at The Cincinnati Flower Show this year. Hosted in Cincinnati Ohio, this flower show is a perfect getaway for florists, floral designers, horticulturalists, gardening enthusiasts, and anyone else who enjoys browsing elaborate gardens in full bloom. If you want to learn about how to make trendy flower arrangements, improve the longevity of your bouquets, learn a new design technique…this is the place for you to go!

The Cincinnati Flower Show is being held April 18-26, 2009 at Symmes Township Park in Cincinnati Ohio. That’s right–it starts tomorrow! But dont’ worry if you haven’t pre-registered or can’t break away just yet. This week long nirvana for florists can be attended all week or for just one day.

Are you a fan of P. Allen Smith? I am! The Cincinnati Flower Show comes highly recommended by the major gardening professional and television personality. More people love the show though, and why shouldn’t they? Just check out what you can expect to find at the show this year:

• Professional Floristry — in layman’s terms, view some of the most cutting edge arrangements from regional master floral designers.
• An Amateur Flower Show — fun stuff! Fresh flowers blooming for all to enjoy. New designs. New things to love. Bring a camera.
• Dramatic Table Settings — want to learn to show off floral centerpieces? Learn it here! See some jaw-dropping table arrangements also.
• Artists Studio — professional artists displaying their works in the fields of fiber art, sculpture, painting and nature photography.
• Creative Containers — learn how to add spice to your designs (big or small) with a unique twist to the container.

That’s not all but you’re going to have to visit the Cincinnati Flower Show website or the show itself to learn every unique, fun-filled thing that’s happening.

Round Black Seeds From A Blackberry lily

Ask the Expert: dont know what this flower is called a long time ago my neighbor had this really nice flower in the front yard. i liked it so i got some seed pods from it. well..forgetful me, i forgot to write it down. do you by chance know? the seeds are black, round and very hard..like bb’s, but bigger. 3-4 seeds per pod. i hope you can help. thanks

Reply:

Belamcanda chinesis Blackberry Lily From Cal' Plant Of The Week

Lily seed was the first thought that popped into my head when I saw the black round seeds in your picture.  Of course,  there are hundreds of lilies and lily like plants to choose from. I had to think about it for a while.  And, have to say my first choice is a Blackberry lily or Leopard Lily (Belamcanda chinesis).  This a a great naturalizing perennial in rock gardens and as a border plant.  However, this is a short lived perennial.  When I had these in my garden, I would let the seeds come up every other year to keep my area heathly and full.  This is what I would call an old fashion plant.  Because it propagated easily, old homesteads used this plant in abundance.  Unfortunately, you don’t see it as much any more.

Give credit where credit is due –
The blackberry lily picture shown comes from Cal’s Plant of the Week -  October 13-19, 2000.  This photo was taken by Cal Lemke.  He is the University of Oklahoma’s botany greenhouse grower and an avid gardener.