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Dreaming of a white (or pink) poinsettia? - Fayetteville Observer

Visitors get to see what the wildling looks like, a tall, leggy bush with bract clusters isolated at the end of long branches. This gives measure to how far the breeders and growers have come in producing the poinsettias in the 21st century.A dogwood poinsettia that McLaughlin grew from seed he received from Le Duc is central to the exhibit, though it looks pretty prosaic -- a lanky vase-shaped shrub with small white bract clusters. Ironically, it is the rarest plant in the room. There are far fewer specimens of this in botanic gardens than the much-hyped corpse flower, which always draws TV cameras and crowds.The exhibit also includes now-dated poinsettia varieties that represented advances through the years. One is called Annette Hegg, the first self-branching type. Another is Oak Leaf, one of the first to hold its leaves. But the ones getting the attention from visitors are the new hybrids. "People say, 'How do you get so many bracts?' and we say, 'That's how the plant grows,' " said Devin Dotson, the botanic garden's spokesman. This trait results from the plants' sterility, bestowed by the unnatural parentage. The true flowers fail to develop and fall off.The exhibit features four Princettia hybrids and three Luv U Pink ones.Le Duc, who now teaches at Texas State University, said a well-grown plant in the house could keep blooming until April. It is this stamina and the strong pink colors that prompted Dümmen Orange to pitch the hybrids in Europe as a plant for the Valentine's Day and Easter markets. This hasn't been successful to date. It seems breeders will have to work on more red varieties if the hybrids are to reach their Yuletide potential. The only red I saw at the show was Princettia Red, a darker shade of magenta. One asset these hybrids have is a rich dark-green leaf, a highly desirable trait in poinsettias and one bestowed here by the dogwood poinsettia parentage.Meanwhile, the conveyor belt of traditional poinsettia breeding continues to whir along.Gary Vollmer, product manager for Selecta Poinsettias, said his company is focusing on improving traditional red varieties. The problem with many of the trendy crimson and maroon varieties is that they fade gray, he said. "Our goal is to get that saturated red but not by bringing in blue," he said. Instead it is achieved by breeding to increase the red pigmentation in the layers of bract cells. (This is all done by traditional selective breeding, not with genetically modified organisms.) "If you put enough pigment in there and make it dense enough, it shifts toward the crimson," he said.An example, he said, is the company's Christmas Beauty Red, which came to market two years ago. "It's not a traditional dark red," he said. "It's just really, really red."Vollmer sees two encouraging trends in the marketplace. A decade ago, poinsettias were swept up in the retailers' drive to start the holiday sales season earlier in November. Poinsettia shipments suggest the season is shifting back to December.The other change is a move away from using the poinsettia as a loss leader. "If the consumer sees it as a 99-cent giveaway on Black Friday, or a beautiful $11.99 gift item in the floral department, that's a different value equation," he said. "And I think the retailers are tired of losing money on the giveaways."Gardening TipOnce fresh Christmas trees are brought indoors, they should have an uninterrupted column of water to prevent them from drying out and becoming a fire hazard. Before setting up and decorating, make a fresh cut at the base and check water levels daily. Trees take in a lot of water in their... http://www.fayobserver.com/news/20171216/dreaming-of-white-or-pink-poinsettia

NJ florist died trying to save stranger in Point Pleasant Beach surf - Asbury Park Press

And then every day you realize that he's gone."More: 2017 recorded most rip current-related fatalitiesMore: Why Eatontown man risked all to save drowning boxer in Long BranchJesse Carullo recounted some things that stuck out to him Sunday. Glen Carullo's truck was left in the beach parking lot, Jesse Carullo said. Someone had to go pick that up. Two beach chairs — Glen and Margaret's — were still opened on the sand, unmoved, as if hardly any time had passed at all. And as Margaret Carullo accompanied her husband on an emergency trip to the hospital, she had a red Elmo toy tucked into her purse. Earlier that Sunday, before heading down to the beach, the couple had eaten lunch at Martell's Tiki Bar on Jenkinson's Boardwalk before twiddling with the claw machines, Jesse Carullo said.Glen Carullo had aimed for one of the plush toys clustered at the bottom of the claw machine, a kaleidoscope of technicolor and fake fur.The claw dangled, dipped, seized a stuffed Elmo, and, in uncharacteristic claw machine fashion, hoisted the toy up and out of the machine in one move.Glen Carullo then held Elmo in one hand, pointed to the toy with an opposite finger, and smiled jubilantly for a picture. Glen Carullo, 60, of Waldwick, posing with an Elmo he had just won from a claw machine at Jenkinson's Boardwalk on Sept. 24, 2017. (Photo: Courtesy of Jesse Carullo)He and Margaret decided this Elmo would be the first toy they would give to their first grandchild, due in March, Jesse Carullo said. Margaret Carullo stowed Elmo in her bag for safekeeping.That picture of Glen Carullo with Elmo was the last photo he would ever take. Jesse Carullo uploaded the picture Tuesday to his own Facebook page as a dedication to his brother. As brothers, they were close, and not just in age, as they were only one year and 11 months apart, Jesse Carullo said. In childhood, growing up in Wood-Ridge, this was how it went: If Glen did something, Jesse did it... http://www.app.com/story/news/crime/jersey-mayhem/2017/09/27/glen-carullo-bergen-county-florist-ocean-county-hero/706078001/

Garden Tips: Do your research before planting groundcover - Tri-City Herald

The plant also produces clusters of white flowers.The problem is that bishop’s weed truly can become a weed in the yard and garden. It spreads by long branching rhizomes and also readily self seeds, making it difficult to contain within the area it was planted. Once established, it is aggressive and tenacious.Bishop’s weed is an alien plant. It was supposedly introduced to North America as an ornamental plant by early settlers and was well established in the U.S. by 1863. In some northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, it has escaped cultivation and has become an invasive weed that reduces native species diversity. Research indicates that the main dispersal agent has been gardeners.? Heartleaf (Houttuynia cordata): The red-yellow variegated form of this plant is known as the chameleon or rainbow plant. Like the previous plant, heartleaf is a vigorous groundcover with a creeping habit. The leaves, variegated or solid bluish green, make the plant quite attractive. In early summer it produces pretty single white flowers above the leaves. Heartleaf is not drought tolerant, preferring moist conditions and full sun to light shade. It spreads by rhizomes, making it both invasive and doggedly persistent in the garden.While this plant is quite attractive, it apparently has an odor when crushed or pulled. Fans say it has a delightful citrus or lemon-pepper aroma. Detractors say it is stinky and smells like a skunk or rotten fish.Comments like, “Worst plant in the world. Do not plant it,” or “This plant is impossible to kill. It’s totally invasive,” have been posted by gardeners on various online gardening blogs, which should make you think twice about planting it.Heartleaf is native to southeast Asia and Japan where it grows in moist, shady areas. It is grown in Asia as a vegetable and both the leaves and roots are harvested for eating. While I coul... http://www.tri-cityherald.com/living/home-garden/marianne-ophardt/article100922052.html

Daily remembrance: White roses honor birthdays of 9/11 victims - Asbury Park Press

On Sept. 11, 2001, he watched the first plane hit as he was driving to work. He pulled over, grabbed his medical bag and ran to help.RELATED: Long Branch emergency responders get 9/11 hats“I experienced all the people coming out of the buildings and jumping and all of that stuff,” Collarone said. “When the south tower had fallen, I was trapped” in the Winter Garden Atrium, “but I made it out.”He stayed for about two weeks to help with medical recovery, then started to feel the mental and emotional effects, he said. At a nearby firehouse, he sought out a counselor, who recommended that he go back to Ground Zero and “try to reinvent yourself as something else other than what you were doing and see what you can do,” as Collarone remembers it.He ended up maintaining the pop-up public memorials for the Port Authority. Eventually he started cooking for the workers, bringing ziti and roast beef into the pit, he said.“I wanted to help, always to help,” Collarone said.So when a volunteer suggested flowers be placed to note victims’ birthdays, the museum staff went to Mikey Flowers and asked how much it would cost to buy the roses from him. Collarone didn’t hesitate.“It was an opportunity for me just to give again,” he said. “I was being very selfish, because it made me feel good. … I don’t know how anybody can even accept money for a service for something like that.”ALSO: Sept. 11 lesson makes big impact at Southern RegionalTwice a week he goes to the flower market and picks the perfect roses. They need to have a big head but thin stem. When he finds them, he returns to the store, where he or his staff “conditions” them, cutting them short so the heads open up and making sure they are hydrated. He then brings them to the museum, where they wait in a refrigerator until a vol­unteer comes for them each morning.Recently, Collarone received an email of thanks from a victim’s wife who had asked museum staff about the birthday roses. This is his way, he said, to continue helping.“When I drive by, I can see from the road, the white roses on the names,” Collarone said. “I’m still connected there.”Kara Yorio: yoriok@northjersey.comRead or Share this story: http://on.app.com/2cui2ZS... http://www.app.com/story/life/announcements/milestone/2016/09/05/daily-remembrance-white-roses-honor-birthdays-911-victims/89890480/

Balancing the yin and yang through flower arrangement - The New Indian Express

We want to harness the principle of simplicity and space; we call it ‘yeoback’ denoting the yin-yang balance,” pointed out Lee Yoon Joo. He also explained the concept of having short and long branches that droop down in an arrangement. “One will balance the other. They follow their natural curve and encourage free blooms. This balance and unity is very important,” she said.(The floral exhibition at Inko center will be open till today. A two-month ggotggozi course will also begin on July 9. Registration ends on July 1. For details, call 24361224)... http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Balancing-the-yin-and-yang-through-flower-arrangement/2016/06/25/article3498453.ece

Newark's cherry blossom festival set for this weekend - News 12 New Jersey

NEWARK - Many people around the country are flocking to Washington, D.C. to see the cherry blossoms bloom, but New Jersey residents do not have to leave the state if they wish to see the springtime flowers.The Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival begins this weekend at Branch Brook Park in Newark. “We now have 5000 cherry blossom trees, which outnumbers Washington, D.C. in scale,” says Essex County Parks deputy director Katie Hartwyk. “We also have a larger variety. We have 14 different varieties of cherry blossom trees here in Branch Brook Park. News 12 New Jersey Meteorologist Justin Godynick says weather plays a big part in when these trees bloom. He says that with this year’s mild March, the peak blossoms should occur during the festival. The festival runs from April 6 through April 14. http://newjersey.news12.com/story/40241439/newarks-cherry-blossom-festival-set-for-this-weekend

Ask the Gardener: Flower, bulb shows will put spring in your step - Boston.com

Long Hill in Beverly, and Martha Brookes Hutcheson, who designed what became Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, the grounds of the Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House in Cambridge, and her home in New Jersey, now called Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center. Advance registration is required for the March 9 presentation, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and costs $50. Call 617-384-5277 for more information.The Spring Bulb Show at Smith College in Northampton is in bloom now through March 17. Thousands of flowers have been coaxed into early flowering in the antique greenhouse, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Hours are extended to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday during the show. Call 413-585-2740 or visit garden.smith.edu/events. There is no admission charge, but a $5 donation is suggested.Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Fitzpatrick Greenhouse in Stockbridge is holding it’s annual exhibition of flowering bulbs from March 4 through March 29 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. A sequence of diverse South African bulbs bloom alongside more familiar spring bulbs and a large collection of succulents that is housed year-round in the lovely period curved-glass greenhouse. Visit berkshirebotanical.org for more information.Send questions and comments, along with your name/initials and community to stockergarden@gmail.com. Subscribe to our newsletter at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @globehomes. https://realestate.boston.com/ask-the-expert/2019/02/28/flower-bulb-shows-will-put-spring-in-your-step/

Floral Nightmare: A warning about a website to stay away from - KRDO

They're saying they're local when they are not. They're based out of New Jersey, but they have people in a lot of different communities telling folks they're right here," Liebert said.We called to see for ourselves but found the phone number on the site only leads to an automated message and then hangs up.Bottom line - do your research. Even if the site looks believable, call or do a simple Google search to make sure. In the meantime, our team has contacted the Colorado Attorney General's office to request the site be taken down. https://www.krdo.com/news/colorado-springs/floral-nightmare-a-warning-about-a-website-to-stay-away-from/1040065847

Better Than Roses - The Newtown Bee

The Sunshine Bouquet Company began in New Jersey before branching out to Florida and Columbia, which allowed “Sunshine to provide efficient, rapid delivery to the United States.”Ms Brisch said Big Y also offers flower bouquets and potted plants from local farms, like Cavicchio Greenhouse in Sudbury, Mass. Since Big Y is headquartered in Springfield, Mass., its local farms are located in Massachusetts or Connecticut. Newtown Big Y Store Director Angelo Soto shared a list of all of its local farms, and those include Casertano’s Greenhouse in Cheshire, Connecticut Valley Flower in Hamden, Geremia Greenhouse in Wallingford, and Grower Direct in Somers.“There are so many local things to chose from,” said Ms Brisch.From choosing to support a conscientious company to finding ways to support local farms there is more to consider than just the color of a bouquet’s assorted flowers.Off-Season OptionsConnecticut-grown flowers can be hard to find in the winter.Natalie Collette of The Gardenist of Norwalk offers floral arrangements and designs, along with garden design support and maintenance, according to her Facebook page, The Gardenist. She mostly sells her flowers to local florists and people who contact her directly. A farmer florist, Ms Collette said she has private properties where she plants seasonal flowers, all organically. She harvests and creates bouquets along with maintaining a dahlia farm in New Haven. Growers in Connecticut, unless they have a greenhouse, do not grow flowers out of season, she observed. This makes it harder for local shops to maintain locally grown flowers in the winter months.When asked for ideas for alternative Valentine’s Day presents, Ms Collette recommended gifting a living flower arrangement or foraging for a bouquet of seasonal elements. Potted plants from a nursery also provide year-long enjoyment.“If it is a perennial, you can enjoy the plant from when you purchase it [until you] plant it in the spring,” said Ms Collette, who is currently selling hous... https://www.newtownbee.com/better-roses/02102019