Aledo, IL Florists

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The Gardeners Who Planted for US Presidents - Prescott eNews

Atholl, near Dunkeld. In 1856 McKerichar was hired as a foreman under John Watt, taking on the role of head gardener nine years later. Known for his hothouse grapes, he also raised off-season Caledonian cucumbers for President Grant. Like the gardeners before him, he resigned from the White House to open a garden center in Alexandria, Virginia.George Field (Served 1875–1877, under Ulysses Grant.) The first English gardener at the White House, Field's floral fame came after he left the White House. He opened a garden center on Georgia Avenue NW with his brother Thomas. Field was responsible for naming and promoting the 'American Beauty' rose, originally selected on historian George Bancroft's estate as 'La Madame Ferdinande Jamin.' Field supplied the cattleya orchids for Alice Roosevelt Longworth's bridal bouquet in 1906. The Washington Post described him as an orchid specialist. He was an active member of the Florist Club of Washington. In 1916, he sold his stock of orchid plants for $15,000.Henry Pfister (Served 1877–1902, under Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt.) A native of Zurich, Switzerland, Pfister trained in the conservatories of a Swiss banker and at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. He made his way to Cincinnati and then to Washington, where he was hired under Hayes. Pfister managed the greenhouses, designed and planted the ornamental beds around the White House lawns, and provided all indoor floral and plant decorations, including the wedding of Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom. He later opened his own florist and landscape design business on Connecticut Avenue.George Hay Brown (Served 1902–1909, under Theodore Roosevelt.) The son of a landscape gardener in Perthshire, Scotland, where he learned the family trade. In 1850, the family immigrated to the United States. In 1858, Brown took a job in Washington D.C. at the government experimental gardens. During the Civil War, he served with the Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans. By 1890 he was back in Washington D.C. as a public gardener with the War Department. Brown worked on the Capitol grounds, city parks, and the government propagating gardens and greenhouses near the Washington Monument, as well as the White House. He taught Theodore Roosevelt's children how to propagate plants in his greenhouses.Charles Henlock (Served 1909–1931, under William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover.) A Yorkshireman, and proud of his horticultural training, having worked for Lord Mowbray in Yorkshire, Lord Denbigh in Warwickshire, and Lord Harrington in Derbyshire before spending five years with the Royal Horticultural Society. Henlock arrived in Washington D.C. just before President Cleveland's wedding in 1886 and was hired as a foreman gardener at the White House, and grew to the propagating gardens and city parks. Henlock was the White House head gardener in 1909, where he was responsible for the first shipment of cherry trees sent from Japan as well as the successful plantings around the Tidal Basin.William Saunders Reeves (Served 1931–1945, under Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt. William Saunders Reeves was the first American-born White House head gardener.) His grandfather, William Saunders, was the chief of experimental gardens for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and founder of the National Grange but is perhaps best remembered for introducing the navel orange. Reeves worked under both Roosevelt's, starting as a groundskeeper at the White House during t... https://www.prescottenews.com/index.php/features/columnists/mountain-gardener/item/34856-the-gardeners-who-planted-for-u-s-presidents

Revealed: The First Flower, 140-million Years Old, Looked Like a Magnolia - Scientific American

Previous evidence pointed to different answers. On the one hand, one of the earliest diverging lineages of flowering plants, represented nowadays only by a rare shrub from the Pacific island of New Caledonia called Amborella, has flowers that are either male or female. On the other, most modern species combine both sexes in the same flower.The authors of the study settle the question and show that the ancestral flower was a hermaphrodite. This means that early flowering plants could reproduce both as a male and a female. Combined sexes can be advantageous when colonising new environments as a single individual can be its own mate, and indeed many plant species colonising remote oceanic islands tend to be hermaphrodite. Maybe the combination of sexes helped early flowering plants to outcompete their rivals.The devil’s in the detailDespite the apparent similarity with some modern flowers, their ultimate ancestor has a few surprises up its sleeve. For example, botanist have long thought that early flowers had floral parts arranged in a spiral around the centre of the flower as can be seen in modern species such as the star anise.The new reconstruction, though, strongly suggests that early flowers had their organs arranged not in a spiral, but in series of concentric circles or “whorls”, as in most modern plants. The early flower had more numerous whorls, however, suggesting flowers have become simpler over time. Paradoxically, this simpler architecture may have given modern plants a more stable base upon which to evolve and achieve more complex tasks such as sophisticated interaction with certain insects as in orchids, or the production of “flower heads” made of dozens or hundreds of simpler flowers as in the sunflower family.Although now we have a good idea of what one of the earliest flowers may have looked like, we still know little about how that flower came to be. The detailed steps leading to its evolution are unknown. Perhaps we will have to wait for the discovery of new fossil flowers spanning the gap around 250m-140m years ago, before we can understand the very origin of what is the most diverse sexual structure on the planet.This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Caledonia florist Mary Ann Schmitz is ready to retire after 65 years - La Crosse Tribune

CALEDONIA, Minn. – At age 87 and after more than six decades in business, Mary Ann Schmitz is finally ready to retire and sell Mary Ann’s Floral & Gift in downtown Caledonia to her great-niece.Schmitz is selling the business and building to Aimee Welscher as of Jan. 1. She will help Welscher until she retires April 2 – exactly 65 years after she and her late husband opened the shop.“Willie and I started the business on April 2, 1952,” said Schmitz, who was parade marshal for the local Founder’s Day Winter Wonderland parade earlier this month (on Dec. 2).Willie died in 1994.Mary Ann’s Floral was in two other Caledonia locations before the Schmitzes bought the house at 308 E. Main St. where the shop has been since 1955. It’s also the home where they raised their children, Ken, Steve, Bill and Debbie.Schmitz said she is retiring for health reasons, and expects to miss operating the floral and gift shop. She plans to continue enjoying playing cards.“I love it,” Schmitz said of being in... http://lacrossetribune.com/business/local/caledonia-florist-mary-ann-schmitz-is-ready-to-retire-after/article_8b06e1cf-2fa6-5dc1-832e-744d35eeb25c.html

Richmond Hill Players staging 'Flowers for Algernon' - Galva News

Mroz and Dana Skiles, all of Geneseo; Justin?Raver, of Kewanee; Tom Morrow and Chris Sanders-Ring, of Rock Island; Lindsay Achenbach, Don Faust and Jim?Strauss, of Davenport, Iowa; Spiro Bruskas, of Aledo; Vicki Deusinger, of Galesburg; Lona Friedman, of East Moline; Terri Nelson, of Lynn Center; and Nicholas Waldbusser, of Hampton.The staff includes stage manager and set builder Mike Skiles, of Geneseo; lighting designer Terry Wilkerson, of Davenport, Iowa; and crew members Taylor McKean, of?Geneseo; and Dee Raver, of Kewanee.Thursdays, Fridays and?Saturdays doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the show starting at 7:30 p.m.Sundays are 3 p.m. matinees with doors opening at 2 p.m. An audio description performance will be Friday, Oct. 7.Reservations are recommended and may be made by contacting the Richmond Hill box office at 944-2244 or by visiting www.rhplayers.com. http://www.galvanews.com/news/20160929/richmond-hill-players-staging-flowers-for-algernon

Best Flower Shop: Julie's Personal Touch Flowers - Journal Times

First place: Julie's Personal Touch Flowers, 5445 Spring St., Mount Pleasant; and 4060 N. Main St., CaledoniaSecond place: Millers Flowers,  219 Sixth St, RacineThird place: Milaeger's, 4838 Douglas Ave., Racine; and 8717 Durand Ave., SturtevantSpring is in the air year-round at Julie's Personal Touch Flowers as flowers and vibrant colors fill the shop.Julie Mohrbacher opened the shop in her basement in 1971. Demand for her work grew quickly. She started doing funerals as well and opened a brick-and-mortar location in 1977.Years of experience and honest service is what Mohrbacher believes makes them the number one flower shop in Racine County.“Originally I only did weddings," Mohrbacher said. "Mothers started calling and thought of me as their florist so I expanded."Her two daughters, Melissa Mohrbacher and Jamie Doe, manage the stores with her — Jamie at the Spring Street location and Melissa at the Main Street location.The locations offer green plants, blooming plants, arrangements, and fresh flowers among its products."We get flowers from all over the world," Doe said. "We get flow... http://journaltimes.com/best-flower-shop-julie-s-personal-touch-flowers/article_f8a5c3ed-cf6b-5f20-8e82-36041e2806d0.html

Palmer Florist Persists Despite No Easter Church | Joliet, IL Patch - Joliet, IL Patch

Joliet Patch's growing list of open and closed businesses, you can do so here. Paul Palmer, owner of Palmer Florist in Joliet. Image via John Ferak/Patch Related: Illinois Coronavirus Update April 9: 462 Deaths Feed A First Responder Becomes Hit For Jody's Hot Dogs Kafe De Kasa Back In Business Thanks To Window Joliet's Dan's Homemade Candies Still Going Strong... https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/palmer-florist-persists-despite-no-easter-church

Sugar Flower owner creates intricate cake designs in backyard of her Cedar Rapids home - The Gazette

I was dabbling in both things — design and food.”After operating her own cafe for three years, Smith earned a degree in graphic design from Southern Illinois University in 2007. She and her husband, Loughton Smith, moved to Cedar Rapids in 2011 and she began working at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center, operated by Kirkwood Community College’s hospitality management program, in 2013.“They wanted me to work with edible flowers, and I’d never worked with the stuff before,” she recalled. “It just kind of fell into my lap, and I just started helping the pastry chefs with wedding cakes.”Smith became an adjunct instructor — “basic, advanced and wedding cake classes” — in Kirkwood’s baking program, where her husband is an instructor. She started thinking about starting her own business about three years ago.“I just decided I wanted to steer my own course,” Smith said. “I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got my studio here and I can make it into a little cake boutique.’”Sugar Flower launched in late 2019. Smith continued teaching but stopped working regularly in the hotel kitchen. The studio is a small building in Smith’s backyard. It may have been built as a hobbyist’s workshop or children’s playhouse, but it has stainless steel countertops, plumbing, electricity, and ample natural light.Smith bakes Sugar Flower cakes in her home’s kitchen, then takes them to the studio for assembly and detailing.Working out of her home means low overhead costs at the expense of some convenience and efficiency.“I have to do certain things in one p... https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/sugar-flower-cakes-cedar-rapids-jennifer-smith-20201113

Chicago Florist Delivers Free Pandemic Pick-Me-Ups - WTTW News

There haven’t been many special events since mid-March – even before the statewide stay-at-home order took effect – when, in an early attempt to prevent spread of the coronavirus, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker put the kibosh on gatherings of 50 or more people.“I had a bunch of St. Patrick’s Day events coming up. Within that week they were all canceled. And within a matter of days the event industry laid flat. Everything was canceled. The entire (special events) industry was at a standstill,” she said. “I would say 95% of my business was done with or forfeited within a matter of days … I didn’t even think something like that was possible. It was like a dream, one long day, because the days blend into each other, you know?”Since then, Breslof pivoted, from special events to special deliveries.She created a gender-reveal arrangement (in pink) to expecting parents.She delivered flowers to a bride who postponed her wedding, sent from the woman’s bridal party.“She said ‘This is the best thing that was ever given to me – other than my ring of course.’ And I was a part of that … when I hear feedback like that, I cry,” Breslof said.And it felt good when – for the first time in weeks – she crafted a bouquet for a bride who went through with an early May wedding on its long-scheduled date.Ananda Zoe Breslof and her 21-month-old daughter. (Courtesy Ananda Zoe Breslof)Then there’s the arrangements sent to bereaving relatives.Breslof said she doesn’t ask customers questions about the circumstances, though a couple have shared with her that she’ll be delivering flowers to someone who lost a loved one to COVID-19.“I’m hearing stories … I hear the way,” she said.Sometimes the stories are more tender than they are sad.“I’m getting people who are ordering flowers for friends who are having a difficult time with this, birthdays they can’t really celebrate. People who just really want – they’re stuck inside now – they want something pretty to look at,” she said. “It’s nature, isn’t it? Being in nature elevates your mood exponentially. Flowers provide that.”Some flowers have gone to people who never ordered or paid for them.Breslof, who has been using Facebook to promote her business, has also been using social media to solicit requests for health care workers, volunteers and lonely hearts deserving of a free floral pick-me-up.“I’ve been doing … several free bouquets as a thank you,” she said.People can nominate anyone who they think could use flowers to “cheer them up a bit.”Deliveries have gone out to an ER nurse whose husband is an ER doctor, a team at Northwestern Memori... https://news.wttw.com/2020/05/09/chicago-florist-delivers-free-pandemic-pick-me-ups

Josh Bilicki, Rich Mar Florist and Lemons of Love Bring Cancer Awareness to the Roval - Kickin' the Tires

Now today, Lemons of Love shares chemo care packages with cancer patients around the world and also provides programming at its Lemons of Love Cancer Resource Center located in Mt. Prospect, Illinois.This weekend at the @CLTMotorSpdwy Roval, we’re partnering with @LemonsOfLove14 and @RichMarFlorist to bring breast cancer awareness to the forefront. We’ll be running this beautiful #51 Ford Mustang in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race. Learn more ????https://t.co/eU9QgRUygR pic.twitter.com/v1VLnmxBHg— Josh Bilicki (@joshbilicki) October 6, 2020This weekend, Rich Mar Florist will adorn the hood of Bilicki’s No. 51 Ford Mustang as a co-primary sponsor. The company isn’t new to NASCAR as a sponsor or tracks in general as the florist company is now a proud track partner of both Pocono Raceway and Dover International Speedway.“Josh and I have worked on small sponsorships these past two seasons, I am honored to finally have a primary sponsorship with him,” said Jonathan Morrissey, Vice President of Rich Mar Florist.  “Cancer awareness is near and dear to our family, so I want to thank Josh and Rick Ware Racing for embracing it.  Josh is a great road course driver, and I am very excited to see the results this weekend.”This Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 will be Bilicki’s 18th start in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020 as he also will also have partners The Builders Outlet Super Store (BOSS), Custom Fiberglass Molding, Insurance King, and Fort Worth Screen Printing on board.In 18 NCS starts this season, Bilicki has a best finish of 25th twice coming at both Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway.The Bank of America Roval 400 NASCAR Cup Series race will take place on Sunday, October 11th at 2:30PM ET.  It will be televised on NBC.?????? pic.twitter.com/6JAfZs8YFQ— Josh Bilicki (@joshbilicki) October 7, 2020Photo Credit: Josh Bilicki Racing... https://kickinthetires.net/nascar/josh-bilicki-rich-mar-florist-and-lemons-of-love-bring-cancer-awareness-to-the-roval/