Decorating & Design
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Make your florals last longer Make your florals last longer
Make your florals last longer of6 tips Floral design guru Michael Pellegrino, co-owner of Toronto's Teatro Verde, gets asked the same question all the time: "How do I make my floral arrangements last longer?" Well, says Michael, it depends on how you care for them. Here, he shares six tips for keeping your flowers looking fresh.1 Fill containers at least three-quarters full so flowers have enough water.2 Use tepid water, not hot or cold. "It relaxes and conditions the flowers, and is especially important if they've been out of water for a little while," says Michael. "It revives them."3 Stir in floral food, or, if you have none on hand, a pinch of sugar. "We've done several tests with floral food in the store," says Michael. "We'll put five stems in treated water and five stems in non-treated water, and we definitely see a difference in the longevity of the flowers."4 Refresh water every few days. "Flowers can drink up a lot of water, especially in the first couple of days," says Michael. "So be sure to check the water level." 5 Re-cut stems and clean them of algae approximately every three days. "Cutting your stems as the days go on will make flowers last longer," says Michael. For example, start with an arrangement of long-stem roses, which are about 50 cm long each. After two days, cut them to about 25 cm; three or four days after that, cut again; then keep snipping every few days until you have just two inches of stem. "You can put those in little julep cups. Divide the flowers and make little arrangements for along the kitchen counter or along the table," he says. "We use roses for our displays at Teatro Verde and we can get three or four weeks out of them."6 Keep your flowers out of direct sunlight. "Flowers don't like the heat," says Michael. "But they do like to be somewhere where there's a lot of natural light."- Credit
- Corinna vanGerwen
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6 beautiful blooms 6 beautiful blooms
6 beautiful blooms ofBeautiful blooms Spring or summer, fall or winter, fresh flowers are a delightful way to add colour and life to your home. Decorate mantlepieces or create centrepieces with these six simple projects. Pretty in purpleHydrangeas are back in style. Show them off in round vases of various sizes (available at most florists and dollar stores). For this simple look, snip flower heads, using one per vase. Hydrangeas tend to be very thirsty; keep them well hydrated with just a little water at a time, which will prevent waterlogging. Styling tip: A trio of flowers in vases has more presence than a single arrangement. Place them in a row on a table or shelf. Red headsMake a big statement with a little bunch of anemones arranged in a large glass vase. Tie stems together with twine and nestle them in some water. Styling tip: Play with scale by placing small flowers in big vases – you can display them in a large space and the flowers won't get lost.Orchid magicFor a striking silhouette that will look elegant on a table or mantel, fill a tall vase with water (to within two inches of the top) and invert a stem of orchids, leaving the stem partially exposed. A stem of cymbidiums will last for about a week under water and costs around $30. Orchids come in subtle pinks and whites, as well as vibrant chartreuse, fuchsia and spotted yellow. Styling tip: Pile orchid blooms in a jar and fill with unscented bath oil; use the oil or just display the jar in your bathroom. Beautiful Blooms page 2 Lofty liliesNot only do lilies smell beautiful, but they're graceful looking, too. Use flowers that are the same height as your vases; for impact, sit two tall cylinder vases on your dining table. Styling tip: For an Asian feel, mix lilies with bamboo or ornamental grasses.Ever greenDon't limit your creativity to just flowers. Ornamental leaves, which are works of art, are available at floral shops and lend a modern, sophisticated touch to any table. Choose broad leaves from anthuriums, philodendrons, soft shield ferns or tulips (or from any flowers you like), curling one inside each bud vase, then adding water. Styling tip: Create interest with leaves of varying colours. Some varieties of hostas have contrasting stripes, as well as long narrow leaves.Mum's the wordRegular chrysanthemums positively blossom when presented in a low tray or vase. If using the ragged fringed type (shown here), choose one colour; if you prefer the regular kind, mix different colours. Snip off stems before filling a tray. Have more fun by arranging mums in rings of colour. Styling tip: If a flower head accidentally falls off, float it in a bowl and display on a side table or in a room for a hit of colour.- Credit
- Sabine Pick
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Decorating with houseplants: It's good... Decorating with houseplants: It's good...
Decorating with houseplants: It's good... ofThe principles of feng shui Imagine a room, empty and uninhabited for years -- you can cut the static stillness with a knife. Then someone places a potted lavender plant on the windowsill, and this lonely space seems infused with life. Followers of the ancient Chinese philosophy of feng shui will say this lavender is more than simply a pleasant window dressing. According to this age-old custom, decorating with houseplants will balance the energy, and create a sense of harmony in every room in the home.Author and feng shui expert Lillian Too says the Chinese describe good feng shui as "the ideal balance of energies in the home." Plants represent wood, the only one of the five elements - the others are air, water, earth and metal - containing energy, or the life force. Indoors, feng shui is all about the placement of objects, including plants, for the best balancing of energy, or ‘Chi'. And Chi quality depends on the balance of yin and yang energies. Yang refers to masculine, creative energy - the more active life force. Yang's feminine counterpart yin, represents passive, still and reflective energy.Yin/yang in the bedroomIn most bedrooms, quiet yin overpowers vibrant yang energy. Though all plants are energizing, those with feathery, softer-looking leaves, namely ferns, are more yin and will promote bedroom tranquility. According to Koidu Sulev, feng shui expert with Richter's Herbs, hanging baskets are great harmonizers as they "lift and circulate the plant's energy." A hanging basket inside the bedroom window, or a planter on the windowsill filled with feathery herbs like lavender or woolly lamb's ear will draw serene energy in from the outdoors. Feng shui in the kitchen and living room Kitchen chiAs the activity hub of most homes, the kitchen usually needs little help from what feng shui followers think of as energizing houseplants. But for a kitchen with a lack-luster feel, Koidu recommends plants with broad, full leaves - they radiate with potent yang energy. Try herb plants with larger leaves like basil, sorrel or sage - and the bigger the better. As sun-worshippers, herbs need either a southerly exposure or a grow-light to thrive. Koidu adds, "In a sunless, low-energy kitchen, even a good quality silk plant in a drab corner adds warm, creative energy - more than a real, but wilting, plant.A balanced living roomFrom lively entertaining to quiet reading, the living room needs the best balance of calm and active energy. A small water fountain surrounded by an arrangement of feathery and broad-leaved plants will create balanced energy or Chi. In feng shui belief, water feeds wood, and draws energy from nearby plants. Corners, where energy is said to stagnate, are excellent locations for a harmonizing plant-fountain arrangement in the living room.Feeling like a feng shui skeptic? Try placing a potted cactus on your night table, and don't be surprised when you sleep fitfully. According to feng shui, prickly cacti release negative energy and bad luck. Replace that cactus with a feathery fern, and say hello to sweet dreams.- Credit
- Patricia Sinclair
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Home decor: All about lavender Home decor: All about lavender
Home decor: All about lavender ofLavender lore "Lavender has been valued over the centuries for its power to relax, reduce stress, induce sleep, cure ailments, arouse the senses, repel insects and provide fragrance and beauty,” says Kate Seaver. The owner of Kate's Garden (www.katesgarden.ca) in Markham, Ont., Kate is something of a lavender expert -- she holds a lavender fair each summer and has put together a booklet called Lavender Lore , from which we've excerpted here for styleathome.com. Read more about lavender's history and create tasty recipes on page 2.Lavender history:Adam and Eve are said to have brought lavender from the Garden of Eden. This aromatic herb was found in the pyramids of the ancient Egyptians,where it was used to preserve bodies and repel insects. Egyptians draped their dead in lavender soaked shrouds. The Romans used lavender as part of their bathing rituals. It is widely believed that the Romans first brought the herb to England. Lavender has been consistently popular since the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, it gained the reputation of warding off the plague.During the great plague of the 17th century, lavender was fastened to each wrist to protect the wearer against the plague, as it became widely known that glove makers, who perfumed gloves with lavender, did not contract cholera. In Medieval and Renaissance Europe, washing women were known as "lavenders" as they used lavender to wash clothes and scent drawers. They often dried laundry directly on lavender bushes.Royal history is filled with stories of the use of lavender. Charles VI of France only slept on lavender filled pillows. Elizabeth I insisted on fresh lavender being available every day. Louis XIV bathed in Lavender water regularly. It was Queen Victoria who truly popularized this plant for both scent and medicinal purposes. English royalty may have given lavender its rank as a cosmetic herb, but it was during the Victorian era that lavender was recognized as a medicinal herb. The first-aid kits of WWI medics contained lavender. Nurses bathed wounds of the soldiers with lavender washes. Even during WWII, lavender was part of a soldier's burn kit. Lavender recipes Lavender lemonade recipesFancy a cup of ice-cold lemonade, with a hint of lavender? Try one of Kate's lemonade recipes. For those not used to the flavour of lavender (or simply not sure it'll appeal to you) try using half the lavender quantities listed here:Quick lavender lemonadeSteep ½ cup dried lavender in a quart of boiling water for about 15 minutes. Strain and use liquid to make up part of the water in a frozen lemonade or limeade mix. Lavender lemonade5 cups water1 ½ cups of sugar12 stems of fresh lavender2 ¼ cups of lemon juiceBoil 2 ½ cups of water with sugar. Add the lavender stems and remove from heat. Put a lid on the container and let cool. When cool, add 2 ½ cups water and the lemon juice. Strain out the lavender buds. Serve the lavender lemonade with crushed ice and garnish with lavender blossoms. Serves 8. Pink lavender lemonade5 cups water2 cups sugar½ cups fresh-hulled strawberries¼ cups fresh lavender2 ¼ cups lemon juiceIn a medium saucepan, combine 2/12 cups water, sugar and strawberries. Bring to a boil and dissolve sugar. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes to extract the pink from the strawberries. Reduce heat. Stir in the lavender, cover and cool. Strain cooled liquid into a large pitcher, and strain the berries. Add remaining water and lemon juice. Stir well. Add sugar as required to sweeten. Just before serving, add ice cubes. Lavender liquid hand soapReal lavender hand soap costs a small fortune, but it's relatively easy to make at home. Save your empty hand soap pump dispensers for this purpose, particularly if they are glass. It also makes a lovely homemade gift.10 tablespoons finely grated castile soap8 tablespoons boiling water2 tablespoons crushed lavender buds4 drops of lavender oilMelt the soap in the water in a bowl placed over a saucepan of hot water, stirring frequently, until smooth. Crush the flowers to a powder and take the bowl off the saucepan. Stir the flowers into a soap with oil. Cool and store in pretty bottlesLavender biscottiDipped in a cup of steaming hot tea, is there anything tastier than biscotti? Here's Kate's recipe for delish biscotti infused with lavender. As with the lemonade recipes, if you're not sure you'll like lavender's minty, thyme-like flavour, halve the amount of lavender in the recipe.2 cups all purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder¼ teaspoon salt½ cup chopped nuts2 large eggs½ cup granulated sugar3 tablespoons dried lavender¼ cup melted butter1 tablespoons honey1 tablespoon lemon rindJuice of one lemon3 tablespoons of milk½ teaspoon of vanilla or lemon extractOptional: Melted chocolate for dippingPreheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, butter, honey, lemon, lemon rind, mile and vanilla extract. Add to dry mixture and stir well. Drop this sticky dough onto a cookie sheet into 2” wide log shapes. Bake until golden and cool for 10 minutes. Slice diagonally and place back onto cookie sheets. Return to oven to cook 20 minutes longer, turning once. Serves 2 dozen. Of course, the easiest lavender recipe of all is to place loose lavender buds in a bowl and enjoy the lovely, relaxing smell.Lavender Lore is available at the lavender fair held by Kate's Garden each year. For more info and for tickets, visit katesgarden.ca.- Credit
- Helen Racanelli
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Home decor: Fabulous floral arrangements Home decor: Fabulous floral arrangements
Home decor: Fabulous floral arrangements ofAnemones & parrot tulips What would warm weather be without flowers? Roses, tulips, anemones – these cheery reminders of spring and summer brighten up even the dullest day and you home decor. Not such a green thumb? That's ok! We're not all gardeners, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy flowers galore in our homes. Mild weather means these blooming beauties are in abundance, so a trip or a phone call to your favourite florist means you can bring these pretty flowers home, today. No garden required!The owner of Toronto-based Nice Stems Floral Design (nicestems.ca), Margarite Raposo shares some fascinating flowers facts and tips for floral arrangements that are beautiful for spring.Spring flower factsFact 1: Because cut peonies are in season for such an unpredictable, short period (around two weeks), no good florist will guarantee them for an event planned ahead of time, like a wedding, Margarite says. So, if you see cut peonies and you love them -- buy them! They'll be gone in a few weeks' time.Fact 2: Tulips are the only flowers that continue to grow after they are cut.Fact 3: One of the only true blue flowers readily available is anemones. Most of the "blue" flowers you see are coloured with food dye in their water.New floral trend: Square, ceramic vases. You'll be seeing a movement away from the traditional glass vases where you can see stems, toward opaque white ceramics. "It gives arrangements a cleaner look," Margarite says.Beautiful ideas for arrangements1 Anemones and parrot tulipsBlue and purple anemones and fluttery two-tone burgundy parrot tulips make for a striking bouquet in saturated colours. A flourish of gauzy ribbon grounds the look. Anemones are one of the hottest flowers this spring, available in red, white, blue, purple and pink. Photography courtesy of Nice Stems. Roses, lilies, rhododendrons, salal leaves 2 Roses, parrot tulips, Asiatic liliesPink-on-pink is a delightfully girly combination. If you're relatively handy with floral foam, this is a bouquet you could easily make yourself. Pick up pink parrot tulips with a touch of green in them, fuchsia roses and open and closed Asiatic lilies, arrange in a white square container with floral foam inside and voilà! Not into pink? Margarite says that yellow is big this season, particularly big bunches of canary yellow carnations.3 Spider mums, roses, rhododendron, two-tone mumsNothing says spring as delicately as green, mauve and yellowy-cream flowers. This is an extremely luxe, traditional arrangement, which would look lovely in a modern space, but just perfect in a home full of old-fashioned character. Seen here: green spider mums, mauve 'Coolwater roses,' two-tone mauve-and-green mums and yellow Rhododendron. 4 Mums, roses, salal leavesSoft white feathers adorn the bottom of this white ceramic container, but they don't compete with the flowers above. This arrangement contains namely, mauve 'Coolwater' roses, and lots of white and pink mums, plus Salal leaves (also known as lemon leaves) for a touch of rich green.Photography courtesy of Nice Stems. Hypericum berries, cymbidium orchids, celosia, nerine 5 Roses, hypericum berriesSome people love their arrangements fresh, fabulous, but most of all, simple: one flower only, please! In this case, the only flower here is cream 'Vandella' roses, which stay fresh for ages and are ideally suited to wedding bouquets, Margarite says. Jazzing up the arrangement is a gentle lacing of hypericum berries in jade.6 Roses, cymbidium orchids, celosia, nerineAn arrangement of sumptuous roses with their petals flipped open and ethereal nerine is a showstopper. Here's what you see, from the middle: Hot pink roses with their petals flipped open (use your thumb and forefinger to gently invert them); pink Cymbidium orchids, red Celosia (coxcomb), and pink nerine. They're arranged in a simple square glass vase.7 Roses, anemones, spider mumsInto strong bursts of natural colour? Try a bouquet of blue anemones, fuchsia pink roses and green spider mums. The look is fluffy and soft and not too fussed over, but will make a statement in your home. Hurray for spring flowers! Helen Racanelli is the feature writer at STYLE AT HOME magazine, and the web editor of CanadianLiving.comPhotography courtesy of Nice Stems.- Credit
- Helen Racanelli
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5-minute flower decorating 5-minute flower decorating
5-minute flower decorating ofFive-minute decorating: Flowers Rocker Elton John shocked the world when it was discovered that he spends tens of thousands of dollars per week on fresh flowers for his homes, even the ones that sit empty! Luckily, fresh flowers don't have to cost a lot to look fantastic. To prove that, we asked Rosemary Little of Quince Flowers in Toronto for a few quickie ideas to transform inexpensive corner-store blooms into colourful design accents. Tin can alley Tin cans with vibrant, eye-popping graphics offer an easy, fun way to display inexpensive market flowers. For a few single stems, remove the contents of the can by opening it with a can opener at the bottom; rinse, then punch three holes through the top using a screwdriver and hammer. Fill a glass with water and place the can over it. Insert a single stem through each hole. For a bunch of flowers, open cans at the top, remove the contents, rinse, fill with water and add flowers. Precious petals This sensuous arrangement will add a dash of romance to any party table and extend the enjoyment of roses. Fill each seven-inch glass cylinder vase with the petals from two or three roses (you can buy loose petals or opened blooms at flower shops at huge discounts); lavender, pink and russet petals are especially seductive. Fill the vases with water and add a floating candle to each. Scatter some more petals on the table around the vases.- Credit
- Angela Lawrence
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Decorating with festive flowers Decorating with festive flowers
Decorating with festive flowers ofFestive flowers As much a sign of the season as holly berries and mistletoe, amaryllis and paperwhites add a touch of holiday cheer to windowsills and dinner tables.Originally from the high Andes regions of Chile and Peru, amaryllis bulbs are now being bred in an amazing range of colours and forms from spidery, lemon-lime blossoms to double, butterfly blooms and giant, velvety red-petaled beauties. But the classics remain some of my favourites – it's hard to surpass the scarlet and red of Naughty Lady‚ the blushing pink of Appleblossom or the pistachio-throated white flowers of Green Goddess.In the world of paperwhites, traditional types such as the intensely scented grandiflorus, with its flurry of snow-white blossoms, are hard to beat. There's also a look-alike called Ziva‚ that blooms a little earlier than grandiflorus, making it a better choice for last minute holiday decorating.Nothing could be easier than growing elegant amaryllis and fragrant paperwhites. Selecting a container is the hardest step: it could be a simple terra cotta pot with a single amaryllis and a lacing of moss covering the soil, or a large Oriental cachepot holding a bouquet of paperwhites. Shallow baskets in merry Christmas colours or dramatic black matte also make good containers for paperwhites. Before planting, add a plastic liner to guard against water damage.Amaryllis need a fairly deep pot to support their height, but one small enough so that the bulb fits snuggly – a 6" pot is ideal for smaller bulbs and 7" is perfect for the larger ones.While paperwhites will grow in either shallow pans of gravel and water or in soil, amaryllis should be planted in potting soil. Here's how:Potting amaryllis1 Before planting, soak the roots of the bulb in water for several hours or overnight, taking care not to dampen the base of the bulb.2 Fill half of the pot with soil mix (African violet potting mix works well), tamp down gently, then place the bulb root-side down onto the soil. The bulb should fit snuggly into the pot without touching the sides. Add more soil to the pot, leaving the top third of the bulb exposed. Water well.3 Keep the soil barely moist until the first green shoots appear from the bulb.4 Place in a bright south, east, or west-facing window, out of direct sunlight.5 Unless your plant is one of the compact dwarf varieties, it will need support as it grows. Red dogwood twigs and twisted willow branches give good support as well as look attractive. paperwhites Planting paperwhites in water1 Line a watertight container with decorative gravel, pebbles or glass beads.2 Crowd a collection of paperwhite bulbs into the container, the cozier the better.3 Add enough water to the container so that it reaches the roots of the bulbs without touching their base.4 Keep in a dark place until green shoots appear.5 Move to a sunny window.6 As the plants grow, they'll lean toward the light. To keep them straight and tall, turn the container slightly each day.7 Top up the water level as required.Planting paperwhites in soil1 Fill a shallow container with a potting mix that includes a high ratio of peat moss, leaving enough space from the surface of the soil to the rim of the container to accommodate the depth of the bulbs.2 Nestle a tight cluster of paperwhite bulbs into the soil, their sides lightly touching, the tips of their noses exposed above the soil, level with the container's rim.3 Care for the paperwhites as in steps 4-6 above, keeping the soil moist, but not damp.- Credit
- Lorraine Flanigan
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Gift guide: We shopped till we dropped to find the best gifts for all the home lovers on your list; Going green: Make your home look freshly festive with do-it-yourself projects featuring lush greenery like moss, silver sage, myrtle and ferns; Decor... more -
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