Sunflowers, Van Gogh

Nature has been an inspiration for artists since time immemorial; still life artwork is frequently found on the walls of Ancient Egyptian tombs and even the earliest cave paintings drew heavily on the local flora. In more recent times some of the most revered artists have based their work around flowers in recognition of their beauty and varied forms.

Probably the most famous study of flowers from the art world is Van Gogh’s series of Sunflower paintings. Created between 1887 and 1889 and generally considered the artist’s foremost masterpieces, the Sunflower works perfectly express the colour and vibrancy of the subject. Everything from the bright, full yellows of Sunflowers in full bloom to the fading browns of wilting and wilted flowers is there to see.

Through the use of cut flowers, Van Gogh’s work shows the cycle of life & death and the stages in-between – not bad for a simple vase of flowers. Read the rest of this entry »

Golden Flower Orchid

Orchid plants have held a fascination for us for hundreds of years, from the ancient Greeks right up to the present day.  Over the past 200 years Orchid Collectors have scoured the globe searching for elusive and rare species, with the hope of finding a new and exciting variety to add to the 26,049 already accounted for.   Here at Workbox we too share this fascination and continue to grow our own range of silk flower Orchids. Read the rest of this entry »

Toilet planters: The future?

An American woman who was fined $25 for using toilets as flower planters has had the penalty overturned by a county court judge.

Tina Asmus of Lakemoor, Illinois  was originally landed with the fine back in June 2009 when local officials deemed that her unusual planters, which hold pride of place in her front garden, were in violation of public ordinance laws. Disagreeing with the fine and not wishing to lose her unique prized planters from her garden display, Ms. Asmus hired an attorney and took the matter to court.

At trial this week, Judge Michael Caldwell ruled that Ms. Asmus’ was innocent of public nuisance and could not rightfully be prosecuted under laws designed to keep front yards free of items such as broken cars and scrap metal. Read the rest of this entry »

Kate Middleton and Prince William

Prince William and Kate Middleton have finally announced the date for the big day, with their future loyal subjects, we the British public, being granted a Bank Holiday on April 29th to join the celebrations.

Whether or not you’re a committed royalist, there’s probably a good chance you’ll be tuning in to watch the occasion on live television – if only to take in such a grandiose and magnificent spectacle: the carriages, the outfits and, most importantly of all, the flowers.

Every royal bride has her own unique bouquet – back in 1923 the Queen Mother had a lily of the valley arrangement; her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, had British-grown orchids in her bouqet; whilst William’s mother Princess Diana had a beautiful long Edwardian cascade. Read the rest of this entry »

Office Flowers: Healthy

The health benefits of having plants around us have been well publicised in recent years and with good reason it seems; modern office environments can be surprisingly hazardous to our well-being.

Offices have been shown to be up to five times more polluted than our outdoor spaces, with harmful airborne particulates from printers, photocopiers, cleaning materials and the very fabrics of buildings themselves making our lives a misery. Combined with a low humidity air-conditioned atmosphere, many office workers suffer from headaches, coughs, sore throats and fatigue, with marked increases in absenteeism.

One of the best solutions is to introduce flowers and other plants into our workspaces; not only do they help keep humidity in a comfortable range, they purify the air and give off oxygen, making us feel more alert and productive. Plants also lift our spirits and generally cheer us up by making the environment more aesthetically pleasing. Read the rest of this entry »

Flowery bin bags

A local government authority in New Zealand is taking a novel approach to dealing with fly tipping and unsightly rubbish – by introducing flower-covered bin bags.

Auckland Council, together with the ‘Heart of the City’ business association, is launching the temporary initiative as part of its “Beautify the City” campaign.

The new rubbish bags, which will be covered with purple flowers, will replace the city’s usual red bags to raise awareness of the current problem with litter. Actual flower beds will also be introduced to brighten up problem areas.

“These will beautify the problem areas of the city and remind businesses and residents of the need to do their bit to keep the city clean,” commented Jane Stewart, Project Manager for Heart of the City. Read the rest of this entry »