Saturday, 15 December 2018

Lisianthus - Flower of the Month - December

Lisianthus

This flower has its roots in the Wild West and has come to Europe all the way via Japan. Consumers can read all about this natural beauty in the Flower Agenda at Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk. Even with its delicate appearance, it is quite robust, lisianthus is rather well known but hardly celebrated. This magnificent flower deserves better praise, which can easily be done by presenting them in a special way.

Lisianthus’ origin
The lisianthus originates from North America where it grows in desert riverbeds and in prairie regions. In the states of Texas, Nebraska, Nevada and Colorado they call this plant prairie gentian. In the 1930s Japanese growers crossed the prairie gentian, laying the foundations for today’s range. The lisianthus is sometimes called Eustoma, which is the official scientific name.

Lisianthus shapes and colours
This flower is mostly seen in white and purple, but there is an enormous choice of colour available: the lisianthus comes in white, green, blue, pink, lilac, purple and salmon hues. Some flowers even have petals with multiple colours. The lisianthus also comes in many shapes: single and double flowered, large and small flowered and even with fringed petals. Apart from being colourful, lisianthus petals are also very soft and delicate.

Care tips for customers

Select a clean vase and fill it with tap water at room temperature.
Add cut flower food to the water for a longer vase life. This has a very positive effect on the vase life for lisianthus in particular.
Cut or trim the stems diagonally by 3 to 5 cm with a clean sharp knife or secateurs.
Make sure there are no leaves hanging in the water.
Do not place lisianthus in a draught, in full sun or near central heating.
Regularly top the vase up with tap water; lisianthus flowers drink a lot because they have thin petals, as a result of which they evaporate a lot of moisture.
Don’t place lisianthus near a fruit bowl. Fruit emits ethylene gas which will cause the flowers to age more rapidly.

Lisianthus symbolism
The lisianthus may have a soft and delicate appearance, but it is sturdy and has powerful symbolism attached to it: this flower represents appreciation, gratitude and charisma. That makes it the perfect candidate for a gift bouquet from someone else… or for yourself, of course!

More inspiration and information
Consumers will see the lisianthus feature on Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk and will learn to appreciate their beauty and learn about all their stories.

Facebook: Funnyhowflowersdothat
Instagram: @howflowersdothat
Twitter: @flowersdothat

We use Lisianthus in many of our wedding designs (see the right side bar). To give you some inspiration here are a sample

Shower bouquet

Bridal posy

Mother of bride corsage

Natural style buttonhole

If you are looking for wedding ideas for this beautiful flower come and visit us at The Studio and chat through your options.

Sandra

Monday, 10 December 2018

Christmas Flower arrangements for Lincoln Gainsborough Delivery

Christmas is fast approaching and with that in mind I can now, finally, reveal this years Christmas displays. All are available too order over the phone, email or online. Please note online orders are subject to a service fee.
For a full list of available displays visit
https://www.sandrasflowerstudio.co.uk/flower-shop/

Some of the displays available

All available for local delivery around the Gainsborough/Lincoln area and villages.

Seasons Greetings

Sandra XX

Tuesday, 4 December 2018

Family tributes

As we are now in the winter season, we reach a time when unfortunately we get busy with tributes. This is all part of our profession and we try and make the whole process as easy as possible for families. With that in mind we now have the following offer available.

Funeral offer. (offer available for funerals taking place before 23rd March 2019)

Funeral tributes all look more stylish if designed with a theme or colour in mind. Why not get together as a family to order your flowers AND save with our offer. Family consultations at a time and place to suit you.

If as a family you order £300 worth of flowers we will design you a basic 3ft spray in matching flowers for FREE. Order £400 and you get a 4ft spray, £500 and get a 5ft , £600 and get a 6ft spray from us.

The content will be at our choice.

You may add to the amount of flowers for a fuller design, per foot, at £10 Luxury, £20 opulent.

For example:

Mum (£120), Nan (£120), small Heart (£35), Posy (£25) = £300 FREE 3ft spray

GRANDAD (£280), DAD (£120) = £400 FREE 4ft Spray

Wreath (£75), Wreath (£55), Full Heart (£100), MUM (£120), Angel (£120), Posy Pad (£35) = £505 FREE 5ft Spray

Delivery included to local funeral directors.

Please advise on ordering for family offer, only by phone or in person, NOT online orders.

Availability of sizes not guaranteed.
Photos to be taken as a guide only

Add names/sentiments from £5 per design (not part of the offer)

To ask about our free consultation ring 07748095431 and speak to Sandra

Thursday, 26 April 2018

Patio plant - Agapanthus

Patio Plant for 2018: African Lily (Agapanthus)

Flowers on the patio all summer long
Elegant stems, long green leaves and elegant blue or white flowers made up of a host of small calyxes: Agapanthus, also known as the African lily, is a look of splendour on the patio or terrace. You can create attractive lines in your outdoor space with this plant, which features plenty of greenery at the base, smooth stems in middle, and flowers that resemble blooming fireworks as the crown. Agapanthus is easy to care for and attractive to look at, with rich flowering from the beginning of the summer until the start of autumn. One thing that's good to know: Agapanthus produces more flowers every year.

Range

The most common Agapanthus is derived from A. africanus, with blue and white flowers. Both types offer various cultivars which differ in terms of plant shape, stem length, leaf and flower shape and flowering time. There are evergreen and deciduous varieties of Agapanthus. Breeding has produced cultivars which stay nice and compact, and are therefore very suitable for use on the patio.

Agapanthus trivia
• Agapanthus symbolises love. The name is derived from the Greek word ‘agape’ (love) and ‘anthos’ (flower)
• The plant is very ancient: women in primitive African tribes wear dried roots as an amulet to ensure healthy babies.
• In the home and garden Agapanthus symbolises a happy home.

Origin
Agapanthus originates from southern Africa and is native to countries such as South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique. The plant’s seeds have spread and been sown naturally around the globe, so they now also occur in the wild in Australia, Mexico and Europe.

What to look for when buying
• The larger the pot size, the older and more richly flowering the Agapanthus plant is.
• The compactness can vary considerably between plants. A healthy Agapanthus has long stems, foliage at the base and buds at the top.
• The Agapanthus must be free of pests and diseases. Particular look for yellow leaves, which is a sign of soil which is too wet.

Care tips for consumers
• Agapanthus likes a sunny and sheltered spot in a mixture of potting soil and sand.
• Place Agapanthus in a spacious pot with a drainage hole.
• Always ensure slightly damp soil, particularly during the growing season.
• A bit of plant food every month helps promote growth and flowering
• Agapanthus is not fully hardy, and is best placed in a cool shed or cellar if the temperature drops lower than a couple of degrees below freezing.

Thank you to Flower Council of Holland for the information and Joy of Plants for the images. See each web link for more information.

Love these flowers? Yes they are available as cut flowers and do last really well although only available in a small colour range but perfect for blue/purple scheme.

Add them as a splash of colour in buttonholes and bouquets.

Ask us for more options and ideas when you book a consultation with me .

Plants and cut flowers are available during their season, ask us about availability. We can also provide beautiful tubs and pots for displaying them in.

Sandra xx

Thursday, 19 April 2018

Houseplant of the Month, April - Hydrangea

Hydrangea: April 2018 Houseplant of the Month

The story of the hydrangea
Almost everyone associates the light and sweetly fragranced hydrangea with the long, light days of spring. It’s a very popular houseplant with large round umbels bursting with star-shaped flowers in fabulous colours that bloom profusely for a long time. The plant offers a decorative, cheerful and rich appearance thanks to their green leaves and is an indoor foretaste of summer, when garden hydrangeas flower. When the frosts have passed, the hydrangea can also be placed on the patio or in the garden for a second life as a garden plant.

Origin
The plant is native to South and East Asia and North and South America. Some species have developed into large trees, whilst others remain small compact shrubs. In Europe hydrangeas have traditionally often been grown near farms, where long rows grow alongside the water. The name Hydrangea refers to its most important requirement - it regularly needs water (hydra).

What to look for when buying hydrangeas

Check that the plant’s structure is compact: a somewhat bare, stretched base indicates old growth.
How ripe are the flowers? Ideally they should already be showing a bit of colour. Check this when buying or ask for a photo.
It’s important that the plant is in a sleeve and the soil is sufficiently damp at the time of purchase, so that drooping and damage during shipping or storage are prevented.
If too much moisture (condensation) remains between the leaves or under the flower for a long time, this can cause the fungus Botrytis.

Range
As a houseplant hydrangeas are available in white, green, blue, lilac, purple and various shades of pink. Notable varieties are those that change colour during flowering. A distinction is made within the hydrangea houseplant range according to the form of flowering: in globes or on the edges, the ‘lacecaps’. The plant shape can also be differentiated: standard, in hanging pots, in a pyramid shape or plants with 15 or more umbels. The smaller pot sizes are most popular indoors. Many hydrangeas are also available with about three flowers which are very suitable for small spaces in the home.

Care tips for consumers

Hydrangeas cannot cope with drought. Avoid drooping, ensure that the plant always has slightly damp soil.
The plant prefers a light spot, but not in direct sunlight or near a source of heat. A position that is too warm can have negative effect on flowering.
Because the hydrangea uses a lot of energy on growing and flowering, it’s a good idea to feed with some plant food once a fortnight.

Thank you to Flower Council of Holland for the information and Joy of plants for the images.

A few varieties available as cut flowers. Blue, pink and white are available just about through the year but some of the other colours are seasonal dependant as the flower matures.

This is a brilliant flower for your wedding, especially in summer or through autumn when the greatest colour range is available. It may be more expensive than some flowers but you get excellent coverage per bloom and in some cases it can work out more budget friendly.

From large WOW factor table centrepieces teamed with roses,

to a flower ring of blooms en mass

or a single bloom for your bridesmaid to carry, they make an excellent choice for your special day.

If you are wanting hydrangeas as plants or cut flowers talk to us about your requirements and we can source the prefect blooms for you.

Sandra xx

Wednesday, 18 April 2018

Prop hire for your wedding day

Today we are looking at SOME of the items we have available to hire. Whether you are coming to us as to provide all flower designs along with our props or whether you are looking to DIY, these items are available.

If you are looking for us to provide flowers too we do a range of designs per item and will work with you to create a stunning design to suit your day.