Sympathy Flower Arrangements

Flower arrangement is an art. You have to know how to play with the colors of the different flowers to radiate the mood you want to project. You have to know how to cut the flowers properly for them to stand firmly or to fall properly and not fall because they are starting to wilt and die. There are basic forms that florists can follow like bouquets, wreaths, table centerpieces, or basket flowers. But nowadays, florists are starting to experiment on unorthodox methods to arrange the flowers to enhance the beauty and extract the best moods.

This experimentation continues for sympathy flower arrangement. You can see the conventional wreaths or bouquets or basket flowers or coffin sprays. Nowadays, florists offer customized shapes to give a personal touch to the gift you offer to the mourning family members. There are now heart-shaped flower arrangements, and crosses and crucifixes are not so uncommon anymore. Star-shaped or pillow-type arrangements are also used more often.

Florists use their knowledge and their imagination to mix and match the different flowers to brighten the mood of the already somber occasion. It is never easy for you or anyone to loose a loved one. Often, the news of a departed leaves you in shock and in a state of confusion, even if the deceased is not someone you know personally, but someone whom you knew from a friend, a co-worker, a classmate, a church mate in your congregation, or maybe a team member in your basketball group. It doesn't matter how you know the person, the reaction is the same. Florists use their expertise to help ease the pain of the loss and at the same time be sensitive to the cultural differences and avoid any religious clashes that could occur.

The Life Everlasting Flower From Tea to Wreaths

The Life is a member of the mint family and derives its name from the powerful and lingering scent of curry when the leaves or stems are crushed. It is indigenous to North America, especially around North and South Carolina, and has long been used for countless healing and therapeutic purposes.

Known variously by the Latin name Helicrysium stoechas and by the local name of cudweed, Life Everlasting Flowers appear on downy stalks in numerous crowds of white flowers. They carry a supportive and comforting aroma and are known to induce sleep.

The Life Flowers are commonly recommended in herbal meditation blends for encouraging spirituality and personal growth. The aroma is believed by some to open the right side of the brain, improving creativity and dream activity. The flowers are also valued particularly for their decorative beauty in dried floral arrangements and wreaths that last for years. Dried herbs of the plant make a relaxing tea infusion or bath.

The Life Flower herb is a perennial root that creeps and propagates easily almost like a troublesome weed. But its medicinal and therapeutic applications are extensive. Some people have chewed the leaves and flowers as a remedy for mouth and throat ulcerations and they are used regularly as a natural astringent. The Life Everlasting herb was even a substitute for smoking tobacco with New England fisherman. Smoking the herb in a different way by inhaling the smoke of the burning herb was at one time considered good for coughs of the lungs and headache. Fresh juice from the Life Everlasting Flower has been said to be an aphrodisiac. The flowers are attributed with a small litany of properties: expectorant, diaphoretic, anodyne, astringent, ectoral, and expectorant, to name a few. The Life Everlasting Flowers are applied for problems with pulmonary. diarrhea, dysentary, coughs, colds, pains in the breast. Powders and warm infusions of the Life Everlasting herb have been used in leucorrhea, diseases of the bowels, and for hemorrhages. The herb is used in poultices for sprains, painful swellings, bruises, boils, bug bites-even tumors and contusions.

The Life Everlast-Flower is steeped in American Indian history. Different tribes used decoctions to treat a myriad of neurological and skin disorders. They made tea infusions with the flowers for asthma, bronchitis, and colds. Currently, the Life Everlasting Flower has been increasingly used in blends for skin and bad bruises for how it seems to reabsorb blood into tissue and remove pain and discoloration from nerve damage.

The therapeutic and medicinal versatility of the prolific life everlasting flower is as prodigious as its name. Its gentle but powerful healing has lasting effects, from teas and baths to old fashioned wreaths.

The Perfect Wedding Flower Decoration

Orange blossoms, sunflowers, roses and dahlias; violets and lilies; orchids and tulips: all flowers are beautiful. They are also a symbol of love. And an inevitable part of all wedding ceremonies. So inevitable, that many couples go crazy when having to choose the flower decoration for their wedding party. Wedding flower decoration is vital for this red-letter day in everyone's life. Flower designs can be different and can translate various meanings to the guests of the wedding party. Many things can be concluded about the bride and bridegroom's future marriage, depending on the choice of their wedding flower decorations. If your wedding ceremony is getting closer, perhaps it is time to choose your flower decoration that will make the celebration unforgettable.

Wedding flower decoration can be of various kinds. You can choose a large arch of flowers or a centre-piece, or both- everything is suitable depending on your taste. Use your own creative imagination and choose the best flower decoration for the great event. It is important that you decide on flower arrangement that suits your wedding settings. Choose a color combination that appeals to you and is in harmony with the entire setting. The flower decoration can consist of seasonal and local flowers. You should as specifically as possible decide on the size, shape and color for the different flower arrangements. You may easily get some piece of advice from a magazine: there are large varieties of all kinds of flowers. Silk flowers and dried flowers can be an opportunity, too. Remember: your wedding flower decoration is meant to express you and your personal style, but comply also with your loved one's taste. Additional factors should influence your choice: the season, the time of day for the party, the location atmosphere and so on. These weather conditions make a difference and you should have them in mind before deciding strongly on something. A cunning way to make wedding flower decoration suitable is color blocking. Color blocking is called the procedure of choosing a specific color or combination of several colors and using it as the leading nuance when you create all your wedding settings. For example, you may choose the classical white, and put white orchids on the white tablecloths, and prepare your wedding bouquet with white being the predominant color.

There are several types of flower arrangements that are used during the ceremony.

BOUQUETS. They are flower decorations for the bride. A wedding bouquet must be carefully chosen depending on the personal characteristics of the woman. Its color must stress on her individuality, and its shape must emphasize on her body silhouette, giving her the best possible looks. There are many different wedding bouquets, and their design depends on the bride's skin tone, body proportion, facial appearance and attire.

BOUTONNIERES. These flower decorations are worn by the groom and his attendance, also by the ushers, and the bride's and groom's fathers. They are made of small flower buds attached on the left lapel of the jacket.

CORSAGES. They can be worn in pin-on, wrists and hand-held styles. As a flower decoration they combine a small bloom or several blooms tied together.

WREATHS. This is a splendid flower decoration that has a round shape. The rings of flowers are used as centerpieces, headpieces or door hangers.

CANDELABRA. They are made of flowing greens in the shape of ribbons. They are put at the base, neck or top of multi-armed candelabra.

Dried Flower Arrangements and Decorations

Dried flowers can be used as a typical and unique style of decoration. One can get the dried flowers from a florist or can dry the flowers oneself. There are many flowers which dry quickly and easily. Few of them are violets, roses, .daisies, zenias etc. The basic rule for drying is that the moisture in the flower should be removed without rotting it. There are various methods of drying which are as follows:

Hanging: in this method one needs to hang flowers in a well ventilated, dark spot, for about a week, by tying the flowers in a bundle and hanging them upside down.

Sand Drying: in this method one needs to fill the flower with sand by placing it in a box of sand, stem upside down for a week. The most important thing to be remembered is that the sand should not have any moisture. The advantage of this method is you can retain the cup shape of the flower.

Air tight containers: this method is very useful for bulky headed flowers. Just place the flowers in the container, close it and keep it for a week to ten days.

A desiccant: a substance such as calcium oxide or silica gel, which has a high affinity for water and is used as a drying agent can also be used to dry flowers.

There are various things that can be done to decorate with the help of dried flowers:-

You can decorate a photograph, invitation, child's artwork or selected piece of literature in a shadow box, a wedding invitation, highlight a poem, photos or pieces of literature.

A wreath fashioned from dried flowers is an attractive and durable decoration for a front door or mantel. It's a simple project too, requiring only a frame, dried flowers, and a hot glue gun. To begin making a wreath, attach a picture frame hanger to the reverse of your stretcher frames (preferably use, two 8-inch and two 9-inch frames for the purpose). Paint the frames, if you want to. Prepare the flowers by removing their stems. Starting from one corner and working your way around, lay down a strip of glue. Place the flowers on the hot glue and push down carefully. Continue placing flowers along the top side and finish by gluing flowers along the edge.

Apart from this there are some general rules which should be used for Dried Flower decoration which are as follows:

If flowers feel soft like a sponge, do not use them for drying. This indicates that they are old or have been frozen. Flowers used for drying should be firm.
Make a stem for the dried flowers with a wire and secure flowers with floral tape.
Once all the flowers have been mounted on stems, start making arrangements. Check garage sales, etc. for unique vases and bowls in which to display the arrangements.
Find inspiration for arrangements by touring flower gardens or by looking through gardening magazines.

Experiment, create and never be afraid. The end results can give your home the warmth of your gardens.