Alaskawildflowers's Blog

You just have to look for it. And the flower that you find attractive may not be someone else's favorite.

Hydrangeas are one of my favorites, mostly because I remember them from my granny's house, and partly because they are huge pools of lushness-- but I have a friend who just cannot abide hydrangeas in his arrangements-- he called up and let us know he did not care for them the first and only time we delivered them to his office. Whatever form you find pleasing, there's a flower for you. Whichever color you find most attractive, there's a bloom for you. You just have to keep looking, and notice what's out there. Pay attention to the colors that make you feel good. Does your heart jump a little when you look at a rose, or does that watermelon gerbera daisy just make you smile? If you look at something and think you could take it or leave it, keep looking.

The advantage of buying your flowers from the same place is that the florist can get to know your tastes over time, and help you choose flowers that evoke your personal style. Sometimes that just takes practice. Try to remember what you liked when you were in grade school. Most of the kids who come into our store know exactly what they like. One girl came in with her mother, and chose Garnet Kings, a burgundy chrysanthemum. She was deciding what to put with them, and chose a bi-colored carnation that had a yellow eye, and the same burgundy tone around the rim of the petals. Her mother didn't want her to get the carnations simply because they were carnations. We told the girl that her choice was perfect, and to keep developing her eye for color and form and in this instance to not listen to her mother.

You, too, will figure out which flowers please you. It's just a matter of practice, and this skill can be learned. This is one country in the world where the arts are taught only if you already show an aptitude for it-- people are labelled as "creative" or "not creative," and we allow that label to stick. What if only the people who showed an aptitude for numbers were taught math, or only the ones who showed an aptitude for letters were taught to read? Work on developing your eye for flowers-- when you see them in gardens, or vases in hotels, or in buckets at the florists, stop and really look at them. Notice what shapes please you, what colors make your heart sing. Do you like sweet scents, or spicy? Your life will be the richer for it.

 

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You can certainly relieve stress by taking flowers home with you-- but you can also help yourself feel better by giving flowers to other people-- it's kinda like the advice the gurus give about helping yourself by helping others. I have to say, though, it really works. Every time someone comes in my store and I give them a bloom because I can see they're having a bad day (or they tell us they're having a bad day), I feel better. And the great thing is, it doesn't really matter what kind of flower you give! This time of year, I like to give narcissus, because although they're a true spring flower and don't last very long, they smell wonderful. Whatever you choose, give for the sake of giving, with no expectation. The good feelings you get back will be tenfold.

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I have a friend who used to tell me, "whatever else is going on, say to yourself, 'life is good, business is terrific, people are wonderful, I have good chi!'" The truth is, I have about as good a time as I allow myself to have-- and certainly a better time if I concentrate on the positive. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is my appreciation list for fall 2008: 1. Sunflowers of any kind. Their big bright showy heads just make me smile. 2. Oriental lilies, 'cause they smell divine. 3. Waratah-- a true primitive from that middle band around the world including New Zealand & Fiji, it's big, and watermelon red, and I love the name. 4. Molucella, aka Bells of Ireland. Their spicy scent reminds me of spring. 5. Roses of almost any variety. The 2008 blue ribbon winner at the Society of American Florists show is "High and Magic," a yellow bi-color with bright red edge and 10-14 days of vase life will fill the bill for many happy occasions. 6. Gerbera Daisies, because they come in all kinds of fabulous bi-color varieties, and their petals are just saturated with color. 7. Narcissus-- as the days are getting shorter, this bulb smells great, and reminds me that light does come back to the north country eventually. 8. Cymbidium orchids. The chinese symbol for many children (an oxymoron, don't you think?), they come in all shades of green, white, yellow, purple, orange and others, and have such an exotic look with their magenta eyes and freckles. 9. Delistar spider mums-- they have a lacy look to them, and remind me of the spiders I saw in the jungles of Mexico-- all legs with a slim middle. 10. Anthurium. The obake (ghost) anthurium are my favorites, because the petal is a bi-color, and the shape is more exaggerated . To these I would add-- I appreciate being able to work in a place of beauty; and in this climate, I feel fortunate to be self-employed and in control of my own livelihood. We have a good crew here, so I work with congenial people, get to laugh every day, and make beautiful things for our customers-- many of whom have become friends. Life is short-- the friend I started this post with, died at age 53 of ovarian cancer. So I try every day, to count my blessings, and do what good I can.

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Both! We are excited whenever new flower varieties become available. One of the newest Oriental lily cultivars is a deep red called Cobra. Not to be confused with the Cobra Lily (also called "pitcher plant") which is actually a swamp-growing bug-eater. The Oriental lily Cobra, has an upright bloom-- that means the blooms face UP, as opposed to the Oriental lily Casablanca, which is a hanging bloomer. (We can't understand why Casablanca is the best known and most expensive white Oriental lily known to man, when it actually looks better if you are laying on the living room floor looking up at the flowers-- the upright bloomers are MUCH more showy.) Anyhoo, new varieties are always cause for celebration-- it expands the choices available to all of us. I like to imagine what other blooms would complement the new varieties-- I've usually designed several pieces in my head before we actually have them in the store. That keeps the brain cells dividing; and we usually have a list of people to call because we think they'd like to see the next new thing. questions? comments, anything to add? leave then in the comment box....

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The latest studies by Rutgers, Texas A&M, and Harvard Universities show that having flowers at work helps make one 13% more productive! Isn't that mind-blowing? Effects were measurable after 5 days of having flowers in the office. The size of the bouquet did not matter-- so whatever your budget, take gerbera daisies or roses or lilies or whichever strikes your fancy, to work with you. You might be surprised at the amount of work you can accomplish with a little added cheer of fresh flowers on your desk!

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That is indeed the question! Pulling the guard petals off of flowers, notably roses, does make the bloom look more perfect--because you're removing the blemished petal that's really on there to guard the reproductive parts. However, removing petals, thorns, or any part of the flower, opens up a hole, which allows bacteria and air to get in. It's like you having a cut on your skin. Most of the time, that cut will heal. But sometimes, it gets infected. In the flowers' case, an infection means shorter life. And most times, significantly shorter life. So do you want your rose to look perfect when you present it to your special person and you don't care how long it holds up, or do you want it to last longer? We leave all guard petals on, unless the customer specifically asks for them to be removed. It takes some getting used to, and we constantly explain to folks why we do it-- but in unofficial tests conducted in our back room-- the roses left au natural do last longer. And that's reason enough for us.

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I've written about carnations before; but here's the thing: their family, dianthus, has many members worth a second look. The biggest feature is they're available in a wide range of colors, and they last a very long time. I'm looking at a fucshia bunch right now-- it has a large bloomhead, so you don't need a whole lot to make an impact, plus the florets are just happy looking-- the color is rich and saturated. This time of year the stem is medium length, so you can make reasonable sized arrangements, and as always, you can trim them down. It's tough to make them longer, so cut carefully. The fall and winter holidays are just around the corner; and while many of us have expectations of and feel the obligation of the perfectly decorated home, the best meal, the most, greatest presents, try to set your own course. If purple is your very favorite color, give yourself permission to use purple lights, ribbons, ornaments and flowers to decorate. YOU are the final judge of whether your design is "holiday" or not. And give yourself a nudge to look at standard flowers in a new way, and create a new- fangled arrangement with what's readily available to you. Then relax, and have fun.

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We make beautiful arrangements for every occasion-- but of course, our favorites are the happy ones! We like being part of someone's birthday, anniversary, or new job party. For your next special occasion, consider the decorations as enhancing the celebration. You will expand the impact of the decorations if they are in colors pleasing to the honoree-- pink gerbera daisies, blue delphinium, and fucshia dianthus, for instance if they like cool tones. Something like yellow roses, orange asiatic lilies or red dahlias if they favor warm tones. The goal here is to send a personalized arrangement-- either in the honoree's signature colors and flowers, or in yours.

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Flowers grown with minimum pesticide is good for all of us-- especially the harvest workers who handle the product! In the last 10 years, growers worldwide have make advances in pest control without use of pesticide, or at least reducing it. Does this mean you can eat any flower bought at a flower shop? No. Most flowers sold commercially are sold as "ornamental" because there are trace amounts of pesticide on them. If they're labeled "edible" that means they're below pesticide maximums and you can eat them. We get peppers, berries, fruited branches, olives, and others; I've tried them all and am still here to tell you about it, but I really couldn't reccommend it to you-- some people have a very strong reaction to even minute amounts. Unless you know how everyone who consumes your item reacts, use edible flowers ONLY, on your food trays and cakes. If you use "edible" flowers, you can let the flowers touch the food someone will eat. If you use "ornamental" flowers, the safest course is to sacrifice (read, DON'T serve) the parts of food the flowers are touching. This sometimes means thinking differently about how you will decorate your food item. Your masterpiece cake, for instance, could have the flowers all in a cluster so that you only miss one piece of cake, instead of several. Think of it as a design problem, and see how many solutions you could come up with. Olives fresh off the branch by the way, are bitter and soapy-- better brined in the can from your local grocery!

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