Jewellery News and Reviews

Summers fade quickly, probably because each weekend is filled with a birthday party, a housewarming party, a barbecue, a holiday celebration or a wedding. Your flower garden looks great this year but the weather is starting to get colder. Sometimes the best way to prolong the joy of summer is to grab a handful of daisies, tulips, peonies and lilies to create beautiful summer bouquets. The good news is you don’t have to be a master florist to create something stylish and inspiring!

Step one toward creating vivid summer floral bouquets is, of course, the planting. The best time to begin is late March in the West or May in the East, after the threat of frost has diminished. According to Beth Benjamin, floral expert at Renee’s Garden Seed Company, the best flower garden picks are cosmos, sunflowers and zinnias. In the front row of her garden, she’s planted purplish blue cerinthe, deep violet love-in-a-mist and phlox. Her second row is comprised of white cosmos flanked by chartreuse bells-of-Ireland and backed by white ammi majus as filler. In the third row, round colorful zinnias grow next to blue and red salvia. The fourth row hangs ardent love-lies-bleeding to the left and cherry pink cleome to the right, flanked by pink and rose cosmos. In the rear, tall sunflowers grow with strawflowers at each end.

For perfect summer bouquets use sharp clippers to make a clean break that won’t crush the stem. Given the right cut, water will be able to travel up the stem into the flower head to make your bouquet last longer. Another trick is to give the flowers a second snipping underwater, by filling your sink with several inches of water, which will send water up the stem, rather than air. Before arranging, keep the blooms in a cool, dark spot for a few hours. “There are many old wives’ tale recipes for flower food,” says floral consultant Libbey Oliver. “Flowers fresh from the garden really don’t need extra nutrients. Instead, every few days re-cut the stems and change the water in the vase. This will prolong their life more than anything added to the water.” Florists do offer small packets of nutrients as well.

Summer bouquets can be colorful or fragrant, relaxing or invigorating, country or contemporary, depending on your selection. Nothing sets the mood like a bit of fresh nature in your living space. A recent Harvard Study found that people who had floral bouquets in their homes were generally happier, with greater productivity at work. They felt more compassionate and more energetic, the study found. “Other research has proven that flowers make people happy when they receive them,” said head researcher Nancy Etcoff. “What we didn’t know is that spending a few days with flowers in the home can influence a wide variety of feelings.”

Flowers top the list of the “most popular product purchased online.” Even though electronics, books, toys and wines are also purchased via the internet, it seems that reliable flower delivery has spread like wildfire. The Society of American Florists reports that the industry made roughly $20.1 billion last year and that there are about 22,751 local shops operating in the US. Even though online sellers have flourished, many of these local shops continue to do well because they pair up with the national giants to service their local markets.

There are numerous occasions to buy flowers, the most obvious being Valentine’s Day and Birthdays. However, never underestimate the power of an unexpected delivery! To really impress someone, send an arrangement to acknowledge a job promotion or to express sympathy during a difficult time. For family members, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving and Easter are popular times too. It’s customary to send flowers gifts of to newlyweds to wish them well. Of course, there are also flower faux pas to be aware of.

For instance, it’s not customary to send flowers to Muslims following a family member’s death. In Asian culture, white blooms are given only during mournful and unhappy occasions. In the US, it’s customary to send the flowers in arrangements of one dozen, but in some European countries an even number is considered inappropriate. Also, Asians have superstitions about receiving four blooms (which signifies “death”) and many countries are superstitious about the number thirteen.

If you are planning to send flowers to your mate, then you will want to choose just the right ones. At www.avantegardens.com/design-your-own-flowers.html you can choose your style, size, colors and favorites, and then you will be sent a picture of your creation before sending! Similarly, www.myfloralplace.com allows you to browse signature floral bouquets, then customize by using an interactive tool to add or remove blooms and view online before ordering. While each flower has its own meaning, do not feel limited to this type of arrangement. Rather, create a message that says something about your loved one. Perhaps you will put together a fiery combination to match her fiery personality or you’ll want a rare, exotic bouquet to match your rare love. Is your lover free-spirited or traditional? What is her favorite color or variety of flower? The best bouquets of flowers show that you truly know your partner.

There are many places to buy flowers. Some people like to go down to their local flower shop and choose right there, while others like to browse and order online. Websites like www.ftd.com, www.proflowers.com and www.1800flowers.com offer great, reliable online shopping experiences. Often, online shops offer same day flower delivery, which is very convenient. While the ease of flower sending via the internet is indisputable, some consumers still prefer traditional shops because the delivery charges are more straight-forward and they can hand-write their own cards.

A 2001 Rutgers behavioral study found a clear link between flowers and life satisfaction. Over a ten-month period, they found that fresh blooms had an immediate impact on the mood of senior citizens but also had long-lasting positive effects too, such as leading to increased contact between family and encouraging companionship. “What’s most exciting about this study is that it challenges established scientific beliefs about how people can manage their day-to-day moods in a healthy and natural way,” said lead researcher Jeannette Haviland-Jones, PhD.

There are numerous occasions to buy flowers, the most obvious being Valentine’s Day and Birthdays. However, never underestimate the power of an unexpected delivery! To really impress someone, send an arrangement to acknowledge a job promotion or to express sympathy during a difficult time. For family members, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving and Easter are popular times too. It’s customary to send flowers gifts of to newlyweds to wish them well. Of course, there are also flower faux pas to be aware of.

For instance, it’s not customary to send flowers to Muslims following a family member’s death. In Asian culture, white blooms are given only during mournful and unhappy occasions. In the US, it’s customary to send the flowers in arrangements of one dozen, but in some European countries an even number is considered inappropriate. Also, Asians have superstitions about receiving four blooms (which signifies “death”) and many countries are superstitious about the number thirteen.

If you are planning to send flowers to your mate, then you will want to choose just the right ones. At www.avantegardens.com/design-your-own-flowers.html you can choose your style, size, colors and favorites, and then you will be sent a picture of your creation before sending! Similarly, www.myfloralplace.com allows you to browse signature floral bouquets, then customize by using an interactive tool to add or remove blooms and view online before ordering. While each flower has its own meaning, do not feel limited to this type of arrangement. Rather, create a message that says something about your loved one. Perhaps you will put together a fiery combination to match her fiery personality or you’ll want a rare, exotic bouquet to match your rare love. Is your lover free-spirited or traditional? What is her favorite color or variety of flower? The best bouquets of flowers show that you truly know your partner.

There are many places to buy flowers. When shopping online, look for phrases like “Satisfaction Guaranteed,” “Over 15 Years in the Business,” “Secure Ordering” and “Award-Winning Service.” Industry credentials, customer testimonials and awards all ultimately lend to a company’s credibility. Sometimes your local flower shop has its own website, which can be a good bet. Otherwise, try one of the larger and more established sellers like Proflowers, FTD or 1800Flowers.