Author: Jill Brooke
Fertilizers Impacting How Bees “See” Flowers
By Jill Brooke A new paper just released in PNAS Nexus, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that chemicals used in agriculture, like fertilizers and pesticides, can change the way bees ‘see’ a flower and that this reduces the number of bees visiting a flower. We all know what that means, don’t we? As the …
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Daffodils In Cold Climate Create Potential Heart Medication
By Jill Brooke In the language of flowers, daffodils represent rebirth and renewal. This is turning out to be prophetic because daffodils are now a source for heart medication. Although now is the time to be planting those bulbs, many are also being used for medicinal purposes. And a new research project in Scotland has …
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Why Marigolds Are the Stars of Day of the Dead, Diwali, and U.S. Celebrations
By Jill Brooke Unlike Halloween, which focuses on scares, the Day of the Dead puts the spotlight on loved ones who have died. To celebrate their memory, people often choose the marigold, with their explosion of tangerine, canary yellow, and gold. Somehow the marigold, with its unforgettable scent, is life-affirming. Why is the marigold associated with …
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Why the Peony Declared Romania’s National Flower
By Jill Brooke It’s not only that “peony” is the first or last name of over 100,000 Romanians (Bujor or Bujori). Or that the plant is the inspiration for Romanian folklore, music, literature, and art. All of that make it an obvious winner of any flower popularity contest in Romania. But the country needed an …
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Purple Flowers Tradition with Peruvian October Celebration
By Jill Brooke While walking in NYC this weekend, I literally stumbled upon a celebration called “Mes Morado” near Lincoln Center which I want to share with you. The street fair that lined 10th Avenue was filled with chicken, pork and steak on skewers and grills as well as steaming vats of oil for various …
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Thanks to Taylor Swift, Lavender Now Means Romance
By Jill Brooke Flower lovers – we can so relate to Taylor Swift being in a “Lavender Haze.” Explaining the track from her just released “Midnights” studio album, Swift said on Instagram how she was intrigued when she heard the phrase on the TV show “Mad Men.” “I thought it sounded cool,” she said. “And …
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Jessica Chastain Wears Most Gorge Floral Dress Ever
By Jill Brooke When it comes to extraordinary floral-themed dresses, the brand Oscar de la Renta is in the pantheon of greats. At the 2nd Annual Academy Museum Gala, their floral chiffon dress was worn by the luminous Jessica Chastain, sparking demand for the dress as well as an avalanche of praise. How gorgeous is …
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Farmers Are Creating Public Experiences for Profit and Pleasure
By Jill Brooke When Certified American Grown organizers launched their popular Field to Vase dinner experience to raise awareness of the glorious bounty and ingenuity of U.S. flower farmers, it was obvious which farm would be included in their star line-up: The Arnosky Family Farm in Texas. Frank Arnosky met his wife Pamela while doing …
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Iconic Red London Phone Booths Inspire Floral Artists
Although not used for communication anymore, the iconic British red phone box not only still exists but has become an inspiring prop for a variety of floral artists to create memorable installations. Just this week, superstar Lewis Miller filled one to the brim with fall-themed dahlias, roses and branches to help British jewelry company, Graff, …
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How Sustainable Practices Are Blooming Success for Westerlay Orchids
By Jill Brooke Based in Carpenteria, California, Westerlay Orchids is Southern California’s largest commercial orchid grower. Although the company’s Dutch roots were in growing lush beautiful roses starting in 1978, Toine Overgaag saw an opportunity in growing orchids vs. roses and shared this business idea with his father and company founder Joop “Joe” Overgaag in …
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