Zodiac sign: Don’t be fooled by the Aquarian’s love for independence – underneath this zodiac sign’s penchant for autonomy lies a thriving romantic streak as well. An air sign with an honest, loyal, spiritual and intuitive nature, Aquarians are exceptionally committed and faithful to the people they love. And because they can usually be counted on to see the positive side of any situation, the people they love, love to be around them.

Birth Sign Flower: With its quiet beauty, artful form and inherent grace, orchids are a perfect complement to the Aquarian’s spiritual and intuitive characteristics. And with symbolism tied to love, beauty and strength, orchids will resonate with this birth sign’s sense of loyalty. Choose pink orchids, representing pure affection, to fuel their romantic streak or surprise them with cattleya orchids to convey mature charm.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)

Aquarians are progressive, entertaining, and independent. Their individuality can sometimes make them rebellious or standoffish, but it also imbues them with unusual and exotic tastes.Thus, their floral favorites include orchids, birds of paradise, and gladiolus. As Aquarians are aligned with the color blue, iris bouquets are also a wonderful fit. And during late spring, birds of paradise, with their vibrant hues, are the perfect thing to send to as they can help jumpstart your Aquarian’s positive energies as the exciting summer months near.

Start off the new year with a little spring cleaning to get your organization resolution off to a good start. You can always recycle your vases and floral containers at Dandelions Flowers but during Recycle Week we give out a bonus for doing so.

5-10 vases = $5 Gift Certificate

11-20 vases= $10 Gift Certificate

21+ vases= $15 Gift Certificate

This is a win-win! Please no chipped or cracked vases. One gift certificate per person for the week.

Come in Monday-Saturday 8:30-5:30

Birth Sign Flower: The Capricorn’s responsible, dependable personality makes them ideal caretakers for a long-lasting plant – and African violets, with their bright colorful flowers and soft, velvety petals – deliver an added indulgence. Symbolizing faithfulness – a trait in keeping with the Capricorn’s stable nature – with just a hint of luxuriousness and sensuality, the African violet may just be the Capricorn’s perfect match.

Our sample centerpiece

Centerpiece ClassOn November 30th, we held a DIY Holiday Centerpiece class at the store, and boy what a great success it was! We had so much fun sharing our passion of designing floral arrangements and are so impressed with all of talented DIY designers! They were all so creative, filled with ribbons, ornaments, snow covered pine cones and more. It was truly a night of holiday cheer! For some Christmas centerpiece inspiration visit my other posts on  traditional centerpieces or modern centerpieces.

Here are some tips from our expert instructors Julianne and Jodie:

- get all of your supplies set out before you start (this goes for any project…it just makes it so much easier)

You can easily see here how the floral foam sits well above the lip of the container

- make sure your floral foam sits at least 1″ above the lip of your container

- Remove foliage from your stems where it will be inserted into foam (about 2″ since stems need deep insertions to ensure they draw up water and stay secure)

- Recut your stems before insertion

- Use your longest greenery stems at the ends of your centerpiece to create your base. Then make sure none of your other stems are longer than these base pieces.

- Create texture and depth to your centerpiece by alternating the angle of your insertions

- Keep your sides narrow. It’s easy to make centerpieces too full- long and narrow is often best for the size we demonstrated. Other styles of centerpeices are round but you don’t want greenery draping onto your guests’ plates!

One of the participants did a great job with their centerpiece keeping the sides narrow- and beautifully decorated

- Once your greenery is in, have fun with your decorations: ribbons, christmas balls, ornaments, pinecones or whatever suits your interest. We like to use wood picks to help secure items like Christmas balls & pinecones (glue onto pinecones or twist wire onto Christmas ball/ornament tops)

Adding artificial snow to greener can help add texture and a fun, wintery feel

Faux cardinals can be obtained at craft stores

Artificial or fresh berries stems are a great addition

Here is some video that we took during the class. This shows some of the wonderful centerpieces being made. This is not an instructional video but gives you a feel for the class.

Here are some tips for keeping your poinsettia in top shape throughout the season:

Water: Check the soil daily and water if the soil is dry to the touch. If your poinsettia has been placed in a decorative pot or basket take the plant (still in its plastic container) and water over the sink allowing the water to drain out of the holes in the bottom. Then place the plant back in its pot or basket making sure the plant doesn’t sit in water.

Light: Lots of light are ideal for these tropical plants. South, west or east facing windows are preferable over a north facing window. Don’t let the poinsettia actually touch the window, however, as the cold pane will damage the plant.

Temperature: Poinsettias enjoy a consistent temperature of 65-70 degrees during daylight hours. Avoid placing the plant in areas that are exposed to hot or cool drafts (near a heater or door). At night, move the plant to a cooler location but not below 60 degrees.

Problems:

Wilting: A poinsettia without enough water will begin to droop. Give the plant a good soak and allow the water to fully drain out the bottom.

Leaf Drop: Although this is a natural process of the plant, premature leaf drop can be a sign that the plant is exposed to hot or cool drafts. Check its location and the temperature where it is placed.