Dish Gardens - Bringing Nature Into Limited Spaces

 

If you live in a high rise apartment or a condo unit where there's limited space, there's no reason why you can't have a garden around you. There's nothing as refreshing as the sight of live plants and new trend that's gaining some popularity among those living in restricted spaces is container gardening.
The best thing about container gardening is the control you have in your design choices. Containers come in various types - you can use small, shallow dishes or terra cotta pots, or if your space allows, empty barrels, old copper vats and crates are great for a rustic feel.

Selecting plants for your container depends on what region of the country you live in. As a general rule, go for slow growing plants that don't need frequent repotting. Perennials are a great choice, especially the woody types. They're hardier, can withstand temperature changes, and are easier to maintain and control.

Herbs are also a good option for your container gardens. You can regularly prune them as you use them and they have beautiful foliage. Most of them also fill the air with their wonderful scents and aroma.

You can also choose to work with several different-sized small containers and create a display of dish gardens in a patio or deck corner. This is a great idea especially for small plants like herbs and cacti. There are beautiful flowering varieties of cacti that come in such attractive colors. They're very easy to grow and demand very little attention and maintenance. They're perfect for someone who's always on the go and doesn't have all the time to spend on plant upkeep.

Whatever type or size of space you have, there's always the possibility of bringing the richness and beauty of nature into it. Container gardens are there to remind us of the splendor that surrounds us all at the outside.

List of Gorgeous Wedding Flowers

Wedding is the most important occasion for lovers. They do everything to make it extravagant and remarkable as well. Either an extravagant or simple wedding always have bouquet of flowers essential for the ceremony. Without flowers, this unforgettable ceremony would be imperfect and senseless.
Flowers will bring life to the wedding. These are usually decorated along the altar, walls and ceilings. The flowers, the bride will be holding should be the most beautiful flowers on that special occasion. Except from the appearance of the bride, her make-up, gown and shoes, the wedding flowers must also be striking and extraordinary.
Choosing the perfect flowers for a wedding is essential to make the wedding perfect and unforgettable. The question is that, what is the best flower to use for weddings?
The following are some of the flowers choose by most brides-to-be.
Rose - This is said to be the all-time favorite wedding flower. Roses come in many shades of white that is the ideal color for a descent wedding. White colored flowers are usually use for wedding occasions because it is a sign of purity and innocence. One reason why colored flowers are not commonly use is because these flowers tend to take away guest attention from the bride's appearance. Rose has fragrant scent but others have a little odor.
Calla Lilly - This is one of the elegant flowers and this can be a great wedding bouquet. They are beautiful enough to be chosen as flower for all wedding occasions. Their sophisticated elegance can put glimpse to the entire guest on that very special day. You can choose from a wide variety of colors such as white, yellow, orange, and dark color such as purple.
Tulips - These flowers could also be an option for wedding flowers. These come in different shades of white, red, yellow and lavender. These are thirsty flowers that require usual watering. If you chose tulips to be your wedding flowers for your big day, you should ensure that they are watered well before the ceremony started.
Orchids - Orchid is one of the famous flowers used in wedding bouquets. Wedding orchids have colorful blooms that are liked by most brides. Orchid is a representation of beauty, elegance and fragrance. Their sophisticated shades of colors attract people's attention as well as it beautifies the whole area of the wedding. Wedding orchids are the best flowers to be used in wedding ceremonies but this kind of flower is a little expensive because it is quite hard to grow. You should consider first many aspects like the budget before choosing a perfect flower to be used for your wedding.

These are some of the most used flowers for all wedding occasions. Finding the perfect flower for a wedding is a hard task indeed because the flowers should fit with the motif of the wedding. Flowers are one of the most important things in special occasions like wedding. They provide noticeable colors that give life to a one special event. Flowers can also give a relaxing scent which can provide good mood to all the people in the area.

Administrative Assistant Week April 26th - 29th

Do you have a an amazing assistant that without him or her you would be lost? Don't miss the chance to show them how much all they do you is appreciated with a bouquet or gift basket from Coggins Flowers and Gifts. Here are some great gifts to choose from:

The FTD® Thanks Bouquet is a simply gorgeous way to send your gratitude and thanks to friends, family, and loved ones near and far! Starting at $39.99.

 

FTD® proudly presents the Better Homes and Gardens® Sunlit Meadows™ Bouquet. This simply lovely bouquet makes a terrific way to add color and country charm to any Mother’s Day celebration. Starting at $37.99

 

Botanical Bouquet - As fresh, joyful and colorful as the season, these lovely mixed flowers shower any occasion with a burst of springtime loveliness. Starting at $39.99

 

Sympathy Flowers

5 Traditional Sympathy Flowers

Sending flowers to a family, who has recently lost a loved one, is an effective way to express sympathy. Besides expressing sympathy, sympathy flowers can also be used as a means of paying tribute to the one who has died and brightening up the sad atmosphere. These days many flowers are sent for expressing sympathy but there are a few flowers, which are traditionally associated with sympathy, loss, remembrance and funerals. Such flowers are more suitable than others for sending to the bereaved family members as they provide a meaningful gesture. Some of the traditional sympathy flowers are mentioned below.

Lilies
Lilies are commonly associated with funerals and sympathy. According to Christian folklore, the flowers symbolize resurrection. In the language of flowers, lilies symbolize the innocence of the departed soul. Moreover, white stargazer lilies denote sympathy due to which, they are the most suitable choice for someone who has lost a loved one.

Carnations
Carnations are also popular as sympathy flowers. Carnations come in different colors, which have different meanings. For example red carnations stand for admiration, pink carnations denote remembrance and white carnations symbolize purity. Thus, a bouquet consisting of carnations of different colors will be a suitable choice for this occasion. Besides being sent for expressing sympathy, carnations are also used for making wreaths displayed at funerals due to their dense blooms.

Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums are often included in floral arrangements for funeral services in Asian and European countries. White chrysanthemums stand for death, loss and grief. Hence, they are only used for funeral services. They are often combined with roses and carnations in floral arrangements.

Roses
Roses are also included in sympathy flower arrangements. Like carnations, they also have different colors, which have different meanings. They have a formal look and therefore are suitable for sending to families who have experienced the loss of a loved one. A bouquet, which includes roses of different colors, can express the sender's sympathy effectively.

Gladioli
Gladioli are frequently used in sympathy flower arrangements. A fan spray of gladioli is a classic at traditional funeral services. Gladioli denote sincerity, moral integrity and strength of character, due to which, they are suitable as sympathy flowers.

These days, florists have many different sympathy flower bouquets. These bouquets consist of many other flowers besides traditional sympathy flowers. In addition to this, the sender can also order customized bouquets to express their sympathy to the recipient in times of grief and loss.

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DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY

Lasting arrangement: Coggins Flowers and Gifts marks 60 years

Jim Coggins, left, his daughter Lori and grand-daughter Karlee, 5, at Coggins Flowers and Gifts on North Church Street in Spartanburg.
TIM KIMZEY/tim.kimzey@shj.com

By Trevor Anderson
trevor.anderson@shj.com

Published: Sunday, February 7, 2016 at 6:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 5, 2016 at 3:17 p.m.

The beautiful arrangements in the back of Jim Coggins’ floral shop remind him that growing a small business requires patience, hard work and attention to detail.

“It’s just what you’ve got to do if you want to build something that’s going to last,” said Coggins, owner of Coggins Flowers and Gifts at 800 N. Church St. near Spartanburg Medical Center.

This year, the store will celebrate its 60th anniversary.

Coggins’ parents, the late Helen and Walter Coggins, opened the flower store behind a barber shop on North Church Street in 1956, the same year Coggins was born. The idea grew out of his mother's passion for arranging roses grown in her own garden. Both of his parents went on to study design at Finley’s Floral School in Greenville.

Coggins said he started working in the shop when he turned 5. He swept the floors and watched his parents create beautiful bouquets.

Now, he has brought his son, Brad, and daughter, Lori, into the fold. His wife, Ginger, also contributes at the shop. And his granddaughter, Karlee, who is 5, has just started to show an interest, giving Coggins hope that the store might continue to a fourth generation.

“I’ve been reading about some local businesses turning 50,” Coggins said. “I was thinking, we’ve got them beat by 10 years. … It’s pretty rare in the flower business to find a shop that has been around that long and still owned by the same family.”

When Coggins was still a child, his parents moved their business to a former grocery store closer to the hospital.

In 1969, the shop moved across the street into a new structure that was built on the site of a former gas station at 800 N. Church St. It has remained there for the past 44 years.

Coggins was able to salvage the business’s old sign, which now hangs inside the store, from the grocery store before it was demolished.

Coggins took over the reins of the business in 1981. The senior Coggins, who also worked part-time as a night watchman, died in 1992.

Helen Coggins continued to help out at the shop on holidays until her death in 2011. She was 92. Her last day at the shop was on Valentine's Day.

Coggins said his parents would be happy to see the business thriving.

“It’s tough,” he said. “You have to work long hours and stay focused. … It means a lot to me that we are turning 60. I’m glad I can have the opportunity, because you just don’t see that anymore.”

Coggins said the Great Recession hit his business hard between 2008 and 2010. In 2011, sales began to bounce back and have continued to grow every year.

He credits increased marketing efforts and a commitment to quality products and service for the comeback.

“Making sure we do the right thing,” he said. “That has been very important.”

Lori Coggins said she is optimistic about the future of the business.

“Some days are tougher than other,” she said. “Overall, it has been a great experience to work alongside my dad and learn from him, to work together as a family.”

Thank you, Trevor Anderson for writing such a nice story about our 60 years in business. We look forward to many more years.

  http://www.goupstate.com/article/20160207/ARTICLES/160209774/1086?p=1&tc=pg

Say it With Flowers This Valentine's Day

Say it With Flowers This Valentine's Day 

Valentines Day is not merely a day for gifting but also the day that upholds the importance of the celebration of love. It is the perfect occasion to convey messages of love, affection and admiration for special people in our lives.  Valentine flowers are particularly beautiful as they signify hidden messages. Roses feature as the predominant flower ideally gifted to loved ones on this special day. The messages conveyed on Valentines Day depend on the color and type of the chosen flowers.

The importance of specific colors of flowers and the unique messages conveyed are as below:

Roses: A popular survey denotes that the most widely preferred color is the innately classic rose. Most women the world over, prefer roses to other flowers on Valentines Day. Deep red colored ones symbolize passionate and true love. In recent times, women have shown preference for colors other than the traditional red. Peach is for admiration so is the color orange while white roses symbolized innocence and purity. A bunch of mixed roses connote varied emotions and heartfelt passion towards the special someone. Pink roses are symbolic of poetic romance while purple ones denote majestic glory. If 'love at first sight' is what you wish to convey then lilac is the color for you.

Lilies: Lilies are quite popular as valentine flowers and akin to roses, the different colors denote different messages. Oriental lilies with large blooms are a favorite among women that prefer class and quality over quantity. A bunch of full bloomed lilies are perfect for the one you love, hence they make great valentine flowers.

Carnations: Carnations are exquisite looking and make ideal gifts for Valentines Day. They are the second most popular flowers to be gifted on Valentines Day. They have a feminine aura about them which makes them all the more appealing to the recipient.

Gerberas: These flowers add a contemporary touch to valentine gifting and make great gifts for all age groups. They have a fresh feel and look exquisite in mushy posies which may be accompanied with messages and other customized gifts.
Valentine flowers certainly speak better than words but the gifts are nicer when they appeal to the recipient. So, know the recipient's choice before opting to say it with flowers. Choose right and celebrate love, the floral way.

Pepole Love Flowers...Send a Bouquet for Christmas!

Christmas is one of those events that comes around every year, yet still manages to catch us by surprise. In September, autumn marks the end of short sleeves and open toed shoes and then before you know it, mince pies and Christmas cakes start appearing on supermarket shelves and you find yourself hunting around your attic looking for your winter thermals as the weather starts to turn a little nippy.

In almost any shopping center or online store, you can guarantee that towards the end of October, Christmas gifts will be on display – an early reminder that Christmas shopping is one of the rituals we need to start think about (of course most of us tend to leave this until mid December)!

Displays of Christmas gifts and festive food might be a reminder that Christmas is on its way, but, there's a lot more to Christmas than simply exchanging gifts and indulging in festive food and mulled wine. Family visits, friends get together, office parties are just a few of the events that need cramming into a few precious days. And, that's even before the overwhelming thought of digging out your address book to look up everyone you want to send a Christmas card or gift to. Everyone does almost all their communicating over the internet and phone these days so the old style address book has gone somewhat out of fashion!

In our busy lives, it's hard to find time to fit everything in and buying gifts online has become increasingly popular. It's difficult to know sometimes what to buy too – especially for that person who has everything – and let's face it, we all know someone like that!

Don't worry, there is one gift that is sure to be well received by anyone and that is of course flowers! There is no better time of year to decorate the home with a gorgeous Christmas flower arrangement as lots of friends and family will be visiting. If you can't manage to make it to your relatives or friends to give them a gift, then why not send them some stunning festive flowers by post either with special delivery to arrive on your preferred date. You could even choose a long lasting plant like an Orchid or a Peace Lily so your loved ones have a beautiful gift to display throughout the Christmas period.  You'll definitely be in their good books with this thoughtful gift as Christmas flowers can add such a magical touch to a room. Whether it's Roses, Carnations, Tulips or a bouquet of mixed flowers, there are plenty of varieties that represent the red, white and green colors traditionally associated with Christmas. You'll find that the packaging that Christmas flower arrangements are sent out  in is very strong and designed to withstand any bumps along the way so your Christmas flowers are delivered in sparkling condition.

So, for those last minute present buying panic moments when people are running out of shop doors and the corner shop has run out of wrapping paper, why not send some flowers for Christmas and brighten up your loved ones Christmases without having the hassle of hitting the mall!