May 2014 - Allen's Flowers

Do You Know Your State Flower?

Every state has an official state flower. Do you know what the state flower for California is? Well, it’s our job to know as a California florist. It’s the golden poppy. We put a blog together to share more about this special flower found throughout California. This flower goes by many names: Golden Poppy, California Poppy, or California Golden Poppy. It is a perennial wild flower that is seen on many of California’s rolling hills and grassy or sandy slopes, and it is known for its flaming color. Some have even referred to it as the cup of gold. It’s been our state flower since 1903. Each year, there are special celebrations to celebrate the poppy, including California Poppy Day on April 6th and Poppy Week from May 13-18, with special festivals and events throughout the state as the poppy comes into bloom for the season, typically from February to September each year. The golden poppy is about two to three inches in diameter and comes in various colors, including scarlet, rose, white, terra cotta, bronze and, of course, gold. They typically have four fan-shaped petals and numerous stamens with fern-like leaves on long stalks. Besides California, the poppy is also found all the way to the southern part of Washington and as far east as Texas. The poppy is often used in landscaping but was also used by the California Indians as a source of food and oil that was extracted from the plant. The unripe seed pods are a source for opium and other drugs in that same class. The maw seed of the poppy is used as birdseed as well as flavoring for baking. The seed can also be used in a ground state for flour. Poppy oil [...]

Memorial Day is Monday, May 26th

Next Monday is an important patriotic holiday in this country as it recognizes all the male and female soldiers that we have lost throughout all wars and conflicts. Each year, on the last Monday of May, we take a moment and reflect on what these brave souls have done for us as a nation, sacrificing their lives for our freedom. San Diego Memorial Day Events There are numerous events around San Diego County that will be taking place over the Memorial Day weekend. Here are two special events focused on the actual meaning behind Memorial Day: Memorial Day at Embarcadero: This fun, family-themed event in San Diego involves strolling along the harbor and seeing all the historic ships. In this areas, you can also visit the Maritime Museum of San Diego and take a cruise on the bay. In the same area is the aircraft carrier Midway as well as Seaport Village in around San Diego Harbor. Legacy Week at USS Midway: From May 24 - May 26 2014 at the USS Midway, San Diego Embarcadero, the USS Midway’s annual Legacy Week celebration for Memorial Day weekend will feature a variety of family activities and special programs geared toward remembering our fallen soldiers as well as patriotic events. Memorial Day Flowers and Delivery A significant aspect to Memorial Day usually has to do with flowers. This is because many people return to cemeteries to visit these lost soldiers and bring them flowers and thank them again. Also, many public or government events related to Memorial Day also hold the events at cemeteries to commemorate the fallen. These events often involve a wreath or some other type of flowers usually in patriotic hues of red, white, and blue. Other flowers may be [...]

adminMWL2014-05-21T02:50:45+00:00May 21st, 2014|Categories: Memorial Day|Tags: Memorial Day events San Diego, Memorial Day flowers San Diego, Memorial Day wreath San Diego|Comments Off

International Nurse’s Day and Week

Monday, May 12th is International Nurse’s Day, which part of Nurse’s Week from May 6th to May 12th. This is the time to celebrate and thank all those nurses that take care of us and our loved ones whether they work in hospitals, medical centers, care homes or doctor’s offices. Created by the International Council of Nurses, May 12th was selected for this special event as it was the birth date of the founder of the nursing profession, Florence Nightingale. Each year, there is a new theme created for International Nurse’s Day. This year’s theme for 2014 International Nurse’s Day is “Nurses: A Force for Change.” It’s time to tell that nurse that you know just how thankful you are for their commitment, care, and passion for taking care of others and providing assistance that brings them back to health. Whether it is a colleague, a friend, or family member, you can show your thanks with a flower arrangement, plant, or gift. To give you some ideas that illustrate our wide range of flower and color choices as well as show that we have something for every budget and style, including traditional and metropolitan flower designs, here are some great ideas for you: We offer a number of local flower specials, giving you the ability to get even more value for your money on the freshest flowers available. We have some incredible spring flowers now in our San Diego flower shops, including tulips, sunflowers, lilacs, wildflowers, orchids, roses and hydrangea just to name a few. We sell a wide range of green plants, blooming plants, and succulents that are a beautiful and healthy gift for nurses. We can custom create any type of flower arrangement or bouquet based on your ideas [...]

adminMWL2014-05-11T21:44:52+00:00May 11th, 2014|Categories: International Nurse's Day|Tags: flowers for nurses San Diego, gifts for nurses San Diego, nurse's day San Diego, San Diego florist|Comments Off

Gardening-Inspired Gift Ideas for Mom this Mother’s Day

If your mom, stepmom, or mother-in-law has a green thumb, then these gardening-inspired gift ideas might be the perfect solution for this Mother’s Day, which arrives next weekend on Sunday, May 11th. Recently, we introduced a new category in our selection of plants – succulents. This collection includes, faux succulents, succulents arranged in decorative containers, and succulents that are integrated with flowers into floral arrangements. Mom will love these beautiful plants as they are long-lasting and easy to care for as well as can be easily transplanted into a garden. For example, we have a purple phaleonopsis orchid with succulents, which includes a stunning combination of a double spike purple phaleonopsis orchid plant, hearty succulent plants, and a manzanita branch arranged in a 12" orange ceramic bowl. Then there is our “Go Green” succulent arrangement, which features a refreshing mix of flowers, including green cymbidium orchids, echeveria succulents, roses and chrysanthemums accented with viburnum, bupleurum, and eucalyptus in a clear glass, leaf-lined cube vase. All about Succulents If you are not familiar with succulents, these are plants with thick and fleshy leaves, steams, or roots that tend to retain water and are very hearty. They can go for extended times without water because they can retain this water. Good examples include cacti and other ornamental plants like the aloe plant and the agave plant. These plants tend to be compact or spherical in form as well as have a waxy, spiny, or hairy surface to their leaves or steams. Their roots also tend to be more toward the surface than other types of plants. Succulents are often found in dry climates like the tropics or subtropics, including the desert or semi-desert areas. They are fairly easy to care for. Succulents prefer [...]