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Give Flowers for Earth Day

Earth Day is April 22, and we have the perfect gift idea. You guessed it … flowers!

Celebrating Earth Day

Earth Day is a yearly commemoration when events are held to show support for environmental protection. It began in 1970 and has been going strong ever since, coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network. The popularity of this day, and the worldwide awareness of the need for environmental protection, is only growing larger each year.

Earth Day’s importance cannot be overstated. There is no doubt that environmental awareness has grown tremendously since the 1970’s, and Earth Day deserves some credit for that fact.

Early Spring MorningGarden of GratitudeButterfly Garden

Celebrating Flowers

This is the perfect day to go outside and plant a tree, start a garden or review your recycling plan.

It’s also the perfect day to give and receive flowers. Flowers are a physical and real-world example of why the environment needs protecting. They are a living product of nature that not only serves many extremely important purposes in the natural world, but also provides humanity with beautiful adornment, decoration and joy.

So this Earth Day, join in the activities, find another way to reduce your own environmental footprint and give your friends and loved ones some gifts of the natural world. This Earth Day, give flowers.

25 Ways Flower Shops Can Recycle For Earth Day

Earth Day is a unique holiday where we take the time to celebrate the earth and it’s resources that we tend to look over in our busy lives. Everything we have has come from the earth: the wood in our houses, the water in our coffee, the food we’re eating for lunch, and so much more. Isn’t it our time to give back?

This Earth Day, find a new way to use the 3 R’s in your daily life: Reduce Reuse Recycle!

Recycle for Earth DayHere are some great methods florists already use in their flower shops. (If you’re a florist, perhaps you can find a way to start using some of these great, earth-friendly actions.)

  • 1. Recycle and reuse cardboard.
  • 2. Encourage customers to bring in glass vases for reuse or recycling.
  • 3. Give bubblewrap to the local packaging store (UPS).
  • 4. Use terry towels instead of paper towels at your design table.
  • 5. Reuse packing material whenever possible.
  • 6. Use recycled office paper to make notepads for shop use.
  • 7. Use a hybrid or other earth-friendly vehicle to do deliveries.
  • 8. Empty cooler bucket water onto outdoor plants.
  • 9. Recycle stems and other organic waste in a compost, or find a local composter to give it to.
  • 10. Give flower boxes back to wholesalers.
  • 11. Keep mug boxes and other pretty containers to use as ‘economy’ containers by using a plastic liner for small arrangements.
  • 12. Save extra pieces of ribbon, fabric, cardboard tubes and foil to give to local pre-schools for art projects. [Read more…]

Houseplants For Earth Day: Reminders To Use The 3 R’s!

Earth Day is a special holiday which we celebrate our wonderful Mother Earth. Everything we are, we owe to the earth and it’s resources. The wood that’s in our houses, the metal in our cars, the glass in our windows, even the plastic in our water bottles are made from resources we’ve mastered here on earth. This is why Earth Day is such an important celebration; to remind us to be thankful of what we have and to practice the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle!) to ensure our resources for future generations.

*~ REDUCE | REUSE | RECYCLE ~*

English Ivy HouseplantA great way to celebrate Earth Day is to bring the wonderful creations of earth indoors. A houseplant is a great way to remind yourself to practice the 3 R’s daily around the house! Getting into a habit of earth friendliness is always a good thing. In addition to their eco-goodness, houseplants are a beautiful addition to any indoor space. By the use of color and texture you can instantly change the look and mood of a room!

How To Select The Perfect Houseplant

When selecting your houseplant, consider the conditions of the room or area they will be growing. What type of lighting does it have? How is the humidity? All are factors needed for your plant to be comfortable and thrive. You should also consider how much care and time you have available to give to your houseplant. Some plants are happy as they are and require very little supervision, but some require much more care. When buying a houseplant from a quality source, such as your local florist, explain to them what you can offer your houseplant and they will suggest the perfect new plant just for you!

FSN also offers a great resource when it comes to houseplants. Our Houseplant Care & Information page has many of the common houseplants listed with their care and information explained by our experts.

Houseplant Toxicity – Be sure to consider your pets when buying a houseplant. Many common houseplants are toxic and harmful to pets. Check out our houseplant toxicity list before buying your new plant.

Here Are 3 Main Types Of Houseplants
Green Houseplants
| Tropical Houseplants |
Flowering Houseplants

Green Houseplants Tropical Houseplant Flowering Houseplant

Flower Shop Network is an advocate of local florists. All flowers and plants listed in our store will connect you to your local florist, anywhere across the US and Canada! Support Local!

This post is brought to you Allentown PA florists.
Not in Pennsylvania? No worries, Flower Shop Network connects you to a real local florist!

Last-Minute Earth Day Celebration Ideas

Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment.
I love Earth Day! I don’t think there is anything more inspiring than the earth and mother nature. Together, they have created some of the most fascinating and intricate forms in our universe. We are lucky to call the earth our home, and in this fast-paced world of cellphones, computers, skyscrapers and concrete we tend to neglect her.

So what can you do this Earth Day to show our great planet some love? Well, here are some great and very easy ideas you can do at home or work to get you in the Earth Day spirit!

1. Make A Pledge

The easiest thing to do is make yourself a pledge or resolution to help your planet in your daily life. This can be as easy as picking up litter when you see it on the sidewalk, turn off the faucets in your home when you are not actively using them, stop using plastic water bottles — there are so many ways you can help! If we all do these small gestures, they will add up!

The US EPA has created this great Pick 5 For the Environment pledge that allows you to pick 5 small actions to add to your routine that will make a world of difference! Check it out!

Once you’ve picked your 5, write them down or print them out and hang them somewhere you will see them daily to remind you. A great place for them is on a bulletin board at your shop. You and all of your employees should tack their 5 to your Earth Day pledge board. This will remind you of the things you pledged to do this Earth Day, as well as set an example for your customers and other visitors.

2. Clean Up Your Neighborhood

Take a moment of your day to walk around the block at your house or shop and pick up any trash or debris. While you are walking, really notice the small blessings nature has provided us with. In the floral industry, it is easy to look over natural beauty sometimes. I think, being close to nature and natural materials on a daily basis, we should be more inclined to find beauty in some of the most unique places. Even if your block is surrounded with skyscrapers and concrete, I guarantee you could find some strong, little plant making the most of a crack in the sidewalk.

If you’re feeling more ambitious, take a scenic drive to your closest lake or river and a leisurely walk alongside the water. Pick up any trash you see along the bank.

3. Sidewalk Chalk Awareness

To raise Earth Day Awareness, draw flowers and trees along the sidewalk in front of your shop or house. In big letters write, “HAPPY EARTH DAY,” (and you might include any promotion your shop is having!)

If you can, draw little cartoons of people recycling in different ways. This will give passers-by the real idea of what Earth Day is!

Make sure to buy environmentally-friendly sidewalk chalk! Even if you have no artistic talent, you can draw a tree! If you’re feeling creative, draw a big earth with people holding hands around it. Have fun!

Photos courtesy of ramseymohsen.

This Earth Day Awarenes article is brought to you by local Portland, OR florists.

There’s No Foolin’ With Our April Flowers!

April is here! With April Fools Day in full bloom nationwide, there are tons of pranks taking place all over the place! At Flower Shop Network we love to feature great arrangements perfect for the upcoming month on our active Bloomin’ Blog— and our April 2010 Featured Flowers are NOT foolin’ around!

This beautiful arrangement is perfect for all of the fun holidays coming up this month! From Administrative Professional Day or as some of you  know it– Secretary Day to Earth Day and even to Easter, these gorgeous spring flowers are sure to win over your recipient!  The delightful flower arrangement is made with beautiful fuchsia Gerberas, peach roses, adorable yellow tulips, green button poms all packaged into cute vase with curly willow foliage! Don’t forget, you don’t have to wait for a holiday to brighten someone’s day—bring some cheer to your office or even your friend’s office with these bright spring flowers!

Find a local florist today!

Happy Earth Day! How Are You Celebrating?

Earth Day is today–April 22, 2009. The pre-k students at the local school (my favorite little girl included) are celebrating Earth Day 2009 with an outdoor picnic. I thought that was a great idea.

My grandmother’s 80-something birthday (she stopped counting in the 1960s) is tomorrow so I’m going to her house to plant a tree in her backyard and do some light gardening.

My brother and his wife are very environmentally conscious. They are throwing a small get-together for some of their friends; much like a raw food party. What are you doing to celebrate?

I want your stories and ideas for how to celebrate Earth Day in 2009. Are you spending time outside today? Are you spending time with friends and family? Reading a nature book to your child as tonight’s bedtime story? Who knows. Maybe you’ll give me and someone else a great idea for Earth Day 2010!

Happy Earth Day!

The Greatest Natural Wonder: Celebrating Earth

It’s Earth Day again! Time now to celebrate the rich beauty and the fullness of this great planet that daily sustains the lives of millions of inhabitants. With such a remarkable and rewarding existence, it is no wonder that April 22 marks the yearly celebration of such a fascinating home.

My older brother and I were sitting around discussing “green” politics one day—a practice not at all unusual or uncommon. The topic of Earth Day and Arbor Day spawned such enthusiasm that a planting party idea quickly emerged. He and I sat for hours planning an elaborate gathering of ourselves, our neighbors, and our community around a group of plants ready to break ground on environmental awareness and renewal. What plans to be a great time is reserved for six o’clock this evening at our local park with a host of friends, family, flowers, and foliage.

A bit of history on this holiday is that Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22 of 1970. Senator Gaylord Nelson had for several years been very disheartened by a lack of environmental awareness in political policy. Senator Nelson had tried earlier during the presidency of John F. Kennedy to push the issue into national attention. He met with President Kennedy to plan and discuss a national conservation tour. Though the success of the tour did not produce the results Senator Nelson had desired, it did spawn an idea that would later become Earth Day.

An epiphany of sorts came to Senator Nelson during a visit to a college campus in the summer of 1969. The Vietnam War was spreading fury among young protestors who took to the streets in opposition. Senator Nelson’s view of these events sparked the idea for a national protest of the atrocities affecting the environment. Senator Nelson first spoke officially of a national grassroots demonstration for the cause at a conference in September of the same year. The following April, his vision came to life and would later become what we now know as Earth Day. More than 20,000 demonstrators including individuals, schools, and civic groups participated in the nationwide awareness movement.

With this knowledge emblazoned in our minds, Mark and I decided to keep the fiery tradition alive. While we may be just two people, we’re two humans who breathe deeply the fresh air of a new day. A swim, ride, or hike is as much a renewal to our spirits as a fresh glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. Earth Day is a celebration of waking up to a fresh landscape, a way to appreciate our surroundings, and a national moment of thought toward the natural wonders that bring so much joy into the lives of us all.

If you can plant a tree to celebrate Earth Day, send or buy a plant that improves air quality such as peace lily, Chinese evergreen, English ivy, snake plant, or heartleaf philodendron (all pictured below). To learn more about plants that improve air quality, read NASA’s Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement report.

– Brynn FSN Support Staff –

English Ivy English Ivy

Chinese Evergreen Chinese Evergreen

Peace Lily Peace Lily

Heartleaf Philodendron Heartleaf Philodendron

Snake Plant Snake Plant – Mother In Law’s Tongue – Sansevieria