Flowers

2023 - 2 - 13

flowers for valentine's -- valentine -- valentine's -- valentines day -- valentines gift ideas flowers for valentine's - valentine - valentine's - valentines day - valentines gift ideas

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Image courtesy of "Hakai Magazine"

Are You Giving Flowers with a Side of Plastic? | Hakai Magazine (Hakai Magazine)

A flower arrangement delivers all sorts of messages, but it can also deliver plastic waste to our environment, especially when it includes floral foam.

“People are forced to think, rather than to just produce.” Today, creative florists are using “green mechanics”—wire, wood, concrete, and flower tubes that hold water for each stem, for instance—to create reusable arches, hanging flower “chandeliers,” and other sculptural pieces that in the past relied on bases of floral foam. She wonders if the European Union’s push to eliminate single-use plastic could eventually be expanded to include floral foam and if that might be just the stick that’s needed, particularly in Holland, the center of global floriculture. At the cellular level, she found signs of stress and damage caused by the ingestion of the plastic itself and also by the plastic leachates in the water. Feldmann was raised in the floristry industry—her mother was a florist and her family had retail shops—and even though floral foam had been available for decades when she was starting in the trade in the 1990s, her family mostly relied on traditional techniques. [paper](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31972952/) in 2019 generated media attention and also a rebuttal from Smithers-Oasis, which took exception to her work, noting that the research did not “reflect real-world conditions” nor show outright mortality. I just kind of assumed it was some sort of moss composite.” She was doing her PhD on microplastic pollution in the environment at Melbourne’s RMIT University at the time and became “fascinated by what was potentially an unusual and novel source of microplastic pollution,” she says. The denouement came when she was cleaning up after a wedding and saw about 30 bricks of foam in the green waste bin. The early marketing campaigns targeted home users, she explains—it was like, “You, too, can be a floral artist; simply wet this block of foam, poke your flowers in, and they will stay where you want them to stay.” Flip through an art history book for such gems as Jan Brueghel’s Still Life of Flowers in a Stoneware Vase (1610) or 14th century ikebana artists of Japan, and it’s evident that the art of flower arranging has deep, and foam-free, roots. “The only perfect solution would be for me to go out into my backyard and cut myself a bouquet and put it in a vase, but what if you don’t have access to a backyard? But it turns out—at least when it comes to the way we’re currently growing, buying, and designing with flowers—the secret language of flowers might be hypocrisy. They let us say things without having to say too much, and they even have their own language—a yellow chrysanthemum for slighted love, a purple hyacinth for sorrow, a scarlet geranium for stupidity according to the Victorian-era The Language of Flowers.

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Image courtesy of "USA TODAY"

The language of flowers: What certain Valentine's Day flowers say ... (USA TODAY)

Take, for example, this bouquet of tulips and irises from 1-800 Flowers. Among other things, an iris can symbolize trust and faith, while red tulips symbolize ...

If you're paying enough attention to the meaning of flowers to care about their positive associations, you must take caution to avoid flowers with negative associations. If you're wary of them getting the wrong idea, you can create a bouquet of roses and sunflowers to ensure they know that the friendship is mixed with romance. They're certainly unorthodox, but as they're flowering plants, cacti are fair game to be used in the language of flowers. the kind you can fit in a bouquet) are classically associated with adoration. It can either be used to praise your Valentine for their strength, describe how deeply you love them or describe your relationship as a whole. Both "gladiator" and "gladiolus" are derived from the Latin word for sword "gladius." Give a bouquet of calla lilies to your Valentine to tell them how stunning you find them. This is not the case with the orchid, which has a meaning just as beautiful as its look. While sending a bouquet of roses is a standard way of saying "I love you," sending a varied spread of flowers to say something more specific can come across as more meaningful. Premade bouquets can save you money instead of buying individual flowers, and they can still come with a wonderful message. Roses are widely known as the flowers of romance and love. You can even make a fun game out of deciphering the bouquet.

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Image courtesy of "The New York Times"

Opinion | I Love You, Too, but Let's Skip the Roses (The New York Times)

The massive cut-flower industry — valued at $34 billion in 2019 — isn't the most environmentally criminal of all commercial enterprises, but it's far from ...

Think about it, though: If you really need to save money or time, it’s a lot faster and a lot cheaper to write a heartfelt love letter and go for a walk in the moonlight. Here are some [tips](https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014925288-How-to-submit-a-letter-to-the-editor). [can be hard to parse](https://www.vox.com/22611799/houseplants-environmental-impact-youtube), but it isn’t benign, either, involving some of the same problems with pesticides, water use and transportation as cut flowers. This concept, she writes, is an “artisanal, anti-mass-market approach to celebrations, festivities and floral gifts of love.” Her site provides a searchable database of flower farms and florists committed to locally sourced flowers. Often the flowers are fragile heirloom varieties that would never survive a trip from South America. If not a bouquet of bright flowers in the dead of February, then what? The floral foam commonly used in cut-flower arrangements is [yet another contaminant](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191210111651.htm), leaching toxic chemicals into the water supply and creating a significant source of microplastic pollution in waterways. Which was fine by us, because we’d turned the screen porch into a sunroom by then and had space for the ficus again. But not by container ship, like [the vast majority of imported commodities](https://www.oecd.org/ocean/topics/ocean-shipping/#_blank). [30 percent of annual cut-flower sales](https://safnow.org/aboutflowers/holidays-occasions/valentines-day/valentines-day-floral-statistics/) — more than the holiday season does, more than even Mother’s Day — so it’s very likely that all the florists in town are already booked. One of our sons rolled it down the street on a dolly, his head entirely obscured by the foliage. The popularity of indoor plants exploded during Covid: 71 percent of North American greenhouses saw

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Image courtesy of "The Manila Times"

Flower shop in full bloom on Valentine's (The Manila Times)

VALENTINE'S DAY is an occasion that couples and families always look forward to, and the celebration is not complete without flowers.

"Because of the recent cold, crops in California have just been destroyed and recently again in South America, there was a huge storm. So getting those flowers in time and the freshest state possible is really our challenge," Garcia said. We have choices now to have real flowers that can last a long time," she said. We're working on the patent action so we come up with elements of the packaging that have to be custom-made that's why we have to start way in advance," Garcia said in a virtual interview with The Manila Times. "We've gotten our projections down to a point where we pretty much know how much to order just in time. We also work with Mondelez's Toblerone, Cadbury, and a lot of other great partners.

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Image courtesy of "Manila Bulletin"

Heavy traffic expected at QC, Manila flower markets on Valentine's ... (Manila Bulletin)

By JALEEN RAMOS and AARON HOMER DIOQUINO. Heavy traffic at Dangwa flower market in Manila and Farmers Garden in Cubao, Quezon City is expected tonight until ...

“Iba ‘yung feeling na inaabutan ka ng flowers every Valentine’s Day, though pwede ka naman bigyan ng ibang items. Some also buy different kinds of flowers such as sunflowers, stargazers, and tulips. Pwede ka bigyan ng foods, pwede ka bigyan ng clothes, pero iba kasi ‘yung dating kapag flowers ‘yung binibigay, nakakakilig (The feeling is different when you receive flowers every Valentine’s Day, although you may get other items.

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Image courtesy of "Panay News"

Environmental costs of Valentine flowers (Panay News)

THE CONNECTION between roses and love can be traced back to Aphrodite in Greece or Venus in Rome: the Goddesses of love. The cut-flower industry was ...

It is estimated that one-fifth of the chemicals used in the floriculture industry in developing countries are banned or untested in the US. The cut-flower industry is a short-cycle production process that requires the extensive use of agrochemicals which have a negative effect on the air, soil and water supply. There are huge implications for the environmental impact of the industry.

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Image courtesy of "Midland Daily News"

How to keep flowers fresh and alive longer (Midland Daily News)

“Many roses now are considered longer lasting,” said Bill McKinley, an instructional associate professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas ...

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Image courtesy of "CNET"

Keep Your Valentine's Day Flowers Fresh for Longer. Here's How (CNET)

Get a bouquet of flowers for the holiday? Here are some expert-backed ways to make them last longer. Macy Meyer headshot. Macy ...

As the saying goes, a little goes a long way when it comes to bleach. But before you go digging around in the bottom of your purse or jean pocket, you need to know that only pennies minted before 1982 will work. There are many, many tricks on the internet about how to keep cut flowers longer involving vinegar, aspirin, vodka -- you name it. But this mostly applies when the flower or leaves are still attached to the plant, so think twice before dumping an entire Sprite into your vase water. "That's the key for people who get vase arrangements, is to replace the water as frequently as they can," Guggia said. It removes clogged tissue that no longer transports water to the flower, Bradley said. Wipe the tool off with alcohol first and then carefully make fresh cuts on all stems at a 45-degree angle at least half an inch from the end of the stem. For gladiolus and other spike flowers, choose stems with only the first two or three flowers open. Believe it or not, this decision can impact the longevity of the flowers you buy. I talked to two experts to round up easy tips that help buy the freshest flowers and keep blooms lasting longer. You'll also want to be sure the stems aren't slimy or broken. I've continued this tradition into adulthood by keeping fresh sunflowers around my apartment, but even after years of buying flowers weekly, I still get sad when the petals start to wither and brown and drop, signaling it's time to throw them out.

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Image courtesy of "Peoria Public Radio"

Flower farmer seeks to encourage Illinois-grown blossoms (Peoria Public Radio)

Kira Santiago is on a mission: as she enters her ninth year as a flower farmer in East Peoria, she wants to promote Illinois flower power.

“Flowers for the future” could be provided over a period of time, she said. “Two-thirds of the flowers sold in supermarkets and by florists come from South America, mostly from Columbia and Ecuador. Most people will purchase flowers grown outside the United States, she said.

Is it too late to buy flowers for Valentine's Day? (Deseret News)

Although it may not be a flashy bouquet, most garden centers sell pre-potted flower arrangements or plants that could make for a sweet Valentine's Day surprise.

[From You Flowers](https://www.fromyouflowers.com/deliver/select-area-delivery-flowers): Charges an extra $4.99 for Valentine's Day delivery. [1-800-Flowers](https://www.1800flowers.com/valentinesday): Charges an extra $4.99 for Valentine's Day delivery. [UrbanStems.](https://urbanstems.com/valentines-day-flowers) [Floom.](https://www.floom.com/us/) Online flower delivery: With Valentine’s Day at our door, local flower displays might be picked clean. Have you forgotten to buy Valentine’s Day flowers? Most local grocery stores carry fresh flowers, and so do some retail chains that you may not expect.

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