Flower Carpet with 800,000 Begonias

The tradition of the floral carpet begins in 1971. Begonia is the flower of choice due to its qualities of robustness, resistance to harsh weather and hot sunshine the begonia helps the carpet last longer Plus begonias come in such a wide range of colors which as you will see is quite necessary for this project.

Please take time to review these links, you will be amazed at the creativity of this work!
The history of the carpet and photos through the years
800,000 Begonias in 2010's Carpet

Flower Billboard

 came across this story this afternoon and thought you might find it interesting. Toyota commissioned a flower billboard in Novato, CA. There was some controversy about the billboard because there is a ban on roadside signage in this location. But the billboard itself it quite unique. Made entirely of blooming plants I think it is beautiful. I hope that this type of advertising catches on! Hopefully the next location will be more receptive!

News coverage about residents who didn't approve. :~(

Edible Flowers

The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years with the first recorded mention being in 140 B.C.

Oriental dishes make use of daylily buds and the Romans used mallow, rose and violets. Italian and Hispanic cultures gave us stuffed squash blossoms and Asian Indians use rose petals in many recipes.
After falling out of favor for many years, cooking and garnishing with flowers is back in vogue once again.

Edible flowers were especially popular in the Victorian era during Queen Victoria's reign.
Today, many restaurant chefs and innovative home cooks garnish their entrees with flower blossoms for a touch of elegance. The secret to success when using edible flowers is to keep the dish simple, not adding flavors that will over power the delicate taste of the flower.

Catalog of Edible Flowers
Recipes for Cooking Flowers

Perseids Meteor Shower

Did you miss out last week? We have another chance to check out some artwork in the sky!
Tonight is the best chance for viewing so make sure to set the alarm clock to remind you to go outside late tonight and see if you can catch a glimpse!
Find out More about Perseids Meteor Shower

Spanish Moss

We use Spanish moss everyday at Sweet Gardenia. We use it to finish a plant, covering the plastic plant pots inside a decorative basket. We use it to cover mechanics in floral designs. We use it for texture in floral designs too.  But what do we know about it? Not much. First it's not a moss, it's an air plant, and a flowering one at that.  And it has a storied past!  For instance on the Gulf Coast Rufus Joseph Tillman shared this romantic story with his great-granddaughter, Sherry Hicks when she inquired about Spanish moss growing thick in the trees around Mobile, Alabama. A Spanish soldier fell in love at first sight with an Indian chief's favorite daughter. Though the chieftain forbade the couple to see each other, the Spaniard was too lovestruck to stop meeting the maiden in secret. The father found them out and ordered his braves to tie the Spaniard high up in the top of an ancient oak tree. The Spaniard had only to disavow his love to be freed, but he steadfastly refused. Guards were posted to keep anyone -- the chief's daughter above all -- from giving food or water to the poor Spaniard. The Spaniard grew weaker and weaker, but he still would not renounce his love for the girl. Near the end, the Chief tried to persuade him once more to stay away from his daughter. The Spaniard answered that not only would he refuse to disavow his love, but that his love would continue to grow even after death. When at last the Spaniard died, the chief kept the body tied up in the tree as a warning to any other would-be suitors. Before long, the Indians began to notice that the Spaniard's beard continued to grow. The Indian maiden refused ever to take a husband -- unless the Spaniard's beard died and vanished from the tree. As the years went by, the beard only grew stronger and longer, covering trees far from the Indian maiden's village. Legend says that when the Spanish Moss is gone, the Spaniard's love will have finally died with it.
Anyway, I enjoyed finding out a little more about this "moss" and thought maybe you would too.

More about Spanish Moss

Southern Hospitalilty

Today we created a tablescape that we thought would be perfect for a Sunday brunch. One of the pieces was a pineapple and it sparked a discussion about the pineapple and Southern hospitality. We came across a website that discussed the history of the pineapple. Symbolism of the Pineapple There is actually quite a few interesting little tidbits and we thought you might want to take a look yourself.

Colorful Skies Tonight?

There is a chance Mother Nature might be showing us an arrangement of her own tonight. An eruption on the Sun's surface Sunday might give us in the Northern Hemisphere a rare glimpse at auroras. While we at Sweet Gardenia can create some beautiful color combinations we can't compete with The Creator's art. If you have a chance stay up late and maybe you will catch a glimpse! They are giving us a 50/50 shot they we will be able to see the activity. Solar Storm Headed for Earth Tonight; May Spawn Auroras

Back to School Time

Every store you go into this week seems to have back to school supplies on sale. Tax free weekend is upon us. We here at Sweet Gardenia have a few creative ideas for floral gifts for teachers to help you get the year off to the right start. Or perhaps sending a green plant would be nice, the teacher can have something to enjoy all year long and I bet she'll even find a lesson in caring for the plant that she'll pass along to the students to. Plus we all know that live green plants help to stimulate creative thinking and what better place than the classroom is there to encourage creative thinking? If you have a moment check out these study results from Texas A&M about flowers and plants in the workplace. The results can also be applied to our institutions of learning! Health Benefits of Flowers & Plants in the Workplace