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august 2008

August 29, 2008 | out and about

Enjoying the fruits and flowers of your labor

Labor Day signals the end of summer -- good news if you relish crisp weather and autumn colors (be sure to check in next week for an update on fall trends), bad news if you're a summer soul who could live all year on the beach.

But a long weekend is great, no matter what month it is. If you're entertaining, remember that flowers add instant elegance to any gathering. And if you're a guest, flowers are a super way to show your appreciation for your host or hostess's hard work.

I spruced up my place with some yellow teddy sunflowers mixed with purple veronica as well as a simple vase of bright pink snapdragon. I also made a small bouquet of snapdragon and veronica for the bathroom and it's a really nice way to start the day. Maybe I'll put a vase on my nightstand as well to ensure sweet dreams. :)

Flower Facts of the Day: If your flower beds are looking a little tired, try adding some cabbage and kale. Get the details at: www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/lifestyles/1133012,5_5_
WA29_GARDEN_S1.article.

• The Monterey Bay Dahlia Society holds its annual show this weekend. For more info, visit mbdahlias.org.

• Flowers keep showing up as fashion choices of the famous. Sleek and uber-chic, Katie Holmes wore a bloom-inspired blouse on her way to a rehearsal in NYC. See it at: www.fadedyouthblog.com/45946/katies-flower-power.

• And did you know that 5,550 roses were presented to medalists at the Beijing Olympics? That's just one of the many facts highlighted in a post on Flower History on www.canpages.ca/blog/?p=251. The post has super pix so be sure to check it out.

Have a fantastic and flower-filled weekend, and I'll see you in September!

Comment 1

August 29, 2008 | florist in the spotlight

Meet a growing floral family ...

by Jacqueline - Editor

Rich Dudley of The Bloomery Florist in Butler, PA, bloomery.com, recently wrote a smart and thoughtful post about being a florist and being part of the important times in people's lives.

As he put it: "We deliver flowers to celebrate births and birthdays, make a beautiful bride even more radiant, mark anniversaries, and even provide some solace when a loved one departs our world.

"The look on a bride's face when we show up with her bouquet, or the surprise arrival of an unexpected bouquet, makes a lot of hard work very worthwhile."

Bloomery Florist owners and their baby

Rich and his wife Kathy, who have run The Bloomery for 10 years, recently became parents.

At the time I ran his comments, I didn't have their family photo but now that I do, I wanted to share it with you because it's so cute.

To read Rich's earlier post, visit: teleflora.com/FLOWERBLOG/post/For-a-florist,-marking-milestones,-sharing-surprises-are-all-in-a-day's-work.aspx.

Comment 5

August 28, 2008 | flower facts

Flowers, memories and madeleine cookies

by Jacqueline - Editor

Not to get all Proustian on you, but it’s an inescapable fact that plants and gardens connect us with our personal histories.

Like the crumbs of a madeleine that inspired Marcel Proust’s masterpiece, “Remembrance of Things Past,” for many people flowers trigger strong memories.

Orchid

Several readers commented recently that summer blooms take them back to their childhoods or remind them of their mothers, grandmothers or other people they felt close to.

For me, there are lots of back-yard blossoms that rewind time: Lily of the valley, tulips, grape hyacinth (muscari) and tiger lilies. Also, Queen Anne’s lace, lilac and milkweed pods.

To explore this little corner of nature and emotion, I checked in with Stuart Fischoff, Ph.D., professor emeritus of psychology at California State University, Los Angeles, and senior editor of the Journal of Media Psychology, mediapsych.net.

Flowers’ fragrance is pivotal to the recall process, especially with intense emotional experiences.

“Our sense of smell is one of the most primitive senses of a human being. It has stronger potential to bring back vivid memories than most other senses," says Fischoff.

“But as human beings have evolved, we’ve discounted or discredited the information that smell provides. We eliminate bad smells and we recoil when animals smell each other.

“So when these memories come back [through scent] they come with a vividness that’s electrifying.”

A sight or smell may take us back to our earliest days. At about age 5, says Fischoff, our verbal memory kicks in; prior to that, memory functions in the visual and non-verbal realm.

Before we acquire language, taste, touch and sight are extremely powerful. But as we age, those sense-based memories are harder to access.

There’s also a distinction between familiar, frequently recalled memories, which we see through the lens of the present, and sudden flashbacks to long ago that startle us with their freshness and clarity.

Chance events can trigger non-conscious recollection (not to be confused with repressed memory a la Freud) as can wafts of a fading summer flower. “Sometimes they’re frightening and sometimes they’re beautiful,” Fischoff says.

In the case of flowers, my money’s on beautiful.

Flower Fact of the Day: If your camellia bushes have pale yellow leaves, they need a dose of fertilizer containing chelated iron. That’s the tip of the week from the National Gardening Association, nationalgarden.org. Another great resource for gardeners is New York Botanical Gardens’ home gardening online guide: nybg.org/hgc_online.

Comment 2

August 27, 2008 | teleflora news

As election race heats up, bouquets get political

by Jacqueline - Editor

Flowers might not be in the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention, which runs through Thursday at Pepsi Center in Denver. But, when you’ve got Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton behind the podium, it’s hard for even the most dazzling blooms to take center stage.

That said, flowers still have a presence as politicians make history in the Mile High City. First, take a look nearly anywhere in the city and you’ll likely see a Denver daisy. There are thousands growing around town.

Mayor John Hickenlooper launched the citywide beautification program to help prepare for the convention, using a cultivated variety of Rudbeckia hirta flowers, native to the region and often called Black-Eyed Susan. For more info, visit: 9news.com/life/garden/article.aspx?storyid=97639.

Meanwhile, Maryland delegates to the DNC tapped the power of nature by holding their Tuesday lunch meeting at the Denver Botanic Gardens, botanicgardens.org. You can read the full story at: delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080826/NEWS01/80826073.

And, whether your party colors are blue or red, you can capture the excitement of the race by treating yourself or fellow supporters to a Teleflora Vote Blue or Vote Red floral bouquet. They’re also a fun gift for your debate-over-dinner partners or people who might need a reminder to vote.

Check them out at: teleflora.com/political-party-flower-bouquets.asp.

Vote Red floral bouquet

Flower Fact of the Day: Night blooming cereus appears only once a year, for about a week. “The tight buds start out small, then grow only to loosen their tentacle-like grip for just a few hours in a midsummer night display of rare beauty,” writes Nicole Barbano, in the Newport News, Va./Daily Press. Read the rest of her story at: dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--night-bloomingflo0827aug27,0,3181652.story.

Comment 23

August 27, 2008 | teleflora news

Free flowers: Six days left to enter

by Jacqueline - Editor

Don't forget to enter Flower Blog's monthly floral bouquet sweepstakes. Make a comment on any post this month and you'll be automatically entered. The winner for August will be picked on or around Sept. 2. To see the official rules, visit teleflora.com/FLOWERBLOG/post/Flower-Blog-August-Sweepstakes-Official-Rules.aspx.

Good luck, flower fans, and enjoy your summer bouquets.

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