Receiving flowers as a gift is like any other surprise present from loved ones, it fills us with excitement and happiness from knowing that someone cares. Most gifts however stop there, having been given for a reason, whether it be a birthday, anniversary or some other set occasion. But there is something about receiving flowers as a present that is different from any other gift. If you don’t believe me try this, head over to clareflorist.co.uk , find some flowers you like and send them to a loved one just because you can, sit back and wait to see that persons reaction when your done. 

Why is it that flowers make us feel good? Why is it that we use them to lift people’s spirits or when they’re feeling unwell? The link between emotions and flowers is one that has been well studied, research from The State University of New Jersey found that flowers effect our social behaviour far beyond what is normally expected from receiving gifts. As well as reinforcing the common sense notion that flowers make us happy they also discovered that the presence of flowers in the home, office or working environment lead to a prolonged decrease in feeling depressed, agitated and anxious and an similar increase in showing a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction. It also showed that flowers helped to facility people to make more intimate connections leading to an increased amount of contact between family and friends.

The bonus to all of this is that we too feel happy. The selfless act of attempting to make someone else happy, for no other reason than you can, will inevitably make you feel happy to! The flowers that will sit on their desk or in the window will lift there spirits and make them smile for days to come. The watering, pruning and general maintenance put in to keep them alive is all an attempt to help prolong this feeling.

The moral of this post is then, random acts of kindness make us feel happy just as much as they make others feel happy to. So head down to the florist or over to clareflorist.co.uk and send some flowers to feel great all weekend. Next Friday we look deeper into the science of smell and colour and how the effects these factors have on our daily emotions.

Do you love, rare flowers? Have a thing for interesting looking plants? Well each Wednesday we bring you a short post about a rare flower, that, hopefully you won’t have seen before. This week our focus is on the beautifully coloured and all round intriguing Pink Puya (Puya dyckioides)

The Pink Puya is a member of the Bromelaid family, a group of plants which grow nearly exclusively in the New world tropics and sub tropics with this particular soecies being found in Argentina. If you can find them they are generally easy to raise being able to grow in pots which can be moved indoors for winter as well as in ordinary cactus soils which is unlike their pineapple relatives. This exotic plant will have no problems with temperatures around 30-35^oC and can survive down to temperatures as low –6^oC making it particularly versatile to swings in temperature. It enjoys plenty of sunshine but in areas of warmer afternoon temperatures would be very grateful for some afternoon shade.

Over its first few years the Pink Puya produces large arching leaves measuring around a metre in length and a flower stalk which protrudes outwards to a similar length. At around 6-7 years old the plant should be close to its flowering size where the top two feet of stalk will produce stunning flowers off around an inch long with the colours varying from vibrant combinations of pinks, greens and blues in its infancy to dark and glowing reds as they mature. Most species of Puya bloom only in the spring and have large spines which can make them difficult to look after, however this species can bloom from early spring to late fall and has much smaller spines.

Overall these are a beautiful plant to view, with a stunning variety of colours.  If you can find one and put in the time and patience you’ll be rewarded by a truly wonderful plant. 

Orchids are a one of the largest families of flowering plants. With over 22,000 accepted species and being capable of surviving in nearly every type of habitat across the globe it is a wonder many people struggle to keep them alive. Here were going to give a few simple tips to help make sure your orchid continues to flower over and over again.

Giving too much love

One of the first problems many people face is they are to kind too there orchid, over watering it and placing it in direct sunlight under the assumption that they are native to warm tropical climates and this is what they like. Unfortunately this is primary reason why orchids fail to live up to many peoples expectations as over watering or watering to frequently will kill the roots. The general rule of thumb is an orchid only needs watering every 5-12 days with such a large variance taking into account factors such as the location, the species, the room temperature and the time of year.

Each species of orchid falls into three basic types, those that like to be kept moist, those that like moisture during active growth and those that should be kept nearly dry between watering's. The easiest way to find out which category your orchid falls into is to ask for watering instructions when you buy it.

Lighting the way

Orchid's like all plants need light to photosynthesise and create energy, the right amount of light coupled with the right amount of water will produce a happy orchid. However when your orchid fails to bloom it is most likely due to insufficent light. A good indicator for the correct amount of light is an orchids leaf color. A dark green leaf suggests the orchid isn't receiving enough light where as a red/green leaf color suggests to much. The best location is in a south or west facing window where it should receive strong but be placed in preferably indirect light.

If all else fails

If your orchid will just not flower  but has thick green leaves and a strong stem cut the stem up high just below the lowest bloom and just above a  node. This will allow the plant to produce a new flowering branch at this location. However if your orchid has thin wilted leaves then you should  conserve energy to replenish its leaves by not flowering straight away, with careful watering and fertilising the stem will grow back into shape allow for flowering in the future from a brand new stem. This however can be a slow process as the orchid can take up to a year to regrow.

Here in Edinburgh we are lucky enough to have access to one of the world’s finest Botanic gardens in the form of the Royal Botanical Gardens just south of the city center.  This weekend the record breaking Amorphophallus titanum, which has been the center of attention due the possibility of a rare flowering, has failed to bloom ending months of anticipation. Known as the Corpse flower for its unique scent that smells like a decaying mammal, it is considering one of the most foul smelling plants on Earth. It, however, rarely flowers in the wild and even less so in captivity, but in April botanists prediction that this summer could see such a rare event occur created a flurry of excitement. However over the weekend the 153kg giant opened up to reveal, to the displeasure of all, a 14ft leaf and not the flower everyone had hoped for.  All hope is not lost though, as the Botanics predicates that we could see the first blooming of the Amorphophallus titanum plant as early as March 2013, so keep those fingers crossed and souvenir t-shirts at the ready.

Picture from www.bbc.co.uk

This week I came across some amazing pics which made me smile, all showing that lots of animals love flowers just as much as we do! Here are a couple of my favourites...

Needing a bit of Friday Fun? Why not take some time out today for a quick game of Hangman or Noughts & Crosses and see if you can beat the computer?

As Dave prepares to head off to London tonight ready to start the long cycle back tomorrow morning for Maggie's Centres and the Lothian Autistic Society, here's some Friday sillyness to give you a bit of a giggle - it's the video we made in support of Dave's cycle, and what fun we had putting it all together!

I came across a very interesting read the other day in 'The Science of Flowers and Feelings' - an article about the effect that receiving flowers can have on our moods.

It details a study showing that people's moods instantly improved upon receiving gifts of flowers, and that their moods were still higher when tested again after a few days.  Having received sunflowers last week as a Thank You gift, I can absolutely relate to this.  The flowers are still looking gorgeous, and bring a smile to my face each time I walk into the room and see them.

So if you're looking to cheer someone up, and keep that feeling around a while, flowers are definitely a good way to go!

The sun is shining, the skies are blue, and the tennis is in full swing... it sure does feel like summer! I don't know about you, but Wimbledon's had it's usual effect on me - the talent and dedication is simply inspirational and each year I find myself in awe of the great players out on the court. There's such a buzz about it that it's hard not to get swept up in all the excitement. And with crowds in high spirits and the sun beating down, what a great way to spend summer days... Here are a couple of arrangements we think tie in with the spirit of Wimbledon:

The last couple of days have been the hottest so far in 2011, so here are some top tips to make your flowers last longer in the heat:

• First and foremost, bleach vases before use to get rid of any bacteria, as these can multiple in the heat and be harmful to your flowers;
• Before arranging your flowers, soak them in deep water for a few hours, or overnight, to allow them to absorb lots of water;
• Re-cut the stems before placing in the vase so they can continue taking in plenty water;
• Clear any excess leaves or stalks, particularly any below the water line;
• Keep your bouquet in a cool spot, away from direct heat and sunlight.

For one of our team, this week has seen a short, impromptu and pretty much whirlwind trip to Adelaide, for family reasons. While there, he simply couldn't resist a visit to the local flower market, so we thought we'd share the experience - and a couple of pictures - with you.  Those of you who have been to Aalsmeer or Westland will see from the pictures that this visit to Adelaide Flower Market has certainly been different to our visits to these other markets in recent months.

What was probably most striking about this market was the personal service from knowledgeable wholesalers, and taking the opportunity to chat to them about the market.  In some ways, it was rather reminiscent of many of the visits to local markets in younger years, bringing back some amazing memories of the early morning starts and the general buzz and excitement of going, so a very worthwhile visit to have made!

With Father's Day just around the corner, we've been discussing gift ideas to let our amazing Dads know just how amazing we think they are! Chocolates and gadgets are high on the list for most of us, but what about flowers?

When thinking of gifts to send to our loved ones, flowers spring immediately to mind for the ladies in our lives, but tend to be less obvious a thought for the men. And yet, flowers are a loving, thoughtful gift and surely something that can appeal to everyone, so what better way to show your appreciation for your Dad this Father's Day than with a special arrangement that shows him how wonderful he is?

Some Father's Day Facts:

• The celebration of Father's Day began in America in 1910, spreading worldwide after 1924 when the US President declared it a yearly national event.


• In most countries, it is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, but the dates and months vary for other countries across the globe. It's September for Australia and New Zealand; March for Spain and Belgium; December for Thailand; and November for Sweden, to name just a few.


• The official flower for Father's Day is the rose: people traditionally wear a red rose for their living father, or a white rose in honour of their deceased father.


• Ties are the most common gifts (A surprise to me as that's not something any of us had thought of!), but other popular gifts include slippers, chocolate, tools and socks.

What will you be getting your Dad this year?

OK, so technically the first day of Summer isn’t until the middle of June, but with the glorious sunshine we’ve been having recently (even though there’s been a fair bit of rain mixed in too, but we are in Britain after all!) and the bright, beautiful summer flowers starting to come in, it’s hard not to feel at least a little bit summery.

On warm, sunny days, it’s great to stroll down the street and enjoy the breathtaking beauty that  summer brings: fresh, bright gardens full of all kinds of colourful blooms; people relaxing in parks beneath the blossoming trees; and generally everything seeming that little bit brighter. And as the days get longer, and hopefully warmer and sunnier, there should be even more time to take stock and appreciate all these things.

Of course, for our expert florists, the new summer additions offer new blends to add to the mix, creating even more stunning arrangements to help recreate that outdoor, summer splendour inside.  With the hot weather looming, we've also got some great top tips for flower care to make sure these gorgeous arrangements keep their beauty for as long as possible.

So... if you’re looking for vibrant and eye catching to get you in the mood for Summer, then Burst of Summer or Vibrant Vibe could be for you, or if you’d prefer crisp and understated, how about Summer Orchard Flowers?  And don’t forget our British Flowers, offering the very best that the Great British Summer has to offer.