Ikebana Flowers

There are many style of arranging flowers, but at Starbright Floral Design Ikebana is one of our favorites. Recognized for it’s emphasis on line, form, and shape, Ikebana arrangements often focus on stems, leaves, and twigs as often as flowers. Minimalist in nature, Ikebana arrangements are based on a scalene triangle, with three prominent points, generally two of which are twigs. Within these parameters, a world of creative expressions are possible.

Ikebana Lily Pad From STarbright Floral Design.

First practiced among Japanese Buddhist monks, and appreciated only by the imperial family and their retainers, Ikebana reached the people by the late 15th century. In the early stages, Ikebana was very simple, featuring a small number of flowers and evergreen branches. Books were written about the style and it was commonly featured in traditionally festivals and exhibitions.

In the 20th century, the three main schools of Ikebana, Rikka, Nageire, and Seika evolved into what is commonly known in Japan as Free Style. Other schools rose as well. Ikebana International shares,

“Koshu Tsujii, a follower of the new moribana, was invited to re-establish a flower school in the Daikakuji Temple in Saga, which still today operates his school as the Saga School. Besides ikebana, the Saga School teaches other Japanese arts such as calligraphy. Choka Adachi initiated an “Adachi Style”, using the moribana form “to arrange flowers like flowers.

At about the same time, another style which translates as the “literati style” began to attract interest because of its free and colorful approach. Originated by Issotei Nishikawa, it led the way to free creative arrangements.

The chief exponent of this free style was Sofu Teshigahara, who founded the Sogetsu School in 1926. Others in this modern movement — which resulted in ikebana being placed elsewhere than only in the tokonoma — included the founder of the Ichiyo School.

The three schools that predominate at the present time are Ikenobo, Ohara, and Sogetsu, but more than two thousand different schools of ikebana are registered with the Japanese Ministry of Education.

“

When you receive an Ikebana arrangement, take a moment to pause and contemplate the beauty of nature. These arrangements are meant to remind us that there is wonder in the world around us.

Check out some of our selection at StarbrightNYC.

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

Flower File : Celosia

Quick Notes/

There are several types of celosia flowers, but this article will focus on the spicata variety. Celosias are resilient and will stay fresh for a long time after they are cut. They also make beautiful dried flowers, and are a popular choice for potpourri.

Visual Notes/

Celosia blooms in vibrant, citrus colors like pink, magenta, and violet. The flower grows in an elongated cone shape, similar to a wheat head, which is where it gets one of its several nicknames: the wheatstraw. It’s also commonly referred to as the paintbrush variety of celosia because of its shape. Its vibrant pink color has earned it yet another name: flamingo feather.

Flower Facts/

As celosias grow, their flowers bloom upwards and get taller. The petals near the top of the flower have bloomed most recently, while the petals near the bottom of the flower were the first to bloom. As the flowers grow larger, the vibrant pink color spreads upwards. The brightest colored petals can be found at the top of the flower, while the petals near the stem may lose their citrus shades and take on instead a silvery sheen.

Insider Information/

The name also comes from the Greek word “kelos,” which means burning, and describes the flame-like colors of the flowers. Silvery celosia takes color very well, and can be dyed a wide range of hues. Their strong stems make them especially resilient.

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

Color Profile : Blue

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:

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, my favorite :

Blue

What makes blue so special?

Blue is the most common favorite color in the world. People everywhere associate the color blue with the sea and the sky. Like looking out over the ocean, or gazing up at a clear blue sky, seeing the color blue makes people feel calm. Blue creates a tranquil environment. It is a quiet color that promotes peace and relaxation.

For the bedroom

Blue is a color that enhances trust between people. It is the color of honesty and loyalty. Blue flowers in the bedroom will cultivate the bond between you and your partner. Blue is also the color of peace. If you feel stressed out and need to unwind, try putting some blue flowers on your nightstand. They will promote your mental and physical relaxation.

Brodiaea and Iris — Ikebana Dreaming in Blue

For the office

Blue flowers will work wonders in your office, whether you work in a cubicle, from home, or anywhere in between. The color blue enhances communication and self-expression. Have clients yelling at you over the phone? Keep a vase of blue flowers on your desk. They’ll reduce tension and stress, creating calm and order instead.

For the soul

Whether you are religious, spiritual, or just plain contemplative, the color blue will bring your practice to a higher place. Blue is the color of devotion. It is the color of the spirit, and of religious study. Blue flowers placed in your area of worship will create a tranquil atmosphere for prayer. The color blue reduces fear, and enhances inner security. Blue flowers in your meditation space, or on your altar, or in any area of the house where you practice devotion, will bring you closer to your inner self.

Hydrangea and delphinium. — Hydrangea and delphinium for Hanukkah

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

Flower File : Anthurium

Quick Notes /

Technically an herb, Anthurium is found across Mexico, northern South America and the Caribbean. It features a tall, thin flower in the hip of a broad, flat leaf. Great for floral arrangements, anthurium will last a while.

Visual Notes /

Anthurium comes in a wide range of colors, across over 163 species. With anthurium, the sky’s the limit! Most typically, you’ll see the waxy leaves in green, white or red, with the flower usually being matching or yellow in color.

History /

In 1889, the first anthurium was brought to Hawaii from London. For over 120 years, the anthurium has been Hawaii’s most-exported decorative item – this includes beating sales of hula skirts, ukuleles and hula-ing bobble women.

Inside Info /

These are poisonous plants! Not a good call for environments with small children, pets or college kids experimenting with veganism.

Flower File Friday : Sunflower

QUICK NOTES /

Native to the Americas, but grown in Europe from the 16th century in large numbers, sunflowers are cultivated and used around the world as cut flowers, a source of oil, and a source of food in the form of seeds. Because it was introduced during the Age of Discovery, the religions of Europe didn’t have any qualms with practicioners using sunflower oil to cook during Sabbath – it’s popularity was as much a result of it’s beauty as it was it’s usefulness. It’s thought that sunflowers point their blooms towards the sun throughout the day – while this behavior, known as heliotropism, is sometimes observed in young plants, typically flowers end up facing east (and staying that way!)

VISUAL NOTES /

Sunflowers come in a wide variety of yellow, red and golden hues. The “seeds” of the sunflower are actually little tiny flowers – on some varietals the seeds will actually open, while in plants with a dark center the seeds are closed. Sunflowers grow on hairy stems that are stiff enough to stand up eight to twelve feet straight.

FLOWER HISTORY /

Native to North America, the Sunflower was domesticated as early as 3000BCE. Much later, around 1500CE, Spanish explorers brought the bold headed flower back to Europe. Though the flower was generally thought to be ornamental in Western Europe, by 1716 an English patent was granted for squeezing oil from sunflower seed and by 1830 Sunflower oil was manufactured on a commercial scale. In Russia, during the same time, farmers were growing over 2 million acres of the sunny flowers for foodstuffs. “By 1880, seed companies were advertising the ‘Mammoth Russian’ sunflower seed in catalogues. This particular seed name was still being offered in the US in 1970, nearly 100 years later. “

INSIDE INFO /

– Sunflowers are a great gift for celebrations of life – they’re great in baby shower arrangements.

– Wild Sunflowers don’t look anything like their cultivated cousins. In the wild, sunflowers have many branches with small flower heads and small seeds.

– The sunflower is the state flower of the US state of Kansas, and one of the city flowers of Kitakyūshū, Japan, and the national flower of the Ukraine.

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

What’s up with the Aalsmeer Flower Auction?

We recently wrote about Starbright Floral Design’s home in New York City’s amazing Flower District. As we mentioned in that post, the Flower District allowed for New York to become the site of the world’s second busiest flower trade, behind Holland. We figured you might like to learn a bit more about Holland’s own major flower market, known as the Aalsmeer Flower Auction (or Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer).

Warehouse in Aalsmeer — Aalsmeer Flower Auction warehouse

Located about eight miles southwest of Amsterdam, Aalsmeer has come to be known as the “Flower Capital of the World” due to the Auction, where over twenty million flowers are sold every day. The Auction, at least in title, was started in 1968, when two smaller markets called Flowerlove and Central Aalsmeer Auction merged to create the Aalsmeer Flower Auction. Four years later, a huge warehouse space was built near the Schiphol Airport. This space, which is still home to the market, is the largest building in the world in terms of footprint, at over 10.75 million square feet. It wasn’t until the 1980s, though, that the Auction became the major flower hub that it is today. Until then, the Netherlands was the only country that did any major exporting of flowers. When other countries, such as Israel, Kenya, Colombia, and many others began to see the value in exporting flowers, the Auction became the central selling and distribution point for the entire world.

The way the Auction works is different from most others. Known as a “Dutch auction,” the system involves a “clock” that begins at 100 (the highest price) and counts down. The buyers, who sit in glass-enclosed rooms that resemble large college lecture halls, then press a button when the clock gets down to a price they’re willing to pay. The first buyer to press his or her button pays that price, and the flowers get sent to the distribution center and shipped to their new owner’s place of business. For a good look into the Auction’s workings, check out this brief video from travel guru Rick Steves:

Visitors are allowed between 7 am and 11 am on weekdays (Thursdays are 7 am to 9 am), and they can watch the action from a catwalk that sits above the ground level and goes around the perimeter of the building. By the time visitors arrive, the flowers, which have been sent to the Auction overnight from their growers around the world, will have been refrigerated and sorted by variety, inspected over thirty times and given a rating. The buyers start the auctioning process at 6:30 am, and the flowers they buy will amazingly often get to the consumer by 4 pm that same day.

The Aalsmeer Flower Auction, aside from being a great tourist destination and a place to see some of the most beautiful flowers in the world, is a major driving force for the area’s economy. The 6,000-plus growers and the 2,000-plus buyers contribute to an auction that generates over two billion euros a year. With 80 percent of the Auction’s flowers being sent to other countries, it is truly one of the great industries of export for Holland.

While the New York Flower District—Starbright’s home and our favorite place for flowers in the world—is still the only major global flower market at which the public can purchase flowers alongside professional buyers, the Aalsmeer Flower Auction is certainly a very special place and one worth a visit if you’re lucky enough to travel to the region. For more information on the Auction, visit the website for FloraHolland, the company that merged with the Auction in 2008.

Kudos to our friends in Holland for their world-class flower business! For an equally impressive display where you can take home flowers yourself, don’t forgot to come by Starbright’s West 28^th Street location!

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

Got the morning grumps? Let flowers turn your frown upside down.

It’s cold, it’s dark, and a single digit number glows back on the alarm as ear-piercing beeps cut the silence.

A full ten percent of the population actually enjoy this experience. For the other 90 percent, a mandatory 7:00am alarm is less than desirable.

Society, work, or familial pressures keep us bouncing – very few people have the luxury of subscribing to their preferred sleeping patterns. In fact, instead of maintaining a natural sleep schedule, many people stay awake later and wake up earlier than their body would like.

What do we get for pulling extra hours? In a study of young employees, lower amounts of sleep caused an increase in tension, nervousness, and irritability. These symptoms were especially present in the morning hours and tended to naturally wear off as the day progressed.

Good news for the habitually groggy!

“The morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon, with positive moods — happiness, friendliness, and warmth for example — manifesting much later in the day,” says lead researcher Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. Doctor Etcoff is referring to her research that confirms

“flowers might be the perfect pick-me-up for millions of Americans who do not consider themselves “morning people.”

-Nancy Etcoff, PH.D.

The study, done at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital studied the effects of flowers on the emotions of participants. These participants noted that they generally felt least positive in the morning but reported being happier and more energetic after looking at flowers first thing in the morning.

Doctor Etcoff continues “By starting the day in a more positive mood, you are likely to transfer those happier feelings to others — it’s called a mood contagion.” We’re thinking of it as an emotional domino effect and it’s wild – check out more info on the Wikipedia page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_contagion

The best part? Flowers don’t discriminate – the positive effects work for women, men, and even children and adolescents.

Want to try it out? Our reading suggest that the effects are strongest when flowers are located in communal areas or in the immediate surroundings. Some ideas from starbrightnyc.com :

Marcela — From Starbright’s table to yours

For the bedroom :

Try a posy of something sweet and aromatic. Lilies, lilacs, stock, sweet peas, and freesia are examples of scented flowers to look for.

For the kitchen :

Whether in a home or an office, families and friends tend to come together in kitchen spaces – try something bigger and brighter for this room. We also love simple and colorful. A bundle of tulips maybe?

For the desk :

Something elegant, contained, and unlikely to spill might be best. Check out these callas as an option or these orchids.

For the office :

When you’ve got a bit more space, a flowering orchid plant will help keep you company. While white orchids are always elegant, this purple Phaleonopsis orchid is a great way to include Pantone’s 2014 Color of the Year – Radiant Orchid in your space.

With Starbright’s subscription service, you can have seasonal flowers in your home or office fresh weekly. Give us a call to find out more.

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

Starbright’s Frequent Flower Program Unveiled

Attention Starbright Fans:

Starbright Floral Design is proud to introduce the NYC Frequent Flower program. Starbright has always rewarded its clients with one of a kind service and incredible floral designs of unequaled value. Now Starbright has found a way of making sure its loyal customers are rewarded in a money-wise manner and it’s hassle-free!

Here’s how it works. Create a secure account in a matter seconds. You can start using your account immediately or the next time you send flowers. Each time you sign in to your secure account, your order will be credited towards your reward gift voucher. Upon spending $200 on flowers you will automatically receive a gift voucher for $25. You have full management of your account, including express checkout options, order history, address book, cancellation and even important date reminders. There is no time limit within which you have to accumulate your $200. Think about it… This is a really cool and effortless way to save or send someone lots more smiles.

If you have any questions about our program, please contact us at frequentflower@starflor.com.

The Queen of Fall Flowers – The Chrysanthemum….

ChrisMum — The chrysantemum is the flower that welcomes the fall season every year since the start of time…

Florists can tell that it’s autumn when chrysanthemums show up in the market. Their large, full heads are the embodiment of the last offerings of the warmer weather, and they are generally found in typical autumn colors- golds, bronzes, reds, oranges and yellows. Some chrysanthemums even lean towards brown, and the green varieties help unify both summer and autumn designs. Chrysanthemums, which are the most widely grown potted plant in the U.S., bloom towards late summer and throughout fall, further making them a perfect symbol of the season.

There are over one thousand varieties of chrysanthemum, which are part of the family Asteraceae. There are actually such an abundance of varieties within that category that they are further divided into thirteen sub-families. Sunflowers, spider and football mums, aster, carnations, gerbers, chamomile and daisies are all part of the Asteracea family! How they are further grouped is dependent upon the shape of the petals, which may lay flat, curl underneath themselves, be reflexed, or even only partially closed in the middle of the petal.

The chrysanthemum pictured is called a football mum, so named for its popularity in use for mothers’ corsages at American football games. Its petals, which are a dark orangey bronze, are a much lighter shade on their underside- a yellow-beige- which make it a visually interesting and quite attractive flower. Although one of the longest-lasting flowers available for floral design, (and gardening,) chrysanthemums have gotten a “bad rap,” in Europe, where they are widely used as funeral flowers, due to their inexpensive cost. In Japan, however, chrysanthemums have been cultivated for so long that they hold a revered place in Japanese history. The emperor’s throne is called the Chrysanthemum Throne, and the highest level of chivalry awarded to Japanese military is called the Imperial Order of the Chrysanthemum.

So next time you call Starbright for a fall arrangement, consider requesting that chrysanthemums be included. There is no more perfect flower than the “Queen of Fall Flowers.” In case you’re wondering, Aster, a member of this same family, is the September birth flower; chrysanthemums are the birth flower for November, officially bringing autumn to a close as the season gives way to winter.

One of the best orders our designers can be asked to fill is a seasonal arrangement. If you call (800) 520/8999 or place your order online at www.starbrightnyc.com, during fall, we will be sure to make it all things autumnal, be that through the colors or the quintessential chrysanthemum!

Starbright Floral Design is a full-service florist located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District. We deliver flowers and all kinds of great gifts throughout Manhattan, all of New York City and to the rest of the country. Give us a call, stop by or visit us on the web. Many have said that we are the best florist anywhere!

A Client From London Shares His Thoughts About a Starbright Experience…

I woke up this morning and decided to stay home – It is a holiday weekend and there are rarely any opportunities to recharge the gas tank with a little rest and relaxation. As I often do even when I stay home, I was checking my email and got this really cool note from a client in London. Just thought I would take a moment to share his words with the whole wide world… Dale really made my day and the day of our entire team…

V297 — Featuring a vase of mokara orchids, miniature calla lilies, grasses and bells of Ireland.

“You must email every new customer, so please believe me when I tell you that I planned to write to you in any case.

Today I panicked. I intended to send a pre-wedding gift to a colleague at work who is everso important to me, professionally and personally. But due to vacations and some problems at work, time caught up with me, and I needed to find a gift she would appreciate.

As I live in the UK, I took a risk with your firm. I panicked further when I realised it was a holiday weekend, and people would be leaving work early! But I am very happy I did take a risk. When I telephoned after realising how tight the timing was, you were curteous and helpful. The flowers I ordered were delivered just a couple of hours later, and my colleagues who saw them said they were wonderful. Thank you for your professionalism, creativity and efficiency. I appreciate it very much, and I could tell it made my friend’s day.

I don’t know if you use testimonials, please feel free to use this one. Thanks again, and have a great holiday weekend,

Dale”

For all of us at Starbright Floral Design, delivering flowers and “making someone’s day” is a real passion of ours. When we hear from someone far away (Like Dale from London) that we did great work and that they “loved our flowers” we are just as happy as our clients are! To everyone that has placed their trust and confidence in Starbright for all their flower and gift-giving requests we are truly grateful. Thank you to everyone that has helped to put our florist on the map!

Starbright is located in New York City in the heart of the historic flower district. We deliver fresh flowers, smiles, and passion every day of the week all year long! You can find us online at http://www.starflor.com/ or you can call us at 800.520.8999. Either way, we will always be thrilled to hear from you and to help in every way that we can. “You will always have a friend in the flower business!

Warm Regards,

Your friends at Starbright

	BONFACE K MAINGI on Starbright’s Philanthrop…
	Nadine Picard on Glorious Greens – NYC, h…
	a1cityflowers on Flower File : Kochia Scop…
	Barbara on Flower File : Anthurium
	Franz Pfusterer on New July Arrangements!

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Quick Notes/

Visual Notes/

Flower Facts/

Insider Information/

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Ever wonder where flowers got their “meanings”?

Blue

What makes blue so special?

For the bedroom

For the office

For the soul

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Quick Notes /

Visual Notes /

History /

Inside Info /

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QUICK NOTES /

VISUAL NOTES /

FLOWER HISTORY /

INSIDE INFO /

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Good news for the habitually groggy!

Want to try it out? Our reading suggest that the effects are strongest when flowers are located in communal areas or in the immediate surroundings. Some ideas from starbrightnyc.com :

For the bedroom :

For the kitchen :

For the desk :

For the office :

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