Archive for May, 2008
You’ll be happily surprised at how much longer your flowers last following these steps:
1. When you buy flowers make sure that they are at the optimum condition.Look for flowers where the bud shows some color.
2. Flowers should be carefully packed when they are taken home, as this prevents damage to flowers or stems.
3. Make sure the vase is clean.
4. The flowers will last longer if you use cut flower food. Make sure you use the correct amount. If you are not sure, then ask your florist.
5. Before arranging the flowers in a vase, cut off approximately an inch from each stem at an angle. If you have roses, cut them with the stems underwater.
6. Stems should never be broken off or flattened – not even “woody stems. Scraping off the bark will also shorten the flower life.
7. Remove all leaves on the lower portion of the stems. Leaves should never be covered with water as this will decrease the longevity of the flowers.
8. Regularly top up the vase with clean water.
9. Keep out of direct sunlight, keep away from heat and breezes. Keep away from fruit.
10. At night, flowers prefer to be kept cool and benefit from a lower thermostat setting.
11. Daffodils can be deadly to other flowers because they secrete a poison in the water. After trimming, leave them on their own for a whole day and do not cut again before combining them with other flowers. However, a special cut flower food is available for daffodils and this enables them to be mixed with other cut flowers immediately (ask your florist for this).
12. If your flowers start to droop, cut off at least an inch underwater, to prolong their life. Remember, flowers are thirsty!
May 29th, 2008
The Daffodil Principle by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead “I will come next Tuesday”, I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.
Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.
“Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!”
My daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this all the time, Mother.”
“Well, you won’t get me back on the road until it clears, and then I’m heading for home!” I assured her.
“But first we’re going to see the daffodils. It’s just a few blocks,” Carolyn said. “I’ll drive. I’m used to this.”
“Carolyn,” I said sternly, “Please turn around.” “It’s all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church.
On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, ” Daffodil Garden .”
We got out of the car, each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.
It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes.
The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow.
Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
“Who did this?” I asked Carolyn. “Just one woman,” Carolyn answered. “She lives on the property. That’s her home.”
Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking”, was the headline.
The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs,” it read. The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain.” The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”
For me, that moment was a life-changing experience.
I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop.
Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time–often just one baby-step at time–and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time.
When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world .
“It makes me sad in a way,” I admitted to Carolyn. “What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it ‘one bulb at a time’ through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!”
My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. “Start tomorrow,” she said.
She was right. It’s so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, “How can I put this to use today?”
Use the Daffodil Principle:
Stop waiting…..
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die…
There is no better time than right now to Work Hard and be happy
May 26th, 2008
Memorial Day Flower Trivia
Our cheer goes back to them, the valiant dead!
Laurels and roses on their graves to-day,
Lilies and laurels over them we lay,
And violets o’er each unforgotten head.
~Richard Hovey
What is the nationally recognized flower of Memorial Day? Red Poppies are recognized as the Memorial Day flower. These small red flowers were first worn back in 1915 to honor fallen soldiers. Here’s the story:
In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem:
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
Ms. Michael then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women.
This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children’s League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans’ organization to nationally sell poppies.
Two years later their “Buddy” Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.
If you’d like to order a patriotic centerpiece, visit Eden Florist Today!
May 24th, 2008
Recently my good friend John Klingel sent me a copy of his lovely book, “The Frugal Florist.”
I was so excited to get this book, I instantly delved into the beautiful pages of this step-by-step do-it-yourself floral bouquets. When I was finished with the book, I had to write to John and tell him how much I loved the book. In fact, I decided to write a testimonial about it and wanted to share that with you. Here’s what I wrote:
“Thank you so much for writing The Frugal Florist – a long overdue book that is sure to raise awareness of the intrinsic value of adding flowers to our lives. Flowers bring such joy and comfort to us and The Frugal Florist shows consumers how to work with flowers and add them to their environment on a regular basis. Your book helps people explore their creativity and fulfill their desire to express themselves on a deeper level. It is like walking through a garden and picking the perfect arrangement to express our emotions. I highly recommend “The Frugal Florist ~ Do it Yourself Flowers on a Budget” as a great starting point for anyone who would like to learn the art of floral design!” Heidi Richards, Chief Goddess ~ Eden Florist & Gift Baskets www.EdenFlorist.com
To get your own copy of The Frugal Florist: Do-it-yourself flowers on a budget, visit: http://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Florist-Do-Yourself-Flowers/dp/1434308375
If you’d like to get a “glimpse” into the Frugal Florist, check out one of John’s videos on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–E885v6vTQ
May 22nd, 2008
Gemini – May 21-June 21
You are drawn to the sound of applause – never explain your secrets of all the adulation. You are quite the charmer.
The Lily will make you feel like a true celebrity.
Need to order flowers for the Gemini in your life? Visit EDEN FLORIST
May 21st, 2008
Here’s a love story that first appeared in the 1928 edition of Modern Priscilla Magazine. Each colored word corresponds to a flower . Enjoy the story !
Yellow was especially becoming to little Black-eyed Susan and so when Sweet William, that dashing Rambler invited her to a party at Four o’clock she gratefully accepted this proof of the Lad’s love and put on her yellow dress and yellow Lady’s slippers in honor of the occasion. First, she carefully arranged her Ladies tresses and then tiptoed softely out of the house so as not to Wake robin, her little brother. The mirror in the hall showed her that she was a Spring beauty, and that if her name has only been Marguerite she would have been a real English daisy.
Her escort’s London pride leaped high as he saw her, though, not to be outdone, he had with careful Thrift polished his own Bachelor’s buttons until they shone like a Goldenrod.
“Not one of the Fair maids of France can equal your appearance!” he exclaimed proudly. “England forever!” A tinge of Maiden pink showed on her face as he spoke with such Honesty, for behind it she read aright his Bleeding heart. But she only answered him demurely, “I hope I shall not be a Wallflower.” “Far from it,” he answered warmly. “I would scale Jacob’s ladder itself for a dance from you.” By that time they were at the party. “Johnny jump up exclaimed her escort to a boy at the door, ” and give her your seat!”
“Never,” answered the young Cockscomb disagreeably, and when pressed, he gave her lover such a blow that he saw his Love-in-a-mist. But when he saw the Bishop’s hat approaching he ran away. “Oh, Billy, are you hurt?” she sobbed wildly. He opened his Eyebright with love and answered feebly, “Will you be mine?” “Ask Poppy,” she answered shyly; while a Blush rose to her cheek. His Tulips answered in the old, old way and all we can do is wish them Speedwell.
May 17th, 2008
The daisy flower opens its petals during the day and at night the petals shut. When you look at the petals they resemble an eye’s lashes. So they were called day’s eyes which over time was corrupted to daisy.
Want to send Daisies to someone special? Visit www.EdenFlorist.com or call 800-966-3336 today!
May 15th, 2008
How Did Daisies Get Their Name? – Where The Word Daisy Came From…
Stay tuned for the answer tomorrow!
May 14th, 2008
Today is Limerick Day!
In case you didn’t already know it, a limerick is a five-line poem with a strict form, originally popularized in English by Edward Lear. Limericks are frequently witty or humorous, and sometimes obscene with humorous intent.
Hitory of Limericks:
Variants of the form of poetry referred to as Limerick poems can be traced back to the fourteenth century English history. Limericks were used in Nursery Rhymes and other poems for children. But as limericks were short, relatively easy to compose and bawdy or sexual in nature they were often repeated by beggars or the working classes in the British pubs and taverns of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventh centuries. The poets who created these limericks were therefore often drunkards! Limericks were also referred to as dirty.
The word derives from the Irish town of Limerick. Apparently a pub song or tavern chorus based on the refrain “Will you come up to Limerick?” where, of course, such bawdy songs or ‘Limericks’ were sung.
In honor of Limerick Day (and being of Irish decent) … here’s a little ditty I wrote:
There once was a girl named Rosie
She really liked all kinds of posies
She could sit for hours
Just picking flowers
And walk in the beds on her tip tosies.
Have a happy Limerick Day… And if you are so inclined, send flowers and a limerick to your favorite lad or lass. Just call Eden Florist at 800-966-3336 or 954-981-5515 or visit us online at www.EdenFlorist.com.
Warmest regards,
Heidi
May 12th, 2008
Mother’s Day means sending flowers and cards and gifts to moms and wives for all the love they give all year. Finding just the right flowers or saying just the right words to tell a mom how special she is can be a challenge.
A WONDERFUL MOTHER
- God made a wonderful mother,
- A mother who never grows old;
- He made her smile of the sunshine,
- And He moulded her heart of pure gold;
- In her eyes He placed bright shining stars,
- In her cheeks fair roses you see;
- God made a wonderful mother,
- And He gave that dear mother to me
- Words written by Pat O’Reiley
Let us help you say “Thanks Mom, I love You” with flowers.
Give us a call us 954-981-5515 or 800-966-3336. Be sure to order early for best selection and preferred delivery times.
You can also visit us online at www.EdenFlorist.com for a look at our latest floral giftware collections.
May 9th, 2008
Previous Posts
You’ll be happily surprised at how much longer your flowers last following these steps:
