Hydrangea

by leighflo // June 4, 2018 // No Comments

If you have been invited to a wedding in the past couple of years, chances are you have seen the hydrangea flower in either the wedding centerpieces or even in bridal bouquets. If you are big on the meaning of flowers, hydrangea means love and admiration, making it a sought after flower by brides to-be.

Hydrangea was first cultivated in Japan, but they have recently found fossilized hydrangea in North America dating back millions of years. Hydrangea was not seen in Europe until the 18^th century when a colonist brought the North American hydrangea plant over to England.

Today, hydrangea mainly grows in the Americas. Big hydrangea heads are many smaller blooms clustered together. The little star-shaped flowers grow along wooden stems and create a big, pompom shape, making them very versatile and very easy to use in arrangements.

The most common color of hydrangea is white, but they also come in a variety of colors; such as blue, red, pink, or purple. In hydrangea varieties, the exact color often depends upon the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Acidic soils produce blue flowers, neutral soils produce pale cream petals, and alkaline soils result in pink or purple. They can also change color, or be bi-colored. All depending on how acidity is added or removed from the soil. Hydrangea is available all year round, making it great for any occasion you would like to celebrate!

Some brides often worry that if they choose hydrangea for their wedding flowers it will wilt easily. If your florist sources the hydrangea from top quality sources and hydrates each bloom properly, you will have nothing to worry about. They are a beautiful flower that will compliment any wedding arrangement.

Take a look at a past wedding we created which included hydrangea in the wedding bouquets and wedding centerpieces.

Alstromeria

by leighflo // April 26, 2018 // Comments off

Alstromeria is one of nature’s most exotic looking flowers, also known as Peruvian Lilies. It comes in a variety of shades and colors, making them a perfect choice for any occasion. The Peruvian lily represents friendship and devotion and come in a variety of colors making them an ideal match for any birthday, graduation, or a “just because” arrangement. A few of the most popular colors include shades of yellow, pink, orange, and white. The Peruvian lily is a very long lasting flower that has multiple blooms on a single stem, making these a popular choice for designers to place in vases or bouquets.

Alstromeria is native to South America, but now grow all over the world. It was brought to Europe in the 1800’s, by a Swedish Botanist. Not long after his discovery of the Peruvian Lily, did the flower gain popularity among flower enthusiasts. With their meaning of devotion and friendship people quickly started giving them as gifts to friends and family.

Tulip Garden arrangement by Leigh Florist featuring Peruvian lilies (Alstromeria).

How To: Make Your Own Terrarium

by leighflo // March 15, 2018 // Comments off

Create a Terrarium

Have you ever seen those plants or creative scenes in glass vases or jars and wondered what they were? Wonder no more! They are called terrariums! A fancy way to bring nature inside your home or office. They are very easy to take care of and easy to make!

Materials:

A clear glass jar, vase, or bowl (or whatever interesting glass container you have on hand)
Rocks, pebbles or recycled glass chunks
Activated charcoal (sometimes called activated carbon)
Potting soil appropriate for your plants
Moss (optional)
Figurines, sticks or decorative items (optional)
Various small plants
A scoop, spoon or shovel
Scissors
Gloves

Step 1. Prepare the container – A great and inexpensive place to get your container is at a thrift store. Just make sure that you wash it thoroughly and remove all stickers from the container.

Step 2. Add a drainage layer – Once the container is ready, fill the bottom with rocks or pebbles. This is to create a drainage layer so water can settle and not flood the plant. The depth of the rocks totally depends on the size of your container, but aim for 1/2″ to 2″.

Step 3. Add Activated Charcoal – This will help kill the bacteria from growing in your terrarium and killing your plants.

Step 4. Add soil – Place a layer of soil down next. Be sure to get the appropriate bag depending on which plants you’re using. Add enough soil so the plants roots will have plenty of room to fit and then grow. Aim for a depth slightly greater than the height of the plant’s pot.

Step 5. Plant – When taking plants out of their original containers, you will want to break off all the old soil clinging to the roots. Feel free to trim some of the roots back. Don’t worry they will grow back. Continue placing your little plants in the container and try to keep them away from the edges. The leaves are likely to touch the sides but aim to keep them away as much as possible. Once your plants are in pack them down with more soil, so they are sturdy in the dirt.

Step 6. Add Accessories – Now you are done planting. Add in any decorative twigs, rocks, or moss to help complete the look.

Step 7. Clean and Water – More than likely a little bit of dirt has gotten on the side of your terrarium. Clean up the sides and give it a fresh shot of water. It doesn’t need to get soaked, just a couple shots of water should do it for a while. The trick with watering is to monitor the soil. If it looks dry, then it needs water, but you shouldn’t have to do it very often.

If you would like to order a mini globe terrarium from our studio, give us a call! (856) 547-1090

Mini Globe terrariums by Leigh Florist.

Bells of Ireland

by leighflo // March 1, 2018 // Comments off

Molucella laevis, more commonly known as Bells of Ireland, are viewed as a symbol of luck. Their dramatic profiles make them one of the most recognizable flowers. Bells of Ireland usually grow up to 2ft tall or higher. It’s blooms, known as bells or calyx, are a beautiful shade of lime green. They grow up the length of the stem, and help conceal its defense mechanism, of little white spikes, that can be sharp. So, handle with care! It is open to debate whether or not Bells of Ireland are a flower, or foliage. Contrary to belief, Bells of Ireland are native to the Mediterranean coast lines. They are a part of the mint family. These gorgeous blooms help give a modern flair to any arrangement. They would be perfect in an arrangement to anyone who just bought a new house, or started a new job to wish them good luck!

The Anemone

by leighflo // February 22, 2018 // Comments off

The Anemone is a beautiful classic flower that has many uses from bridal bouquets to everyday centerpieces. The genus Anemone consists of 120 species of perennial flowering plants, which grow from tubers. Anemones grow wild in many European countries, North America, and Japan. The name Anemone is of Greek descent and roughly means wind flower because it’s the wind that opens them up. They were also once used for medical purposes as well. They have been known to help treat cramps and emotional distress.

The anemone comes several different colors such as red, pink, magenta, purple and blue, but the white anemone has proven most popular.

When it comes to wedding flowers the anemone is mostly used in the bridal bouquet. With its pure white petals and deep black center it creates a classic look on its own. You can also create a more dramatic look depending on what other flowers you pair them with. These flowers are typically available from October to May, only two of the major wedding months. If this is a flower you love and would like to incorporate into your wedding be sure to consider your time frame. Check with your local florist to inquire about their availability, and color options.

The Rose

by leighflo // February 7, 2018 // Comments off

Roses are the national flower of England, and represented two important families in the 15^th century. The Lancasters (red roses) and the Yorks (white roses) competed against each other for rule of England in The War of The Roses.

Williams Shakespeare, one of England’s greatest writers was inspired by the rose. Romeo and Juliet has one of the most well-known quotes on roses, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet is reminding Romeo it doesn’t matter that they come from feuding houses because their love is real.

The Rose is one on the most popular and easily recognized flower out there. Many people see them as a gift of love and affection. Well, they are correct, but did you know that different colors and groupings of roses symbolize different things?

A rose’s symbolism changes based on the color and the number of them given. Below is a list of the most popular colors and what they represent.

Red roses symbolize love and romance.
Pink roses symbolize gratitude, grace, admiration, and joy.
Orange roses symbolize enthusiasm and passion.
Yellow roses symbolize friendship.
White roses symbolize innocence and purity.

Uptown Roses Sweet Love Cupid’s Arrow
By: Leigh Florist

Did you know you can send a more specific message with the number of roses given?

One rose symbolizes love at first sight.
Two roses symbolize shared and deep love.
Three roses says “I love you”.
Six roses says “I want to be yours”.
Seven roses says “I’m infatuated with you”.
Nine roses symbolize eternal love.
Ten roses says “You’re perfect”.

Modern Gem by Leigh Florist

Industrial Chic Wedding

by leighflo // January 15, 2018 // Comments off

The trend of mix metals, and Edison lights have helped shaped this new wedding trend of an industrial wedding. More and more brides are looking for a blank canvas in order to create their own super modern vision. They seek out old industrial warehouses or more modern venues with more raw qualities. The result? An ultra-chic, modern wedding. It’s all about bringing the outdoor feeling of the city, indoors.

Choosing your venue – To achieve the industrial look, you must first start with your venue. Hosting your wedding at a warehouse venue, or even an ultra-modern one, with exposed metal or brick would be an ideal place to tie the knot if this is the look you want to achieve. Some off season farm warehouses will rent out a space for you to use for your reception. Be sure to consider the time of year and weather. If you don’t have a venue such as these around, you can always bring in some outdoor elements, to change the feel of the room.

Wedding Décor – You can achieve an industrial look by thinking outside of the box. When you think centerpiece, your first thought would be some pretty flowers in a vase but to achieve the industrial chic look consider this…place two cinderblocks on your table, with one its side and place votive candles in the open gaps, with moss around them. Then take little groupings of flowers and scatter them on top and in between the blocks. This will definitely be a great conversation piece among your guests and offer that chic look. You can even add bits of mixed metals, copper piping, and geometric shapes to add different textures. Something that is very popular is a DIY copper piping candelabra, which is a little more simple and classic but still adds that industrial look, you can find the inspiration on Pinterest.

Extra lighting – Instead of using traditional or existing lighting you can use Edison lights which have grown in popularity lately. They act as industrial décor as well as soft warm lighting for your reception. A great idea for your ceremony is to make a backdrop full of Edison lights and stand in front of it while saying your vows. It will silhouette you in a brilliance of light.

The most important thing in creating your ideal industrial chic wedding is to include the key elements of mixed metals, soft open lighting, and exposed concrete or brick. This can be a daunting task but there are tons of resources for you to use to help you plan. The industrial modern look is becoming more and more popular with the younger generation, who want to keep some things traditional but with an outdoor modern flare.

This venue is AMAZING. Perfect for that chic modern wedding.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/52072939419194066/

Fill these with soft pinks and white for a simple and breathtaking centerpiece.

https://www.rocknrollbride.com/2017/03/post-elopement-industrial-vow-renewal/#more-266786

How cool is this? Rustic and chic at the same time!

How to make your own Terrarium

by leighflo // August 20, 2017 // Comments off

Terrariums are a cool way to bring nature inside your home or office. They are a cute decoration on any table or desk. Terrariums are easy to take care of and require very minimal watering.

Materials Needed:

A clear glass jar, vase, bowl, or glass
Rocks, pebbles or recycled crushed glass
Activated charcoal (sometimes called activated carbon)
Potting soil appropriate for your plants
Moss (optional)
Figurines, sticks or decorative items (optional)
Various small plants

Step 1. Prepare the container

A great place to get your container is the thrift store. Just make sure to wash it thoroughly and remove all stickers from the container.

Step 2. Add a drainage layer

Once the container is ready, fill the bottom with rocks or pebbles. This is to create drainage layer so water can settle and keep the plant from flooding. The depth of the rocks depends on the size of your container, but aim for 1/2″ to 2″.

Step 3. Add Activated Charcoal

This will help keep the bacteria from growing in your terrarium and keep your plants healthy.

Step 4. Add soil

Place a layer of soil down next. Be sure to get the appropriate type of soil depending on the variety of plants you are using. Add enough soil so the plant roots will have plenty of room to grow. Aim for a depth slightly greater than the height of the plant’s pot.

Step 5. Plant Away!

When taking plants out of their original containers, you will want to break off all the old soil clinging to the roots. Feel free to trim some of the roots back as they will grow back new and healthy. Continue placing your little plants in the container while trying to avoid placing them near the edges of the container. Once your plants are inside, pack them down with more soil, so they are sturdy in the dirt.

Step 6. Accessorize!

Get creative – add decorative twigs, rock or moss to complete the look.

Step 7. Clean and Water

You can clean the dirt off the sides of your terrarium and give it a fresh spritz of H20. Just a few sprays of water should to the trick – enough so the dirt is damp to the touch. Watering every other day or when the dirt looks dry should be plenty for the plants.

If you’re really feeling crafty, check out these pieces of jewelry made of living plants!

DIY Painted Centerpiece Vases

by leighflo // July 17, 2017 // Comments off

Thinking about doing some DIY centerpiece containers? Here are a few tips and ideas for some fun and funky DIY vases.

Take a trip to your local thrift store. You may find some vases or bottles that match and some that don’t. Not to worry. Here are some designs that can be achieved with spray paint!

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