I don't know about you all, but I am definitely ready for some spring! Since I'm also a Master Floral Designer, I thought it high time I share some of my garden beauties to brighten your day. This is a photo of just everyday French carnations, Peruvuian lilies, Viking mums, chrysanthemums, heather, and liatris, in a little, colorful, french country Mille Fleur design. The butterfly just makes me wish my gardens outside were in full bloom, but no such luck it's still cold and drab outside.
This is really spring. It's our Prairie Basket. We take grapevine and weave amongst the flowers with ivy then add 'wildflowers' with accents of dried blossoms and leaves. The 
tulips pushing up past the dried leaves really signals spring. A little tidbit of info. Ever wonder why when you get an arrangement with tulips in it and you wake up the next morning and they seem to be out of place from the design, kind of sticking out of line? The first thing you think is the cat or dog have been batting at it. Don't blame them. A fresh tulip will continue to grow once it's been taken from the mother plant..it can grow up to an inch longer for a few days, then the bloom will open. If you place an open tulip in the cold...33-38* it'll close back up to reopen again.
tulips pushing up past the dried leaves really signals spring. A little tidbit of info. Ever wonder why when you get an arrangement with tulips in it and you wake up the next morning and they seem to be out of place from the design, kind of sticking out of line? The first thing you think is the cat or dog have been batting at it. Don't blame them. A fresh tulip will continue to grow once it's been taken from the mother plant..it can grow up to an inch longer for a few days, then the bloom will open. If you place an open tulip in the cold...33-38* it'll close back up to reopen again. There is so much misinformation about flowers out there. A fresh flower--rose, carnations, daisy mum, carnation, and many more varieties--can last for 2 weeks when taken care of properly, but the key word is fresh and proper care.. For example: When we receive tulips from the grower. They aren't showing color, they are green. We place in warm water with a hydrating solution, makes water wetter, it's a chemical thing, anyway, it can take a couple of days before they show color. Then they are ready to use, but they are tight and will take time to fully open. Fresh flowers they should just be breaking open and to do that they have to be processed with hydrating chemicals and preservatives. And, don't get me started on the different grades of flowers. Did you know a rose is not rose, is not a rose. There are at least 8 different grades in roses alone. Enough right now of standing on my 'flower box'
I love being able to come in and open boxes of flowers. The fragrance is delish..pungent carnations, sweet waxflower, aromatic roses...they chase all the winter blue away. I wish we had a smellaputer. The fragrances would just waft through your screen and surround you.
Sorry, but it beats Calgon taking you away any day.
