Christmas Decorations

Flower Shop Network Is On The Road Again!

August 3, 2010 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

Flower Shop Network is on the road again! This weekend, August 6-8th, we will be at the TSFA/CTPFA Convention in Franklin, TN. The Tennessee State Florists’ Association and Central Tennessee Professional Florists’ Association have came together to produce this fabulous show!

It will be the Tennessee State Florist’s Association’s 58th annual convention, and the Central Tennessee Professional Florists’ Association’s 35th annual Christmas show.

We expect to learn lots and get in the mood for Christmas! (Ahh!) As always, we will pass along all we learn to you, the florists!

We’d love to meet you! Let us know if you’re going to be there, post a comment below..

Filed Under: Floral Conventions & Flower Shows Tagged With: Christmas Decorations, Floral & Flower Shows, Floral Shows

Procrastinators Take Heed: A Last Minute Christmas Decorating Tip

November 4, 2009 by Flower Shop Network Leave a Comment

"Holiday Happiness" Christmas Flowers

Christmas is barely three days away. Many are already coming together for family and friend celebrations. Despite the ticking clock, I’ve decided to help out the procrastinators who are choosing the last minute to start prepping for Christmas.

Tip #1 and Only: Don’t forget the flowers!

Just in case you missed that last one, here it is again. Don’t Forget The Flowers! Christmas flowers are a large part of the holiday celebration. They bring a festive air to the home and office. They bring joy to the face of someone receiving a Christmas bouquet from their local florist. Flowers are an unforgettable part of Christmas, so whatever you do–don’t forget the flowers!

Here are some ideas for adding floral pep to your holiday celebration:

Mistletoe will never go out of style. Hang it freely and proudly. It WILL earn a grin, guaranteed.
Decorate the table with a festive Christmas flowers centerpiece using red, green and white flowers. Florists often sell flowers by the stem so you can test your creativity at home. As the day approaches faster, your florist will be your favorite holiday helper. Even Santa has a few of those.
If you’re entertaining children, use fun animals and kiddie Christmas images in your arrangements. Rudolph Christmas arrangements are fun treats that your local florist can help you obtain.
When sending flowers for Christmas, include a festive holiday enclosure card message. These will light up the face of the recipient like a strand of Christmas tree bulbs at midnight.

Just remember to have fun. Merry Christmas from Flower Shop Network!

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Flowers

Christmas Wedding Flower Suggestions.

December 10, 2007 by Jamie Jamison Adams 1 Comment

Ask the Expert: Suggestions for flowers in Dec. for wedding

I am going to host a wedding at my home Dec 30. I plan to leaves some of my Christmas decoration out such as outside lighting, garland up the stairway, around the flowerplace on around the front door. There will be no Christmas tree and I plan to remove the red poinsettias.
The groom in military and will be wearing blue, the bridesmaids dresses are dark blue. The bride is questioning what flower would be appropriate this time of year. I wanted to steer her away from using any blue at Christmas time because she wants blue. Do you have any suggestions? The bride wants to use calla lily for herself what could be used and work with some Christmas decor still in use?

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Wedding, Flower Suggestions, Wedding Decorations

The Twelve Flower Arrangements of Christmas

December 1, 2007 by Jamie Jamison Adams Leave a Comment

Everyone is familiar with the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. In my quirky holiday way, I have my own take on this song. I call my song “The 12 Flower Arrangements of Christmas”. It doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, but I like it. So you won’t have to go through the whole song, I am providing only the last verse but with pictures.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Twelve Ruby Reflections Christmas Flower Arrangements.

Eleven Berry Bedazzlings Christmas Flower Arrangements.

Ten Sugar Plum Dreams Christmas Flower Arrangements.

Nine Yuletide Baskets Flower arrangement for Christmas.
Eight Holly Jolly Holidays Christmas Arrangement.
Seven Home for the Holidays Flower Arrangement.

Six Peppermint Poises Christmas Flowers.
Five Razzle Dazzles Flowers.
Four Christmas Cupcakes Flower Arrangement.
Three Seasonal Wishes Flower Arrangement.
Two Radiant Poinsettias Plants for Christmas.
And a Peace on Earth Centerpiece Arrangement for Christmas.

Hope you like my version, as usual flowers are always on my mind. Just a little FYI — Number 8 and number 1 are my favorites.

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions, Holiday Info Tagged With: Christmas Decorations, Christmas Flowers, Christmas Gifts, Flower Arrangements, Flower Suggestions, Holiday Info

Christmas Cactus, Paperwhite Narcissus and Other Holiday Plants

December 14, 2004 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year when the weather outside turns frightful — or at least a bit chilly — and, in northern climates anyway, there’s nothing blooming outside. So it’s natural to crave a little holiday cheer indoors in the form of live blooming plants. Your local flower shop can fix you up with several choices, from the ubiquitous poinsettia to an exotic bromeliad (click HERE for poinsettia care tips in a previous newsletter). Two long-time favorites that are available right now are the old-fashioned Christmas cactus and the deliriously fragrant paperwhite narcissus. We’ll talk about the Christmas cactus first.

The Christmas Cactus

The plants most commonly known as Christmas cactus are members of either of two species: Schlumbergera or Zygocactus. The many cultivars of Schlumbergera bridgesii are the most commonly available, with flower colors ranging from red to white with every shade of peach, pink, fuchsia, and even yellow in between. The Christmas cactus is an epiphytic (tree- dwelling) succulent plant, native to the warm, humid rainforests of Central and South America, and while it is botanically a true cactus, it should not be treated like those fat, spiny cacti found in the deserts of the southwestern United States.

Christmas Cactus Care

Christmas cactus care is fairly easy. It does well if given plenty of light (but no direct, burning sun) and regular watering during the growing season of spring and summer. A little extra humidity is appreciated too, which can be accomplished by misting the plant frequently with water. Keep the plant warm. Soil should be well-drained, and the pot ought to be a little snug.

Forcing A Christmas Cactus To Bloom

In the fall, gradually reduce the amount and frequency of watering and begin to prepare the plant for dormancy. This is how to get a Christmas cactus to bloom. Being a so-called “short day” plant (just like the poinsettia), a Christmas cactus requires as least 12 hours of completely uninterrupted darkness every night for about three weeks beginning October 1st. This long period of darkness each night induces the plant to set flower buds, and even the light from an overhead fixture or a street lamp outside the window can disrupt the cycle. During dormancy, maintain the soil on the dry side, but never completely dried out so that the plant shrivels. Cool nighttime temperatures are preferred for buds to set — around 60° F. Beware, however, that buds and flowers may drop if the plant is too cold, too wet, or in a draft.

After flowering, the Christmas cactus will need a rest. Continue to water infrequently and provide cooler night temperatures. In spring, resume normal watering, keep the plant warm and humid, and fertilize every two weeks or so throughout the growing season with a balanced house plant food. Given proper care, a happy Christmas cactus can live for decades.

Paperwhite Daffodils For Christmas

There are no flower bulbs better for forcing than the paperwhite narcissus (daffodils), and they’re usually available right about now. You can either buy the pre-cooled, loose narcissus bulbs by themselves, or ask your florist for some paperwhites that have already been potted up and are beginning to sprout. In either case, the bulbs have already been subjected to an imposed dormant period, making forcing easier. Besides paperwhites, loose narcissus bulbs are also available in a yellow variety called ‘Soleil d’Or’. Select large, firm bulbs. You can plant them closely together in a pot, burying the bulbs just up to the neck in a well-drained soil mixture. Keep the soil evenly moist. Or place them in a shallow dish which is filled with gravel to support the bulbs. Keep the dish full of water. Start them off in a dark, cool spot until they begin to sprout.

Growing Paperwhites

As the narcissus bulbs start to grow, place them in a very bright, sunny window. The maximum amount of light will help keep the growing foliage and flower scapes from stretching and becoming weak and leggy. If the stems do get too weak, support them with slender green plant stakes. Keep the bulbs cooler at night to promote stocky growth.

Paperwhite Blooming Indoors

Forcing paperwhites indoors generally produces flowers in 3 or 4 weeks. Make successive plantings to enjoy a longer blooming period. Bulbs that have been forced usually won’t bloom again, so it’s best to discard them after they’ve flowered.

With a little advance planning — or some help from your local florist — it’s possible to have flowers blooming indoors all winter long. What a lovely way to brighten the season! And of course, a gift of flowers is always appreciated. All of us at Flower Shop Network wish you and yours a very happy and peaceful holiday.

Filed Under: Gift Ideas, Holiday Info, Newsletters, Seasonal Flowers Tagged With: Christmas Cactus, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Flowers, Daffodils, Narcissus

A Nightmare Before Christmas? Last Minute Decorating Ideas

November 15, 2003 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

If the thought of decorating for the holidays is giving you a nightmare (after all, there are just a few weeks left before Christmas arrives), then pay a visit to your local florist for some up-to-the-minute advice and inspiration. Holiday merchandise is now appearing in flower shops everywhere, ready for your approval.

Christmas’ ‘Hottest’ Colors

One of the Christmas decorating trends this year is the use of hot colors; think of the day-glo hues of the Sixties. It’s a retro look, evoking a spirit of nostalgia among those of us who lived through it the first time. Hot pinks, greens, and oranges are finding their way onto Christmas trees and wreaths, creating a youthful and festive exuberance.

Mod Christmas Style

Ornaments are being created in the “mod” geometric forms of the era; you know…. the shapes of those triple light fixtures hanging in your mother’s kitchen. They’ve been decorated in polka dots and wavy stripes, and sometimes even flocked. If you can’t afford a whole new collection, then simply adding a few new ornaments or a bit of splashy new ribbon can update your older arrangements and give your Christmas decorating scheme a fresh appearance.

Natural Christmas

At the other end of the Christmas decorating spectrum is the natural look, which features such rustic elements as branches, cones, pods, and feathers. Colors are muted and textures are emphasized. Woven baskets or bark-covered containers may be used to hold an assemblage of earthy finds, such as cinnamon sticks, dried flowers, or an empty bird’s nest. Artificial pine Christmas wreaths may be encircled with dried grapevine to provide texture and movement. Add dried mushrooms, pomegranates, spruce cones, and lotus pods to the wreath to create a lush, woodsy collage of nature. Such a design is also appropriate for the fall of the year, and even beyond holidays, into the winter. This “trans-seasonal” approach to decorating can save time and money.

Bringing It All Together

If you want to decorate like the professionals, select a theme for your Christmas decor and re-interpret it throughout your home or office. Unify all the decorations by duplicating a specific motif — such as holly berries or candy canes — and by repeating a certain ribbon pattern or ornament style. And when it comes to decorating Christmas trees, remember that depth is important. Christmas trees ought to appear full and abundant. Place larger ornaments well to the inside of the branches in order to draw the viewer’s eye inward while creating a background for the other, smaller ornaments at the surface. This gives the tree a greater sense of volume. Use wide ribbon or swags of lightweight fabric as a garland to spiral around the tree and to occupy space. Consider purchasing ordinary, inexpensive glass ball ornaments as filler for the center of the Christmas tree while bringing the more unique and precious ones forward.

With the help of a professional floral designer, you can turn your nightmare before Christmas into a decorating dream come true. Stop in today… you’ll sleep easier.

Filed Under: Holiday Info, Newsletters, Seasonal Ideas, Trends Tagged With: Christmas Decorations, Christmas Tree, Christmas Wreaths, Holiday Decorations, Holiday Flowers

Christmas Decorating Ideas

December 15, 2002 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

Tis the season for making merry, and creating a festive holiday environment is a traditional part of preparing for the annual celebration. Your local florist has lots of great Christmas decorating ideas, from nostalgic to contemporary, to help you enhance your surroundings for the holidays.

Christmas Wreaths & Swags

Of course, we’re all familiar with the traditional Christmas wreath, which can be designed in nearly any style or color harmony. But if you’re bored with wreaths, an alternative Christmas decorating idea might be to hang a graceful swag on your front door. One-half of a standard 9-foot length of artificial pine garland can be used as the base for such a swag, with the upper third doubled over to create a broader top. A colorful ribbon intertwined from top to bottom sets the mood and theme of the design, and the addition of pines cones, berries, or permanent fruits or flowers brings it to life. A fluffy bow at the top completes the swag. It’s a beautiful idea for a narrow front door (or pair of doors), under a coach light, between two windows, or indoors on either side of a fireplace.

The remaining half of the artificial garland can be decorated to match the swag, and then used in any of a number of places in the home: across a mantle, along a stair rail, around a lamp post, festooning a doorway, or down the center of a long dining table as a runner. Just for variety, place it in one of these locations this year, and use it in a another the next.

Using Candles For A Candlescape

Another Christmas decorating idea which is gaining favor is the “candlescape“; simply an arrangement of various sizes and shapes of candles, placed into a low tray or shallow container, and accented with evergreens, ribbons, small ornaments and the like. Candlescapes are lovely on a coffee table, credenza, or dining table, and they add the element of sparkling light to the holiday environment. Adding reflective materials to the design helps to enhance the value of the candlelight.

Winter Vs. Christmas

One way to extend the use of your permanent holiday decorations is to ask your florist to create a “winter” design for you rather than a Christmas arrangement. Such a design may be more subtle in its composition rather than bold and colorful, making use of branches, pods, foliages, empty bird nests, and other natural elements which are harmonious with the season. A winter wreath will be appropriate on your front door for several weeks past the time when the Christmas decorations have been taken down. It may even be jazzed up for Christmas with the temporary addition of a luxurious velvet bow or a translucent fabric ribbon woven with metallic threads.

Consult you local florist for more Christmas decorating ideas, and have a happy and peaceful, not to mention well-decorated, holiday season!

Filed Under: Holiday Info, Seasonal Flowers, Seasonal Ideas Tagged With: Christmas Decorations, Christmas Wreaths, Winter Flowers

Colorful Stars of Christmas: Poinsettias

December 10, 2001 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

‘Tis the season for holiday preparations…….cooking, shopping, wrapping, and decorating. One of the traditional favorite symbols of Christmas cheer is available at your local florist right now: the popular Poinsettia plant, with colorful, star-shaped blooms that last well beyond the holiday season.

Poinsettia History

Poinsettias are members of the Euphorbia family, a diverse group of mostly succulent plants which includes the Crown-of-Thorns, the Pencil Cactus, and the Candelabra Trees of Africa. Poinsettias themselves are native to Mexico, where, in 1828, they were discovered growing by Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and who had a strong interest in botany. Poinsett brought plants back to grow in his own greenhouses in South Carolina, propagated them, and eventually shared some with his friends and nurserymen in the area. They were first sold commercially in 1836, and the rest is history. Incidentally, contrary to common mythology, Poinsettias are not poisonous.

Poinsettia Care

It’s interesting to note that the colorful parts of the Poinsettia which we call “flowers” are not really flowers at all. They are actually “bracts”: modified leaves which serve to call attention to the small and insignificant true flowers (the little yellow nubs in the centers). These bracts may stay colorful well into the spring if the Poinsettia is given proper care. The plants will do well if they receive at least 4 to 6 hours of bright, indirect sunlight each day. Keep the plants warm (above 68 degrees Fahrenheit) and away from drafts or chilly windows. Water the plants when the top inch of the soil is dry to the touch, and never allow them to sit in water. Fertilize every two weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. In the late spring, after danger of frost has passed, Poinsettias may be cut back to around 6 inches from the top of the pot and placed outside in the garden. Repot them into a rich, organic and well-drained soil, and continue fertilizing until the end of summer.

Re-blooming Poinsettias

With a little bit of effort, Poinsettias may be re-bloomed the following year. Before night temperatures fall below 50 degrees, bring the plant back indoors. Maintain regular watering, but discontinue fertilizing. Poinsettias are so-called “short day” plants, meaning that the bloom cycle is initiated only after the night time period of darkness is at least 14 hours long. So, to ensure flowers for Christmas, place plants in a closet, under a box, or in a dark corner of a basement or storage room, from late afternoon until morning, beginning the latter part of September through the first part of November. During this time, the light from even a single bulb at night can interrupt the bloom cycle. By day, keep the plants in their normal warm, sunny location.

Types of Poinsettias

Poinsettias have been extensively hybridized, with new cultivars appearing almost every year, so that today we have a wide range of choices beyond the traditional red or white. For example, “Marblestar” is a variety with large, crisp, pointed bracts which are a deep coral pink with ivory edges. “Jinglebell” has pink flecks on a red background. “Monet” features soft bracts ranging through shades of peach to pink and speckled with burgundy. The “Heirloom” series displays red, pink, or peach bracts atop green foliage with white margins. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen the appearance of “Winter Rose”, a dwarf hybrid with small, dark red, ruffled bracts, and “Plum Pudding” with dainty, amethyst colored blooms.

Your professional florist can provide you with these and other colorful choices, perfect for gift-giving or for brightening up your own home for the holidays. Let a Poinsettia plant be the star of your Christmas decorating scheme!

Filed Under: Newsletters Tagged With: Christmas Decorations, Christmas Flowers, Poinsettia Care, Poinsettias