Month: September 2009

Native to the Mediterranean region, Lavender is a member of the mint family and is one of the oldest and most widely used of all flowers in the world.

Lavender is grown for its oil which is used as an antiseptic, insecticide and for aromatherapy. The flower buds are dried for potpourris and sachets. Lavender is used as a flavoring for pastries, teas, desserts and sugars. It is also used medicinally as an anti-inflammatory.

Each year, I look forward to making floral bouquets with fresh lavenders.

There are many Floral Design competitions throughout the world. In the United States, the most prestigious and longest running contest is “The Sylvia Cup”.  Hosted by the Society of American Florists (SAF), this competition is structured very much like an “Iron Chef” competition; selected top floral designers throughout the United States are given a surprise package of flowers and supplies, a surprise task and two hours to complete a fabulous design. The contest is a showcase for unique, creative and innovative floral design.

For centuries floral design has been accepted in Asia as an art form, yet only recently has the western world begun to accept floral design as a true art form.

In the late 1980s French Floral Designer Christian Tortu began his revolution of Floral Design as Art. Andrew Goldsworthy an accomplished English artist and sculptor raised awareness in the traditional art world through the use of flowers and organic materials in his work. Other significant floral artists include Gregor Lersch of Germany, Daniel Ost of Belgium, Elly lin of Twain, Damian Koh of Singapore, Hitomi Gilliam of Canada and John Haines of the United States.

Today there are organizations and art galleries in nearly every country of the world which feature floral design as art. Some of these include the American Institute of Floral Design, the Floral Art Society of New Zealand and the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies.

If you love flowers, make a point of visiting a Floral Art Exhibit sometime. You will be amazed.

There is always time for a backyard barbecue. Call your friends and throw the burgers on the grill. Plans to be made – checkerboard table clothes, plenty of napkins, fill the Ipod with dancing tunes and gather up the flowers.

For fresh inspiration, create a floral centerpiece in a watermelon or pick an excellent arrangement from Flora2000. Yes, fun, fresh and sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. Add candles to light up the evening and a pitcher of Mojitos with fresh mint from the garden. Mmmm… Sounds like a great time is about to begin.

There are so many flowers to choose from, where do I even begin? Pick your favorite color and choose one of everything you can find. Yes! That is the perfect answer. Mother Nature knew best when she designed the explosion of blooms at the end of the harvest. There is no need to limit yourself to just one variety. Gather one of every flower you can find – the more sizes, textures and shapes, the better.

Start with a small cluster of flowers and add individual stems into the bouquet at a slant. That is the magic trick! Place each bloom in at an angle and you will end up with a fabulous rounded bouquet. Before you know it, you have created a lovely bouquet. Pat yourself on the back for choosing such a grand collection of flowers and say thank you to Mother Nature for planning out the season of blossoms so well.

A drive through the countryside will surely bring you to an apple tree laden with fruit. And, of course, wild roses have grown gangly extending their branches out along the fence rows. Interesting tidbit of the day…did you know, the apple is a member of the Roseceae family? Yes, the rose and the apple are cousins. No wonder they work so well together in a floral arrangement.

Pick your favorites – green granny smith with green Jade roses, red delicious with red Freedom roses, and yellow golden delicious with yellow Emblem roses. Add a few foliages and you have a fabulous centerpiece. Soon you’ll declare “Hands off! Don’t be eating my apples. I need them for my flower arrangements”.

Grandparents Day, first observed in 1978, started small and has grown into a celebration of respect for all elders. Founder, Marian McQuade would be proud to see how it has grown beyond recognizing our blood relatives to including older friends, the elderly and the shut in. The day recognizes the contributions our senior citizens have brought to the world and allows us to focus on the wisdom and heritage that age can provide. What a wonderful opportunity to connect with our past. A gift of flowers is a wonderful way to say I love you and thank you for all you have done.

There is someone you know who deserves flowers for Grandparents Day