Topic: Flower Facts
My Favourite Flowers - Achillea
The gold-coloured flat heads and the stiff stems with attractive fern-like leaves make a splendid long-lasting show in the perennial border and provide excellent material for the flower arranger. Achillea ‘Moonshine’ is perhaps my favourite. The pale creamy-yellow heads are so much more useful for mixing with a greater number of colours, and it dries beautifully. Bressingham Nurseries have a fascinating range of new colours coming out, with a range from apricot to reds, that will be worth looking out for.
Cultivation
Plant from October to March in any good well-drained garden soil. Achilleas like full sun. Cut the stems down to ground level in the general autumn clearing up.
Conditioning and preserving
The flowers Mullaloo last well with no special treatment. Though the stalks can be hung upside down to dry, I prefer to stand them in a jug in a little warm water, making sure the heads are not touching. They dry quickly like this and keep their shape. Covering the heads with borax gives a little better colour, but you may think, as I do, that it is hardly worth the extra trouble.
Arranging
Though I use these heads freshly cut, for me achillea is invaluable when dried and used in winter as it keeps such a good colour. It is effective with yellow mixed flowers in summer and looks well in the centre of a mixed foliage arrangement. The flat heads should always be placed so that they face you as they make a marvellous focal point in any display. They last superbly — a joy in summer when so many flowers shed their petals. They can be used on short stems of 5 cm (2 in), or full length up to 1.2 m (4 ft).
Visual balance
As well as being actually balanced, the arrangement or bouquet should also be visually balanced. This is far more difficult to achieve. To be visually balanced, a design should have the following:
- A focal point or point of origin from which all stems appear to radiate;
- Darker colours to the centre of the design. and paler colours at the outer edges;
- Finer materials, such as spike ferns, used at the outer edges, and larger, more solid forms in the centre;
- Some materials recessed to give weight to the centre of the design.
Harmony and disharmony
In many designs we see how harmony can be achieved. Some designs have no harmony of parts, having four different flowers and not even foliage to unite them. The design is as busy as the background and the ribbon almost, but not quite, matches, therefore jarring slightly. With a fabric as patterned as this, it can be advantageous to ask about accessories that are to be carried or worn. It may be possible to put flowers on a plainer background.
The flowers Edgbaston and foliage in the main design contrast yet harmonize, both within the design itself and in relation to the outfit and accessories. The colour of the corsage is sufficiently strong to stand out against the strong pattern, and is a little more subtle than the bright yellow rose.
Garlands
Flowering vines and garlands offer more creative opportunities. Available in 3’-9’ lengths, they include coordinating varieties of flowers Crumpsall, leaves, twigs, pine or fir sprigs. Because the floral materials are spaced evenly along the length of the garland, they can be added to most bases, creating a wonderful background for additional materials. To add materials to a garland, dip the stems into glue and insert them among the garland sprigs, making sure they attach to the main stem.
Pine or fir garlands are usually found in 9’ lengths and are extremely versatile holiday decorations. Materials can be added to the plain garland, creating a full and rich look. A garland can also be cut into shorter lengths and wired to other bases such as baskets or wreaths. Spread the individual sprigs apart and cut through the heavy binding wires; twist the cut wire ends together to secure the end sprigs. If matching pine stems are needed, but none are available, cut sprig sections from a pine garland and wire each to a long wood pick.
Found a good florist? - keep them!
Flowers are a great gift for any occasion. Nobody wants to pay more for a flower product that has been over-valued. If you find a good flower shop online or even a flower delivery Vista del Oro professional, make sure you continue to use them. Flower delivery online really can be useful in saving time and money, but if you have not found the right online florist that you can work with, and be happy with, then the internet is not delivering all it could for you. Take the time to shop around until you find a florist whose style and prices appeal to you.
Christmas Display
Christmas is a magical time, and as florists we must capture that magic in our displays. Garlands, swags and door wreaths are still top of the Christmas shopping list. Why not update garlands with tartan bows, and swags with paper ribbons? Add fruit, nuts and gourds to door wreaths. Use exciting golds, greens, silver and blues as well as the traditional red.
Shop displays are often disappointing, reflecting an unplanned presentation of goods. Time is given to more demanding areas of work, resulting in what should be an advertisement, working 24 hours a day for the business, doing exactly the opposite. Display is an art form in three dimensions, with ideas used to attract customers to enter and buy or place a flower delivery Townhead order. Window displays have to be composed like a picture and, it is advisable to confine the objects displayed within a narrower space than the window frame itself. Novelty always stops people in their tracks, so why not use an accessory, such as a fireplace to attract attention?
The majority of goods need to be at eye level or below, as it is easier to look down than up. Good lighting is also important but it has to be discreet as the public should see the well-lit display not the lights.
Picking the right flower for the occasion
Lilies, roses and orchids are great romantic gift ideas, but there are many others out there that can also add that special spark. A daisy is a simple statement for love. They come in white or yellow and have a yellow center. A gardenia is a white flower with dark green leaves. Lilacs are great flowers to send someone. They have stalks with many white or lavender flowers.
No matter which flower delivery Knotty Ash you ultimately decide to send, you’re bound to leave a lasting impression and get into those good books. Flowers are a common symbol for love and can express the deepest emotions of your relationship. Hopefully, by sending a special flower bouquet, your love will stand the test of time!
For the new baby
The arrival of a new baby is a special occasion that needs a carefully thought out design.
The choice of flowers and foliage is important, with colour being the main design principle. The traditional pastel colours are most appropriate when having flowers delivered Creigiau, with soft pinks and white being associated with girls and pale blues and white for boys.
It also makes a nice touch to incorporate a small gift in the arrangement, such as a rattle or pair of booties.
The Flowers That Bloom Year After Year
Among the most rewarding traits of perennials is the fact that they come up unprompted year after year to offer the garden masses and highlights of color in uninterrupted but ever-changing patterns from April to November. Perennials flower abundantly and multiply without being coaxed. Most of them are easy to grow. Some require spadework occasionally from a florist Fieldston, but many will tolerate considerable neglect. In fact, I have seen long-abandoned farms in New England where gaping cellar holes and tumbled walls of old houses were adorned with great clumps of day lilies, thriving and spreading.