Hooray for Hyacinths

Ah Spring! It is nearly upon us and with it comes (and goes) one of our favorite fragrant flowers, hyacinths. They began popping up around the shop in December, showing off their little trumpeting blooms and scenting the air with a heavenly old fashioned perfume. Sure, as a cut flower they aren't the easiest to work with... they're short and squatty and have a limited vase life (about 5-7 days), but who cares!?! They simply look too pretty and smell too wonderful to ignore them. Even better, they are a great bulb plant, adding to their longevity and enjoy-ability. Since they're typically only around until April (they prefer the cooler weather) we better enjoy them while we can!

Around our shops we dabble in both cut hyacinths and thousands of potted hyacinths. They are one of our most popular items at Easter time, enjoyed by all... well, almost all. There is a group of folks a bit more sensitive to hyacinth's strong scent and sappy blooms and bulbs, causing mild rashes and respiratory irritation. If that's you, please enjoy these beautiful blooms from afar only; everyone else, let's get up close and personal. 

Florets beginning to open.

When selecting hyacinths, choose flowers that have some of the bottom florets beginning to open, while the upper blooms are still closed. This will ensure that the entire stalk will bloom properly and that you don't have a bad bulb. The exception to this rule is when you want the maximum affect of the flower right away, say for instance a Spring party, then go for full bloom. Also look for stems with dark green foliage that stand firmly upright. 

Burgundy hyacinth.

Hyacinths come in many varieties and are typically available in colors like white, pink, lavender, blue and purple, but less common ones are available as well, such as hot pink and burgundy. We recommend sticking to the common varieties, they tend to be the best performers while the others can be more difficult to care for and not as long lasting. 

Basal plate.

To care for your cut hyacinths simply provide them with cool clear water. Do not let the flowers fall below the water's surface, as this could cause extra bacteria production, reducing the longevity of the blooms. A floral food formulated specifically for bulb plants may also add to their vase life; however, hyacinths do not show a particular affinity for it. If the basal plate (the spot at the bottom of the stem that looks as though it had roots) is present that's great, don't remove it, it will lengthen the life of your blooms! Unfortunately, many suppliers do not leave the basal plate intact, so if this is absent from your stem, simply give your flower a fresh cut under running water with a clean sharp knife, about one inch from the bottom, and place it directly into your container full of water. Keep your pretty flowers in a cool place away from sunlight, heat and drafts and enjoy. 

Your potted hyacinths prefer a location similar to their cut flower counterparts, cool, no heat or drafts, but you should choose a place with bright indirect sunlight. They come planted in sandy soil to allow for adequate drainage (put a dish under it unless you want a mess on your hands) and should be watered every few days. Enjoy your pretty blooms while they last and afterward you can plant them in your garden and they may bloom next season (forced bulbs will often not reflower planted outdoors, but it's worth a shot) or just add them to your compost pile. 

Apollo & Hyacinthus

If you aren't already enamored with hyacinths, perhaps this love story will entreat you... The name hyacinth may be derived from Greek mythology, named for Hyacinthus, a young Spartan so beautiful that he was loved by both Zephyrus, the west wind, and the God Apollo. Zephyrus was so jealous of Hyacinthus' affections for Apollo that one day, when they were throwing the discus, Zephyrus caused Apollo's throw to veer off course and strike Hyacinthus in the head. Rather then allowing Hades to take him to the underworld, Apollo transformed him into beautiful flowers... perhaps hyacinths. 

Totally Tangerine

Last wedding season, purple and pewter were all the rage. We were designing wedding bouquets in violets, eggplants, aubergines, and pretty much every shade of purple you can think of almost every weekend. Well this year's color trend is tangerine! Pantone announced its hot colors for 2012 and Tangerine Tango is number one. They say that it's a "bright and encouraging color" and we agree. Whether you choose tangerine dresses, flower, or both it will certainly pop and add an element of excitement to your day. We also love it for everyday wardrobe, it's cheerful and fun. And don't forget home decor; it's a great color to jazz up a room. This year we are in love with all things tangerine!

Several flowers are available in shades of tangerine, including lilies, roses, dahlias, gerbera daisies, marigolds, calla lilies, tulips and orchids. Most are available year round, while others, like marigolds and dahlias are more readily available in the Summer months. We've gathered some photos of some of our favorite uses of pretty petals in tangerine.

A tight clutch bouquet designed in bright tangerine roses and lilies are bold and beautiful. Carrying this bouquet against black makes it pop in a big way, making a wedding colorful and fun.

 

If tangerine is appealing to you, but a bit too bright, try cooling it down with turquoise. Roses, tulips, pin cushion protea, celosia, and mokara orchids are calmed by this pool-colored cube, creating a beautiful centerpiece.

Adding light greens to your tangerine has a very fresh feeling, especially with the floces of fresh fruit. This arrangement is perfect for a bar, card table or buffet.

Tangerine also pairs beautifully with hot pink. Just check out the pretty way it accents these chair covers!

Pinks lend a garden feel to this centerpiece. Garden style is another popular trend amongst brides, and for good reason. It is elegant without being stuffy, classy but casual. The pink tones down the intensity of all that orange.

Adding in light green keeps it very fresh and Springy looking as in these two bouquets.

 

We also like adding a bit of contrasting purpley-blue, like in this bouquet of roses and birds of paradise with touches of statice. The trailing bear grass draws the eye down the length of the gown.

  

Or throw some yellow into the mix for some extra fun. And it's perfect if you're going tropical! Even small touches of tangerine go a long way, grabbing attention. 

If you're more traditional, don't totally write off tangerine just yet. This bouquet of calla liliea, cymbidium orchids, stock flower and roses simply breathes traditional wedding elegance with its creamy ivories. With a mix like this you can be classic and customary while still being totally trendy!

While tangerine is a bit bright, it still works wonderfully for Fall weddings too. Adding other warm Autumn hues, like burgundies and cinnamons carry us right into October and November. We designed this bouquet in all roses with textural accents of hypericum berries, solidego and oak leaves to capture the season.

Accents of plum dahlias in this bouquet bring extra warmth and depth. And the copper wire nests the blooms beautifully.

Don't forget the groom! He'll look great in tangerine too. This fun polka dot tie is adorable! Roses are always a beautiful choice for his boutonniere, but we love the look of this dahlia.

Not getting married or throwing a party this year? That's ok, you can still enjoy tangerine too. We love these living rooms, bright, bold and saturated with tangerine. Add a little or a lot; go wild and paint the walls or just add a few throw pillows. It's always nice to redecorate and refresh your home. Add some tangerine to your wardrobe too. Add a silk tangerine scarf to compliment your blazer or a bold tangerine cardigan over an aqua colored cami. Tangerine is a fun color, so have fun with it.

 

Not ready to make the commitment to tangerine? Just pick up a few fresh blooms and take it for a spin, you won't be sorry.

The Joy of Flowers

Flowers make the moment. They set the mood, set the tone, create an ambiance, accent décor, bring warmth, bring style, bring life, add vibrance, add fragrance, evoke joy, excite passions, provide comfort, and are perfect for every occasion and for no occasion at all. It was these qualities that helped us develop our company slogan:  “Flowers make the moment… Let us make a moment for you, at Stein Your Florist Co.” A moment enthralled with the joy of flowers is what we are all about.

We are so excited to have started our blog, The Enchanted Petal! To think, 125 years ago we delivered flowers by horse and buggy…  Back then the word “blog” was better served as an onamonapia for the buggy wheels over the city’s cobble stone streets. Everything was hand written, carbon paper was our copy machine, and there were almost as many papers around as there were flowers! Years passed, flowers flourished, and we finally had our first computer system. It consisted of big clunky monitors with buzzing black screens with bright green text. Coming from such primitive beginnings, we’re sure that our company founders, Abraham and Bertha Stein, couldn’t even dream of being able to share their love of flowers like this! From our website, to Facebook and Twitter, and finally this blog… It’s the closest we’ve come to giving a flower to everyone in the world.

We hope you enjoy this blog. We’ll be featuring the latest in floral trends, old traditions, tips, and designs. We’ll share new ways to incorporate flowers and plants into your home, your office, and your life. We’ll share our stories and the emotions of flowers, the latest happenings at our flower shops, and hundreds of beautiful and inspiring photos.

It was Beverly Nichols who said “To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat.” We couldn’t agree more. We are fortunate to be overcome by flowers every day; their scent, their beauty, even the simple feeling of their cool petals in our hands. It is the overwhelming joy that flowers and plants bring to us that we wish to share with you.

Welcome to The Enchanted Petal, a moment enthralled with the joy of flowers, by Stein Your Florist Co.