Recently in Flowering Gifts Category

Mother's Day is busier for us than Christmas, a combination of making custom quilts and gifts and suggesting unique ideas to  celebrate "Mom."

One long-time customer said recently she feels guilty because her kids are not close but she still celebrates Mother's Day. Why not?

The day is more than giving Mom a card or gift - it's a day to commemorate what mothers have done over the centuries, and to thank those women who have been special at the various stages of our lives.

It also means if you're a Mom, you should celebrate what you've accomplished bringing and guiding a child, or children, in this world. From what I hear from my younger friends, raising children today is a lot more difficult from the days I was a stepmother.

So to all of our Moms, this flower bouquet is for you!


"My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being.  I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune."  ~Graycie Harmon

Charlotte
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So many cut flowers don't last long because they've run out of water!

There are a variety of standard flower vases florists use. If you prefer those vases, you can find them at resale shops for a fraction of the cost.

Clean with vinegar and water, then run through a hot dishwasher before using again.

I keep a stash of favorite flower containers in a cabinet in my garage.

I like using unusual containers like hand thrown coffee cups, teapots without lids, and coffee creamers.

You can find them at garage sales, resale shops and thrift stores.

Most of them don't have as much value without tops or because they are missing the matching sugar container but they make fun flower containers.

The creamer size is one of my favorites.

Creamers have rounded bottoms for water; keep flowers low on a table so people can see over the flowers, and the handle makes it easy to carry and move flowers around a room.

If you don't have enough flowers to fill the creamer, add a few marbles or pebbles to hold the flowers straight, then finish with a little sphagnum moss over the top.

Rose bud vases are also nice to use when you only have a few flowers; just remember once you put flowers in, there won't be much room for water so check frequently.

Cut flowers take up the most water immediately after being cut so I leave mine in a vase with a lot of water for a couple of hours before putting them in their final vase.

It's also good to pick most spring flowers while they're still in bud; daffodils will open nicely once exposed to warmer room temperatures.

Early daffodils are small; they need flower vases that are no more than 6" tall.

Mid-flowering and late flowering daffodils and tulips will easily fit into standard, taller vases. You can also cut them to fit smaller containers.

Anemones, snow drops, glories of the snow and other small spring flowers will best fit in 2-4" containers.

If you plan to mix daffodils with other spring flowers, let them sit by themselves in water for a few hours before mixing them.

Daffodils have a toxin that will kill other flowers if you mix them immediately.

I leave cut daffodils sitting in a vase by themselves overnight, then mix the flowers in the same vase in the morning.

There's nothing like a bouquet of home grown spring flowers to brighten someone's day, including mine!


Charlotte
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Almost a year ago this February, I was given a basket full of moth orchids in pots.

They were lovely - pinks, peaches, pinks and whites, even chartreuse...and I panicked, trying to think about how I would explain their most likely demise.

A year later, all 8 moth orchids are in various stages of re-bloom, in spite of several falls; missing a couple of weekends of watering, and in another case a couple of weekends of over-watering. Not to mention periodic pats on leaves and nudges to the blooms by a curious cat.

What I've learned to love about moth orchids is how easy they are to care for and how long the blooms last - literally months. And once they're through, snipping the stem at a node encourages stem regrowth.

In terms of care, few plants are easier. I water mine on Sundays with 1/2 cup of lukewarm water and periodically check for bugs and give leaves a sponge bath. I've also given them diluted orchid food every 6 weeks or so.

Resting plants sit on a window sill with southern exposure during winter; in summer they spend several months on a shaded deck where they can get rain.

When they start to bloom, I move them into a room where I can enjoy them again.

So if you received a lovely moth orchid for Valentine's Day, enjoy. These lovely plants require very little care and will give you months, and years, of enjoyment.

Charlotte
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Remember seeing Christmas cactus on sale after the December holidays?

I found some on sale at a local hardware store for 75 cents each and brought a couple of them home.

Not only were they budding almost a week after I settled them in a southwest window under a corn plant, (photo) but they bloomed again for Valentine's Day, a lovely unexpected gift!

I'm periodically surprised at people who say these plants are hard to grow. There are native to Brazil so they are not winter hardy; they need dispersed direct light from a southern window and 1/2 cup of water every 2-3 days.

With the right light and watering schedule, Xmas cactus will keep blooming almost all year around and make a lovely flowering gift any time of year. The Xmas cactus flowers look like long-necked orchids.

And what an extra treat, the Xmas cactus sale pots each had three different Christmas cactus colors: pink, red and white.

Charlotte
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