Tag: succulents

BOO-tiful Bouquets for Halloween!

If there’s one thing we know at Starbright Floral Design, it’s how to make a stunning statement with flowers and Halloween is no exception! We love getting into the Halloween spirit here in NYC and wanted to share some inspiration with you on how to use flowers, pumpkins and a few well-placed props to give your decor that pop that will make it look like it might go bump in the night…

Pumpkins and Halloween are perfect together. We strive to create an eerie elegance in our Halloween displays and pumpkins are a fantastic foil that allow us to do just that. Using them to enhance our floral compositions is one of our favorite ways to evoke that spooky spirit that everyone is searching for this time of year, in New York City and beyond.

The rich coloring of pumpkins provides a great background for flowers and greenery that we at Starbright relish. Lush succulents and king protea flowers brighten up this humble gourd and transform it into a festive Halloween centerpiece. We framed this pumpkin with harvest corn to evoke a nostalgic yet refined ambiance, wonderful for the autumn season.

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Twilight lavender calla lily flowers create a vivid exclamation point on our scary squash, while the draped succulents known as amaranthus give a creepy-crawly sensation as they ooze down the pumpkin’s side. A burst of color through the hypericum berries on the side evoke the orange of the pumpkin while making you wonder if they are poisoned or not.

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But not all pumpkins need to be scary! We carved one up to give it a friendly grin and added a mix of festive fall flowers including dahlias to give the jack o’lantern a perfect coif. Part of the elegance of this floral composition is hidden by the pumpkin itself, for a vase can be stored inside the pumpkin and filled with fresh water to keep your flowers looking fresher for much longer.

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At Starbright, we love to delight our clients with the unexpected and so we had a wonderful time building this luscious composition. We combined a traditional gourd with an eccentric one to highlight the unique attributes of the green squash. The fun sprays of verdant branches built heightened interest in this composition, with the succulents softening the entire look.

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One of our clients was looking for something to spook on sight and we had just the special visitor to liven up an otherwise friendly bouquet. A spray of mango toned calla lilies echoed the spiderwebs that wove their way through the flower composition of calla lilies and euphorbia. We’re sure that whoever received this bouquet was given quite a fright!

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Halloween is one of Starbright’s favorite times to feature whimsical components in our compositions to make a spooky statement. If you’ve carved your pumpkins and hung up the decorations but there’s still something missing, stop by our shop in Manhattan on Halloween. You’ll be able to find that missing floral masterpiece while seeing the staff of Starbright dressed up for the day. We’ll be giving away candy while we create chilling delights!

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.

At Starbright Floral Design, we’ve recently seen a huge increase in the popularity of succulent plants and gardens.

Succulent Garden
Succulent Garden from Starbright Floral Design

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. 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. As Pacific Horticulture states:

Succulents are hot! Landscape professionals and home gardeners…are expanding their plant palettes to include these uniquely functional plants. Over the last couple of years, landscape architects and designers have reported…that many clients are asking specifically for a custom-designed succulent garden. This is a big moment for succulents.

Of course, Starbright has some great options to get you started with your very own urban succulent garden. This Succulent Zen Garden comes in a handsome wooden container and would look absolutely wonderful on any mantle. Meanwhile, our Succulent Glass Menagerie would make the perfect centerpiece for a living room table. Whether you choose one of these or another beautiful succulent arrangements from our site, you’ll to know how to care for your new indoor garden. Here are some tips for keeping your succulents healthy and happy.

Succulent Garden
Succulent Garden from Starbright Floral Design

Tip #1: Water only when the soil has fully dried

Because succulents are made for retaining water, you can water them less than you would other indoor plants. Wait until the soil in which they’re planted is completely dry before you add any more water. In a humid climate like New York City’s in the summer, watering once every few days should suffice. Keep an eye out for overwatering by watching out for the stems constricting and turning black.

Tip #2: Give them light—but not direct midday sun

While it can be difficult in an indoor setting, it’s important to give your succulent garden natural light. But be careful: succulents prefer indirect light to direct, so a spot in a nice, bright room away from direct rays should be perfect. Tabletops and bookshelves can often be great spots for this. Some succulents will do well on brighter windowsills, but always be sure to check them for any signs of scorching.

Tip #3: Re-pot your succulents every year

Like many plants, succulents will do better if they are re-potted occasionally—once a year should be perfect. This allows them to continue growing without sacrificing the root structure. As for how to re-pot, Uncommon Goods has some advice:

Before introducing your plants to their new home give the bottom of the existing dirts/roots a bit of a scrunch. Flare the root structure out a bit. This will help it transition better into its new/bigger/better environment. This is something good to remember when planting anything anywhere. If you don’t break up the bundle they are used to having in their temporary store shells, they might be a little too shy to branch out (pun intended) into their new world.

Tip #4: Don’t worry too much about temperature!

Many people think that it’s important to keep succulents in constantly hot temperatures, but in fact, they can withstand cool temperatures above freezing. Since their native desert environments often grow cold at night, your indoor succulent garden should be more than able to survive both during hot summers and during the winter and at evening, when your indoor temperature may drop a bit.

Succulents are a great choice for adding a fresh look to your apartment, deck, or backyard. Nothing brightes up a space like a bit of living color.  Over at Starbright Floral Design will be more than happy to work with you on creating a great succulent arrangement that you can care for easily. 

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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.

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