Mood:  caffeinated

The perfect floral arrangement

The size of the arrangement should ideally be one and half the size bigger than the vase or container however small arrangements are also lovely.

• Cut the stems of the flowers and place them in lukewarm water before storing them in a cool place. If in doubt, check with a Woolloongabba florist for the best advice.
• Mix lime soda and water and add the mixture to the flower container to maintain the freshness of the flowers

Varieties of Hybrid Teas
Most hybrid teas bear double blossoms with 20 to 50 velvety or satin-textured petals; some have 70 or more. A few have single blossoms with five to seven petals; others are semidoubles with less than 20. The blossoms, some as large as 6 inches across, grow on bushes that range in height from 2 to as much as 6 feet if the plants are not cut back by pruning or severe winter damage. Colors include many shades of white, yellow, orange, pink, red, lavender and maroon; there are also blends and multicolors. Leaves are generally dark or medium green; in a few varieties new foliage is dark red before becoming green. The texture of the foliage ranges from glossy and leathery in some varieties to dull and almost paper thin in others. Most hybrid teas have fairly large thorns, but are still the most popular roses selected for North East Valley flower delivery.

The Ancient Rose
It should be reassuring to remember that roses were growing long before there were human hands to tend to their needs. Fossil roses, found in rock formations in Colorado and Oregon, proved that wild roses date back 40 million years. They apparently originated in central Asia and spread all over the northern hemisphere, but inexplicably never crossed the equator; no truly wild roses have been discovered in the southern hemisphere. Almost everywhere else, however, wild roses can be found growing, often under difficult conditions; in the arctic cold of Alaska and Siberia, in the heat of India and North Africa. Wild roses grow in every state in the U.S., and without much doubt there are some close to your home wherever you live. Roses are all around us; everywhere you go you can send flowers Twentynine Palms to someone you love.

Color Palette
Color is one of the most essen­tial elements in designing your garden. If you grow flowers of complementary colors, your dried flower arranging will be made easy. Many of the ever­lasting flowers (gomphrena, for example) have strong colors that need careful placement in the borders. Gomphrena 'Buddy', a lively royal purple flower that can be found in a East Ham flower shop, looks terrific when grown next to shades of pink, white or even the sunny yellow of coreopsis. Vibrant colors such as yellow and orange will bring warmth and excitement to your arrangements. Strong colors are certainly important in the gar­den and in dried arrangements.
But remember that white is also indispensable; it helps to create harmony among the other colors. The white Ammobium (winged everlasting) and Anaphalis (pearly everlasting), for example, complement the strong rose and crimson colors of Aster novae-belgii. White also brightens up both the gar­den and arrangements. You'll find that pink roses are beauti­ful in combination with the blue of lavender. Experiment with color combinations to find your favorites!

Spread those blooms around the home
There is no reason to restrict flowers to specific locations. Flowers are now so affordable and so easily available that we can live with them every day, all around the house — in the kitchen, the bathroom or next to the computer. Perch them on a ledge, a windowsill, the edge of the bath, the landing, or even on the floor. Be bold, too, with your container. Experiment with something that usually serves a different purpose, such as a large, glass salad bowl, or even a collection of chunky candles that have been hollowed out and stuffed with dampened floral foam to keep flower stems moist. These materials can be supplied by good florists Catbrain in your area.
Because they are almost prodigal in their ubiquity, carnations often get a bad rap. But carnations are more versatile, and varied than a clichéd buttonhole would lead you to believe. Unlike hasty carnations, sweet peas are one of nature’s most tender stemmed flowers, and their vase life is short — just a few days. Packing them in tightly gives them strength in numbers, and shows them off in all their frothy charm.

Autumn Arrangements
Nostalgia seems to pervade the florist’s shop during the autumn months. Although they are available all the year round, rust and bronze chrysanthemum blooms and sprays epitomize autumn, but many seasonal flowers are associated with this time of year, including dahlias, with their rich colours and varied shapes, golden rod, and the slightly more exotic criniums, with their delicate pink trumpets.
Cereals, such as wheat and barley, are appropriate for harvest festival designs, and although traditional arrangements remain popular, modern arrangements lend themselves particularly well to the varied textures of vegetables, berries and fruits, and many new churches require the bold lines of a modern design to complement the decor. Autumn is a wonderful time to be a West Birmingham florist.

Choosing the plants
In the garden you use the same technique as for flower arranging, grouping for contrast and allowing leaves to play a major part. When arranging a vase, the best way to avoid a spotty effect is to place together one or two flowers of the same colour. For example, an outline of twiggy flowering shrub such as forsythia, then some pieces of the green hellebore with delicate but solid heads, a centre focal point of two rounded heads of Petasites japonicus, or three or five yellow tulips with a few stems of straw-coloured hyacinth on either side. To find out what these flowers look like, it is a good idea to pay a quick visit to your Butetown florists shop.
Exactly the same principles can be followed when you plan your border: in this case the forsythia and large-leaved petasites would be at the back, with the smaller plants in front providing different leaf forms and colour.

Patio gardens
The paved area with its decorative pots must surely have started life in towns where space is limited and nearly everyone craves for something green and something which lives and needs tending. But the pattern is changing and the patio garden has come to the country, too. As we have so little sun in Britain we all want to make the most of the smallest ray, hence the sunroom and the patio are both welcome additions to many homes. And because of lack of help in the garden it seems to me that pot gardening for the summer is becoming more and more popular and patios are proliferating. When deciding on which plants to use on the patio, I always try and catch someone making a flower delivery West Derby nearby and seek their advice. The best people to ask for advice on plants and flowers are those that work with them day in and day out.

Flowers for Drying
Many of the flowers I thought were too diffi­cult for a novice to dry are now my favorites. Rosebuds, which are so expensive to purchase from Groves florists dried, can be easily air-dried from your own rosebushes. Cut the roses in the bud stage and hang them to air-dry. What could be easier? Peonies can be dried in the same way. They will fade in color and shrink a bit in size but you will still be delighted with their crêpe paper appearance. Every garden holds its own pleasant surprises. If you garden at all, you al­ready have many wonderful flowers for drying. Many common perennials are easy to dry. Some herbs have tiny flowers that dry easily, while others provide the beauty of their aromatic fo­liage. For a bonus, tuck these fragrant herbs into your dried bouquets and arrangements.

Mood:  amorous

Creating New Roses
Sooner or later almost every gardener who starts propagating his own plants is tempted to take the next step: rose breeding. For what rose lover does not carry within his heart a secret desire to cre­ate a new and better variety, one more lovely than any other ever grown? Perhaps he dreams of fame and fortune and even goes so far as to pick a name for his unknown beauty. The chance of his achieving this goal is very slim, for the most gifted of professional plant breeders rarely finds one rose out of ten thousand seedlings that is worth introducing into commerce.
However, the amateur should not be discouraged by the odds against commercial success. The techniques are simple, and even if the flowers Bristol City Centre he creates are never grown outside of his own garden, he is still likely to enjoy them more than the loveliest varieties hy­bridized by other men. The professionals themselves are the first to say that rose breeding is a fascinating game of chance.

Contain your container excitement
Never allow your enthusiasm for nice containers to encourage you to have too many arrangements at one time! In the winter one large arrangement of dried flowers or of pretty mixed green foliage is a good stand-by. Apart from that I would have one small arrangement on a side-table or coffee-table.
Something sweet-smelling, possibly, is all that is necessary unless you are entertaining friends. A vase of flowers as you come into the house always gives a welcome and this is one of the most effective places for having flowers when they are in short supply. Finally, vases and containers of flowers (whether from your Redbridge florists or not) need daily attention; you will need to add fresh water to them and you should inspect the arrangements, cutting out any dead or dying flowers. They should be cut rather than pulled out as you may completely upset the entire arrangement.

Go Hardy for winter months
Hardy annuals are beautiful plants that will produce flowers even in the cold winter season. These annual flowers are planted during the spring season or fall season when the weather is not that cold. Unlike other annuals, these hardy annual flowers don't like hot weather as they are not heat tolerant. These are certainly not suitable for a flower delivery Melbourne, in Newcastle, whose climate is considerably warmer than other parts of Australia. As their name suggests, hardy annuals are very resilient plants.

Topiary Designs
Topiary designs have developed greatly, and many variations on the original theme can be produced. The current fashion trend is to use an old terracotta flower pot as a container, with a single support stem of natural wood, such as birch, the sphere being covered with either lichen or bun moss. This represents the ‘natural rustic’ look, developed by many florists as their designer style.
Topiary trees are very versatile, ranging in size from miniature designs to imposing trees some 3.75m (l2ft) in height, used to decorate churches, hotels or marquees for various celebrations and events. Arrangements of this size obviously create quite a headache when organising the flower delivery Lightburn.

Anniversaries
Whether the occasion is a wedding anniversary or a birthday, an arrangement always makes a popular gift, as the recipient has no work to do. A ribbon bow or bows in an appropriate colour can be added — red for a ruby wedding gift, silver for a 25th or gold for a 50th. Keys are used for 18th or 21st birthday arrangements. Handtied bunches, wrapped in cellophane, are also excellent, as they are ready to be placed directly in a vase, after recutting the stems.
Over many years, wedding anniversaries have been given names that indicate the most suitable gift for the occasion. There are several variations on the lesser anniversaries, and it is as well to keep a list of the traditional names and the more modern equivalents. This will ensure that your flower delivery Middleton contains the appropriate theme.
Flowers have their own special anniversary — the fourth year — hut they are an acceptable gift for all anniversaries. Try to ensure that the flowers or accessories reflect the theme of the anniversary. With the landmark anniversaries — silver, ruby and gold — colour is important, and there are many accessories available to help emphasize a particular idea.

Containers for Arrangements
Dried flower arrangements can be made in many different types of containers. In fact, col­lecting unusual containers can become a hobby in itself! Be on the lookout at flea markets, ga­rage sales, a Miracle Mile flower shop and even Grandma's attic. Containers with chips and cracks, and even those missing parts (such as a teacup without a handle, or a teapot without the top) can be quite lovely. The con­tainer almost always dictates the size, shape and style of your final arrangement. The basic rule of thumb is that arrangements should be one and a half to two times the height of the con­tainer. It is also important to choose a container that is in proportion to the spot where it will rest. For example, you would not want a wide, full arrangement on a narrow hall table. Instead, one that is narrow and possibly flat on the back side would fit nicely in such a setting. Tall, narrow containers can be used to create dramatic vertical arrangements that don’t require a great deal of space. They can add a special touch to a narrow table or countertop.

Basic flower arranging equipment
Florist’s foam
Water-retaining florist’s foam is useful in containers that would otherwise be too shallow to hold sufficient water. Stems will remain in place with the aid of this material; however it is more difficult to achieve a natural look to an arrangement.
Florists find this material forms a particularly useful base as it allows for easy transportation with a minimum of movement and water spillage. You can get some sent over the next time you have flowers delivered Dorris.
After foam is cut to fit a container, it needs to be steeped in water until it is thoroughly saturated. Remember to top it up with water regularly once it is in position.
Sticky tape
Sticky tape can provide good support for fine foliage and is a practical support system when using glass containers. Simply cross a few pieces of household tape across the centre of the container and then toward the back.
Decorative stones
Pebbles, marbles and shells can all be used effectively to hold stems in glass containers or to conceal a pin holder or wire netting base.
Mist sprayers
To keep flowers fresh and crisp for a longer period, a fine spray of water from above helps. Plastic spray containers can be bought at most hardware stores or supermarkets. Alternatively, look for ornamental sprayers at gift shops and flower shops.

Making Flowers Last Longer

1. Always use clean vases or containers. This will prevent any bacteria from ruining the quality of the flowers.
2. Remove all of the leaves which will be under the water while in the vase. Leaves that are submerged will rot, thus creating bacteria and shortening the life span of your flowers.
3. Always add the cut flower food supplied to you by your Leonard florist, to the water in the vase. Change the water and flower food every three to four days.
4. Our grower fresh flowers are shipped when they are in bud or half open, which is the recommended state to pick flowers. You will then have the pleasure of seeing them slowly open up, this also increases the life span of your flowers.
5. Never place your floral arrangements in full sun or over a radiator. This will cause excess water loss from the flowers, and they will wilt very quickly. For a maximum life span the best place for your flowers is in a cool room.
6. Use a container that is in proportion to the amount of flowers you have. Too small of a container for the flowers will not hold enough water, and they may dry out before you realize it.
7. Once or twice a day lightly spray your finished arrangement with clear water to create a humid atmosphere around the flowers.

Practical points to remember
I shall not attempt to advise you on every aspect of garden design, but I would like to suggest that the following points should always be kept in mind.
The cost of upkeep steadily increases all the time and there is always a limit to the time you can spend on your garden. For example, grass paths look attractive, but make for a lot of work, and, especially in the vegetable garden, some form of concrete or stone path will save effort in the future. Garden costs will hopefully be recovered when you no longer have a need to have flowers delivered Inwood.
When you are thinking about your lawn, remember that bold sweeping curves not only look better, but will save you hours of maneuvering the mower around fiddly sharp corners.

Mood:  caffeinated

Choosing the plants
In the garden you use the same technique as for flower arranging, grouping for contrast and allowing leaves to play a major part. When arranging a vase, the best way to avoid a spotty effect is to place together one or two flowers of the same colour. For example, an outline of twiggy flowering shrub such as forsythia, then some pieces of the green hellebore with delicate but solid heads, a centre focal point of two rounded heads of Petasites japonicus, or three or five yellow tulips with a few stems of straw-coloured hyacinth on either side. To find out what these flowers look like, it is a good idea to pay a quick visit to your Fremantle florists shop.
Exactly the same principles can be followed when you plan your border: in this case the forsythia and large-leaved petasites would be at the back, with the smaller plants in front providing different leaf forms and colour.

Rose Arrangement
From a single flower to a massed display of blooms, roses can provide beauty in a variety of arrangements and surroundings. Alone or combined with other flowers, they can be casual or formal, intimate or elegant, riotous or restrained. One thing roses seldom are, however, is long lasting; without care their beauty tends to be sweet but fleeting. To make roses last as cut flowers they must be picked while still in the budding stage, then plunged immediately into several inches of tepid water, preferably water that contains one of the cut-flower preservatives sold by Nelson florists and garden supply stores. These chemical compounds, containing both nutrients and antibacterial agents, can double the life of a rose arrange­ment. Stand the roses in a cool place for at least an hour to cut down the process of transpiration: the loss of moisture through petals and foliage. Then, just before arranging them, cut off any unwanted foliage and strip off all leaves that would fall below the water surface, where they might rot and foul the water. A special stripping tool facilitates this task and also removes another troublesome appendage: thorns. Trim off a fraction of an inch of stem to open a fresh water-absorbing surface, and place the rose in the container. To hold it in place use a commercial flower holder, such as a block of foam plastic or a needlepoint holder, or force a ball of crumpled chicken wire into the mouth of the container.

Drying in water
I find the only way to dry hydrangea heads well is, strangely enough, with their feet in water and their heads in a warm atmosphere. Cut the heads when the colour starts to change from pink to red, and blue to a greeny colour. Remove all the leaves and stand the stems in about 5cm (2 in) of water and place the jar on or near a boiler or in an airing cupboard. The warmer they are the quicker they dry and the heads will stay a better colour. Getting flowers delivered Oldbury may seem the easier option, but there is immense satisfaction in doing it yourself.
I dry a few stems of the charming green bell-like spikes of moluccella or ‘Bells of Ireland’, by first standing them in shallow water on a pin-holder so that they take on charming natural curves. Then I transfer them to a jam jar, still in a little water, until they are completely dry. They are strange as sometimes they stay green and sometimes turn a parchment colour. I always place a few stems into a solution of glycerine as this gives a glossy texture and keeps them from dropping. Seed heads of hosta also dry well like this and you can watch the green closed seed heads gradually opening out and turning back to reveal all their seeds.

Preserving in glycerine
Preservation by glycerine is long-lasting and the stems keep their natural shape and form, just deepening in colour as they absorb the glycerine.
Leaves and branches are the best subjects for this method. Mix one part of glycerine and two parts of hot water and pour this into a narrow jar or jug so that the solution goes as far up the stem as possible. Hammer woody stems well, about 8cm (3 in) up the stem and be sure to soak thoroughly in water any branch which is freshly picked, as they can flag. After an overnight drink, put the stems in the glycerine solution, leave them for about ten days or until the stems have changed colour. Green leaves turn brown and you can gradually see the mixture creeping up the stem and changing colour. Some local florists Didsbury could offer advice on the best way to do this.
Thick leaves benefit from a coating of the mixture: dip a little piece of cotton wool in the glycerine solution and coat the leaves. This prevents them from curling and can be repeated as often as you like.
Hard, leathery leaves of mahonia and laurel take twice as long as branches of beech, so watch carefully and as soon as the glycerine has almost reached the top of the branches, remove them from the container and hang upside down for a couple of days.

Helpful tips for cut flower care
A little extra care can make a big difference for any size or type of flower arrangement or fresh flower bouquet. We recommend that you use the following as a guide to maximise the life of your flower delivery Cypress Park.

• Make sure vases are very clean.
• Use fresh lukewarm water with commercial cut flower food added.
• Strip all leaves below the water level.
• Take at least 3cm (1") off all stems, making a slanted cut with a sharp knife or very sharp scissors.
• Avoid direct sunlight, heat, or draughts which can shorten flowers' lives.
• Keep flowers away from fruit and remove faded flowers as they occur.
• Top up the water regularly and add flower food in proportion.

Valentine’s Day accessories
Wholesalers offer florists a wide range of accessories to add a personal touch to Valentine designs. Cellophane wrap is used throughout the year, but for Valentine’s Day you can make an arrangement even more special by using cellophane wrap with hearts and motifs on.
There is also a wide selection of picks and motifs, ranging from plastic cupids and hearts to dainty pottery, glass figures and delicate lace accessories. This includes plastic and pottery containers at prices to suit all pockets. Order these to arrive the same time as when you have your flowers delivered Carmunnock so you don't forget.
It is vital to be well-prepared for any peak selling period. Arrangements of fabric flowers can be organized well in advance and stored ready for the great day. A window display will require no maintenance if made with fabric flowers

Plan your garden carefully
The whole pattern of our lives has changed; when it was relatively easy to get help it was pleasant to wander round a garden and enjoy one surprise after another, walking from hedged rose garden to lily pool to rock garden: now I feel envy for those of my friends who had the foresight to place a rock pool or rock garden as a feature easily seen from the house or perhaps next to the sun loggia. Even on a chill spring evening or damp summer night you can then sit and enjoy the garden — with a little ingenious use of lighting, and maybe a drink in your hand, what could make a more attractive view! The Americans and indeed a Aintree florist are past masters at this, and I have sat in some of the smallest gardens, where lovely walls festooned with colourful plants and hidden lighting make you feel they are twice or three times the size they really are.

"Oh no! I've cut my flowers too short!"

Don't worry. Just add pebbles or marbles to the bottom of your vase or simply float the head of a broken flower in a clear bowl for a charming display.

Whenever I water my flowers I water my furniture as well!

Avoid spills when watering your flowers; use a baster to reach into narrow vases and full arrangements. The best place to purchase a baster is at your local Ty Glas florist.

Hope these tips help you to get the most out of your fresh cut flowers.

Extending the Bloom
The flower of a spring bulb seldom lasts more than about two weeks, but if you use a little ingenuity in planning the beds you can keep bright blooms coming week after week for a couple of months. The most obvious technique for extending bloom involves the use of sev­eral different varieties, some that bloom early, some that bloom in midseason and some that bloom late. Among tulips, for example, the species tulips and early tulips will blossom in mid- to late April, the triumph and Mendel varieties in late April and early May, cottage and Darwin tulips in mid- to late May. Daffodils are equally accommodating, offering a selection of varieties that will come up and flower in succession over a period of six weeks or more. This variation is blossoming times makes it possible to have flowers delivered Brooklyn Navy Yard at almost any time in the spring.
Even bulbs of a single variety can be made to provide flowers over a longer-than-usual period if you use a few tricks in planting. Location affects blossoming time. In light, sandy soil bulbs will come up sooner than in heavy clay. And the sunniest spots produce the earliest flowers, the shadiest places the latest ones. I have planted two beds of crocuses of the same kind, one in the sun and another on the north side of an evergreen hedge. The bulbs near the hedge produce blossoms just as large and lovely as their fellows, but they bloom three weeks later, which is what I intended.