Larkspur ~ Flower of the Month

Scientific name: Delphinium

Family: Ranunculaceae

Delphinium was called lark's heel by Shakespeare himself.  The scientific name delphinium refers to the shape of the bud, it is thought to look like a fat dolphin. 

Larkspur makes an excellent line flower.  We often use it to add height to arrangements, or width on table pieces.  Look for this summer flower in our cooler all month long.  It goes amazing with sunflowers, bright gerbera daisies, and even roses.

You can find Larkspur growing in gardens and fields.  They grow best in spring and early summer, making them ideal for summertime arrangements.  Larkspur comes in a variety of colors including reds, pinks, violet, and white.  We enjoy the rich color of this blue larkspur.  When searching for blue flowers it can be difficult to find.  You will find larkspur in not only our everyday arrangements but in bridal bouquets.  The deep coloring really pops in bouquets.  The blooms are small so they can be clipped from the stem and added to just about anything.  

The shape of the larkspur is very unique.  When they are just budding they have a unique bell shape, as they open they have a unique and very distinct look.  Their bloom is loos and grows vertically up the long main stalk of the plant.

July Arrangement of the Month ~ You're all the Buzz

Meet "You're all the Buzz", our July Arrangement of the Month.  This design was named by our Facebook Friend Sandy Toler-Riley.  Her name was selected by other fans, friends, and even some family as the number one choice out of several during our contest.  The contest did not start there, the ladies at the shop had some fun too!

Carol, Sheryl, and Lori squared off in a little design competition.  The fans then were asked to select the design that they liked the most.  Sheryl won!  Her design then became the arrangement of the month, that is when we turned to our fans for a name.

So come on and join in on the fun!  Don't miss out on the next contest ~ Join us on Facebook.

So now a little about this beautiful design.  This design is in a glass container that has a handle on it.  Perfect for burning candles, displaying fresh cut flowers, or just for sitting on the patio all summer long.  You can see the small candle inside, it has a fresh floral scent and is named "secret garden".  The flowers it holds are, white & yellow daisies, green button mums, hot pink alstroemeria lilies, and wisps of caspia.  Did you notice the little bee that buzzed by to say hello?  

Contest ~ Arrangement of the month July

Well it is official.  You have voted, and we have listened.  By an overwhelming response Sheryl's design won our Facebook competition!  So now all we need is a name.  Again we will turn to all of you, our friends, family, and fans.  The winner will receive one of these designs! 

This time we are going to put a little twist on our contest.  We always get such great names and it is so hard for us to choose.  This time you are going to make the decision for us.  Here is how it works:

1. Log onto our Facebook page between 10am on June 27th and Midnight on June 28th to cast your vote.  

2. Vote in one of 2 ways ~ Think you have the perfect name for this arrangement, GREAT!  Simply post the name.  Don't have a name picked out, that is just fine.  Choose one of the names posted by clicking the "like" button below it.

3. Get your friends and family to vote too!  The best way to win, or to get more votes at least, is to tell your friends and family to come vote for your name.  Simply link our contest to your page by hitting the "share" button under our message.  Who knows, they may have a name they want to share with us as well.

4. Sit back, relax, and watch the votes come flooding in.  The name with the most "likes" wins!  We will post the winner to the contest by noon on the 29th. 

The winner will receive the arrangement of the month, bragging rights, and of course our gratitude!  We will feature this design in our cooler and our website with the winning name proudly displayed.  

Design specifics:  This design is in a glass container that has a handle on it.  Perfect for burning candles, displaying fresh cut flowers, or just for sitting on the patio all summer long.  You can see the small candle inside, it has a fresh floral scent and is named "secret garden".  The flowers it holds are, white & yellow daisies, green button mums, hot pink alstroemeria lilies, and wisps of caspia.  Did you notice the little bee that buzzed by to say hello?  This design has summer written all over it... now we just need you to help us find a name!

Spruce up Your Garden at The Secret Garden

It's that time again, time to get out in the garden.  Weeding, planting, sprucing it all up, and of course decorating.  If your garden could use some sprucing up then let us help.  We have stepping stones with some beautiful designs to help pave the way to a beautiful garden!  We also have a variety of pots, decorations, and more to make your garden the prettiest one on the block.  Take a little browse through our selection online here.


If garden flags are what you are looking for we have a nice selection of those as well.  Right now when you purchase two flags you will receive the stake they hang on for free.  Our flags are $12.99 and are treated to help resist fading.  


So this weekend when you are looking for something to do, come browse The Secret Garden.  We are open on Saturday from 9am to 2pm. 
We are located at 1215 E. Pershing road.

Don't Forget Dad ~ Father's Day is June 19th

So it's true, Dads love flowers too!  They also LOVE snacks, gifts, and plants.  So this Father's Day why not "pop" into see us.

Dad's Tool Box ~ This tool box is loaded full of snacks!  Chips, candy bars, and more fill this plastic tool box to the rim.  It is all wrapped up and tied with a bow.  The tool box can be used after all of the yummy snacks are gone.  This is a gift that will keep on giving for years to come.


Price $34.99

This dish garden is extra special with it's hidden surprises.  On one of the plants is a grass hopper, under one is a cute little frog, and it even has a fishing hole.  The fishing hole has a couple of little stick poles and rocks in the bottom.  A sign that reads "no fishing" is next to the fishing hole.  Five starter plants fill this ceramic dish.  Perfect for the office or home because of its size.


Price $42.99

This summertime arrangment features Gerbera Daisies, Fuji Mums, and Alstroemeria Lilies.  Touches of tree fern, sprengeri fern, and willow branches create a summer feel.  A little butterfly is attached to the willow for a fun wildflower look.  The vase colors are perfect for summer as well, we will choose from orange, green, pink, and purple.


Price: $45.99

See our other gift here at the shop.  Picture frames, money clips, key chains, mugs, and more.  We are ready for Father's Day ~ Are you???

Stop in and visit us this week ~ 1215 E. Pershing Rd
Give us a call ~ 875-9038
Or see what else we have to offer online.

Rainbow Roses ~ Such Beauty!

"Beautiful", "They smell so good", "How are these made?" Those are just some of the things we hear when our customers see a rainbow rose.  We agree that they are beautiful and they smell amazing!  How are they made?  Now this depends on where our latest shipment came from.

Holland ~ These are the traditional Rainbow Roses.  This method was invented by a Dutch Business man named Peter Van Werken.  His method is to inject natural plant extract dies into the stems as the flower grows.  Each petal absorbs the die as they grow.  This makes for a  very vibrant color.  These are the most expensive of the rainbow roses and we do get these in from time to time.  

Columbia ~ Fiesta's Rainbow Roses come from south of the border.  This is the brand that we normally carry, they are more readily available from our suppliers and have a better price.  The method Fiesta uses is the select roses from the vine and split the stems.  The stems are then died and the roses absorb the natural plant die into their petals just as they would water.  The result is a more pastel look then the bright coloring the Holland roses have. 

To us it does not matter where the roses come from just where they go once they get into the shop.  We love delivering these beautiful blooms, people just ooh and aah at the time of delivery.  We receive calls long after the delivery from our customers asking to send them to people they know.  We normally get in a package a week, (10 roses) and by mid week they are gone!  Because of the long process time we are not able to get more until the next week shipment arrives.  What does that mean to you?  It means if you need Rainbow Roses for a special occasion or gift it is best to order far ahead of time.  We have even had weeks where all of the roses coming in were spoken for!  How exciting!  

At the current time we are the only florist in Decatur that carry these roses.  We are so proud to introduce Decatur to these amazing flowers.  We hope that you can take some time to stop in and see these roses for yourself!

Exciting New Give Away!

We have an exciting new give away to tell you about.  

Each month we will draw a name for one of our Arrangements of the Month.  The winners of these drawings will then be entered to win an arrangement of the month for a year!  Yes that is right a full year.

All you have to do is join our mailing list.  Don't worry we will not spam your email box.  We will send you our monthly newsletter with information about our shop, flower care, flower of the month, and so much more.  Each newsletter includes a valuable coupon to use all month long.  We will also send out a short email with 3 featured arrangements each month.  When we have a special, sale, or new merchandise you will be the first to know about it.  So if you like winning, saving money, and being in the know this contest is for you.  So what are you waiting for?  Enter today!

What's "Growing" on at The Secret Garden

After the long winter and the cold and rainy spring I think we are all ready for a bit of summer.  The calls are starting already, our clients are wanting bright summer colors to be delivered and we love creating them.  Summer is a time to enjoy the outdoors, work a bit in the garden, and relax in the sun with a good book.  I hope that you have time this summer to go somewhere memorable, spend time with friends and family, and maybe even stop in and smell the flowers.    

June Flower of The Month ~ Roses   
              

Roses are one of the most popular flowers we have in our cooler.  It could be because of the colors, it may be the meanings, but we believe it's because of their beauty.  Roses can help you say   I Love You, then can also pay tribute to a loved one, or they can just be fun like the Rainbow Roses shown here.  We have even written a blog dedicated to the care of roses.   Celebrate the flower of the month by picking up some roses of your own today! 

Martha Washington Care & Handling

One of our favorite summer plants is the Martha Washington Geranium.  We love it's colors, look, and the fact that it blooms and blooms all the time.   Need some help with care for these beautiful blooms?  We have a blog that can help with that.  Just visit us here for all the tips you need to keep them blooming all summer long!

June Arrangement of the Month             
Summer in Bloom ~ Our June arrangement of the month.  This beautiful arrangement features, gerbera daisies, fuji mums, and alstroemeria lilies.  The vase color will vary by arrangement and we will match the flowers accordingly.  This creates a unique one of a kind style with each of these we design.  The vase colors are orange, lime green, purple, and hot pink.  A special thanks to our Facebook Friends for helping us select a name.  You can order this arrangement in person at 1215 E. Pershing Rd, on the phone at 217-875-9038, or online.  Order Summer in Bloom for only $45.99 today!

Thank YOU!                

We could not let this issue go by without a great big thank you to all of our Facebook Fans.  We passed the 500 fan milestone in May and it felt amazing.  We started our fan page back in December of 2009 and it is growing everyday.  One of the things we love the most about Facebook is getting to know our customers.  We get to see what you like, what you would like us to create, and we get your feedback on everything we do.  So from the bottom of our hearts, Thank You for supporting us and sharing our page with your friends.  We could not have done it without you!

June Arrangement of the Month ~ Summer in Bloom

Summer in Bloom ~ Our arrangement of the month for June.  This beautiful bouquet features gerbera daisies, fuji mums, and alstroemeria.  The greenery is light and airy to create that summer feel.  The vase color will vary by arrangement.  We have purple, pink, lime, and orange vases.  The flower colors will be tailored to match the vase making each arrangement unique.  Summer in Bloom was named by our Facebook Friends, and that makes it all the more special.  We will have this arrangement made up and ready to go in the cooler all June long.  Order in person at 1215 E. Pershing Rd. on the phone at 875-9038, or online.  Enjoy the summer sun and outdoor activities.  Don't forget flowers make great hostess gifts for all of those summer BBQ's.  

Flower of the Month for June ~ The Rose

The flower for the month of June is the Rose!  If this is your birth month you are one lucky soul.  We love roses here at The Secret Garden.  With so many colors to choose from and so many sizes how can you not love them?!  We have wrote several articles all about roses, here are a few.

How to keep and care for your roses

Arranging half a dozen roses in a vase

So many of our arrangements have roses in them, it is the number one requested flower we sell.  We sell them one by one or even 50 at a time.  One of the most memorable arrangements we made was for a 50th anniversary, and it featured 50 long stem red roses.  Want to see a picture? Sure you do, check it out here.  

Roses also win the hearts of brides.  So many of our bouquets have roses in them.  Some may say it's because of the meaning of roses, or the great colors they come in.  We like to believe that it is because of their beauty.  

Meet one of our favorite roses: The Rainbow Rose.  In the Decatur area we are THE place to find these beautiful blooms.  Stop in and marvel at it's beauty.