Clare Florist Blog

Princes Street Gardens

Inspired by Lucy's blog entry yesterday about gardens in Britain, I went out and about on my bike yesterday after work and took some lovely images of Princes Street Gardens and Edinburgh Castle.
It was really good just wandering about I felt like a tourist! Glad I made the effort as the weather is now rubbish again.
Here's hoping it's good weather this weekend as we have a wee outing planned for the weekend to the Taste festival so we are hoping for some good weather.
http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/T/taste2008/events/edinburgh/index.html

So keep your fingers crossed that the weather will be as nice as it was when I took these pictures, otherwise I will have to drag out my wellies !

 

Britain in Bloom

When I was looking up information on flower shows, I noticed that The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is running an environmental campaign, ‘Britain in Bloom’, encouraging communities around the country to participate in brightening up public spaces with some extra flora. The competition was first held back in 1963 and has been run by the RHS for the past six years, this year with the sponsorship of Shredded Wheat.

There are a number of categories for prizes, allowing communities of all sizes to enter and the competition covers the Channel Island and the Isle of Man as well at the UK — in fact, in 2002 the small Channel Island of Herm won the prize in the 'Small Coastal Resort' category. The first, regional stage of the competition is judged in June or July; the second, national stage in August, and the winners are announced in September or October.

I wonder if the new flowers I noticed planted around my local park/football pitch are part of the campaign. Britain in Bloom is one of the largest horticultural campaigns in Europe; each year thousands of people across the UK participate to contribute towards caring for their local environment and building a more beautiful Britain. Click here, to find out how you can get involved,

Greeting Card's Launched

As I said last week we have been working on all the little things you have been asking us to provide and one of those was proper greeting cards.
So yesterday we added this to the website so when you select your flowers you have the option of adding on a coordinating greeting card that we will carefully write your message inside giving a more personal feel to your gift.
We'll keep improving the selection and if you have anything else you would like us to do please don't hesitate in dropping me an email and we will see what we can do.
Here's the designs available just now.
Kerryanne

 







 

Ancient and exotic – Orchids

It's only in recent years that developments in propagation have taken the exotic beauty of the orchid into the mainstream but it is in fact one of the oldest and most diverse of flower families on earth. Experts believe that the orchid was around over 120 million years ago, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and since then it's had time to develop into over 30,000 species, with hundreds of thousands of hybrids developed over the years of human cultivation.

The first writings on orchids date back to 700 BC and were by Japanese and Chinese authors. In around 500 BC Confucius wrote of their charm and some Chinese painters dedicated their lives to capturing the beauty of the flower. Many of the most popular orchids today are natives of Southeast Asia but you might be surprised to learn that top of the polls is renowned not for its flowers but its seeds, for it is an orchid which gives us that essential ice-cream ingredient, vanilla. The seed pods of the vanilla orchid are widely used for flavouring and are produced primarily by Madagascar, providing an important income for many independent farmers.

In ancient Greece orchids were associated with virility and in the Middle Ages they were used in medicines to treat a variety of illnesses. Through the ages, they have been a symbol of love, beauty, refinement and good luck. They have also been used as an aphrodisiac, comprising the main ingredient in many love potions!

Our Geisha Girl bouquet (shown) is made up of exotic fushcia miniature orchids, a perfect message of love for any occasion, while for something really special there's our St. Tropez bouquet of gorgeous cymbidium orchids and tropical foliage. 

Over the handle bars and far away !!

I had mental turn this morning, got up early and went a cycle along the canal which was glorious as you can see from the lovely pictures I took on my phone. Take a look at the baby swan signets - they were so cute.
I had a great time and lost track of time so had to rush back.
In my haste to get back to work on time I went flying down a hill and straight over the handle bars, luckily I only skint my knees and hurt my pride, since it was so early no one was around so I could have a wee bubble to myself as I "slowly" peddled back home with that song ringing in my ears "things can only get better...." Best get on with some work now ... Kerryanne

April Prize Winner

The Clare Florist prize draw winner for April was Debbie Hill from Reading.
Debbie was delighted with her fresh Summer bouquet worth £50 which was delivered to her with our very best wishes.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is post back our comments card when you receive flowers and you will automatically be entered into our monthly prize draw.

Everything's coming up roses!

We listen to the feedback we receive from all our lovely customers and one of the things you have been asking for is a bunch of a dozen roses, so we have added them to our Rose Collection and every week throughout the Summer we are going to have at least one colour on special offer.
This week the colour we have chosen is yellow because it's bright and sunny just like the weather and very trendy!
http://www.clareflorist.co.uk/prodView.asp?idproduct=431

Here I am with all the colours available.

The Healing Power of Flowers ~ Colour me happy

One of the most immediate impacts of flowers is their bright, uplifting colours. Did you know that there’s a form of alternative medicine called Colour Therapy, also known as Chromotherapy or Colourology? The idea is that colour and light can be used to remedy imbalances in our energetic system, restoring us to well-being, both physically and psychologically. This works because of the effect that different wave-lengths of light (and so colour) have on us. I’ve certainly noticed the effect that different colours have on me in terms of everyday things like clothing and interior decoration, so maybe it’s not such a surprising possibility that colours could be used therapeutically. For more information on the theory and practice of Colour Therapy click here. Different people will react differently to certain colours and have their own personal favourites, but here are some general associations:

Pink is associated with protection and altruistic love, it is gentle, warm and nurturing and has a calming effect on the emotions. It can be used to soothe feelings of loneliness, despondency, irritation and aggression.

White is the colour of purity and peace. It is used to alleviate shock and despair and to cleanse troubled emotions and thoughts. It is also used for protection and to give space for reflection.

Green (a component of all our bouquets!) is the colour of nature and helps to lessen stress and to balance the emotions. It connects us to the natural world and promotes empathy and relaxation.

Red is associated with passion and vitality and can be used to support ambition and overcome negative thoughts. Too much red in someone’s system, however can lead to anger and irritability.

Orange is a vibrant, uplifting colour which can help to relieve feelings of depression and low self-worth. It can be used to free us of stuck, negative emotions and renew our interest in life.

Yellow is the colour of happiness and sunny days; it is also associated with the intellect and can be used to aid our mental faculties. Bright yellows promote optimism and self-confidence.

Blue is a cool, calming colour, connected to water and sky. It can help us to find peace and clarity and soothe away the bustle and stress of modern life.

Flower Shows

Now that the Spring is in full-flow, with bright, sunny days stretching towards Summer, Britain is really in bloom and the Royal Horticultural Society is running its annual Flower Shows across the country. The Royal Horticultural Society has been running for over 200 years, supporting Britons who share a passion for plants, inspiring those with an interest in gardening and working to advance excellence in horticulture.

Here’s a list of upcoming shows (see here for further details):

Chelsea Flower Show
20 - 24 May 2008
During May the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea come alive with the sights and smells of the finest collections of flowers in the world.

BBC Gardeners' World Live
11 - 15 June 2008
This gardening event is a celebration of plants, inspiration and live entertainment.

Charity Gala Preview of the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
7 July 2008
Treat yourself to a wonderful evening out in style, at the Gala Preview culminating in a breathtaking firework display over the Royal Palace.

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
8 - 13 July 2008
The Hampton Court Palace and surrounding parkland provide an idyllic setting for the world’s largest horticultural show.

RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park
23 - 27 July 2008
Set in more than 20 acres of magnificent parkland, this flower show offers a wealth of gardening opportunities for all gardeners.

We'd love to hear from any of you who make it to some of this year's shows.

Mother's day flowers ~ Fragrant Freesias

Delicate in appearance, the sweetly scented freesia is in fact a very resilient little flower. Named after the German physician, Dr Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese, they come in an array of colours, from snowy white to sunny yellow, to deep purple and red. Unlike most flowers, in freesias it is the darker varieties that have the strongest scent; their pungent fragrance is used in many soaps, body lotions and shampoos. Sun-loving flowers, most varieties of freesia come from the Cape Province of South Africa, with a few species growing further north in the tropics of the African continent. They were first imported to Europe in the late 1800s and since then have become a firm favourite around the world, with over 100 million stems being sold in the UK each year and an recent survey by F & PA (The Flowers & Plants Association) found that over half of the respondents listed them as one of their favourite flowers.

Freesias belong to the same family as the iris, the Iridacceae. They should be kept away from sources of heat and from fruit as they’re very sensitive to ethylene gas which is produced by ripening fruit!

Handtied fragrant freesia bouquet