Aledo, IL Florists

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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

Getting a green thumb — tips for beautiful plants - WOODTV.com

Harder and Warner gave us some tips.Tip #1 – pruningTip #2 – waterTip #3 – fertilizeHarder and Warner is located at 6464 Broadmoor AveCaledonia(616) 698-6910Share this:AdvertisementWOOD TV8 provides commenting to allow for constructive discussion on the stories we cover. In order to comment here, you acknowledge you have read and agreed to our Terms of Service. Commenters who violate these terms, including use of vulgar language or racial slurs, will be banned. Please be respectful of the opinions of others. If you see an inappropriate comment, please flag it for our moderators to review. http://woodtv.com/2015/07/23/getting-a-green-thumb-tips-for-beautiful-plants/

Hoffmann family to acquire another Naples business - Naples Daily News

David Hoffmann, chairman of Hoffmann Commercial Real Estate and the founder of Osprey Capital, a private equity company based in Illinois, said his family's event companies in Naples were buying so many flowers that it made a lot of sense to purchase an upscale florist — and Kaleidoscope rose to the top of the list of choices for many reasons, including its impressive growth in such a short time. "They are doubling in sales every year," Hoffmann said. "We think now they will quadruple just because of how many flowers we're involved in with our event planning businesses."   The Hoffmanns' event planning business is only expected to grow. "We are trying to round out... https://www.naplesnews.com/story/money/business/local/2019/03/11/hoffmann-family-acquires-naples-florist/3129132002/

Owner Of Wicker Park's Asrai Garden To Judge On 'Full Bloom,' A Competitive Floral Arranging Show From HBO Max - Block Club Chicago

No one was doing this type of thing when I started,” she said. Cronin’s arrangements celebrate the “wild” look of flowers, often including prairie greens native to Illinois or taxidermied insects. In addition to flowers, Asrai sets itself apart from other shops by including a thoughtfully curated selection of products, such as essential oils and home decor, Cronin said. Both of these approaches — wild, natural flowers and curated complementary products — were a steep departure from the typical flower shops of the ’90s, Cronin said. In describing her approach to floral arrangements, Cronin referenced the “Dutch master” philosophy of keeping things natural. While she has many favorite kinds of flowers, Cronin said she has a particular affection for Queen Anne’s lace and its siblings in the Ammi family. “I want to make a massive display of weeds,” Cronin said. “I think that’s beautiful.” Cronin grew up on the Northwest Side. Her mother worked as a nurse at St. Mary’s hospital in Wicker Park. As a child, Cronin hung out in Wicker Park. She often ate at a Polish diner underneath the “L” train tracks. She also took many trips to the Chicago Botanic Garden, where she attended children’s workshops on gardening. Asrai Garden in Wicker Park.Asrai Garden/ FacebookAs a young adult Cronin lived in Wicker Park and worked in a floral shop, followed by a brief stint making flower arrangements for events. When she was in her mid-20s she decided to open Asrai Garden. The name was inspired by the Brian Fraod book, “The Dark Crystal.” “Wicker Park has always felt like home,” she said. Asrai, which opened in Wicker Park in 1999, will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Dec. 1. To celebrate, the store’s larger second location in Fulton Market, 309 N. Morgan St., will host a ’90s Wicker Park-themed celebration at the Ace Hotel and other nearby businesses.RELATED: Asrai Garden To Bring 1999 Wicker Park To Fulton Market For Boutique’s 20-Year AnniversaryThe party runs Nov. 30-Dec. 1 and will include pop-ups from long-shuttered Wicker Park favorites including Earwax Cafe, the Lava Lounge and Jinx Cafe.“There’s not much left in Wicker Park that feels super special,” Cronin said. “There’s just a few of us left.” Today, Cronin lives on Chicago’s South Side in Kenwood, where gardeners like herself are “taking it all back to the prairie” by planting native plants along the lakeshore. Do stories like this matter to you? a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://api.pico.tools/pn/blockclubchicago/9x2z8yqx" target="_bl... https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/11/14/owner-of-wicker-parks-asrai-garden-to-judge-on-full-bloom-a-competitive-floral-arranging-show-from-hbo-max/

Local flower shops “petaling it forward” Wednesday - week.com

EAST PEORIA (WEEK) — Flower shops in central Illinois were “petaling” it forward Wednesday.Staff members at Becks Florist were giving out free flowers in hopes to spread kindness and brighten everyone’s day.“Emotions are what it’s all about. Whether it (is) smiles, tears, or whatever it may be, emotions make people happy,” said Becks Florist owner Greg Becks.Becks in East Peoria is just one of many participating in the area.Other shops “petaling” it forward include:Picket Fence in ChillicotheIvy Gardens in El PasoFlower Basket in EurekaFlowers by Julia in PrincetonG.P. Miller Floral in PeoriaSterling Flower Shop in PeoriaHy-Vee in PeoriaDespite the rebuild, the Greenhouse Flower Shop in Pekin will be participating at the Pekin Post Office and Beechams Market in Tremont. ... https://week.com/news/top-stories/2019/10/23/local-flower-shops-petaling-it-forward-wednesday/

Nexus Capital Management Acquires FTD's Consumer and Florist Businesses - PRNewswire

I look forward to working with the FTD leadership team and all of our employees to take FTD to new heights."FTD headquarters will remain in the Chicago, Illinois area.About FTDFTD has been a leader in the floral industry for over a century.  We are a private equity-backed company with one of the largest florist networks in the world, supported by the iconic Mercury Man® logo displayed in over 30,000 floral shops in more than 125 countries.  We partner with local florists to hand-craft floral arrangements available for same-day delivery on FTD.com and ProFlowers.com.  In addition to delivering flowers, we support locally-owned retail florists by providing technology, marketing, and digital services to members of our florist network.  For all of life's occasions and everyday moments, visit FTD.com, ProFlowers.com and ProPlants.com, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @ftdflowers. We love helping our customers #sayitwithflowers.About NexusNexus was formed in 2013 to make opportunistic investments in a broad range of companies and industries. Nexus employs a flexible investment mandate that focuses on long-term value creation by partnering with leading management teams and businesses.  For more information on Nexus, please visit www.nexuslp.com.    Contact: Emily Bucholz FTD, LLC 630-724-6692 l ebucholz@ftdi.comSOURCE FTD; Nexus... https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nexus-capital-management-acquires-ftds-consumer-and-florist-businesses-300906422.html