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Florist Stories: Memories From Design Competitions

We are excited to share with you our very first Florist Story submitted by Lori Mudge of De’Vine Floral Design & Gifts in Granville, IL.

For the past 3 years, Lori and her team at De’Vine Floral Design & Gifts have taken the floral design contest at Bonnett’s Wholesale’s by storm.

Lori tells us all about it here:

“Floral supplier, Bonnett’s Wholesale in Milan, IL always has there annual open house in August. They host a big design contest for all of their mid-west customers, guest designers and floral professionals, which we enter every year.

Bonnett’s Design Contest has three design categories to enter:

  • Anything Goes (anything you want in fresh, silk or whatever, with a wholesale price of $50.00)
  • Corsage + Boutonniere
  • Surprise Box

Florists are able to enter all three categories. The winner of the competition is determined by votes from Bonnett’s staff, as well as florists and industry professionals from all across the mid-west. I feel it is more of an honor to win here because it is judged by florists from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa.”

Lori shared these photos with us of her winning entries for the past 3 years in a row:

The first year, Lori received two 1st place awards in the Anything Goes and Corsage + Boutonniere categories. Her out-of-the-box designs set her apart from her competition.

Bonnett's Flower Competition

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Flower Arranging With Children

Flower Arranging With Kids Are you looking for something new to do with your kids? A new project that will showcase their creativity and imagination? Why not introduce the art of flower arranging? Flowers are bright and beautiful, with so many different characteristics, shapes and scents, your child will be captivated by the experience!

  • Arranging a basket with fresh cuts to spruce up the kitchen.
  • Creating beautiful potted plants to sit on the front porch is a great project for little hands.
  • A heart-felt arrangement made especially for grandma and grandpa.

Each season brings a different variety of flowers to pick from, each with their own special needs. Your local florist will be able to share with you the most appropriate flowers-types for children to handle. With some being more durable and sturdy than others, your florist will guide you in the process of choosing the most suitable flowers for your project. Letting your child pick out the flowers is a great way to get them going. Daisies, carnations and sunflowers are always a big hit. Whether you are picking from a garden or from your local flower shop it is a sure way to put a smile on their face.

Tip: Most local florists also sell loose flowers by the bunch. Take your children on a short trip to meet their florist, and be introduced to all the great flowers this season has to offer. Let them pick out their favorites to use in creating flower arrangements at home.

Flower Arrangement Example Flower ArrangementFlower Arrangement Example

Now Let’s get started!
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Vintage Kitchen Inspired Flower Displays

Vintage Kitchen InspirationIt’s the newest fad – Flowers in Culinary Containers! Kitchen-themed flower art is both inspiring and classic. If your party plans take guests into the kitchen, this flower idea is the perfect addition to your kitchen.

To get that vintage-inspired, natural look, use these items for the foundation of your design:

  • Old colanders
  • Mixing bowls
  • Mason jars and ceramic jugs
  • Vintage tin cans
  • Muffin pans.

Find these items at local thrift or second hand stores. The older the better; these items can bring a special childhood nostalgia to life.

Kitchen-themed Flower Ideas

When choosing flowers, simplicity is key –

  • Choose garden flowers, such as peonies, garden roses, liatris, sunflowers, lilies, and delphiniums.
  • Include fruits and veggies, such as artichokes, apples, and eggplant for a natural, timeless ‘Farmers Market’ feel.
  • Interesting foliages add texture and eye-catching designs to your arrangement. Think long bear grass or wheat.

Fruits and vegetables are a great way to bring depth and creativity to a clear vase as well. Fill your vase or clear jugs with apples, oranges, carrots, cranberries, cucumbers or any bright colored vegetable or fruit.  Just imagine guests walking through the kitchen buffet spread, all the while mesmerized by your amazing kitchen flower arrangement. These displays are perfect for bringing an interesting impact to any event!

If you’re interested in adding a vintage kitchen flower arrangement to your next party mix, give your local florist a call. I’m sure they will have even more exciting ideas!

What Type of Poppy Is This?

Ask The Plant Expert:

I found this in my neighbors garden and love it. I bought tons of poppies before so, I was wondering what kind this is. The leaves aren’t fuzzy, but look more like a succulent. We live on the coast of Maine, and they followed the sun the day I took the picture. This was around 6 am; at around 10 am it was fully open. – Emily

Red Poppy

Flower Shop Network‘s Plant Expert Reply:

Emily,

I think it is a type of Papaver somniferum (Opium poppy). It is hard to tell from the picture. Do the leaves have a slight blue-green tint to them? Has it produced any blue-green seeds pods? The blue-green leaves and seed pods are a good indication that it is a type of Papaver somniferum.  Papaver somniferum is hardy in Maine. Some states and countries may prohibit the growing of this poppy. You might want to check with you state extension service to see if it is ok to propagate it in Maine.

Hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if you help with anything else.

How To Propagate An Aquatic Lily From Seeds

Ask The Plant Expert:

My Cahaba lilies have so many seed pods. I would like to use the seeds properly to grow more lilies. Can anyone tell me the best way to go about it? Thank you

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Cahaba Lily PhotoTerry

The Cahaba lily (Hymenocallis coronaria) is a little tricky when it comes to propagation. In nature this plant drops it’s seed in the water where the plant is growing. These seeds then wash up on the banks of the river or water way. On the bank, they germinate and grow into new plants. Captive propagation has a very low success rate, but since the seeds are free I would give it a try.  I recommend:

  • Soak the seeds for 24 to 48 hrs.
  • Place them on top of a moist sandy-loam mixture.  I would try to emulate the soil on a river bank where the lilies are native. I am assuming this is more mucky than sandy. So try a 1/3 sandy, 1/3 top soil and 1/3 organic matter. (This is a estimation on my part since I have not actually propagated these seeds my self.)
  • Keep the seeds very moist until the seeds sprout.
  • Once the seeds have sprouted you can transplant them into the area where they will live permanently.

Good luck and please let me know how it turns out. Hope this information was helpful.

September Newsletter: Autumn Color

September Autumn Color!

Fall is almost here and we’re falling head-first for fall colors this year! Check out these great articles all about the spirit of fall through it’s beautiful color.

FSN’s Favorite Flower Arrangement For September

Flowers for SeptemberI know it’s not fall yet, but almost is! Fall Treasures mixes the brightness and sunshine of summer with the warm palette of autumn, which is why it’s perfect for September! Although this beautiful flower arrangement is perfect for any occasion, there are many great holidays in September you might consider sending it for:

National Grandparent’s Day is September 11thGrandma & Grandpa would LOVE to have this array of cheery flowers!

The first day of autumn is September 23rdNothing says fall like the warm colors of autumn; this design is a festive way to celebrate the changing seasons!

So if you need to send flowers in September, remember the Fall Treasures flower arrangement for big smiles every time.


Perfect Flowers For September Birthdays

Blue September FlowersSending flowers to someone on their birthday is always a special surprise! Beautiful flowers will create birthday memories to hold close to heart, especially if your recipient works at a desk job. There’s just nothing better than your beautiful birthday gift greeting you with it’s bright and cheery colors every morning as you walk into your office. It’s like celebrating a birthday week instead of just a birth day!

For an September birthday, celebrate the end of summer with warm colors and a mix of summer and fall flowers.  Office flowers are an instant mood changer, and bright, cheery flowers always do the trick!

Read More About September Birthday Flowers…



Fall Bouquet InspirationThe Rustic Spirit of Fall Through Flowers

And with fall right around the corner, now is the time to start thinking Autumn colors! You want your rustic-themed bouquets and flower arrangements to look effortless, chic and natural. Organic colors will blend perfectly into your fall wedding. Using the above fall accessories, you can create an organic, chic rustic-themed bouquet. These simple, easy to find accessories will compliment any wedding ceremony. Textures make a huge impact and by creating a floral design with these alternative accessories you are sure to express your creative spark in more ways than one!

Read more about Rustic Fall Flower Bouquets
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The Rustic Spirit of Fall Through Flowers

The look this fall is: Rustic Chic

Fall Wedding Bouquet TrendsAnd with fall right around the corner, now is the time to start thinking Autumn colors! You want your rustic-themed bouquets and flower arrangements to look effortless, chic and natural. Organic colors will blend perfectly into your fall wedding.

  • Dark reds
  • Deep yellows
  • Burnt oranges
  • Deep purples
  • Sage greens

Add The Spirit of Fall To Your Wedding Ceremony

Think about all of the things that make the fall season so memorable and unique:

  • pumpkins,
  • rustic vines
  • figs
  • moss
  • cornucopia
  • berries
  • grass
  • different colored leaves
  • acorns
  • twigs
  • holiday ribbon

Using the above fall accessories, you can create an organic, chic rustic-themed bouquet. These simple, easy to find accessories will compliment any wedding ceremony. Textures make a huge impact and by creating a floral design with these alternative accessories you are sure to express your creative spark in more ways than one!

Your local florist can create the prefect wedding bouquet for you. Or if weddings aren’t on your horizon, opt for a beautiful arrangement of fall flowers instead! Same principles apply!

For more wedding photos, visit our sister site Wedding & Party Network’s galleries.

The bouquet featuring orange lilies was created by Floral Design & Home Decor in Coeur D Alene, ID

Free Flowers With A Catch for Good Neighbor Day

Good Neighbor DayAt Bentley Florist in Burton MI, they take the upcoming Good Neighbor Day (Sept. 7th) to heart. Steve Welch, owner of Bentley Florist, and his staff have teamed up with Michigan Warriors hockey team players, staff members, and even the mascot to promote the spirit of neighborly love in their county.

“We hope that the people of Genesee County will be able to get acquainted with new people or renew old friendships during Good Neighbor Day”, Welch said.  “We hope to create a friendlier, more caring and compassionate world starting right here in our community”.

Bentley Florist will give away 3,500 roses in dozen bundles absolutely free, while supplies last, to anyone who visits the shop. There a catch though: anyone who picks up the roses will be asked to sign a promise to keep one rose for themselves and give the other 11 roses away to different people — in the spirit of neighborly friendship.

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At Peace With Peace Lily: Proper Watering

Ask The Plant Expert: Recently someone gave me a large peace plant.  It is inside in a relatively low- light area within air conditioning. During the last 2 weeks the leaves have been turning brown around the edges, and a few days later look completely dead. I water them with a quart of water every 4 or 5 days  ( do not water until water leaks out the bottom into the tray) I see no sign of infestation. Help! – L.R.

Peace Lily House PlantFlower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: It could be a couple of things:

  • If the leaf is turning brown without any yellowing first I would say it is lack of water.
  • If the leaf is turning yellow and then turning brown it is too much water.

Check the following – stick your finger into the rootball up to your first joint, if the soil feels moist, the plant doesn’t have good drainage, and too much water is likely the cause.

Reply from L.R. – Thank you.  You have answered my question.  The leaves are turning brown around the edges with the brown gradually moving to the center of the leaf.  Not enough water.  Will concentrate on taking better care of the plant.

 

 

Help! Why Do My Azalea Blooms Always Buckle After Rain?

Ask The Plant Expert: Our azalea blooms appear to collapse after any sort of rain – yet other azalea plants,  (similar to ours) in the neighborhood, do not seem to have this problem.  Could you please explain why this could be so?  We have plenty of blooms, but they don’t last in the rain. – Charlie

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Charlie,

Send A Azalea HouseplantYou might have a different type of azalea than your neighbors. Depending on the species of azalea, the blooms might be more delicate and thus not as sturdy during a rain.

  • If you have the same species of azaleas as your neighbors, exposure is the culprit. Your azaleas may get more of the blunt force of the elements, especially the rain.  This will cause the blooms the collapse.
  • Another factor can be the amount of blooms that your plant has. An abundance of blooms will cause the plant to catch more water. The weight of this extra water will cause the blooms to collapse.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.