flower blog

Not good at choosing wine? No time to cook? Not patient standing in line?

Sometimes being a guest and picking the perfect hostess gift is easier said than done.

With hours to go before the holiday, flowers can come to your rescue. Both pretty and practical, a bouquet can brighten up any corner of a house. And with a zero calorie count, there's nothing for anyone to feel guilty about.

Etiquette rules say that of you're presenting to the host or hostess, you should have the flowers already in a vase. Why? With so many last-minute tasks to attend to, your host will probably not have to time to find a vase, recut stems and position the blooms.

That's where Teleflora comes in. All of our bouquets are hand-arranged and hand-delivered. So you look good and your host can actually meet and greet. Oh, and enjoy the flowers!

Flower Fact of the Day: Cabbage might not be the sexiest plant in town but it turned a few heads at the Auckland Flower Show where one of the most popular exhibits was a Cleopatra made completely of veggie materials. Check it out at: stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/4773691a22695.html.

Also, did you know that ornamental kale, a form of cabbage and a hallmark of many upscale flower bouquets, is edible? Learn more at: nj.com/homegarden/garden/index.ssf/2008/11/ornamental_kale
_brightens_wint.html.  
 

A few weeks ago I wrote about attending the Women's Conference 2008 in Long Beach, CA, where First Lady of California Maria Shriver gave a speech (about aging, finding real courage and becoming your authentic self) that had everyone on the verge of tears.

She also mentioned that part of her daily routine is to say Saint Theresa’s Prayer, which she'd read at Tim Russert's memorial service in June.

Because tomorrow is a day to give thanks and focus on the gifts that we have, I thought I'd share this with you.

Saint Theresa’s Prayer
May today there be Peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this Presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
 

There’s a lot to love about Thanksgiving.

Counting blessings. Not counting calories. Being with family and friends. The chance to decorate and create a look all your own.

No matter how you celebrate, you might be in need of some easy and elegant ways to use flowers this Thursday and beyond.

With that in mind, I turned to Carol Caggiano, freelance floral designer, AIFD, PFCI, for help with creating festive floral decorations that adapt easily from one season to the next.

• If your budget is tight, stick with mums, carnations or stock. If you have a bit more to spend, tulips, amaryllis, orchids or calla lilies are terrific choices.

Whatever you choose, instead of one big centerpiece, cluster several smaller vases of simple flowers down the center of the table.

For Thanksgiving, try orange-tone calla lilies paired with burgundy hydrangea and red hypericum berries, accented with salal (see below). For Christmas or Hanukkah, try white mini callas with hypericum. Red tulips with lavender heather is a fun combination. Or what about hot pink roses and seeded eucalyptus?

• Bowls and baskets are easy ways to transition from fall to winter. Fill these containers with mini-pumpkins or gourds for Thursday. If you don’t want to buy a lot of produce, fill the containers with a base of sticks (no need to buy, just step outside) and place the pumpkins on top. Using the sticks as a bed will make it look like the whole thing is filled.

Then, next week, replace pumpkins with apples and/or pomegranates. Tuck in some evergreen sprays, pinecones or holly. Tie some shiny ribbon around to make it even more festive.

• Decorative birds, butterflies, ornaments and ceramic eggs also can top baskets and bowls. Accent with bud vases of a single flower or votive candles. A tapered square vase is a great way to make an impact because you don’t need a lot of flowers to fill it.

• Running out of space in the kitchen? If it’s above freezing in your garage, store your flowers there until you are ready to arrange them.

• Running out time? Contact your Teleflora florist today. He/she can help you select the perfect flowers to do your turkey proud!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Flower Fact of the Day: Do your outdoor flower boxes need a face-lift for the winter season? The Oregonian newspaper features some great tips at: http://blog.oregonlive.com/homesandgardens/2008/11/perk_up_
outdoor_flower_boxes.html.  
 

Today's post is from guest blogger Cindy Cragg, home stylist for WILLIAMSBURG®, williamsburgmarketplace.com, the lifestyle brand of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.



With Thanksgiving right around the corner, even in times of struggle it is important to acknowledge what we have to be thankful for. For most people in this country ”winterizing” consists of shutting the storm windows, flipping the switch on the central heat or, maybe, chopping wood.

What we do to prepare for the winter and the coming year bears little resemblance to the necessary labor that consumed our 18th century ancestors at the harvest time.

Imagine this. If you lived on a plantation in colonial Virginia your autumn days would have been spent getting your corn, wheat and tobacco fields harvested and plowed to sow next spring. You would have then carted your corn and wheat to town to be sold.

You would then gather peas and beans. Don’t forget to dig your potatoes, carrots, and turnips. You could make cider and brandy and take that to town to sell also. In the orchard you would do the final apple and grape picking and then plant for next year.

Finally, any repairs to be done on livestock shelters and fences would need to be completed before it got too cold. Oh, and did I mention cutting firewood on your free time? Tired yet?


Teleflora's WILLIAMSBURG bouquet www.teleflora.com/williamsburg.asp is a luxury of the modern age.

While things are not perfect in our world, we have made industrial advancements that allow most of us to spend this time of the year enjoying the company of family and friends. The biggest domestic decision many of us will make is whether to make the pie from scratch or pick one up at the market.

Whichever you choose, have a happy and hearty Thanksgiving!
 

Aaah, the holidays: family, friends, festivities, food and flowers. Ask any hostess: a bouquet of fresh, cheerful blooms is a quick and easy way to brighten any room in your house.

You'll get a chance to win free flowers by entering Flower Blog's monthly bouquet sweepstakes. Make a comment on any post this month and you'll be automatically entered. The winner for November will be picked in early December. To see the official rules, visit teleflora.com/FLOWERBLOG/post/Flower-Blog-November-Sweepstakes-Official-Rules.aspx.  

Good luck.