Taiwan’s Vice President, Vincent Siew, expressed the sentiment at the 2010 Taiwan International Orchid Show (TIOS), going on to say that the country, with the full support of the government, may become an “island of flowers” as well.

He may be right, as the current and future outlook for the nation’s orchid industry looks bright. Sales of orchid exports for last year exceeded $113 million, an increase of 50% from 2008. Sales are expected to continue to rise this year despite the bleak economic climate. The orchid industry has survived for over 100 years in Taiwan, with over two decades of government support. Taiwan, located off the coast of China, is already the first choice for many countries around the world and provides the globe with over half of the total sources for Phalaenopsis seeds.

As for becoming an “island of flowers”, it sounds ambitious but could happen. The government has already established several areas in the country as national parks and scenic areas in an attempt to preserve horticultural diversity. With continuing support from the government, native species have been offered protection.

Orchids in Canada
In Canada, there are a number of orchid farmers who supply the local florist industry. However production is generally limited to smaller farms that specialize in certain genera, such as Cattleya, Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum and Oncidium. Orchids that are native to Canada tend to be wild and are unsuitable as cut flowers.

Many of the orchids that are sold at Toronto florists aren’t just from Taiwan – they also come from Thailand, China, and South America. Will Taiwan become the first choice for Canada’s orchid imports?We’ll see!

Saint Patrick’s Day is on March 17, which means you have under a week to choose which Toronto St Patrick’s Day flower arrangements will bring some Irish cheer to your recipient. Pictured above is the Shades of Green flower arrangement, featuring beautiful chrysanthemums, orchids and hypericum arranged in a vase, garnished with limes and artichokes – all in green, of course! It’s one of our most popular flower arrangements for the holiday, priced at $171.99.

Talk to us, your local Toronto Flower Shop, about other popular St. Patrick’s Day flowers, boasting the national flag’s colours of green, white and orange, available in a variety of flower types including daisies, chrysanthemums, roses and carnations. Just let us know what you prefer.

A Little About St. Patrick’s Day
A national holiday in Ireland, St. Patrick Day commemorates the missionary who helped convert the Irish to Christianity over a span of over two decades (circa late 4th century AD). March 17 was when he passed away. Although the day is most important for Catholics, it has become more of a patriotic holiday, recognized by those of Irish descent living not just in Ireland, but anywhere in the world.

Celebrations paint the town green, in honour of the traditional colour of Ireland and the life which spring brings. You’ll also see shamrocks, a type of clover that symbolized the Holy Trinity as explained by St. Patrick.

Here in Toronto, look out for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, organized by the St. Patrick’s Parade Society of Toronto (SPPS). In its 23rd year, the parade starts at noon on Sunday, beginning at Bloor and St. George.

A funeral service is to celebrate the life that a loved one lived. Every aspect of the service is to commemorate them and how they enriched your life. So when it comes to the funeral flowers for the service, it is important that they embody your sentiments earnestly.

While a varied selection of funeral flowers are available at your local Toronto florist, the arrangements may not be suitable for the emotions you wish to express. They may lack the personalized touch that will adequately decorate the venue of the funeral service. That’s why you may want to consider personalizing your funeral flower arrangements.

Personalizing funeral flowers is a way to truly embody the character traits of the beloved, and express them to the attendees. This creates a more intimate atmosphere and a closeness that is better achieved than choosing generic arrangements. To personalize funeral flowers, you’ll have to think about the following:

outstanding achievements, whether they are personal or professional
hobbies
personality traits
memories that you’d like to share

For example, if they loved soccer, you may want to ask your local florist to create a funeral flower tribute that is soccer-themed. This may include photos, a soccer ball, a team jersey, or any other relevant memorabilia. You can even cooperate with your florist and give them articles that they can incorporate into the arrangement. If they served in the army, you may want to choose arrangements with a patriotic Canadian theme, featuring red and white, the colours of our flag – the Patriotic Tribute Wreath, as shown above, is an excellent example.

Allow your florist to assist you at this difficult time. Talk to one of our Sympathy Advisors to create unique sympathy flowers with a personal touch.

Country and Rustic
Flower arrangements ideal for homes with a down-home country feel tend to include impatiens, geraniums and mums, with plenty of green foliage. Potted plants, such as ferns and asters, make a great decorative item for the window sill. Choose containers that are made from natural materials, such as terracotta, clay, wood and most popular, wicker. Wicker baskets immediately convey “country”, don’t you think?

Modern
Sleek, simple and uncluttered, the wrong flower arrangement for a modern interior can prove disastrous. Match clean lines with floral arrangements that are equally clean, featuring flowers such as orchids, amaryllis and tulips. Frilly flowers, like azaleas, may also work if foliage is limited. Look for elegant square and round containers made from glass, metal and plastic. Creative displays, such as the cut orchid Zensational pictured above, are ideal.

Classical
If your home is rich with plush fabrics and classic wooden furniture, plenty of flowers and lush green plants work well. Choose cut or potted camellias, cyclamens and palms (or any other foliage plant that is tree-like). When it comes to flower arrangements, anything that’s in abundance is suitable.  Wood, terracotta, wicker and plastic compliment the warmth of classical interiors.

Anthurium Plants
The anthurium is relatively easy to take care of, making it an ideal plant for those without a green thumb. All it really needs is plenty of light and warm well-drained soil, only watering when the soil feels dry. Keep away from drafts. Feed your plant every other month with some flower food to help keep it blooming, and remember to remove any brown or dead flowers and foliage regularly.

Cut Anthuriums
Anthuriums are popular cut flowers. Pictured above, they add a tropical accent to any interior, and are a great alternative to the usual frilly blooms of other types of plants. Changing the water on a daily basis and keeping the vase clean can help cut anthuriums live for up to two weeks.

Some religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and some forms of Christianity, require the deceased to be cremated. In this situation, suitable sympathy flowers are slightly different from the flowers used for a typical funeral service that includes a casket.

The funeral service involving the deceased to be cremated may involve a viewing prior to their cremation, and a memorial service following cremation. Funeral flowers may be sent to the viewing, then to the memorial service afterward. Cremation funeral flowers are generally not sent to the place where the cremation is scheduled (crematorium).

Funeral Flowers for the Viewing
Suitable flower arrangements for the viewing prior to cremation are similar to those selected for services with a casket. Standing sprays, arrangements in vases and tributes are suitable.

Funeral Flowers for the Memorial Service
The memorial service can be tastefully decorated with standing sprays, flower arrangements in vases, tributes, and most importantly, arrangements to decorate the urn in which the ashes are to be stored. Some of these arrangements (commonly, they are wreaths) may be transported to the internment place following the service.

The official colour is PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, a shade that is quite warm and inviting.  One look at it and you’ll probably think about the tropical beaches of  a distant paradise, the warm sparkling waters lapping at your feet. What a great image for the dreary Canadian winter!

A gentle blend of blue and green, turquoise evokes sensations of calmness and serenity. While it does lean a little more to the feminine side, it can be paired with cooler colours to achieve a more masculine feel. Look out for this colour in the world of fashion and interior design.

Unfortunately, although it is pretty, turquoise isn’t a common colour that appears in the flower world. One flower that is naturally turquoise is the Turquoise Ixia (I. viridiflora), an exotic and rare plant from South Africa. A relative of the freesia, the Turquoise Ixia has longer petals that don’t bunch close together.

And for naturally turquoise flowers available at your local Toronto florist - you’ll probably have a hard time finding them. 416-Florist.com sometimes does receive requests for flowers in shades that aren’t natural (such as black and blue roses). Sometimes, flowers just aren’t in the colour you want, but we can accommodate. Most reputable florists will dye the flowers you prefer in the shade you desire. If you’d like turquoise flowers, just let us know by calling us. We may be able to help. This has been done for such events as weddings, where the flowers had to match the colour of the bride’s dress.

They aren’t quite turquoise, but you get the picture!

Orchids, a popular flower for just about any occasion (including as a chic alternative to the rose for Valentine’s Day) has a bad reputation for being fragile and far too delicate for the harsh Canadian environment. However, don’t believe the bad press. Orchids that wither and die have most likely been the victim of over/underwatering, or too little/too much much attention.

Follow these 5 tips to help keep your orchids as beautiful and healthy as possible, despite the weather outdoors:

1. The right amount of light. Different types of orchidsneed different amounts of light. For example, oncidiums love lots of sunshine, but should be shielded from the heat of midday sun. Popular moth orchids prefer a little more shade, making a north or east facing window ideal. Check the leaves to see if your orchid is getting enough light. Dark green means that there’s not enough. A lighter, grassy green means that the amount of light is perfect.

2. The right fertilizer, generally used about once a month. Fertilizer can help keep your orchid healthy and facilitate the blooming process. Use specially formulated flower food for orchids when watering and remember to follow the instructions closely.

3. Like most houseplants, orchids can also be attacked by pests like aphids and mealybugs. However, a healthy orchid will tend to fend off the pests well. To eliminate invaders, use a insecticidal soap that’s gentle and preferably organic.

4. The right amount of water. Overwatering and underwatering an orchid is the easiest way to destroy it. Overwatering will rot the roots and underwatering will make the flower dehydrated. Depending on the type of orchid, the soil should be kept moist, moist only when actively growing, or dry to the touch before watering again. In general, you can water your orchid about once per week or once every two weeks. Moth orchids, for example, require less water than oncidiums. A good way to determine the frequency of watering is to check the leaves. If they’re thick and fleshy, they won’t need as much water because they can retain it well. On the other hand, if the leaves are thinner, you’ll need to keep the soil moist.

5. In general, orchids do not need to be repotted until the roots grow long and start climbing over the pot’s edge. Repot when the orchid is not in bloom, and make sure to remove any dead or rotting roots before placing the roots into the new pot.

Pictured on the left is a beautiful Cymbidium Orchid and Rose arrangement in a black vase, garnished with greenery. Blooms are in yellow to represent joy, warmth and happiness.

The presence of potted plants inside your home bring a certain warmth and character that cannot be matched by other decorative items. With the added benefits of acting as natural air purifiers and positively impacting your emotional state, it’s no wonder that potted plants make a popular gift for your recipient.

However, not every plant is suitable for any home and vice versa. Lighting conditions, humidity levels and space should be important factors to consider prior to bringing a plant home.  While most Toronto florists sell houseplants that are bred to thrive in the cooler Canadian climate (withstanding this type of environment), such factors can still affect longevity.

Lighting Conditions

Most plants love the sun, much like us humans. Unfortunately, the amount of light a specific houseplant requires to thrive varies. For example, most ferns (pictured above, first on the right) like the sun as long as it’s not directly on them. The same goes for areca palms. Eucalyptus, on the other hand, love a full blast of direct sun. You may find that the spot you’ve chosen for your plant has different levels of sunlight throughout the year, which means that you may have to move your plant around to accommodate.

Humidity Levels

As a Canadian, we are far too familiar with the dry, arid climate of our winters. Many of us get dry skin because the air leeches the moisture from it. Unfortunately, this is the same for potted plants. Most leafy plants available at florists enjoy an environment that is more humid than dry, and that can be difficult to recreate in the winter or if you live on a higher floor of a condo/apartment. Fine misting the leaves and a humidifier can both help.  If you’re concerned about the level of humidity in your home, try  cactii instead.

Space

This one’s pretty obvious. A big plant won’t do very well in a small space. It’ll just be cramped and be less of a decorative item than it is a nuisance. But here’s a warning:  don’t think that what you’ve just brought home will stay that size. With the right living conditions, your potted plant will most likely grow. Be prepared!

No other colour remains as popular despite fads and trends than white. It simply never goes out of style. Always in demand, this shade is popular with florists and consumers alike because of its ability to cooperate with just about any other colour in the rainbow, harmoniously and in perfect balance. As a testament to its attractiveness, it may even stand alone.

Subtle but never understated, white blooms are essential in flower arrangements for any occasion. Need to send your special someone a birthday flower bouquet? Celebrating your first or second wedding anniversary? Commemorating the purity and innocence of a loved one at a funeral? White flowers may be suitably used for their beauty and symbolism.

Several types of blooms come in white, but pure white types that occur naturally in nature are most often found in colder climates of the northern hemisphere.

Some of the most popular white flowers in today’s market are the following:
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)
Lily of the Valley (Cornvallaria Majalis)
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Orchid (Phalaenopsis omega)
Tulip (Tulipa White Dream)