Horticulture Show East Tx State Fair

     If you love gardening in unusual containers, this show is for you.   There are still a few days for you to register.  The deadline is Sept. 26, 11am - 1:45pm.  This is such a fun show, for the inventive and creative.  There is a list of general rules on the website.  You have to be able to scientifically name your plants.  Must be in fresh dirt and container.  The items will be divided up into classes.  This would be a great idea to spend time with your children introducing them to gardening.  Show them how to think outside the box of what you can grow plants in.

http://www.etstatefair.com/events/2014/horticulture-show   Here is a link to the page so you can see the pdf download of the rules and the registration form.

This picture is an example of a winning applicant from last year. It is in the category "Re-purposed Planters" If you place or win, you are awarded a ribbon accordingly. Also, your name will be in the paper and on the website I think.  There are three categories to enter.  "Backyard Botanical's", "Tom Thumbs Garden", and "Fancy Plants".  All the categories have different sections you can enter.  

This is a picture of an entry in the category "Fancy Plants".  It is titled "Fair Memories".  There are a lot of different things you can enter in the fair.  I think I am going to try this next year.  I would most likely do re-purposed containers.  Maybe if I give myself a year, I can fit it into my schedule.  Something to think about :)

Successful Fall Planting

     With cooler weather just around the corner it's time to start thinking about what we're going to do in our flower beds for fall.  There are some fun decorating holidays through the fall.  In East Texas as soon as the weather is below 90 we start with our decor.  It seems we all want to stretch this part of the year and enjoy the full length of every day.  Football season is in full swing and we can't wait to wear our first sweaters.  We all know it will be after Thanksgiving before that happens, but we can dream. Haha

     The first thing we notice driving around Tyler, are the pumpkins and the fall mums next to them.  Mums can be planted in the ground or in pots.  They are a little bit high maintenance as the limbs will continue to grow long if you do not keep them pruned.  They will come back yearly, but they require lots of pruning from spring until fall to create the most blooms.  Usually mums are cheap enough to just buy for the season splash, and then plant them in a corner or your yard and let them go.

     One of my favorite plants for fall foliage is the Croton.  It has beautiful wide leaves full of fall colors.  It is a little bit touchy to take care of.  It requires sun/ filtered sun and moderate water.  Not too much water, but not too little.  The more sun it gets, the more colorful the leaves are.  This is a plant that cannot be planted outdoors as the freeze will kill it.  It instantly adds a breath of fall to the patio or dark area of your yard.  This picture below shows 4 pots of Croton along with some stems of dried wheat and dried Indian corn.  I also like to use these same items for centerpieces in my home.  The leaves of the croton stay beautiful for quite a while and even dried they are pretty.

     The Japanese Red Maple is a wonderful outdoor ornamental tree.  By ornamental I mean it will always be small.  These only grow 10 feet tall or so.  Their profuse foliage literally can look like fire in the sunlight.  They are very beautiful and add a gorgeous touch to any outdoor garden.

     There are so many beautiful plants that bloom in the fall or have leaves that look as if they are blooming.  Now is the time to transplant them into your flower bed.  After the harsh sun and drought of summer, you can bring your yard alive with bright beautiful bedding plants, annuals or perennials.  With the season of fall we have here they will last for weeks, usually through Thanksgiving.  As you get these plants going in your flower bed, you can take sprigs and bring them inside to decorate with.  As long as you keep the flowers in water they will do great.  That is one of my favorite things about having beautiful flower beds, the fact that I can bring the flowers inside a little at a time.

     I'm ready for fall.  I love summer, but am so thankful for a change in the seasons.  So, let's all get our fall on ya'll.  Take a quick trip out to Harris Nursery on hwy 69 N in Tyler and they will help you with your selection.  http://harrisnursery.com/  Or Blue Moon Gardens in Chandler, they are both wonderful, quaint plant shops that are locally owned and would be glad to help you. http://www.bluemoongardens.com/   Have fun on your adventure.

     

   

FloralApp for our Website

I'm so excited that we now have our very own App. I can hardly remember before all my apps.  I love having accessibility at my fingertips.  My kids tell me I have "grown up" apps.  Things they can't imagine themselves ever needing or using.  My experience with my apps has been that I didn't realize how much I needed it until I downloaded it.  Overall an app is either informative or helpful.  As far as a floral app goes, it is definitely helpful.  Anywhere you are you can now see all our new products.  Once you download and sign in it is exclusive to The Flower Box.  The app has categories listed for you to choose from just like the full site.  There are hundreds of arrangements, large and small.  The icon is a Bird of Paradise flower.

You can download the app from The GooglePlay store of from ITunes or you can use your code scanner on your phone. Look for the word "floralapp" and when you see the picture above you know it is the right one. It is free in either place.  Once downloaded you need to use the code 5975561 (our phone number) to access The Flower Box.  Now, anytime you have the need or desire to send a beautiful bouquet or other gift item, we are right at your fingertips.
As you enter the site, you will be directed to a few pictures and a "shop now" button.  You can choose this and it will take you to a list of categories.  You can then choose which category fits your occasion best.  After choosing your favorite arrangement, you can then complete the order from the app or call The Flower Box to speak with someone regarding your order.  Either way it is very easy.  To download our app you need to follow this link:http://www.theflowerboxtyler.com/floralapp.asp
Or go to the home page of The Flower Box's website and scroll down to the bottom of the page and see the banner at the bottom of the page. http://www.theflowerboxtyler.com/

I hope you all will download our app and happy shopping :)

Upcycling in Your Flower Bed

     First of all anyone who knows me knows I am a recycling fanatic.  I drive my kids crazy telling them which sack to put "trash" in.  Most things are now recyclable if you take the time to look.  A lot of items can be recycled in your garden.  I have used broken pots, old tires, pieces of wrought iron etc.  I used an old ashtray stand with a ceiling light fixture to make a bird feeder.  Tiffany lamp style. Haha
      Recently on Pinterest I've been adding pictures to our account on my Upcycling Flower Gardening  Board.
http://www.pinterest.com/flowerbox5846/flowerbed-recycling/
     This is a link to my board where you can see a lot of cute ideas.   Years ago people naturally recycled everything.  When money is tight, people keep what they have and you learn to use items in other ways than their original intended use.  Now, we have the internet to help us along with our imagination.  You can find items to plant flowers in everywhere.  I love these snails!!  What a great use of large old tires.




     There are a few things you have to consider when reusing an item.  Such as, does it have drainage to prevent over watering?  Will the container deterioate in the process of being outdoors, or to sunshine exposure, water, bugs etc.?  Some of these problems can be overcome.  By drilling holes in the container you can prevent over watering.  Adding coats of extreme weather outdoor paint will help with corrosion and rust.  It might take a little extra thought but it will be well worth your effort.
     Your imagination is the limit of what you can use in your garden.  Here are some really neat ideas.  When kids outgrow the abundance of rain boots what better way to liven up a fence row than with colorful flowers in their boot.  Recycle gardening is also a way of extending the memory of an item.  Instead of throwing it away, you can put it in a place where you can see the item and bring back the memory of it's original use.  In this way, you can keep your children small, your grandparents with you and many more memories a part of your everyday thoughts.
     Follow The Flower Box on Pinterest and I will keep adding pictures to all of our boards.  If you have created any wonderful upcycled flower gardens please leave a comment telling about them. :)

Orchid Plants and Cuts

Some of my favorite plants are orchids.  They are quite elegant with their one long stem of beautiful flowers.  They require somewhat of a green thumb, but are not too difficult.  As long as you remember they originate in a very tropical climate and grow naturally in humid rain forest type conditions they should do fine.  I recently came across a new color variety I had not heard of in the orchid group.  "Chocolate Orchids" or as they are also known "Sharry Babies", the flowers emit a wonderful chocolaty smell.  I'm sure this could cause a problem with some people as they would need to have a bar of chocolate near.  Imagine an orchid full of blooms and you walk in the living room and it smells as if it were covered in chocolate.


Potting Chocolate Orchids:
As I stated earlier, Orchids require high humidity.  A pot that is larger than the root bulb is required.  After you select your container make sure it has adequate drainage by adding pebbles in the bottom.  This will be useful especially if you have a tendency to over water house plants.
Temperature:
As with any tropical plant, they do not like temperatures below 50.  In our region here in East Texas they will not survive the winter outside.  Your orchids need to be kept inside and watered daily or every other day, even in the winter.
Light:
Your orchid will require a good bit of light.  It will thrive best when it is placed where it can receive light in the morning through early afternoon.  Not direct light, but indirect.  Near a window, but not where the direct sun can scorch the leaves.  Once this happens it will cause permanent damage to the leaves.
Another option for enjoying orchids without the work would be to buy cut stems.  Simply take them home, change the water daily, re cut the  stem daily and they should last a week to 10 days.   They come in bunches of 10 stems from the local florist if you wanted to buy one bunch.  Otherwise most florist would sell a few stems at a time.
Some of my favorites are "Splash Orchids"


These naturally occur with a splash of purple on a white orchid.  You can also purchase these in a turquoise color.  I did a bridal bouquet with these and it was beautiful!

This is the bridal bouquet.  I loved working with these orchids.  They are absolutely stunning!  They are special order, so should you need some give us a call early.
Orchids come in every color and size.  They are a truly beautiful house plant.  Placed in a wonderful ceramic contemporary container and they can hold the attention of the room.  With proper care the orchid stem should continue to bloom to the end.  So when you purchase them and there are only a few blooms open, take care of them and you will be rewarded with a complete stem full of orchids.

I hope you enjoyed this article, if so leave me a message telling me what you might like to know from a real florist.  I'm open for topics of you're interest :)
Sherry

After The First Date.....Flowers?

     So, you've made it through the first date.  What a relief!  It was the best date ever. She enjoyed all the plans you made.  Lots of fun and laughter dominated the evening.  All the time spent planning the details was time well spent.  But, now what?  Is there a second date, third date or more in your future?  You need to let her know what a great time you had.  Also, you need to test the water and see if she felt the same way.  So your thoughts go to sending flowers to tell her what a wonderful time you had.  But before you go and send a dozen roses, are you going to scare her off?  Are you trying to hard to let her know you had a good time?  If you think you are, then you probably are.  Here are some tips on how to send flowers after the first date.

     

     Keep It Simple

     You've only been on one date.  There is no need to go overboard.  You might think a dozen roses is the perfect way to show her how much you enjoyed the evening.  But a lot of people associate a dozen roses with deep emotional love.  Not a "thanks for a great date" gesture.  Look through the website and choose something fun, bright, colorful, and small.  You don't want to break the bank with the first bouquet.  Some people don't like extravagant gifts or signs of too much emotion.

The "Be Happy Bouquet"








                                                              Or maybe the What a Treat Bouquet"                                                                 

Something simplehttp://www.theflowerboxtyler.com/ tells your date that you are thinking of them and had a great time.

     The Note

     Now to decide what to put on the note.  Trust me, after having worked as a florist for 20 years, I've seen some crazy stuff on the message.  As I stated earlier, keep it simple.  She doesn't want to know you think she's your soul mate after one date.  A lighthearted message stating the fact that you had a great time and you would like to see her again is enough.  Be sure you spell everything correctly, and use proper grammer.  A girl does not want a message with her flowers that looks like a gangsta text.  Use complete sentences.  I know it sounds easy, but writing the message is the hardest part of sending flowers.

     Delivery Information

     Another topic that sounds easy.  Please make sure you know her address, either home or work.  Do not just assume that Google is correct.  Find a way in the conversation of the evening to know where she works so the delivery driver can find her.  Some businesses and offices are easy to find, some extremely hard.   When you call the florist they will ask you for her name, the business name, the address and phone number.  It would also be helpful to know if she leaves early, before 5.

     Maybe this information will help you on your quest to date # 2 and beyond.  Remember to always use a local florist and not one of the order gatherers online.  Local florists do have a website usually that you can use to narrow your search of what you want to send.  Most of all have fun and send her lots of her favorite flowers.
   

   http://www.theflowerboxtyler.com/                                                                      
     

Summer Flower Arrangements

     Summer is the perfect time for bright, fresh flower arrangements straight from your gardens.  There are multiple blooms happening right now.  I love to drive through Tyler to see the flower beds, from the manicured lawns to the "truck patch" gardens.
     As I was driving through town, I realized you could really have a beautiful table display if you planted right.  With a little thought, you could have blooms from spring to fall that would enhance your indoor space.  A variety of vases spaced around your home would be a wonderful way to bring the outdoors in.

Abowl of Dahlias in late summer.

     Hydrangea are plentiful in Tyler.  You can put lime on them to change the color from white to blue.  You could have a variety of hues come from one flower bed.


Peonies cut and dropped in a vase.  Beautiful

     Anything can be used as a vase, as long as it holds water.  Remember to recut the stem immediately before you put the stem in the vase.  Change the water daily and if needed, recut the stem daily.  Garden flowers will not last as long as wholesale flowers.  This is to be expected.  But, most anything from your yard can be cut and brought inside.  My favorite plant to cut from is Gardenia.  I have miniature Gardenias in my yard.  I cut the stem and place them in a bowl of water.  The blooms only last over night, but wow what an aroma when you walk through the room!
     Hope these ideas help you be able to incorporate what's outside to the inside.  Do a little research and you can have a wonderful flower garden to cut from year after year.