Summers in Houston

Spending the summer in Houston? You may think that the summers in the city are going to be hot and humid. However, that’s not always the truth. Sometimes, the summer days do get hot, of course, but there are some days when the breeze comes in and the days are actually very comfortable. Traveling around downtown is going to seem warmer—the many concrete surfaces hold in the heat. However, in the parks that can be found throughout Houston, the temperature is a little better since the ground and the many fountains will help cool things down.

Another thing about summers in Houston is that it usually rains or at least showers fairly often. This does raise the humidity, but it also helps to cool things down. The humidity can get pretty bad, of course, but overall, summers in Houston are hot but not unbearable. While those who are used to living in cooler areas may find the heat a bit more than they’re used to, Houston isn’t as bad as some other areas.

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.

Flower Baskets: A Fresh Take on a Beautiful Tradition

Decorate with Hanging Flower Baskets

Hanging flower baskets are a great way to add floral color to your home without the hassles of garden planting. Placing flowers in hanging flower baskets is easy to plant and maintain.

Here are some tips for using hanging flower baskets to boost your home’s curb appeal.

Choose the right location for your hanging flower basket. When you select a plant to hang in front of your home, consider its intended location. If your porch is fully exposed to the sun and there is very little shade, then plant sun loving plants. If you have a shady location for your hanging basket, then choose a plant that enjoys partial shade or full shade. There are many flowers to choose from at your local plant nursery so don’t feel limited to only purchasing, for instance, geraniums in the sun and begonias in the shade. Don’t try to force a plant where it won’t grow and thrive. That would do nothing for your home’s curb appeal.

Feed your flowers. Flowers in hanging baskets still need care. They aren’t maintenance free. You can plant the flowers in a special potting soil mix that provides nutrients periodically. For example, there is Scotts Miracle-Gro Premium Potting Mix that lasts for three months. There is also plant food you can mix with water to feed your flowers, such as Scotts Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food.

Choose a well-drained planter. There is a variety of hanging basket planters you can choose from. Use your own personal style preference when selecting one. The main this is that the planter you choose is well drained. There are wire hanging baskets that are lined with coconut such as Panacea Products Classic Finial Series, Black 14-Inch Hanging Basket that allow the water to drain throughout. There are also plastic baskets that have holes in the bottom. Find a well drained hanging basket that matches the style of your home.

Work in layers. There are 2-tier and 3-tier hanging baskets that stack two and three baskets on top of each other in a layered effect. You get more for your money that way and a lot more floral color to display in the same space. As you water the flowers in the top basket, the water drains to the next and so one. That helps better use of your water supply. Two and three tier hanging baskets can get pretty heavy so hang them on a sturdy hook.

Send a Fresh Flower Basket Today.

Fun Ideas for Mother’s Day

It’s almost Mother’s Day! What sort of plans do you have with your mom for 2010? Some people go for the traditional, such as taking mom out for dinner or having a family outing. Others, however, might look to do something a little different. Here are some fun activity and gift ideas for Mother’s Day for those looking to mix it up a bit this year.

Get creative! Moms love it when their kids are creative, no matter what age those kids may be. Younger kids can make custom puzzles for mom using special puzzle sheets that are pre-cut. Just draw on them, punch them apart, and mix them up. Older kids might want to create a scavenger hunt for mom that eventually leads her to a bright bouquet of flowers or a special breakfast cooked just for her.

Do you sing or play an instrument? How about writing a song just for your mom? It doesn’t have to be very long, and you can always write new lyrics to a song you already know how to play. This is a great way of telling your mom how much you love her, and she’s sure to appreciate the work you put into your lyrics. If you’re not musical, you can always write her a poem or even a story. Smaller children could draw pictures.

If you’re technologically savvy and can’t make it to Mother’s Day in person, set up an online video call between your family and your mom. While a phone call is great, you’ll make mom’s day if she actually gets to see you (and any kids you may have).

How about making mom feel like a queen? You can get a plastic tiara and royal scepter from just about any store that carries party supplies. Or you can get a sash and decorate it with “World’s Greatest Mom” and make her feel like she’s won a beauty pageant. Of course, if you name her the queen, you have to follow her royal decrees!

How to Send Flowers that Mom Will Love

Mother’s Day is almost here, and many people are getting ready to call up their local florist and select a great arrangement for their mom. But how can you guarantee that your mom is going to love the flowers you send her? Well, there’s no way to completely guarantee anyone will love anything, but there are some things you can take into consideration when selecting an arrangement for your mom that will help.

First, think of her favorite colors and flowers. If you know she loves roses, go with an arrangement of roses. If, on the other hand, daffodils or lilies are her favorite flowers, go with a bouquet of those flowers. Maybe you aren’t certain what your mom’s favorite flower is, but if you know she loves purple, you can send her an arrangement of purple flowers like lavender daisies, purple Monte Cassino asters, and purple Matsumoto asters.

Another way of deciding on an arrangement is to think of your mom’s personality. If she likes frilly decorative pillows, she might like an arrangement that features a lot of pink or is decorated with a ribbon or bow. On the other hand, if she is more of the outdoors type or has decorated her home in a country theme, she might like a bouquet that comes in a wicker basket.

If you’re still not sure what type of arrangement to get your mom, you can always talk to one of the many experienced florists at Wildflower. They can assist you in creating the perfect arrangement for your mother that is both beautiful and unique to her personality.