Monday, January 18, 2010

January Carnations

Every month has its own flower, January’s flower is the Carnation!

The Carnation dates back to Greek and Roman times. Theopharastus, a Greek botanist, named it Dianthus which translates as “flowers of god.”

Like roses, the colors of carnations carry a meaning.

Carnations in general: Fascination, Woman's Love
Pink Carnations: Mother's Love
Light red Carnations: Admiration
Dark red Carnations: Deep Love and Woman's Affection
White Carnations: Pure Love and Good Luck
Striped Carnations: Regret, Refusal
Purple Carnations: Capriciousness
Yellow Carnation: Disappointment, Dejection

The Carnation is the national flower of Spain and the Scarlet Carnation is the state flower of Ohio. (The floral emblem of the US is the rose, Tennessee’s state flower is the Iris and the state wildflower is the Passionflower)

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Peace Lilies

First of all, Happy New Year!!

One of our most popular plants is the Peace Lily, also known as a “Spath.” Curious as to why it was so popular, I set out on an internet mission to find out.

The Peace Lily is originally from the more tropical parts of the Americas and Southeast Asia. There are about 40 different species of Peace Lily (Genus Spathiphylleae), but we only carry one species. Not only do Peace Lilies brighten your day by providing a little bit of nature in your home, but they’re good for you too! Like all plants, Spaths turn carbon dioxide into oxygen making any room breathe easier. They also help clean the air of environmental pollutants.

Peace Lilies are easy to care for: they only need water once a week. One website said that since it is originally a tropical plant, it thrives when you spray it with mist. Some pretty obvious warning signs that your plant isn’t doing well are brown leaf tips and yellow leaves. Brown leaf tips usually mean it has too much salty fertilizer that hasn’t been washed out with water. But be careful! Yellow leaves mean you’ve watered it a little too much.

The flowering part of the Peace Lily is the cylindrical part surrounded by the white leaf (called a bract).

Stop by and put some Peace in your life!