Category: Plants

Spathiphyllum Plants (Peace Lily Plants): Spathiphyllum Plant Care

Peace lily plants are delivered in NYC for all kinds of occasions.  Whether to deliver a gift in remembrance, as a house-warming present or just  to spread joy, Spathiphyllum plants  are a favorite of NYC residents.  For those of you who are lucky enough to have received a Peace Lily in NYC, here are some care tips:

Watering

The peace lily belongs to the Spathiphyllum family.  Its flowers may be white or yellow with long bright green leaves. This plant is at peace when it is watered regularly.  Typically two or three times a week is sufficient.  Check the soil and make sure its moist.  If its dry, or the leaves are wilting or browning its been too long between watering.  In addition to regular watering, this plant likes its leaves misted.  The misting helps prevent red spider mite infestation.  If you see tiny spider webs treat the leaves with alcohol and spray with an insecticidal soap.

CAUTION FOR NYC RESIDENTS and others with chlorinated water supplies.   This plant is very sensitive to chlorinated water.  Either water with distilled water (unlikely) or let the tap water sit overnight thereby dissipating the chlorine.

Sunlight

NYC office plants need to tolerate indirect light environments.  One reason why this plant is so well equipped for office life is that it is not a sunbather.  The plant prefers natural filtered light.  Exposing the plant to direct sunlight will brown the leaves and create problems.

Ancillary Care

The roots of a Peace Lily like to be tightly confined but will normally overfill their initial pot within 1 year.  However, they do not usually require a pot larger than 10 inches.  Although the plant is simple to care for, it still needs to be fertilized occasionally. However, be sure that the fertilizer is not too strong or the leaves will brown and the root hairs will be killed.  Err on the side of a milder mix to be safe.  Rule of a green thumb is a fertilizer mix of 20-20-20.

If your plant was beautiful and healthy when purchased and you’ve maintained it as discussed herein, but it doesn’t bloom or has deformed shaped leaves you need to show some patience.  It is possible it was purchased from a discount retailer who artificially induced the plant into bloom for sale.  Your plant is simply said a drug addict.  It is looking for a dose of the hormone gibberellic acid.  Don’t be an enabler.  Let it beat the habit with your love and care and eventually it will live out a normal cycle. 

We highly recommend the Peace Lily for a variety of uses:

The Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily) is a great gift of a house plant or office plant in NYC  (personal or corporate).

These tips are brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, Voted the “Best Florist of NYC”.   We are a full-service corporate and retail florist located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  We are at 150 West 28th Street (Studio 201).  To learn more about our organization and about the type of work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com.  You may also order a gift by visiting our e-portal at www.starbrightnyc.com. Starbright is open seven days a week and we deliver flowers and other gifts in Manhattan and worldwide.  We invite you to give us a call or visit our website.

Thank you for visiting our blog.  Always “at your service”,

Starbright Floral Design

t.800.520.8999

 

Phaleonopsis Orchids in NYC – Classic Elegance

Orchid plants in NYC are a staple of interior design.  Whether decorating an office or an apartment in NYC, orchids can be a major design element.  Starbright has been delivering orchids in NYC since our inception.  Our NYC residential clientele and commercial clientele alike, have fallen in love with our orchid plant maintenance in NYC program. Each Phaleonopsis Orchid plant is maintained by our plant specialist on a weekly basis to insure continuity in appearance and budget. Starbright’s maintenance program allows you to enjoy the fruits of nature without its unpredictability. Here are a few non-traditional orchid plant presentations exclusive to Starbright Floral Design.

modular Phalaenopsis Orchids

orchid-martini-445x390
Not Shaken, Not Stirred and No Olives!

Choose from a vast array of orchid plants in NYC from Starbright’s NYC orchid plant spectacular.

This scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, NYC, Voted NYC’s “Best” florist.  Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers in NYC.  Starbright Floral Design NYC delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.

Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.

Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in!  We would love to meet you….

 

 

 

Passionately yours,

Starbright Floral Design

Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201, New York, NY 10001

T. 800.520. 8999

E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

 

NYC Plant Files: Lemon Tree

Lemon Tree
Lemon Tree
Lemon Tree Notes /

Lemon trees are a vibrant addition for any NYC home that has a bit of extra room. These small evergreens grow to be about three to five feet tall and will keep their color year-round. A number of popular indoor varieties will bear fruit with some regularity after they have matured (lemon trees take three or more years to mature when grown from a seed!). Starbright Floral likes to recommend the Eureka variety because it regularly produces flowers and fruit year-round. Meyer lemons are another popular variety, though they are actually a cross between a lemon and either an orange or a mandarin. Meyer lemons bear a slightly sweeter lemon-alternative primarily in fall and winter. If fully grown, these fruit factories can produce up to six hundred pounds of lemons a year! To thrive, lemon tree need lots of light and a draft-free life. They’re worth the effort. Some studies show that the smell of lemon helps enhance mood. Read more about plants and feng shui here or how smell can effect a mood here, or even this about how the color green can help revitalize your energy.

Lemon Tree History/

Lemon Trees are thought to have first grown in Assam, Burma, and China and may actually be a cross between a bitter orange and a citron. By 900CE, lemon trees had spread throughout most of the known world. Used for medicine, cleaning, cooking, and decorating, lemon was an important crop for the Mediterranean. For early sailors, including Christopher Columbus, lemon was crucial to preventing scurvy. When the early european ships sailed to the New World, lemon seeds went along for the ride.

Lemon Tree Inside Info /
  • Bright yellow lemons are ripe and ready to be eaten, while lemons with a little bit of green may continue to ripen on the tree or be picked and stored until they are a uniform yellow.
  • Lemons are toxic to cats and dogs; it will upset their stomachs and moods.
  • The heaviest lemon ever grown was recorded in Kefar Zeitim, Israel. It weighed 5.265 kg (11 lb 9.7 oz), had a circumference of 74 cm (29 in) and was 35 cm (13.7 in) high. Guinness World Records 2013.

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Glorious Greens – NYC, have you stopped to smell the myrtle today?

Glorious Greens
From Left : 1.Spiral Eucalyptus 2.African Boxwood 3.Myrtle 4.Italian Ruscus 5.Pittosporum                                           6.Acacia 7.Seeded Eucalyptus 8.Broadleaf Dusty Miller 9.Lace Dusty Miller

Glorious Greens

So, design. When it’s good, it’s usually great – and when it’s bad, it’s usually “ugh, awful, no way!” This is true across the board – fashion, graphic design, food, flowers, you name it. Many people think that the trick to good design is “having a great concept” – those people aren’t wrong, but they’re missing the secret: a good design covers all the details. When it comes to flowers, one of the details we almost never hear customer’s mention is the Green Stuff.  But any floral designer with an attention to detail knows better.  Starbright’s designer’s are fully aware what a difference upscale greens can make in an elegant flower arrangement for NYC floral consumers.

They may not be the star of the show, but these glorious greens can have a huge impact on the “vibe” of an arrangement. They are also a great way to personalize the standard Valentine’s Day fare of “a dozen roses”. Whether your looking to send something light and airy or lush and full – the greenery is a great place to make it your own.

Some of Starbright Floral Design’s favorite greens :

1. Spiral Eucalyptus : These “dusty” green shoots are ideal for filling in lofty arrangements and adding height. One of Starbright Floral Design’s favorite uses of seeded eucalyptus is with long-stem roses. This classic combination creates an airy elegance perfect for the minimalist in your life.

2. African Boxwood : Notable for it’s fine-toothed leaves and reddish tint, this green is a great compliment to all sorts of arrangements. The little, but lush clusters of leaves will fill in a lot of space and add a slightly “fresh-from-the-garden” feel to your arrangement. Boxwood has a long-vase life and will dry-out nicely as well.

3. Myrtle : This is another fantastic green to accompany your long-stem roses for Valentine’s Day. The bright jewel-green leaves and wood-like stems also have a sharp, clean smell and will stand up nicely in taller arrangements. In ancient Greco-Roman times, Myrtle was considered sacred to Venus, the goddess of love, and used to decorate wreaths and make garlands.

4. Italian Ruscus : Ruscus is an interesting addition to any arrangement. The large leaf-like cladodes are a brilliant green that matches the green stem; the tonal color makes these waxy greens look almost too perfect to be real.

5. Pittosporum : These are one of the more common greens that appear in short and mid-height arrangements. The plain leaves are bright green while the variegated variety is a softer shade of green with ivory details around the edges. But our favorite part about working with this green at Starbright Floral Design is the sweetly scented leaves.

6. Acacia : This unique green isn’t as common around the shop as some of the others, but it’s always worth asking. Acacia has a unique appearance that makes it great for tall arrangements. The thin branches are entirely covered in sharp triangular leaves, while pre-flowering yellow pods sprout wildly on the top third. In the language of flowers, the acacia signifies secret love. Check it how Starbright Floral Design used acacia in this arrangement to add height and texture :

Acacia
Acacia makes a fantastic backdrop for delicate flowers while adding height

7. Seeded Eucalyptus : This eucalyptus variety has a softer appearance than the spiral eucalyptus. The leaves of this variety are slightly larger and droop romantically around cluster of lighter, and brighter seeds. If you’re looking for something softer that could potentially be described as “dreamy” – this is the eucalyptus for you.

8. Broadleaf Dusty Miller : These leaves are prized for their uniquely sliver appearance and soft felt-like texture. Another “romantic” green, broadleaf dusty miller looks great in low arrangements where it’s short stems can get to water.

9. Lace Dusty Miller : Another variety of dusty miller, known as silver ragwort, which is perfect for adding extra romance to an arrangement. The leaves of this variety also have a soft felt-like feel and silvery color.

Dusty Miller
Dusty Miller adds a complimentary “softness” to any arrangement

 

Next time you call the shop and order some flowers, feel free to give us some hints about the whole arrangement. We want you to be 100% happy with your flower purchase – the best way for us to do that is to give you exactly what you want!

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Flower File : Kochia Scoparia

Kochia
Kochia Scoparia

Kochia Scoparia

Commercial Use/

Discerning NYC flowers buyers incorporate the Kochia as an accent green to flower arrangements. The Kochia is sought after for its color and texture.  Starbright’s NYC Flowers collection has many examples of the effect the inclusion of the Kochia has on flower arrangements.

Kochia Information/

Sometimes called burningbush, ragweed, or summer cypress, Kochia is probably most recognizable in it’s tumbleweed form. Kochia can grow over six feet tall and has stems that are highly branched and often tinted green or red. In the spring and summer, Kochia has fuzzy green/grey small leaves or lobes. In the fall, the grey/green color becomes a vibrant red before drying out. Once Kochia fully dries out, the plant breaks off at the stem and tumbles away to spread its seeds. The seeds that are spread by the tumbleweed have about a year to germinate – and they do! In many places, Kochia is a difficult to stop weed, but at Starbright Floral Design we love the texture of this plant and wish it was around more often!

 

Kochia History/

Kochia scoparia isn’t just any weed. Native to Eurasia, this plant has seen a lot of use. In Japan, the seeds of the Kochia are used for a food garnish called tonburi. In traditional Chinese medicine, Kochia has been used to help regulate disorders like hypertension and obesity.

 

 

Kochia Fun Facts /

  • Kochia has been suggested as an agent of phytoremediation because it is able to grow in soil with high levels of elements like mercury, silver, zinc, and uranium. Phytoremediation is treating environmental issues through plants.
  • Kochia is also a great weed for areas suffering soil erosion.

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

A Great Floral Holiday Home Gift For NYC

Amaryllis Home Gifts are made For NYC’s Holiday Hosts

Blooming Amaryllis

Be the most welcomed guest this Holiday Season when you arrive with a potted amaryllis home gift!

Here at Starbright Floral Design potted amaryllis are flying off the shelves. Available in shades that range from Red to White, these potted plants are some the easiest to bring to bloom year after year.

In last week’s flower file, we reviewed some facts about Amaryllis blooms; like how they ended up with two names and where the name Amaryllis stems from. Popular during the holidays, these potted plants are an easy to care for lively addition to any home.

An amaryllis plant will keep you with a company of blooms for about 7-10 weeks. They’ll bloom for a longer time during the winter than if they open later in the spring.

Read on for instructions on how to care for an amaryllis plant. 
Potted Amaryliis
Potted Amaryliis

How to Care For An Amaryllis Plant

When the plant is in bloom

Through the holiday season keep potted amaryllis is a place with diffused light and cooler temperatures. When watering the amaryllis plant, be careful not to get the part of the bulb or plant that sticks above the soil wet. Keep the soil moist and fertilize as frequently as your favorite floral fertilizer suggests.

After the blooms have wilted

Later in the winter, the amaryllis will stop blooming. Cut the old flowers from the stem a bit below the wilted blooms. You’ll be left with some sword-like leaves and a long stem. As soon as the stem starts to sag, cut it off about an inch above the bulb. This triggers a growth period. Move the amaryllis plant to a sunny location.Continue to water and fertilize the potted bulb as normal for at least five to six months so that the leaves can reach their full potential.

When the plant is ready for storage

When the leaves begin to yellow cut them back to about two inches above the bulb. After the leaves are cut, remove the bulb from the soil and gently clean it off before storing it in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator for a minimum of six weeks.

WARNING : Don’t store amaryllis bulbs in the same space as apples. Apples will sterilize the bulb.

When the plant is ready to be potted

When it is about two months prior to when you desire the bulb to bloom again, plant the bulbs in fertilized soil. If the steam begins to droop under the weight of the flowers securing it to stick will support the steam. Then enjoy the beauty of the blooms as they open over during the

The bloom will appear again and again as long as these easy steps are followed. It’s a rinse and repeat process that will be enjoyed year after year.

If you’re not sure about how to best bring or send a host gift for the home check out this blog (Saying Thanks With Flowers) for some suggestions. Situated in the heart of NYC, we’re ready for your last minute orders in Manhattan.

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Visit us online or give us a call at 800.520.8999

Taking Care of Your Phalaenopsis

Purple Orchids
Triple Orchid Delight

Looking for a new floral friend? It might be time to reconsider an orchid. Trust us – they’re lower maintenance than you might have heard. Beginning table top gardeners should consider beginning with a Phalaenopsis Orchid – pronounced fayl-eh-NOP-sis.  Phals are among the easiest to care for and will reward your attentions with several months of blooms.

 

6 Things to Know About Caring for Your Phalaenopsis Orchid

 

Where to place it…

Phalaenopsis Orchids originated in the jungles of South, Southeast, and East Asia. They naturally thrive in hot climates, but under a canopy of leafy shade.

1. Phals need light, but don’t like direct sunlight.

In order to keep your Phal comfy, keep it out of direct sunlight, but near a bright window.  Why? Direct sunlight is like the kiss-of-death for these delicate jungle plants. When exposed to high levels of light, the succulent like leaves can burn, or even scorch. Damage to the leaves will inhibit healthy growth by messing with how the plant takes in it’s nutrients.

2. Phals like to stay warm.

Phals can live in temperatures from roughly 59-86 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant generally puts out a new bloom spike in autumn and flowers through winter. If the temperature is irregular and fluctuates often (drafty windows, maybe) the plant may suffer bud drop – new blooms that fall off before opening.

 

What to give it…

3. Phals need water…sometimes

Phals are not very thirsty and enjoy humidity more than lots of water. A good rule of thumb is to only water your orchid when it’s potting mixture feels almost dry. Be very careful to avoid overwatering your plants as this can cause the roots to rot. The frequency of your Phal’s water needs will depend on the planting medium, the amount of light it gets and the temperature it is in. A couple things that will help you determine this :

– A bark potting material retains less water than a moss mixture.

– Heat will dry out your Phal faster than cooler temperatures.

–  The more light your Phal gets, the more quickly it will dry out.

It is also good to remember :

 – Hold the fancy waters – Phals want to drink tepid tap water.

 – Water your orchids in the morning.

 – Remove any excess water that remains on the leaves or crown (where the leaves met the stem) gently with cotton balls or a tissue – pat them dry gently to avoid rot which could kill your Phal.

– Drainage is really important to your orchid’s health. Standing water at the base of the plant has downright dastardly effects. Starbright Floral Design does our best to help you out by incorporating a drainage layer of river rocks into the bottom of our glass planters.

It will take a minute to perfect this. In the meantime, orchids generally need to be watered about once a week in the temperate months – more if it’s hot, less if it’s cold. After a couple waterings you should have the feel of when and how much your plant needs. And the very best rule of thumb – if you aren’t sure if it’s time to water, wait a day.

4. Phals like food…sometimes

Orchids aren’t big eaters either. When selecting a fertilizer, go for a balanced orchid mix. Then, when feeding your orchid, dilute the recommended amount by half. Phals don’t want or need a full dose of the mix and excess fertilizer can build up as solid salts in the potting mix. Feeding your orchid a diluted solution once a week or every two weeks is ok year-round. But make sure to water your plant with clean tap water at least once a month to help break up any buildup that has been left behind.  It is also ok to use a bloom booster in autumn to encourage flower growth.

 

What happens next…

5. Phals get sick too

If you begin to see streaks of white in the fleshy leaves of your Phal, that means your floral friend is stressed out – yeah, they get stressed too. These white streaks often indicate issues with watering or light. Black blisters are a little more ominous – if you see these, reduce watering to dry the plant and isolate the affected orchid to avoid spreading the pests to any other nearby orchids. Black honey mold  can also build up on the leaves. This mold is dull, black and mossy. It can be wiped off with water and a small amount of mild detergent and won’t leave lasting damage.

6. Phals need to be trimmed

After your Phalaenopsis has bloomed, if the leaves are strong and healthy – you can cut the stem above bottom two nodes. Nodes are the little brown lines on the stem below the bloom spike where the flowers are. This, coupled with cooler temperatures at night, will initiate and generally produce another bloom spike with flowers within eight to twelve weeks. If the leaves are not healthy, the stem down to the level of the leaves and the plant will bloom with larger flowers and a strong stem within a year.

 

And that’s it! That’s all you need to maintain a healthy orchid plant.

 

Don’t worry, if this sounds like a lot of work, Starbright Floral Design offers a special orchid service to help you have a healthy plant year-round.

 

 

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

 

 

Color Profile : Green

Ever wonder where flowers got their “meanings”?

Color psychologist don’t. And they have loads of studies backing up their theories. The general model of color psychology relies on six basic principles:

  1. Color can carry specific meaning.
  2. Color meaning is either based in learned meaning or biologically innate meaning.
  3. The perception of a color causes evaluation automatically by the person perceiving.
  4. The evaluation process forces color motivated behavior.
  5. Color usually exerts its influence automatically.
  6. Color meaning and effect has to do with context as well.[1]

Over at Starbright Floral Design, we get to work with lots of colors everyday and all of us have our favorites. But why are they our favorites and what does that say? Up this week, Marcela’s favorite :

Green

Green Anthurium
Green Anthurium

“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.” – Pedro Calderon de la Barca

What makes green so special?
Green is the easiest color for the eye to see and therefore considered balanced.  Environments are significantly enhanced by the presence of plenty of green.  On a primitive level, greenery reminds us of water and growth, and is associated by color psychologists with good-taste and a sense of security. Psysiologically, green helps balance emotions and creates a sense of calm. Consider a pair of green tinted shades – one study found that reading through a green tinted transparent sheet increased participants speed and comprehension!
For the Home
Give us a call to talk about bringing living greens into your space – we offer select seasonal varieties of . Green is a cool color and has a calming effect. Green is also a reassuring color. In the presence of greenery, people are subconsciously reminded of the presence of water – or the absence of famine.
Money Tree from Starbright Floral Design
Money Tree
For the Teacher

Starbright Floral Design’s succulent gardens are a low maintenance solution for a busy teacher. And worth your while as well! A study at The Royal College of Agriculture in Circencester, England, found that students demonstrate 70 percent greater attentiveness when they’re taught in rooms containing plants. The same study reported that classrooms with plants reported higher attendance than those without plants.  This effect carried over into a study that showed that students were more likely to join and continue to participate in after school programs and activities that took place outdoors or had greenery present.

The Greenhouse from Starbright Floral Design NYC
The Greenhouse

 

For the office

What works for students works for me.  Green plants in an office space promote concentration and perspective.  And why stop at plants? Starbright Floral Design also offers a number of green floral arrangements to satisfy a person’s need for green.

Take Me To The River
Take Me To The River

Starbright Logo   Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Friday Flower File : Succulents

Succulent at Starbright Floral Design
Succulent

 

Quick Notes /
Some well-known succulents include cactus and aloe, but this unique type of plant goes well beyond those household names. From colorful echeveria to hardy sedum, there is a wide range of beautiful and versatile succulent plants that are getting lots of attention from gardeners, landscape architects, and wedding planners.
Visual Notes /

Succulents are notable for their appearance; their leaves or other parts tend to be broad and fleshy so that they can absorb and store water in dry environments. They tend to be short and their roots close to the grounds surface. The lobes can be waxy, hairy or smooth depending on the variety.

Flower History/

The best-known succulents are cacti (family: Cactaceae). Virtually all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. A unique feature of cacti is the possession of areoles, structures from which spines and flowers are produced. 

Inside Info /
  • Hairy succulents collect water by trapping dew.
  • Waxy coatings on many succulent surfaces prevent the release of water back into the atmosphere.
  • The smaller a succulent is, the higher in elevation is its native habitat. You can find some sedums in alpine areas.

October’s birth flower: Good for the Eyes and Good for the Soul

The Marigold is the October birth flower.  Its list of uses is as long as its rich history.  However, its use in floral arrangements is not advisable.  Marigolds do not survive for long when cut.  Accordingly, birthday flowers for October babies play off the rich color of the flower and autumn floral arrangements are the norm.

The Marigold is native to southern Europe but do well in North America as well.  Seeds planted in April take root in any type of soil in full sun or medium sun locales.  Practically no care is required other than weeding and pruning. Marigolds bloom from June until the first frost kills them.  However, their death is short lived reappearing with young plants in the spring.

Religious Worship:

In India, the marigold is considered a sacred flower.  Hindus devote the marigold to gods and goddesses in religious ceremonies.

Medicinal Uses:

Plant pharmacological studies have indicated that Marigold extracts have anti-viral and anti-inflammatory qualities.  Marigold solutions have been used topically to treat acne, reduce inflammation, control bleeding, and sooth irritated tissue.  The petals are edible and can be used fresh in salads or dried or used as a replacement for saffron.  Eaten in salad, Marigold petals have been shown to relieve abdominal cramping and constipation.

Demonic Evictions:  Sixteen century herbalists used the marigold to remove evil spirits from one’s head while simultaneously strengthening eyesight.  According to folklore, all Linda Blair and Emily Rose needed was a blossoming marigold plant placed in her bedroom (ironic that a marigold is needed in a rose bedroom).  Once the girls stared at the marigold petals their demons depart and would return to the wonderful little girls they were before their demonic possessions.  Coincidently, children throughout the New York area have been growing marigolds in classrooms and day care centers as classroom projects since I was a kid.  The stated scholastic reason is that it teaches the kids about germination.  However, many teachers have been heard branding our children as “little devils” (mine of course, can only be mistaken for angels).   Perhaps there’s something else going on.

This scribe is brought to you from all of us at Starbright Floral Design.  We are big supporters of all things to eradicate Leukemia.  We hope that you will join us in contributing to this fight.

If you would like to read more about Starbright, who we are and the scope of the work that we do, please visit our website.

If you would like to place an order for flowers (worldwide delivery), please visit our e-commerce portal.

Thank you!

The Starbright Team

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