Flower Power

Victoria’s Flower Dictionary in “The Language of Flowers” Novel

lisamccartney — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 05:07:40 +0000

Victoria’s Flower Dictionary in “The Language
of Flowers” Novel

Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s novel “The Language of Flowers,” scheduled
for release on Aug. 23, tells the story of Victoria, a young woman from the
foster-care system who uses the Victorian language of flowers to communicate
with others and make sense of her troubled past.

Diffenbaugh created Victoria’s Flower Dictionary by
reviewing several dictionaries – “The Flower Vase” by Miss S. C. Edgarton,
“Language of Flowers” by Kate Greenaway, “The Language and Sentiment of Flowers”
by James D. McCabe, and “Flora’s Lexicon” by Catharine H. Waterman – and
scanning the meanings, selecting the definition that occurred most often or she
liked the best.

“My goal was to create a usable, relevant dictionary for modern readers,
Diffenbaugh said. “I deleted plants from the Victorian dictionaries that are no
longer common, and added flowers that were rarely used in the 1800s but are more
popular today.”

Diffenbaugh asks readers: “Knowing what you now know about the language of
the flowers, to whom would you send a bouquet and what would you want it to
say?”

Victoria’s Flower Dictionary in “The Language of Flowers” Novel.

Some Real Florist’s Perspectives on Long Stem Roses

Flower Diva — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 01:50:22 +0000

This is a great Blog I read and wanted to pass on to my readers.

The Winnipeg Florist Blog: Some Real Florist’s Perspectives on Long Stem Roses

Some Real Florist’s Perspectives on Long Stem Roses

I have been wondering lately if the average consumer really has any idea how long a “Long Stem” rose actually is. When searching the internet for long stem roses, I have found that it is very unlikely that you will actually find a web site that describes them properly, or actually sells what a Real Retail Florist would define as a long stemmed rose. A good friend and colleague of ours, Catherine Hillen Rulloda of Anaheim Florist, Avante Gardens has been blogging about roses for some time and has some great descriptions and images on her web site, like the one below.

You can obviously see that Avante Gardens has incredibly beautiful designs, but what is really great about this image, is that it shows the consumer a wonderful array of rose designs and you can really see what actually defines a long stem rose.

Here is a sample of the choices that Retail Florists and drop ship flower providers have from the growers and wholesalers.

Rose Assorted 30cm
Rose Assorted 40cm
Rose Assorted 50cm
Rose Assorted 60cm
Rose Assorted 70cm

Hmmmm. So, which one is the long stem rose? The chart below, again provided by Anaheim Florist, Avante Gardens, tells us about the length of the stem, and the size of the buds.

You can see that there is definitely some vast differences in both the size and perceived quality of roses. Those huge buds that everyone loves to see come from true Premium Long Stem Roses. When searching for Long Stem Roses online, you will find that even the mighty Google can’t seem get it right. As always, it is best to find a Floral Professional, wherever you are, or wherever you are sending flowers to.

There are so many great local florists out there like Avante Gardens, and your local retail florist can definitely provide you with the answers you need to make the right decision on your roses, and can help you find the right roses and a great design for whatever occasion you have.

“Extreme Makeover” Gets Hand from Two Florists

Flower Diva — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:03:44 +0000

Two Ohio florists are in the thick of production for a new episode of ABC’s popular TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

Beavercreek Florist in Beavercreek, Ohio, and Furst the Florist in nearby Dayton, were chosen to provide flowers for events surrounding the episode, which will focus on the demolition and rebuilding of the Terpenning family home in Beavercreek.

The fast-paced, sometimes secretive, production went into high gear July 30, when “Extreme Makeover” host Ty Pennington arrived at the family’s house to tell them the good news. The family was then shuttled off for a paid, weeklong Disney World vacation. They’ll see their new home for the first time on Aug. 6, which means Coventry Fine Homes, a local builder, and its team of 1,500 volunteers have just over 100 hours to build the house, according to the Dayton Daily News.

For Tom Hamilton of Beavercreek Florist, the production has been a whirlwind of excitement and hard work. Hamilton and his nine-person staff created 15 red, white and blue arrangements for VIP areas. The shop donated its time, labor and talent and scored donated flowers and containers from Equiflor and Cleveland Plant & Flower Company.

Both shops were suggested to ABC by a volunteer committee of local residents that the network works with in advance of production.

Furst the Florist provided landscape mums for the exterior of the home, interior flowers for the Aug. 6 “reveal” day and arrangements for the VIP areas and the wrap party. Both shops have been posting updates and photos of their logos on the set – to enthusiastic comments – on their Facebook pages.

Until last week, the only detail divulged beyond a very few insiders was that a family from the area would be picked. Once the family was notified, the cameras started rolling, hammers started swinging and florists started scurrying.

“We lucked out that the house was so close,” said Hamilton, who estimates his shop has spent 60 to 80 hours on the project, including doing media interviews and sourcing product.

The episode will air in late September during “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s” seventh season.

You can see more pictures of the production on Furst the Florist’s Facebook page, and on Conventry Fine Homes’ show-specific Web site.

Article brought to you by The Society of American Florists.

Selecting Your Flowers

lisamccartney — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 06:08:24 +0000

What flowers should I get?

Many flowers in today’s markets are bred to be long lasting, while others are bred for specific size, color or fragrance. The hottest trend in flowers today is fragrance. While fragrant flowers do not typically last as long as non-fragrant flowers, the smell of fresh flowers is intoxicating. Freesia, hyacinth, Oriental lilies, some roses and even carnations carry pleasant fragrances.

As for long lasting flowers, chrysanthemums, (both standard and miniature, sometimes known as pompons) Star of Bethlehem, carnations, gladiolus and tropical flowers are extremely long lasting.

Other flowers are interactive, although not as long lasting, they can be fun to watch open or blossom. For example, tulips open and close and continue to grow after being cut. The flowers will grow toward the light, and the tulip blossoms will open during the day and close at night.

Still other flowers can be chosen for specific color. For example, Florigene® Carnations have been genetically altered to match the violet’s intense purple coloration, while Rainbow Roses® from Happy Colors® in Holland have been color enhanced with a systemic dye to make each petal a different color.

The choice is up to you and based on your taste! All flowers are FUN so experiment to find out more about a particular variety!

Article brought to you by Ubloom.com

Blip.Fm

lisamccartney — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:58:28 +0000

I just came across this site and now I am loving it..

http://blip.fm/invite/Flowerdiva

Join in on the Fun!

I have been really sick.. Went to the Do…

Flower Diva — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:38:56 +0000

I have been really sick.. Went to the Doctor again today as I have had this persistent Cough for over a month now. They gave me a steroid shot and and breathing machine to take home. They told me the shot would make me grumpy and irritable but it seems to be making me an emotional mess cause I just keep crying and crying and that is so not like me. I am usually a very strong person who goes non stop. I think just being sick this long has really taken a toll on me. Anyway not much more else to report in this Whatcha Up to Section of my Blog..

Where do flowers come from?

Flower Diva — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:28:37 +0000

Flowers come from all over the world. Many types of flowers are grown in the USA. The most beautiful roses, lilies, iris, gerbera and other amazing flowers come from California. They can be shipped in water to destinations in the USA, allowing them to be particularly fresh and last a very long time. Roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, alstroemaria, and other specialty flowers come from Central and South America, for example many large-headed roses are grown in the mountains of Columbia and Ecuador. Those flowers are customarily shipped dry into various locations inside the US. The most popular location is Miami where the flowers are stored in large coolers and distributed to other cities via air cargo or refrigerated trucks. Still other unique varieties, such as tulips, hypericum, hyacinth and callas are available from the European market, specifically Holland where the flowers are purchased on the DUTCH Auction and then shipped all over the world. There are growing operations for commercial cut flowers all over the world with new ones cropping up every day. Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Russia and South Africa are all involved in commercial production of cut flowers that are sold in markets throughout the globe!

Source: Ubloom.com

Therapy? Let flowers lower your stress levels:

Flower Diva — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:10:35 +0000

Perhaps we should all stop and smell the roses a little more often. At least that is what new findings published late June in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggest. Japanese scientists have found that inhaling certain plant fragrances helps reduce stress by altering gene activity and blood chemistry.

Humans have been smelling plants and using aromatherapy to improve mood and health for thousands of years, from warding off depression to fighting inflammation. But until now researchers had no clue as to why these fragrances were so beneficial. Linalool, an organic compound found in a wide variety of plants, is one of the most commonly used extracts in aromatherapy and perfumes. It has a floral scent and is found naturally in tea, oranges, grapes, mangos, lemon, tomato, basil and lavender, to name a few.

Lead scientist Akio Nakamura and his team found that elevated neutrophil and lymphocyte levels (two key components of the immune system) in stressed-out lab rats returned to near-normal after they inhaled linalool. They also discovered that the organic compound reduced the activity of more than 100 genes that typically race into overdrive during stressful situations.

I always knew flowers put me in a better mood, but I just thought it was because they were beautiful. Perhaps I should carry fresh lavender with me on the subway during rush hour for a stress-free ride home?

The Link to this Article:

http://magblog.audubon.org/node/506

Provided by audubonmagazine