Author: Flora2000

It is easy to get a bit “down” during the dark days of winter. The air is chilly and maybe wet. The holiday parties have not yet begun and the excitement of back to school is behind us. Oh, what to do to keep our spirits up in the interim periods of life? Flowers of course! They are the perfect antidote to the blahs. Each Friday I gather fresh flowers to scatter around the house. And each Monday I pick up a bouquet for my desk. The investment in flowers is an investment in me! A bright bouquet on my desk is certain to bring a smile. An arrangement on the kitchen counter is the perfect reward for preparing the evening meal. You’ll have a hard time finding the winter blahs in a flower filled world!

Pumpkins are far too wonderful to use just for Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns. Pumpkins make wonderful containers for flower arrangements, and in my home you will find pumpkins and pumpkin arrangements throughout the harvest season. They are easy to make. Just cut off the top of the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and pulp, and place a block of floral foam in the pumpkin. Add colorful flowers and autumn leaves. You will be amazed at how fun and easy it is. These arrangements are perfect for entertaining; you might even use them for a Halloween party.

While the observance of Halloween dates back to ancient Celtic rituals; it is today a holiday for children and the young at heart. Although not celebrated throughout the world, it is one of the world’s fastest growing holidays. In North America over half of all families make or buy a costume for Halloween. In the United States, Halloween is the number one holiday for candy sales with over 2 billion dollars spent on candy last year. Flowers are central to Halloween entertaining and Halloween floral arrangements are considered the perfect “non-fattening” gift for adults. So, stock up with candy for the neighborhood “Trick-or-Treat-Children” and get in touch with your Florist – Flora2000 and they will deliver the perfect gift to all of your friends.

Far more brides are choosing October for their nuptials. It is predicted that in 2009, October will be the biggest wedding month. This is certainly no surprise to a flower lover. The explosion of colorful blooms, the natural beauty of fall foliage and the cool, crisp days lend themselves well to a ceremony in the vineyard, a garden wedding or, for the brave at heart, a mountaintop setting.

It is the time for long walks in the mountains and leisurely strolls though the park gathering treasures of the season. Pine cones, seed pods, mossy branches, mushrooms and colorful leaves abound. Just like the child that fills their pockets with the treasures of the season, I come home with a bag or shirt tail or basket or yes, even my pockets filled with seasonal collectibles. This is a wonderful activity for the whole family and the bonus is the bounty of beautiful design material for decorating your home.

Zinnias are one of my favorite garden flowers. As a child, I would help my dad plant a zinnia garden alongside the house. We created a riotous explosion of color – red, yellow, orange, chartreuse, and pink – every color we could find.  The first blooms would appear in June. By July, the garden was full of color and blooms of every size imaginable. We had the itty bitty Lilliput Zinnias and the great big, State Fair Zinnias as well as everything in between. Each day I would gather my favorites and add them to a bouquet on the table. The amazing thing was the more I cut, the more they would bloom – clear through October and right up to the arrival of the first frost. I don’t think we ever made it to Thanksgiving but often, our little zinnia garden would provide colorful blooms for festive pumpkin arrangements at Halloween.

Looking for a new idea for your autumn centerpiece? This creative approach to floral design creates a luxurious tapestry of color and texture that begs you to touch. Yes, it is ok to touch the flowers. Go ahead! You can design with any flowers you like. My favorite flowers for pave’ designs are roses, sunflowers, chrysanthemums and statice. You can enhance the centerpiece with the addition of stones, shells, mosses, cones or seedpods. For a sophisticated touch, tuck in a few votive candles or a single fat pillar candle. Pave’ – a fabulous look you are going to love!

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.