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Fall–The Garden’s Grand Finale

Fall is my garden’s grand finale, the last big hurrah of color before the long hibernation of winter. As the multitude of green hues of spring and summer fade, leaves begin to change color with the crisp cool air and sunny shortened days.

The fall season showcases plants in a rich palette of jewel tones—deep regal purples, pale lavenders, rich russet reds, the punch of orange, velvety maroons, sunny yellows and amber-like golds.

Fall blooms tend to last the longer, too, in both the garden and in bouquets—an added bonus to late season gardening! Try adding some of these plants below to bring jewel tones to your own garden. Many work beautifully as cut flowers for stunning bouquets that can bring the season indoors.

Helichrysum Bracteatum (Strawflower)Strawflowers (Helichrysum Bracteatum)

Strawflowers

Strawflowers (Helichrysum Bracteatum) are “everlasting” annual flowers that can also be dried for winter bouquets. Hardy up to frost, they prefer sun to partial shade and are drought-tolerant. Native to Australia, where they grow as wildflowers, they come in a wide range of hues: yellow, orange, red, rose, white and pink, as well as this two-tone variety.

Spiderwort

One of my favorite flowers to grow and photograph is the perennial Spiderwort (Tradescantia x Andersoniana). These unusual three-petaled flowers grow in clusters and work as excellent filler flowers in arrangements. Other varieties include ‘Snow Cap’ (pure white), ‘Valor’ (deep purple-red), and ‘Concorde Grape’ (deep violet).

The original Spiderwort species, an easy-care favorite in country gardens, is Virginia Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana). It is one of the longest bloomers in my garden—putting on a show from June until fall. Spiderwort prefers full sun or very light shade for the most prolific blooming. It can be also grown indoors as a houseplant.

Tradescantia x andersoniana (Spiderwort)
Spiderwort (Tradescantia x Andersoniana)

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Garden Reminder: It’s Spring Bulb Planting Time

Fall Is The Time To Plant Your Spring Bulbs

As we move into the cooler seasons of winter and fall, we all will miss the beauty of nature’s colorful canvas, painting our landscapes and gardens. Yes, flowers will be gone soon, but by acting now, you can ensure your garden flowers will be first to show their flashy heads next spring!

So this is a reminder for those of you looking to enhance your garden for 2012 or are just starting from scratch, now is the time to get to planting your spring bulb plants. These include: daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses, and many more! To learn more about bulb flowers, check out our article about planting spring bulbs.

Of course, colder months don’t have to be totally bleak. Order a cheery bouquet of colorful flowers from your favorite florist to enjoy inside while we wait for our bulbs to spring up next year!

If you have any questions, don’t forget our wonderful Ask The Plant Expert resource.

 

Spotlight on Solidago AKA Golden Rod

SolidagoOn a recent road trip, I couldn’t help but notice the colors of fall already starting to show. One fall flower that really caught my attention was the golden rod or, as most florists call it, solidago. Our Arkansas landscape is currently covered in this bright yellow flower. We aren’t the only ones who enjoy seeing solidago on the horizon, this flower has been adopted as the state flower by Nebraska and Kentucky as well as the state wildflower for South Carolina. While solidago is considered a wildflower or even weed by those in North America, it is actually a favorite garden flower in Europe.

Golden Rod Allergy Myth

Many people shy away from this particular flower because of it’s bad reputation of causing hay fever and other allergies, but actually ragweed is the culprit with a similar blooming time to solidago (golden rod). Actually the pollen of solidago is too heavy to be wind-pollinated and must be carried by insects from plant to plant. Handling solidago may still cause problems to those with allergies, however.

Use In Floral Design

Did you know golden rods (solidago) are a common filler flower used by florists? That’s right, in many designs florists use a hybrid version of the common golden rod to add bright yellow color and interest to a flower arrangement. They have been hybridized to bring out all the best qualities of solidago.  This fall-bloomer is a great addition to your seasonal decor.

Here are a few favorite flower arrangements that feature solidago from our Flower Gallery:

Solidago Arrangement  Solidago Flower Arrangement Solidago Flower Arrangement

It’s Mum Time!

Yellow Potted Mum - Just in Time For Fall!

It’s Mum time!

With fall just over the horizon, it’s time for beautiful mum house plants to adorn our homes, porches and patios. Let the spirit of fall greet your house guests at the front door! Choose from an array of festive fall colored blooms that will last the whole season long! For the best selection, stop by your local flower shop!

Feeling Fall-ish?

Fall is the wonderful transition from the sizzling summer to ice cold winter; the time when the weather is just perfect. It’s almost like a second spring that’s even more beautiful: with flowers blooming and colorful trees turning their autumn colors. Overall, it’s just a wonderful season to be celebrated while it lasts.

Fall HistoryFall Flowers

Before the 16th century, harvest was the term used to refer to the season. However, as more people moved away from farming to living in towns, the word harvest lost its reference and came to refer to only the actual activity of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season. Although we do not call it harvest anymore, we still use many references from harvesting in our fall decor: cornucopias, wheat, gourds and pumpkins, corn, hay, etc.

Why We Love Fall

Fall is arguably the favorite of all seasons. Everyone loves the colors of fall and seasonal decor during this time is a MUST in most homes. You will see hay, pumpkins scarecrows as yard decor all season. Some of our favorite holiday parties happen during fall: Halloween & Thanksgiving. Halloween pumpkin carving is a favorite fall activity that dates back to the 1700s and Thanksgiving is all about celebrating the bounty of fall. American Football also gets everyone together for a party. Long fall nights are made for spending time indoors with family and friends.
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The Rustic Spirit of Fall Through Flowers

The look this fall is: Rustic Chic

Fall Wedding Bouquet TrendsAnd with fall right around the corner, now is the time to start thinking Autumn colors! You want your rustic-themed bouquets and flower arrangements to look effortless, chic and natural. Organic colors will blend perfectly into your fall wedding.

  • Dark reds
  • Deep yellows
  • Burnt oranges
  • Deep purples
  • Sage greens

Add The Spirit of Fall To Your Wedding Ceremony

Think about all of the things that make the fall season so memorable and unique:

  • pumpkins,
  • rustic vines
  • figs
  • moss
  • cornucopia
  • berries
  • grass
  • different colored leaves
  • acorns
  • twigs
  • holiday ribbon

Using the above fall accessories, you can create an organic, chic rustic-themed bouquet. These simple, easy to find accessories will compliment any wedding ceremony. Textures make a huge impact and by creating a floral design with these alternative accessories you are sure to express your creative spark in more ways than one!

Your local florist can create the prefect wedding bouquet for you. Or if weddings aren’t on your horizon, opt for a beautiful arrangement of fall flowers instead! Same principles apply!

For more wedding photos, visit our sister site Wedding & Party Network’s galleries.

The bouquet featuring orange lilies was created by Floral Design & Home Decor in Coeur D Alene, ID

Add A Taste of the Tropics To Your Summer Luau With Tropical Flowers

Summer is finally here! Time for block parties, grilling, BBQs, pool parties and summer luaus. Who doesn’t love to get together with friends and eat food?! Summer luaus are always a huge hit! Don your grass skirt, break out those coconuts, crank up the Hawaiian music and you’ve got yourself a good time!

If you want your summer luau to be talked about for years to come, step up the decor and add some fresh tropical flowers!

Tropical Flower - Bird of ParidiseTropical Flower - Anthurium Tropical Flower - Protea Tropical Flower - Orchid

Tropical flowers are always so unique compared to the flowers we are used to from our gardens. Tropical Flower CenterpieceTheir intensely-colored blooms are sure to set off any summer luau centerpiece. Plus, cut tropical flowers generally last much longer than traditional flower arrangements.

Keep in mind, not all florists carry tropical flowers in their every day supplies (although a lot do!). Don’t fret, they can special order them just for your luau. Contact your florist at least 2 weeks ahead of your party, and they will be able to help you pick out the best tropicals to make your party a huge success.

Go beyond centerpieces and order fresh-flower leis. If you’ve never worn a fresh-flower lei, you don’t know what you’re missing! The heavenly smell of flowers never leaves your nose, and the colors rival anything plastic you can buy. You may think leis are only made in Hawaii, but your local florist might just surprise you with incredible lei-making skills of their own — just ask!


Florist’s Roadside Journal

Florists, do you keep a roadside journal? What is that you ask?

A roadside journal is a little notebook you keep that documents local places where and when flowers grow naturally. Often times this might be near a field, around a fence, or growing at the end of a driveway. Of course, you can’t take flowers from just anywhere, but it can’t hurt to ask! Ask the owners of the property if you could collect their wild flowers in season. Give them a coupon for a free bouquet if they do!

Wild Flowers Grow In More Places Than You Think

North Dakota State Flower, Wild Prairie Rose Photo courtesy 50states.comLook for places with an over-abundance of flowers. Right now I am seeing lilies growing along roadsides, covering ditches — they are simply everywhere! Many people don’t realize how flowers will spread over time and grow more than they can possibly handle. There are houses near mine with more hydrangeas and roses than they could ever do anything with. There are several abandoned houses in our neighborhood with roses and other summer flowers that are all but forgotten. Even trees with interesting foliage, such as cedar or magnolias can be part of your mix.

It can’t hurt to ask their owners if you could buy or trade for them? This can be a great, and possibly inexpensive way to add some local flair to your product mix. You could even turn them into a special edition line for your shop.

Keep a journal of places where you get flowers, and when they were blooming for next year. The journal is a great source when looking for something NEW for the shop. Be sure to let your customers know their flowers are local. This is a way to reach out to your community and spread the word about your shop.

Grow your own! Starting a garden is easier than you think! Grow flowers you want to use! Add uniqueness, texture and fun to your flowers!

Things To Remember:

  • If the person is hesitant about sparing some flowers, don’t be pushy! These are your potential customers, so just accept it and give them a discount coupon anyway.
  • Flowers hold many special memories for most everyone who grows them; don’t take every last flower they have unless they give the okay. Leave them some to enjoy.
  • BE SURE to prep these wild flowers well. Remove all insects, bugs, and varmints they might have.
  • Trespassing is illegal in some areas, make sure you have PERMISSION FIRST!

We’d LOVE to see pictures of your local flowers! Share them on our Facebook, or in the comments below!

 

Spice Up Your Holiday Vases With This Technique

If you’re looking for a little something extra to spice up your holiday flower arrangements, try this cinnamon vase technique!

Cinnamon Flower Arrangement

Not only will this arrangement spark Christmas spirit, it will smell wonderfully for weeks to come! Cinnamon is a favorite in holiday smells, and will definitely set the mood for any holiday party. This little design would make a perfect hostess gift for the elf in charge of your favorite Christmas get-together.

For this technique, you will need:

  • a small, plastic cylinder container under 8″
  • a bunch of 8″ cinnamon sticks
  • hot glue
  • scissors
  • ribbon

Cinnamon + Vase = Creativity!

First, hot glue the individual cinnamon sticks vertically to the outside surface of your vase. (tip: cut the tops of the cinnamon sticks different heights to give it a staggered, rustic look)

Tie ribbon around the center of your cinnamon vase to finish the look. Depending on your design, you could use ribbon, rafia, wire — it’s really up to you. If you want to go a step further, add a bunch of holly, mini candy cane, mini pine cones, or anything festive, to the front of your design.

Don’t stop at just cinnamon! Think of other ways to use this technique. You could use branches from your yard. (Birch wood is very popular this time of year.) How about the large candy cane sticks? Instead of a vase, use this as a great candle treatment. It’s all about using your imagination!

This is a great technique for florists to use in their shops. However, if you’re a craftster like me, try this at home! Just don’t forget to visit your local florist for a great winter flowers to use in you’re new and aromatic vase!

This post is brought to you by local Auburn, NH florists.
Not in Auburn? No worries, use Flower Shop Network’s handy directory of local florists to find a florist near you!

Glitz & Glam: This Ain’t Your Momma’s Christmas Decor

Are you tired of the traditional red and green we see every year at this time? You’re not alone. Many people are opting for a more quirky Christmas look. This year, opt for the Glitz & Glam Christmas!

For this outrageous look, channel your inner child and go wild and crazy when selecting your Christmas decorations and ornaments. Pick bright and playful contemporary colors like hot pink and electric blue. Use over-sized Christmas ornaments and trendy Christmas tree picks to take your look to the next level (literally).

Glitter, glitter, glitter! Everything on your Glitz & Glam Christmas tree should be sparkly and youthful. This is a great look for anyone who wants something more fun and contemporary this Christmas.

Glitz & Glam Contemporary Christmas Tree Decorations Glitz & Glam Christmas Tree

The Glitz & Glam Christmas is the perfect holiday theme for teens, college girls, or the gal who’s just young at heart. Go beyond the Christmas tree and decorate your house with all of the fun of the Glitz & Glam style. Have your florist create an amazing Christmas wreath with all of your favorite wild-child colors: hot pink, electric blue, neon green, etc.

Glitz & Glam Contemporary Christmas Wreath Contemporary Christmas Ornaments

Imagine the Glitz & Glam Christmas party: bright colors, playful lights, and the wildest Christmas decor you can think of~! Use over-sized, glittery ornaments and feathery boas for great mantel decor — don’t forget the colorful stockings!! If you are throwing a dinner party, have your florist create a fun, contemporary Christmas centerpiece that’s sure to set your glamorous mood.

So, if you’re looking to spice up your holidays, try gettin’ your bling on and decorating with Glitz & Glam style!

This post is brought to you by local Charlotte NC florists.
Not in Charlotte? No worries, use Flower Shop Network’s handy local florist directory to find a florist near you!