Words of wisdom and shared floral knowledge from the blog at www.flourishdesigns.com.

Thank you to member Ovando for this delightful Thanksgiving greeting!

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Me oh my, Thanksgiving is but a week away.  We certainly appreciate longstanding traditions just as much as the next designer, but who’s to say that you can’t dress up your décor with a more modern spin?

Less really can be more: Warm colors will never go out of style for the fall season. You can easily offer more modernist appeal by working with fashioned, multi-stem arrangements.    Succulent Beauty Mark, featuring swooping callas and our signature succulents, is the quintessential contemporary design for Thanksgiving.   Delicately bold, endlessly elegant, and sure to be admired by all of your dinner guests.

Now, who said that “modern tradition” was an oxymoron?

We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

It is with deep sadness that we announce that Jane Packer has passed away.

Noted International florist and author, Jane championed the vision that flowers are as exciting as fashion and interior design, but entirely more accessible. Her passion for flowers and inspiration taken directly from nature has contributed greatly to the florticulture industry.

Jane’s legacy is an international business – London – Tokyo – New York -Seoul – Hong Kong, and despite the worst recession in living memory, the business has gone from strength to strength. In the UK alone, the recent launch of the acclaimed JANE PACKER fragrance range, the expansion of the JANE PACKER on-line flower shop, and the opening of our latest store in association with John Lewis on London’s Oxford Street, are all testimony to the potency of the JANE PACKER philosophy and brand.

Jane has been busy building a strong creativeteamwho succeed her, led by her husband, Co-Founder and CEO Gary Wallis

To learn more  Jane and her contribution to the floral design industry please see

www.jane-packer.co.uk

Trick or Treat!!  As Halloween approaches, beware the goblins lurking … in some of the more unique flowering plants out there!

The Titan Arum, which grows in the rainforests of Sumatra, is a flowering plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world.

Due to its odor, which is reminiscent of the smell of a decomposing mammal, the titan arum is characterized as a carrion flower, and is also known as the “corpse flower”, or “corpse plant”.

 A native to Northern California and Oregon, the Cobra Lily was discovered in 1841 by the botanist William D. Brackenridge at Mount Shasta.  

 This plant is designated as uncommon due to its rarity in the field.   A carnivorous plant, it is also called the California Pitcher plant,  or Cobra Plant, and it is the sole member of the genus Darlingtonia in the family Sarraceniaceae.  

The name Cobra Lily stems from the resemblance of its tubular leaves to a rearing cobra, complete with a forked leaf—ranging from yellow to purplish-green—that resemble  fangs or a serpent’s tongue.

The genus Tacca, which includes Bat flowers and Arrowroot, consists of ten species of flowering plants in the order Dioscoreales, native to tropical regions of Africa, Australia, and south-eastern Asia.

Long time member Mitch’s in New Orleans is carrying an elegant new line of hand-crafted oyster plates as gift items. 

These gorgeous serving plates were recently featured online at:  www.theadvocate.com.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of a great man, Steve Jobs… someone whom many of us claimed as a mentor – A visionary who had the courage and discipline to strip away all the clutter and give us just what we wanted, only what we needed.

Get creative with your entertaining and design by incorporating flowers. Sandra de Ovando, founder and creative director of Ovando Floral & Event Design shows us how to work flowers into everyday design.

Video clip courtesy of www.nbcnewyork.com

100 customers who spent $100 on flowers (exclusive of delivery & fees) received our fall season customer appreciation package :

• a one year subscription to flower magazine.  Learn techniques from top designers, be inspired by floral decor, and infuse your lifestyle with chic floral fashion.
• one year of insider access to Global Black Book for selected travel, lifestyle and connection partnerships worldwide. Where to stay, how to get there, and what to do there.

Keep an eye out for future offers! We appreciate our customers!

This photo shoot featured in January ELLE magazine was shot on location at Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden and Benenson Ornamental Conifers at the New York Botanical Garden. The rich, textural settings provide a striking contrast for the floral prints.

How about a walk in the great outdoors!