Cut flowers and the Temperature: Even they think it is too hot!

As you may (or may not) know, our shop is located in Northwest Arkansas.  Our area, and the southern part of the country, has been in the middle of a drought with some very hot weather conditions for the past month.  It has been hot here-very hot.  The other day the thermometer at my local bank said 114 degrees Fahrenheit!  Forget using the frying pan and stove, the side walk or even the leather seats in my car will work just fine!

All this hot weather made me wonder: How do flowers fair with such harsh conditions?  Answer: they don't.  Let's face it, flowers are delicate and are quite temperamental when it comes to their living conditions.  You have never heard the expression "as durable as a tulip" now have you?

In this post we will address the proper care and keep of cut flowers.  As for the dead ones in your yard, well you might either want to pay an arm and a leg to keep them watered, do a rain dance, or just give up.

Before

After

As I mentioned earlier, flowers do not do well in the heat.  The cooler the temperature that flowers are exposed to, the better.  However, that temperature needs to be above freezing.  (Nobody really wants freeze dried flowers anyway.)  The opening of a flower signals the end of their growth and heat just speeds up the  process.  The warmer the temperature that a flower is exposed to, the quicker they will fade and the more work it is for you.  Allow me to share an equation with you to help understand:

warmer temperature = warmer water = breading ground for more bacteria = water that needs to be changed often.

Now if you like to keep your house the temperature of the desert, don't assume that you can just place a fan or air conditioner right on your flowers.  Fans and air conditioners that are placed with a direct hit to an arrangement causes the flowers to dry out and fade more quickly.

A few more tips for keeping flowers beautiful longer:

-Keep away from fruits and vegetables.  Dying fruit and vegetables emit a gas that is harmful to your flowers.
-Car exhaust is also bad for your flowers so if you were hoping to keep your flowers stored in your garage, don't.

-And finally, don't breathe on your flowers.  Even if you brush your teeth 50 times a day, use mouthwash, and chew gum, a flower doesn't care how good your breath smells.  Human breath is also harmful to flowers. So smell but hold your breath while you do!

So as you are attempting to keep cool this summer, remember to keep your cut flowers cool as well!

Made in the USA. . .Or Not?

As I'm spending a month in Lithuania something crossed my mind.  Are the flowers we receive "made in the USA?"  Well, not really.  Unless we get the flowers from a farmer's market (which we have done before), the flowers we receive have as much international flavor as Northwest Arkansas itself.

Last summer I traveled to Guatemala and I was stunned by the beauty of the flowers there!  They had Bird of Paradise. . that grew wild!  We pay a lot of money for those flowers here in the United States.  Most of the flowers that we receive come from South American from countries such as Ecuador, Colombia, and Chile   However, we also receive flowers from Italy, Holland, and Australia.

In the United States, Florida and California are at the top of the floral growing chain but they struggle to compete with foreign countries.  The number one importer of flowers in the United States is Colombia. "Bogotá", in particular, one of our floral suppliers told me.  Colombia's premier climate makes it possible for us to have flowers such as roses, alstroemeria, baby's breath, and delphinium.

According to aboutflowers.com, 66% of flowers are produced in Colombia, 15% are from Ecuador, and 6% are from the Netherlands.  Mexico, Costa Rica, and Canada all round of the top six list of flower importers at 3% of flowers coming from those countries.

So why don't we use flowers from the United States?  Now, I'm not saying that we never use flowers from the US.  In fact, many tropical come from Hawaii.  One reason that florists search for flowers from outside the US is because of the limited growing season here.  South American countries have warmer weather all year round which makes them perfect for growing some of our favorite flowers.  European countries have a more wet, spring like climate, that make them great for growing Tulips and other US favorites.

So the next time you hold a fresh flower in your hand think to yourself "this flower traveled perhaps thousands of miles to be placed in an arrangement especially for me."

I Speak for the Carnations

As Doctor Seuss writes in his book, The Lorax, "I am the Lorax.  I speak for the trees.  I speak for the trees because the trees have no tongues."  (I'm an Early Childhood Education Major in college, even flowers remind me of children's books.)

I know by now that you are probably wondering where I am going with this.  Well, I am Hannah.  I speak for the carnation.  I speak for the carnation because carnations don't have tongues.  Carnations have received a bad reputation for long enough and I am here to speak out for the carnation and its tainted reputation.  Oh the carnation, bless it's heart.

All too often I am sitting in on a consultation for a bride or I overhear Althea talking to a bride and the question "And which flower do you absolutely not want in your wedding?" comes up.  More often than not, the response that follows is the same.  "Carnations".  

Now I must admit, there was a time when I would have responded the same.  When most of us think of carnations our mind instantly takes us back to football homecomings and school dances.  Now if we are truly being fair, we can't blame our bitter relationship with the carnation on some poor, poor fellow who thought that carnations would be wonderful flowers when mixed with five million ribbons and glitter and accented with baby's breath.  However, believe it or not, there is more to a carnation than those memories.  Yes, if given the chance, a carnation can make any wedding, arrangement, or prom beautiful.  

According to proflowers.com, the scientific name for the carnation, dianthus, can be translated into "flower of the gods" and "flower of love."  Carnations date back to ancient Rome and Greece where they were used in art.  In those days, carnations bloomed in primarily pink, peach, and white.  However, now carnations come in a variety of colors and sizes including peach, dark purple, and even a fuzzy green.  Similar to roses, the meaning of the carnation varies with the color.  White carnations symbolize purity while pink carnations show gratitude.  I bet you didn't know that in the early 20th century the carnation became the official flower for Mother's Day.  If carnations were good enough for the Romans, Greeks, and mom, they are good enough for me!

Take for instance this lovely bouquet with peonies, roses, and carnations.  Yes, carnations!  Carnations can add color, fullness, and depth to any arrangement when used correctly.  

Photo by Scott Plauche Photography

These bouquets include a mix of roses and carnations and the bouquet below include stephanotis  and carnations. (Now I know you can admit that nothing about these arrangements yell "1980s homecoming.") Carnations can stand alone or they can be mixed with flowers to create any feel, look, or color scheme that a prospective bride might desire.  

Photo by Scott Plauche Photography

 So the next time you are tempted to say "oh, no carnations for me, no way, no way."  Remember, carnations earned their spot in the floral world and we just need to give them a chance.

~Hannah

Coffee Break!

'Coffee Break' Rose
This rose is amazing!  

The head measures 5 1/2" across and it's not fully open yet. 

Of course, the stems (and thorns!) match...they are extremely large as well.  :)

Locally Grown Flowers

It's been a crazy-busy couple of weeks.  I was supposed to post this last week because it tied in with a wedding we were working on for Saturday.  The bride came to us wanting her bouquet and a few other items and was planning on using flowers from the farmer's market and friends and family for reception decor.  This is a request we get fairly often.  Truthfully, I don't mind this.  Sometimes this request is made because the client's goal is to save money (more on the true cost of DIY in other posts),  sometimes it's to get a certain look (usually a more 'natural' or less structured look), and sometimes the goal is to be Eco-friendly.  With all these goals, the Farmer's Market is a natural place to turn.  And there are some truly beautiful flowers at our local market.  

Knowing this, and having some similar goals we've been working with some of the vendors from the Fayetteville Farmer's Market to provide a list of locally grown flowers and the time's that they are generally available.  As the list changes, we'll post updates.

We'll also add photos as we can  (you can also google these for images).  

Oh, and the bride that started this post, well after discussing the time her friends and family would have to spend away from festivities, she decided to hire us for the reception flowers as well.  And, yes, we still used the flowers she'd originally picked from the Market.  

Peonies and Seeded Eucalyptus.  We ordered these items because we are currently past the Peony season locally.

    

These 3 were a mix of local and non-local flowers, including herbs.

These flowers came exclusively from the Fayetteville Farmer's Market.  Using vases provided by the venue and local flowers, we worked with the bride to create the wedding she wanted. (ASIATIC LILIES, DIANTHUS, BACHELOR'S BUTTONS, and a few others.)


And I have to say, this was one of my favorite weddings this year.  A beautiful and fun bride, her wonderful mother, flowers I don't usually get to work with, and some great local vendors (The Garden Room and Dripping Springs Gardens)! 

Going Green With Local Flowers 

Below is a list of  the flowers available specific to the Northwest Arkansas growing seasons.  While this list comes from our local growers, it does not guarantee availability of the specific flowers or specific colors.  Due to the many factors (such as weather) affecting the growing season, a specific flower may be available earlier or later than indicated, in limited quantities, or only in specific colors.   It must be noted, however, that while choosing local is the greenest option, it does limit the availability of your choices.  But if having an earth-friendly event is important to you, we will work closely with you to ensure that your locally grown event flowers reflect the vision you have for your big day!

APRIL

TULIP

MAY

ASIATIC LILY

BACHELOR'S BUTTONS

BEE BALM

DIANTHUS

IRIS

LARKSPUR

PEONY 

SNAPDRAGON

JUNE

AGERATUM

ASIATIC LILY

DAHLIA

GLADIOLUS

MARIGOLD

SUNFLOWER

YARROW

ZINNIAS

JULY

AMARANTHUS

BUTTERFLY WEED

CELOSIA

EUPHORBIA

GOMPHRENA

LISIANTHUS

RUDBECKIA

STATICE

AUGUST

ORNAMENTAL MILLET
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Feel free to ask us about specific flowers you love...we'll research the availability and get back to you.  Or just leave a comment.   

Home Ecology of Flowers Study

Great article about the benefits of  flowers from AboutFlowers.com

HARVARD: LIVING WITH FLOWERS STRENGTHENS FEELINGS OF COMPASSION, AND DECREASES ANXIETY AND WORRY