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Looking ahead to spring flowers | The Chronicle Herald - TheChronicleHerald.ca

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)This tough native of northern Russia is as hardy as they come. The beautiful blue bells appear in early spring just after the narrow, grass-like leaves.Unlike many of the other early spring bulbs, these plants thrive in shade and will grow just about anywhere.Plant bulbs in the fall about three to four inches deep and a few inches apart, and that’s it. Left alone, they will spread to cover large areas with a carpet of soft blue each spring. S. siberica alba produces white flowers.Crocuses (Crocus spp.)There are many species of crocus and all are native to the highlands of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. These early spring bulbs come in an array of colours but I have to admit that the dark purple and white are my favourites.As they are fairly inexpensive, buy as large a package as you can in fall and plant in groups of 10 or more to put on a show next year.Plant the corms three to four inches deep, pointed side up, from late August to early-October in an area which receives full sun for most of the day.They need good drainage, so note that the corms will drown in areas of heavy clay or soggy soil. While deer and rabbits tend to leave them alone, the same can’t be said for squirrels. Cover the bulbs with chicken wire and then a layer of shredded leaves after you plant to deter these little pests. The corms multiply rapidly, and so the plants will develop good sized colonies over a few seasons.I love seeing crocuses planted at the base of trees and beneath deciduous shrubs which leaf out a bit later in spring.Once all of the above spring bulbs have bloomed, resist the urge to cut back the foliage, as this feeds the bulb for subsequent seasons. Allow the foliage to yellow and die back naturally. Some people have no problem waiting for this to happen when bulbs are planted in the middle of lawns.But if you like a neat and tidy garden, then plant beneath the base of deciduous trees and shrubs, in rockery areas and perennial borders, or in spaces reserved for annuals planted later in the season.A wise person once said: “It’s the little things that make life big.” I agree, especially if you’re a gardener. http://thechronicleherald.ca/thenovascotian/1399954-looking-ahead-to-spring-flowers

Plant this time of year to enjoy the simplicity, beauty of spring bulbs - Tribune-Review

This one inherited something that tastes bad and doesn't smell good to them.” There are many different colors of the variety, too.For the shade, Spanish blue bells ( Hyacinthoides hispanica), sometimes called wood hyacinths, are one of his suggestions. They have short, pretty pink, white or blue flowers and will form a colony by naturalizing. “It's wonderful, it will tolerate a good bit of shade,” he says. “It will spread, and it's critter resistant. It doesn't taste good to them.”One of the eternal questions of bulb growing is, when do gardeners remove the foliage? Heath quotes a University of Delaware study, which concluded nothing is gained by waiting longer than eight weeks. By that time, the bulbs have absorbed enough energy to bloom again. He has other suggestions for the foliage: “Never bend it, never tie it in knots, never braid it. The leaves are there because they need sunlight and air.”Lilies are often thought of as spring-planted bulbs, which is fine, he says, but they get a better start with fall planting. They should be planted deep, 8 to 10 inches down. “ ‘Black Beauty' is incredible; it's my all-time favorite,” he says. “It's a later bloomer, deep red with a white eye, specked and freckled, and they have a heavenly fragrance. They will multiply annually, too.”Heath wants his bulbs to make gardeners happy, but sees even further-reaching benefits. “I hope they get smiles. Plant bulbs and harvest smiles. I hope they get pleasure, and they can share that pleasure with other people. If we had more people smiling in the world, we'd have less strife in the world.”From Holland fieldsAs a child, Hans Langeveld ran between long rows of bulbs just across a narrow canal from Keukenhof Garden in Lisse, Holland. He was there with his father to look over the endless fields of flowers. “I used to love it. The smell was fantastic,” he says. “I've got good memories from that time.”Langeveld is a third-generation bulbsman who's co-owner of Longfield Gardens in Lakewood, N.J. He hopes gardeners will discover the simplicity of planting these spring bloomers.“First of all, bulbs are easy,” he says. “The bulbs have all the reserves inside without too much additives like fertilizer.”He likes to plant his bulbs in concert with perennials. When the bulbs are done blooming, the foliage of the perennials will mask the foliage as it turns brown. The plants also keep the soil temperatures a little cooler during the summer, which the bulbs appreciate. Daffodils and day lilies are a great combination, he says.Langeveld has experimented with mixes and loves planting muscari (grape hyacinths) together with tulips or daffodils.“Muscari combines with pretty much any color of bulb that we have,” he says. “It's an excellent companion planting. Since the plant is long blooming, it will put on a show when the other bulbs flower.”He's introduced “Perfect Pairs,” which teams different bulbs together. He's growing single tulips with doubles, tulips with daffodils and more.Gardeners can make their own combinations, too. The company used to sell a mixture of muscari and ‘Moulin Rouge' tulips, which now can be purchased separately. “It makes a spectacular show,” he says of the mixed bulbs. “It almost creates fireworks.”Langeveld has some ideas for plants that animals will leave alone. Alliums are from the onion family and are pretty much deer-proof. ‘Gladiator' and ‘Globemaster' have pretty purple, ball-shaped flowers, and ‘Graceful' blooms with a smaller white flower. After they bloom, he says, the seed heads make great dried flowers.Fritillaria come in many forms. “I like the big ones — they put on a show,” Langeveld says. “They grow incredibly fast.”‘Rubra Maxima' grows 3 feet tall with brilliant orange blooms. ‘Lutea Maxima' is as t... http://triblive.com/lifestyles/dougoster/9198386-74/bulbs-says-planting

Parsons and Rich Mar Florist partner for Dover doubleheader - Speedway Digest

B.J. McLeod Motorsports (BJMM) announces today a two-race deal with Rich Mar Florist, a Pennsylvania-based organization, for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) doubleheader at Dover (Del.) International Speedway on the No. 99 Toyota Supra of Stefan Parsons. Jonathan Morrissey, vice president of Rich Mar Florist and fourth generation co-owner is no stranger to the NASCAR circuit. Rich Mar Florist debuted in the NASCAR world during the 2018 season when the organization partnered with Timmy Hill in the NASCAR Cup Series. Rich Mar Florist’s partnerships in NASCAR did not stop there. In 2019, Rich Mar Florist partnered with racers David Ragan, Josh Bilicki, and Garrett Smithley. Morrisey and Rich Mar Florist are excited to partner with Parsons and BJMM, due to the family legacy. “I’m most excited to brand out with Stefan. This is our first entry in the NXS and it is so exciting to get into the Series with someone who’s family has been racing for generations,” said Morrissey. “I can’t wait to welcome Rich Mar Florist on board our No. 99 B.J. McLeod Motorsports this weekend at Dove... https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/57999-parsons-and-rich-mar-florist-partner-for-dover-doubleheader

Downingtown’s Petals Please recycles wedding and funeral flowers into free bouquets for lonely seniors - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Doing research online, Adams found no national organization, let alone a template for putting together a sustainable, all-volunteer flower recovery and repurposing system. But a Northeastern Pennsylvania group was having great success with an approach similar to her idea. So she drove to Scranton, where the volunteers of Petals for Goodness Sake were “so generous and so helpful,” Adams said. “It was, OK, let’s do this.” She began networking from home, calling friends and neighbors. “Because I worked in hospice I knew all of the nursing homes and the assisted living places, and I knew a lot of staff there,” said Adams. “Unfortunately, I knew a lot of funeral directors.” In July 2018, a volunteer picked up the first donation and returned ”with so many flowers in her SUV you couldn’t even see her.” Petals Please has since shifted its arranging sessions from Adams’ dining-room table to a space at Downingtown United Methodist Church. Flowers and vases or other containers are donated, and everything gets recycled, including flower petals, which get taken to a chicken farm in Malvern. Amelia Wondrasch especially enjoys that task. A 15-year-old student at Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square whose family is close to the Adamses, she has been a volunteer pretty much from the beginning. “I’ve always been a big one for recycling and composting,” she said. “And I love the idea of being able to r... https://www.inquirer.com/life/petals-please-recycled-flowers-downingtown-20200720.html

Nunan Florist & Greenhouses giving away free bouquets - Garden Center Magazine

Garden Center talked to two IGCs to gain some insight on the process.At Stan’s Garden Center in Erie, Pennsylvania, Valerie Bloom, a retail associate, says the days gearing up to the IGC’s reopen date, May 1, have been busy. At Stan’s, management has modified many aspects of the customer shopping experience. Bloom says the main focus will be on social distancing practices, but they’ve also taken additional steps out of an abundance of caution. “The lavatories will be closed, and they are bringing in portable toilets for people. We are going to have the floors clearly marked six feet apart, and they're going to have to wear their face masks,” Bloom says. “We do have different hand sanitizers, plus a hand washing station available to the customers. And every checkout will have hand sanitizers at it for them.”On April 3, Gov. Tom Wolf strongly urged all Pennsylvanians to wear either homemade or cloth face masks in public, and many businesses are expected to heed the recommendation ahead of the state’s phased reopening. “We have at least 5 acres under glass, we carry thousands and thousands of plants. We have over a million dollars in plant material right now, just waiting to go out to the general public,” Bloom says.Stan’s offers a large variety of items, such as hanging baskets, vegetable plants, bare root items, edibles and year-round annuals. “We carry a ton of product between shrubberies, trees and fruit trees. We really do carry a lot of items, so the guys are just trying to get ... https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/nunan-florist-greenhouses-bouquet-giveaway/

Sales aren’t blooming: Florists adjust during pandemic - Midland Daily News

Ms. Bobola said she had to shut down the florist because wholesalers where Bobola Farms receives flowers from in New Jersey and Pennsylvania were closed. Bobola Farms will begin selling some produce in the upcoming weeks; first up are strawberries, which have started to bloom. Bobola Farms has been open since the late 1990s and Ms. Bobola said she never experienced anything like this. She hopes Mother’s Day can help bring back some normalcy but reminded that everything is limited. “It’s the longest we’ve ever been closed,” Ms. Bobola said. “You’ve got to get started somewhere, so we’re just going to do the best we can. I hope people will be patient. We’ll do everything we can to be as close to normal but there will be substitutions. I hope people understand this isn’t easy but we’ll work with them.” Florists are following all protocols recommend by the Centers for Disease Control to help limit the spread of COVID-19. This includes wiping down all vases, wearing gloves while handling flowers and disinfecting the store every night. It also includes contact-free delivery, where the driver will call the customer when the flowers are on the steps of their home. Mrs. Fries said Jen-Mor had to lay off part of its staff when the pandemic first began. She added it has been able to slowly bring back some of the staff. The loss of workers has made the busy weeks even more stressful. “It’s been exhausting,” Mrs. Fries said. “The few of us that are here are doing the work of more people. There’s only so much we can do with this staff so our inventory is smaller than usual.”... https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Sales-aren-t-blooming-Florists-adjust-during-15258683.php