OMG! Here’s something I didn’t know, the Dracaena plant gets its name from the Greek word “drakaina”, meaning a female dragon. Wait, it’s not as bad as it sounds! The connection between this popular plant and beast is the red gum produced when the stem is cut, and is said to resemble dragon’s blood. I wonder who made that comparison! A native of Africa and New Guinea, the dracaena is usually displayed as a bushy, multiple sprouted cane floor plant. One of the most common Dracaena is the one more commonly known as the Corn Plant. It has broad leaves with a dramatic, single variegated yellow stripe on each leaf.
Are you looking for a unique tree as the focal point to your décor? Then consider the distinctive flare of an artificial Fishtail Palm tree. These artificial palm trees are sure to capture your heart with hundreds of ridged tipped leaves that sprawl outwards from a sturdy, rugged trunk for support.
Unique in their beauty, tropical palm trees transforms ordinary to extraordinary in a matter of minutes. Silk palm trees are quickly becoming one of the most popular choices of silk trees. Their sudden popularity has a great deal to do with the various sizes, shapes and varieties available to choose from.
Green, flourishing and beautiful, artificial Ficus trees are life-like trees made of top quality materials with natural or real wood trunks. Silk Ficus trees are an exact replica of the live ones and are available in just as many sizes and shapes. A lavish silk Ficus will enhance the ambiance and charm of any décor without the all of the dedication and care required to maintain its appearance.
Spathiphyllum! I’ll bet you can’t say that fast 3 times! Can you spell it with your eyes closed? It’s so much easier to say and spell Peace Lily. Can anyone tell me why the spathiphyllum is even called Peace Lily? I certainly have no idea? What I do know is that it is a beautiful plant that is even more beautiful when it blooms every few months displaying lovely white flowers. The live plant carries a long list of benefits, but is not the perfect plant for every home. The peace lily is harmful if ingested by children and even more dangerous for dogs and cats. And allergy sufferers, you will want to keep the meds and tissue close at hand.
Don’t look at me like that! I am NOT one of those people who are sad to have winter whether come to an end! In fact, for me, immediately after fall, spring can’t get here soon enough! I absolutely love the scents and floral display of spring. As soon as the snow I begin looking for the first showing of the crocuses to flaunt their colors, then the breath taking daffodils and flashy tulips to burst into bloom. And I get so excited by the thought of the hyacinth, that I am convinced that their scent precedes their appearance.
Native to the tropical swamps and rainforest to southeastern Asia, The Aglaonema, and don’t ask me to pronounce it, is genus of about 40 species of foliage plants. Among them is the Silver King, sometimes call Chinese Evergreens. In Asia, some people consider the plant to be so lucky they use it to pick their lotto numbers. Some Thai people refer to Aglaonemas as smile of fortune plants. The Silver King as dark green leaves and yes, flowers, the flowers are inconspicuous but they are there. And that small detail can cause problems for allergy sufferers. Not only that, the sap of this plant is poisonous to health, and it causes skin irritations. How is that lucky?
When I step into a room with colorful flowers I am almost immediately transported to a euphoric state of being. The colors, the combinations, the mixture of species and textures are astoundingly breathtaking. Nature offers us a wide array of flowers and technology has brought us beautiful like-like impersonations of some the most intricate flowers nature has produced. And, as if things couldn’t get any better, beautiful life-like flower arrangements are now available in artificial water, often referred to as liquid illusion.
I’d like to tell you my story about bonsai trees. At the risk of revealing my age, I’ll just say some years ago, I’d guess it was about the time of the first Karate Kid movie when Mr. Miyagi introduced us to the aesthetic beauty of the bonsai, that I became captivated. This all happened before online shopping and research became popular. I searched for local growers of bonsai trees, and as you may have guessed, the beautiful, full, mature ones were the most expensive. And as expensive as they were, I had to have one. Then another, because things were going well, and I didn’t want the first one to get lonely you know, that would make me a terrible bonsai parent.
Spring is an invigorating and uplifting season for some people because it’s a time for love and new beginnings. For others, the thought of spring is a reminder of visits to the pharmacy for seasonal prescriptions, you know what I mean. They also get to snuggle up with a box of tissues instead of a special some. Why would they look forward to the warmth of new plant life and gardens in bloom? Sometimes these allergy suffers can’t even find sanctuary in their own homes because flower loving family members want to enjoy the colors of spring blooms indoors.
High quality silk flowers will, without a doubt, give the illusion of reality. But when they are arranged in a beautiful vase of decorative marbles or rocks, a great deal of that illusion, like a cloud of smoke, vanishes. Even the most highly skilled at mixing colors and arranging flowers in the perfect vase cannot assemble a realistic flower arrangement with those tools.
Beautiful and elegant, are two of the best words to describe the Calla Lily, one of the most popular and recognizable flowers in the world. Native to Southern Africa, the Calla Lily is easy to distinguish by its trumpet-shaped flower, wide leaves, and a long, thick, sturdy stem. With an almost endless array of spectacular color options, the graceful, lean lines of Calla Lilies are a fantastic choice for centerpieces, bouquets, and boutonnieres.
Orchids are gorgeous tropical flowers. They are wonderful for weddings from the bride’s bouquet to centerpieces. Unfortunately, orchids are also very expensive, especially in the off season. If you still want to have an extravagant look for your wedding without the price tag, consider using silk orchids.
Did you know that the bird of paradise is actually a bird? That’s right! It is one of the most beautiful birds you will ever see. Some of them are bright green and yellow, some are brilliant red. What they all have common are the beautiful long feathery plumes that grown from its back. Their beautiful tails are usually a very stunning deep golden-yellow.
Planning a family dinner for my extended family is like following a land mine road map. Everyone has different food allergies and plant allergies. I love to decorate my home and dinner table with fresh cut flowers, but I don’t want to go through the headache of figuring out what plant will cause which relative to launch into a sneezing fit. Instead of real flowers, I use silk floral arrangements when hosting a family dinner.
You’re just about finishing your redecorating project, but you cannot figure out what to do with that empty space over there. Often times less is good, but in this case, less look like you forgot to do something with that space. Long ledges, big landings near stairs and high ceilings can cause a bit of frustration when it comes to decorating. You can use pictures in some areas, but sometimes that can draw even more attention to an empty area. It’s times like this that silk flower arrangements become the perfect solution.
Decorating with silk orchids is fun and imaginative. They are elegant and are available in a variety of sizes and shapes. The range of colors available, including the traditional deep orchid purple, is another great feature for decorating. Unlike most flowers, orchids come in a variety of heights and shapes. Some orchids, like the Cymbidium orchid, are tall with sharp leaves and are perfect for an odd corner. A beautiful potted Phalaenopsis with its large flamboyant flowers will look right at home in a window sill. And the best part about it is they will bloom all year round.
To a man there is nothing like the sanctuary of the man space, the den, the bachelor pad, the sports room. No matter what he calls it, it’s the place where he goes to retreat. Often, when we think of a retreat, we think of a relaxing place. A retreat can be a place to meditate, withdraw, study or have some me time either alone or with those you share something in common.
