Fun, Quick DIYCenterpiece Idea

This Easter afforded us a perfect DIY centerpiece scenario: what do you do when you need something for your table, but you’re in a hurry and are low on flower options? Dandelions owner Shirley Lyons found herself in this situation this weekend, and was kind enough to share how she resolved her problem.

You’d think that as florists, we are constantly taking  flowers home to make fabulous and lush centerpieces and arrangements for family functions. That does happen on occasion, but usually, and  more often than we’d like to admit,  even the florist forgets to take flowers home!! Shirley was half-way home before she realized she did exactly that! So between babysitting her two-year and twelve week old grand-kids (a juggling act of princess dolls and diapers), and preparing dinner for twelve, she needed to come up with something fast and uncomplicated. Thankfully, Shirley had daffodils growing in her yard, and with some of these and a few vases in colorful, spring tones and varying heights, she had a quick, fun, artsy centerpiece on her dining-room table!

Using what you have growing in your yard (be it flowers or some pretty greenery)  and your collection of vases is a cost-effective way to make a great impression, and get your creative juices flowing!

We love flowers because they’re inherently beautiful and really don’t need much embellishment to make a statement. Artfully placed vases and simply arranged flowers are an easy way to enhance any event.

Photo used under Creative Commons from treasureagain

Photo used under Creative Commons from Risager

Photo used under Creative Commons from sbluerock

Photo used under Creative Commons from stripeyanne

Photo used under Creative Commons from Jewell Willett

Pantone’s Color of the Year: Emerald-Green

Photo used under Creative Commons from GlitzUK

PANTONE recently announced the 2013 color of the year as PANTONE® 17-5641 Emerald. PANTONE has long been the authority on color trends and their decision to name emerald as the color for this year reflects the desire for renewal and growth.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®, reminds us that “Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum”. How true for flowers! Often green is only seen in the foliage but why shouldn’t it play center stage? Anthurium, Bells of Ireland, spider mums and even roses all come in shades of green (although not truly emerald) but certainly complement the deep gem shade.

If you can’t wait to incorporate emerald into your upcoming event or wedding, PANTONE suggests pairing it with shades of peach, pinks, roses, ruby reds and aubergines. I also think navy complements it well since it is such a sophisticated palette.

Using Flowers in Local Science Classrooms

We received a great thank-you note from local Willamette High School teacher, David Novak, who has been using flowers from Dandelions to teach the students in his botany science class about the anatomy of flowers.  We love hearing that our customers enjoy our flowers, and we love finding out about the different ways they are used. It’s great to hear how students are getting exposed to flowers in this educational way, and learning to appreciate even more this incredible part of nature.

Here’s some of what David wrote to us:

The flowers I get from you, even those that are too "ripe to sell",
the are perfect for us and add greatly to our learning of the
fundamental tissues and organs of plants and are great motivators for
learning! Nothing beats getting actual flowers into students hands when
learning about all the structures!!

What do I do with them??  I have included some shots to help you
understand.  In particular,
I have students draw them, both as the flowers come to us and after we
bisect them lengthwise.  
We examine the parts using microscopes to view all the parts (ovary,
ovules, pistils, etc.) which are often
hard to see with the unaided eye.  We answer questions about  the
flowers (e.g., compare the length of the pistil in one 
flower to another and suggest reasons for the different in length).
There are also a few experiments we like to try with the flowers, if we
get enough.

The mums we used this week and alstroemeria were perfect. THANKS for
all your effort and generosity!!

   

Tips for Getting your Centerpiece to Last

The first thing you should know about your floral centerpiece is that the cut stems are inserted into a floral foam, also known as oasis. Oasis is great because it retains water well and helps the arrangement hold it’s design. Flowers in foam can stay vibrant and beautiful for days, but they need care. The downside to oasis is that where you can see the water level in a vase, in floral foam the water level is not as obvious. Because of this, many a centerpiece dehydrates and dies earlier than it should. So it is important to make sure your floral arrangement has plenty of water.

How to check the water level: Touch the oasis. If you press it lightly you should feel moisture.

When to water: Because it’s cold outside, and we’re all keeping our homes warmer, the water from the floral foam is going to evaporate faster, so you should check the moisture level every day.

How to water: Move your centerpiece to the sink, or to a surface that won’t be damaged by water, in case you spill. Carefully find a space in the centerpiece, or at the side of the container it is in, where you can see the oasis, or a space between the oasis and the container, and carefully pour water onto the oasis or into the space around the foam, allowing time for  the water to be absorbed.  Slowly add water until the oasis is thoroughly saturated.

Enjoy your flowers, and this wonderful season!!

                                 

Poinsettia and Wreath Sale

In addition to our Christmas Sale Items, all poinsettias and holiday wreaths are on sale, too! All of the wreaths are $10 off while supplies last and the poinsettias range from $5-$10 off. Order fast because these won’t last long at this price! Offer valid on Eugene/Springfield delivery only. To view all of our Christmas options, click here.

Originally $49.99
ON SALE FOR $39.99

Medium Poinsettia Was $29.99
ON SALE FOR $24.99

Large Poinsettia Planter Basket
Was $74.99
ON SALE FOR $64.99

Go DUCKS Wreath
perfect for your Fiesta Bowl Party
Was $49.99
ON SALE FOR $39.99

Holiday Wreath
Was $39.99
ON SALE FOR JUST $29.99

Large Christmas Poinsettia
Was $59.99
ON SALE FOR $49.99

Modern Christmas Fresh Floral Designs

Having fresh flowers during the Christmas season is a wonderful tradition that makes the home feel extra festive. Whether you are buying them for yourself (highly recommended) or as a gift for someone else, here are some of my favorite holiday arrangements.

   

Men’s Guide to Valentine’s Flowers

1). You can’t go wrong with roses. Red long-stem roses are still the #1 hit for Valentine’s Day because women love them and probably always will.

2). Make it personal. Tell your florist a hobby or passion that she loves and allow the florist to create something that incorporates that. This will show her that a) you listen and b) you care.

3). Get the most bang for your buck. Have the flowers delivered to her at work where everyone can ooh & aah over how sweet you are. She may insist that it is embarrassing but everyone loves a public display of affection. Women want flowers and want everyone else to know they received them.

4). Don’t forget about the card message. It’s as important to women as the flowers themselves. Be yourself but if there was ever a time to lay it on thick…it’s now. Don’t be afraid to ooze love & romance. It’s what women want. Check out some ideas here…

5). Order early. We all love to procrastinate (myself included) but you really want to plan ahead if at all possible. This will ensure that what you order will be available. This is especially true if you want something other than red roses. The more specific you are, the more time you need to allow the florist to obtain what you are looking for.

Remember…it’s about love. If worse comes to worse stop by the flower store on the big day and pick something out to hand to your sweetie in person. And nothing beats a hand-written note!

Locally Grown Flowers

We are proud to carry throughout the year a large variety of locally grown flowers and foliages for our floral designs.  In the next few weeks we will introduce you to some of our growers so that you can learn more about the “behind the scenes” of these wonderful fresh local products.    Nancy was just here bringing us our fresh Oregon Dahlias this morning, and our shipment of Oregon lilies and greenery also just arrived to start our week.

Oregon has a great climate for growing and some of many seasonal flowers we carry that are locally and Oregon grown are: Dahlias, Tulips, Sunflowers Asiatic Lilies, Calla Lilies, Iris, Delphinium, glads, zinnias and yarrows, just to name a few.  We even grow on our own farm, some of the ribbon grasses, yarrow, liatris and zinnias during the summer season.

During this fall season we are carrying seasonal mini pumpkins from Springfield, and many of the native grasses and foliages such as Oregonia, Myrtle, Huckleberry, Nandina, Eucaplytus, Cattails and wheat. Charles and Bethany Little grow & supply us with many fabulous native and unique foliages, and Dancing Lizard farms in Junction City

provide a rich variety of unique Semperviums that we use in unique lasting floral bouquets.  Watch in the next few weeks for highlights about some of our local Oregon family growers that we buy from to make your fresh floral bouquets.

2nd Annual Best Boss Giveaway

ENTER NOW!!!

It’s our 2nd Annual Eugene’s Best Boss! Dandelions is giving away a great package for one lucky and deserving boss this Bosses Day! Eugene and Springfield area businesses can enter to win a Bosses Day package including flowers, Euphoria Chocolate truffles, and balloons by submitting this entry form by Wednesday, October 13! The winning entry boss will be surprised with the gift package on Friday, October 15 for Bosses Week!

Click here for nomination form

2009 Winner Dr. Andy Bennion

Check back to see who won and why their staff felt that they were so deserving!

Introducing our “Quarter Back” Sale

We love football season. We also love sales. So we thought we would combine the two and create a “Quarter Back” Sale here at Dandelions. On September 23 EVERY in store purchase is rewarded with a gift certificate for 25% of the purchase! Quarterback score! Purchases under $10 will receive 25% back in cash. There’s NO Minimum Purchase! And it applies to ALL purchases in-store: merchandise, food, flowers delivered, flowers delivered out of town, EVERYTHING!

This is 1 DAY ONLY though so make sure to stop by on Thursday, Sept. 23! Use your gift certificate for your next purchase or give it as a gift. Touchdown!!

Here’s a little sampling of new items here at Dandelions: