Planting Pansies & fall bulbs

Some Fall notes:

(When I refer to bulbs in this blog, I am referring to bulbs that you plant in the fall & they bloom in the spring, other wise known as "Fall bulbs". These can include tulips, daffodils, crocus, alliums, fritillarias, hyacinths. "Spring or Summer bulbs" are planted in the spring, bloom in the summer and should be dug in the fall and stored for winter. These include caladiums, begonias, glads, some lilies, Dutch iris, dahlias, cannas.)

People get frustrated with tulips because they plant them & then they don't don't come up well after the first spring. They look fantastic the first time & then the next year there won't be as many, then the next year is even worse. Maybe you have noticed the big landscaping companies in Lexington digging up tulip bulbs in front of large businesses- they plant them & then throw them away just like they were marigolds or any other annual flower. Here's the problem: tulips are not winter hardy enough to live a long time, or... squirrels or chipmunks might be eating them. When you buy tulip bulbs, instead of buying the prettiest, most tantalizing varieties in the pictures, look for tulips that are "good for naturalizing" or are described as perennial. These tulips will rebloom each spring for you!! As for the rodent problems- put bird netting or chicken wire down on the ground where the bulbs are planted to keep them from digging in your flower bed. Side note: the wire or netting will annoy cats so bad that will stop using that spot for a litter box!

Now is a fantastic time to plant pansies!!! And it has finally rained!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pansies will live all winter here. They will bloom on days when it is sunny in winter and look wonderful in the early spring when it is still too early to plant flowers that cannot tolerate frost!

Dig up a spot & plant bulbs, then plant pansies on top of the bulbs. Day lilies are another great companion plant for bulbs. Plant the bulbs, especially daffodils, and then plant day lilies on top and the day lily foliage will camoflage the bulb foliage as it dies back. Bulb foliage should be allowed to die back naturally instead of cutting it down because the leafs provide nutrients to the bulb to help it bloom well the next spring.

If you plant hyacinths, WEAR GLOVES!!!!! The bulbs will burn your skin!

I wrote an article for All Things Country & they want me to do it each month. I've thought hard to come up with a name for this new "column", and then it hit me: it could be my blog! So watch for it it upcoming issues of All Things Country.

I wrote about laying your flower garden down for winter in the October issue.

So, I think everybody needs a day off! I got mine Saturday by way of an outing with the Bunco Babes to Lake Cumberland. It is a beautiful place and I learned that one of the Babes could write several novels about her experiences. But, what happens or is said at the lake stays at the lake!!!
And today we had a busy day at the shop with two funerals. It's been 3 weeks since we've had much to do, so I had difficulties remembering how to buy flowers for the occasion. I got to meet a lovely lady today that I have talked to several times over the years when she called to order flowers for her mother. She is one of many people that have accounts at the shop even though they haven't lived here for years. They call us to send flowers here or to any town other than the one they live in.
And we got a nice compliment from a florist in Mt Sterling who was happy that she got to call us to deliver flowers for them in Irvine. Thank you!!!

The Interview

I was interviewed today by a nice fellow for a 2 minute presentation on Sept 13 at the Center in Somerset for the Excellence in Entrepreneurship small business award. I am one of 3 finalists for the award. Kathy Samples at Citizens Guaranty Bank nominated me. Kathy is so good to her friends and customers! She is a wonderful asset to our community.
I played with a ball of yarn through out the interview so I wouldn't wave my hands around nervously. I really dread seeing myself on video, dark circles around my eyes & all.

And on another note- an uprising is underway- a revolt among florists- a mutiny on the floral bounty!!! Boycott the wire services!!!!!!!!!!!

The wedding Saturday night went great! It took an hour to load 2 vehicles. We arrived at 4:00 & went straight to work! The cake table top was put in place first and the finishing touches put on it. Since it was outdoors & it was pretty warm, the cake was not placed on the table until after the wedding started so it wouldn't melt.
We filled jars with zinnias for the reception tables & dropped the submersible lights into the water in each one. Last of all we hung the kissing balls on the chairs & placed flowers on the gazebo.
The farm is beautiful, as is the big house the bride's grandparents live in on the farm. Llamas live there too and lots of flowers grow there!
A strange looking thing with a para sail on it came buzzing through the sky toward the wedding at about the time it started. We thought it was the groom dropping in, but it wasn't! However, the bride did arrive a little later in an unusual way in a beautiful white carriage.

It feels great to have all our hard work come together and contribute to a bride having the wedding of her dreams. That is what my job is all about!

Thank Meranda & Derrick for all the help and thanks to Erin & Myra for the help with setup.

It's late- I'm tired -I've got to sleep! Later!

Hot Wednesday!!

We spent the day in a hot oven (that's what it felt like)- is this what hell feels like??

On a cooler note.....watermelons and apples and pumpkins were the popular items today! Fake ones, of course!

Part of our flowers for this weekend's wedding arrived today & we divvied them up according to what they would be used for- bride, bridesmaid, kissing ball, topiary, etc.
A facebook florist friend commented Monday that she cut 17 boxes of flowers for this weekend's weddings. SEVENTEEN!!!!!! A box might have 100 roses, or 125 pompons, or 250 carnations, for example. Another florist posted pictures of last weekend's weddings-all 8 of them! Their world is so different from mine! My biggest weekend was 2 weddings and 1 large funeral! I read tonight about one florist who has four wedding consultants on staff. In defense of my little world, I have to say that having that big a flower shop would mean I wouldn't get to personally do each wedding or birthday bouquet, or funeral arrangement myself and that would take away a lot of what I love most.
And did you know that July is now the biggest wedding month instead of June? August is also a big month and October weddings are increasing each year.

See ya l8r!

I got to arrange some pretty bouquets today!! We sent a beautiful standing spray to a Stanton funeral home today. It's picture is on facebook.
I am learning the technique to making wreaths out of Deco poly mesh. I made wreaths for the Estill Engineer fan today out of royal blue deco mesh with black & white ribbons- turned out prety nice!!! And someone bought the wreath I made out of black & silver mesh with silver ribbon.
We have begun construction on the flower covered tabletop for the cake table at this weekend's wedding in Madison County. Sometimes I feel like my brother, the engineer, as I figure out how to construct the unusual things that we make at the shop! I am so excited to get to make this piece- I'll show pictures as we go along!
Paige researched Scarecrow decorating contests for me and we got a lot done on that little activity for the Railroad Festival in October.
Off now to a hospice benefit planning meeting. Can't wait to see what we come up with this year for decorations!
Talk to you later!