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Caring for a Six Trunk Norfolk Island Pine

December 9, 2013 by Jamie Jamison Adams

Ask The Plant Expert:Just bought a Norfolk Island Pine…actually six trunks…three feet high for Christmas. Read your YouTube article and wish to thank you. Would you mind telling me if I can or should separate the clump of six, or will they need to remain together? Can the plant(s) be safely re-potted as you usually re-pot plants, or is there something special I need to know? I live in Austin, Texas in an apartment with a nice patio where it should do well until summer, at which time it will need to come inside.

Thank you, Georgia Willis

Plant Expert Reply:

Georgia,

How very unusual. I haven’t seen one with six trunks. Whether you have three or six trunks, the recommendation would be the same, do not try to separate the trunks. If the plant seems happy in the current container leave it alone. However, you will need to make sure that the container allows for proper drainage. If you need to re-pot the plant, choose a container with a good drain hole that is 1 1/2 times larger than the current pot. Fill the pot with a general purpose houseplant potting soil so that the top of the current rootball is about 1/2″ to 3/4″ from the top of the new container. Do not add soil to the top of the rootball; simply fill in around the sides, then water thoroughly. For more care instruction, you can check out our Northfolk Island Pine page.

Hope this information was helpful.

Jamie Jamison Adams

Filed Under: Plant Care Questions Tagged With: Houseplants, Plant Care Questions

3 Hot Holiday Florals

December 9, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

The holidays are here and there’s no better way to celebrate than decorating your home with floral goodness. It doesn’t matter which holiday you’re celebrating, your local florist has everything needed to make something unique and beautiful. Here are three hot holiday florals to make your season bright!

Floral Centerpieces

One of the hot floral items any holiday season is floral centerpieces! These make the perfect decorations for placing on dinner tables, end tables or fireplace mantles. They make a great gift for the host or hostess of a holiday party, or they can be used to decorate those bare surfaces in your own home. If you are looking to spruce up your holiday decorations, floral centerpieces are the way to go! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Holiday Info Tagged With: Holiday Gift Ideas

Friday Florist Recap 11/30 – 12/6: A Seasonal Selection

December 6, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

This week we have a bounteous selection of beautiful options for you to peruse. We start with some seasonal fare invoking the coming winter, one of the pending holiday celebrations or both! After that we showcase the gorgeous work done for special occasions, be they weddings, funerals, or that creative arrangement designed for an important client. We have some breathtaking pieces for you to see, so scroll on down!

Seasonal Flowers

A gorgeous arrangement from Flowerama Minneapolis in Minneapolis, MN

Winter arrangement from Montgomery Florist in Montgomery, NY [Read more…]

Filed Under: Floral Design, Florists Only Tagged With: Facebook Friday, Floral Design, Flower Pictures, Sympathy Flowers, Wedding Flowers

Christmas Card Messages That’ll Have You Dancing Around The Tree

December 4, 2013 by Flower Shop Network 1 Comment

How do you celebrate Christmas? Is it around a fire with your sweetheart? Opening Christmas gifts around the tree with your children? Enjoying dinner with loved ones? Whatever your celebration, there is bound to be a Christmas gift involved.

The tradition in my household is to send flowers to the family members that are hard to shop for. It works well because flowers are beautiful, but finding the right card message is where we often go awry. In fact, a wry sense of humor is hard to match with some of the many Christmas card messages floating around. Instead of trying to come up with something witty for everyone’s card, I opted to figure out what other people are saying in their enclosure cards. After all, with as many wordsmiths as there are, someone has to have found a clever way to say what I feel.

Ever feel like the right Christmas message is on the tip of your tongue but you can’t seem to get it on the enclosure card? Local florists have the holiday spirit wrapped up. After seeing hundreds of Christmas card messages over the years, they have a pretty good handle on how to send the right message along with beautiful Christmas flowers. This is why the following list of Christmas enclosure card messages is the best of the best. Don’t stress this holiday season over finding the right message. Browse this list and enjoy peace of mind when sending Christmas gifts this year.

Celebrate This Year With The Top 20 Christmas Card Messages

1) Wishing you a very merry Christmas.

2) Wishing you the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of His love at Christmas and always.

3) May the miracle of Christmas fill your heart with warmth and love.

4) May this glorious day of our Savior’s birth resound with hope and peace on earth.

5) Wishing you the love, peace, and joy that the true meaning of Christmas brings.

6) Wishing your family peace and love at Christmas and always.

7) May you have the spirit of Christmas which is peace, the gladness of Christmas which is hope and the heart of Christmas which is love.

8) May the timeless message of Christmas fill your heart and home with joy today and throughout the coming year.

9) (Funny) ‘Tis the season to put mistletoe on the handle of your purse so you can kiss your money good-bye! Hope your holiday is well spent.

10) ‘Tis the season to be jolly – May your Christmas be filled with all the things that make you smile!

11) (Funny) A Christmas Query – If we turn back our clocks one hour every October, why can’t we turn back our scales 20 lbs. every December? Have a Light-Hearted Christmas

12) (Funny) A Christmas Reminder: Don’t try to borrow any money from elves – They’re always a little short! (Hope your Christmas joy lasts a long time!)

13) When I count my blessings, I count you twice. Merry Christmas.

14) Wishing you joy and love this holiday season. May your home and hearth be filled with warm and laughter. Merry Christmas.

15) A Special Christmas Wish – May peace, hope, and love be this season’s gift to you!

16) (Funny) A heartfelt Christmas Wish for you May all your Christmas lights come on the first time you plug them in! Have a Bright Christmas

17) As you wrap each gift with loving hands and decorate the tree, may the beauty of this season make a lovely memory. Merry Christmas.

18) At Christmas play and make good cheer for Christmas comes but once a year.

19) Blessings of the season to you and yours.

20) Celebrate the Season

That’s not all! View all enclosure card messages for Christmas. Brought to you by Flower Shop Network.

Filed Under: Card Messages Tagged With: Christmas Enclosure Card Messages, Christmas Flowers, Enclosure Card Messages, Holiday Gift Ideas, Local Florists

Best 5 Reasons to Send Flowers in December

December 4, 2013 by Juli Jackson 2 Comments

December is certainly the heaviest hitting month for holidays and this list reflects it!

There are so many reasons that flowers make a perfect gift. Through color, texture, shape and fragrance, your local florist can help you discover a genuine way to reach out to those important people in your life. So without delay, here are the best reasons to send flowers this December.

#1. December Birthdays

This reason tops our list because those friends and family who have birthdays during the month of the December always have to compete with so many other festivities. Ask anyone with a December birthday and without fail they will have the experience of receiving birthday gifts wrapped in Christmas paper or getting combo holiday/birthday gifts. A birthday should be the unique celebration of just one person. Make the day truly about your loved one by sending beautiful birthday blooms on their special day.

#2. Winter Solstice – December 21st

In the Northern Hemisphere, this day is often referred to as the “longest night.” Each year, as the world spins, there comes a point where the lengthening of winter days reaches its apex and this has long been celebrated as the Winter Solstice. While sometimes the winter blues can get us down, you can brighten someone’s day with a cheery wintery mix of beautiful flowers. Smiles are sure to lighten up any dark day.

#3. Christmas – December 25th

Flowers are a fantastic way to decorate for Christmas and make a wonderful gift for the entire household. Whether sending deep red roses with bright green stems, a fragrant holiday wreath or a breath-taking centerpiece that ties the dinner table together, you can show your warmest love from afar and be a presence in the home of those you hold near and dear.

#4. Kwanzaa – December 26th – January 1st

The colorful ceremonies of Kwanzaa are an excellent reason to include flowers as part of the 7 day celebration of African cultural and historical heritage. Have a florist create a bright and festive centerpiece around your kinara. Send a Kwanzaa-themed arrangement to relatives out of town to help them honor their traditions and wish those all around a joyous Kwanzaa.

#5. New Year’s Eve – December 31st

The tradition of living it up on New Year’s Eve is always part joy for what the future may bring as well as part remembrance of another year having passed. Ring in the New Year with the elegance and style of a stunning fresh-cut arrangement.

What are your favorite reasons to send flowers this month?
Let us know in the comments!

Filed Under: Gift Ideas Tagged With: Best 5 Reasons, Flower Suggestions, Gift Ideas, Holiday Info, Seasonal Flowers

Decorate, Don’t Procrastinate!

December 2, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

Now that Thanksgiving is in our rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead to Christmas!

Don’t Wait When Preparing for Christmas

No holiday is more important when it comes to early planning than Christmas Day. It has been estimated that over 95% of the US population celebrates Christmas. That means for every outside vendor you need to use in planning your Christmas party, you are competing with everyone in town for their business! It’s important to get started early and make sure you get your name on the list. There is no time or space for lollygagging. When it comes to your Christmas celebration, you want it done right!

And done right means contacting your local florist! Many florists offer full-service decoration for your home or business wherein they will both provide and arrange all your decorating for you! Did you know that? I mean, these people don’t just come in and toss a few decorations around, they make your place look like a Christmas palace!

As impressive as this service is, it’s also very time consuming. It often takes multiple employees to do a single home, and the decoration can take hours. That means that florists will only have so many time-slots open for this sort of thing, and if you don’t schedule yours RIGHT NOW, you may not get in at all! And believe me, you want to have this done. If impressing your friends and family matters, this how you do it.

Christmas Flowers, Wreaths and Poinsettias

Flowers, wreaths and poinsettias are always in high demand around Christmas! After all, wouldn’t you like gorgeous poinsettias lining the walk to your front door, placed majestically on your front porch or stoop, beautifully crafted wreaths adorning your doorways, as well as magnificent floral arrangements and centerpieces sprinkled around your house? Of course you would! And that means you need to contact your local florist immediately!

Waiting until the last possible moment to place your order is never a good idea. The end result could be vastly limited options or possibly no options at all! Nobody wants that. Early orders make things easier for both you and your florist. The resulting lee time gives your florist the opportunity to schedule your purchase while you have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ll have everything you need and want to make your Christmas celebration a huge success!

Don’t be left in the cold this holiday season, contact your local florist today!

Filed Under: Holiday Info Tagged With: Christmas Decorations, Christmas Flowers

Please Help Identify This Purple Flower

November 29, 2013 by Jamie Jamison Adams Leave a Comment

Ask The Plant Expert: What is the name of this plant? Thanks Brian

Plant Expert Reply:

Brian,

Sorry for the delay in my reply. It took me a little while to determine which member of the Gentianaceae family this flower is. I believe it is what they call a Texas Bluebonnet (Eustoma exaltatum). Other contenders would be Texas Star (Sabatia campestris) or Sea rose (Orphium fruitescens)

Hope this information helps.

What do you think readers, is this the right identification?

Filed Under: Flower Identification Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert

Friday Florist Recap 11/23 – 11/29: A Profusion of Florals

November 29, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving doesn’t slow down these florists! We still received amazing photos of different flower arrangements for your viewing pleasure, and as usual we were blown away by the talent of our submitters. So scroll on down and enjoy this profusion of florals!

Special Occasion Flowers

Gorgeous bouquet from Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Co. in Princeton, NJ

Beautiful hand-held from Inspirations Floral Studio in Lock Haven, PA

“‘Silver Sparkle’ hand-held for a prom.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Floral Design, Florists Only Tagged With: Facebook Friday, Floral Design, Flower Pictures, Sympathy Flowers, Wedding Flowers

Black Friday? Cyber Monday? We Say Always Shop Local!

November 27, 2013 by Juli Jackson Leave a Comment

While plenty of Americans are gearing up for big Black Friday discounts at major retailers and online shoppers are browsing like crazy to get ready for Cyber Monday sales, we would like to remind holiday shoppers of the value of shopping local.

Shopping Local Benefits the Community

While everyone loves to get more for less, remember that small brick and mortar businesses in your community have great holiday sales too. And the best part of spending your hard-earned cash at these shops is that you are helping local families and their employees have a great holiday season as well. We can’t say it enough. Supporting local businesses helps build communities in a big way. So take part!

Local florists are stocked with beautiful seasonal flowers, wreaths, plants and trendy home decor that make beautiful gifts. Candles, gift baskets, picture frames, cards and so many unique items are waiting for customers this season. Be sure to head to your closest flower shop and check out all these potential presents!

With the success of the American Express campaign “Small Business Saturday”, more shoppers are seeking local establishments for gifts each year. So be part of the growing number of Americans who are choosing to invest their holiday dollars in their own towns. This means shopkeepers will have the revenue to grow their businesses, become involved with community organizations and even sponsor activities like baseball teams and senior services. Everyone wins when local businesses thrive.

So before you load up on midnight madness sale items from those big-box companies, think about where your money can have the most impact for your family and community.

After you survive Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, celebrate Treat Yourself Tuesday. It’s a great reward and the perfect way to guarantee you’re shopping local!

Filed Under: Seasonal Ideas Tagged With: Holiday Gift Ideas, Local Florists, Local Flower Shops

The FSN Turkey Shoot: Having Fun and Meeting Goals

November 26, 2013 by Ed Belly Leave a Comment

The sales team here at Flower Shop Network, just like the sales people employed by your business, has sales goals. And also like you, we try to find new and interesting ways to motivate our sales team to not only meet but exceed those goals. Our last contest was so successful, we thought we’d share this fun, seasonal idea with all of you. It’s the FSN turkey shoot!

This is our turkey shoot board. Think of it as a large dart board with images of animals acting as the bullseyes.

Here is a list of the potential prizes to be won. Those look awesome! [Read more…]

Filed Under: FSN Announcements Tagged With: FSN Announcements, Thanksgiving