Artistic Flower Arrangements

This week I lost my best friend.  She was a joy to have around the house and kept me and hubby laughing at her antics.  I am talking of our dog Freeway.  Since the day we found her at the shelter until the day we had to take her on her last trip to the vet she will always be remembered fondly.  Freeway loved her belly rubs every morning, before her daily walk with my husband.  She loved  to be petted and cuddling on the couch .  She relished visiting her friends around the neighborhood when she and hubby would go on neighborhood watch together.  All my husband had to do was jingle the keys to the truck and she was there, ready to go.  Yes, I will miss her silent begging for treats and loving nature.  She was the love of our lives for 9 years, and we will miss her dearly……..Good bye my friend.

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To create a little flower is the labor of ages. …………William Blake

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There are good days and there are bad days and then there was today!

The day started out really nice.  It was a a beautiful sunny morning.  I decided to make some hummingbird sugar water to put in my feeders. I got the water and sugar measured out put it all into a pot and placed it on the stove burner to cook.

I then proceeded to my office and turned on the computer.  My husband was at his computer next to me.  As I  became more and more distracted with my office work, the faint smell of smoke started to make it’s way in.  All of I sudden I sprung from my seat as I remembered the sugar water was left on the stove.

Smoking Pot

My hubby was the first one to get to the smokey kitchen.  He immediately took the smoking pot outside.  The smoke was all over the entire house.  We both started opening windows, doors anything to help clear the smoke.  About that time the smoke alarm went off.  Then, about 1 minute later the alarm company called to ask if there was an emergency.  My husband told them no, everything was okay, it was just a burnt pot of sugar water.

As I sit here tonight writing this story, I have scented candles in every nook and cranny trying to get the odor of burnt sugar out of the house.  Did you know that burnt sugar smells just as bad as burnt popcorn?  I expect the smell will be around for some time.

I will probably never hear the end of this from my dear darling hubby.  He will relish every chance he gets to tease me  about it.

The only good to come out of this entire situation, is that we found out our smoke alarm really works and that the signal made it to the alarm company.  However,we also learned that this WAS NOT the way to test the system at the expense of a smoke filled house.

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This year I decided to put come chicken wire around my peony plants to help keep them from toppling over when the flowers got too heavy.  Little did I know that my Peonies would mature to full bloom in what felt was a few days.  The day I first put the wire around the flowers, they were approximately 6 inches tall.  When I checked on them the next time (4 days later) they were almost to the top of the wire.  A few more days later each plant had over two dozen buds on it.  About a week later, lo and behold, my peonies were all in bloom in an astonishing period of time.  I have included photos below of what they looked like down the side of my driveway.  In all there are only twelve plants,  but as you can see, it looks like a whole lot more.  I really enjoy the beauty of this plant, I only wish they would stay in bloom longer!

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For those who are looking to make a purchase of flowers online, nothing could be easier than finding beautiful arrangements for virtually any occasion.  Arrangements of all shapes, styles, and price ranges can be available for your viewing with the simple click of a key.  Online flower sources offer flowers you can purchase for making your own flower arrangements too. There are many online florists that can make sure you are well taken care of. However, as with anything purchased via the web, there are a few things to look for when making a purchase. Please keep these precautions in mind when choosing to complete your shopping through an internet purchase.

1. Does the web site offer a safe form of payment? When paying for any purchase made through a company website it is imperative that they make your financial security the number one priority. You may find it valuable to take advantage of programs which allow you to sign up for an account which links to your credit card, particularly if you plan to do a lot of internet shopping. Those accounts are closely monitored and have all applicable safety features installed.

2. Are all items listed as available for purchase clearly priced? Can you make your way around the web site without much difficulty? Does the web page check-out procedure leave you confused or does it clearly list price, tax, shipping, and any additional fees which may apply?

3. Does the website offer you the ability to track your order once it has been submitted? Tracking a purchase can be a big benefit, particularly when you have perhaps paid extra to make sure it arrives by a certain date. In the event that your order is misplaced or diverted, the tracking option can alert you to problems quickly and get your order processed in a timely fashion.

4. Are the specific items purchased honestly represented through the web page photographs? Particularly when buying something like a created product, such as food items, or a living product, such as a bouquet of roses, you want to make sure that the product being delivered is fresh and high quality.

5. Does the company utilize software designed to protect you from an identity breach or unauthorized charges? Software programs which encrypt personal information are easy to set up for any web based business. There are many services available for a business that is designed to protect you from someone being able to make unauthorized charges using your personal financial identity. In the event that does occur, does the web business promise to relieve you of the responsibility involved with the unlawful activity?

Making purchases via the internet is an excellent way to shop. The rewards are plentiful. The selection is unbeatable and you are able to locate and purchase items which may be unavailable to you in your area of residence. Additionally, your shopping can be completed without ever making a trip to the mall or store. These conveniences make internet shopping very popular. Just make sure that the web site you are shopping with takes just a few simple steps and your experience should be all that you are hoping it will be.

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If your home gardening efforts have been modest thus far, and you’d rather not just plunge straight into rose

growing without easing in gently, you might get some experience in how to grow roses by starting with cuttings.

If you have a friend with some roses, perhaps they’d be willing to give you a few stems so you can try to start some in this way. It’s worth a try to discover whether or not you can succeed.

You’ll have to pick your roses carefully, though, because not all types of roses grow well from cuttings. It’s likely some expert gardeners have managed to do it even with the difficult varieties, like hybrid teas.

But if you still don’t know much about how to grow roses, or you’re not very experienced, then you will find varieties that simply will not grow by this method. Floribundas and many others that are actually garden roses do much better, and miniature roses are usually grown this way.

You should do the pruning rose bushes in early spring, taking three or four six-inch stems (or for miniatures, three-inch stems). With these flower gardening tips you can cut them on a slight diagonal, in the morning before the stresses of the day.

In the past, people knew how to grow roses with cuttings protected by Mason jars, and the practice still works well. So once you have your cuttings, take off the bottom leaves, with just a few at the top, and dip the stems into a rooting powder.

Then set them either into your garden soil or into containers of potting soil. At this point, place a Mason jar over each stem and water now and then over the next few weeks.

How to grow roses from cuttings might vary slightly in different regions, depending on the climate. For example, in a warmer location you might just skip the Mason jar altogether and root your stems in the soil of your garden outside.

In a cooler climate, you might want all the help you can get, with an indoor container and Mason jar, or with a heating pad under the container. You can probably find flower gardening tips from a local rose society or the internet to help you decide on your exact procedure.

If you can induce your cuttings to root and start growing, then it might be a good, gradual way to start your rose growing hobby.

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Old man winter just doesn’t want to leave the South.  This is the longest
time we have had snow for so long.  Just got another 5-6 inches overnight.  It seems that just as the snow has finally stopped, it comes right back again.  It wouldn’t be so bad if our roads would get plowed, but we are so far from the City that we are the last ones to see a plow.  Have to wait until every place else is done first.  Oh, well maybe by the time they make it here the snow will have melted.  But I have to admit, it is a beautiful site.

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Having a beautiful home is something everyone dreams of. We polish, scrub and tidy until our surfaces gleam and the air is fresh. But what adds that extra sparkle, the extra character and warmth to a home? Fresh flowers are a wonderful way to give your home that extra special something that people remember, and that will welcome you joyously in to your home.

People often have their favorite flowers that they use all year round in their home;
supermarkets allow us such a vast range of blooms that we forget that nature doesn’t provide us with all flower varieties all year round. An excellent way to vary from your favorite flower and create an impact, as well as reducing the environmental impact from your choice, is by choosing flowers that are in season. This instantly adds variety to your home all year round and flowers that are in season are much fresher, will last longer, and give your home a real seasonal feel.

August is an outstanding month for flowers; summer blooms will add color and vitality to every home. There is a vast array of August flowers; with so many beautiful blooms there is bound to me one that will make the most of your home.

The Carnation is a classical flower that has a very long life in a bouquet. It is available in such an array of colors that you would be very likely to find one that suits your style perfectly.

If your home has an Eastern feel about it Ginger (otherwise known as Alpinia)  is a stunning flower to use to complement this style choice; a type of lily it has a large striking head and, again, is available in many different colors and varieties. Many varieties of this flower are available to grow outdoors, if you have the inclination this is a superb flower to grow in your garden; you can them trim the stems and move them inside to create your own look. They need well-drained soil and will thrive in partial sunlight.

Roses are one of the most famous flowers; and in August they bloom perfectly. With nearly every color available these are an ideal choice for any home or as a splendid bouquet for a loved one. Either uses one color for a striking display or assorted colors and varieties for a beautiful floral arrangement.

Dahlias are becoming increasingly popular as a choice for cut
flowers; with their dramatic round heads they the beautiful in a spray, particularly if used on their own. They can fill a vase and make it look effortlessly beautiful.

Chrysanthemums form a beautiful bouquet and are often placed amongst roses and the contrast off the smooth head of the rose and the almost fluffy look of the chrysanthemum makes this coupling magnificent.

Using seasonal flowers is an excellent way to brighten your home, create a sense of style, and bring the outdoors in. Not only this but they will welcome people in to your home, and if you always try to use flowers that are in season around your home it will mean you can create a new look every month; I know no other way you can do this so affordably!

So make use of these flowers and create wonderful displays for any occassion, i.e.,  Easter, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc., around your home that will welcome any guests you have and fill you with pride.

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