Old Articles 2

Mumbai state of Mind

Genevieve McElroy, puts me in a Mumbai state of mind.

Its been a deluge of torrential rains this last weekend in Mumbai, and that picture translates into a wonderful kaleidescope of the Mumbaikars mind.

Its glorious, the rains, the weather, sometimes dull with deep blues in our mood and grey skies.

Many times the monsoon weather makes nature glorious in Mumbai. Flowers bloom everywhere, and the thirsting tress used to traffic fumes of Mumbai, suddenly start breathing a brightness that translates into the bright pink of Genevieve’s flower palette above, making the bright pink shifting to the pure white cineriras flowers a smooth transition, Just like Mumbai makes it transition from dullness to cheer.

Flowers really do convey emotions in myriad ways, this is so evident from the glorious flowers on display above, floating in a bowl of waer, floating like our dreams do on a wet, dull, blue yet clean and bright monsoon Mumbai weekend.

To order Flowers Across India go to SPRING BLOSSOMS FLOWERS UNLIMITED

tags: Asia, Flower, India, mumbai
Posted by Nirmala Korade in Flower Ideas on September 30, 2012Comment?

Your Florist featured in the Femina

“The best way to keep flowers fresher longer is to make sure they are kept in a container with clean’ water. Please ensure, that you change the water daily and cut off the sodden stem at the base, this will ensure that the water remains bacteria free and the flower can actually drink’ the clean water,” says India’s premier floral designer Laxmi Lobo of Spring Blossoms, Mumbai.

• “The best way to keep flowers fresher longer is to make sure they are kept in a container with clean’ water. Please ensure, that you change the water daily and cut off the sodden stem at the base, this will ensure that the water remains bacteria free and the flower can actually drink’ the clean water,” says India‘s premier floral designer Laxmi Lobo of Spring Blossoms, Mumbai. “Put 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of bleach in a quart of warm water. The acid from the lemon ensures an improved water flow in flower stems, sugar helps buds open and last longer, and the bleach is a preservative to reduce growth of bacteria.”

Design Tips
Laxmi provides priceless styling tips to help you plan your flower decoration in terms of space and accessories.

• Keep in mind the space you have around the floral display before you plan a large or small display and where you want to place it.

• Since flowers are inherently beautiful, do not add so many embellishments that you take away from the flowers’ natural beauty.

• The container that you use for your floral display is as important as the flowers you choose. Tall containers can be dramatic with few flowers whereas multi•coloured containers will look nicer if the flowers are all of a single colour.

• The background of your floral display has to be considered when designing with flowers. If there is lot of movement behind the floral display, like a hotel display or a passageway at home, then a monochromatic theme will attract the viewers’ eye. A background can be enhanced with brightly coloured runners on a dinner table setting; this will make a white floral display look stunning.

• “While decorating with flowers at home for a party that will last late into the night or go on till the wee hours of the morning, choose sturdy flowers like Orchids and Anthuriums rather than hollow stem Gerbera Daisies,” suggests Laxmi. This will ensure your flowers look as fresh as when the guests came in.

tags: Business, Cocktail party, Floristry, Flower, India, mumbai, Sweetest Day, Water
Posted by Nirmala Korade in News and Articles on September 26, 2012Comment?

Flower Rangoli for Onam in India

Thiru Onam (from Sravana?) is celebrated in the second half of August (the Chingam month of Kollam Era) when the August monsoon rains come to an end and the summer heat gives way to the pleasant warmth of the Kerala autumn. Anthropologists see in Onam a great fertility rite, the ceremony of Thanksgiving for a plentiful harvest. For Keralites Onam is the celebration of the return of Mahabali, their once and future king. This king once ruled over the Keralites during the Golden Age before caste existed, “when all men were equal, when no one was poor, when there was neither theft nor dread of thieves”

The celebration of the return of Mahabali takes four days for the Hindus. The house and yard are cleaned; a temporary mud stall is put up and washed with cow-dung solution for the royal visitor; flowers are strewn over it for the king to sit upon; pyramid-shaped images of the king called Trikkakarappan, made of wood or clay, are placed upon it as the onlookers applaud and cheer in sheer welcome. Pujas (worship service) are performed during the four days of Onam every morning; parents give children presents, especially dresses on the occasion. Large scale feasts are held at this family reunion — increasingly Onam is becoming a holiday like Thanksgiving which is characterized by family reunion and feasting. The Flower design or Rangoli above is a typical way of dressing the home and the places of worship.

The Flower Rangoli below is made to look like a flower. Various patterns of Flower Rangoli are made with passion and creativity.

Flower petals in various hues and colours are used. The flower rangoli pattern is first sketcked with a white chalk paste and then the petals of various local flowers are filled in.

rangoli3

tags: Festival, Floristry, Holidays, India flowers, kerala, Onam, Thanksgiving
Posted by Nirmala Korade in News and Articles on September 9, 2012Comment?

Festive Garlands in Mumbai

My friend Arun Shanbag has caught the splendour of the festive garlands in the Mumbai flower market. (every picture leads you to his wonderful blog)

This flower market in Mumbai is where, all of mumbai comes to purchase the wonderfully entwined flowers which we mumbaikars call garlands to annoint our Lord, the Elephant God Ganapati or Ganesha with.

The Lord Ganesh is venerated all across India. In Mumbai this festival is particularly heralded with Ganapati Pandals all across the city. The Lord is on every street corner, the festival is a public festival and the community celebrates, different from most other festivals which are celebrated only in the homes.

These festive flower garlands are made of rose petals, strung together in a unique way.

The stringing of garlands is done by hand, entwining thread with the little flowers, sometimes using petals in a formation using flower needles.

The flower sellers entire lifestyle fits into this little cubicle. Notice the clothes and the pictures of deities he worships, the flower seller lives out of this box, even his accounts and cash drawer is in this space.

This double layered spaces shows us how very effectively 6 people can sit and make flower garlands.Its the spirit of Mumbai, always short on space, innovating and with the entrepreneurial ‘never say die’ Mumbaikar who is showcased in this photograph.

Traditional Lilies used for garlands hang side by side with the blue orchids from Thailand. It seems even Lord Ganesh is enthralled by the imported orchids.

The Mumbai Flower market is a sight to behold, if your in Mumbai at any festive time its a sure tourist destination. Best time to to go to the market to take photographs is around 5 pm when the crowds are less and the lighting is perfect.

Tags: Festival, Floristry, Ganesha, God, India, India flowers, Lord Ganesh, mumbai, Mumbaikar, send flowers to mumbai, spring blossoms, Thailand

tags: Festival, Floristry, Ganesha, God, India, India flowers, Lord Ganesh, mumbai, Mumbaikar, send flowers to mumbai, spring blossoms, Thailand
Posted by Nirmala Korade in News and Articles on September 4, 2012Comment?

Why send Flowers?

There are special occasions and holidays which give you the excuse to send a relative or close friend flowers just to let them know that you are thinking of them.

This is especially appropriate if you haven’t written to them or spoken to them on the phone for some time.

In most cases, a surprise gift of flowers will invariably result in a joyous telephone call from the receiver of the gift.

A telephone call is the only way to thank someone for a gift of flowers. Its one of the nice ways of embarking on a long friendship, or a good business contact.

An E-mail response is not personal enough.

From the responses we have received, a gift of flowers and the resulting telephone call more than compensates for being separated by distances or for not writing for too long a time or for building that new contact.

SENDING FLOWERS…. It is the one act that brings people closer together – and almost immediately upon receipt of the flowers.

Order flowers from www.spring-blossoms.com

tags: Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Flower, India, mumbai, Pune, Shopping
Posted by Nirmala Korade in News and Articles on August 27, 2012Comment?

Visually delightful floristry

This is a Visual Delight. A florists delight. Its a masterpiece created by a Florist.

I wish I knew which florist or which floral designer created this. I cam across the picture on images but without a credit.

Its not an easy floral arrangement to create without florist expertise.

Anyone admring and enjoying this picture should note the wonderful interplay of colours and textures that the florist has used.

The solid structure behoves the colours and hence this comes across as a florist masterpiece.

There is a kind of awe when absorbing the colours and the feel of this florist creation.

Floristry is truly an art and can be admired in the art forms that are more popular. As a florist myself, I have always felt that the inherent nature of Floristry is such that the medium we use, flowers, are themselves beautiful, its easy to create such art out of a naturally beautifully medium of flowers.

As all of us know, flowers as a medium of art make any floral creation look wonderful. Some floral arrangements surpass this feeling of beauty and go further into becoming an art form

The picture above is one of those that surpasses the feeling of flowers and floristry. It becomes an art form.

Cheers to the florist who created it.

Order Flowers from SPRING BLOSSOMS FLOWERS UNLIMITED

tags: Art, Floral Design, florist, Floristry, Flower, send flowers to mumbai, spring blossomss
Posted by Nirmala Korade in News and Articles on August 23, 2012Comment?

Hot Ambiance with Flowers

It is simplistic to think that the floral designer is just sticking a few flowers in a vase.

Floral art is very much a matter of finding solutions for any corner of the home and creating an AMBIANCE WITH FLOWERS..

This involves what kind of Floral Design choices we suggest for the customer, and involves a large number of variables such as style, look, color, and various elements of design.

This simple set up by the bedside literally uses a single spray of white Chrysanthemums.
I have used little pieces of marble rock to hold the small plastic bottles down and added a sprig of flowers.
Finish with a fragrant candle in the center and add a dramatic touch with the RED platter or runner to complete the theme.

Its your imagination… CREATE A LOOK… A DESIGNER LOOK!!!

Order flowers from spring-blossoms.com

tags: Arts, Business, crafts, Designers and Studios, Floral, Floral Design, Flower
Posted by Nirmala Korade in Flower Ideas, Useful tips for flowers on August 20, 2012Comment?

Romance without Candles!!! Indulge…

Can you imagine the impact this would have on that special person in your life?
Leave the candles alone, have a DAYTIME treat or make it an INDULGENCE DESSERT!

Its very easy to do this, if you are a good cook, then the chocolate icing is simple ‘royal icing’ recipe….
I’ll tell you how to make the flowers…

Take a small side plate, slice an “oasis floral sponge” into a square of 4inches by 4inches.

Start with the centre, 3 roses will make the centre, then build slowly around giving the arrangement a round shape.

Do not use wispy greens to cover the floral sponge as little bits of green will drop onto the chocolate icing.

Use solid green leaves, small ones, that might be sitting on your window ledge or garden.

The contrast of the dark pink and the dark chocolate is enough to mesmerize…..don’t forget the fragrance of pink roses mingling with aphrodisiac chocolate is simply mind blowing!!

Order flowers from www.spring-blossoms.com

Posted by Nirmala Korade in Flower Ideas on August 2, 2012Comment?

How to select an Online Florist

Why would you choose an online florist instead of choosing a florist local to your recipient? Being local to an area doesn’t guarantee that your arrangement will be of value or fresh for that matter. If that shop doesn’t have a big following, chances are they don’t have much in inventory, and don’t diligently rotate for freshness. Experienced online florists deal with Professional Florists that they have built relationships with over many years. When you call a local florist shop to send flowers, they know you’re in another state and most likely won’t see the flowers. Does being local guarantee that they are nice? Of course not.

An experienced online florist will have developed what is called the Golden Preferred Florist List – florists that have been used repeatedly that they know have the highest of quality standards and professional timely delivery service.
It’s important that the online florist website be operated by a real florist, however, who can first guide you to the perfect arrangement within your budget. They know which flowers goes with which, how much it should be and what’s in season. And most of all – what particular florist in your recipients city will give your emotional floral message the professional attention it deserves. This is something you can’t get choosing a florist from an internet yellow pages or ‘online floral directory’.

Aside from creativity, a good florist also knows how to establish rapport with the customer. They must be very good at customer relations because this is an important component of the floristry business. They must able to answer customer questions well and be able to provide customer with the same proper care and attention that he does to his flowers.
A good florist should also remember the types of bouquets or arrangements you prefer, he must be able to keep track of your occasions and send you reminders about them. This happens with the use of modern floral technology. A good florist will also ask questions so they will know exactly what your needs are.

A vital part of the business is the service. The florist must have his establishment at a place that is clean and easily accessible and he must be open at convenient hours. A florist should also have a professional opinion ready, just in case customers have a hard time deciding what he wants. In addition to having quality flowers, a good florist will also have other complimentary products available, such as nice, decorative vases, floral food, and other gifts such as teddy bears, balloons, cards, etc.

A great florist will have years of experience and many returning happy customers. It’s really great to find exceptional florist that you can always come back to whenever the occasion calls for it.

tags: Arrangement, florist, Floristry, Flower, Online flower delivery, Shopping, United States
Posted by Nirmala Korade in Flower Delivery, Gift Flowers, Local Florist, News and Articles, Online Florist on July 30, 2012Comment?

X ray Flower photos

X ray Flowers photos is a very unusual way to view flowers. I found this article very interesting, and the concept of viewing flowers through an x ray vision as a florist, and especially a florist in India very very unusual.

Florists in India are generally not exposed to various ways of viewing flowers photos as an art of floral photography.

One reason could be that floristry and flowers in India have not yet developed to an art, as they have in the western countries. The power of the internet is of course, what exposes even florists in India to such wonderfully creative photographs and the art of floral arrangement, or should I say very unusual floristry.

Have a look…..

hibiscus-xray

Photo hugh turvey

roses1

Photo hugh turvey

roses-xray

Photo hugh turvey

For more details of this article please go to http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-x-rays-flowers

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.