Month: December 2008

Happy New Year….. and Happy Springtime. In the “World According to Leanne”, spring officially begins on January 2. New Year’s Day and the Pasadena Rose parade are over. The holiday season has become a collection of memories – hopefully, mostly happy ones! As life settles into the winter routine, it is easy to feel a bit melancholy. Spring seems like an eternity away. Thank goodness for greenhouses and flower farmers. They give us the gift of an early spring. A little tease to hold us until the garden wakes up from the winter sleep.

It’s time to head off to the florist, gathering bundles of tulips, bunches of daffodils, pots of hyacinths and armloads of pussy willows. When you have filled your house with spring flowers, then spring has begun – even if it is winter outside. As you sit in the warmth of your home enjoying your flowers, sip a cup of hot tea and whisper a prayer of thanks to the hard working flower farmers throughout the world for sharing this wintertime gift.

Boxing Day, celebrated in Great Britain and in most areas settled by the English, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand is December 26, the day after Christmas. There are many interpretations for the day. One theory dates back to an earlier time in which the primary practice of giving gifts to employees and those providing services throughout the year was done the day after Christmas. Another theory (my favorite) recognizes that Christmas celebrations brought family members from far and wide to gather together in this once a year opportunity for fellowship. At the end of the celebrations, each family would fill a box with their annual necessities (provided by the head of the household) and head back to their homestead. This sounds very similar to the contemporary practice of college kids, home for the holidays gathering up food, clothes and money before heading back to school – I guess times don’t really change much.

A floral interpretation of Boxing Day begins with a hinged basket. Have your florist fill the inside with flowers arranged in floral foam, close the lid and gift it to your favorite person. What a surprise when they lift the lid and see the tapestry of fresh blooms.

Remember the mood ring from years past? The simple ring would change colors reflecting your mood alerting your friends to your present state of mind. Would you like an updated version? How about a floral beacon to loudly announce your feelings at the moment? Are you sad or depressed? Set out a blue hued emoticon. Maybe your feminine side (pink) is showing. Feeling an artistic urge? A vivid orange bloom will share the feeling. Are you in need of a pick me up to lift your spirits? A yellow daisy does the trick every time. Undecided or experiencing those dreaded mood swings? Choose a rainbow of blooms and rotate their placement as you wish.

‘Tis the season for candlelight – nothing warms the dark winter days like the glowing flame of a candle. Elegantly long tapers, festive votives, and stately pillars all add ambiance to any floral arrangement. With a few helpful tricks and tips, you can keep your candles safely burning bright.

1) Always purchase dripless and smokless candles.

2) Before lighting, trim your candle wicks to ¼ of an inch.

3) Store your candles in a cool room or even the refrigerator. Cold candles burn slower and cleaner than a warm candle.

4) Pillar candles will burn down straighter if you watch your time on the first lighting. Yes, time your first candle burning to 1 hour per inch diameter of the pillar candle. After the time is up, blow the candle out and let it cool. This will prepare the candle with a center well that will burn down cleanly.

5) Avoid drafts! There is nothing worse for a candle than an air vent. The candle will burn rapidly and off center. Even the finest dripless candle will drip in a breeze.

6) When using votives, place a tablespoon of water in the votive cup before adding the candle. One the candle has burned down, the water makes it easy to remove the remaining wax.

Take care to enjoy the warmth of candlelight responsibly. Never leave a candle burning unattended and be sure the flame is fully extinguished before retiring for the evening.

A favorite for winter is the hardy bulb flower, Amaryllis. You can find these at most florists and garden centers. Plant it, keep it watered and enjoy. It is amazing how quickly the lifeless ball sprouts a bit of green, shoots up the long stem and suddenly explodes into a vivid ball of color. For those of us a bit more impatient, cut amaryllis blooms available at your florist will quickly bring an explosion of color into the home.

A true amaryllis is a South African flower. It blooms in early spring in colors of soft pink and white. The commercially available flower we commonly find noted as an amaryllis is actually a hippeastrum. The hippeastrum is a flower variety within the amaryllis family. These blooms are the result of complicated crossing and selection for bloom size, color, form and lasting qualities. To determine if the bloom you are looking at is the true amaryllis or the sibling, hippeastrum, check the stem. Amaryllis have a solid stem, hippeastrum has a hollow stem. Next time you are shopping, take a look. The flowers you see sold as amaryllis are surely hippeastrum.

As you prepare for all your personal winter celebrations, be sure to include the glorious amaryllis or hippeastrum. The bulb holds such promise, the flower such happiness. What better flower to symbolize my wish for you, a life filled with both promise and happiness.

The holiday season provides so many opportunities to entertain friends and family. It is a glorious time of year to snuggle inside where it’s cozy and warm. I love all the preparations: decorating the tree, baking cookies and filling the house with festive flowers. For a magical touch, I hang a kissing ball from the chandelier.

Made of evergreens, holly or roses, the kissing ball originated in 18^th century England and predates the Christmas tree. Decorated with ribbons and sprigs of mistletoe, they easily suspend from a chandelier or in a doorway. As the name implies, anyone found standing under the ball has to “pay the price” and receive a kiss. Tradition states that if a single young woman received a kiss on the cheek under the kissing ball, marriage would soon follow.

Single or married, the kissing ball will make every kiss extra special. Hmmm…it might be a nice idea to hang one from the chandelier, in the doorway, over the bed and above the kitchen sink. One can never have too many kisses!

The tree is decorated and the sparkling lights are hung. Holiday baking fills the house with scrumptious aromas and visits from friends and family have begun. It’s time to add the special touch of fresh flowers throughout the house. Of course, you don’t want to forget the Christmas tree. Yes, flowers for the Christmas tree are a wonderful fresh touch for your holiday decor.

Cymbidium orchids are my favorite tree-decorating blossom. Native to the Chinese Himalayas, these temperate-climate orchids are very long lasting – often up to 2 weeks and sometimes an amazing 3 weeks or more. Wow! Available in Christmas white, mint green, mocha, pink and ruby, a single spike of cymbidium orchids will provide you with 7-12 blooms. The bigger your tree, the more spikes you will need. As a general rule, measure the height of your tree and plan for a minimum of 3 blooms per foot. I started with 25 blooms on my 7 foot tree but could not stop there. I added 25 more for a full and luxurious explosion of blooms.

To add fresh flowers to your Christmas tree you will need water tubes available from your local florist. Fill each tube with water, replace the cap and tuck the flower in the tiny hole. Nestle each bloom into the branches, step back and enjoy. What a fun and easy way to add a fresh touch to your Christmas decorating!

This year’s floral design styles will strongly reflect our need to find an anchor, to protect ourselves from a world full of unknown possibilities and innovations. Trends promise sophistication, rich elegance and drama. White, black and Grey will be the key neutral colors for floral arrangements embellished with silver, red, pink, shades of purple, eucalyptus and pine green. The season will feature white variegated foliages as well as foliages and branches painted white. These colors embrace the traditional Christmas red and green, but add a fresh new look to the palette. Floral orbs made of fresh flowers, floral pave and foliages will be central to the look.

According to an old German legend, if you find a bird’s nest in your Christmas tree you and your family will experience health, wealth and happiness in the coming year. Hmmm… This sounds like something we could all use! One problem: I can’t find a tree with a nest. It’s time to head to the florist and think like a bird. A cute little florist-made nest filled with fresh flowers, shiny glass balls and Faux Eggs is the perfect addition to your tree. Don’t stop there! A Christmas nest is a wonderful early Christmas gift. Gather several and share the Christmas legend with friends and neighbors. We all need health, wealth and happiness in 2009.

We at Flora2000 are always looking for ways to provide our customers with more information and knowledge on flowers, flower buying and floral trends. With that goal in mind, Flora2000 is proud to welcome the good folks at Floral Design Institute (FDI) into our family.

Each week, Leanne Kesler and the talented staff of the Floral Design Institute will bring their vast knowledge of floral design styles and trends, flowers for entertaining & home décor, flower gift giving tips and floral traditions, to the Flora2000 blog.

Founded in 1969, the Floral Design Institute is the leading floral design school in the world, teaching thousands of students each year. The Institute has established itself as the creative resource for the floral industry with highly respected work in floral design, styles and trends.

Institute Director, Leanne Kesler, is an internationally-acclaimed floral designer and one of the most popular speakers in the floral industry.

We hope you will join us here each week as FDI and Flora2000 continue to explore the wonderful world of flowers.