Christmas Events in Houston

Looking for some exciting holiday events in the Houston area? The city has a number of things to do for Christmas, and many of them are very family-friendly. Whether you want to do something a little romantic with your special someone or take the whole family out for a winter adventure, you’ll find something on this list that sounds perfect.

Discovery Green Park is going white for the second year in a row. The open-air ice skating rink is open to skaters of all ages and experience. For $10, you can skate for an hour and a half, and that price includes your skate rental. Once you’re done with skating, you can take the free trolley to the Shops at Houston Center, the Houston Pavilions, and several other locations without dealing with the holiday parking mess.

The Galleria Shopping Center also offers ice skating and shopping. They are a little more expensive—$13 for skate rental and time on the ice—but you can skate indoors, so the weather isn’t a factor. You also have plenty of shopping and eating choices right there in the mall.

The Children’s Museum of Houston is featuring an educational display this year that highlights seven different holidays. Kids will learn about Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Ramadan, Las Posadas, and Lunar New Year. Each different holiday gets its own house and neighborhood “block” featuring decorations and traditional events.

The Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens is very festive during this time of the year. The historic museum will be decorated until January 3^rd. Visitors get to see a recreation of the Twelfth-Night anniversary dinner featuring George and Marsha Washington, a Christmas scene from 1950s Houston, and more. The museum is even open late for music, hot cider, and a candlelight tour.

The Houston Ballet is performing The Nutcracker until December 27^th. This traditional Christmas ballet features gorgeous costumes, amazing choreography, and, of course, great music by Tchaikovsky. The December 27 performance at 7:30 is marked as a special discount performance, so tickets will probably be selling out quickly.

Of course, there are many other activities in Houston that you can do this holiday season that don’t cost a thing. One of the most popular is to simply drive around looking at Christmas lights. This is a great way to spend the evening with the family, especially if you have young kids. Going caroling is also very fun and can quickly become a neighborhood event.

Holiday Entertaining

Entertaining during the holidays can be stressful, but it can also be very rewarding. Seeing all your friends or family members gathered around your table to celebrate the holidays can be a great sight. Of course, this sight can’t come without a good amount of work on your part. That’s why it’s important to make a plan for your holiday events.

First, be sure you have a firm guest list. While it’s OK for one or two people to show up or cancel at the last minute, you need a good idea of just how many people to expect. This is especially true if you’re cooking a full meal. If you don’t have any idea of how many people are coming, you have no way of knowing how much food to buy. Ask your invited guests to let you know if they are coming a week or so before the event. That way, you have enough time to purchase food and other items. Also, make food ahead of time if you can. Desserts like cookies or pie can be made the day before, as can some cold appetizers.

Don’t wait until the last minute to clean your house. In fact, if you can, clean a little bit each day. While you’ll still need to do some sweeping and a little straightening up the day of the event, you won’t have to do anything major.

Another thing to do ahead of time is to order flowers for your table. Selecting a great arrangement for your centerpiece or for your mantle can add a lot to your holiday décor. However, the holidays are one of the busiest times for florists, so if you’re going to order an arrangement, be sure to do so in advance. Don’t wait until the last minute or you may not be able to get the arrangement you want, especially if you’re looking for traditional holiday arrangements like poinsettias.

Finally, remember not to stress too much over the event. You’re entertaining some of your closest friends or your family, and it should be an enjoyable experience. To that end, try not to wear yourself out. If you’re exhausted from cooking and cleaning, you won’t have any fun at your own party. Remember to ask your spouse and even your children to help you, or ask a friend or relative to co-host the holiday festivities.

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Preparing that perfect Thanksgiving meal involves many different things. Of course, the main ingredient in the perfect Thanksgiving is the turkey and the food itself, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Décor is also important, especially when it comes to your buffet or your table. In fact, having an elegant set table before dinner is one great way to really impress your guests, and no table is complete without a magnificent centerpiece.

Thanksgiving centerpieces don’t have to be expensive. In fact, there are many different centerpieces you can create for very little. If you have flowers growing in your yard, you can cut some of them and have a very nice bouquet. However, this alone won’t make an amazing centerpiece. However, if you add a few gourds, a couple of autumn leaves from the lawn, or maybe a few pumpkin scented candles and you’ll find that your centerpiece is suddenly complete.

Another option, if you don’t have any flowers growing in your garden in November (and many people won’t, especially not in the colder areas), then here’s another idea: take a green plant you have in your home and place it on the table. If you have a nice wicker basket, you might even want to put the plant’s pot in the basket. You can also hollow out a pumpkin to use as a temporary pot. If the pumpkin or the basket is too large, you can fill the space around the pot with autumn leaves. Then surround the plant with more leaves, gourds, or, if you’re using a hollowed out pumpkin, you can put mini-pumpkins around it. Pine cones and twigs can also be used to create a nice fall effect. Green plants that work well for this kind of arrangement include ivies, ferns, floral moss, and fall mums.

Naturally, if you aren’t crafty or don’t have the time, you will find some great fall arrangements from a local florist. Some of these are special Thanksgiving arrangements, but most florists have fall flowers that can work just as well. Remember, your centerpiece doesn’t have to be huge, it just has to be color coordinated, and each piece needs to work with the rest.

Birth Flowers and Their Meanings

Many people know about birth stones and the meanings that go with them. Many people like using these gems in their jewelry, and jewelry items featuring birth stones are often given as gifts. However, few people know the flower associated with the month of their birth. Each month has one, and each of these flowers have a special meaning. Here are the 12 different birth flowers, their meanings, and a little bit about them:

January – the carnation. The carnation symbolizes love, fascination, and distinction. During the Victorian era, the carnation was often used to convey hidden messages to others. If a woman received a red carnation from a gentleman, it was his way of saying that his heart ached for her, while a woman might send a man a yellow carnation symbolizing disappointment if she was not pleased with him.

February – the violet. This common flower stands for chastity, humility, and faithfulness. The violet starts blooming towards the end of February, and it continues to bloom until April. The violet grows in many countries around the world, but many of these violets are slightly different. In fact, there are more than 400 recognized species of violet!

March – the jonquil (also called the narcissus or daffodil). No matter what you call this elegant flower, March’s birth flower means domestic happiness or friendship. It can be found in white, orange, or yellow. In its native southern Europe, it’s called the Jonquil, but the more common English name for the flower is the Daffodil. The name “narcissus” comes from the flower’s scientific name, which is narcissus jonquilla.

April – the sweet pea. While it may not be one of the most well-known of flowers, the sweet pea stands for blissful pleasure or for good-byes. There are many different varieties of sweet peas, and they can be found with blooms in just about every color. Some even have bi-colored blooms.

May – the lily of the valley. This white flower stands for humility and sweetness. The plant features small, bell-shaped flowers that are quite fragrant. In Latin, this flower is referred to as the Maius Anthemon, which means May Flower.

June – the rose. A very popular flower, those born in June know that the rose comes in a variety of different colors, each with its own meaning. However, the general meaning of the rose, especially the traditional red rose, is love and beauty. There are over a hundred different species of wild roses, each varying by color, size of bloom, and how the rose bush itself grows.

July – the larkspur. This flower stands for an open heart and for an ardent attachment. The pink, purple, and white blooms of the larkspur are paired with the ruby, July’s birthstone. It’s also known as the Delphinium because of its genus name. The name “larkspur” comes from the spur of the flower which is shaped like that on a lark.

August – the gladiolus. These tall flowers symbolize sincerity and strength of character, and while orange seems to be the most common color, they can also be found with pink, red, white, and yellow blooms. The gladiolus is famous for being the trademark flower of Barry Humphries’s stage character Dame Edna Everage.

September – the aster. The aster symbolizes valor, wisdom, faith, and love. It’s sometimes called the September Flower or the starworts. “Aster,” in fact, means “star” in Greek, and the blooms of the aster flower do resemble stars or starbursts.

October – the calendula or marigold. The calendula stands for sympathy and sorrow, and as such, some do not see it as a good flower to give as a gift. However, this orange and yellow flower is often used with other flowers in a bouquet for Halloween or for the fall since it begins blooming in early October.

November – the chrysanthemum. The chrysanthemum stands for cheerfulness and is a way of saying “I’m sending you this with love.” People have cultivated the chrysanthemum for more than 2,000 years, especially in Asia, where it is quite an important flower. In feng shui, it is believed that by bringing chrysanthemums into your house, you bring in happiness and laughter.

December – the narcissus. December and March actually share a birth flower. The narcissus, aka the daffodil or the jonquil, is usually known as the flower of faithfulness, modesty, and respect when linked to December.

Veterans Day Wreath Ceremonies in Houston

Veterans Day is November 11, 2009, and it’s a day of remembering our military heroes. The City of Houston honors our veterans, both living and those we’ve lost, in a number of different ways. The city’s official Veterans Day celebration begins at 10:00 a.m. at the steps of city hall and is then followed by a parade.

There are a number of other ceremonies being held on Veterans Day to honor and celebrate those who have given their lives in defense of America. There will be a number of different memorial and wreath ceremonies held at various cemeteries in Houston. The main wreath ceremony will take place at the Houston National Cemetery at 10:00 a.m. The cemetery is located at 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive and can be reached via phone at (281) 447-8686 or 447-0580.

Decorating for a Halloween Party

Halloween is a time of year when you can indulge yourself and pretend to be someone you’re not. Whether your Halloween costume is daring and different or more traditional, this holiday always guarantees a fun time. This is especially true if you’re hosting a Halloween party. Turning your home into a creepy haunted house doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be very easy.

One of the cheapest and yet most effective decorations is the cotton spider webs. By liberally spreading these around your home, you can add a nice, creepy feel without spending a lot of money. Plastic spiders and other little bugs can easily be stuck on these cotton spider webs to add even more atmosphere.

If you have a computer and printer, you can turn any old glass bottle into a decoration. Just design and print off some labels to turn that standard wine bottle into a bottle of blood or witch’s brew. You don’t even need to print these on sticky labels—just tape the label to the bottle. Place these bottles around your martini glasses and other drink selections. You can even create new labels for full bottles.

For your coffee table, you can set out a few books of scary stories. Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen King, and classics like Frankenstein and Dracula make great books to scatter around your home or to display on your bookshelves or mantle.

Food and drinks are, of course, a necessity at any Halloween party. You can find many different recipes online that show you how to turn standard snacks into Halloween-themed desserts and finger foods. You’re going to want to add some decorations to your snack table, naturally. A Halloween flower bouquet works very well here. While you may not think of flowers as something associated with this holiday, many florists have started offering Halloween bouquets. Some include great fall flowers with Halloween accessories, such as the Cute n’ Creepy arrangement or the Bat’s Incredible bouquet. Then there’s the Ghoulish Green arrangement, an interesting bouquet full of green and black flowers. No matter which you select, these flowers will lend an air of ghoulish fun to your snack table.

Sophisticated Flowers with Country Charm

We’ve all heard the term “country charm,” but no one ever actually defines it. What constitutes country charm, and, with flowers, how can you achieve this affect? A lot of people enjoy decorating their homes in what they consider old country charm, and adding a bouquet of sophisticated flowers often enhances this look. But how do you make sophisticated flowers fit in with the country charm theme?

One great way of doing it is with the container. While an elegant glass vase adds a very nice touch to your dining room table, a wicker basket of flowers fits in more with the country charm theme. These baskets don’t have to be huge—often, a small, round basket holds the same amount of flowers as a standard vase, but it holds them differently. Instead of having a tall arrangement, you have a wider arrangement that features shorter flowers. Terra cotta pots also make good containers for these types of bouquets.

The type of flowers you use is also important. Sunflowers are great at lending a touch of country charm to your arrangements. Their big, bright faces really liven up a room, too. Often, country décor includes images of sunflowers, so you can even match your flowers to your curtains or placemats. Chrysanthemums in various rustic colors are also a good choice and will blend in with many different country themes. Another great idea is a wicket basket or little wooden bucket full of daisies. This type of arrangement gives the air of freshly picked flowers. Your friends will think you stepped out into the meadow and collected the flowers yourself.

As you can see, you have a variety of flower options that capture the idea of country charm. It may be a hard concept to define, but when it comes to flowers, anything in reds, oranges, and yellows generally work very well. Above all, of course, you want your flowers to work with the rest of your home’s décor, so select something that naturally fits in with your idea of country charm.

Funny Things Bosses Say

With Boss’s Day coming up on October 16, it’s time to give thanks to all those great bosses. But while “kids say the darndest things,” it’s also true that bosses can say some pretty funny things. If you’re looking for a few funny things to add to your Boss’s Day card, here are some famous quotes from and about bosses.

“I didn’t say it was your fault. I said I was going to blame it on you.”

“Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties”

“We are going to continue having these meetings, everyday, until I find out why no work is getting done.”

“We passed over a lot good people to get the ones we hired.”

“What you see as a glass ceiling, I see as a protective barrier.”

“The person who knows HOW will always have a job. The person who knows WHY will always be his boss.”

“If it wasn’t for bad bosses, I wouldn’t know what a good one was like.”

“The best time to start thinking about your retirement is before the boss does.”


A bit about Boss’s Day

Wondering where Boss’s Day came from? The holiday started in 1958 when Patricia Haroski registered it with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She forgot her boss’s birthday, so she decided to create a day to honor him. In 1962, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner officially sanctioned the day with a gubernatorial proclamation. Today, Boss’s Day is celebrated around the world.

Indian Summers in Houston

As the months turn towards fall in Houston, we usually expect the weather to start turning chilly by around the first of October. However, this doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, we get an usually warm fall that lasts up until early November. When this occurs, it’s called an Indian Summer or, in some areas of the South, this period is called the dog days of summer. This is because Sirius, the dog star, is one of the brightest star in the northern hemisphere during this time.

Indian Summer is a fairly informal expression, and the definition of what is and what isn’t an Indian Summer varies. Generally, however, it is used to describe a late fall when the weather is very sunny and the temperature is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It occurs before the first snow fall but after the leaves have turned and fallen.

If you live in the Houston area and experience one of these Indian Summers, you’ll find that some of the local flowers continue to bloom. These flowers may include roses, lilies, irises, and carnations, among other flowers. Other plants and flowering bushes may also continue to bloom late into the season if the weather doesn’t turn. If the fall remains warm, don’t let this opportunity pass you by—head outside and enjoy the extra time with your beautiful flowers while you have the chance.

Using Fall Flower Colors for Decoration

With the autumn season upon us, it’s time to start bringing in those glorious reds, oranges, yellows, and other fall colors into the house. Incorporating fall flower colors into your home’s décor is a great way of highlighting your fresh flowers while at the same time making sure they don’t clash with the rest of your decorations. Here are a few ways you can use fall flower colors in your home.

One way of accenting your fall flowers is to use small squash, pumpkins, and gourds. You can surround your vases with these little items, plus you can bring in some fall leaves to scatter around the table. Another great idea is to add things like wheat and cattails to your arrangements. These interesting fall items will give your flower bouquets a different type of look while still letting the blooms themselves take center stage. You might even want to see how a few twigs look as frames for your fall flowers. Pine cones, pine needles, and some fruits also make nice compliments to your fresh flowers.

Want to do something really fun and different? Cut open the top of a pumpkin, remove the seeds, and then use it as a vase for your flowers! If the pumpkin is large enough, you can sit your entire vase down inside it. If it’s not, you can use the pumpkin itself to hold your flowers. You can do the same with gourds. Small pumpkins and gourds can also be used as candle holders. Likewise, baskets make great fall decorative items since their brown hues compliment fall flowers very well.

Fabric and fabric items are also great ways of bringing fall colors into your home. Change out your summer table runner and placemats for those done in fall colors. You may also want to change out some of your small throw rugs for some that feature more oranges, browns, and reds. Small fleece blankets, afghans, or quilts tossed over the backs of chairs or placed along the back of your sofa can be a nice way of pulling in color while at the same time providing some warmth against the coming chills of late fall. Don’t forget that you can place small swatches of cloth underneath vases to add a colorful base to your bouquets.

These are just a few ideas for bringing fall flower colors into your home. Remember to get creative and use your imagination when decorating. You never know what something’s going to look like until you give it a try!

How to Prepare your Flower Beds for Winter Weather

Colder months are approaching, and while it may seem a bit early, September is actually a good time to start preparing your flower beds for winter weather. October is often an unpredictable month—sometimes it can be very cold. If you want to be certain your flower beds are ready for the colder months, now’s the time to start working on weatherizing them. According to most experts, it shouldn’t take you more than a day to have your flowerbeds ready for the snow.

Start your winter weatherization by cleaning up your flower beds. Get rid of any weeds that have popped up, and remove any annuals that have bloomed and moved on. Don’t simply assume that the cold weather will kill off the weeds for you. In some cases, it won’t, and these weeds will then compete with your flowers for the diminished resources. Remember not to prune that much since this can encourage new growth, which is especially vulnerable to the cold. However, you do want to cut back your perennials, including any dead foliage. Leaving only a few inches of the plant is perfectly fine.

If you’ve got any bulbs that aren’t really hardy, such as gladiolus, you should take them out of the ground, let them dry for a few hours, and then store them in a cool location (a basement or garage are good choices). Note that if you don’t have a compost heap to add your clipped weeds and annuals to, now’s a great time to start one.

Preparing your roses for the cold is very important. By the end of August, you should stop pruning them so no new growth will appear. For climbing roses, either tie the stocks together with something like straw to provide some insulation or take them off their trellises and lay them on the ground. Otherwise, there’s a chance that either severe ice or strong winds could blow them down. After the first real frost of the season, be sure to water your rose bush so that there is plenty of water in the ground. Once the ground has frozen over, your roses will have to deal with whatever moister they have in the ground.

You may want to add a new layer of mulch to your flowerbeds if it looks like they need a little extra warmth. Mulch will keep the temperature of the soil more even, plus it will keep the roots of your plants warmer during the cold weather.

If you have any outdoor flowerpots that won’t deal with cold weather very well, remember to bring them indoors. Some cheap pots will actually crack if it gets too cold, and once the roots are exposed to the ice and snow, your flowers aren’t going to last very long. If you don’t have room for them in your home, at least put them in the garage.

Finally, although you’re preparing for winter, don’t forget that the fall is also a good time to plant for the spring. It’s a great time to plant new winter annuals, shrubs, perennials, and trees. Some plants, like snapdragons and pansies, thrive when planted in the fall. Remember to plant them before the soil gets too cold, though.

Wildscape Workshop to be held in Houston on September 26

The Houston chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will hold its twelfth annual Wildscapes Workshop on Saturday, September 26. The speakers at the workshop will cover a variety of topics, although the emphasis of the workshop is going to be on using native plants to create diverse, brilliant environments that can be easily sustained and will attract many types of butterflies and birds. Other topics will include how to lower the amount of water used to maintain your garden, how to reduce pollution, and how to make your garden more green (in the environmental sense).

The workshop will have four different sessions focusing on natural environments. Each will give attendees an idea of how to tailor their gardens to be biodiverse and attract local birds and insects. The sessions include the following:

• Jack Brady, a research assistant at the Texas Agrilife Research and Extension Center, will talk about native pollinators. His discussion will include information on native bees and how to attract them to your garden to help pollinate your plants

• Mark Bronstad of Doremus Nursery will present “Great Plants for a Wildscapes Landscape.” He will discuss how to make use of many of the native plants that will be available for sale at the workshop’s native plant sale.

• Jaime Gonzales of the Katy Prairie Conservatory will speak on prairie rescues and biodiversity. The Katy Prairie Conservatory has helped protect native plants that were on the verge of being destroyed because of construction and other projects.

• Farrar Stockton, President of the Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas, will give a presentation on local butterflies that live in the Houston area. He will also talk about monarch butterflies and their migration patterns.

In addition to the four presentations, the workshop will also include a native plant sale where attendees can purchase many of the flowers and plants featured in Mark Bronstad’s presentation.

Decorating Using Flowers and Things You Have Around the House

When you receive fresh flowers from a friend for whatever reason (or when you cut your own flowers from your garden), you want to show them off. Sometimes, this means making them the centerpiece of your table by themselves. However, sometimes you may want to put a few things with your bouquet of flowers to make a larger display.

Accenting your flowers’ colors is one of the most dramatic things you can do. While you obviously can’t change the blooms colors, what you can do is change the colors of everything around them. Place your vase on a colorful table runner or on several swatches of colored fabric. For a Christmas arrangement, for example, you could use overlay a red and green cloth napkin on the table and then place your bright poinsettia arrangement on it.

During the fall months, think about accenting your flowers with different squash and other produce. Red, gold, and yellow flowers can be complimented by golden squash, pumpkins, or even a smattering of fall leaves from your yard. Just place your produce in a nice arrangement around the vase.

For something really different, wait until your flowers are on their last two or three days (or remove them from the vase if you don’t want to keep them for as long as you can). Cut the stems short. Next, take a glass-covered cake stand and flip the lid upside down. Fill it with your flowers, then place the bottom on it and flip the whole thing right-side up. You now have a glass-covered arrangement that will make a very different kind of centerpiece.

You can also remove your flowers from the vase and put them in something different. A wooden bowl, an antique bowl or glass, or a pitcher can make an interesting vase when filled with water. Just be sure it’s deep enough if you want to keep your flowers looking fresh for as long as you can.

If you have a lot of candles around the home, place some of them around your vase to add a bit of color to it. While you may not want to light these candles, they do look very nice. You can spread small votive candles across the table to expand your centerpiece.

If you have a large arrangement that just seems to big for your table, think about breaking it up. You can use other vases you happen to have around the house or use glass bottles or jars as vases. By making three or four arrangements out of one, you can effectively create a decorating scheme throughout your home. Place one of these arrangements on the dining room table, one on your coffee table, and one or two around the rest of your home to make a cohesive theme. Accent it with coordinating placemats and napkins.

Have a tall, plain vase that you don’t really like? Tie some colored ribbon around it. You can also wrap a colored scarf or bandana around the vase to brighten it up.

These are just a few ideas for making your fresh flowers the centerpiece of a larger display. You don’t have to buy anything—make use of the fabric, candles, produce, and other things you have around your home. You’ll find you can come up with some really neat centerpieces if you take a look around your home and mix and match things you have with your beautiful bouquet of flowers.

How to Keep Your Delivered Flowers Looking Fresh

It’s always a great surprise to open the door and find that someone has sent you a fresh bouquet of flowers. No matter what the reason, you want to make sure your delivered flowers look great for as long as possible. But how do you keep them looking fresh for more than a few days? Here are some helpful hints and tips.

• For many cut flowers, add lukewarm water. For flowers that come from bulbs, like tulips or daffodils, use cold water.

• If you receive a bouquet that is not in a vase, cut the stems at an angle before putting them in water. If you’ve received a box of roses or carnations, cut the stems under water so no air plugs up the stem.

• Completely change all water every two days. This is one of the most effective things to keep your delivered flowers fresh.

• While you may think keeping flowers in direct sunlight is good, it actually isn’t. Keep them in indirect light.

• Flowers in a cooler area last longer, so keep your arrangements away from heat sources.

• Don’t fill up the entire vase. Stems that are completely submerged will start to decay more quickly.

• Do not place your bouquet near fruit. Most fruits actually give off a specific gas that makes flowers wilt.

• Add some plant food to the water. Just a bit of plant food can keep your bouquets perky and fresh. If you don’t want to use chemicals, you can search the internet for natural plant food recipes.

There are some interesting home remedies that supposedly help keep flowers fresh. Do they really work? No one is really quite certain, but you can give them a try. These alternatives won’t hurt your flowers, so there’s no harm in trying them.

• Add an aspirin tablet and a penny to the vase. The aspirin is supposed to make the water acidic, while the copper works as a fungicide.

• Add two ounces of mouthwash per every gallon of water.

• Add two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, half a teaspoon of bleach, and a tablespoon of sugar to a quart of water.

• Mix one part of lemon-lime soda (such as Sprite) to three parts of water. Then add a fourth teaspoon of bleach. Every four days, add another fourth teaspoon of bleach to the mixture.

The History of Wildflower Florist

Wildflower Florist first opened its doors back in 1979. Kurt Huebner, the founder, set out to create a flower shop that was committed to offering the top floral arrangements and gifts in the Houston area, and Wildflower has stuck to that commitment for over 30 years. By 1998, Wildflower had opened a second shop in Spring, Texas, and shortly thereafter, Cypress Floral Design became a part of Wildflower.

Kurt and his team are completely dedicated to making their customers happy. To meet this goal, they offer many different floral arrangements, plants, and gifts. They also do everything they can to make certain each and every customer is happy with their floral arrangement. Whether you want one of Wildflower’s standard arrangements or want a floral specialist to help you create something unique, you’ll find the Wildflower staff ready to assist you with a smile.

Wildflower is a part of the local Chamber of Commerce, Allied Florists of Houston, the Society of American Florists, FTD, and Teleflora.

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens

One of Houston’s largest and most interesting botanical gardens is the Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. Located near Cypress Creek, the gardens cover over 300 acres of beautiful forests, flowerbeds, and wilderness. The Mercer Arboretum was founded by Thelma and Charles Mercer back in the 1940s, and since then, it has expanded and grown, becoming a public facility in 1974.

The arboretum is actually split by the Aldine Westfield Road. To the east is the beautiful botanic garden. It covers over 20 acres of landscaped gardens that include tropical plants, herbs, endangered species, and bamboo. If you’re looking to get some exercise while enjoying the beautiful plants, you’ll find many different walking paths. One of these is the Remembrance Walk, a path that winds around various memorials. You can also stop by the visitor’s center, the courtyard plaza, and enjoy sitting beside a number of relaxing ponds.

On the west side is the arboretum itself. This area features two different playgrounds for children, a picnic area for those wishing to eat lunch outdoors, a couple of barbecue pavilions, and more. The walking trails that wind around the arboretum pass through many different preserved woods and make for a nice, relaxing hike for those who want a bit more wilderness in their walking.

So what exactly can you do at Mercer besides walk around and enjoy the sites? If you love canoeing, you can make a reservation and head out onto the water. The pavilions and picnic areas make great places to hold family reunions, birthday parties, or other events. There’s also a small tea house in which you can take refreshment and enjoy a time-honored tradition.

During August, you’ll find a number of nice flowers in bloom in Mercer. These include the bright purple thunbergia battiscombie (the scrambling sky flower), the tiny salvia uliginosa (Bog Sage), and the star shaped crinum americanum (seven sisters). These bright flowers are just a few among the many amazing blooms you’ll see while exploring Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. If you need a relaxing weekend or just want to spend an afternoon under the sun, head out to the gardens and enjoy your day.

Why Flowers Make Us Happy

Imagine coming home from a long day of work, walking past your dining room table, and collapsing on your sofa, totally exhausted. Now imaging walking past your dining room table and your eyes catching sight of a gorgeous, bright display of flowers. Don’t you immediately feel better seeing those blossoms and blooms? There’s just something about flowers that tend to make us happy and make the worries of the day vanish or at least seem a bit less stressful. But is there any reason why flowers make us happy?

There actually are several reasons. In fact, a scientific study actually discovered that flowers can stimulate our emotions, specifically our happier emotions, and make us feel better. This study, done by Rutgers University, shows that receiving flowers immediately affects people’s moods. They suddenly feel excited, loved, happy, and delighted. The response was the same across all ages involved in the study.

Long term, flowers also had an impact on mood. The more often people saw the flowers, the happier they were overall. Even after a stressful day, seeing flowers can brighten up a person’s mood, especially if the flowers were sent by a close friend or loved one. By connecting flowers to a specific person, all of the emotions that one might feel towards that person are stirred up by seeing the flowers. This is why lovers and spouses traditionally send each other flowers. Seeing those red roses your husband gave you on your birthday reminds you of just how much you love him. Likewise, the congratulations bouquet your girlfriend sends you to your office helps stir up feelings of just how special she is.

So it’s more than just your imagination: it has been scientifically proven that flowers make us happy! Next time you’re feeling down, order yourself a nice bouquet of flowers. You’ll feel better immediately, and every time you see them for the next week or so, you’ll find yourself smiling.

The Meaning of Sending Roses

Everyone knows that sending red roses to your spouse or significant other is a way of telling them that you love them. But if you walk into Wildflower Florist, you’ll see that we have a huge selection of different colored roses. What do all these colors mean? Is it just as romantic to send her yellow roses as it is red ones? The answer to that is absolutely not! Below is a list of the most commonly colored roses and what they mean.

Red, of course, does mean love, passion, and beauty, but it can also mean respect or courage. Red roses are the most popular roses, and they’re also the most traditional. Sending someone red roses is one way of telling them that you’re in love.

Yellow roses, on the other hand, stand for friendship, joy, or happiness. They’re a way of saying “I care about you, but I’m not romantically in love with you.” Sending yellow roses to your spouse on your anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or birthday, then, doesn’t really convey your love.

Pink roses are perfect for thank you gifts since they convey appreciation, admiration, and grace, and thankfulness. Pink roses are great for sending to someone who has done you a favor or as a way of telling someone you are grateful they are in your life.

The white rose stands for innocence, charm, and purity. This is one of the reasons why it’s often carried as part of the Bridal bouquet and used in wedding arrangements.

Orange roses, while not sent as often as red roses, convey a sense of desire. They do not mean love, so they’re more appropriate during the beginning of a relationship than for an anniversary. They may also mean admiration or enthusiasm.

Purple or lavender roses aren’t sent as often as other roses. This is because they mean love at first sight. They’re a great rose to give on the second or third date to say that you’re smitten and that you want to move ahead in the relationship. They’re also a nice alternative to the more traditional red rose.

You can, of course, mix roses of different colors together. Some of these combinations have very specific meanings. Red and white mixed roses, for example, stands for unity and is a great arrangement for an anniversary. Mixing yellow and orange roses says you have passionate thoughts for the recipient. Red and yellow is a fancy, colorful way of saying congratulations.

The number of roses you send has significance, too. Most of us are familiar with the traditional dozen red roses. This bouquet means romantic love, just like the red rose.

If you send two dozen roses, you’re saying that you love someone so much that the standard bouquet just isn’t enough. “I’m yours forever” is what this is saying.

Another way of saying “I love you” in a simple, understated way is with a long stemmed rose. Alone or in a vase with two or three others, the long stemmed rose conveys your love, your thanks, or, in the case of a bouquet, can mean that you will always remember the recipient.

Of course, while knowing the meaning of the different colors is handy, especially if your spouse knows the meanings, too, you don’t always have to go by them. If your significant other loves the color purple, for example, going with a dozen purple roses for Valentine’s Day may have more of an impact that the traditional red roses. It’s all about knowing what the recipient likes—sometimes, breaking tradition is the right way to go.

Decorate With Fresh Flowers

Decorating with fresh flowers or with flowers sent to you via a florist is a wonderful way of brightening up your home. These flowers can make any room look cheerier, especially if you’re ill or need a pick-me-up. However, there’s more to decorating with fresh flowers than simply putting them in a vase and setting them around the room.

If you’re decorating with fresh flowers, the first thing to do is decide which flowers to cut. This will be limited by the flowers you’re growing, of course. After you’ve selected the blooms you want, you have to select a vase to arrange them in. The vase you select can make your arrangement look larger than it really is or it can draw attention to itself. If you don’t want the vase attracting attention, go with a small, clear one.

On the other hand, if you’re decorating with an arrangement you received from a florist, you don’t have the option of selecting the vase. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of it. Many people love the fact that they’ve received flowers for someone, and they want to be sure that everyone who visits their home sees the flowers. They often put their flowers on the kitchen counter, on their dining room table, or on their coffee table. While these are all perfectly fine options, they may not really capture the beauty of the arrangement.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve arranged fresh flowers yourself or received a bouquet from someone—you still want the flowers to look great. One of the ways of showing off your flowers is to use them as a dining room table centerpiece, yes, but this isn’t always the best way. Another option is to place the flowers on an end table that gets a lot of sunlight. If you open up the curtains or blinds and really let the sun stream in, you’ll create a gorgeous display. This is especially true if your flowers are in a nice crystal vase that captures the light.

If you have an entryway to your home that has space for a small table, this is another area that’s great for flowers. Imagine someone walking into your home to be greeted by the sight of a dozen red roses or a bright summer spread. It’s a nice way of saying hello to your guests, and it’s sure to leave an impression.

If you’re decorating for a party, you might want to create several arrangements of fresh flowers. These arrangements can all be similar, or you can make each one unique. Consider putting one on the buffet table, one at each table where your guests are eating, or place them on your mantle to add some color to the gathering. Coordinate the colors of the flowers with your dishes or your napkins is a nice way of integrating them into your party theme.

Fresh flowers aren’t restricted to your home, of course. You can always cut some and take them to your office. This is a great way of adding some color and a personal touch to your workspace. These bright flowers may not always fit on your desk, but you can always arrange them on the windowsill or on a bookshelf. You can even put them on top of one of those ugly gray filing cabinets if you can’t find any other place.

These are just a few ideas of things you can do with fresh flowers. Remember, there’s no wrong way of decorating with flowers, so be creative! You don’t even have to use a vase. Sometimes, lying freshly cut flowers along your table or floating blooms in a bowl of water works much better than a traditional arrangement. No matter how you decorate, adding fresh flowers or a bouquet from a florist to any room can really liven up any area.

How to Care for Flowers During the Summer

The summer months can be incredibly hot, especially if you live in the southern United States. These months are great for barbequing, swimming, and having a lot of fun outdoors, and these months are also a great time for flowers. Your flowerbeds will come alive with vibrant blooms that are simply exploding with color. However, as the hot months continue, especially if there’s very little rain, you’ll find that your vivacious flowers start to droop and fade away. If this is the case with your flowers, don’t despair. By following some of these tips for caring for your flowers during the hot summer months, you can keep your flowerbeds looking great even when the temperature hits the triple digits.

The first tip is obvious: make certain to keep your flowers watered! This is easiest if you have a sprinkler system installed in your yard. If you don’t, you’ll have to water them yourself with the hose or watering can. However, you don’t want to go out in the heat of the day to do your watering. Instead, water in the evening. This has two benefits: first, it’s cooler so you’re not so hot, and second, the water doesn’t evaporate in the afternoon sun, so more of it gets to your plants and flowers.

It’s also important to deadhead (cut off the dead blooms) your flowers after they are done blooming. This not only keeps your flowerbeds looking nice but it also helps the flowers themselves. In fact, if you have flowers that bloom a couple of times during the summer, such as rose bushes, deadheading them can make their second blooming much more spectacular.

Another tip is to cut back any of your blooming perennials. Like deadheading, this can make your flowerbeds look tidier, and it will also help encourage new growth in the flowers themselves.

Don’t forget the fertilizer. Fertilizing your plants during the summer will keep them healthy and blooming. Adding a layer of compost to your flowerbeds every now and then is also a great idea, especially since compost breaks down more quickly in the heat. This means the nutrients get into the ground (and, thus, the flowers) faster.

Of course, in some parts of the country, you’ve got more to worry about than just the heat. If you live in an area prone to storms, hurricanes, or tornadoes, your flowers can really take a beating. There’s not a lot you can do to protect them from hurricanes and tornadoes, but if you know a heavy storm is coming, you can at least bring in any potted plants. Those planted in your flowerbeds, however, may be at the mercy of the storm. You can cover your flowers with lightweight tarps or plastic covers weighed down with rocks, but even this may not work if the storm is really powerful.

Want to know more about growing summer flowers? The blogs below provide even more information.

The Unicaca Blog has some tips on planting summer flowers.

More tips on selecting flowers and preparing the soil for planting in the early summer can be found on the Indoor Wall Fountains blog.

Finally, the High Density Gardening Blog has a list of great flowers to plant in the summer plus more helpful tips.