What's Growing on November 2011

If you missed our email newsletter this month here it is ~ 

Flower of the Month ~ Chrysanthemum

One of our most requested flowers is the Daisy.  Just about daily someone will say, "She Loves Daisies!".  Did you know Daisies are part of the Chrysanthemum family?  There are hundreds of type of Chrysanthemums.  All of the different types can be found here.  

A little history:

 

Chrysanthemums can trace their history all the way back to 15th century (BC) in China.  It started as a flowering herb, but now it's so much more.  The Chrysanthemum even became the "official seal" of the emperor of Japan in the 8th century.  The original color was golden; now it has so many different shades, shapes, and variations.

Arrangement of the Month

Our Arrangement of the Month this month is named, "Thankful for You".  It was, once again, named by our Facebook friends.    It features Carnations, button mums, daisies, alstroemeria, cat tails, and fall leaves.  It is arranged in a wicker cornucopia.  The perfect fall gift!  You can order it herefor just $36.99.

Small Business Saturday

After you have enjoyed the turkey, family, and friends, it's time for Small Business Saturday!  Black Friday belongs to the Big Box stores but as a small business Saturday belongs to us!
To celebrate we will have hot apple cider, tasty treats, some fantastic deals, a free gift with every purchase, and even extended hours!  On that big day you can shop with us from 8am to 4pm.  We will send out a special email the Friday before, so be on the lookout.  For previews, be sure to follow us on Facebook.
We now also accept American Express, and they have some great offers for shoppers on this day as well.  You can see what they have going on here.

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Spending time with family and friends all gathered around your table is a wonderful feeling.  Add flowers to your table and that feeling is multiplied!  This year make your table one they will talk about for years.  Add a centerpiece from The Secret Garden.
We are working to get all of our centerpieces on the website soon, you can see our growing selection here.  Order your centerpiece early to insure best selection.
Remember you can phone in a custom order 217-875-9038.

We are preparing a special list this year...   We are making our list and checking it twice... and it will be revealed soon. Don't worry, you will be among first to know.

  

Pumpkin Chunkin Starts Today

So Halloween is over and those pumpkins have to go!  So today we are taking a fun approach to our care and handling page ~

We bring you... pumpkin chunkin... cause throwing your pumpkin in the trash is so boring!

Thankful for You

In case you din't know... fall is our FAVORITE season.  The colors of fall are amazing, it inspires us daily.  So when it came time to making our Arrangement of the Month we knew the perfect thing...

Our Arrangement of the Month this month is named, "Pumpkin Bumpkin".  It was, once again, named by our Facebook friends.  

 It features Carnations, button mums, daisies, alstroemeria, cat tails, and fall leaves.  It is arranged in a wicker cornucopia.  The perfect fall gift! 
You can order it herefor just $36.99.

The List

The List is coming.... 

Want to be among the first to know?  Sign up here and you will be!

Flower of the Month Chrysanthemum

The flower of the month of November is the Chrysanthemum. There are hundreds of species of chrysanthemums, from the button mum to the daisy we love them all.  Here is a little history about this versatile flower.


Chrysanthemums can trace there history all the way back to 15th century (BC) in China.  It started as a flowering herb, but now it's so much more.  The Chrysanthemum even became the "official seal" of the emperor of Japan in the 8th century.  The original color was golden, now it has so many different shades, shapes, and variations.


Chrysanthemum blooms are divided into 13 different bloom forms by the US National Chrysanthemum Society, Inc., which is in keeping with the international classification system. The bloom forms are defined by the way in which the ray and disk florets are arranged.

Chrysanthemum blooms are composed of many individual flowers (florets), each one capable of producing a seed. The disk florets are in the center of the bloom head, and the ray florets are on the perimeter. The ray florets are considered imperfect flowers, as they only possess the female productive organs, while the disk florets are considered perfect flowers as they possess both male and female reproductive organs.

Irregular Incurve: These are the giants of the chrysanthemum world. Quite often disbudded to create a single giant bloom (ogiku), the disk florets are completely concealed, while the ray florets curve inwardly to conceal the disk and also hang down to create a 'skirt'.

Reflex: The disk florets are concealed and the ray florets reflex outwards to create a mop like appearance.

Regular Incurve: Similar to the irregular incurves, only usually smaller blooms, with nearly perfect globular form. Disk florets are completely concealed. They used to be called 'Chinese'.

Decorative: Similar to reflex blooms without the mop like appearance. Disk florets are completely concealed, ray florets usually don't radiate at more than a 90 degree angle to the stem.

Intermediate Incurve: These blooms are in-between the Irregular and Regular incurves in both size and form. They usually have broader florets and a more loosely composed bloom. Again, the disk florets are completely concealed.

Pompon: *Note the spelling, it is not pompom. The blooms are fully double, of small size, and almost completely globular in form.

Single/Semi-Double: These blooms have completely exposed disk florets, with between 1 and 7 rows of ray florets, usually radiating at not more than a 90 degree angle to the stem.

Anemone: The disk florets are prominently featured, quite often raised and overshadowing the ray florets.

Spoon: The disk florets are visible and the long tubular ray florets are spatulate.

Quill: The disk florets are completely concealed, and the ray florets are tube like.

Spider: The disk florets are completely concealed, and the ray florets are tube like with hooked or barbed ends, hanging loosely around the stem.

Brush & Thistle: The disk florets may be visible. The ray florets are often tube like, and project all around the flower head, or project parallel to the stem.

Exotic: These blooms defy classification as they possess the attributes of more than one of the other twelve bloom types.

Thank you Wikipedia for this information.

We use Chrysanthemums in our work just about every day.  They add color, texture, and they last for a long time.  We even have a "sunshine bouquet" that is made up of chrysanthemums and it sells for just $4.99. 

Here are a few things we have made using chrysanthemums, you can see the variation in not only the color but the textures as well.

Convey Your Sympathy

When our client called and said that they needed a sympathy arrangement for an outdoor lover we were inspired.  Sheryl selected the fish, the rod, and the rocks.  The wicker basket reminds us of a fisherman's basket, and the cattails add to the "riverside" look.  The bass looks like it is jumping right out of the water and onto the shore.  

Sympathy arrangements do not have to be bland, they can be tastefully creative.  When you are looking for something to express your loved one we can help you find inspiration too.  We have used golf clubs, pictures, playing cards, quilting squares, and even looms. 

We honestly feel that personalized tributes provide great comfort to the family.  Looking at this arrangement the family had fond memories of their loved one and his love for the outdoors. 

We would be honored to help you pay respects to someone in your life.  Just let us know what they enjoyed, bring in memories, or let us help you find the perfect item from our shop.  

Extended Holiday Hours

It's that time again!  Time to start thinking about Holiday shopping.

Starting November 1st we will have extended Holiday hours.  We feel that it is important to be open when you need us.

Monday - Friday   8:30 - 6:00

Saturday             9:00 - 3:00

Stop in and see us at 1215 E. Pershing Road for all of your Holiday gift giving occasions.