Best San Leandro Flowers

Studies showed that the gifts we give is a reflection of our character. If you are fond of giving flowers, then you would be delighted to know that a research unveiled that those who give flowers more often than other kind of presents are successful, caring and emotionally intelligent people. If you still don't belong to this circle of people, maybe it's about time for you to send some flowers to paint a smile on someone's face.

When giving something to someone near your heart, you would only want to give the best. That is why you will only be looking for the best San Leandro flowers to send to your loved ones. There are a couple of flower shops in San Leandro where you can choose from an extensive collection of flowers. You can count on florists to help you sort out the best San Leandro flowers to fit any occasion. It could be something grand like for weddings or it could be something simple but beautiful for ordinary days when you simply want to make someone feel glad and remind him/her how much care. You might be interested to know that when a girl receives a flower, it could create a positive mood on her that could last for days. You can create more special moments and a lasting impact if you send the best kind of flowers. San Leandro flower shops have all sorts of creative ideas on how to arrange flowers to express Ï love you" in Valentines and anniversaries, to say "Happy Mother's Day", or to wish someone to "get well", and even in sending your condolences.

Nurture your relationships with your significant other, family, friends and even colleagues by sending them a bouquet or a basket of the best San Leandro flowers around. By simply sending flowers you can enhance your connection with people who are important to you. What makes it simpler now is you need not walk in a flower shop to order, you can order over the phone and online for your shopping convenience. There are certainly no excuses for you not to show how much you care.


Flower Arranging

Even in the ancient times, flower arranging already existed as a form of art. In the early Greek and Egyptian civilizations, floral design is already practice. Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used floral arrangements as religious offerings as well as for their beauty. Throughout time, flower arranging has evolved, now we can see many different styles of flower arranging.

It was during the Renaissance from 13th to 16th century that flower arranging started to develop in Europe. Balance, formal designs in geometric shapes was the highlight back then. Other elements of Renaissance arrangements were forms, colors and symmetry where both sides of an arrangement match. These were the origins of what we know today as traditional or formal style. Arrangements that are rounded and triangular belong to the traditional style.

From the middle of 15th century to the mid 17th century or what we referred to as baroque period in Europe, people grew less concerned with formal symmetry. Curves and diagonal line became embedded in its art and architecture to create a dramatic effect. This paved the way for the emergence of a new shape of floral design known as the S Shape where flowers are arranged in sweeping curves. This shape now belonged to traditional floral designs.

In the east side of the world, particularly in Japan, flower arranging can be traced back way down to the 5th century. It was the missionary Buddhist priests who brought the idea of flower arranging from China, where flowers had long been used to adorn temples. These were the origins of Japan’s complex art form of flower arranging called Ikebana. Those belonging to the upper class in the society like lords and nobles had became fond of this art and made it their pastime. While there emerged highly trained masters who mainly devote their lives to Ikebana.

Today, Ikebana has developed into many different forms, or schools. Each has its own rules based on what kinds of flowers and other materials are to be used. However, even if you still don’t know every rule, you can still come up with an attractive ikebana design. Long-stemmed flowers are usually being used in Ikebana arrangements. The list includes irises and lilies which are coupled with stones, branches and moss.

Aside from what were mentioned earlier, there are many choices of flower arranging. These are called contemporary arrangements. These arrangements usually have strong, dramatic shapes, combining traditional designs of history into one floral arrangement.


A Day in a Life of a Florist

Everyone loves to be surrounded by beautiful, sweet-smelling flowers. As human beings, we like to create. If you agree with the two statements, then you must like to at least become a florist even for a day. So what makes a day in a life of a florist?

A florist can either be at the shop or at the venue of event requiring flower decorations.
Here are some of the activities in a day of a florist.

A good florist is not only good with flower design but also adept in how to take care of flowers and plants. S/he is also the one who takes care and handles the flowers and plants so they stay fresh as long as possible.

A florist does not only make flower arrangements for occasions. S/he also creates bouquets, wreath, garland, nosegays, corsages and many more. Creativity and a good sense of style are needed in becoming a florist.

A florist is the one who answers inquiries from clients. This is important since the florist is the one who will make the flower arrangement. In becoming a good florist, s/he must know how to incorporate his or her expertise in flower arrangement with the client’s vision. A florist makes customized flower arrangement that will surely match the taste of the client without sacrificing the florist’s own style.

Sometimes at certain occasions, a florist may need to seat down in a meeting with a client. This usually happens for weddings, big corporate events, anniversary parties and holiday events.

A florist is also the one responsible in the hiring process of employees at the flower shop. S/he is also expected to be the one who trains the new employees.

The florist is also the one who make sure that the store is attractive so that many customers would come. One thing for a florist to do is to create a nice flower arrangement for the window display.

A florist is also the one who transacts with wholesale flower suppliers or commercial flower growers to maintain the supplies in a store. Usually, a florist keeps an ongoing record of all of your supplies.


Flowers and their Fragrance

Nature works with purpose. Flowers like roses, lilacs, and lavender do not possess their sweet smell for nothing. Even those stinky-smelling rafflesia, titan arum and North America pawpaw own such foul smell for a reason.

Flowers cannot move so they need pollinators to make reproduction possible. A flower plays an important role in making sure that there is a next generation of its kind. A flower need to be pollinated before fertilization takes place and then succeeding processes of reproduction happens. One way of attracting pollinators is through a flower’s scent. Some scent are not appealing to us humans, just like the smell of rotten flesh that rafflesia has. But this smell is meant to lure certain insects. For instance, skunk cabbage, as the name suggests, has a foul smell that is attractive for its pollinators- the carrion-eating flies. Pollinators such as insects, bats and bees are able to spot a flower’s scent from afar prior to seeing flower’s visual indications.

There are certain flowers that also make use of their scent to plainly intoxicate the pollinator; they the insect inside the blossom until pollination is completed.

The scent of the flower also follows certain strategies to make it work for the better. In a study about flower’s scent, it was found that the intensity of the smell of a flower is able to vary depending on the phase of the flower’s development, the surroundings, and cycles of day and night. This can be illustrated in the case of snapdragons and nicotiana. Snapdragons are found to be more fragrant during daytime when bees are on the go. On the other hand, nicotania increases the intensity of its fragrance during night hours since its pollinators are nocturnal moths.

Indeed, flowers are not just the way they are for us humans to enjoy. Nature bestows flowers with characteristics that help them thrive in this world.


Florist and Floristry

The professional art of making flower arrangements is called floristry. It covers flower care and handling, merchandising and marketing flowers and delivery of flowers. What makes floristry existent is the floral industry, though the term is used to mean cultivation, care and selling of flowers. A florist in floristry can either be a wholesaler who grow and sell flowers in volume, or a retailer to whom we buy flower arrangements.

A variety of skills is needed to be learned before a florist can be considered a professional in floristry. These skills consist of designing different types of flower arrangements, care and handling of fresh flowers and the merchandise and marketing of flower products. Floristry is sometimes synonymous to floral design and several florists consider there are principles to follow in creating a proper flower arrangement.

Aside from the said skills, knowledge in the tradition and symbolism of flowers is also beneficial to a florist. Flower and color symbolism may vary from culture to culture. A florist should know which flowers and colors are apt and off to a particular customer given the occasion.

The styles of floristry differ from place to place, but a florist must be acquainted with the basic styles especially for their place. The three most popular styles are Ikebana, High Style and English Garden. Ikebana is the art of flower arrangement which originated in Japan. This style highlights simplicity and beauty in a triangular arrangement. High Style, on the other hand, is identified for its symmetry, linear designs and negative space. It is most known in the United States. Among the three, English Garden is the popular style in England. It is characterized by the use of abundant garden and seasonal flowers.

Floristry is making a mark in the US business industry. Several universities are now offering floristry courses in their horticulture departments. There are also professional florists who teach short term floral arrangement programs.


Flowers and Anniversaries

Anniversaries are the time to commemorate any significant event like marriage. We also remember our deceased loved one during death anniversaries. But the most celebrated anniversary is a wedding anniversary. Flowers take part in celebrating this wonderful life event. It has become a tradition that husbands give flowers to their other half to show their feelings on their wedding anniversary. Flowers have their way of rekindling the passion and love.

But sending of flowers during anniversaries is not solely done by couples. You can also extend your warm wishes to friends and family during this wonderful occasion by sending flowers.

A wedding anniversary is the perfect time for couples to celebrate their love and devotion for each other. It helps them in strengthening their relationship and rekindles the passions they have during the early moments of their marriage. An anniversary offers the time for them to remember reasons why they chose to spend their lives together. Thus, a wedding anniversary ought to be celebrated in a special way. Flowers can make this day special.

In choosing which flowers to give to your spouse, it is best for you to know the flower’s meaning. In this way, you can select the best flower to perfectly convey your feeling. It is also best if you add some personal touch to the anniversary flower arrangement you will be giving. Consider what kind of flower and color are her favorites. Also take note of what flowers match her or his personality.

If you are not so sure of her flower preferences, you can stick with the classic choice which never fails. You can go for a bouquet of red roses. Red roses remain as the one that perfectly symbolizes passionate love.

To make your wedding anniversary even more special, arranged a dinner for two in a fancy restaurant and do not forget to bring a bunch of flowers for your significant other.

Also remember that husbands are not the only who should be giving flowers. Ladies, you should also show how much you love your husbands by giving them flowers.


Historical Flowers

Two-hundred, seventy thousand flower species have been discovered and are existing in the 21st century. Yet there are still questions that are yet to be answered as to how they arrive to such rich diversity and if there are some of them that have not evolved significantly as the planet evolves.

Tiny herb-like flower fossils were discovered recently by paleobotanist, aging 120 million years old. Woody magnolia like plants were the first plants fossils uncovered which is said to be 93 million years old. However, many scientists believed that flowering plants have been around in many places and were already diverse about 146 million years ago during the middle of the period of the dinosaurs. Flowers are not just part of the science history, they also played significant role in man’s history.

In the East side of the world, in China and Japan, flowers carry with them symbolic meanings which are important in their culture. For instance, chrysanthemums had been cultivated in China thousands of years ago. Chinese considered chrysanthemums as noble and thus only belonging to the middle class and above were permitted to cultivate mums. Ancient China hailed mums as their official October flower and chrysanthemums also made official badge of the ancient Chinese army. In Japan, emperors of old were fond of this flower and made them a part on the Imperial Crest. Also in Asia, particularly in Mesopotamia, flowers particularly roses were cultivated in gardens dating back 5,000 years ago. Another interesting fact about roses in Asia is how the Emperor of China had over 600 books regarding the culture of roses in his possession. Again, roses particularly its oil were then used only by those belonging in the upper class for when a commoner was found owning one, he will be punished with death.

The Greeks were also the earliest to take notice of flowers and ultimately integrate flowers into their culture. Way back the ancient times, young men and women wore a crown of roses and danced naked to signify the innocence of Golden Age. The Greeks were also the one who endowed orchid with its name, meaning testicle. For them, when a father partake of its large new tubers, they will have a son, while a daughter will be conceive when a mother eats a small one.

These are just but a few flowers that made a mark during the early civilizations.


How to Handle your Flowers you Received as a Gift

1. Once you received your flowers have their stems cut a 45 degrees angle with length of at least 1 cm. You can use a sharp knife to cut the stem. If the flowers look dull you may opt to cut 5 cm off.
2. Place your cut flowers in a clean vase filled with tap water. You may choose to add a preservative like Chrysal to lengthen the flowers freshness. Each time you replace the water, always add on the preservative.
3. If your flowers look limp, you may restore its beauty by having them wrap in a paper and store them in a cool place. Before doing this, you may remove damaged leaves.
4. When the flowers you put on your vase appear dull after 3 days, you can again cut the stems at the same angle. In cutting your stem, make sure you are using a sharp tool or else you will damage the stem.
5. Make sure you always replace the vase containing the flowers daily.
6. In choosing a container, we advised to use a vase since you can easily check the water level of the vase plus it is much easier to clean.
7. One thing to keep in mind is never to combine fresh flowers with older one for they might be intoxicated by stale water and bacteria.
8. If you are going to use leaf shine products, make sure you apply them at a right distance and spray thinly.
   

In addition here are some general tips on caring for your cut flowers:

• Do not place your flowers under direct sunlight
• Do not place your flowers near fruits for they give off natural gas that may harm your flowers. For instance, a ripening fruit emits ethylene gas that can cause your flowers to last shorter and look duller.
• When the flowers show sign of wilting, you may cut an inch off the stem.
• Do not overcrowd your container with flowers. Make sure there’s a room for flowers to breathe and absorb enough water.
• Refill your container with water frequently.

Artificial Flowers

Flowers are wonderful but they don’t last for long. They also tend to be expensive to be frequently replaced. But humans are creative and inventive by nature, so to answer this concern, why not create an alternative – artificial flower.

During ancient times, imitations of flowers were already created. History tells us of how the ancient civilizations use different kind of materials to come up with artificial flowers. In Egypt, painted linen and shaving of stain horned were being used. Rome is more luxurious in using gold and silver to make artificial flowers. The Chinese made use of rice-paper. Silkworm cocoons were the materials used to create imitations of flowers in Italy. On the other hand, ancient South Americans used colored feathers, wax and tinted shells.

Beginning in the 1970s until today, most artificial flowers are now made of polyester fabrics.

The demand for artificial flowers is so great that making of artificial flowers has now become a highly specialized industry. There are numerous different ways of manufacturing artificial flowers. There are so many factories specializing in creating artificial flowers alone, particularly in China.

One can identify six basic processes involved in making artificial flowers:

1. A polyester fabric is placed in a gelatin to stiffen it.
2. Various polyester fabrics and other materials are cut into shapes that can be formed into leaves, petals and other parts of the flower.
3. Vein of leaves are impressed through die, silk screen printing and petals are formed into its natural roundness through goffering irons that comes in various shapes.
4. Petals and other parts of the flowers are assembled starting from the center.
5. The flower is mounted on a stalk usually made of brass wire that is wrapped with colored material.
6. Leaves are added.
   

Flowers can also be made out of soap. There are two ways of doing this. One is simpler, called carved method. It can be done at home. The other is called molded method. This is more complicated and expensive.

Artificial flowers can also be made out of clay and plastic.

With the absence and expensiveness of fresh flowers, artificial flowers are used as articles for commercial and residential decorations.

But did you know that artificial flowers aren’t just made for decorative purposes alone? Artificial flowers are also created for scientific purposes.


A Guide in Choosing the Right Florist

Flowers are too beautiful not to be loved. Its beauty and fragrance can instantly turn any room to a more welcoming atmosphere. Flowers are reminder of nature’s beauty. Indeed, cultures around the world make flowers as decoration for significant occasions. Weddings, holidays and graduations are just a few where we can find flowers on display. With flowers any venue is more attractive. If you want flowers for display, for decoration in an event or for a gift, then you would need a good florist. With a lot of florists to choose from, it might help if you have a basis in choosing one. Just like some tips that follow:

Testimonials from previous clients. For occasions requiring big orders of flowers, having references can make a big difference in landing on the right florist. If you know someone who also worked with a florist for instance in a wedding, then ask her or him if she or he can recommend someone for you.

Identify your needs and wants. It is best to have a clear picture or idea of what you expect from a florist. Doing so will help you trim down florist that won’t cater your needs. This will allow you to save time and effort. By identifying what you wanted, then you can readily ask the florist what you needed and then you can measure if he is capable of delivering your vision. You might also end up not getting satisfied with what you get, if you went to a florist without anything in mind.

Check if the price is right. If you are on a budget, it is best to find a florist that can give you nice flowers at an affordable price. Some flowers are really a beauty but they also come at a high price. You may also choose seasonal flowers since they will cost less being abundant in supply.

In cases of big events, requiring big orders of flowers, you should meet with at least 3 florists and ask for pictures of their previous works. This will allow you to evaluate if their style matches yours. It is also one way of measuring his or her capabilities.

A good florist will be glad to take your order. He or she can give you suggestions on what flower and arrangement will work for an occasion.

Flower bouquets and other arrangements are lovely more especially when you find the right flower that understands your personal taste.


An Online Florist and a Local Florist

A florist is the person behind beautiful arrangements. Florists are also in-charge in selling flower arrangements which are usually consists of ornamental grass, foliages and flowers.

You can find several online florists in the Web. There are pros and cons in going straight to a local florist than to an online florist.

You can expect to have a more personalized service from a local florist because there is face-to-face communication. However, going to an online florist is a lot more convenient than walking in a florist shop. Another advantage in choosing an online florist is that it may have a national network or even international making it possible for faster and easier placement of order.

Another advantage of local florists is that they can physically show the range of flower arrangements they have together with real prices. Some online florists, on the other hand, cannot give you the exact list of available designs and the exact cost.

You may also need to shell out more money in ordering from an online florist because of fees involved in the process of ordering. An online florist consequently hands over the order to a real florist to carry out the flower arrangement. This florist responsible for supplying and delivering only has a percentage of the actual amount paid by a client. While you may pay $ 65 for the order of flowers, the real value of the arrangement is just $ 50.

There is also a possibility that what you see on the online catalogue is not the one that gets delivered. For this reason, it is advisable to only transact with a reputable online florist. This is important for you to get what you paid for.

More and more online florists are emerging while traditional florists are decreasing because of the advent of the Web and Internet marketing. Just like any other things each of the two has its strengths and weaknesses. But if you are one of the people who is living in a busy schedule, online florist is the way to go. With online florist, making someone feel special is a lot easier and faster to do.


Flower Arranging As an Art

Each one of us has innate creativity. Whether we are decorating a room, making a dish, taking photos or writing down our thoughts, we always used our sense of style. As humans we are fond of making things. One simple way of using our eye for color and style is through flower arranging.

Flower arranging dates back to the ancient Egyptians' time and any beginners with practice can do it perfectly. Flowers are undeniably one of the most admirable art media available. A single bloom is already appealing itself, how much more if you combine and style a bunch of blooms together.

With flowers, you can create a thousand of ways in arranging them. There are many flora varieties to choose from. Plus, they also come in so many different colors. You can stick with the traditional way of flower arranging. Of course, it would be recommended for a beginner to know the basic elements in flower arranging like harmony, color and proportion. As one gets adept in flower arranging, s/he can be freer in coming up with his/her own signature style. In arranging fresh flowers make sure you provide water so it will last longer. You can have florist foam placed in the container as it keeps water in it.

Some of the arrangement may also include certain kinds of foliages. You can also be more creative in mixing fruits with flowers in an arrangement. If you want a flower arrangement that lasts longer, then you can go for dried or artificial flowers. Other materials used in flower arrangement include marbles, small rocks, shells, pebbles, ribbon and many other things.

For containers of flower arrangement, options are also unlimited. You can be free in which container would best match the flower arrangement you had in mind. Usually, vases and pots are used, but you can also make use of water pitcher, baskets and other containers. The important thing is that the container is suitable to the kind of flowers and the flower arrangement you are trying to create.

If you want your flower arrangement to be more sophisticated looking or have a more professional appeal, then better learn some of the basic principles of flower arrangement. Why not try getting a course on Ikebana? Ikebana is the Japanese art form of flower arranging. Ikebana is not merely a flower arrangement; it also carries with it a symbolic meaning. Ikebana is said to bring nature and man together.

Flower arranging is a great pastime that will enhance your creativity.