All About Flowers – Our Blog | Flora2000.com

Ask anyone who loves flowers, “What’s your favorite flower?” and you are sure to hear a long sigh. Flower Lover’s have far too many flowers to list, let alone just pick one. And, our favorites change with the season, our mood, the theme or the moment.

Common favorites do not always include a rose. I know, saying that is almost blasphemy with the grand rose holiday just around the corner. Flower lovers tend to choose flowers that are a bit more fragile, “garden-y” and fragrant. My favorites include tender Ranunculas, delicate Anemone, fragrant and vibrant Hyacinth, romantic sweet Peas and yes, the Rose…but only if it is fragrant and reminiscent of grandma’s garden.

Professional Florists can always recognize a Flower Lover and are delighted to seek out special flowers when they know that they are loved and appreciated. The next time you visit your florist, share your favorites with them. They may not have these blossoms in stock, but they will be happy to order them in and make a special arrangement just for you.

A new year has arrived. Now is the perfect time to begin the healthy practice of adding meditation flowers to you life. Meditation flowers are small and simple designs, with a definite focal point. The simplicity of flowers makes them good enough for any place in your house. Could be on your worktable, bedside table, bathroom or kitchen counter.

We know that flowers play an important role in reducing stress and anxiety. Keep meditation flowers nearby. When you feel the stress of the day overwhelming you, stop, focus on the flowers and practice a few simple breathing exercises.

Within minutes you will feel your anxieties melt away. Your florist can create a different design for you each week. You will be amazed at how much better you feel.

Welcome to the winter blues. January often arrives with an after-holiday gift of lethargy and melancholy. With the tree down, the house looks bare. The thank you cards are all sent and there are no plans for the friendly get-togethers so common in the month of December. The kids are back in school and here you sit asking yourself “what next?” Careful now or you will descend even further into the dreaded “winter blues”. Did you know? The winter time blues traditionally peak on January 24th, and continue on into mid to late February. Oh, my goodness! That is far too long to be down in the dumps. It’s time for “Flower Therapy”.

As if you ever needed an excuse to buy flowers, Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Rutgers University are now discovering what “Flower Lovers” have known forever – beautiful fresh flowers really make you feel better. It’s true; scientists have determined that the presence of fresh flowers in your home will improve your mood and energy level. Flowers chase away anxieties and worries as well as provide a boost of energy, happiness and enthusiasm. No worries – get happy – let’s get started! It’s time to fill the house with flowers and beat those winter blues.

The market is filled with beautiful and colorful spring flowers. Fabulous tulips, vivid daffodils, fragrant paper whites, forsythia and pussy willow are among the favorites. Mix and match; tulips and daffodils for color, forsythia, pussy willow or other blooming branches for dramatic height and paper whites or hyacinth for fragrance. Don’t save the flowers for a special occasion. Grab a few now and brighten your home. Doctors orders!

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!