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Home Shop Flowers Bloomin' Blog Find Florists About FSN Contact FSN Florists Only!

Peace Lily In Shock: What To Do

Ask the Expert: Have I damaged my Peace Lily after transplanting?
I purchased 2-3 small Peace lilies about 7 years ago for my boss. She is not a plant person, so it became my responsibility to keep it alive. It has been transplanted once from the pot it was originally in to a slightly larger pot and it has thrived increasing to 5 plants.

Lately it has been droopy and in need of water every other day. It has remained in the office in a relatively climate controlled environment until yesterday. I am in Florida and unfortunately my vehicles air conditioning went out. By the time I drove the 2 miles to home, the plant was all wilted and dying looking. I placed it in the shade as my houses a/c was not on and the inside temperature was almost as uncomfortable as my trucks.

I kept in in the shade and the ambient temp dropped due to an approaching storm. It was in the low 80’s to upper 70’s. I gently removed the plant from the pot and soaked it in water to try to loosen the dirt around the roots. My intention was to put it in 2 pots. I was afraid to cut or try to finger separating wasn’t working on the roots.

Carefully I put soil in the new pot and added a little water. I kept this up in layers and added the ‘mother’ plant in to the center. I added potting soil around it and added water to moisten it. I left is under my oak tree overnight in the shade and it appeared to be slightly recovering until the drive to work this morning. One of the plants in the mother plant has dark wilted green leaves and is majorly droopy. The rest of the plant is a little ‘depressed looking’ with slightly wilted leaves.

I have one of those watering globes and added it in once the plant was placed back in it’s home in the office.

Will my plant recover or have I done permanent damage to it? It really doesn’t appear to be loving life right now. Thoughts/help is greatly appreciated. Cheryl

Plant Expert Reply:

The short answer is to give the plant time, and it will be fine.

The long answer is:

When a peace lily or any other plant is in stress don’t add any more stress to it.  After [Read more…]

See The Light This Fall With Autumn Illuminations

I can’t get past the Autumn Illuminations fall centerpiece. Among the other fall flowers, this centerpiece stood out instantly. That’s saying quite a lot considering how colorful and beautiful the other arrangements are!

"Autumn Illuminations" Fall Centerpiece

"Autumn Illuminations" Fall Centerpiece

But what was it about Autumn Illuminations that drew my eye back to it? Well for starters, it’s not an ordinary bouquet or typical arrangement. It has practicality, purpose and function. The Autumn Illuminations centerpiece is a wreath of fall flowers surrounding a warm colored candle. Imagine the smell of a pumpkin spice candle surrounded by fresh fall flowers! Mmmmm.

I saw this centerpiece and knew that it had to be the featured flower arrangement for August. The summer is winding down and the fall is getting ready to come ahead full force. Before you trade your summer flowers for Halloween and Thanksgiving arrangements, find a middle ground with colorful fall flower centerpieces like Autumn Illuminations. You’ll be glad you did! Plus it’s something nice to come home to if you or your husband is a farmer rushing to finish the harvest.

Trust me. You’ll love having the Autumn Illuminations centerpiece on your table.

Brown Seed On Schefflera Could Be Brown Soft Scale

Ask the Expert: schefflera problem
I have a schefflera plant which I take outside during the spring and summer months. It grows like crazy. Last year i noticed these brownish seed like things on many of the leaves. I cut it way back, and again this year thoughs seed like things are covering a good portion of it. I don’t know if its a bug or disease problem and haven’t been able to find anything that describes this problem. Stephanie

Plant Expert Reply:

Brown Soft Scale

Brown Soft Scale

It sounds like you might have an insect called brown soft scale. I found this picture of Brown Soft Scale From University of Florida” Does the brown scale look like the brown seed on your schefflera?

You will need to spray an insectide on your plant to kill these insects.  You will need one that is safe to use on houseplants.  Your local garden center should have one.  You can also try insecticidal soap which can be found at your local garden center.

Don’t Miss Out! Claim Your FREE Google Places listing!

What Is Google Places?

Ever type something into the Google search box for a particular city? When the results came up, there were a few listings right beside a map at the top of the page – those are listings on Google Places.

Many florists are unaware that registering & claiming your Google Places listing is free and controlling your information is beneficial. Since Google pulls information from many different sources, you may find that Google has “holes” in their data about your shop. It is important that Google has your updated information and that it comes from YOU to make sure it is correct. Unclaimed listings can be claimed by others who might not put your best foot forward. Your Google Places listing is also another platform for marketing.

Controlling local information is a free way to get the word out about your flower shop, which is why Flower Shop Network wants you to know how to claim your shop’s Google Places listing.

How To Claim Your Google Places listing

[Read more…]

Awesome Blue Delphinium Photos

Ask the Expert: I was hoping you could help identify this flower
These photos were taken from a garden in the Chena Village, along the Chena River outside of Fairbanks in July of this year.  I was hoping you could identify them, and let me know if they were native.  Thank you!

– Margaret


Plant Expert Reply:
The flower you have so lovely captured in the photos above is Delphinium. Florists in Alaska, as well as in other places, use this flower in arrangements because it is one of the few true blue flowers available to them.

Delphinium is a genus of 250 annuals, perennials and biennials. In 1998 while vacationing in Alaska, I saw some of the tallest delphinium I had ever seen. It was in the garden of a lady who was a sled dog racer. I believe Delphinium is native to Alaska. If it isn’t it should be, we saw it everywhere during our two week stay.

Some may call this plant larkspur. The terms are often confused and used interchangeably. However, Larkspur and Delphinium are not really the same plant but closely related. In your pictures the blossom shape looks more like Delphinium.

Flower Shop Network Is On Facebook, Are You?

Flower Shop Network is now on Facebook! You can still find the same great information plus see pictures from friends and chat with us (Jamie & Brynn) as well as other florists. I can’t keep the excitement to myself any longer!!

We would also love to view your Facebook page so  let us know if you’re on Facebook as well!

To find/fan/fave us (any or all will do!), visit Flower Shop Network on Facebook.

Don’t forget to check out Wedding And Party Network and FGmarket.com on Facebook as well!

Pink Vining Shrub Is A Mandevilla

Ask the Expert: Please help me identify this flower/shrub

Mandevilla

Mandevilla

I would really love to know what sort of bush this is… if you could, I would be very grateful. Brooke

Plant Expert Reply:
What you have is a vining shrub called mandevilla. It once went by the name Dipladenia splendens but the correct name is Mandevilla x amoena. At my husband’s garden center, we sell a cultivar called Alice du Pont. The plants are hardy in zones 9-11 and live year round. In zone 8 they die back in the winter and came back from the roots in the spring. In all other zones it is treated as an annual.

It loves full sun. Although a little mid-day shade is appreciated. They like plenty of moisture but it must have well-drained soil.

Toledo Florist & Gifts Excels In Customer Service!

Ever wish that you knew someone who would go out of their way to make your order perfect, special and unique? That person is Kim at Toledo Florist & Gifts. Talk to anyone in Toledo, Oregon and they’ll tell you how Toledo Florist & Gifts is THE best place to go for flowers, unique gifts produced locally, and exceptional customer service.

It’s hard to hear a bad word about Kim at Toledo Florist & Gifts and I have yet to find someone who has one. In fact, a view of the testimonials for this flower shop reveals only praise. In a customer-oriented industry like the floral industry, mastering both floral design and customer satisfaction is something to be very proud of. Toledo Florist & Gifts, you deserve a pat on the back!

I rarely hear stories of a florist who offers to go so far out of their way to please a customer. One of Kim’s customers mentioned how Kim even offered to stop by the store and pick up cookies for a child’s classroom to deliver with the order. Wow! What’s even more impressive is that Kim just does these things because it’s who she is. She doesn’t do it for the recognition or the glory. She doesn’t do it so that she can BE the best florist in Toledo, Oregon. She just IS.

If you’re looking for a special florist that will deliver flower arrangements and gifts above every expectation, you’ll do well to visit Kim at Toledo Florist & Gifts in Toledo Oregon.

Just Call Her Veronica

Ask the Expert: Can you identify this flower?

Veronica spicata

Veronica spicata

My wife and I saw this flowering plant in a garden near our home and we were intigued.  It stands only about a foot tall and the blue flowering stems are only about 6 inches in length.  I have attached a picture.  Can you identify it for us? Cliff

Plant Expert Reply:

It looks like a perennial called Veronica spicata,  possibly ‘Darwin Blue’ or ‘Royal Candles’.  I have a different Veronica spicata  cultivar ‘Blue Bouquet’ in my garden and I love it.  It performs very very in my area and is an attractive backdrop for the soft pink ground cover rose in my garden.  Veronica is also known as Speedwell and a fantastic summer bloomer.

Dying Lucky Bamboo – Yellow and Brown Stalk

Hi Jamie

Browning Lucky Bamboo
Browning Lucky Bamboo

I recently came across some of your posts regarding what i believe is lucky Bamboo.  I know nothing about plants this one was left by my ex and i have noticed that it has started to turn yellow and has some funny Little brown dots on the stems it doesn’t look to great, i’ve attached a few pictures and any advice would be very welcome.

thanks in advance.

errol

When I received this email and before I saw the pictures, I thought it can’t be that bad.  I was wrong.  At this point your lucky bamboo is damaged beyond repair.  The only hope you have is to start a new plant off the section that still is green.

You will need to clean the container with hot soapy water, as well as any pebbles or rocks.  Make sure to rinse all thoroughly.  Then you will need to cut the green part of the plant away from the diseased stalks.  Once the green part is cut off, it the cut end into rooting hormone – you can get powder rooting hormone at your local garden center.  Let the powder dry on the cut and then place in your container filled with distilled water.  In a few weeks, new roots will form and you will have a new lucky bamboo plant.

Just a little side note – Most lucky bamboo that turns yellow is caused by too much fertilizer or light.  In your case the lucky bamboo didn’t just turn yellow, it also developed little brown spots. This leads me to believe you that your stems had some type of fungus.  Treating lucky bamboo for fungus is a tricky thing.  It is usually better to start new ones than to try to save the diseased stalks.

Good luck and let me know if you need more instruction on how to propagate new lucky bamboo stalks.