RED ANTHURIUM PLANT IN VASE

Anthuriums stand out with their heart-shaped spathes. With little care your plant could bloom all year round.

TEMPERATURE: Best indoor temperatures range 78F to 90F and night temparatures of 70F to 75F. Temparatures above 90F could burn the foliage and reduce the flower life and lower temperatures around the 40F to 50F could cause the leaves to yellow. Anthuriums will not resist frost.

LIGHT: Place your plant in a sunny location but avoid direct sunlight. In lower light leaves may stretch and become distorted.

WATERING: Allow the earth to slightly dry out between waterings

POISONOUS HOUSEPLANT! Keep from children and pets. If ingested contact your Doctor immediately

MILLES FLEURS

A 'milles fleurs' is easily translated to 'thousand flowers'. For us florist this means a large variety is mixed flowers and colors are used to create an arrangement or a bouquet of cut flowers. There is a strong importance between color and texture to create an arrangement that doesn't look like a bubble gum machine.

The following composition includes, 'picasso' calla lilies, white stock, white snapdragons, lavender larkspur, Pink 'ballet' roses, orange 'milva' roses, chartreuse green dendrobium orchids, 'jaguar' mokara orchids and 'red france' roses.

GIFT CERTIFICATES NOW AVAILABLE!

Gift certificates are available in any denomination you would like. We have given you the option to present the gift certificate in a lovely gift box decorated with artificial or fresh flowers. The boxes start at $5.
Order yours now!

CUSTOM TRIBUTE

HALLOWEEN OPEN HOUSE

On Friday the 31st of October we would like to invite all children to our shop for some special treats. Our doors will be open till 8pm.

SYMPATHY DESIGNS

At Gigi flower Boutique we feel strongly about personalizing all arrangements for you and your family. The following are a few recent 'baskets'.

White snapdragons, white lisianthus, 'Carolyn Tenson' white lilies, white 'escimo' roses, white hydrangea, white dendrobrium orchids and white tulips.

White snapdragons, 'Carolyn Tenson' lilies, white hydrangea, white gerbera, large white calla lilies, white carnations and Italian ruskus.

Green dendrobrium orchids, white hydrangea, white snapdragons, large white calla lilies and 'Katies blush' leucadendron.

GREEN CYMBIDIUM ORCHID

Our arrangement of the day.

Inspired by Japanese art form (origami and the Japanese tea ceremony) , this green cymbidium (Alice Anderson) is tucked into a round vase and accented with bears grass and a large montera leaf.

ORCHID, CALLA, ROSE & HYDRANGEA WEDDING BOUQUET

Here are a some pictures of a bridal bouquet we completed for a wedding that took place last weekend. I just love love love the subtle color combination.























This bouquet is a combination of "green shadow" hydrangea from Holland, mini "bridal pink" calla lilies from Holland, "faith"(lilac) roses & "escimo" (white) roses from Rosa Prima in Ecuador, "Valerie" (light pink) sweetheart roses from Rosa Flora in Ontario and "Snow castle" cymbidium orchids from New Zealand.

2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS - AWARDS BOUQUETS

Standing at 40cm tall this bouquet is packed with tradition and numbers. Each of the 6000 bouquets that will be distributed over the 2008 Olympics is composed of 9 red China roses, 6 hypericums, 6 physostegia virginiana, 6 leaves of fragrant plantain lily, and 6 ophiopogon japonicus. The leading flower is the Chinese red rose as red is propitious in Chinese tradition. The remaining five flowers that will play a supporting role all have unique Chinese characteristics. They represent friendship, unity and fairness, and bless the Olympic Games with great success. The lucky number “9” in Chinese culture indicating “evergreen, everlasting or eternal” and the lucky number “6” represents "smoothness”, so all the supporting plants come in batches of six flowers, bunches or with six leaves.

references - http://www.bjreview.com.cn/quotes/txt/2008-08/11/content_140329.htm

picture from - http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/official/preparation/n214479691.shtml

CLOSED SUNDAYS FOR JULY & AUGUST

We will be closing all Sundays for the months of July and August. We all need some time off and a little vitamin D!
We will be back to our normal schedule starting September 7th.2008
Thank you for your understanding.

Please note that we will accomodate you for flowers being delivered to a funeral.

THE GIFT

11/27/07 THE GIFT - Emmett Marion -- then a combat sergeant in New Guinea during World War II -- arranged to have a dozen red roses sent to his mother at her home in Mt. Airy, NC on Mother's Day. His mom cried all day, so touched was she that her son would take time in a war zone to do such a thing.

"The Gift" is a series about the things we've received, the things we've given, the things we remember. In big ways and small, they are gifts that have changed our lives. The day he and the others left for World War II, Emmett Marion looked out the window as the bus rolled past his house outside Mount Airy. There, by the side of the road, waving and crying, was his mother.
Auta Jane Marion had already lost two of her seven children: a boy at age 4, a girl in infancy. Now her second-born -- she nicknamed him "Sweet Boy" -- had been drafted into the Army Air Corps and was bound for the South Pacific.
To New Guinea, as it turned out. A sweltering island of jungles, coconuts and exotic birds -- quite a change from his family's 25-acre farm, with its vegetable garden, and pigs and chickens.
Pfc. Marion sent a portion of his $50-a-month pay back to North Carolina. And he told his family that where he was stationed, malaria was a bigger threat than Japanese bullets.
He was wearing uniforms now, not the clothes his mother had made him over the years. But he clung to gifts from her that helped form the young man he had become. He traced his religious faith to those Sundays when Mom would gather her children together, then read -- and explain -- the Bible to them. Marion's sense of sharing with others came from his mother, too -- he remembered all those times, during the Depression, when she had fed wandering hobos on their front porch. She never let anybody go hungry.
And then there was the certainty of her love, which he cherished during this time away from home.
As Mother's Day 1944 approached, Marion, inspired by the enchanting odors of the island's strange but beautiful flowers, got an idea. If I send you the money, he wrote his brother Curtis, would you hitchhike to the florist in Mount Airy and get Mom a dozen red roses?
His mother grew flowers and she traded cuttings with neighbors. But he was sure nobody had ever given her a store-bought bouquet.
Not Dad. Until they moved to the farm, Roscoe Marion had made 33 cents an hour at Mount Airy Mantle and Table. From that he had to pay $6 in rent for their mill house and other expenses. Their food came from some livestock and a vegetable garden (Mom canned lots of vegetables) and Mom also made most of their clothes.
Probably the only time she had even seen flowers from a florist was at a funeral. No, she'd led a lean life as far as luxuries go.
Marion sent his brother a $15 money order.
On Mother's Day, half a world away, Mom got her roses from the son she hadn't seen in more than a year.
And she cried all day.
Marion made it back to Mount Airy just before Christmas 1945. The snow was ankle-deep. Mother was so happy to see him.
She didn't mention the roses -- not then and not once before her death in 1981.
But today, her 84-year-old son still thinks about that gift he gave her. And the many she gave him.

source http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/389462.html

OUR POINSETTIAS HAVE ARRIVED!!

Every Wednesday for the next four weeks we will be receiving Quebec greenhouse grown poinsettias in 8 and 10 inch containers. Smaller poinsettias are available through pre order only. Mid-month we will also be receiving poinsettia standards (trees) but quantities are limited, if you are interested in purchasing one for yourself, a friend or a family member please contact us as soon as possible as they are going fast!

'07 WEDDING @ THE MONTREAL HOLIDAY INN - LAPLAZA

A "GREEN" WEDDING

I just finished reading a very interesting article in the Saturday, June 2nd, 2007 edition of the Montreal Gazette. It spoke of brides and grooms going green for their wedding and how they might achieve it. Some may say its radical but if you choose just one item on the list, you are contributing to reducing waste that is too often the case of many weddings.

Here's a list of environmentally friendly options for your wedding (from the Montreal Gazette and "Eco-Chic weddings" by Emily Elizabeth Anderson).

The rings: I myself was shocked to read that a single gold ring can generate up to 20 tonnes of mine waste. Diamonds often originate from areas in Sub-Saharan Africa where the "profits" are used to fund guerrilla military activity.

Opt instead for faux diamonds or recycled gold. Have a two for one and have your engagement ring serve as your wedding band as well.

The gown: A wedding dress can take up to 15 metres of fabric or more. Very often it's made in China using child labor and/or harmful chemicals.

Go local! buy something made in Quebec. Choose a dress that you could possibly alter and wear again. Think organic cotton, hemp, silk or linen - all sustainable, naturally produced fabrics. Consider renting a dress or wearing a recycled one.

The bridal registry: Create a registry to cut down on unwanted gifts you'll never use. Or be totally selfless and ask for charitable donations in lieu of gifts.

The invitations: Consider a simple invitation, using tree free or chlorine free paper. Some companies (The Crane stationary company) offer wedding invitations made of organic cotton. Include a "please recycle" note on the back. Another option which I was introduced to at a friends wedding was paper with seeds embedded in it so that guests could plant the invitations and enjoy the flowers/herbs that grow from them. Or simply send e-vites.

Flowers: Organic (environmentally responsible growing methods, use of recycling and proper waste disposal) flowers are available ask your local florist what they can obtain for your wedding day.

The menu: It is humanly impossible to eat everything at most weddings. It's way too much even if you've been saving room for days and tons of it ends up in the dumpster after the party is over.

Simplify the menu. Have guest return home with leftovers in reusable containers or donate the leftovers to your local food bank.

MOTHER'S DAY CONTEST WINNER

I wish I would have had a little time to post our contest winners name before today but ever since Mothers Day, we have been extremely busy with wedding season kicking in.

Thank you to all who participated in this years contest.

Our winner will be receiving fresh flowers ($50 value) once a month for the next year to come.

Congratulations to Rosetta Primerano, from Lachine (Quebec)