With allergy season upon us many people are suffering from the dreaded hay fever caused by Ragweed, including some members in my own family. Ragweed deserves the bad rap it has but a close relative does not, Solidgo. Solidago, used in floral design, is often unfairly blamed for causing hay fever. Solidago is not wind pollinated like Ragweed and will only causes allergic reactions when handled.

Common Name:  Goldenrod
Botanical Name:  Solidago (so-li-DAY-go)

Providing a soft texture and a punch of bright yellow color, Solidago consists of closely packed clusters of very small flowers spreading like a feather on 20-30" branching stem. Also know as Goldenrod, Solidago is available all year and can be dried. If you can get past its weedy cousin, Solidago can be a lovely addition to any floral design. Meaning precaution, encouragement, and good fortune, this filler is very stunning.


Interesting Fact: Thomas Edison experimented with goldenrod to produce rubber, which it contains naturally. Edison created a fertilization and cultivation process to maximize the rubber content in each plant. His experiments produced a 12-foot-tall plant that yielded as much as 12 percent rubber. The tires on the Model T given to him by his friend Henry Ford were made from goldenrod.


Below is a great video to help you tell the difference between Solidago and Ragweed.

Sorry for the delay with my blog this week but sometimes things happen for a reason. Today a Facebook friend of mine posted a link to Fifty Fleurs Variety of White Flowers. How perfect and just in time. It does a great job showing how all white roses are not created equal. Let me know which is your favorite.

http://www.flirtyfleurs.com/varieties-of-white-roses/

 If you are planning a wedding in/from Central Wisconsin, I know just the place for you to start looking for those extraordinary, hard working wedding professionals. It's the Central Wisconsin Wedding Professionals, CWWP. Maybe you have already seen them at one of the local wedding shows. The CWWP is an organization of professionals that can make dreams happen! From florists like us, to photographers, bakers, wedding planners, officiants, and more, you can rest assured that you are in good hands with any member of the CWWP.


The CWWP will be hosting the Rolling Bridal Tour on 11/11/12, we would love to see you there. 

Or Click here or the link above to find out more info on the CWWP.

There seems to be some wet stuff falling from the sky today. It has been so long I forget what they call it. All I know is that, for today anyways, I can take a break from the task of watering the flowers. Instead I sit back and watch out my windows as the trees in the woods turn dark green as they drink up their fill. So it is because of this rare occasion this summer, the rain, my favorite color, purple, and one awesome Prince song, Purple Rain that I drew my inspirations. Enjoy and leave me your comments below.

So unless you have been living under a rock you must have seen some the 2012 Summer Olympics. If not there is still time, check it out! I am probably the most uncoordinated person you will find, and over the years I have found it safer to be a spectator vs a participant. Although clumsy, I am still absolutely taken with the Olympics. The grace and ease these athletes have is mesmerizing. Their will and dedication to their sport is honorable. I can and do watch them for hours. The best part is each medal winner receives a "Victory Bouquet"!

The Victory Bouquet was designed by the creative director at Jane Packer, Susan Lapworth, to reflect the energy and vibrancy of the London 2012 Games. This vivid combination creates visual impact, which will also enhance the athlete's moment of victory.

The bouquet is sectioned into boldly colored quadrants of Aqua Pink Roses, Illios Yellow Roses,  Marie Claire Orange Roses and Wimbledon Green Roses  to mirror the 2012 logo. These are separated by typical British food ingredients of English Lavender, Rosemary, and Apple Mint. These provide an eclectic fragrance which is important to enhance the ‘moment’ of triumph for the athlete without causing an allergic reaction which some heavily scented flowers often do.  Along with these herbs,  wheat is included as a source of energy, to reflect the ‘energy lines' of the London 2012 theme that has been an influence throughout the design process.


The flowers and herbs in the bouquet are British grown and bouquets are made with the help of floristry students across the country.Sadly no UK grower was currently producing roses for commercial use, so the roses used in the bouquets were commissioned and grown specifically for this project. Hardy varieties were chosen to l withstand varying temperatures as there are no cold storage facilities at the venues. 4,800 floral bouquets will be presented to athletes along with medals during the Victory Ceremonies.


Information regarding the "Victory Bouquet" was found at:
http://www.jane-packer.co.uk/UK/Olympics/Olympics.html

I was driving down the road and thinking to myself what flower should I feature this month. Then I realized my choice for this month's feature flower was easy. Right there in the ditch was my answer, Queen Anne's Lace. Meaning self-reliance, fantasy, haven, and delicate femininity. Queen Anne's Lace seems to be growing everywhere right now, adding it's beauty to the landscape.

Common Name: Queen Anne's Lace, Wild Carrot
Botanical Name: Ammi Majus (am-ME MAY-jus), Daucus carota

Queen Anne's Lace also make a wonderful cut flower/filler. It is available all year long and is very inexpensive. With it's wispy, romantic, vintage look and you don't need a lot to make a statement. The overall shape reminds me of a firework when it explodes in the sky.  The round, flat heads are usually 3-6"  across consisting of hundred of small, white florets. The stem size can vary up to 36". Queen Anne's Lace can even be dried.

One fable associated with the name of this plant describes the occasion of Queen Anne of England pricking her finger while working on lace, staining the lace with blood. If you look closely, you'll notice that each large `flower' has many small white florets with a red/purple dot in the middle. Like carnations, if you put them in a glass with water with food coloring, the flower will change color.

Interesting Fact: Women have used the seeds from Daucus carota Queen Anne's Lace, as a contraceptive for centuries.

This week I leave you with the thought that you should plan for the unexpected, accidents can and do happen. The trick to keeping your cool is to have a backup plan. Below is a link to my blog from last summer but a great example of one such accident.

http://bloomingenvy.weebly.com/2/post/2011/06/blooming-envys-got-your-back.html

Are you ready for anything?

The last few days of this heat wave, that everyone here in Wisconsin has had the pleasure to sweat though, has left me thinking of the sun. So I put together some inspiration full of sunshine. Warm and cheerful and oh so romantic. Enjoy the pics and leave your thoughts about the sunshine below.

In honor of our country and the wonderful holiday we celebrate on the 4th of July, Independence Day, I would like to share some wonderful wedding inspiration. How fun would it be to tie the knot on the 4th and show your Patriotism. I found these super cool ideas at Bridal Guide. Click here to see for yourself. Let me know what you think below.

For my latest flower of the month I chose the Clematis. I purchased my first plant last summer. Not being much of a green thumb, I  just prayed I could keep it alive. Not only did it survive the summer, I was happy to see it come back this spring. This summer it seems to be doing extremely well (see pictures). Clematis flowers grow on a vine and blooms range in size from 1" - 7". They grow best in cool, moist, well-drained soil in full sun. I have noticed that my humming birds really like them as well. Available in purple, blue, pink, white and bi-color, clematis are becoming more popular in floral design. Clematises add that wild flower/garden feel while still providing a unique, elegant flower. Most clematises have Chinese or Japanese origins.

Common Name: Clematis
Botanical Name: Clematis (KLEma-tis)


The Western white clematis was called pepper vine by early travelers and pioneers of the American Old West. Taking a tip from Spanish colonials, seed and the acrid leaves were used as a pepper substitute. Unlike black pepper or Capsicum, however, the compounds in clematis cause internal bleeding of the digestive tract if ingested in large amounts. Despite its toxicity, Native Americans used very small amounts of clematis as an effective treatment for migraine headaches and nervous disorders. It was also used as an effective treatment of skin infections. 

Interesting Fact: Some clematis plants will change the color of their blooms though out the season.