Not everything is quite as it first appears in the natural world. Look closely and you’ll see a whole host of plants and animals trying to disguise themselves as something else entirely.
Whether it be flowers, insects, or sea creatures, natural mimics seek to gain an advantage over the competition – often to avoid being eaten or help them find their next meal. Prime examples of this camouflage approach are several insects which blend in to their environment.
Charles Darwin, the renowned naturalist who proposed the theory of natural selection had a thing for orchids. He had studied thousands of plants and animals prior to the publication in 1859 of the seminal work “On the Origin of the Species”, but the orchid held special interest for him.
Darwin had long been fascinated by insect pollination and had studied the wild orchids found along the Torquay coastline while on family holidays. In particular, he examined how the different petal colours and formations attracted bees and moths to pollinate the plants. Challenging the idea the huge variety in flowers served no real purpose other than beauty, Darwin contended that there must be a reason why each variety of flower – the array of different shapes and colours – looked as they did.
Knowing of his interest in orchids, the horticulturist James Bateman sent Darwin several examples of Angraecum sesquipedale, which had been discovered by French botanist Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars in 1798, but only described in 1822.
The orchid, also known as the Star of Bethlehem orchid and King of the Angraecums, was an impressive flower only found on the island of Madagascar.
Container:
Spring Grass Vase – Green
Our Elegant Orchid
Presentation Sundries:
Wire Wool 12m – Green
Silks:
1 Stem Ivy – Green
Workroom Sundries:
1x Wet Brick Floral Foam
Clear Pot Tape
12” Green Stub Wire 19swg
Fresh Flowers:
1 x Cymbidium Orchid
1 Stem Pink Phlox
1 stem Contorted Willow
1 Stem Green Chrysanthemums
2 Stems White Spray Carnations
3 x Purple Liatris
1 Stem Scimia,
Method:
Trim the foam brick to fit the glass container, secure in position with clear pot tape. Read the rest of this entry »
National stereotypes are a pretty curious thing. Most often they’re either completely outdated – it’s been literally weeks since I went to work in my bowler hat and pin-stripe suit – or plain inaccurate.
The Netherlands is famed for a few things these days, but the traditional image is of the Hollander stood in front of a windmill, wearing wooden clogs and clutching an armful of tulips. Happily, Dutch footwear has moved on, but the country’s association with flowers remains as strong as ever.
(c) fanfan2145
Take a glance at the panicked queues down your local garage forecourt this Sunday morning and you’ll be left in no doubt that flowers are an essential ingredient of Valentine’s Day.
Everyone knows that flowers can and should be so much more than a sorry bunch of carnations from a petrol station, but this year how about combining the gift of flowers with a romantic Valentine’s meal?
A surprising number of flowers are perfectly edible and they can go into practically anything; from a light salad, to pizza toppings or into omelettes.
Just a word of caution first though – not only are some flowers exceedingly poisonous, you can’t assume that florist-bought flowers are safe to eat as it’s usually impossible to know what chemicals and pesticides they have been sprayed with. The safest bet for the floral gastronome is to grow your own.
So, which flowers can go into your food of love this Valentine’s?
At last, the weather should be improving and we can look forward to snow free days. Hallelujah Spring has arrived and the time is here to start putting into actions all those plans you made in the colder winter months. (Have you managed to keep up with all your New Year’s resolutions? – we’ve failed miserably, as usual!!)
But to help cheer us up, this is the highly colourful time of year in the plant calendar. You will see the larger shrubs Azalea, Camellia’s’ Magnolia’s and Rhododendrons flowering in abundance not only in your garden and the National Trust gardens and parks but also in the countryside and along the hedgerows. Spring flowers such as Daffodils, Tulips and Hyacinths will also start to bloom. And for the Florists it’s a busy time of in the calendar with Mothers Day and Easter giving us the excuse to spoil our nearest and dearest with floral gifts – and more chocolate!!
March
Are you an Angel?
If your birthday is in March the Pisces amongst you won’t be surprised to learn that the flower associated with yourspecial day is the Jonquil (also known Daffodil or Narcissus) – which to the Victorians came to mean ‘friendship and domestic happiness’. If the colour of the flower was a white variety, it also had the additional meaning – ‘You are an angel’. Well, if you can provide domestic happiness.. Read the rest of this entry »
Too young to order flowers for Mum?
Mothers Day, or Mothering Sunday, as it’s known in the UK, has developed over the decades to become a worldwide event to celebrate and show appreciation and gratitude for our Mums and other mother figures in our lives – and that includes the mother in law!. Although the day and date may vary from country to country, the sentiment remains the same – lots of love to Mum!
Mothering Sunday, like most of the other traditions that we celebrate today, has roots that can be traced back to early Roman and Christian times. The Roman and Greek goddess’s of motherhood and fertility were Cybele and Rhea who both had holidays in their names during the month of March. And in Celtic Europe, Brigid and later St. Brigid had a celebration day in spring known as Mothers Day….
Early Christians honoured Read the rest of this entry »
Having a distinctive logo certainly helps a business to get recognised – we’re all familiar with the stylised red letters of Coca-Cola or the Nike “Swoosh” – but logos are also great for communicating a message about the company itself.
Just as a logo can give a traditional or modern impression of a company, using designs from the natural world can create an image hinting at eco-friendliness, simplicity and unity.
Floral logos have become more popular as many businesses try to soften their corporate images and tap into “green” sentiment. Here are just a few:
Wal-Mart
The logo of supermarket giant Wal-mart (which owns ASDA in the UK) has evolved over time. Its latest incarnation is much softer and more charming than previous versions, featuring a stylised asterisk / flower that symbolises the organic and environmentally-friendly values demanded by many consumers.
With Valentine’s Day almost upon us we’ve decided to move away from tradition and opt for our own romantic creation, using Midelino sticks. Have a go and see what you can come up with.
Silk Flowers Used:
17128 – Pink Lilac
16399 – Cream Tulips
16396 – Lily of the Valley
Presentation Sundries:
17117 – Black Pearls on Wire
16071 – Blue Mist Butterflies on Wire
13884 – Black Metallic Wire
17257 – Black Midelino Sticks
13676 – Olive Coloured Moss
Ceramics:
16962 – Black Dallas 06.5
Workroom sundries:
10633 – Carbon Blade Scissors
15298 – Green Parafilm
10728 – Green 22swg wires 12”
10726 – Green 20swg wires 12”
17076 – Dry Foam Brick
10611 – Glue Gun
Method: Read the rest of this entry »
Planted - New frontage
This month we visit Planted to find out about their exciting shop move and the motivations which led Steve to commit to a major investment project in such tough times. The Planted team are all the same, Floristry runs through their veins; they have a combined experience of over 35 years – something which has not occurred by chance!
We believe Steve, and Neil reflect the approach and attitude which will see Floristry succeed for many years to come, so it was a great privilege to spend time with Steve and this is what we found…
