All About Flowers – Our Blog | Flora2000.com

‘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.

Putting your home in a seasonally festive mood doesn’t have to include a trip to your discount store for plastic novelties and overpriced knick-knacks. Take a look around the natural outdoors to get inspiring ideas for authentic styles and eye-pleasing arrangements to bring indoors. These four projects are simple, suitable, and surprisingly affordable.

Cornucopia – What dining table wouldn’t look inviting with the traditional look of a harvest bounty? The “horn of plenty” basket can be purchased at most hobby shops and over-filled with small pumpkins, squash, and decorative ears of corn, leaves, fruits, and berries (Tip: To reduce the amount of items you will need, try stuffing the bottom end of the basket with “filler” such as straw, dried leaves, excelsior or raffia). Tuck a few autumn-colored fresh flowers into the arrangement for some brilliance (Sunflowers, red or orange Gerbera Daisies, or a few peach roses can compliment the look).

Wreaths – The circular symbols for “welcome” can be placed both indoors and outdoors for a guest-friendly look. Wreaths can be made from flowers, leaves, evergreen, and fresh berries. Dried and preserved presentations can be used year-after-year, while fresh arrangements can last through the holiday of your choosing. Hang them on a wall, a door, or lay them flat to surround a candle display!

Vases – Still in season, flowers in a vase can be easily moved from room to room, giving you a chance to brighten an area at a moment’s notice! For a clean look, keep it simple by using one kind and color of flower. To show your colorful side, group together complimentary colors with an arrangement full of vibrant textures and a variety of florals. Choose a plain vase to decorate, or consider a painted vase with a fall theme or adorned with bows or buttons.

Garlands – Fireplace mantels, long decorative tables, and entryways are just screaming to be decorated, too! Consider a garland made of natural flowers to give a special touch to these flat surfaces. Garlands may be hung and allowed to “fall down” slightly for a draped look, or placed directly along ledges for a no-nail option.

The autumn season is a long one, but it doesn’t have to be boring. Usher in the warmth of family gatherings and a spirit of thanks with a natural flower arrangement that stirs your soul and brightens your home. Endless options and a brilliant palette make it easy for even the most timid decorator to master!

There are no hard and fast rules for maintaining seasonal floral etiquette. What was popular in the summer may work just as well in early autumn. If your wedding event has you wondering whether a summer or autumn flavor is best, consider the following to keep things authentic:

Location – An autumn wedding will look drastically different in Minnesota than it would in sunny Sacramento. Get a feel for your surroundings and pick pieces that compliment the natural environment, while celebrating both the passing of a season and a new phase of life. Consider giving your “Big Day” a local flare with unique accents that were grown in the same area as your big event. Check with your master florist for special homegrown touches they can add to your arrangement!

Availability – Some flowers will simply be more plentiful than others. By sticking with the most seasonal of floral arrangements, you can guarantee they will be easy to get and can be customized to your liking (Roses for instance, are celebrated year-round, but come in fabulous fall hues – like peach!). And with greenhouses offering certain fall favorites at most any time of year, it may be easier to have your favorite seasonal flowers even after the season has passed.

Cost – Whoever stated that “Money is no object” obviously never paid for their own wedding! For brides on a budget, seasonal offerings just make good sense. While generally more affordable than their off-season counterparts, they will never show their savings and can give a million-dollar appearance to any lower-priced celebration.

Can you wear white after Labor Day? I wouldn’t recommend it. Can you use white lilies after fall has begun? Sure you can – just opt for a mixed arrangement that contains a variety of fall colors, as well.

While all flowers (even the ones in spring) are a brilliant offering of appreciation, the lively textures, colors, and detail of a perfectly-pieced fall floral arrangement is a treasure that can be remembered for many seasons. Celebrate the beauty of your special day with a fall floral theme that contains bold butterscotch, orange and bronze blossoms (or pick an arrangement contained in a rustic container, like the $57.99 Harvest Basket). There are so many autumn designs to choose from, and each is sure to give an authentic feel to your wedding.