Negin Flowers Blog

If you have the time this season, why not try your hand at making your own holiday centerpiece? I have done this the last few years, and it’s great fun!

You and your Market Florist should have all the materials you need:

• Lined basket, dish, or bowl, slightly smaller than your finished centerpiece size
• Block of floral foam, trimmed with knife to fit your container, if necessary
• Large, clean basin or sink filled with 8” of cool water
• Firm-stemmed greens and flowers of your choice, stems trimmed to 3” to 4”
• Fruit, seed pods, cones, branches – choose your favorites!

Step 1: Set floral foam, writing side up on top of water, and allow it to soak and submerge until completely wet. Don’t forcibly submerge or place under running water.

Step 2: Place foam into container and drain sideways into sink to remove excess water.

Step 3: Add greens.

Step 4: Add flowers. Once stems are inserted, don’t pull back out, or sustaining moisture will not contact the stem end.

Step 5: Add any other embellishments, such as branches and fruit, as desired.

Step 6: Set on your holiday table and enjoy

Step 7: Pat yourself on the back; you did it!

Be sure to give the centerpiece a drink using a watering can or a clean baster every couple of days, and remove dying flowers and greens as they expire. If you need advice, your Market Florist is happy to help.

Happy Holidays!

These simple care tips will help extend the life of your holiday poinsettias and wreaths, so that they last throughout the season.

Poinsettia Care Tips:
• DON’T place plants near cold drafts or excessive heat, such as appliances, fireplaces or ventilating ducts.
• DON’T expose plants to temperatures below 50° F. Poinsettias are sensitive to cold, so avoid placing them outside during the winter months.
• DON’T over-water your plant, or allow it to sit in standing water. Always remove a plant from any decorative container before watering, and allow the water to drain completely.
• DON’T expose your plant to chilling winds when transporting it.
• DON’T fertilize your plant when it’s in bloom.
• DO place your plant in indirect sunlight for at least six hours per day. If direct sun can’t be avoided, diffuse the light with a shade or sheer curtain.
• DO provide room temperatures between 68 – 70° F. Generally speaking, if you are comfortable, so is your poinsettia.
• DO fertilize your plant AFTER THE BLOOMING SEASON with a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer.
• DO use a large, roomy shopping bag to protect your plant when transporting it.
• DO water your plant when the soil feels dry to the touch.

Wreath Care Tips:
• DO keep the wreath away from heaters, fireplaces, dry air vents, or other heat sources.
• DO mist with simple water daily.
• DO all misting outside, or in a place where water will not cause any damage.
• DO be sure to get water on the stems as well as the needles.
• DON’T mist while the wreath is exposed to direct sunlight if possible.

Some may consider flowers a luxury, but with a little know-how you can make your special purchase worth every penny! Here are some simple suggestions to keep your flowers gorgeous:

• Make sure you buy flowers when you’ll have time to process them. Their stems will dry out if they’re left out of water too long.
• When you get them home, trim the stems before placing them in a vase. This removes the portion of the stem that has dried in transit, and reactivates the drinking passages for the flower. Remove all greenery that will be below the water line.
• For lasting power, remove the flowers from the vase every day or so and do the following: wash the vase if the water is cloudy, place fresh water in the vase and trim at least half an inch off the bottom of the stems, and remove any flowers that are past their prime. You may want to have a second dry vase on hand to preserve the arrangement’s design while you freshen up your flowers.
• Display your flowers in an area free of heat sources or direct sunlight. Avoid your kitchen if you have any produce out in the open. Gases released by produce can shorten the life of your flowers.

If you have questions about keeping your flowers fresh, chat with your Market Florist. We love to share our tricks to maximize your floral dollar!

What does the approach of autumn mean to you? I have two grade-school-age children, so autumn means all the typical school checklist items: new school supplies, backpack, bigger clothes, and reviewing what they forgot over the summer! Does this sound familiar? This time of year, there’s plenty to do on the home front!

As a florist, it’s also an exciting time, because for most people, the turn in the weather means a return to routine and spending more time indoors. And that means more chances for me to create designs that folks will share and enjoy in their homes and workplaces.

Summer is lovely, with its abundant gardens and wildflowers everywhere. But I love the warm colors of fall best, as well as the joy and challenge of finding interesting combinations taken from nature’s color palette.

As I continue to work with flowers, I’ve grown to appreciate the beauty of late season seed pods, just as much as the flower’s lush, more recognizable form in high season. And I am always amazed how many hardy flowers persist until the frosts come.

In Oregon, we are fortunate to have a mild transition into fall, easing us beautifully into the colder months. So get those checklist items done, but remember to look around and take part in the visual feast! And visit your Market Florist for floral designs that celebrate the beauty that comes from local farms as we welcome autumn.

August is just around the bend, and that means sunflower season! Bold and cheerful, sunflowers are a staple of the American flower repertoire, and it doesn’t appear that will change any time soon.

Far from trendy, the sunflower has been a cultural constant in the Americas since 1,000 B.C., when it was first cultivated as a food source. Few flowers have enjoyed such consistent popularity as a source of both food and beauty for so many centuries.

Sunflower seeds, oil, butter and shoots all make healthy additions to one’s diet. Our Market Produce department recently began carrying sunflower shoots, which add a tasty touch to salads.

I love the sunflower for its range of sizes and colors. From petite, one-inch heads to ones so giant they need heavy-duty staking, the sunflower is always full of surprises. Its many shades include: red, black, orange and many variations of yellow.

My children have always enjoyed sunflowers for the almost instant gratification of growing a huge plant without all the stress and constant care that other flowers demand. From time to time, we’ll even get a surprise sunflower that has sprouted from a fallen squirrel-feeder. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Have you ever heard of phototropism? It refers to the sunflower’s ability to turn its face to follow the sun’s movement across the sky. Throughout history, this trait has been the inspiration of myths and stories about loyalty, dependability and adoration.

Want to show someone you are a forever-faithful companion? Give a gift of fresh, local sunflowers, and watch the recipient’s face light up with warmth and happiness, just like the flower itself.

Sunflowers are at their peak right now. So visit your Market Floral, and pick up a bunch!