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Give a Game of Thrones Themed Arrangement

If you watched the Game of Thrones season 4 premier, (Don’t worry if you have yet to see it, we won’t spoil you here.) you may have spotted some lovely red, white and blue flowers gifted to the Khaleesi. (If you didn’t see it, click this link for a non-spoilery image!) That got us to thinking, what would make a better gift to a fan of the show than giving them an arrangement inspired by that scene for their very own?

Red Protea PincushionBlue RoseWhite Aster

Finding the Right Flowers

I know what you’re thinking, “Put together an arrangement based on some flowers glimpsed for a few brief moments on a tv show? That’s impossible!” but you’d be wrong. In fact, the secret to creating a similar look is in the flowers used. Fortunately for us, our very own Mandy Maxwell used her sharp vision to discover and name those flowers for you. They are:

  • Pincusion Protea – Red
  • Rose – Blue – This does not occur in nature. The rose has to be dyed.
  • ?White Aster? – White – She wasn’t positive on the white flower, but if this isn’t the exact one used, it has a similar look and would work in a pinch!

The Art of Local

Step 2 of this flower theme creation is to walk into a local flower shop and be ready to give your florist some details regarding what you’d like to see. Your local florist is also a local artist, and they are often not only happy but even excited to face a challenge.

Still, this won’t be quite as challenging as it could be. The flowers involved are all very popular blooms and the florist shouldn’t have any trouble getting her hands on some. The biggest hitch you might run into would be the blue roses as they would most likely have to be a special order. But hey, your Game of Thrones fan is worth it, right?

So get ready to “Wow!” that rabid Game of Thrones fan, especially if she’s also a fan of flowers (and really, who isn’t?) No time better than now to head over to your local florist and place that order!

*Blue Rose image taken from 3rdbillion

*White Aster image taken from Power of the Flower

Hey! What’s THAT Flower?

We’ve all gotten flowers before and tried our best to guess what kind of flowers they are. Roses, lilies, carnations… those are the easy ones. What about the more-rare flowers that florists use? Have you ever received an arrangement with a unique flower that made you call your florist just to ask “Hey! What was THAT flower?”

We polled our florists on Facebook and they told us which flowers gets the MOST curious attention from their customers..

Red Protea Pincushion Pincushion Protea – This unique flower always has heads turning. “What flower is that?” Pincushions are native to Zimbabwe and South Africa. They grow naturally in sparse forests and mountain slopes. They are available year-round in colors of red, red-orange, orange and yellow. More about Pincushions
Green Trick Dianthus Green Trick Dianthus – You might be surprised, this is a cousin of the common carnation we all know so well. These super long-lasting, furry flowers that add interesting texture and form to any floral arrangement. So far, these are only available in shades of green to blueish-green. (Unless you florists know otherwise, let me know in the comments below!) Green Tick & Other Green Flowers [Read more…]

2012 Pantone Color of the Year – Tangerine Tango

Pantone 2012 Color of the Year
Pantone has just announced the color of the year for 2012, Tangerine Tango! What an exciting color to feature for the new year.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.” Over the past several years, orange has grown in popularity and acceptance among designers and consumers alike. A provocative attention-getter, Tangerine Tango is especially appealing in men’s and women’s fashion.

This color works well because of it’s versatility for both men and women. Dress it up for an exotic look, but can also work for a casual, friendly design. Tangerine Tango is full of energy just waiting to perk up your flower arrangements.

Celebrate this beautiful color choice with flowers!

Here are our favorite arrangements that use this hot color of the year: [Read more…]

Anything But Ordinary – Inspiring & Unique Flowers

As a gardener and as an artist and photographer, I have long been attracted to more unusual plants — those that are showy, quirky, alien-like, and over-the-top — anything but ordinary. Any plant or flower that makes me ask, “what in the world is that?” has a place in my garden! Many of these flowers can also be used in bouquets, adding a touch of the exotic and unusual to any arrangement.

Unusual Flower Types & Photos

Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro)
Globe Thistle

Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro)
Globe Thistle is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial with coarse, prickly leaves with 1-2 ball-shaped silvery-lavender-blue or dark blue flowerheads blooming in early to late summer on rigid branching stems 24-48 inches tall. These beautiful ornamentals grow best in full sun to mostly sunny areas and attract bees and butterflies. In the garden, they will tolerate heat and are deer-resistant. They make excellent cut flowers as well as great additions to dried bouquets.
This flower IS available from your local florist*.

Allium Bulgaricum (Nectaroscordum siculum)
Allium Bulgaricum

Allium Bulgaricum (Nectaroscordum siculum)
This ornamental allium is easy to grow, deer-resistant, and hardy to zone 4. They thrive in sunlight and bloom in May and June. Also known as Mediterranean Bells, Sicilian Honey Lily, Ornamental Onion and Sicilian Garlic, they are native to the Mediterranean. The individual florettes begin in an upright position and gradually relax to a cluster of tricolored bells and begin to drape like a floral chandelier. They make an interesting addition to flower arrangements.

Bat Face Cuphea (Cuphea llavea)
Bat Face Cuphea

Bat Face Cuphea (Cuphea llavea)
Also known as St. Peter’s plant, Tiny Mice and Bunny Ears, Bat Face Cuphea is a tender tropical evergreen perennial native to Mexico. Bat Face Cuphea prefer partial to full sun and its distinctive red and purple flowers blooms from March through October. Attractive to hummingbirds and bees, the plant is low maintenance, drought-tolerant and makes a great plant for pots, planters, and beds. The plants will grow 2-3 feet tall by 3 feet wide. In early summer, pinch growth off to encourage branching.

Cat’s Whiskers (Orthosiphon stamineus)
Cat’s Whiskers

Cat’s Whiskers (Orthosiphon stamineus)
Part of the mint family, Cat’s Whiskers are herbaceous perennial flowering plants originating in tropical East Asia. They grow up to two feel tall and three to four feet wide. The flowers have an orchid-like appearance and are white or lavender, sprouting long stamens that resemble cat’s whiskers. They attract butterflies and hummingbirds and can be harvested to use in herbal teas.

Family Jewels Milkweed Tree (Asclepias physocarpa)
Family Jewels Milkweed

Family Jewels Milkweed Tree (Asclepias physocarpa)
This species of milkweed is also known as White Butterfly Weed or Swan Plant. Native to Jamaica and South America, this perennial herb can grow to over six feet and prefers full sun and well-drained soil. It is a food source for caterpillars and is a food and habitat plant for the Monarch Butterfly. The small flowers are creamy white and orchid-like, followed by translucent, inflated 2″ green balls covered with soft bristles that are the resulting seedpods. It is a fast-growing tender perennial and grows best in Zones 7-10.

Firecracker Vine or Spanish Flag (Mina lobata)
Spanish Flag

Firecracker Vine or Spanish Flag (Mina lobata)
A tender perennial grown as an annual, this fast climber can grow 10 to 20 feet tall. The incredibly intense-colored 1.5″ blooms are reddish-orange fading to orange yellow and white flowers from mid-summer to fall. Two cultivars include Citronella (cream flowers and red buds) and Mexican Fiesta (red and yellow flowers). A member of the morning glory family, Spanish Flag can be grown in sun to partial shade and is best grown on a lattice.

Red or Yellow Hot Poker (Kniphofia)
Hot Poker

Red or Yellow Hot Poker (Kniphofia)
Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia uvaria) and Yellow Hot Poker plants are grown from bulbs, and are heat and drought tolerant. They can grow 36″ tall. This variety is ‘Sally’s Comet’ Yellow Hot Poker. Native to Africa, they are known as Torch Lilies. Upright, rocket-shaped blooms produce ample nectar during blooming and are hummingbird magnets. They must be grown in full sun and require good drainage to prevent crown rot. They may spread up to three feet wide. Hardy to zones 5-10.
This flower IS available from your local florist*.

Liatris or Blazing Star (Liatris)
Liatris

Liatris or Blazing Star (Liatris)
Hardy perennials White Liatris (Liatris spicata ‘Alba’) and Purple Blazing Star Liatris (Liatris spicata purple), are also known as Gayfeather and Button Snakeroot, and are a member of the Aster family. They bloom from the top down, which is unusual with flowering plants. Each spike is comprised of tiny flowers that are a magnet for pollinators. Ranging from 2-4′ tall, they add height to flower beds and are a popular cut flower in summer floral arrangements with a long vase life.
This flower IS available from your local florist*.

Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena)
Love-in-a-Mist

Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena)
Love-in-a-Mist is a beautiful Victorian garden annual blooming in soft shades of blue, pink, white, and lavender. Because its fern-like leaves look similar to fennel, it has also been called fennel flower. This annual herbaceous plant is in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), readily self-seeds, and is common in old-fashioned cottage gardens. It grows in full sun to partial shade and blooms from late spring through fall. Nigella is short-lived, so for continuous bloom, repeat sowing every four weeks. You can cut and deadhead this plant to keep it flowering longer.
This flower IS available from your local florist*.

[Read more…]

Unusual Garnet Flowers To Match Your Unique Style

Guide To Garnet Flowers

Recently, we did an article about January birthday ideas and suggested sending flowers in the color of the January birthstone, garnet. After thinking about it for a while, there are a ton of great, garnet colored flowers! Garnet flowers can mark special moments in January, like anniversaries, weddings, or other memorable events, but garnet is a wonderful color that really deserves more attention. Use this guide to garnet flowers all year long to accent your favorite occasions!

Garnet is a gemstone that comes in a variety of colors, but it is mostly depicted as reddish-brown to dark reds. They can also be found in orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, pink and colorless.

When creating a color palette for your flower arrangement or wedding bouquet, choose analogous colors to garnet, meaning next to it on the color wheel. These include rusty oranges and dirty greens, even lime green. Garnet also offers a gorgeous complementary color of turquoise which was 2010’s color of the year.

Complement of Garnet

The following guide are a collection of very unique, garnet colored flowers available from your local florists. Of course, there are also dark red roses, carnations, and many other common, cut flowers come in a shades of garnet, but most people know about those! This guide focuses on a garnet flowers you might not think of!

This is a great flower guide for brides looking for unique color palettes and unusual flowers for their wedding. [Read more…]