Friday, April 28, 2017

Here's how to save on flowers this Mother's Day

 Carroline Plouff

No one deserves a beautiful bouquet more than mom. Known as the Uber of flowers, Bloom That delivers flowers under 90 minutes in New York, LA and San Francisco and delivers the next day nationwide. Whether you always find yourself sending last-minute gifts or are looking for most convenient way to send flowers on a budget, Bloom That is worth checking out.

AOL.com has the scoop on an exclusive offer so you can save 20% on your first order! Enter the code MDAY20 at checkout through May 13th and make sure to select the delivery dates between May 8th to May 15th. With an endless assortment of handcrafted arrangements, mix things up this Mother's Day and do NOT miss this limited-time deal.

For More Information: - Laura Galvan

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Shelton's Stone Gardens Cut Flowers Expects A Blooming Spring

Caroline Plouff

The 3-year-old Shelton flower farm, which works alongside the family-run Stone Gardens Farm , offers Connecticut home grown vegetables, meat, and poultry along with a flower CSA which runs from mid-July to mid-September.

You can purchase a weekly or biweekly bouquets or a DIY bucket share for either pickup at the farm or local delivery to a few select locations in Fairfield County. The farm also offers design services for events, flower crowns, and DIY buckets.

Mostly, however, they are known for their huge variety of locally grown flowers and their custom farmers market bouquets. Expect to find everything from sweet scented English Sweet Peas in the spring, dinner plate Cafe au Lait dahlias that are the size of your head in the summer, and heirloom Chrysanthemums in the fall.

These are flowers you don't typically find in your local supermarket, explained Katelyn Kazukynas. That's because conventional flowers have been bred and processed to survive traveling thousands of miles, bathed in preservatives and fungicides, before they reach your hands.

The durability comes at a major expense, she said, with flowers losing scent, variety, color, and freshness.

"The American Grown flower movement strives to provide responsibly grown, seasonal flowers. Buying local can also stimulate the rural economy, preserving both farmland and the natural integrity of flowers," she explained.

This spring Stone Gardens will have many new varieties of Sweet Peas, Anemones, Ranunculus, and specialty daffodils.

You can find their custom bouquets at the Shelton Farmers Market at 10 Canal St. from May to November 9 a.m.to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from June to Oct. from 3 to 6:30 p.m. 

for More Information:- Jeanne Muchnick

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Growing a cut flower garden


Caroline plouff

My late aunt was known for her love of gardening. I have written about her backyard before in this column because it was overflowing with flowers of every shape and size.  Flower arrangements were her specialty.

Every Saturday until the age of 102 she would put vases together for Sunday morning church from her own yard full of daisies and roses.

After her journey here had ended, I brought home her favorite vase, broken and mended again and again over many years. It now holds a special place in my china cabinet to remind me of the joy she received when she was able to share her bounty of cut flowers with her friends and family every week.

Even if you have the smallest yard, it is easy to cultivate your own cut flower garden to share with others, or to bring a little bit of the outdoors into your own home.

A cut flower garden can be thought of as that part of your yard or even a container dedicated to growing the specific types of flowers that can be cut and displayed indoors. There are just a few simple guidelines to follow.

Make sure when choosing plants that they can stand up to living in a vase. They should bloom on long, sturdy stems and not wilt easily when cut.

If you have enough room, try and include blooms for each season as well as different evergreens and grasses too for added texture and interest in your arrangements.

When harvesting your flowers, make sure you cut further down the stem than the length you think you need. You can always trim, but it’s harder (but not impossible) to add back on!

Collect your flowers and foliage in the morning so they are plump with moisture and will last the longest after cutting. Get them into water as soon as possible to prevent wilting and keep in a cool place until ready to arrange.

Watch your pets if you have a curious one like mine. My kitty loves to taste fresh flowers so I have to keep them far out of his reach for the protection of both the cat and my arrangements.

As long as the blooms will last cut in water, your imagination is the only limit to what you can use in cut flower arrangements.  Here are a few of my own ideas.

I love daisies, and they make beautiful cut flower presentations. Purple cone flower was one of my aunt’s favorites because of their vibrant color and sturdiness in a vase. Shasta and ox-eyes, black-eyed Susans, and Gerber are some other good choices.

Yarrow, bluebonnets, yuccas (both yucca and hesperaloe species), inland sea oats and mealy blue sage are easy to grow natives that make nice cut flowers and foliage options.

You can also trim some trees to use in arrangements, such as mountain laurel (flowers and foliage), red bud (blooms in early spring), possum haw and other hollies, junipers, and wax and Greek myrtles.

Roses are the traditional cut flower used for many years in arrangements for almost any occasion. While the floral high center roses struggle here in our heat and soil, we still have some good options to include in our arrangements.

Some of my favorites are Belinda’s Dream, Souvenir de la Malmaison and other Bourbon roses, Lafter and other Teas, and using the smaller bendable canes of Red Cascade. 

For More Information:- It's About Thyme

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Amundson expands to fresh cut flowers

Barefoot Gardens greenhouse owner Melanie Amundson is pleased to announce the expansion of her business to include fresh flower arrangements and cut flower gardening. With spring and Easter approaching, Melanie reminds folks she is taking orders for Easter blooming potted plants and lilies.

Melanie will have a variety of fresh flowers for special occasions, holidays and funerals. “We will have corsages for school proms, homecoming and winter formals,” she said, “I would get flowers for weddings but I’m not ready to do the arranging because of time constraints.”

Melanie admits that confidence has been her biggest hurdle going into business, which, by the way, she is now in her seventh year. At her flower arrangement training, she received a nice compliment. “What are you worried about?” asked the trainer. “You are in an advanced class and doing just as well as any experienced florist.”

That was quite encouraging,” Melanie said with a smile.

Corsage creations were just one of Melanie’s new experiences. “Prom corsages are going more toward the body jewelry,” explained Melanie. “My last class was on bending wire.”

The cut flower portion of the business is something that Melanie also enjoys and she shared that there is a need within the community. “I’m actually going to start growing the flowers,” she noted, “not necessarily wild flowers but flowers for bouquets.”

“I want to be out in the greenhouse and in the garden year round,” expressed Melanie.

Some of those cut flowers will include zinnia, plumed celosia, bupleurum, yarrow, statice, gomphrena, larkspur, snapdragon, Sweet William, sunflower, cosmos, coneflower, bachelor button, marigold, asters, phlox, delphiniums, lilies, peony, liatris, glads and various ornamental grasses.

Local purchasing is important to Melanie and cut flowers make good sense. It is important to note that 70-80 percent of fresh flowers sold in the U.S. are grown in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, the Netherlands and Israel and shipped in, creating a large carbon footprint with high transportation, refrigeration and storage costs. “Flowers purchased at a farmer’s market or a roadside stand are fresher, so they will last longer and have more scent,” said Melanie.

In the future, Melanie hopes to have her cut flowers on display at a local business and hopefully at Horseshoe Lake Inn Farmer’s Market.

For More Information:- Voyageur Press

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Caroline Plouff - Cut Flower Selling Tips - Video Dailymotion

Caroline Plouff - Cut Flower Selling Tips - Video Dailymotion: Wherever you sell your cut flower bouquets, display them as a family! Show a good, better best choice to reach consumers of all means. Learn this and more selling and display tips with Caroline Plouff.

Plan now for a beautiful flower cutting garden

https://carolineplouff.wordpress.com/

Spring has sprung, and gardeners are getting ready to garden. As I plan my 2017 garden like many of you, I comb through seed catalogs for the tasty new vegetable varieties to add to the staples of my garden. Although I love fresh vegetables from the garden, what I find more exciting is planning for any space I can find in my current planting beds to grow flowers for cutting.

I love planting a few new varieties of flowers for cutting along with the tried-and-true varieties I have depended on for years. I personally love cut flowers in my house all year round—it is one of my indulgences. I enjoy them more when I can go into my garden and fill my home with colorful, vibrant, long-lasting blooms. Starting with peonies and iris in the spring and hydrangeas in the summer, right through to fall with the last show of vibrant zinnias.

It is great to have a few flowering shrubs and perennials to use for cutting that are the backbone of your flower garden, but nothing shouts “look at me” more than bright, bold annuals. With the use of the internet, cut flower gardening books and seed company recommendations, planning your annual cutting garden has never been easier. Good sources include university sites from land-grant universities, agriculture or horticulture departments, online information or printed catalogs from your favorite seed company and garden-related periodicals. Also, with the hundreds of ideas from Pinterest, you will be growing bouquets to fill your home and share with friends all summer long.

What is nice about growing flowers and even vegetables from seed is you have a much greater variety of plants to pick from. Seeds are reasonably priced and you can start them early or direct sow many into the garden. Another advantage to planting seeds is you can plant succession plantings so your crops can be timed to produce or flower when needed.

According to Horticulture Magazine’s article, “Designing and Growing the Cutting Garden,” designing a cutting garden is less complicated than a traditional flower garden. When planning a traditional flower garden, there is much more consideration to the details, bloom time, plant size and coordinating complimentary colors. In a cutting garden, you only need to focus on flowers that will provide you with a good supply of flowers throughout the season. The biggest consideration is having your garden planned for easy care and harvest.

When selecting flowers for cutting, there are a few things to take into consideration:


  •     Planting zone. According to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, Michigan has three zones: 4, 5    and 6.
  •     The types of flowers you enjoy, including texture, size and color.
  •     Foliage of the flowers or other plants grown specifically for their foliage.
  •     Varieties that are good for cut flowers.
Here are a couple of articles to get you started as you begin adding to your cut flower garden or starting a new one from scratch:

  •     Grow a Colorful Cutting Garden by Hobby Farms
  •     The Best Flowers for Your Cutting Garden by Fine Gardening

In the next several Michigan State University Extension articles, I will share some fun information on traditional flowers for your cutting garden, extending the vase life and some hints on designing with garden flowers.

For More Information- Dixie Sandborn

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Global Fresh Cut Flowers Market in North America, Europe and Asia

Caroline Plouff

Market.Biz:-  The Global Fresh Cut Flowers Market Research Report 2017 offers a comprehensive study on Fresh Cut Flowers Industry including the current Fresh Cut Flowers market trends and market status. The Fresh Cut Flowers Report focuses on the market in major continents, Like North America Fresh Cut Flowers Market, Fresh Cut Flowers market in Europe and Asia Fresh Cut Flowers market etc along with main countries like United States, Germany, Japan and China etc. on Fresh Cut Flowers market scenario.

1) Major key Manufacturers working in Fresh Cut Flowers industry is also mentioned.
2) 2017 Worldwide Fresh Cut Flowers market estimated at USD XXXX in 2016.
3) 2017 Global Fresh Cut Flowers industry projected to reach USD XXXX million at forecast period.
4) Worldwide Fresh Cut Flowers market projected to grow at CAGR XXXX % During forecast period.
5) Fresh Cut Flowers Market (in North America, Europe and Asia) expected to grow at CAGR of XXXX % over the forecast period.

At an initial stage, the Fresh Cut Flowers market report covers the Fresh Cut Flowers basic information including Fresh Cut Flowers definitions, Fresh Cut Flowers market classifications, a wide range of applications and Fresh Cut Flowers industry chain framework. The Fresh Cut Flowers Report also covers industry development plans and policies, Fresh Cut Flowers product specification, Fresh Cut Flowers manufacturing process and price structures. Then the report focuses on a deep study of global factors influencing the Fresh Cut Flowers market like market revenue, product cost, Fresh Cut Flowers market volume, utilization ratio along with Fresh Cut Flowers market demand and supply analysis.

At a later stage, the report presents, Fresh Cut Flowers market SWOT Analysis, feasibility study related to Fresh Cut Flowers market future investment plans and Fresh Cut Flowers market investment return analysis are employed to study the Fresh Cut Flowers industry on a global scale.

In short, Fresh Cut Flowers report is overall research study on Fresh Cut Flowers industry. Special Thanks to the help and support from Fresh Cut Flowers industry technical experts and marketing experts for their valuable contribution in Research Team Survey and Interviews 

For More Information:- Hayes Jordan