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 Poinsettia Our Poinsettias are arriving, and they are beautiful! Thanks to my friend Barkev, owner of Albert’s Florist in San Luis Obispo, Mia and I have a new supplier of Poinsettias which are much fuller and more lush than we have enjoyed for many years.
Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is indigenous to Mexico where they grow wild. Lore has it that Pepita, a young girl, had no gift for the Christ on Christmas Eve and was encouraged, by an angel, to gather weeds for her gift. When the weeds were placed on the altar they grew into beautiful, star shaped crimson flowers which were named Flores de Noche Buena or Flowers of Holy Night.
In the early 1800′s they were brought to the United States by an amateur botanist named Joel Poinsett afterwhich the flowers were named Poinsettia.
The large showy bracts are sometimes confused for flowers but the flower is actually the unassuming little yellow portion in the center of the colorful leaves. To achieve the characteristic color the plants must have bright light during the day and 12 hours of darkeness per night for a period of about a week.
Poinsettias are sometimes thought to be toxic but this is simply not the case. Poinsettias are mildy irritating to some people and according to the POISINDEX information source – the primary resource used by the majority of poison control centers nationwide – a child who weighed 50 lbs. would have to eat over 500 poinsettia leaves to reach an even potentially toxic dose of compounds in the poinsettia plant.
We invite you to stop by our showroom at 703 E Main St in Santa Maria and check out our lovely selection of Poinsettias, truly a holiday treasure. If you are not able to come into our store, visit our showroom on the web Check Out our Poinsettias
 Green Cymbidiums for St Patricks Day Saint Patrick’s Day is a popular day for wearing green, sending green flower bouquets, celebrating being Irish (if even for a day) and partying. Here is a look at the saint for which the day was named.
March 17th is Saint Patrick’s Day, a holiday both religious and secular. But what are the beginnings of this saint’s day? Keep in mind, this is only one account of many legends and myths about Saint Patrick.
Saint Patrick was born Maewyn Succat (or so it is thought) around 375 A.D. give or take a day a year or two. He was a missionary believed to have taken Christianity to the pagan Irish in the 400s teaching them of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit using the three leafed clover to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity. It is believed that he took the name which we now know as Patrick after he became a priest.
Saint Patrick’s Day is March 17th, the date of the saints death in A.D. 461 and has become a holiday of traditions based on a little fact and much fiction. Saint Patrick’s Day was originally an Irish holiday but today is celebrated by Irish and those who are not, Catholics and Protestants alike, it has become a commercial holiday as well as one religious. Far from being a time to wear green and eat corned beef and cabbage as it has become in the U.S., Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated by faithful Catholics as a holy day honoring a venerable saint credited with raising the dead and converting pagan Irishmen to Christianity. Since the mid 1700s when Saint Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in the U.S. the holiday has become increasingly less religious in nature; Today, in the U.S., the holiday is essentially a “party day”.
While much lore surrounds Saint Patrick such as being credited with driving all the snakes out of Ireland and raising the dead, not much of it has been substantiated. What does appear to be accurate is that Saint Patrick served some time in captivity to marauders who eventially sold him into slavery. And that his faith developed during his captivity.
 Miniature Cymbidium Plant When my wife and I were first dating, she took me to visit her grandmother in San Gabriel, CA. When you visited Grama you always used the side gate which was on a half-wall connecting the house and two-story garage forming a courtyard leading into a beautifully maintained garden. The partially covered patio was also shaded by a large Ash Tree opposite the gate, and beneath the tree was a huge Cymbdium with two dozen majestic spikes. While this was a pretty typical Cym., it was my first encounter such an exotic plant and I was amazed to see an orchid growing outdoors. What I did not know was how well suited Cyms. are to moderate climates and outdoor cultivation. In fact Cymbidiums are not usually grown (successfully) as houseplants.
Cymbidiums are one of the wonders of Winter blooming plants. Stately, long lasting, spikes of gently fragrant orchids rise above gracefully, evergreen plants. Those of us fortunate enough to live in moderate climates as we have along the Southern California Coast can experience the pleasure growing one of the most popular orchids in the world, Cymbidiums. With over 50 genus of this popular plant and countless hybrids the spectrum of color and form is breathtaking.
Cymbidiums are much less fussy than most orchid varieties and will tolerate a larger range in temperature, moisture and light. Provide a cymbidium with the basics outlined below and it will reward you with several very long lasting spikes of unusual flowers each year.
Tempertature
Cymbidium are well suited to coastal living as they enjoy daytime temperature of between 70 and 80 degrees though they will tolerate higher temperatures if shaded. Cymbidiums require nighttime temperature of upper 50′s to lower 60′s in the late summer to set spikes which will develop and bloom between December and May depending upon variety; Cym. will tolerate nighttime temperatures as low as 30° for short periods of time.
Light
Cymbidiums need sufficient light to provide healthy plant growth and flower production. Very bright light of between 70 and 80 percent of full sun is ideal. Tall, erect leaves and a lustrous medium green foliage are indicative of proper light. If the foliage is a very deep green or limp adjust location to provide a bit more light.
Water
Cymbidiums need regular watering and more importantly moisture. They must never dry out but yet must not be left in standing water. The potting medium used is generally water-retentive but each micro-climate will demand it’s own watering practices be adopted.
Fertilizer
Fertilize weekly with a quality, balanced fertilizer 10-10-10 at a dilution of 1/2 the recommended dilution throughout the growing season and switching to 10-30-10 at the same dilution from August through mid September.
Cymbidium Photos
 Yellow Cymbidium  White Cymbidium  Cymbidium Orchid with genetic mutation
 Brunia Albiflora or Coffee Bush A new vendor “cold called” today with a small van full of flowers. It is not unusual for a new flower or supply vendor to stop by the shop with some of their wares but this vendor had my attention! I am certain this flower has been available to larger markets but it was new to me and, along with some of the other exotics, was tantalizing.
For the first time in many years, I have been back at the design table. My style of design is organic and unusual and so I like a variety of greenery, hues and textures. Our new vendor had just the stuff I love, while not inexpensive, it is fresh, different (even quirky) and looks incredible in my arrangements.
New to me, was Brunia Albiflora from South Africa. I was immediately struck by its composition, the hue of deep green and fineness of foliage ; the incredible inflorescences atop long stems contain clusters of flowers, which will burst open in the next few days and delight with an ever changing composition of color and texture.
In South Africa, Brunia Albiflora is abundant and even considered a secondary flower but these majestic stems are certain to be showcased in my next design. I can’t wait!
I have been away for a bit working on my food blog and integrating Facebook with our website and blogs. I am back! I will now keep food and flowers on separate blogs.
I never tire of the power of flowers. Sometimes, as I busy myself with the day to day requirements of running my flower shop, I forget the reasons I am a florist. Flowers have a tremendous impact on the human soul and quickly change the condition.
I was reminded of this today when Tracy came into the office and asked if I had remembered a particular customer who visited us a number of years ago. I said that I did not. She went on with the story about how the woman was sending flowers and mentioned that nobody had ever sent her flowers. The next day we sent her flowers on behalf of our store.
When the woman received her flowers she called our store and through tears recounted that she had never received flowers and how this meant the world to her. The emotions and gratitude was not really surprising as flowers have that sort of effect on people.
What was surprising is that so many years later she stood in our store and recounted once again the story and how much it meant to her. She left our store in tears, the emotion many years later as fresh as when she received her first bouquet. As Tracy recounted the story in my office, she too was almost moved to tears.
After reviewing our account records we noticed that her son began to send her flowers each Mother’s Day about three years ago and I can’t help but wonder if she recounted the story to him, which then motivated his heart to give.
How marvelous, flowers! They touch the heart and soul like nothing else can. Sure, there are those who would soon pass on flowers in favor of some trinket to place on a shelf but for my money flowers are always the choice when I want to reach the heart.
We believe so much in the power of flowers that we give each visitor to our store a few stems. How amazing people always respond
Sadly, the American Florist is constantly confronted by in lieu of statements in advertising, obituaries and the media. We, of course, are passionate about the impact of flowers on a person’s life and understand the benefits exceed the vase life.
Aside from the daily denunciation in the newspaper obituary section we are also faced with a slew of companies who seek to sell their product at the expense of our own. The list is too numerous to enumerate here but advertising executives and marketing representatives from teddy bears to diamonds have all been at a loss to sell their product based upon its own merits and have resorted to the ease of disparaging flowers.
The Society of American Florist (SAF) has long campaigned against such marketing tactics and actively addresses the negative campaigns to varying degrees of success. There are firms who are so entrenched in their practice of negative pitch they will probably never stop the practice of hatemongering florist and our product.
One such company, The Vermont Teddy Bear Company, has actively refused the request of our industry to drop their tagline “It’s a great gift idea and a creative alternative to sending flowers!” This company’s steadfast campaign against our industry continues to baffle me. I like their product, I would order their product and do think their teddy bears are adorable. But their lack of regard for the untold thousands of people in my industry who are affected by their form of negative advertising simply won’t allow me to ever consider them as a great gift idea.
Today, however, I am writing about another company. In its Wednesday broadcast to it constituency SAF mentioned the website https://www.treesinstead.com/ whom they contacted to remove the negative tagline “Trees Instead of Flowers” from their website. According to SAF a company representative contacted them within twenty minutes and agreed to remove the negative tagline from its site. SAF noted the company even removed the references in its FAQ section.
What a company, I applaud them and their willingness to change their practice. I am certain this was an honest mistake and the company never intended to be disparaging about flowers. I love their concept and I have already visited their site and am making personal selections to pay homage to some loved one’s I have lost. I highly recommend you visit https://www.treesinstead.com/ and check out the very affordable offerings they have. Planting a tree is always a good idea as they breathe life into our world. The first tree I am going to order will be to commemorate a friend I recently lost in my garden, my beloved Apricot Tree. While I will replace the tree, I will also plant one in honor of it somewhere else to celebrate the oneness of our great planet.
Recently I was somewhat appalled by a statement that SAF, the Society of American Florists, made me aware of which, was part of a marketing campaign by the Melting Pot. In its Mother’s Day press release the restaurant chain made the statement that flowers are “typical gifts” that stand as “cliché sentiments” on Mother’s Day. After being contacted by SAF, the company’s PR agency initially defended the context of the press release by saying it “merely used flowers as an example of a ‘staple’ associated with Mother’s Day and just wanted to provide an alternative.”
For those of us who love flowers and understand the emotional impact they have on our lives the tiresome barrage of anti-floral sentiment is tiresome. The mere fact that flowers are very often a target for other industries is a testimony of the ubiquitous love that people have for them. Those of us who share the seat of our emotions by sharing God’s fragile treasure with our loved ones and business associates understand the power of color, fragrance and joy that can only be packaged in a bloom.
I admit, I am on the edge as I am confronted with others telling us who know and love flowers that teddy bears and chocolates are better, or that I should show my sympathy for the loss of a friend by donating money to a service organization. I will admit I have hugged a few teddy bears and I love to receive a gift of chocolates. The point is that I never feel obligated to sell flowers by telling my customers that flowers are better than chocolate. It simply is not true! Flowers are flowers, chocolate is chocolate and each has a place in my life and in my gift giving.
Now that you have the context of my thoughts on this issue I will share about my interaction with the Melting Pot which has 15 locations throughout our southland including one soon to open in Santa Barbara at 608 Anacapa St.
I contacted the national chain by visiting their website and expressed my exception to their negative use of flowers to sell their product. I have contacted many companies through the years and requested that they simply stop making negative references to flowers and very often they are defensive and refuse to do so. Of course, many companies do respond to SAF but very often they simply do not respond to an individuals.
I was pleasantly surprised that I received an email1316 from Suzie Boland of RFB Communications the marketing firm behind the Melting Pot’s campaign. In her email1316 she expressed her apologies for the error and promised redirection of future campaigns. Wow! This is a great company to recommend. They are friendly, they are concerned about the success of others and support the marketplace by choosing to work with SAF rather than rebuffing our concerns. You may read the article by Visiting this Link
Please, flower lovers, visit the Melting Pot. They are a wonderful business, have a great menu and value the things in life that will make the world a better place. We need more businesses that are concerned not only about their own bottom line but the welfare of others and the Melting Pot and RFB Communications have that focus.
Almost daily I consider the good fortune I have living on the Central California Coast, working as a florist and serving my community in a way that only a local florist can. I count the blessings of family, friends and a host of wonderful clients.
Some of our clientèle have been shopping with us for nearly three decades and I sincerely hope that it is because Mia and I have served them well. We regularly hear from our customers. Thankfully, most of the time we hear positive ways which we have touched someone’s life with flowers. Frankly, we enjoy flowers and believe there is no better gift. The fact that flowers touch the heart like no other gift makes it especially easy to get great feedback from our customers.
Below is are two recent testimonials which appear on our website in the testimonials section and a testament to what we call Rose of Sharon Florist Quality and Service™
I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful job that you do! I have placed several orders over the years and you’ve always exceeded my expectations. My most memorable order was a Christmas centerpiece that I ordered for my mother a few years ago. Your staff attempted to deliver it on Christmas eve. but my mother was not at home. When she returned later that day she found the note that was left by your staff. She was very distressed about missing the delivery so she called and asked if it could be re-delivered.
Your staff made a very kind decision and returned that evening with the flowers! What your staff didn’t know was that my mother was a very ill woman who was facing a long term stay in the hospital. In addition to that she was going to be, for the most part, alone for Christmas day. I was astonished when she told me what your staff had done to bless her Christmas season. I will never forget the kindness demonstrated by the Rose of Sharon. God bless, Rhonda
December 2007
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I’m writing this to thank you for your great customer service! I recently talked to someone there at your shop about my flowers dying. You told me to bring them in for a replacement but I felt no need to do that. I don’t like to be the one who complains and I had just called for “tips” or “old wives tales” that might help perk up my flowers. You sent out a replacement arrangement without me asking! That was super sweet! I did not expect it and it was a great surprise! Thank you!!
I will be going to you guys for my flower needs and will be recommending you to anyone who needs flowers!! You guys are great! I went to your web site and found in your blog that you enjoy a good scone, so that being said, I’m enclosing my favorite recipe for scones that has been handed down to me from my great aunt. Enjoy it! And again, thanks! You have made my birthday even better.
Marisa
January 2008
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I saw this photo on Flickr and it captured my attention. Gerberas are a mainstay of the floral market now ranking fifth most used flower worldwide. Gerbera are lovely flowers which lend themselves to festive arrangements. Gerbera are wonderful, affordable, long lasting flowers that come in a huge range of colors and styles. Large, disc-shaped flowers carried atop long, fuzzy, leafless stems are hallmarks of the gerbera, a bloom native to South Africa and Asia, now cultivated by tissue culture. The Dutch have perfected tissue culture production and distribution and now nearly all Gerbera, including those out of South America have their beginnings in the Netherlands. Gerbera are members of the Asteraceae family which are actually composites of many smaller flowers collected into a head. The Asteraceae family is a huge family of over 1000 genera including cousins Sunflower, Calendula and Cosmos. These flowers are available in many colors, with light- or dark-colored centers, and in standard or micro sizes. Vase Life With proper care, gerberas can enjoy a vase life of up to 14 days. Care and Handling As will all cut flowers, longevity will be increased with proper care. Start with a sanitized container and knife to minimize the transfer and growth of bacteria. As Gerberas are particularly sensitive to fluoride, use nonfluoridated water when processing gerberas. Cut gerberas’ stems under water before placing them in a clean container holding a properly prepared fresh flower-food solution. Design Uses Gerberas are wonderful, festive flowers. The “daisy form” reminds us of the late 60′s but the flowers now enjoy many color and form variations that lend themselves to a wide variety of design uses.
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