From an industry newsletter, we are sharing a bit of press coverage that we received recently. Our Creative Director, Tom Sebenius, worked with the production team of the Rachael Ray show to create some really fabulous bridal bouquets…
Read the post and click on THIS LINK to see the Rachael Ray excerpt!
These thoughts are brought to you by The Official Florist.
The Official Florist is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design. We are a full-service corporate and retail florist located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District located 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”,
The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design
“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”
Take special care of your ficus and you will have years of enjoyment!
Ficus trees are perhaps the most popular indoor decorative trees grown. The ficus benjamina – weeping fig – in particular is one of the most popular of the 800 species available. Their popularity is certainly not as a result of its easy care but rather, its beauty. Ficus trees are very temperamental requiring constant vigilance in its care. Ficus trees can become stressed by simple actions such as moving from one room to another or even from one end of a room to another. Proper ficus tree care is essential to keep these plants healthy. The ficus’ popularity, coupled with their temperament, was a motivating factor in launching Starbright’s exclusive Plant Care Maintenance Program.
Ficus Tree Care:
The ficus tree is a true creature of habit. It does not like change. Consistency is the key factor in its care.
Sunlight: Bright sunlight during the day, but should not be in full sun all day.
Temperature: The optimum temperature is between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Consistency is key-ficus trees should not place next to heaters or vents that create varied temperatures.
Watering: The soil should be kept moist but not wet, in a well draining pot to prevent root rot. The rule of the green thumb is to water after the top inch or two of soil has dried. Avoid overwatering your ficus! The most common mistake people make is to add more water once the leaves begin to turn yellow. This is the opposite of what you should do.
Humidity: Misting the tree frequently while it is young or adjusting to a new location, can help it maintain its humidity. Helpful time saving hint is to make a humidity tray by filling the plant saucer with gravel. The runoff water will evaporate through the plant, providing additional humidity.
Fertilizer: During growth periods, feed the plant every three to four weeks. Use a regular liquid fertilizer for indoor plants diluted to half the strength recommended on the package label. Decrease fertilizing in autumn and do not fertilize during the winter.
Trouble shooting leaf loss: Proper ficus tree care can help minimize leaf loss. Ficus trees commonly lose up to a quarter of its leaves after an environmental change. Diligent care can help mitigate additional stress. If leaves turn yellow just prior to dropping off, it is a sign of over-watering. Dull leaves may indicate a need for fertilizer.
These tips are brought to you by The Official Florist. The Official Florist is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design. 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”,
The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design
“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”
Bromeliads are members of a plant family containing over 3000 species. The most well known bromeliad is the pineapple. People have been using bromeliads for thousands of years for food, shelter and ceremonies by civilizations such as Incas, Maya and Aztecs. Europeans were introduced to the pineapple when Spanish conquistadors returned with the pineapple. The image of the pineapple became so popular that it was adapted into European art, sculpture, furniture and architecture.
The most popular office and house plant varieties are Aechmea fasciata (Silver-Vase, Urn Plant) and Guzmania Rana.
In general they are ideal indoor plants requiring very little care. The mother plant will generally only produce one bloom in its lifetime. Once it blooms it will produce new plantlets called “pups”. These pups will feed on the “mother” plant until they are large enough to set roots of their own and survive as a separate plant. The mother has done her job and will die off. The green, leafy top of a pineapple is in fact a pup that may be removed and planted to start a new plant.
It can take a few years for the plant to reach mature blooming size. Once the plant reaches maturity you can force the plant to flower by placing the plant in a clear plastic bag and throw a ripe apple inside the bag for 7 to 10 days. The ripe apple will give off ethylene gas and will help force the plant to flower.
1) Sunlight: bright indirect sun. Ideally placed around windows with blinds.
2) Water: Keep the soil evenly moist. Watering once to twice a week is sufficient. DO NOT USE A METAL WATERING CAN. THE METAL IS TOXIC TO BROMELIADS AND WILL KILL THEM.
3) Temperature: Indoor temperatures are perfect for Bromeliads.
Replanting the Pups: Once a pup reaches one-third the size of the mother plant gently tug and separate the two plants. If the pup doesn’t pull away easily cut it where it attaches to the mother plant. Before potting your new plant, let the cut area dry out by letting it sit for a day (not in the sun). Using a mixture of peat moss and prelate pot up the bromeliad cutting into a small pot (do not over pot) and follow the instructions above. If all the potting and work sounds too much to handle ask Star bright about our Plant Care Services or do nothing and enjoy the plant as is.
These tips are brought to you by The Official Florist. The Official Florist is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design. 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”,
The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design
“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”
The Chinese money tree is a succulent ornamental houseplant that is said to bring luck to its recipient. Chinese money trees are aesthetically pleasing and low maintenance trees ideally suited for homes and offices. Many people who decorate in the Feng Shui manner tend to incorporate this plant in their designs because of the five lobed leaves. A Chinese money tree that has leaves in clusters of seven is considered especially lucky. Another benefit of the plant for the busy office executive is that its leaves are edible. No longer is time a reason to skip a meal. Just reach over and grab a leaf!
The Chinese have always believed strongly in the usefulness of lucky charms or symbols. The Chinese Money tree is one of these symbols of luck. Several stories tell the tale of origin of this tree’s symbolism. One tale tells of a sculptor who placed fake money on a tree in order to trick villagers into cutting it down for him. However, the tree was soon revered by the villagers as sacred. It was believed that cutting it down would lead to their doom. When the sculptor attempted to cut it down, the villagers paid him not to harm the tree. Another story tells of an elderly man who gave a peasant a purported special seed. The man told the farmer to plant the seed and water it daily with beads of his own sweat until it sprouted. Once the seed sprouted the fledgling tree required drops of the farmer’s blood for survival. The peasant did as he was instructed and the resulting plant grew up to be a “money tree”. The peasant found that by shaking the tree, coins would fall to the ground. Repeated harvests led to the peasant becoming rich. The tree became a source of perpetual wealth. The story can be taken literally. However, today it is taken to mean that to become rich, it must be through hard work and one’s own sweat and blood. The Money tree is a popular gift during the Chinese New Year.
Tree Care
1) Water: Chinese money trees aren’t water hogs. Typically they require a light watering once a week. Feel the soil, if it is dry, time to water. Do not spray mist.
2) Light: A young tree should not be subjected to direct sunlight. Indirect sunlight for 4 hours a day is sufficient. Mature plants can tolerate direct sun but prefer indirect.
3) Temperature: Chinese money tree grows well in typical indoor temperatures (60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit).
4) Pruning: Remove any damaged or dead leaves regularly thereby promoting new and healthy growth.
5) Fertilizer: Like any houseplant, a dose of fertilizer now on occasion is beneficial. Be careful not to over fertilize. Better to not fertilize rather than fertilize too much.
6) Repotting: The container of the money tree should not be undersized. Typically every couple of years it’s time to repot the tree into a larger pot. Make sure there are adequate drainage holes. Inability to drain could lead to root rot.
This scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”. Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers. Starbright delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” 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,
The Official Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
The Narcissus is synonymous to the Daffodil. The Daffodil is simply the English name for the flower which derives its name from the Greek mythological figure called Narcissus. Narcissus was a young man who was so obsessed with his own reflection in a pool of water that he fell into the water and drowned. The Narcissus plant first sprang up at the location of his death and thus the birth of the Daffodil itch. This Greek myth has led the Daffodil being a symbol of unrequited love. China has a somewhat different view of the Daffodil. It is revered and has become a symbol of Chinese New Year. It is said if it blooms on Chinese New Years, you are in store for extra wealth and good fortune for the year.
In moderate climates Daffodils flower among the earliest blooms in spring. Daffodils often grow in large clusters and cover entire hillsides. Their rhythmic movements in the wind inspired the famous poem Daffodils, by William Wordsworth. “…And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.” All Daffodil species have a central trumpet surrounded by a ring of six floral leaves. The traditional daffodil consisted of a yellow color all over. Today both in the wild and due to breeding, blooms range in colors to include yellow, white, orange, pink, red and green.
The Daffodil itch is not a term of endearment referencing the excitement of spring’s approach. Instead, it is a term used by florists describing the itchy skin condition caused by exposure to the sap of the Daffodil. The Daffodil contains alkaloid chemicals throughout making it very bitter and toxic if ingested. The toxicity is dangerous if confused for an onion and ingested. However it makes the Daffodil the perfect plant for those of you whose property has been overrun by rodents. Deer and all rodents will leave the Daffodil unmolested.
This scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”. Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers. Starbright delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide. Sometimes we deliver yellow carnations.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
The Official Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
We asked one of the members of our team that was with us for his first Valentine’s season in the flower business to chronicle his experiences through the week. Filled with humor and an appropriate dose of sarcasm we learned more about ourselves and what we do than we ever really expected to…. Step into our world for a behind the scenes look at the single craziest day of the year. Accountants call it April 15th, farmers have harvest time, to the florist it is Valentine’s Day…. “Thank you for calling Starbright, can I help you?”
St. Valentine was a martyr... May love and passion live forever!
-February 7th : One full week before Valentine ’s Day. All I’ve heard since I began work here at Starbright Floral Design, was the nightmare that is Valentine’s Day. I am a skeptic by nature and brimming with confidence that I can handle whatever challenges presented. I dismiss my coworkers’ warnings as tall tales and nothing to fear. Here we are 8:30 A.M. one full week before V-day and the sky is blue, the earth is still spinning on its axis, all is well. 9:00 A.M. I arrive to the scene of impending DOOM, Starbright Floral Design, 28th street, the flower district. The store is abuzz. Orders are coming in rapidly both telephonically and through the internet. 10:00 A.M. Staff meeting held discussing potential delivery problems. Plans are in the works to start delivering to accepting businesses, such as hotels, at 4:00 A.M. I spontaneously erupted in laughter. My laughter was not reciprocated nor well received. Is it possible this was not a joke? Four A.M.? The theme from the twilight zone is now deafening. Day ends without further incident. A busy day, but nothing too atypical. Can’t wait for relaxing carefree night at home.
-February 10th : A few days have passed since my last entry. Work has kept me busy. Orders are now appearing on my desk magically. The machine they call the Dove keeps printing what seems to be a copy of the Iliad. A continuous flow of paper is fed into the machine printing order after order. 10:30 A.M. Our purchasing department arguing over facts, figures and projections. The consensus is that this is going to be a big one. Fear and panic is abound. Last minute orders are frantically placed to suppliers in Holland and other flower growers throughout the world.
-February 12th : 9:00 A.M. Fearful of poor customer service as a result of taking orders beyond capacity has led to the decision to shut down the Dove. I come from a business background. The notion of turning away good and profitable orders was foreign to me. When I questioned the move my coworkers’ glares were like weaponized lasers. Management wasn’t as irritated by my inquiry. It was explained that the floral industry is customer service driven. Taking in orders that couldn’t be adequately serviced would result in unhappy customers. Accordingly, the net effect on the business, long term, would be negative. I understand the principle, but still believed it to be a premature and perhaps panic driven decision. 05:00 P.M. My coworkers are looking increasingly weary and disheveled. Some have clearly forgotten that personal hygiene is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle and healthy work environment. Shaving appears to be a lost art to the men in the office (probably the women as well).
-February 13th: 8:00 A.M. The place is a flurry of activity. Hasn’t taken long to realize my Saturday night exploits were ill timed and will be regretted. Word to the wise, don’t drink and floral design on Valentine’s day weekend. I am unable to recover or catch my breath. 11:30A.M. Designers as far as the eye can see are preparing pre-Valentine’s day orders. Nerves are frayed. Niceties such as “Good Morning” or “Hello” fall upon deaf ears or are responded to with a grumble. Each designer appears to be genetically transforming into a snapping turtle. The phones are ringing incessantly with an ear piercing buzzing. Never realized how annoying the phone ring was until now. 4:30 P.M. the order goes out for all available hands to start cleaning roses. I had developed a case of laryngitis from the endless hours of phone calls rendering it painful to speak. I need to conserve my voice for V-Day. Accordingly I volunteer for the simple, mundane task involving a knife and thorny long stems. 6:15 P.M. The monotonous task coupled with exhaustion has led to blood shed. Several fingers have become victims of errant knife shavings. Several other fingers suffered from thorn inflicted wounds rendering their use painful. Luckily my middle digit was immune from injury and thus I was able to adequately express my feelings to my coworkers without the need for speech. 9:00 P.M. End of day staff meeting. Nic Faitos, President of Starbright and our valiant leader begins a pep talk to the staff that would hopefully last through the following day –V-Day. “Guys and gals, you are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. Your task will not be an easy one. I have full confidence in your devotion to impeccable floral design and customer service. We will accept nothing less than the full satisfaction of our customers. Let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking. Good Luck and I’ll see you at 5:00 A.M.” I was inspired by his eloquent words and eager to meet the challenges of the following day.
-February 14th: 0500 hours V-Day. Proper preparation has made the beginning of the day a time to strategize and ready ourselves for the coming battle. I felt confident and prepared. 0530 hours –the first two delivery trucks are on the road. With any luck we’ll have them back and reloading by 0900. 01000 hours, the phones are unleashing an endless barrage of sound blasts. Oh the noise noise, noise! Everyone is working at a fever pace. There is no room for dilly or dally today. 01200 hours, the lunch crowd is now filing in. I think to myself, how much more can a person handle? It is not long before I get my answer. Several of the designers, both men and women, have been broken. Tears are streaming down their faces. I want to console them but don’t have the time, the energy or the empathy. I have to commit all my energy to the common goal. The flowers must be delivered and they must be beautiful! 01500 On a normal day I would be busy making dinner plans. Today I have been recruited to insure that our all business deliveries are made before 01700. The pressure is unrelenting. I have broken into a cold flu like sweat and have trouble focusing. The enormity of this logistics task quickly overwhelms me. Near tears myself, I call for backup personnel. 01800 hours, the corporate deliveries have been made. The second phase, home deliveries, is now well underway. The last minute business crowd is now filing in. I ponder if any of these last minute shoppers understood how challenging it was to give them that appreciative smile demanded of a Starbright employee. 02100 The day of days is coming to an end. I have travelled through the valley of blood, sweat and tears and come out the other side smelling like roses. I have a deep sense of accomplishment and pride. I can’t believe I doubted the enormity of the task. Twelve hundred deliveries in one day, made with grace, will not be forgotten soon. I guess the day is best summed up by the immortal words of Davy Jones: “now I’m a believer.”
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide. Sometimes we deliver yellow carnations.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
The Official Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
Those in the know claim that Valentine’s Day holiday celebrations are derived from Roman tradition. Many pagan traditions, such as Holloween, were adopted in some form by Christianity. One legend has it derived from the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalis. The festival involved the young women of Rome placing their names in an urn. The young men would then draw a name of a woman who would be their sexual companion for the year. In 496 AD the Pope in Rome declared it a Christian holiday to be observed on February 14 in honor of Saint Valentine, a Roman martyr who died in the third century. The Roman Emperor Claudius II issued an edict forbidding marriage for young men. Marriage made men emotionally attached to their family, therefore weak soldiers. It is said Valentine was a Roman priest who was murdered because he held secret marriages in opposition to the emperor’s edict. Thus 14th of February became a day for all lovers and Valentine became its Patron Saint.
England climbed aboard the love train by the 18th century. Gift-giving and exchanging hand-made cards on Valentine’s Day had become common. Hand-made valentine cards made of lace, ribbons, and featuring cupids and hearts became popular and handed to one’s love interest. The tradition spread to the American colonies. However, it wasn’t until the 1840’s when greeting cards were commercially produced that the holiday really caught on in the United States. The first mass producer of the card were the brain child of Esther A. Howland. The conspiracy theorist in me finds it extremely peculiar that the first mass marketer of Valentine’s Day, in an age when women’s rights were reserved to the right to keep quiet, was a woman.
Is it possible that Valentine’s Day was created by the sisterhood of women for the benefit of women for generations to come? Here are some statistics:
85% of Valentine’s Day greetings cards are purchased by women-average price $1.99
75% of Valentine’s Day flowers are purchased by men-average price $85
75% of Valentine’s Day chocolates are purchased by men-average price $25
72% of Women polled would break up with their love interest if no gift is given on Valentine’s Day (the other 28% would accept a gift the day before or day after instead).
8% of men polled do not celebrate Valentine’s Day (100% of those men are alone)
Conclusion: Valentine’s Day, from Roman times to today, created by women for women. For that florists throughout say THANKS!
This scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”. Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers. Starbright delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide. Sometimes we deliver yellow carnations.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
The Official Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
Controversy surrounds the true birth flower for February. There is no consensus and conspiracy theories are abound. The battle is between the Iris and the Violet. Both make good cases for being the birth flower. The Ancient Greeks considered the Violet a symbol of fertility and love and used it in love potions. The Iris’s claim stems from it being named after the Greek Goddess “Iris”, the messenger of love linking heaven and earth via the rainbow. February is the month containing Valentine’s Day whereupon millions of people send their messages of love. The floral industry is an industry designed to bring smiles and the spread of love, not litigation. Accordingly there is no high court to settle the dispute. Both combatants have a claim to the throne and deserve their place as a representative flower of birth. One reason, perhaps a biased reason, to choose the Violet over the Iris, is that the Iris is one missed key stroke away from being a symbol of fear and detestation (IRS). Nevertheless, we will treat them equally with love and respect.
Iris is a sure favorite for February
Iris
Iris meanings include faith, hope, wisdom, courage, and admiration. There are many species of Iris widely grown and distributed throughout world. From their earliest years, irises were used to make perfume and as a medicinal remedy. Today, they are primarily seen in gardens, in bouquets, and in the wild all over the world. The Iris family includes over 200 varieties in a wide spectrum of colors. Irises are one of the easiest perennials to grow.
While garden irises can come in any of these varieties, the flowers’ commercially cut versions include the most popular blue variety, white, and yellow.
The Fleur-de-lis is the national symbol of France. The Iris is the state flower of Tennessee, and the Fleur-de-lis is the emblem for the city of New Orleans.
Know someone born in February? Violets are a sure fave...
Violet
The Violet’s story stems from Greek mythology. Zeus was in love with a nymph named Lo. Zeus’s wife was suspicious and jealous of Lo. Zeus being fearful of what his wife might due to Lo, turned Lo into a cow. As a cow Lo had no choice but to eat the plain dry boring grasses bringing Lo to tears. Zeus, distraught by the tears of his love, he decided to turn her tears into edible flowers. Thus the Violet was created.
The Violet is mainly found in the Northern Hemisphere. They grow best in moist shaded areas but are tolerable of diverse conditions. The flowers are formed from five petals; four are upswept or fan-shaped petals with two per side, and there is one broad, lobed lower petal pointing downward. With over 400 different variations of the Violet there are a multitude of colors to choose from. Including blue, purple, white, cream yellow and combinations thereof. The purple Violet, hooded blue Violet and butterfly Violet, is very popular in the eastern United States and is the Wisconsin State Flower.
So what to do for a February birthday? How do you choose between the Violet or the Iris.
The personality traits of people who have this birth flower are said to be calm, friendly, faithful, hopeful, and enlightened. Perhaps a person like that will be thrilled with the thought of the gift and not be troubled that you chose one flower over the other. Perhaps to be safe a bouquet of both the Violet and the Iris is best.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide. Sometimes we deliver yellow carnations.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
The Official Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
For many years now we have been honored to be able to donate the floral decor for an amazing event that takes place to raise funds for a great cause. Here are the details of the event as written by LLS:
Society Ties, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s young professionals volunteer group is hosting their annual Black Tie & Black Jack Casino Night on February 26, 2011 at Capitale (130 Bowery Street) from 8:00 p.m. – Midnight. A highly-anticipated annual event, Black Tie & Black Jack is attended by more than 800 young professionals from the New York City area. The fun-filled evening features an open bar, dinner and gaming, including poker, black jack, roulette & craps—this year boasts the first-ever high stakes Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournament! Attendees also have the opportunity to win prizes throughout the night and the chance to bid on incredible silent auction items.
All auction items, food and drink have been generously donated by sponsors of the evening. The beautiful floral arrangements at the event have been provided by Starbright Floral Design, a loyal supporter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Society Ties for the past three years, THANK YOU STARBRIGHT FLORAL!
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.lls.org/nycblacktieblackjack or call 212-376-4765. Tickets range from $180 for an individual ticket to $1,550 for a VIP package, which includes 10 tickets, $500 in gaming chips and entrance to the VIP lounge.
Come join in the fun, all while raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
This information is brought to you by The Official Florist. The Official Florist is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design. 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”,
The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design
“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”
Being of Greek descent I like to relate everything back to the birthplace of civilization, Greece. With most flowers/plants there is an interesting story rooted in Greek mythology or Greek history giving the plant its name. The Peace Lily, I would expect, would be no different. Perhaps its name derived from their use to adorn an Olympic event. Or perhaps the plant was given as a gift of appreciation to the great Alexander as he heroically brought civilization to the lands of savages. Sadly I was disappointed to find that its name is nothing more than a reflection of its appearance. The white spathe represents a raised white flag of surrender. This plant’s name is not rooted in Greek history but that of the French.
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
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. The lesson here is to purchase your plants from a respectable retailer such as Starbright.
We highly recommend the Peace Lily for a variety of uses:
It is a great plant to send someone as a gift (personal or corporate).
We use them to decorate venues for events (plant rental).
We offer weekly maintenance on plants for offices and we take care of many Peace Lilies throughout New York City.
These tips are brought to you by The Official Florist. The Official Florist is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design. 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”,
The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design
“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”
From an industry newsletter, we are sharing a bit of press coverage that we received recently. Our Creative Director, Tom Sebenius, worked with the production team of the Rachael Ray show to create some really fabulous bridal bouquets…
Blooming Thoughts 