Caledonia, MI Florists

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The Gardeners Who Planted for US Presidents - Prescott eNews

Duke of 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... 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

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 flo... 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/

10 Northern Michigan Florists – mynorth.com - MyNorth.com

February and whether yours is a newly budding relationship or a blossoming one, let your significant other know they’re special to you with a Valentine’s Day bouquet from a Northern Michigan florist.These 10 Northern Michigan florists (from Traverse City to Ludington!) are great to keep in mind for Valentine’s Day, but they also create arrangements year-round for weddings, funerals, anniversaries, parties and more!Beads and Blooms Florist78 N. Jebavy Dr. Ludington, MI 49431, 231.845.6537 or 231.425.4133A local florist that delivers on a personal level, “all flower arrangements are artistically arranged in a vase and hand-delivered to the recipient.” Flower’s From Sky’s the Limit413 Michigan St. Petoskey, MI 49770, 231.347.7770Pick out the perfect pair of posies (or whatever suits your fancy) online and choose from a wide variety of arrangements that can be delivered in Petoskey or nationwide. Flower Station341 W. Front St., Traverse City, MI 49684, 231.946.1742, toll free:Located a short walk from the heart of downtown Traverse City, the Flower Station is a family owned store that offers a selection of imported and locally grown fresh flowers.Hagstrom’s Flowers... https://mynorth.com/2015/01/10-northern-michigan-florists/

Longtime CEO of Wedel’s Nursery remembered for love of faith, family, fishing and flowers - mlive.com

Andy Wedel said.He shared his love for plants and flowers in every way he could think of, his son said. He helped found the Michigan Certified Nurseryman Program in 1980. And he also spent 42 years on the air for WKZO 590 AM, delivering “Over the Garden Fence” on Saturday mornings.George Wedel picked up the mic from father Harley Wedel in 1963, before passing it to Andy Wedel 15 years ago. One of Southwest Michigan’s longest-running radio shows, it has stayed in the family in a similar way the nursery and garden center has, Andy Wedel said.Four generations of Wedels have put their hard work, sweat and love into the business Harley Wedel started more than seven decades ago. George Wedel was the company’s longest leader, though, the family says. His wife of 61 years, Joyce Wedel, who survives George, was also involved for many years in running the family business.Related: Sunny weather provides Kalamazoo-area gardeners respite amid coronavirus outbreakAll three of George Wedel’s children, including daughter Bonnie Russell, work there. He also has three grandchildren who work for Wedel’s. His brother Roger Wedel, now the last surviving child of Harley Wedel’s four children, is also still involved in the business, Schwartz said.That only scratches the surface of cousins, aunts and uncles who work at the nursery, now located in Texas Township, as well as the family’s farm and other related businesses, she said.Who will take over the business with George Wedel now gone is unknown, Schwartz said. But one thing is for certain — it will stay in the family.Known for his joy of bringing people together for picnics and BBQs on Sunday afternoons, George Wedel also loved fishing and the Detroit Tigers — his two biggest passions outside of his faith and love for plants, his children said.Each year, he would look forward to trips to Drummond Island to go perch fishing, Lake Erie to fish for walleye and an annual trip to Detroit for a ballgame, Schwartz said. Andy Wedel recalled trips to the South Haven pier as a child to catch perch.In addition to fishing, Andy Wedel recalled growing up in “gardens so big a child could get lost in” them and “Detroit Tiger baseball blaring over the little AM radio sitting out on the post.”“I think he has been part of making this county more beautiful,” Schwartz said. “All the trees, shrubs and plants that have been put in all over Kalamazoo County. Our business is 74 years old, just think how many things have been planted around here.“He had a work ethic was like no other and it’s really just why I feel our business has survived and done so well.”A visitation for Wedel will take place from 3-6 p.m. Sunday, June 28, at Country Christian Evangelical Free Church, 9286 36th St. in Scotts. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 29, at the church. Wed... https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2020/06/longtime-ceo-of-wedels-nursery-remembered-for-love-of-faith-family-fishing-and-flowers.html

COVID-19 devastated flower shops. Local florists hope Valentine's Day starts resurgence - Hometown Life

That was the case for Bob Kupfer and Tiffany Florist in downtown Birmingham last spring. When he was closed for several weeks when COVID-19 was first detected in Michigan, he was left with a cooler full of flowers that couldn't be sold. So he would take them outside his shop at 784 S. Old Woodward and leave them in a bucket for those taking a walk and looking to get out of the house during quarantine. "When we shut down, every day I would come here and put a bucket of flowers in the street," he said. "There's a ton of people who walk by here every day. We were giving away flowers for a long time."Unknown factorsThat won't be the case in February. Kupfer said he is confident those looking to buy their sweetie some flowers — including the traditional red roses associated with the holiday — will be able to, whether they order a week early or walk in the afternoon of Feb. 14.Still, he said, it's best to order ahead to make sure customers can get exactly what they're looking for, since it's a guessing game this year as to how sales will go."The big unknown is, who's going to be buying for Valentines Day?" Kupfer said. "Do we need 10,000 of something or 1,000 of something?"More: Lottery awaits Golden ticket call from $1 billion Mega Millions winner, teachers or notMore: Many families eager to get back to in-person schooling. See what your district has plannedDonna Podpora, who co-owns Donna & Larry's Flowers in Northville with her husband Larry Podpora, said they are starting to get more clarity about what to expect for Valentine's Day, but there were still plenty of questions in late January as they got their shop at 1063 Novi Road decorated with hearts a stuffed bears."Even the suppliers are saying they don't where they're going to get the flowers from at this point. They've got the orders placed. They don't know what's going to come in," said Donna Podpora, who's owned the shop north of Eight Mile for nearly 37 years. "They don't know what to charge us because they don't know what they're going to have to pay because they don't know what they're going to get. It's just so different."Valentine's Day and Mothers Days are widely considered the two biggest days for giving flowers, and flower shops across the region have prepped since before Christmas. It's a big holiday for deliveries, though those look vastly different this year compared to previous years.One issue with Valentine's Day this year isn't the result of COVID-19 but of the calendar: Feb. ... https://www.hometownlife.com/story/money/business/2021/02/03/order-valentines-day-flowers-early-year-florists-say/4226899001/

Local florist delivers donated flowers to seniors - Fox17

ALLENDALE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A surprise just in time for Valentine's Day for dozens of seniors in West Michigan.Simplicity Floral Design and Events delivered flowers to the Allendale Nursing and Rehabilitation Community on Friday. The idea came from Nikki Schindler, who posted on Facebook, asking for people to donate money to the cause.The response was unlike anything she dreamed of. $2,165 rolled in. That covered not just one community, but two. Flowers also went to Saint Ann's home in Grand Rapids.Follow FOX 17: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - YouTube... https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/lakeshore/ottawa/local-florist-delivers-donated-flowers-to-seniors