Caledonia, MS 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/

Ice and Snow Would Not Stop Their Wedding in Texas - The New York Times

Mr. Craft’s brother and his brother’s girlfriend.Mr. Craft said they are “grateful to have literally weathered a storm to become husband and wife.”Mr. Craft, 37, grew up in Mississippi. He is a coaching manager at Asurion, a company that provides insurance for consumer electronics, where he oversees the staff training programs.Ms. Broussard, 34, is a native Houstonian and a graduate of Sam Houston State University. She also has a post-baccalaureate certificate from Lone Star College. She is currently working on her master’s in management information systems at Lamar University and works remotely from the couple’s home in Katy, Texas as a math intervention specialist for a virtual public school.The couple met in 2014 at a dive bar in Houston called the Flat. “A pretty woman is sitting next to me, an obscure song comes on, and we are the only two people who seem to know it,” Mr. Craft said of Jesse Boykins III’s “Amorous.” That led them to chat, which led Ms. Broussard to follow Mr. Craft on Instagram.Ms. Broussard was on a date that night with another man, who happened to be a childhood acquaintance of Mr. Craft, as fate would have it.The instigator was an Instagram post. “Jerimy posted a picture of shrimp and grits. It looked so delicious that I had to ask him about the restaurant,” Ms. Broussard said. He messaged her back with the name of the restaurant. “And did her one better. I invited her to it too,” Mr. Craft said.Their first date was Sept. 30, 2017 at the Backstreet Cafe. After that, “We would meet monthly to enjoy brunch at various local restaurants,” Mr. Craft said, referring to them as “brunch buddies.”But in June 2018, their relationship shifted. Mr. Craft invited Ms. Broussard to join him on a trip to New Orleans to witness his best friend’s white coat ceremony honoring his medical school graduation. She said yes.A month later, Mr. Craft knew Ms. Broussard was the one. They were a... https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/26/style/ice-and-snow-would-not-stop-their-wedding-in-texas.html

University Florist at Mississippi State invites public to holiday open house - Mississippi State Newsroom

Contact: Karen BrasherSTARKVILLE, Miss.—The public is invited to kick off the holiday season at the upcoming University Florist open house at Mississippi State. Centrally located at 100 Lee Blvd., the shop will host the special event this Friday [Nov. 20] from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.The public is invited to kick off the holiday season at the upcoming University Florist open house at Mississippi State. Centrally located at 100 Lee Blvd., the shop will host the special event this Friday [Nov. 20] from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. (Photo by Taylor Vollin)Bulldogs can stop in to find MSU gifts and see everything the 85-year-old MSU floral institution has to offer. The University Florist features Mississippi-made wares including McCarty pottery and Wolfe Studio’s ceramic birds. Select Christmas décor will be discounted 20 percent, and visitors will be eligible to receive one of three door prize giveaways.Due to COVID-19 restrictions, masks will be required in the store and only six patrons will be allowed in the store at any given time.“We are all ready for a celebration. We are excited to kick off the holiday season with some great ornaments... https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2020/11/university-florist-mississippi-state-invites-public-holiday-open-house

Florists Rescue Their Spring Blooms For Public Installations During Pandemic - OPB News

A close up of a white rose from a large flower installation wrapping up a pole and a sitting area on Mississippi Ave. in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Noble Floral Co. designed and installed this piece as their part of the virtual #FlowerTourPDX, a movement by local florists to do something worthwhile with all the flowers that would not be sold due to business closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.Claudia Meza / OPB“I talked to my boss into letting me go in and just box up as many flowers as possible,” she said.That's when she contacted her friend Alyssa Lytle, the owner of the floral design studio, Color Theory Design Co., which also temporarily shut down.“She said, ‘Come to the loading dock to get whatever flowers you want.’ And so that made me think, ‘What am I going to do with all these flowers?’" she said.Alyssa came up with a plan to take the flowers Jocelyn provided, which otherwise would’ve gone to waste, and make beautiful installations throughout the city as a way to provide a nice break for people who feel stuck inside.The result was Flower Tour PDX.Flowers wrapped around the eastern side turnoff onto the St. Johns Bridge in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Bramble Floral, designed and installed a large scale bouquet on the bridge as part of the virtual #FlowerTourPDX, a movement by local florists to do something worthwhile with all the flowers that would not be sold due to business closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.Claudia Meza / OPBAlyssa reached out to her florist friends and devised a strategy to build those installations in different neig... https://www.opb.org/news/article/potland-flower-installations-sping-pandemic/

'A natural partnership': Mustard Seed partners with florist for special pop-up - Clarion Ledger

Nell Luter FloydSpecial to Mississippi Clarion LedgerPublished 6:30 AM EDT Aug 19, 2020Vases splashed with color by artists at a local nonprofit looked even more vibrant when filled with fresh flowers during a popup shop in Ridgeland.Carly McKie, manager of Green Oak Florist in Ridgeland, invited the Mustard Seed, a community in Brandon for adults with developmental disabilities, to show its creations and join forces for the popup.“It was a natural partnership,” McKie said. “There’s so much creativity put into each piece created at the Mustard Seed. No two are alike.”Pink Gerbera daisies, yellow tulips and other brightly colored blossoms looked right at home in the vases, jars and containers the participants at the Mustard Seed, who are fondly known as “Seedsters,” painted with dots and dashes and swirls and stripes.“All of the vases we had previewed sold in the first hour, and the Mustard Seed had to bring in several more boxes of pots, vases, pitchers, and utensil holders,” McKie said. “It was an incredible da... https://www.clarionledger.com/story/magnolia/upside/2020/08/19/mustard-seed-green-oak-pop-up/3289607001/