Arcola, IL Florists

Arcola Flower Shop News

How Farmopolis is saving Chelsea Flower Show plants for North ... - The Wharf

Saturday, July 30, the collection will open to the public with free launch activities taking place throughout the day and into the evening.These include child-friendly shows by the Arcola Theatre, face painting, a botanical jewellery class and dream potion making (no psychoactive ingredients, we understand).Charitable visitors can also adopt a rescued plant from the Chelsea Flower Show and the Farmopolis cafe and bar will be serving “narrative driven seasonal food and drink” over the course of the day. We can only imagine what that story might be. The Clipper Bar's floral cocktail collection in celebration of Farmopolis' Great Plant RescueIf that’s not enough to wet your whistle or the outside becomes all too much, though, The Intercontinental London – The O2 ’s Clipper Bar (over the other side of the Peninsula) has come up with a range of summer cocktails inspired by the floral display at the floating garden.These include The Orchid featuring edible flowers, Pink Blossom with lavender, Orange Dahlia with, well, oranges and Blue Hyacinth with violet liquor.They’re probably not suitable for the kids, however, Farmopolis does have a range of child-friendly events taking place throughout August and the details are here.Follow The Wharf on Twitter @the_wharf .Keep up to date with all our articles on Facebook . http://www.wharf.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/how-farmopolis-saving-chelsea-flower-11664164

Capital - Why are flowers so expensive? - BBC News

Jeanie McKewan, who has been growing flowers for 13 years in the US states of Illinois and Wisconsin, points to insect damage as a big challenge, saying there’s a “zero tolerance” policy: “It is through constant vigilance and the use of integrated pest management that we keep the little buggers from getting the best of our crops,” she says.Then the flowers have to bloom on schedule. In the case of Mother’s Day tulips planted in January or February, they have to bloom by early May in time to be picked and shipped.Labour costs are already high – according to the 2012 US Agricultural Census, contract and hired labour accounted for 10% of total agricultural operating expenses in the US, but that number soared to 40% for greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production because of a tighter farm labour market and rising wages. Then you add extra costs for peaks.McKewan hires extra hands during peak periods but says cutting flowers “requires experience and cannot be done by just any part-time employee”. Chris Drummond, a Philadelphia-based florist, says wages average around $13.25 (£10.16) per hour in the US. “In order to ramp up production to meet holiday demand, growers are required to pay far above that average,” he says.In developed countries like the Netherlands or Germany, Stewart says that there are greenhouses with automated technology like sophisticated watering machines or robot transplanters and harvesters, where fewer workers are needed. But in poorer nations with cheaper labour, there’s less use of technology.  Then it’s time for shipping. While flowers are waiting on the runway or in the back of a lorry, temperatures can’t be too cold (for Valentine’s Day) or too hot (for Mother’s Day). When they arrive at the wholesaler, they must look perfect. That means no bug bites, no missing petals, no dead buds. Otherwise, they get thrown away. “It has to be flawless,” Stewart says.Complicated logisticsChris Drummond, the florist, estimates that the holiday volume “is usually nearly 20 times the everyday volume”. He says many farmers nurture flowers all year long to ensure enough blooms for the handful of holidays. During the other months on the farm, he says, flowers are sold at cost, below cost or discarded and turned into mulch.“So, of course farm price increases as demand increases,” he says. “Consumers are paying a premium to make sure that grower is compensated for their expense and effort to maintain the plants year-round, thus ensuring the wide variety of flowers is available at each holiday.”He highlights costs across the supply chain, saying industry participants must “rent temporary space, pay fuel surcharges, find space on airlines, hire independent drivers, find more refrigerated trucks, pay overtime to staff” and more. Roses flown from Bogota to Miami are hit with a 15-cent (£0.12) importer’s fee to clear customs and inspection. Domestic refrigerated shipping can vary, but that’s another eight cents (£0.06) per rose.It also depends on what kind of flower you’re shipping – Drummond says 300 carnations can fit into the same box as 150 roses, so the transport price per stem is halved. Transit time from field to florist can be up to a week (though it can wildly vary depending on where the flowers are coming from), and the blooms must be carefully handled every step of the way.Hans Larsen is a cut flower grower in the US s... http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190507-why-are-flowers-so-expensive

Food flowers - Illinois Times

Do not eat any plant if you’re not totally sure what it is, and ask an expert like the folks at University of Illinois Extension Service if you have any questions. Some flowers, like daylily (which are in a different plant family than the toxic true lilies) can act as a diuretic and should be eaten in moderation. Make sure that the flowers you eat or cook with have not been sprayed or treated, and never eat roadside flowers or those purchased from a florist. Flower jelly 2-3 cups loosely packed flower petals, such as violet, rose, sunflower, dandelion or nasturtium. (Be sure to pinch off only the petals and discard the base of the flower, as it can give the jelly a bitter taste.) Juice of one lemon2 ½ cups boiling water 1 package of Sure-Jell pectin (you can certainly use a different kind of pectin, but you may need to adjust the recipe method according to the package directions) 3 ½ cups sugar Sort through the flower petals and rinse them gently under running water to remove any dirt or bugs. Place the flower petals in a heat-proof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let the flower “tea” steep for at least two hours or overnight. Prepare a water bath canner and have ready six half-pint jars with new lids and bands. After the mixture has steeped, strain it through a fine meshed sieve into a nonreactive saucepan and discard the flower solids. Add the lemon juice (this may cause the color of your tea to brighten or change hue). Slowly stir in the pectin and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil for one minute, then add all the sugar at once. Stirring continuously, return to a boil and cook for one minute. Ladle the hot mixture into the clean, hot jars. Wipe the rim of the jars, then place a lid on top and gently screw on the band (do not put it on super tight). Process in the water bath for five minutes, then remove from the water and set out onto a towel to cool overnight. As the jars cool you should hear an occasional “pop” coming from the jars, indicating a good seal has been achieved. *for rose jelly, add a tablespoon of rose water to the rose petal tea to enhance flavor **add a ½ tablespoon or so of crushed red pepper flakes to nasturtium jelly for savory kick  Ashley Meyer is a Springfield-based food writer, cook and avid gardener. https://illinoistimes.com/article-21169-food-flowers.html

Brighton florist achieves title of certified designer - AdVantageNEWS.com

Leanne Muenstermann, owner of Leanne’s Pretty Petals in Brighton, has earned the title of Illinois certified designer during the Illinois State Floral Association’s annual floral design show March 14-18 in Champaign, Ill. She was assessed in theoretical knowledge of advanced design styles and techniques. She was required to create three “advanced design” arrangements during a timed test. Internationally recognized floral industry professionals evaluated these advanced designs. Muenstermann is one of only five florists in Illinois to earn this accreditation. She earned her title of Illinois certified professional florist during last year’s annual floral design show. She is one of 58 florists in the state to earn this distinction. She is working toward her national certified floral designer accreditation through the internationally recognized American Institute of Floral Designers. To maintain the Illinois certified designer accreditation, the designer must continue to accumulate continuing education credits each year and maintain his or her membership in the ISFA and ICP... https://advantagenews.com/news/business/brighton-florist-achieves-title-of-certified-designer/

Contrasting Soupman (SOUPQ) & FTD Companies (NASDAQ:FTD) - Fairfield Current

The company was formerly known as UNOL Intermediate, Inc. FTD Companies, Inc. was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois.About SoupmanSoupman, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells soups in the United States. It markets and sells its products to grocery chains, school systems, and franchisees under The Original Soupman brand name. The company also franchises Original Soupman restaurants and mobile unit; and other high-traffic locations, such as casinos, airports, theme parks, and other tourist locations. It has 9 franchise locations, including co-branded locations. The company was formerly known as Passport Arts, Inc. and changed its name to Soupman, Inc. in January 2011. Soupman, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is based in Staten Island, N... https://www.fairfieldcurrent.com/news/2019/01/03/comparing-soupman-soupq-ftd-companies-ftd.html