Balloon bouquets are designed in a pyramid shape and are delivered on a weight. For Valentine’s Day balloons can read “I love you” and “Happy Valentine’s Day” .

Dish gardens are a popular item for male recipients because they are easy to care for. Each garden includes a unique variety of plants that all require medium light and weekly watering. Don’t worry, gardens come with care instructions. Send a gift that lasts for your practical guy!

Just met him, but you’re not sure what send? You want to send him something to let him know you are thinking of him on Valentine’s Day but nothing too romantic just yet! Maybe he is a junk food lover, chocoholic, or kid at heart? We can put together all his favorites from salty to sweet!  We can include a variety of treats if you think he may like a little bit of this and a little bit of that!

Make it his own with a sports-themed basket of goodies. Perfect for a picnic in the park or even at home.  Order early on this one though so we can make it just right for him!

Nothing is as classic as a single rose in a vase. Red is for love, yellow is for friendship, and white is for purity or engagement. If you are not sure which color to pick, orange is always a safe bet for men. It has a masculine quality, yet doesn’t say too much too soon. The perfect  “I’m thinking about you”. A single red rose is available for pick up, or it can be delivered with a restaurant gift card or other ad-ons.

A small teddy bear can be attached to anything. This is a great add-on for that little extra something, and it is just so cute.

If your guy likes flowers we have the perfect special for him.  North Raleigh Florist’s Tropical Mix contains Ginger, Stargazer Lilies, Roses, and Hydrangea in a bamboo box designed in a modern style.

Cal us or visit our website today
(919) 847-3381
www.northraleighflorist.com

We still hold firm that carnations are fabulous. We particularly recommend them for weddings because of their texture and diverse colors.

Carnations make great pomander balls (top) to hang on chairs during the ceremony or even carried down the aisle as bridesmaid’s bouquets (bottom). Would you even think these were carnations??

Here we have carnations arranged as topiaries. Adding accents like branches and marbles can really make the difference in styling. This look is so unique, no one would dare think “yuck, carnations”. – Also perfect for bridal and baby showers.

All carnation bouquets have been quite popular in recent years. Mixing three different colors keeps the bouquet cohesive, yet bright. Starting at just $40, this option is perfect for the budget bride.

Carnations also fill in altar pieces well. It helps close the holes without taking attention away from focal flowers.

Also great in centerpieces, carnations can be designed simple and modern (top) or elegant and soft (bottom). With so much versatility, you can’t go wrong in selecting carnations for a centerpiece.

So we ask again, have we changed you mind yet? We would love to read some comments with your thoughts!

The unusually warm weather this season has caused many flowers and plants to bloom and continue to stay green unseasonably. Normally, the only green remaining in the tree line by early January is the ever green of the long leaf pine tree. Thankfully this hearty plant is resistant to frequent weather changes and will continue to be just fine if the temperature plummets, stays warm, or fluctuates from week-to-week. Since the long leaf pine tree is native to North Carolina, it is well accustomed to drastic weather changes. The general pine tree is named North Carolina’s state tree by  NC General Statute §145-3  and can be seen just about everywhere. However, the species that is most common and incorrectly believed to be the state tree (because it is so prevalent) is the longleaf pine or P. palustris.

The longleaf pine currently grows 98-115 feet tall with a diameter of 28 inches, however, early record indicate they once grew to 154 feet tall with a diameter of 47 inches. A pine tree does not reach full growth until it is 100 to 150 years old and can live for up to 500 years.

The “leaves” of this plant are pine needles which are long and skinny (see picture below) and come in groupings. The pine tree also contains and drops pine cones which contain the tree’s seeds.

Even though the tree appears abundant, there are significantly fewer longleaf pine trees and new growth than there once was. This is believed arise from the young plant serving as good food for pigs during the early settlement of theUnited States. The decline in the longleaf pine has also lead to the decline of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker who is dependent on the tree for survival.

If you wish to plant a pine, care is relatively easy. Since the longleaf pine is native to the area, natural weather conditions and water are conducive to growth and require no maintenance. Pine Trees can be seen locally atPullenPark, a free public park located approximately 1.1 miles fromNorth CarolinaStateUniversity. Pine trees can be seen any time of year.

North Raleigh Florist can obtain small pine trees that can be sent for Arbor Day on March 15, Earth Day on April 22, or any day for a garden enthusiast! You could also take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and visitPullenParkwhile enjoying a gourmet picnic basket from North Raleigh Florist!

T108-1A – Starting at $67.95

]]> http://northraleighflorist.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/pine-tree/feed/ 0 northraleighflorist pine-tree pine needles Take me out to the ball game http://northraleighflorist.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/all-about-kwanzaa/ http://northraleighflorist.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/all-about-kwanzaa/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:46:13 +0000 northraleighflorist http://northraleighflorist.wordpress.com/?p=356 ]]> Kwanzaa is a little known about cultural (not religious) holiday celebrated by approximately 1.6% of Americans (as reported in 2004 by BIG Research). It was created in 1966 to honor universal African American heritage and culture and is observed from December 26^th to January 1^st each year.

Thought to have roots in the United States Black Nationalist movement of the 1960s, Kwanzaa was created to give African Americans an alternative to the predominant December holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah. Today, however, many Christian African Americans observe both holidays.

There are seven principles of Kwanzaa which include:

• -Umoja (Unity): “To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race”.
• -Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): “To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves stand up”.
• -Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): “To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems, and to solve them together”.
• -Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): “To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together”.
• -Nia (Purpose): “To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness”.
• -Kuumba (Creativity): “To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it”.
• -Imani (Faith): “To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle”.

Major symbols of Kwanzaa are a decorative mat on which other symbols are placed, corn and crops, a candle holder with seven candles (kinara), a communal cup for pouring libations, gifts, a poster of the seven principles, and a black, red, and green flag. The symbols were designed to represent each of the seven principles. The crops are often placed in the center of the table and in modern day often include a bowl of fruit. North Raleigh Florist can send a fruit basket to your home or the home of a Kwanzaa celebrant in your life! Baskets will include fruits and gourmet items native toAfricasuch as mangos, oranges, blackberries, bananas, coffee, and coconuts.

NRFB1 — Starting at $65

Carnations have a unique ability to add texture to an arrangement. They also take up space and fill in holes accenting the other flowers in the arrangement.

Many popular flowers, like roses, have been over produced and bred causing them to no longer give off a sweet smell. Carnations, however, have maintained heir light sweet smell. Also, the smell is not overbearing so carnations are great to send to people with allergies.

Everyone wants to send an arrangement that will last a long time. Carnations can last for over a week if taken care of appropriately by cutting the stems and changing water daily. On the reverse side, roses or lilies might only last 4-5 days.

Carnations are available in a variety of colors in all shades of pink, white, red, and purple. They also come in variegated colors, such as peppermint or pink and white (pictured above).

When trying to send a large arrangement for under $45 it is best not to limit a designer from using carnations or daisies. They are inexpensive flowers that cost just $2 per stem. We only send an arrangement of all Carnations if requested, but as previously mentioned Carnations add volume and texture to mixed arrangements.

Did we change your mind yet?

Check out our Hanukkah Display

Let’s start with the origins of the holiday.  Some time, around 150 BC (BCE), the nation of Judea, under the leadership of the Maccabee family, fought for and gained its independence from Syrian captors. After winning the battle, the Jewish nation rededicated their temple and lit the temple menorah with consecrated oil. This holy oil requires 8 days to produce and the temple only had one day’s worth of oil available. The Jewish people prayed that the oil would last until the new oil was produced, and miraculously it did!  Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of this miracle.

In general, Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday. It is not a holiday mentioned in the Torah, and its importance pales in comparison to the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Passover, while not a High Holiday is also a much more important holiday on the Jewish calendar.

Hanukkah is a time to celebrate the miracle of the oil and the independence gained from Syria. It is celebrated through traditional games like dredel spinning (in low stakes games), through eating traditional foods (like latkes and sufganiot), through giving money to children, and through the nightly lighting of the menorah.

Latkes, a dredel and Gelt, All Hanukkah Traditions!

While each of these traditions from Israel holds true to the US, American culture has slightly altered the perception of Hanukkah. Because of it proximity to Christmas, those not familiar with Hanukkah may see it as a gift-giving holiday of great importance. This is not the case. It is a holiday of spending time with family, celebrating a miracle, and enjoying the history of a people. Small gifts are given by some families every night, and sometimes gifts are only given on the first couple of nights.

Much like Christmas, some of Hanukkah’s original meaning has been disguised by the hectic, commercial culture of the US. In practice though, many families hold these holidays to celebrate their original meanings. North Raleigh Florist celebrates with each of you and wishes each of you the happiest of holidays. Happy Hanukkah!

With so many immigrants creating American’s melting pot it is difficult to determine which traditions are truly American. Most Christmas traditions are a mixture of Irish, Polish, English, and Belgian combined with several other countries. One of the most prominent commonalities across cultures and traditions is family togetherness. This is true even among some non-Christians today who celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday.

Early European settlers brought many traditions to the United States colonizing the South East. Settlers would send Christmas greetings to other colonies by discharging firearms and fireworks into the night sky. Today, Christmas celebrations vary greatly between regions of the United States due to the variety of nationalities that have immigrated here.

In Alaska, a star placed on top of a pole is taken from door to door and is followed by Herod’s Men, who try to capture the star as they sing carols waiting to be invited in for supper.

In Washington D.C., a huge, spectacular tree is lit ceremoniously by the President of the United States. For many families, having a Christmas Trees is an important tradition. Trees can be real or store bought and often decorated with ornaments that have been collected from generation to generation. Often, ornaments can show the heritage of a family or places that they have traveled.

In Arizona, the Mexican ritual called Las Posadas continues today. This is a ritual procession and play represents the search of Mary and Joseph for a room. Families play the parts and visit each other’s homes re-enacting the story while looking at each family’s crib.

In Hawaii, Christmas begins with the coming of the Christmas Tree Ship that brings Christmas trees. These trees must be refrigerated and are of limited quantity. On Christmas Day, under the sunny skies Santa Claus arrives by boat to a large ceremony, and Christmas dinner is eaten outdoors. Many pictures of Santa Clause in Hawaii show Santa Arriving on a Canoe being pulled by dolphins.

In Colorado, an enormous star is placed on the top of a mountain during the holiday season, and can be seen for many miles. All across the United States, Christmas Trees are often topped with angels or stars symbolizing different aspects of the birth of Christ. A common secular option is a large bow with streamers.

Whether you practice these traditions or create your own, remember that Christmas is a time for being with family and friends. At North Raleigh Florist we know how important traditions and family are. We are here to help you celebrate with your family near or far by creating a unique table centerpiece or arrangement using the freshest flowers and Christmas greens. We also have Poinsettias, Christmas Cactuses, and Paper White plants available. Call us today to order an arrangement or plant for yourself, a family member, or a loved one you cannot be near this holiday season.

Happy Holidays from North Raleigh Florist!

When selecting a poinsettia, choose one with tightly clustered, small central flowers and crisp bright foliage.  To care for your poinsettias, the main things to remember are they do not like hot or cold drafts, they prefer bright indirect light, and the soil needs to stay moist. Allow the soil surface to dry slightly and water thoroughly. This can be every 2-3 days or once a week, depending on your home temperature, but do not let the pot stand in water. Leaf drop on poinsettias usually occurs when the plant is not in a bright enough location, or the soil is allowed to get too dry. The warm temperatures in most homes in the winter can make it a challenge to care for your poinsettias.

Poinsettias are not poisonous as once reported! They do have a milky sap that can be mildly irritating to the skin or if ingested by anyone with a sensitivity to it. A child or animal would have to eat multiple plants to show any serious ill affects.  If you follow these reminders, your poinsettias will look great all through the season. Enjoy your poinsettia, and Happy Holidays from North Raleigh Florist!

Questions to ask your self and share with us your florist:

1. Is the arrangement for a sit-down dinner, or a buffet? In other words, will people seated at the table need to see over the arrangement? An arrangement for a buffet table will likely be larger and taller than one for a seated dinner where a low piece that guests can see over is more appropriate.
2. How many people will be seated at the table? If it is a table for 8 with 6 guests, you will have more room for a larger centerpiece than a full table centerpiece than a  full table.
3. Is the table round or rectangular? You want the shape of centerpiece to accent the shape of the table. Avoid mixing shapes.
4. What is the color scheme desired? Try and match the room or the party theme. For example, if the room is red, use complimentary, similar, or neutral colors.
5. The minimum price for a centerpiece is about $25.00. This is a small centerpiece and includes flowers such as Carnations and Daisies. For a centerpiece to do its job and attract attention, you need to use enough flowers to draw the eye.
6. Centerpieces with Lilies, Roses, or other premium flowers will start at $45 for a smaller centerpiece.
7. For a buffet table/tall centerpiece, is there a height restriction on the arrangement? Think about the size of the piece. If it is too low on a buffet, the flowers will be in the food. If the piece is too high it might hit a chandelier or block a décor focal point, such as a mirror or picture.
8. Will there be a lot of food on the table? The more food on the table, the higher the centerpiece you should order. You don’t want the flowers to get in the food. Also, you don’t want a high centerpiece to have greens or flowers that commonly shed, otherwise you might end up with debris in the food!

Next time you are looking to bring a centerpiece to a friend or family member’s home for the holiday think about their home and style. Tell us as many details as you can and we will create a centerpiece that works for you and your needs.

Before you bring your plants in give them a little shower. I usually do it outside. You can also do it in the sink or shower. The main purpose is to wash dust, dirt, and insects off the plants. Check for any damaged leaves and do a general cleanup. I don’t usually re-pot my plants in the fall. Their growth tends to slow some in the winter. If your plant seems to be heavily root bound go ahead and go up one pot size. .It’s also good to give your plant a spray down with an insecticidal soap made for indoor plants. You can also use a spray bottle with a 50/50 mix of water and isopropyl alcohol for insects in a pinch. Spray outside and let the spray dry. Find the brightest place in your house, especially if your plant has been in sun all summer. Keep in mind that glass intensifies the sunlight. You may also have to alter your watering schedule. The heat in the house combined with the lower humidity can be more drying. Some plants may benefit from misting with water several times a week. Check your plants weekly for any insects that may pop up. Even though you don’t think any insects can get in your house, they can be dormant on your plant.

The other change is plants tend to slow or stop blooming in the winter. They need this rest to store up energy for next year. However, with the holiday season approaching there are several plants that bloom in the winter. They include amaryllis, Thanksgiving/Christmas cactus, paper white narcissus, cyclamen, and of course poinsettias! These will all be available at North Raleigh Florist! If you have any questions or need advice, please call North Raleigh Florist and ask for Venetia.