Boston Marathon and the Significance of Daffodils

Yesterday marked 3 years since two bombs detonated around the finish line at the Boston Marathon. 

Since the bombing many homages have been established, all with deep meaning, and pride for Boston but none is lively and vibrant than the daffodils to the city and suburbs that are the route of the race.

These daffodils in bloom throughout the greater Boston area mark more than the change of seasons, 

These daffodils symbolize a sense of hope and rebirth after the tragedy that transpired 3 years ago. 

Estimated more than 100 volunteers from the eight towns along the marathon route pitched in to plant as many of the daffodils a hardy perennial as they could before the race.

This Years Winner of The 2016 Europa Cup Floral Design is....

After two days of exciting and entertaining competition in what is now being touted to be one of the best floral design championships in recent time, Hungarian floral designer Tamas Endre Mezoffy was declared new European Champion of floral design. 

Tamas beat a field of 23 top designers to emerge winner after the two day event held in Italy's port city of Genova on 8th and 9th April. He was announced winner by Florint President, Mark Ward during a colorful award presentation gala event on the evening of 10th February. 

The competition was divided into six rounds spanning the two days. On the first day, designers were given three tasks: Car decoration task “PARATA FLOREALE DI SANREMO”, floral arrangement for a picnic “PASTA, PESTO, E FIORI”, and the last task of the day which was a wedding design called “MATRIMONIO IN VESPA”. 

Day two tasks included “PIANTE E FASHION DI UN DESIGNER ITALIANO”,  “AMORE E LUSSURIA” (LOVE & LUST), and “PRIMAVERA A SORPRESA” (Spring Surprise). 

The jury awarded Tamas an impressive 451.96 points, while the runner up, Roman Steinhauer of Russia gannered 437.42 points. Finland masterflorist Pirjo Koppi came in third with 432.76 points.  Detailed Point per assigment for all competitors are in the bottom of this article.

http://www.flowerweb.com/en/article/192810/And-the-winner-of-the-2016-Europa-Cup-Floral-Design-Championship-is...-Tamas-Endre-Mezoffy

How to use Hydrangea Fertilizer

Hydrangea care and feeding is fairly simple once you learn some basic rules. Specially formulated hydrangea fertilizer is available but isn’t really necessary. A good all purpose 12-4-8 to 10-10-10 composition will provide all the fertilizing hydrangeas need. Either a chemical source or organic matter can be used successfully. Applying a once a year slow-release chemical formulated for shrubs and trees is the simplest solution to hydrangea care and feeding. A less expensive fast-release compound will work as well. As to what to use to naturally fertilize hydrangeas, a combination of sulfur, compost and peat moss has proved to be a successful hydrangea fertilizer.

How to fertilize hydrangeas is just as important as what you’re fertilizing hydrangeas with. Fertilizer burn can occur when too much is applied. Scorched looking leaves are the first sign of too much fertilizing. Hydrangeas should be lightly dressed with fast-release fertilizer in March, May, and July.

Be sure to spread it around the drip line of the branches and not the base. Water well. If the fertilizer you choose is a slow-release type, remember to lightly cover it with soil to activate the fertilizer. How to feed hydrangeas should also include a light bi-annual dose of liquid iron to keep the leaves a healthy green. A discussion of how to fertilize hydrangeas wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the addition of small amounts of sulfur or lime when fertilizing to change hydrangea color. Hydrangeas treated with sulfur will remain or turn blue. Lime results in pink and a change to either color takes time. Please note: white hydrangeas will not change color. Gardeners who practice good hydrangea care and feeding will be rewarded with luxurious foliage and glorious blooms.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Fertilizing Hydrangeas: Hydrangea Care And Feeding http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/fertilizing-hydrangeas.htm

Gothic Floral Design by Thomas Rinaldi

A short story of art, fashion and Porta Nova Red Naomi roses, staged in Enna Italy at the La Galleria Civica di Enna. It is during the very first edition of “Fashion Days”; a three day event dedicated to various expressions of fashion, art and entertainment.

In coming up with his showcase for the event, talented floral designer Thomas Rinaldi initially toyed with the idea of creating a very colorful dress with an assortment of different colored flowers. He then decided to work around a Gothic theme, which automatically meant the color black to show the unique mysteriousness yet captivating nature of Gothicism. To help him bring this out effectively, he needed a good quality and beautiful red rose. That is when he immediately knew Porta Nova Red Naomi would come in handy.

“I work with a lot of red roses in my shop, but for the most important projects and assignments such as this one, I always use Porta Nova Red Naomi roses,” says Thomas.

“Gothic Flower Design” is the name of Thomas Rinaldi’s live showcase. He had to have everything perfect, so he contacts model Alice Contino, since Thomas knew she would work perfectly in bringing out the stylish elegance he was gunning for. His Glam-Team includes the company Glamour Valentina and Samantha  Pitti for hair and make-up and Loredana Mirlisenna for a very well thought-out Nail Art job. Porta Nova Red Naomi roses are ready… courtesy of toes Nature Ltd, Lodato Brothers of Delia, who are firm believers in the project.

To crown the show, Thomas’s colleague Clementina Messina researched and put together some graphics and music in line with the gothic theme, while photography was handled by Paul Valenti and Leo Sacco. His floral design team for the project included; Lorena Di Maria, David Mungiovino, Elena Ballacchino and Milena Gravagno.

“I am quite satisfied with the choice of Porta Nova Red Naomi in achieving this design. The result was very nice and really unexpected,” added Thomas.

Early Blooming Bulbs in Spring

Crocus are a very early spring blooming bulb and often come up while the snow is still on the ground!

During the middle to end of winter, we all hope for those warmer days with bright sunshine. But what about when those days come in the end of February or early March before the spring is really here? Oftentimes, these “touches of spring” can cause premature sprouting of bulbs. The growth starts showing itself above the ground, giving us hope of warmer days to come, only to be smothered with snowflakes a week later. So what is the best plan of action in a situation like this?

Well, my first piece of advice is simple: do not worry too much. If your bulbs are starting to come up early, they are simply reacting to the weather around them, which is out of your control. Think about it this way: if these bulbs where growing in the wild (as they originally did), they would experience this same thing from time to time and would still flourish without the intervention of any human. A little bit of foliage growth during freezing temperatures is not a big deal for these bulbs and should not affect their flowering in the months to come. If this happens in the wintertime, chances are that more cold weather is on its way. In this environment, the foliage will yellow and die back, returning the bulb to its “dormancy” period. This is completely normal and should just be allowed to happen.

Now if the weather continues to stay unseasonably warm, there is a slight chance that the bulbs may begin to produce flower buds. If this happens, your intervention may be necessary in order to protect these buds. Simply find some dry leaves, straw, or even sawdust to cover the sprouting plants and buds. Once the weather begins to warm and the threat of frost is gone, uncover the plants and allow them to continue to grow as normal. If the frost does happen to get to these flower buds, those flower buds will be damaged for the current season. However, this does not necessarily mean that the bulb will not produce additional flower buds at the proper time and then bloom as it normally should. Also, this one-time “frosting” will not have any adverse affect on the bulb’s performance in the years to come.

One more quick thing to keep in mind: sometimes bulbs sprout prematurely simply because the weather is unseasonably warm. However, sometimes there are factors we as gardeners create which can cause this premature sprouting. These factors are planting time and planting depth. Be sure that you wait until the weather is cool enough (consistently in the 40’s at night) in the fall to plant your spring blooming bulbs. Use the thermometer as your gauge and not just the calendar…as we all know, weather can be unpredictable and does not always turn cool at the same time every year. Planting your bulbs too early can cause them to then sprout too early. Also, keep in mind that most bulbs should be planted three times their height in depth. For example, if the bulb you are planting is approximately 2″ tall, then the top of this bulb should be covered with approximately 6″ of soil. Planting bulbs too shallow can cause premature growth as well.

The Boston Flower and Garden Show

Every year  we look forward to the spring, not only for the warmer weather and beautiful spring flowers but because it means that the Boston Flower and Garden Show is coming to town! It is absolutely one of the highlights of our year. The show brings together garden and flower enthusiasts from all over the country to delight it the exhibits, competitions and vendors who gather there.  

Emily and I made it out Friday evening to the show and were. as always, completely blown away by the beautiful plants, succulents, flowers and trees we saw. Many of which we'd never seen before! 

The show dates way back to the 1800s where it originally began as an exhibition of mostly fruits with flowers only beginning to take over in the 1830's.  Now you'll be able to find a wide variety of arts and crafts for sale in addition to botanicals. Our favorites included an artist who persevered butterflies in small modest frames, the New England Society of Botanical Artists, and of course the vender who  had the cheddar bacon dip samples!  

It is absolutely worth a visit next spring! 

Photoshoot on the Hill

When photographing our daily arrangements we look for the best backdrops, that's where being located on Beacon Hill comes in handy! There are so many exterior textures to work with here, including elements of red brick, cement, and iron works. 

It's our great pleasure to be able to design and create fresh floral arrangements every day. With the best quality and most beautiful cut stems to work with coming in daily, we are forever coming up with our new favorite design. Often times, we have to send our arrangement's out the door as soon as they are made up and miss the opportunity to capture the piece on camera. This week I took the time to snap photos of some of my favorite pieces to share. Enjoy!  

Spring Planting in Zone 5b

Zone 5 has medium length growing season. Most plants and vegetable varieties will have no problem maturing before your first frost date. With a last frost date of May 15th and first frost date of October 15th. These dates will vary a week or two so it's important to watch the weather before planting. Annual minimum temperature for zone 5 is -15ºF.

The symbolic Easter Lilly

The wonderful white lily known as the Easter Lily has long stood as a symbol of purity, hope, innocence and peace. Other names associated with the plant are Bermuda lily, the Trumpet lily, and Jacob's Tears, the Easter lily is a biblical flower generally associated with the resurrection of Christ.

In Christian tradition, the Easter lily signifies rebirth and a new beginning. It is said that stunning white lilies sprang up in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus wept in the last hours before he was betrayed by Judas. Another legend claims that the white lilies grew from the repentant tears shed by Eve upon her leaving from Paradise.

The lily is mentioned frequently throughout the bible and serves today as a beautiful reminder of the significance of the Easter season. Easter lilies grace homes and churches each spring as a symbol of purity, joy, hope and life.

Hydrangea Season has Begun!

With Easter right around the corner our orders for locally grown hydrangeas are in. Starting this week we will be receiving shipments multiple times a week in a variety or color palates. All of our hydrangeas are grown locally by green house in western Massachusetts. With the weather getting warmer we can't wait to start planting these outside in window boxes and gardens.