Sweetest Day: Then and Now

As we transition from the lazy days of summer to the carefree autumn months, the earth changes before our very eyes. The landscapes become golden and the sound of rustling leaves fills the air. It is a time of great beauty and the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones close by or remember those far away.

Sweet Sentiments
A simple phone call or handwritten note can mean so much. Often in our busy lives we forget to remember the special people who make our days happy or those who are less fortunate. It was such a circumstance that brought the national holiday of Sweetest Day to light.

Observance of Sweetest Day
Sweetest Day observance originated in Cleveland in 1922. Herbert Birch Kingston, a philanthropist and candy company employee, wanted to bring happiness in to the lives of orphans, shut-ins and others who he believed were forgotten. With the help of friends, he began to distribute candy and small gifts to the underprivileged. On the first celebration of Sweetest Day, movie star Ann Pennington presented 2,200 Cleveland newspaper boys with boxes of candy to express gratitude for their service to the public.

Although the observance of Sweetest Day began in the Cleveland area, over time it has spread throughout the United States. Sweetest Day is always celebrated on the third Saturday in October. The Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the underprivileged was broadened to include everyone from family members to co-workers, sweethearts and acquaintances. Sweetest Day has evolved into a time to express romantic love, and it is also used as a day to recognize anyone you appreciate.

Even though Valentine's Day is thought to be the one day out of the year to send your heartfelt love, we at Calyx & Corolla share the wonderful sentiments of the Sweetest Day holiday and wanted to share its very special background with you.

Flower Fact...
Did you know...in the Middle Ages, when most plants were grown solely for practical or medicinal purposes, the rose was cultivated for its beauty alone. The rose is the national floral emblem of the United States.

Effective Flowers for Home Décor

A lavish outdoor garden alive with rich blossoms can transform a tired piece of land into a gorgeous homestead. And snipping a few stunning stems and bringing them indoors can add refreshing color and light to any room. Truth be told, nothing inanimate quite compares to the living, breathing beauty of fresh flowers, so what better accoutrement to serve as the cornerstone of your home décor.

It's no secret that every room in your home has a personality and purpose all its own, and "if wall could talk," they would surely speak of their uniqueness. When choosing the perfect flowers to accentuate a specific room, you'll certainly succeed if you consider the room's function, furniture, and existing décor.

Living Room
As its name so appropriately connotes, this is the most lived-in room in almost every home, so its floral décor should reflect its lively atmosphere. A gregarious grouping of tulips springing forth from a brightly colored vase will liven up a sleepy coffee table, and nothing begs to be bedecked with a bouquet of radiant red roses quite like a fireplace mantel.

Dining Room
Whether serving as the setting for a family-sized feast or a spot of tea between friends, the dining room is often privy to the best conversations. Place an arrangement of hearty hydrangeas on the sideboard or use a water filled crystal bowl floating with Gerbera daisies as a centerpiece and really give guests something to talk about.

Kitchen
Usually the brightest room in a home, it stands to reason that the kitchen is the place where family, friends, and guests often choose to congregate. Continue to encourage these gatherings by treating a kitchen's abundance of large, flat surfaces and sunny windowsills to welcoming blooms such as cobalt-colored irises or bright white lilies.

Bedroom
Your bedroom should be your sanctuary, so filling it with all of your floral favorites is always a wise choice. Its dimmer lighting and softer surfaces can be wonderfully enlivened with the tropical beauty of anthuriums, and unique offerings like the dendrobium orchid will add character and charm.

Although one should regard a room's form and function when decorating, the most vital of all considerations are personal preference and style. It's your space. Be creative. Be bold. Make fresh flowers a focal point in your décor, and make your house your home.

A Mother's Day Guide to Speaking the Language of Flowers

It probably won't come as a surprise that clovers mean good luck and roses symbolize love, but did you know that a cactus means endurance and a sunflower signifies loyalty? During the Victorian era, The Language of Flowers was utilized to create a language for friends, family, and lovers to replace words. 

This Mother's Day Calyx Flowers can help you express how much mom means to you, with more than just words. Send her wishes of love (roses), prosperity (lilies) and strength (alstroemeria) with the Happy Mother's Day Bouquet. This bouquet is layered with Asiatic Lilies, roses and alstroemeria- - all pink- - and is featured in an exclusive, hand painted, "Happy Mother's Day" vase by Mississippi artist Gail Pitman. 

Express her understanding (hydrangea), saintliness (delphinium), love (rose) and protection (Queen Ann's Lace) with the All About Mom Bouquet. With 27 stems of blooms this bouquet says it all and is shipped complete with a buttery-yellow garden urn featuring a raised trellis design and pedestal base. 

To thank Mom for the faith, hope, wisdom and valor (an Iris means all of these) she has provided, a bouquet of Irises will say it perfectly. Calyx Flower's Iris Illumination Bouquet features ten cobalt blue iris stems coupled with lavender limonium delivered with a ceramic vase creating an eye-popping display guaranteed to leave a lasting impression. 

Can't decide which floral gift says the most about Mom? Send Calyx Flower's Year of Flowers collection and she'll be reminded for an entire year just how much she means to you. Choices include the new and improved Year of Flowers with bigger bouquets than ever offered before or specific floral collections, including the Year of Gerbera Daisies, Orchids, Tropicals, or Roses.

By choosing Calyx Flowers, customers send a message to their Moms that quality is essential when showing that you care. Calyx Flowers has been recognized as the finest name in floral delivery since 1988, with exclusive designs sent directly from the world's premier growers, guaranteeing freshness.

Orders for the Happy Mother's Day, All About Mom, and Iris Illumination bouquets, Year of Flowers or any of the designer collections can be placed by calling 1-800-800-7788 or online at www.CalyxFlowers.com.

Ailing Houseplants

Identifying And Treating Pests of Flowering Plants

Have you noticed lately that your houseplant has been starting to brown or is slow at producing new growth. This might be a sign that your flower bouquet is being attacked by pests. It is very common for what seems to be a healthy flower to fall victim to pests. But before you go and buy flowers online try to treat your floral arrangement. The first step in doing so should be identifing the menace.

Mealybugs:
Mealybugs are easy to identify because of the white wax that their body produces as a protective shield. You can find mealybugs hiding in the crevices and undersides of your flower's stems and leaves. They almost look like little balls of cotton with tiny legs.

Treatment:
If it is a small infestation of mealybugs, it is best to treat your plant with a natural remedy. Dip a q-tip into rubbing alcohol and dab it directly onto the mealybugs. They will immediately turn brown and die. You can then gently wipe them off of the plant. If there are more than a few mealybugs, it is best to treat your flower with an insecticidal soap. Since mealybugs like to hide in the crevices of the flower, be sure to apply the soap to the entire flower. You can then rinse off the mealybugs with water. If you don't treat your flowers you could always sign up for flower of the month club.

Aphids:
Characteristically, aphids are green and black with two tubes coming out of the ends of their bodies. The are small in size and typically leave behind a trail of sticky residue.

Treatment:
Aphids are best treated with an insecticidal soap. The process might have to be repeated several times before the flower is treated.

Spider Mites:
Spider mites are extremely small in size, about the size of a ballpoint at the end of a pen, therefore, sometimes making them hard to see on the flowers. In order to tell if your flower is being affected by spider mites, gently shake the leaves of the flower over a piece of white paper. If there are spider mites on your flower, you will see small black dots fall onto the white paper.

Treatment:
In order to control spider mites, spraying the flower with a stream of water every couple of days over a period of two weeks should minimize the infestation. If it seems like the mites are coming back, you will have to treat the flower with a horticultural oil.

Whiteflies:
Whiteflies look exactly as their name suggests. Although in their younger stage, whiteflies will attach themselves to the undersides of your flower's leaves, sometimes making them easy to overlook.

Treatment:
To get rid of adult whiteflies, place a sticky fly tape near the flower. If you notice whiteflies are on the undersides of the flower's leaves, you will have to treat the flower with an insecticidal soap.

If you do happen to loose a flower its easy to order flowers online and have the flowers delivered directly to your doorstep.

Remember, the sooner you get rid of pests, the easier it will be to maintain your flower arrangement.

Green Statues

Topiary Sculptures Large And Small

Throughout the world there are gardens full of these giant green sculptures called topiaries. The art of growing and shaping plants into sculptures has been around since Julius Caesar and the Romans. Most homes during this time featured an atrium, or indoor garden, where these sculptures were grown and admired. Because of their elegance and sometimes whimsical nature, topiaries can still be found in public gardens all over the world. You can also add these live green sculptures to your own garden. Most garden centers or nurseries sell pre-groomed topiaries in a variety of shapes and sizes. For those of you that enjoy topiaries but do not have the patience or time to groom the larger ones, you can purchase smaller, indoor topiaries like the ones below:

Grand Gardenia Topiary


Jasmine Heart Topiary


Ivy Heart Topiary


Belladonna Topiary


Any plant that has a long woody stem can be trained as a topiary. Ivy, holly, gardenia, jasmine and rosemary work well indoors and boxwood, yew, and myrtle work well as outdoor topiaries. Most indoor topiaries require bright to medium light and evenly moist soil. You can maintain their shape by trimming any new growth. Be sure to rotate the plant weekly to ensure full, even growth.

If you would like to see some of the larger topiary sculptures, there is a garden in Newport, RI called Green Animals Topiary Garden, that features unicorns, giraffes, elephants and more. Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden in Bishopville, South Carolina features many distinct abstract topiary sculptures. There is always the famous Levens Hall Topiary Garden in England.

Valentine's Day Is Two Days Away!

It's not too late to order flowers for Valentine's Day. Calyx Flowers will be taking orders up until 2pm EST on Tuesday, February 13th. They offer a variety of floral bouquets and luxury gifts that are guaranteed to please any recipient and melt her heart. Whether you send her a bouquet of roses, or a box of chocolates, you can be assured that they will arrive to her satisfaction.

To bring you truly superior blooms, Calyx Flowers partners with growers worldwide - and sends your order straight to the source. Since their blooms don’t lose their glory in a truck or cooler, they last 5 to 10 days longer than most.

Calyx Flowers' specially designed Weather WrapTM surrounds your bouquet in a protective cushion, while temperature packs maintain ideal conditions during transit. Your flowers arrive as exquisite as the moment they were picked.

Calyx Flowers also guarantees your flowers will arrive fresh and perfect on the date you specify. There’s simply no easier or more reliable way to send the very best flowers the world has to offer!

See what their customers are saying:

Calyx & Corolla never disappoints. The flowers are fresh, unique, packaged with care, delivered on time and in peak condition. I have been buying extraordinary floral expressions from Calyx & Corolla for more than 10 years—I no longer look anywhere else when I want to send the best.
- Steve Basil, Austin, TX


I will not shop for flowers anywhere else. This company is the best hands down. The flowers arrive looking just like they do in the picture. I’m a customer for life!
– Christopher S. Fraser, West Hollywood, CA


I love your flowers and have received four different arrangements from your company over the past year. Your vases are beautiful. Your flowers are spectacular! EVERYONE always comments on how lovely they are. Thanks for spreading so much happiness!
– Doug Lee, New York, NY


Calyx and Corolla has most exquisite floral offerings I’ve ever seen!
- Pat Prescott, Los Angeles, CA


Over the years I have always found the floral selections from Calyx & Corolla, whether cut flowers or a potted plant, to be exceptional in quality and presentation. And I love the many compliments that I receive every time I use their service. Always first class!
- Rona Carr, New York, NY


I’ve shopped with you for many years…always a lovely experience. Always lovely flowers that my friends and family truly enjoy.
- Deborah A. Muchmore, Laingsburg, MI


The products are second to none. All of the flowers & gifts are simply elegant.
- Andrea Giroux, Frederick, MD


I have used Calyx and Corolla since 1999 with consistently outstanding results. I never order flowers from anywhere else. Incredible product and outstanding service and long lasting flowers translate into memorable gifts for over 8 years.
- Qanta Ahmed, Charleston, SC


Calyx & Corolla has the most wonderful selection and is always my first choice when sending flowers for any occasion.
- Rachel Maloney, Lawrenceville, GA

Red Roses, Pink Roses, Yellow Roses: The Symbolism of Colors

For as long as there has been the tradition of giving flowers to loved ones, there has been a belief that certain colors of flowers symbolize different meanings. During the Victorian Era, flowers were sent to convey secret messages of desire and admiration. Although modern technologies, like cell phones and computers, provide alternate means of expressing our feelings, sending flowers is still a practiced custom in expressing our emotions. An unexpected phone message saying "I love you," is appreciated and will put a smile on her face, but a beautiful bouquet of roses will warm her heart for days.

So, before you order your flowers for Valentine's Day, be sure that the roses you are sending are conveying the appropriate message:

	Red: Love, passion, romance.
	Dark Pink: Admiration, gratitude.
	Light Pink: Admiration, sympathy, gentleness.
	Burgundy: Unconscious beauty.
	Lavender: Love at first sight, enchantment.
	Orange: Desire, Passion.
	Yellow: Joy, friendship, congratulations.
	White: Unity, new love, innocence, honor.

While color should be taken into consideration when sending Valentine's Day flowers, you should also consider the symbolism associated with the number of stems in the bouquet.

• A single rose says "I love you" and "You are the one."
• Two roses symbolize mutual love.
• Three roses symbolize unity and a new relationship or marriage.
• Six roses say "I want to be yours."
• One dozen roses say "Be mine, and only mine."
• Thirteen roses symbolize a secret admiration.
• Fifteen roses ask for forgiveness.
• Two dozen roses say "I can't stop thinking about you."
• Three dozen roses symbolize your romance towards each other.
• Fifty roses profess your undying love.
• One hundred roses symbolize your everlasting relationship.
• One-hundred-one roses say "Please marry me!"