Homer, AK Florists

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The fleeting but spectacular bloom of Alabama's lotus

And of course, these are the plants of "lotus-eater" fame, the New World version of the lotus eaten by the sailors in Homer's Odyssey. Clearly, the sight of so many arrayed on the riverbank cast the same spell halfway across the globe and nearly three thousand years ago. "They started at once, and went about among the Lotus-eaters," wrote Homer, describing what happened to three of his sailors. The lotus, he wrote, "was so delicious that those who ate of it left off caring about home, and did not even want to go back and say what had happened to them, but were for staying and munching lotus with the Lotus-eaters without thinking further of their return."Speaking of munching lotus, every part of the plant is edible, meaning it won't kill you. And some parts are down right delicious. Take a visit to an Asian market and you'll find canned lotus and fresh lotus. You can purchase the stems, or the seeds, or the fleshy root. The seeds have a warm and nutty flavor, and, by some accounts, including Bartram's, a laxative effect.That root is the most commonly eaten part. It is a big tuber, shaped like a banana and buried deep, often exceptionally so, in the mud. In fact, a common Buddhist expression holds that, "the lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud." In the Delta, you'll sink up to your knees in the black goo beneath the stands of lotus if you try to harvest one. Also, keep in mind that you'll be in the company of snakes and alligators moving, unseen, around you. It is an eerie feeling, for one of the alligator's favorite hunting techniques is to hide beneath the tall lotus pads and snap unsuspecting birds. So I suggest going the Asian market route. The root can be boiled, fried or sauteed. (If you have an immediate hankering to try lotus root, you may wish to visit Dragonfly Foodbar in Fairhope, which serves the root sliced crossways and fried as a French fry substitute.)An army of pollinators are always at work inside the flowers. You'll see wasps, bees, hornets and multiple varieties of syrphid flies, which, at first blush, look like bees. Another pollinator, though unexpected, is the red-winged blackbird. The birds are crazy about lotus flowers. They will actually rip the flowers to shreds trying to get at the seed pods.As an added bonus, eight and nine foot tall stalks of what appears to be a giant relative of the Queen Anne's lace wildflower are blooming everywhere you look on the riverbanks. It is known as water hemlock, and is a relative of the carrot, according to Bill Finch, noted botanist and science advisor to the Mobile Botanical Gardens. Though kin to carrots, water hemlock is not to be eaten, he cautions. Of all the tours I run in the Delta, those during lotus time are among the most popular. Once I nose the boat into a stand, with the tall pads hanging over the bow, people become almost immediately lost staring at the little world going on among the pads, under the pads, and above the pads.Indeed, the community living on, beneath and around the lotus stands in the Delta embraces all manner of creatures. Bitterns can be seen clinging to lotus stalks, seeking prey. Egrets perch on the pads for a better view. Dragons and damselflies hunt above the overhanging pads, while snakes and gators ease by below. Meanwhile, golden topminnows and killifish shelter in the shadows hoping to avoid bass and bream lurking in the underwater forest created by the tall stalks and flower stems.The chance to see the lotus population in all its glory is fleeting. Each blossom opens for a day, closes for the night, and reopens a final time on the second day before the petals fall off. The seed pods continue to grow for another month. The lotus bloom for about three ... https://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2018/07/the_fleeting_but_spectacular_b.html

Flowers become works of art in exhibits 'Flora in Winter' at Worcester Art Museum and 'In Bloom' at Tower Hill ... - MassLive.com

It's a succulent feast for the eyes and spirit in the middle of winter!"This year's Flora in Winter theme is "Swept Away," inspired by the museum's exhibit "Coming Away: Winslow Homer and England."The "Coming Away" exhibit will be at the Worcester Art Museum until Feb. 4. It is developed around two "iconic" Homer paintings: The Worcester Art Museum's The Gale (1883-93) and the Milwaukee Art Museum's Hark! The Lark (1882).Guests can get a first look at the blooming exhibit during a preview reception on Jan. 25. The night will feature live music, artisanal sweets and a cash bar. Admission for that event is listed here.Admission to Flora is free during exhibition hours with the exception of the Flora preview reception.For nonmembers, admission is $22 for adults and $6 for youth during exhibition hours.There are various lectures and events during the four-day Flora exhibit. Find more information here.Following Flora in Winter, Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston is showcasing its own floral event."In Bloom" is a three-weekend event that recognizes the flowers of winter. The show features three themes: Earth, Wind and Flower on Feb. 10 and 11; Stempunk on Feb. 17 and 18; and Camellia on Feb. 24 and 25.Admission prices and hours are listed here. http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2018/01/flowers_become_works_of_art_in.html

Arkansas gallery features art, classes, peace - Arkansas Online

MAIL UPDATES: Get free breaking news alerts, daily newsletters with top headlines delivered to your inbox]Perhaps the best known artist featured at the gallery is C. Ford Riley, known as "the Winslow Homer of the South," McClain said. Riley lives in Florida and Georgia. His landscape paintings reflect nature, even duck-hunting season in Stuttgart."He really has elevated our opportunities by believing in us," McClain said.Riley's painting Spring Morning hangs near the gallery's front door. A visual feast of browns and greens, the painting shows two turkeys in a forest. Nearby is his Deer in Fog Break. Brown is again a dominant color.Nina Baker's works are varied. There's 8 Piece Special, a watercolor of blue, red, white and orange chickens. Sheep from Pisgah, a sheep farm she and her husband own, show up in other paintings. Pisgah is the Hebrew word for mountains."The sheep farm for us is a gift from God, combining tranquility, biblical lessons from the sheep, endless plein air painting opportunities and physical exercise," Baker is quoted as saying on the gallery's website.Many of Baker's works reflect nature, from flowers to birds to a nest with three pale blue eggs. In Joy, a little girl in blue holds a lamb.Some of the gallery's art reflects the city's and the region's history.Siloam Springs artist John P. Lasater IV's works, for example, include a painting of Stoby's, a longtime Conway restaurant shown just two weeks before it caught fire last year. It is a plein-air work, meaning he painted it outdoors and on-site -- in this case, a small, yellow restaurant with green-and-white awning on Donaghey Avenue.There is also Megan Ledbetter's photograph titled Road Most Traveled. It shows a dilapidated wooden bridge over Cadron Creek. Parts of the bridge are missing. The cars that once crossed it have given way to a green forest of trees, flowers and weeds growing into, around and over the bridge.Croft, assistant gallery director and artist in residence, offers paintings of sunflowers, daffodils, bluebonnets and more; boats parked in Israel and a boat in Iceland that's sitting near both a glacier and brilliantly green grass. She's also painted an apple so green it could be the gallery's logo.A committee decides which works the gallery will display."We want all of our artists to fit with our vision, our heart for the arts," McClain said.That vision, she said, is "to bring beauty into Conway" at a time when the world and the country face so many problems.Gallery prices are as varied as the artworks, from two-digit to five-digit figures. Other items, such as illustrated note or recipe cards, also are available and can be commissioned.W... http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/jul/05/gallery-features-art-classes-peace-2017/?f%3Dnews-arkansas

Florist's chic home bursts with flowers and retro finds - Stuff.co.nz

They also built a deck at the back of the house and a series of large vege gardens.Shop for your homeRumble in the jungle cushion designed by Nellie RyanA cabinet holds a collection of skulls and various wine glasses.  FLORENCE CHARVIN?Retro religious themed prints line one wall.                                   FLORENCE CHARVINJeffares' collection of secondhand crystal candlestick holders.    FLORENCE CHARVIN?A simple bouquet of green foliage.                                                FLORENCE CHARVIN ??.stuffhome-pointer{ width:100%; min-height:38px; clear:both; margin-bottom:20px; margin-top:10px;} .stuffhome-pointer-inner{ float:left; width:100%; min-height:38px; /* background-color: #fff; */ background-repeat: repeat-x; } .stuffhome-pointer a{ text-transform: lowercase; padding-top:10px; padding-right:100px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left:0px; width:100%; min-height:38px; color: #41AD95; display:block; font-family: 'Merriweather Sans', serif; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 300; overflow: hidden; background-image: url(http://file.stuff.co.nz/stuff/tom/pointers/homed/stuffhomedlogo.png); background-position: right top; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto 26px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size:14px; border-bottom: solid 2px #41AD95;}.stuffhome-pointer a:hover{/* text-decoration: underline; */ opacity: 0.6;}.stuffhome-pointer a span{ font-weight: 700; }@media only screen and (max-width: 360px) { .stuffhome-pointer a{ background-position: right 10px; }}When you walk into this home you get an immediate sense of Jeffares and Williams. It is fun, welcoming, collected, cool, and full of personality. There are pieces that have been foraged from second hand shops, handed down from family, some that have been gifted. All are cherished.A collection of retro glassware and water jugs.                             FLORENCE CHARVIN Duck egg blue is a favourite colour .                                             FLORENCE CHARVIN Modern prints adorn the walls in the living room.                      ... http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/93418626/florists-retro-chic-home-bursts-with-flowers-and-retro-finds

Tripping Daisy flowers again at Homegrown Festival - Fort Worth Star Telegram

Gaston Avenue was like, to the reformed group’s introduction by George Gimarc, the DJ/program director who put the first generation of The Edge radio station on the map, this show was for the homers, those who still get misty-eyed and pour a funereal 40-oz. for such long-gone venues as Theatre Gallery and such bands as Course of Empire.For the rest of us, those who weren’t here at the time, Tripping Daisy staged a giddy, colorful, and entertaining run through their catalog of psychedelicized rock and trippy, punkish power-pop, even if it didn’t have that deeper emotional pull of memory. Playing against a backdrop of a giant video screen showing everything from surreal imagery to clips from disaster films, the band turned out energetic takes on much of their catalog, from “Creature” to “Bang” as well as an especially shimmering “My Umbrella” (dedicated to WFAA/8 meteorologist Pete Delkus) to, of course, the sing-along hit “I Got a Girl.” For that extra throwback touch, there were even some stage-divers and crowdsurfers.Now a six-piece featuring DeLaughter, bassist Mark Pirro, drummer Bryan Wakeland, guitarist Philip Karnats, guitarist Nick Earl, and keyboardist Brandon Curtis, Tripping Daisy sported a punchy, full sound. But the memories of the late guitarist Wes Berggren (who died in 1999) and drummer Ben Curtis (Brandon’s brother, who passed away in 2013) hung over the otherwise jubilant night. It’s something DeLaughter acknowledged at the end of the set, telling the crowd “we all went through this together. It’s a given we miss Wes. It’s a given we miss Ben.”DeLaughter also said this reunion wasn’t a one-time thing and a farewell -- well, to be accurate, it has been a two-time thing since they’d played a warm-up show at Club Dada Thursday night -- as there will be more performances scheduled. He also wanted to play at least one more song Saturday but said they’d already busted curfew and, with that, they sent everyone off into the warm night.Yet it was a disconnect that a festival called Homegrown, launched as a celebration of Lone Star State music and with a Tripping Daisy reunion as its main drawcard, featured so many imported acts this year from afar afield as, gasp, Lo... http://www.star-telegram.com/entertainment/music/article150483977.html

Let Flowers Sell Your Home

True lilies look like exotic flowers, but are very hardy perennials that can survive temperatures of 40 below zero.  Early summer blooming Asiatics are the hardiest, and even survive in Alaska, while late blooming Oriental-trumpet hybrids require less chilling time to form blooms, and will thrive in zone 9. In the desert conditions of the U.S. mountain Southwest, substitute with carefree day lilies, which don't mind the relentless heat and drought.7. Jasmine - The common jasmine we love for its sweet perfume is not a frost-hardy plant, but an Arabian jasmine plant will flower throughout the summer in a partly sunny spot. Grow the vine in a large pot that you can move indoors for showings, and the flowers will emit a soft perfume in your home. For a hardier specimen, plant the look-a-like Sweet Autumn Clematis, which has similar-looking fragrant flowers.8. Pelargoniums - Also known as geraniums, this favorite bedding plant is a natural choice to brighten borders, porches, and pool areas. A full sun exposure with good air circulation is a must for these annuals, so if your lot is shady substitute with the perennial Cranesbill Geranium.9. Hydrangeas -  Plant a compact type like 'Bombshell' by your front door, or anchor the corner of your landscape with the large shrub, 'Grandiflora.'  Blue varieties need acidic soil to produce blue flowers, so keep some aluminum sulfate on hand if your hydrangea flowers are pinker than you'd like.10. Sunflowers - A sunflower patch ties together a cottage garden the way few other flowers can. In addition to making a robust floral statement from a distance, you can use sunflowers to screen an unattractive utility box or air conditioning unit. Sunflowers grow in all climates, but they need time to mature if starting from seed.There you have the 'Top 10' bloomers that potential homeowners say enhance the image when shopping for a home.  A splash of color with a touch of fragrance before listing undoubtedly can result in more green in your wallet. Watters: a href="http://www.wattersgardencenter.com" targ... https://www.prescottenews.com/index.php/features/columnists/mountain-gardener/item/32449-let-flowers-sell-your-home

Five new grants, one CVSG, but no Arlene's Flowers

Supreme Court by Floridian Fane Lozman, “floating home” owner and local-government watchdog. The justices today announced that they would review the case of another repeat plaintiff: Alaskan Jim Sturgeon, hovercraft hunter. (Sturgeon’s petition contains a fun fact: “If Manhattan had the same population density as Alaska, 28 people would live there.”)Sturgeon’s case began over a decade ago, when rangers from the National Park Service told him that it was a crime to operate his hovercraft (which he was using to hunt moose) on the Nation River, which is within the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. The rangers cited a Park Service rule that prohibits the use of hovercraft on public lands; Sturgeon countered that the waterway was owned by the state, and he went to court to challenge the enforcement of the rule on the river. The lower courts ruled for the state, but in 2016 the Supreme Court threw out those rulings, holding that the lower courts had misconstrued the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, a federal law governing the National Park Service’s authority over lands in Alaska. The justices did not, however, say how the law should be interpreted, instead returning the case to the lower courts.Sturgeon is now back at the Supreme Court, asking the justices to decide the same question that they declined to settle two years ago: whether the ANILCA bars the National Park Service from regulating other land – owned by the state, native corporations or private owners – within the boundaries of Alaska national parks. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that the Nation River is actually “public land” because the federal government has a water right in it – a conclusion that Sturgeon describes as a “crushing blow to Alaska’s sovereignty” that gives the Nationa... http://www.scotusblog.com/2018/06/five-new-grants-one-cvsg-but-no-arlenes-flowers/

Eva Kilgore: Taste of Huntington Beach was tastier than ever — picking the best was a challenge for the taste buds

Mother’s DayWhere are you taking mom on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13?Market Broiler is an excellent choice. How about the Blueberry Quinoa Salad, fresh fish such as Pan-Seared Alaska Halibut, and Meyer Lemon and Raspberry Crème Brulee for dessert?There will be a special Surf & Turf selection on Mother’s Day, too.Relax with a glass of wine or a cocktail. Enjoy some fresh sourdough bread. Mom is sure to feel very, very special and leave with a big smile on her face.Market Broiler is in Huntington Beach at 20111 Brookhurst St. near Adams Avenue. Information: marketbroiler.com or 714-963-7796.Adoption at Top Dog BarkeryJoin K9 Kismet Dog Rescue and Top Dog Barkery on Sunday, May 19 from 11 a.m. to  3 p.m. for a pet adoption day. Bring your pet. Fido will get some cake, and you just may find a new four-pawed friend for him.Take home a free sample of Nulo dog food while you’re there. Lots of fun for everyone.Top Dog Barkery is in Huntington Beach at 21010 Pacific Coast Highway near Main Street. Information: topdogbarkery.net or 714-960-3647.Pink: the little flower shopHow about a unique gift that includes flowers and candy for mom? At Pink: the little flower shop in Fountain Valley, you can pick mom’s favorite animal, and staff will create a flower arrangement with the adorable face of a dog, a cat … or?Add delicious Sugarfina Champagne Gummy Bears, or Sugarfina Fiji Apple Caramels with your order. Perfect!Pink: the little flower shop is at 18120 Brookhurst St., Suite 53, near Talbert Avenue. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday; closed Tuesday and Sunday. Information: pinklittleflowershop.com or 714-962-5631.Mayor’s BallHere’s an opportunity to get involved in your city. The Fountain Valley Chamber of Com... https://www.ocregister.com/2018/05/07/eva-kilgore-taste-of-huntington-beach-was-tastier-than-ever-picking-the-best-was-a-challenge-for-the-tastebuds/

Shop Talk: Floral studio owner on how staying small helped business flourish - Anchorage Daily News

This is an installment of Shop Talk, an occasional series of interviews with business owners in Alaska, typically focusing on the state economy and how it is affecting them. Dallas Wildeve didn't have a background as a florist when she decided to open up floral studio Bloomsbury Blooms in Anchorage in 2012. She studied art in college, but gardening and plants had always been a part of her life. So she decided to jump into the industry, and learned along the way the challenges of sourcing flowers in Alaska. At Bloomsbury Blooms' small shop downtown on Fourth Avenue one recent morning, Wildeve arranged foraged birch branches and spruce along with California roses, poppies and other flowers at a table in the back of the studio for a customer order. One goal at Bloomsbury is to use a foraged item — mostly from the shop's Sutton farm, called Bloomsbury Gardens at Eska Ridge — in all arrangements. The studio also focuses on locally made pottery for the vases. Wildeve talked to the Anchorage Daily News about her business.How did it go in the beginning with this business, with...